Kingswood College, Kandy

Kingswood College, Kandy (Sinhala: කිංග්ස්වුඩ් විද්‍යාලය) is a public day and boarding school for boys in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The school educates over 3,500 students from primary to secondary levels and is staffed by more than 300 faculty members. It was founded by Louis Edmund Blaze on 4 May 1891 with the aim of providing education grounded in Methodist principles.
Initially opened with just eleven students at Pavilion Street, the school later relocated to Randles Hill. It is one of the oldest schools in Kandy and is commonly known as KCK.
Kingswood College was founded by Louis Edmund Blaze, with eleven students, as a boys' high school. At the time, most schools on the island had been classified as state‑aided government schools or missionary schools. Government grants were available until a school was established, with a solid core of teachers and an expanding role. Still, institutions run by individuals did not qualify for government assistance. The first few years of the school's existence were a struggle for Blaze. Fee income barely covered the cost of running the school, so Blaze handed the struggling institution over to be managed by the Methodist mission. In 1961, the state took over the school.
From the outset, Blaze modelled the school on the English public school system. A house system was introduced to the school in 1922, and the names selected were those of major English public schools (Eton, Harrow, Rugby and Winchester); he built up the school on the strength of his reputation. It was Blaze who coined the term, Gentlemen of Kingswood, to describe the body of students of his school and he who chose a motto for the school in Latin; Latin: Fide et Virtute. He then chose the school colours, maroon and dark blue, and wrote the words of the school song.
The school was the first in Sri Lanka to introduce rugby, the first boys' school to employ a female teacher, the first to introduce the sport of rowing and one of the first to establish a Cadet Corps. The first prize-giving was held in 1895, only four years after the school was founded and became an annual feature. One feature of the Kingswood Prize Giving was the Prologue written by Blaze, a review in verse of the year's events in the country and the world. It was generally recited by the boy who won the annual Oratory Prize. Blaze continued to write the annual Prologue for three decades after his retirement as the principal in 1923, almost up to the time of his death.
In 1900, Blaze wrote the first comprehensive school textbook on the history of Sri Lanka. It ran to several editions before it was superseded by the works of one of his earliest pupils at Kingswood, G. C. Mendis, who served for many years as a lecturer (and later reader) in the Department of History at the University of Ceylon.
Blaze held office at Kingswood for 32 years, retiring in 1923. He had seen the school through its formative years and had securely established it. Before his retirement, he planned the removal of the school from the small premises it occupied in Pavilion Street. As the number of students grew, the need for a more spacious and less noisy environment became a matter of increasing urgency. The location selected was in the village of Wel-Ata in Mulgampola, then a quiet and seemingly distant suburb of Kandy. The new site and the new buildings were made possible by a gift of money from a British industrialist, Sir John Scurrah Randles. The new complex of buildings consisted of classrooms, an administrative building, a large hostel and staff quarters. The school's new location (and railway halt just opposite) was named Randles Hill to honour Kingswood's main benefactor of modern times. The new buildings were opened in 1925 under Blaze's successor, Reverend E. Pearson, who ran the school for four years. He was succeeded by O. L. Gibbon (1929–1937) and F. A. J. Utting (1937–1942). They consolidated the work that Blaze had begun and, during their administration, the school continued to develop.
Although Kingswood was a Methodist missionary school, the student body contained Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Burghers, Eurasians and a mix of Ceylonese identity groups such as Malays, Chettis and Moors. A strong multiethnic admission was seen in the years leading to Independence. Methodist students did have some advantages when it came to the award of scholarships, but the special scholarships were awarded on merit and were open to all. The 1940s was a crucial period in the development of the school. Wartime conditions put an end to the practice of sending Englishmen as principals of the school. In 1942, P. H. Nonis became the first Sinhalese national to head the school, holding the post for 15 years. The school admitted some boys from S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia when the latter had to vacate its premises during World War II.
When the free education system was introduced in the late 1940s, the Methodist mission had to decide whether the school should opt out of it and retain its independence as a fee‑levying school, or join the national education in which the state would pay the teaching staff and relieve its students of the need to pay fees. Some elite schools on the island opted out, but few missionary schools could afford to forgo the advantage of having the salaries of the staff covered; Kingswood was one of them.
Nonis presided over the transition from an independent school to a school in the national school system. The control of the education department bureaucracy, though, was neither vigorous nor rigid. Thus, the change in status was a subtle one, and the school was able to maintain both its independence and its traditions almost undisturbed. Even now, Kingswood is a small institution (with about 700 students and about 35 teachers) compared to other schools in the hill country.
During this period, the school built up a reputation in sports. The school's reputation for hockey was enhanced during Nonis' period. He was a well-known school cricketer and he built up a good cricket team. If one single individual personified the schools' achievements in sports during this era it would be Frederick A. White, younger brother of Olympian Duncan White.
After Nonis' retirement, B. A. Thambipillai became acting principal and held office till the arrival of Kenneth M. de Lanerolle (1958–1967). His was a much more difficult task than that of his predecessors, for during 1960—1961 the school became fully state‑controlled. When the state took over the school, the number of students increased, as in other state schools in the country. Although the state financed the salaries and wages of the teachers and the support staff, it became more difficult to maintain sports and other extracurricular activities and to manage facilities to the same degree. Nor was it as easy as in the past to finance the construction of new buildings. Nevertheless, new buildings were erected thanks to the initiatives of de Lanerolle and his constant search for funds from parents, old boys and well-wishers. E S Liyanage, who was principal from 1977 to 1984, was the first old boy to become principal of the school. The principalship of Nihal Herath and R. B. Rambukwella was also important. Herath introduced changes to the college which brought progress in discipline, the standard of education and sports. He also made preparations for the centenary year that was to come in 1991, before he left to become principal of Dharmaraja College, Kandy.
The post-1961 principals had a more difficult task in the management of the school. They were part of a complex administrative system and were in transferable service; their control of admissions was limited; they had little influence on the choice of teachers for the school. Thus, they faced challenges in maintaining the school as a distinctive entity within the state system and keeping alive the school traditions of the past. The solid and elegant old buildings are a legacy of the past and even the playing field has been expanded only to a limited degree. Thus, the physical shape of the school is much the same as in the days of the Methodist mission. Those who led the school during this century would need to preserve as much of the original shape as possible, but would also need to add to the buildings to cope with the increase in the number of students.
Ranjith Chandrasekara served as Principal of Kingswood College from 2000 to 2013, leading the school for nearly thirteen years. After his tenure at Kingswood, he was promoted to National Schools Director for Sri Lanka, where he contributes to the Ministry of Education and serves as chairman of the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Foundation. During his time at Kingswood, Chandrasekara oversaw the construction of several key facilities, including a modern swimming pool complex, a new auditorium and main hall, a gymnasium, and a new playground, significantly enhancing the school's infrastructure and resources.
There are four houses in Kingswood College. The house system was introduced to the school in June 1922, and the names selected were those of major English public schools in England.
The college song is "Hill-Throned", sung at the start of the school day and on important occasions. The words of the song were written by Louis Edmund Blaze, the founder of Kingswood College with the lyrics from the song of Kingswood School in England adapted to local conditions.
The college colours of Kingswood College are maroon and dark blue, symbolising "loyalty" and "manliness". The Kingswood flag features maroon and blue oblongs with the college crest cantered. The flag, a concept of Sir Louis Edmund Blaze, was first hoisted in 1898.
The term "KFE" stands for "Kingswood for Ever" and has been a familiar salutation among Kingswoodians since early times. It is commonly used in both verbal exchanges and written communications. This expression is often seen among alumni during reunions or farewells and is frequently used to conclude speeches or vote of thanks at the college. During prize giving and other ceremonies, guests, alumni, and Kingswoodians often end their speeches with a hearty KFE.
The most important function of the school will take place in this special week. Kingswood week was first started in 1906 by the founder of Kingswood Louis Edmund Blaze. Since then Kingswood gentlemen and the school staff have carried on the Kingswood week as a tradition for over 119 years.
The colours night, which originated in 1986, was brought into the week much later. In the late 1990s, the sports meet was taken out of the Week. During the last years of Ranjith Chandrasekara's days, Kala Ulela and Scouts Day were brought in. Both those inclusions have tilted the balance of the Kingswood week. At the very beginning, the week used to start with the guest of the week, who would address the main assembly. The week would conclude with the Kingswood Sunday. The Kingswood Sunday religious activities (according to Blaze) were an initiative by the students of the school. The administration had not known of the boys visiting places of worship. Later, it had been formally annexed to the agenda.
Kingswood Week 2023 commenced from Sunday, 26 November 2023 to Friday, 1 December 2023.
Sports is one of the major parts of Kingswood College with over eighteen different sports played. Taking centre stage of the annual sporting calendar is the Battle of the Maroons (The big match), the L. E. Blaze Trophy, William Weerasinghe Trophy, Lennie De Silva Memorial Trophy and the Kenneth De Lennerolle Shield.
Kingswood College's history of cricket, spans over a century. In 1916, R. Blake took eight wickets for just seven runs against Dharmaraja College. Two years later, in 1918, the cricket team secured its first victory by nine runs against the same rival. In 1951, Kingswood's Mahinda Silva scored a century in the Big Match against Dharmaraja College. In 1958, C. M. Fernando was named the best player, and H. N. A. Gamage was the runner-up for the best bowler.
In 2019, under-13 player Kaveeja Gamage secured the island's second place by scoring a century against St. Sylvester’s College. That same year, Hansathika Rajanayake took 10 wickets in a match against Dharmaraja College. The current captain of the under-15 team, Menuka Dissanayake, is an all-rounder excelling in all aspects of the game. During the under-15 matches in 2019, Thenuka Vishan scored a century, and Chanuka achieved a half-century, leading the team to win two significant matches. Additionally, Menuka Pushpattiya, playing for the under-19 team, recorded exceptional achievements in 2019.
Kingswood College maintains close ties with their home-town rival school, Dharmaraja College, with whom they play the annual Dharmaraja–Kingswood Cricket Encounter, also known as Battle of the Maroons, which is the one of the oldest annual cricket match in Sri Lanka and the oldest in Kandy region.
Kingswood College was the first school in Sri Lanka to embrace rugby as a sport, dating back to 1893. Introduced by the founder principal Louis Edmund Blaze, Kingswood played the inaugural senior school rugby match in the country against hometown rivals Trinity College in 1906. Kandy is regarded as the rugby city of Sri Lanka, with Kingswood rugby contributing significantly by producing many outstanding players for both Kandy and the national teams.
The Kingswood 1st XV team has achieved several notable accomplishments:
Kingswood College has produced more than 50 national players, including a few captains, thus playing a crucial role in sustaining and developing rugby in Sri Lanka. Notable players include Fazil Marija, Nalaka Weerakkody, Nilfer Ibrahim, Roshan and Gayan Weerarathne, Chamara Withanage, and Amjad Buks.
Additionally, Kingswood has produced numerous national and international coaches and trainers who have achieved significant success with leading schools, clubs, and national teams. Some distinguished coaches include Ananda Kasthuriarachchi, Ronnie Ibrahim, Mothilal Jayathilake, Nilfer Ibrahim, Nalaka Weerakkody, Fazil Marija, and Ransilu Jayathilake.
The school has also produced several renowned rugby referees who have served both locally and internationally. Notable referees include A.C. Tennakoon, Irshad Cader, Asela Muthumala, Mahesh Senanayake, Harshana Wijeweera, and Ranil De Silva.
Ranjith Chandrasekara, although not an alumnus of Kingswood, gained valuable experience as the principal of Kingswood College, leading to his presidency of the School Rugby Union on multiple occasions. In 2018, R. Lakshan Chandrarathne, and in 2019, W. A. Senevirathne, Milan Weerasinghe, and K. D. S. Ekanayake participated in the Under-19 Asian Rugby Tournament in China, representing Sri Lanka and earning national colours for their performance.
The annual L. E. Blaze Trophy rugby match between Wesley College and Kingswood College is a storied tradition, celebrating a legacy of sportsmanship and rivalry that dates back decades. Named in honour of Louis Edmund Blaze, the founder of Kingswood College and a pioneer of school sports in Sri Lanka, this prestigious trophy symbolises the spirit of competition and camaraderie between the two historic institutions.
Every year, the match brings together alumni, students, and supporters to witness a thrilling contest of skill, determination, and teamwork. As we celebrate this cherished event, we honour the rich history and values that it represents.
Kingswood College competes with Dharmaraja College at their annual rugby encounter for the William Weerasinghe Trophy.
Football has a storied history at Kingswood College, ranking as one of the top five sports played at the school. In the past five years, the under-20 football team has dominated the Central Provincial Inter School Competition, winning all championships. The college team is one of the two representing the Group 1 team of the Kandy district.
A notable achievement came in 2018 when Pathum Vimukthi Madumal, the team captain of the under-23 youth football team, had the honour of playing for the Sri Lankan national team. This was a remarkable milestone for both him and the Kingswood football team. Additionally, Kingswood gentleman I. Inshaam represented the under-16 Sri Lanka school team, highlighting the school's success in nurturing football talent.
The annual soccer match for the Kenneth De Lennerolle Shield is played against Wesley College, which is the methodist counterpart of Kingswood College.
Hockey, introduced to Kingswood in 1938 by former vice principal V. D. Paul Raj, has become a cornerstone of the school's athletic achievements. The Kingswood hockey team stands out as one of the most formidable and remarkable teams across the island. The school has produced many talented players, including Freddie White, a former national team captain and acclaimed as the best Asian goalkeeper of the 1950s. Hockey has long been the most popular sport among hostelers.
A significant tradition in our hockey culture is the annual "Lennie De Silva Memorial Trophy", contested by Kingswood and Royal College. In 1998, the college hockey team marked its first international participation, reflecting the sport's importance at Kingswood. The former president of the Sri Lanka Schools Hockey Federation, Roy De Silva, is a proud alumnus of our hockey team, underscoring the quality of training and experience Kingswoodians receive.
Kingswood College is proud to be one of the first five schools in Sri Lanka to establish a cadet movement, a tradition that dates back to the 1880s. Captain Ernest Handscomb Spencer’s dedication led to the formation of a cadet company at Kingswood. Officially recognized in 1902 under the Ceylon Light Infantry (CLI), cadet training had already been informally provided to Kingswoodians due to the discipline and initiative of the "Gentlemen of Kingswood".
Notable achievements include winning the Herman Loos Challenge Trophy upon its introduction in 1917 and consecutively in 1919, 1920, and 1921. The cadets also presented a Guard of Honor to Sir John Randles in 1925 and President Ranasinghe Premadasa in 1991. Celebrating its centenary in 2002, the cadet platoon won the 2nd Battalion Trophy.
Under Major Sanath Weerasekara, the platoon won the Herman Loos Trophy in 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2011, and the 2nd Battalion Trophy consecutively from 2000. Lieutenant Colonels J.S.M. Wellangiriya and H.M.H. Pilapitiya also contributed significantly. Sgt. Kanchana Dissanayake was promoted to Regiment Sergeant Major of the 2nd Battalion in 2011.
Kingswood cadets achieved 3rd place in the 2015 Herman Loos Trophy and 2nd place in 2016 under 2nd Lieutenant Mallawa Bandara and Captain Suresh Vidanagamage. Captain Vidanagamage was named "Best Commander" in 2016, 2018, and 2019. In 2019, Kingswood cadets set two national records and won the 2nd Battalion Trophy, achieving the highest points in NCC history and in the firing event.
The War Hero Statue and the War Heroes’ Museum at Kingswood honour those who sacrificed their lives in the civil war. Over the past 119 years, the cadet platoon has made immense contributions, shaping exemplary citizens.
The Eastern Cadet Band of Kingswood College plays a crucial role in developing student personalities and strengthening the bond among Kingswood Gentlemen. By participating in various camps and community service activities, including the Annual Regional Independence Day celebrations and the Central Provincial Sports Festival, the band contributes significantly to the community. The band's mission is to cultivate independent Sri Lankan citizens with strong leadership qualities.
In 1972, Kingswood College began its school band under the guidance of K. M. Gooneratne Banda, initially starting as an eastern band. Over time, instruments such as the Daula and Thammettama were replaced by side drums and bass drums, and wooden flutes were added, transitioning the band to a Western-style band. S. Hettiarachchi was the teacher in charge during this period.
In 1978, with the support of Hettiarachchi, the band acquired essential Western musical instruments and was officially recognised as a Western Cadet Band by the National Cadet Corps. E. S. Liyanage’s efforts further enhanced the band with the addition of trumpets, earning the distinction of being the first Western Cadet Band in Kandy. The Western Cadet Band has achieved notable success, including representing the school at an international training session in India, and participating in Independence Day celebrations and Central Province Sports Competitions annually.
The Kingswood Scout Troop, also known as the 2nd Kandy Scout Troop, was founded on 4 March 1914. The Kingswood Scout Troop is known all around the country as well as in South Asia for its, remarkable achievement of hosting the oldest memorial Hike in Sri Lanka, South Asia and most probably in Asia the J. J. P. Dehigama Memorial Orienteering Competition. The 2nd Kandy Scout Troop of Kingswood College, was held the first ever Hiking Festival in Sri Lanka on 23 October 2014, to celebrate its 100 years of Scouting.
Kingswood College currently has over 100+ student societies. Kingswood College Astronomical Society (since 1996), Kingswood Media Network (since 2011), Kingswood Interact (since 1988) and Kingswood Photographic Club (since 1935) are one of the oldest and the largest societies in Kingswood College on present days.
The college has a strong association with the study of music, both western and oriental music.
The annual musical festival, Sihina Dorakada, organised by the oriental Music Association with the assistance of alumni and SDB has become an important event on Kandy's and school's cultural calendar.
Principals come in all shapes and sizes, and this is no exception for Kingswood, too. From the earliest days of the founding father, Louis Blaze to the current head of the college, Dhammika Herath, Kingswood has so far had nineteen principals in its 133 year history.
Our Boys is the name the Kingswood Magazine and stated by a concept of founder of Kingswood and it was first put into print in the 1890s. Our boys started because, as Blaze records in KFE: The Story of Kingswood, Kandy, the magazine was initially an affair of a few pages held together: more like a pamphlet, which carried the creative work and other notices the school had to offer.
The Our Boys is still published yearly.
Former students of Kingswood College are known as Old Kingswoodians.
The Kingswood OBA (Old Boys' Association) formally known as Kingswood College Union was founded in 1904. The Kingswood Union was set up to further the interests of the college, its past and present members, teachers, and parents.