News & Events
It was with deep regret and great sadness that we inform the King’s family of the death of Professor Kenneth James Durrands CBE; a former student and later supporting the King’s School as a School Governor from 1999.
Ken was a stalwart supporter of King’s over many decades and his guidance and influence will be felt for many years to come. Ken was hugely passionate towards the school and he should be fondly remembered for his commitment and friendship over the years.
Professor Durrands was born in 1929 in Croxton Kerrial and lived in the same cottage which has been in the family ownership for many years.
His entry in Who’s who states that his higher education started at King’s School Grantham and included a spell at Birmingham University, where he completed Post Graduate studies in Mechanical Engineering in 1954, returning to Birmingham University in 1958 to 1961 as Lecturer in Mechanical and Nuclear Energy.
Professor Durrands was the First Rector of Huddersfield Polytechnic (1970–1992) and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield (1992–1995).
In 1992 he was awarded the Honour of Commander of the British Empire by the Queen for services to Education.
- Head of General Engineering Department, at Atomic Energy Authority at Risley 1961-67
- Member of the Council of Barnsley Colliery 1996-2000
Professor Durrands dedicated a large proportion of his life of helping others and in 1970 he started voluntary work for the British Council and Office for Overseas Development. He worked in in many countries including lran, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Malawi, Gambia, Thailand, China and Indonesia.
The School is enormously grateful for his wisdom and guidance as a school governor, his kindness forever unmatched.
He will be sadly missed but fondly remembered. Our thoughts are with his wife, two children and their families.
Died 5th September 2024. Aged 95 years. Beloved husband, father and grandfather.
Funeral service will take place at St Botolph and St John the Baptist Church, Croxton Kerrial, on Monday 30th September 2024 at 2.30pm.
Family flowers only. Donations to Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance Service can be made on the day or forwarded to Robert Holland Funeral Directors, 14 St Catherines Road, Grantham, NG31 6TS.
It is with great sadness the school announces that Paul Roper, former Head of the Sixth Form, has died.
Paul Roper died peacefully on Sunday 11 February 2024, aged 78. He will be greatly missed by Carol, their family and wide circle of friends.
Paul’s life will be celebrated on Thursday 14 March. We hope you can join us at 13.30pm Grantham Crematorium, Harrowby Road, NG31 9DT for this service.
(There will be a further celebration of his life at Belton Park Golf Club after the service)
Donations to Paul’s chosen charity, “Brain Tumour Research”, may be given at the service or alternatively via Robert Holland.
With sadness the school announces that former Deputy Head Master and Head Master (1981 to 1982) Gerald Dyer has died.
Gerald Dyer died peacefully at Anya Court Care Home, Rugby, on Sunday 8 October 2023, aged 85. He will be greatly missed by Helen, Ali, Pete, Dan and Anna along with a wide circle of family and friends.
His life will be celebrated on Monday 20 November 2023. There will be a private cremation for the family, followed by a service of thanksgiving. We hope you can join us at 12.30pm at Grantham Baptist Church, Wharf Road, NG31 6BA for this service of thanksgiving and for refreshments.
Should you wish, donations to Gerald’s chosen charity may be given at the service.
Alternatively, contributions can be forwarded to Robert Holland Funeral Directors, 14 St Catherine’s Road, Grantham, NG31 6TS or online at www.roberthollandfunerals.co.uk
With sadness the school announces that former schoolmaster Gerald William Taylor died.
Gerald Taylor died peacefully with his children beside him at Grantham Hospital after a short illness.
He leaves behind a sister Elizabeth, his children William, Robert, Catherine, and Valerie, eleven grandchildren and his companion Ruth.
As a long-standing member of the Lincolnshire community, he also leaves many past friends and colleagues.
Gerald was well known for his long service in the RAF; as Schoolmaster at King's School; diligent SKDC Councillor; long-time supporter and Umpire of local cricket.
Gerald will have a private burial at Norton Big Wood Natural Burial site, Norton Disney, Lincolnshire.
This will be followed by a memorial event at Wood Hall, Hill Holt Wood, Norton Disney, Lincolnshire, LN6 9JP on Wednesday 8th March at 2.15pm.
Donations in Gerald's memory will be shared between the CPRE, RAF Benevolent Fund, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance Charitable Trust.
Online donations and tributes to Gerald can be made at https://gerald-taylor.muchloved.com.
With sadness the school announces that former schoolmaster Sam Branson died.
It is with great sadness that I have to inform the King’s family of the death of Sam Branson who taught mathematics. He was dedicated, hard-working and loyal to this school.
He was appointed as the Head of Mathematics at The King’s School in September 1961. We are all appreciative of all that he did for us over the many years of association he had with The King’s School and our community.
Our sincere condolences are extended to Sam’s three daughters and extended family. He graduated from Bristol University with 1st class honours in Mathematics and began his working life first at a school in Wellingborough, and then at Hyde Grammar School, Manchester. Whilst at King’s, he established a ‘Mathematics Room’ in what was then the new ‘Tower Block’ and developed the Mathematics syllabus from what were considered as ‘traditional’ teaching methods to a more innovative approach.
Sam retired in 1985 but he continued to take a great interest in the school. A few years after retirement Sam, with his good friend Mrs Joyce Barnes, went on to organise the school’s archives. It was an onerous task which they began from a very base level, they did a sterling job, creating the basis from which the archives are run today. Sam wrote a comprehensive history of the school after his retirement and it filled an important gap in the town’s history. He will be greatly missed.
With sadness the school announces that former archivist Jane Unsworth died.
It was with great sadness that we learnt that the school’s archivist, Jane Unsworth died. She had been ill for some time, but her death was sudden and quite unexpected. She was very much looking forward to resuming work, post pandemic, in the archive and was really excited about the plans she had.
Unfortunately, the pandemic had continued to frustrate her. At the beginning of the pandemic, she had been designated clinically extremely vulnerable and had been required to isolate.
Our sincere condolences are extended to Jane’s family. She will be greatly missed.
