The Shirley Hall is perhaps one of the most recognisable buildings at King’s. Standing at the heart of the School, between the Old Grange and Walpole House, it has been a focal point of School life for almost seventy years. Using articles from previous issues of The Cantuarian, we reflect back at the history of the hall. 

Building the Hall

The need for a dedicated assembly hall had been long recognised. It was eventually decided that the Palace Court, running from The Grange to the Old Palace, would be the location for an assembly hall. As The Cantuarian in March 1954 stated: "This is the only possible site for an Assembly Hall, and without one the School limps along."

The project soon moved forward, with a contract signed and preliminary work beginning. The cost was reported in The Cantuarian as £70,000, a considerable sum at the time. By 1954, £32,000 had fundraised from the generosity of parents and OKS. Recognising the importance of the project, Headmaster Fred Shirley wrote a personal note to all parents, friends and OKS emphasising that the hall was an urgent need for the School. 

The foundation stone was laid in March 1955 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, marking the formal beginning of the Hall’s construction. A ceremony was held to mark the occasion, and there was a symbolic connection with the School’s earlier building projects: the trowel used by the Archbishop was the same one that had been used to lay the foundation stone of the Harvey Laboratory fifty years earlier. The Archbishop spoke of the importance of such a building to school life:

"An assembly hall is a necessity for the corporate life of any school; and you are getting an assembly hall to yourselves for the first time. Thank God for the immense building of schools of all kinds that is going on all over the country."

For the first time, the School was about to have a space of its own in which the entire School community could come together.

Opening the Hall

After years of construction, the new assembly hall was completed and formally opened by the Queen Mother in 1957.

"Today we assemble to celebrate a new landmark in the life of the School, the completion of the Great Hall - a name which it is doubly entitled, for near to this place formerly stood the Great Hall of the Norman and medieval Archbishop sof Canterbury, and save for the Cathedral itself, it is the largest building in Canterbury." 

- The Queen Mother, 12 June 1957

The building was initially known simply as the “Great Hall”, but within a few years it had become closely associated with Shirley and his long leadership of the School.

The connection was made particularly clear in July 1962, when The Queen Mother returned to the School again and unveiled a mural tablet commemorating Shirley’s headmastership in the foyer of the Hall. The occasion brought together representatives of the School community to celebrate his achievements and enduring influence.

Major Jervis, President of the OKS Association at the time, formally invited Her Majesty to unveil the plaque:

"Your majesty: As president of the O.K.S. Association, and on behalf of the old boys and parents past and present, it is my priviledge to pray that you will be graciously pleased to unveil this mural tablet commemorating the achievements of our beloved headmaster which we have caused to be placed in the foyer of this Great Hall, which five years ago you formally opened to the delight of assembled thousands of your loyal devoted friends." 

Later that year, in a Govenors' Meeting on 29 October 1962, it was decided that "the Great Hall should on official occasions be called the Shirley Hall". The decision provided a permanent memorial to Shirley’s leadership of the school and the contribution he had made during his headmastership.

The Hall today 

Today, the Shirley Hall continues to serve much the same communal purpose for which the Great Hall was created. It remains a venue for school assemblies, musical performances, exams and the annual Speech Day prize-giving ceremony.

As of September 2026, the lower ground floor of the building is home to the Sixth Form Social Centre, the Pupil Futures department and classrooms. 

Log in to view our Shirley Hall photo gallery below, featuring photographs documenting the Hall’s history from its creation in 1957 to the present day. Hover over each photo for the caption. 

You can browse The Cantuarian online archive here.