"From the very beginning, we had always planned for Archie to be born and spend his early childhood in Korea, and then for our family to return to the UK when he reached school age. Before moving to the UK, Archie completed Reception at a British school in Korea, so he was already familiar with the British education system when he came to King’s. Moving from Korea to Ely was still a big change for all of us though, however having my husband’s connection with King’s made it feel very special. 

"Archie joined King's Ely Prep in Year 3 and settled in incredibly well, largely thanks to the warmth and care of his teachers and the lovely friends he made at school. He is very happy and comfortable at King’s, and it has been wonderful to see how much he enjoys his school life. In fact, he enjoys school so much that during the holidays he often asks when school is starting again because he wants to go back! I think that says a lot about how happy he feels there.

"One of the things that has impressed us most about the British education system, and particularly about King’s, is the way it recognises each child as an individual. Archie has always loved writing, especially creative writing. Last year, his class teacher noticed this interest and, even though creative novel writing was not part of the school curriculum, encouraged him to develop it further. With his teacher’s encouragement, Archie went on to write three of his own stories and even read them to his classmates. As parents, we were incredibly grateful for this. It showed us that education can be about much more than simply following a set curriculum. A teacher noticed something that Archie genuinely loved and helped turn it into a positive and meaningful hobby. This is something we really value about King’s. Compared with the more structured and standardised approach we experienced in Korea, we feel that there is much more emphasis on discovering each child’s individual strengths and interests, listening to their ideas, and helping them develop in their own way.

"Our priority is not simply academic achievement. We want Archie to grow into a confident, kind, and independent young person, while also developing his own interests and strengths. We believe King’s provides the environment to support both his character and his individual abilities as he grows. If Archie continues to be as happy, supported, and challenged as he is now, we would be delighted for King’s to remain part of his educational journey all the way through to university. It is lovely to see Archie now creating his own happy memories at the same school where his father spent such a happy part of his childhood."