The first female head of King's School Canterbury, thought to be the oldest school in the world, has launched an independent review into historic abuse.

The move follows the jailing of former boarding master Dennis Fletcher, 76, for abusing boys at Junior King's more than 40 years ago.

Former pupils have since made disclosures about other members of staff, spanning five decades.

In a letter to former pupils - known as Old King's Scholars (OKS) - headmistress Jude Lowson said the investigation will focus on the period from the 1950s to the late 1990s.

She said the school wanted to gain 'as full an understanding as possible of what happened during this period and any lessons that may emerge from it'.

In April, former teacher Dennis Fletcher was jailed for 11 years and nine months for sexually abusing two boys at the school between 1978 and 1982 when they were under the age of 14.

Fletcher had a flat next to the boy’s dormitories and one of the victims recalled how he would patrol at night and punish anyone found breaking the rules.

In her letter to former pupils, Ms Lowson wrote: 'We are appalled by [Fletcher's] actions and by the harm he caused. We again offer our sincere and unreserved apology to those whom the school did not protect when they were pupils.

'That letter prompted a number of OKS to contact the school. Some shared further information about Dennis Fletcher. Others disclosed experiences involving other former members of staff, spanning several decades from the 1950s through to the late 1990s.

'I am very grateful to those who came forward, and I recognise that doing so may have required considerable courage and trust.

'Having reflected carefully on what we have been told, the governors and I have concluded that it is right to undertake an independent review into past cases and disclosures of abuse at Junior King's and the King's School.'

Former pupils at the school include playwright and poet Christopher Marlowe, War Horse author Michael Morpurgo and Pirates of the Caribbean actor Orlando Bloom.

Ms Lowson added that those who had come forward have been 'signposted towards appropriate support'.

'The School is not undertaking this review because it is required to do so,' she wrote. 'The governors and I have chosen to commission it because we believe it is the right thing to do.

'We want to be open about this part of the school's history, to understand what happened as fully and honestly as we can, and to support those who choose to come forward.

'The review also reflects our commitment to continuous improvement and to ensuring that current safeguarding at King's is as strong as it can be.'

The probe will be led independently by Professor Mark Bailey, a headteacher for more than 20 years who most recently worked at the prestigious St Paul's Prep School in West London, which was attended by ex-Chancellor George Osborne.

St Paul's, which charges £35,000 a year, has faced its own abuse scandals. In 2016, former teacher David Samson was jailed for 14 years and nine months for a series of historic sex attacks against three pupils aged 14 or under.

In 2022, he was jailed for a further five years for abusing two more boys when they were just 12.