Amesbury School
Encyclopedia
Amesbury School is a co-educational independent school
for both day and boarding pupils between the ages of 2+ to 13+ in Surrey
, England
. Founded in 1870, Amesbury is the oldest preparatory school
in the Farnham/Hindhead/Haslemere area. The main building was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens as a school (and as such is unique) and stands on a 34 acres (137,593.2 m²) estate in the heart of the Surrey countryside. The current Headmaster is Nigel Taylor.
Borough Council to 325 pupils.
in Surrey
, as Amesbury House. It moved to Reigate
a year later and then, in 1876, it moved again, this time to a seven acre site in Bickley
, Kent
. All of these moves were due to growing pupil numbers.
In 1887 Amesbury House was sold to E. H. Moore who ran it in partnership with E. A. Thompson until 1889 when the latter migrated to South Africa. Continuing success entailed another move and Bickley House was bought in 1902. At this point the school's name changed to that which it bears today. Moore died a year later and in The Old Amesburians Club instituted a prize in his memory which is still awarded today.
There was another move of location at the end of 1917, to Hindhead
, under the headmastership of E. Cotgreave Brown. The reason on this occasion was to be further away from the dangers of London in war-time and to benefit from the healthy atmosphere of a rural location. It also became full boarding at this time.
The new main school building had been designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1903, the only school he did design. The building is today classified as a Grade 2* structure as it was the earliest design completed by Lutyens in the Wren
style. Of particular interest are the strainer arches in the upstairs passage and the small windows on the eastern western face of the building, small because Lutyens believed that a room should contain pools of light rather than overall brightness.
In 1920 Brown resigned and was replaced by C. L. MacDonald. By the autumn term of 1923, there were a then record 51 boarders. A neighbouring house called Bracklands was bought in 1927 and was to remain part of the school until 1979, housing classrooms, library, music and games room and some staff accommodation. MacDonald died in 1939,
The next headmaster, Major Tom Reynolds, took over the school in 1938 as MacDonald's health was failing. One of the first things he did was to help design the school chapel, which built during the summer holidays and dedicated on 2 October 1938 in the name of St Francis, by the Right Reverend J.V. Macmillan, Bishop of Guildford
. The wooden panelling covering the walls of the chancel was completed in 1942 and was a gift to the school from General Sir Bernard Montgomery and his son, David, who had been a pupil since 1936. Amesbury was 'home' for Montgomery and David during the 1940s and the Reynolds became David's guardians. King George V1 gave Montgomery his consent to allow the Amesbury Chapel Choir to wear scarlet cassock
s.
By 1944 Amesbury had become Montgomery's Rear HQ. A plaque was put on the door of his room in the headmaster's house with the 21st Army Group sign and it was here and in the summerhouse in the remembrance garden that he was visited by his staff and generals. Here he also made his final plans for D-Day.
On 5 June 1944 Montgomery dined at Amesbury before leaving for Normandy. "That evening, Monty drove up to Hindhead to see the Reynolds and to make "final arrangements" regarding David." Reynolds retired four years later, being replaced as headmaster by A. G. Peel.
1970, the school's centenary, was a year of extreme difficulty and a crucial one in Amesbury's history. After a long period of good pupil numbers and a virtually unchanged staff, which had ensured a good record of academic success, changes began to happen. Peel was himself reaching an age when he could reasonably think of retiring and there had been one or two abortive attempts to find a suitable successor to take over the school. Eventually the parents formed a committee, chaired by H. H. Rose. OBE, and looked into the possibility of turning the school into an Educational Trust. By May the £25,000 minimum required had been assured by interest free loans and donations: the school became an Educational Trust and a board of governors was appointed, with Peel continuing as headmaster until a replacement could be found. Today the main academic scholarship is named the 'The Rose Scholarship'.
During this uncertain time, numbers in the school suffered and by the time Dominick Spencer became the school's first salaried headmaster in 1971, there were only 59 boys in the school. The next three years saw numbers steadily rise: full boarding continued but day boys were welcomed and weekly boarding was started for the younger pupils. With numbers steadily increasing, the school was back on a sound financial footing and the governors felt able to start some much needed improvements.
The old theatre was now too small and the gymnasium was converted to act as a centre for PT, fencing, badminton, theatre and cinema. In 1973, with Science due to become a compulsory subject in Common Entrance, a dedicated teaching facility was needed. The next few years saw gradual improvements throughout the school. The early 1980s saw the stable block converted for staff accommodation and the old vegetable garden became grass tennis courts until 1987 when the all weather hard courts were built. A new teaching block was added in 1987 housing classrooms, art room and a new science lab. Always known as the New Block, in 1995, the main entrance was renamed Spencers as a tribute to Dominick and Sue Spencer, who retired in 1989 and were succeeded until 1994 by Paul Cheater.
The 1985 school-based television series Drummonds
was filmed at Amesbury School
In 1987 Amesbury opened a Pre-Prep Department (the first of its kind in the area) catering for pupils under seven.
The school has grown significantly in size and there has been a huge amount of change since then, which include the building of a large sports hall, redevelopment of the Findley academic block, complete refurbishment of The Lutyens Building, the transformation of the Old Gym into a Performing Arts Centre and the construction of a large Astroturf area.
The school play sports on a strong circuit including Aldro
, Cranleigh
, Highfield
and The Portsmouth Grammar School
. The rugby
1st XV has been undefeated during a season twice since 2005 and lost only one game in 2006. In 2005 the U13 group of boys were undefeated across all sports and the XV did not concede a single point during the entire season.
In 2010 the U11 & U13 girls were ranked 12th and 5th at the National IAPS netball championships. The school was one of five schools in the UK to have U11 & U13 teams through to the National Finals. The U11 Netball teams won the Bryanston IAPS Regional tournament on three consecutive occasions between 2006–2008, and five times in the last decade. In 2007 the U11 team was ranked 4th in the IAPS National Rounders Competition.
, The King's World Trust for Children and C.R.Y.
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
for both day and boarding pupils between the ages of 2+ to 13+ in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Founded in 1870, Amesbury is the oldest preparatory school
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
in the Farnham/Hindhead/Haslemere area. The main building was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens as a school (and as such is unique) and stands on a 34 acres (137,593.2 m²) estate in the heart of the Surrey countryside. The current Headmaster is Nigel Taylor.
Pupils
The school is limited in size by WaverleyWaverley, Surrey
Waverley is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England. The borough's headquarters are in the town of Godalming, with Farnham and Haslemere being the other large notable towns....
Borough Council to 325 pupils.
Ethos
The Good Schools Guide describes Amesbury as "a forward thinking yet, in many ways, traditional prep that manages to combine a purposeful approach with a relaxed atmosphere".History
The Reverend Edmund Fowle, the son of the vicar of Amesbury, Wiltshire, founded his school in 1870 in RedhillRedhill, Surrey
Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead, Surrey, England and is part of the London commuter belt. Redhill and the adjacent town of Reigate form a single urban area.-History:...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, as Amesbury House. It moved to Reigate
Reigate
Reigate is a historic market town in Surrey, England, at the foot of the North Downs, and in the London commuter belt. It is one of the main constituents of the Borough of Reigate and Banstead...
a year later and then, in 1876, it moved again, this time to a seven acre site in Bickley
Bickley
Bickley is an affluent residential area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is a suburban development situated 10.4 miles south east of Charing Cross...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. All of these moves were due to growing pupil numbers.
In 1887 Amesbury House was sold to E. H. Moore who ran it in partnership with E. A. Thompson until 1889 when the latter migrated to South Africa. Continuing success entailed another move and Bickley House was bought in 1902. At this point the school's name changed to that which it bears today. Moore died a year later and in The Old Amesburians Club instituted a prize in his memory which is still awarded today.
There was another move of location at the end of 1917, to Hindhead
Hindhead
Hindhead is a village in Surrey, England, about 11 miles south-west of Guildford. Neighbouring settlements include Haslemere, Grayshott and Beacon Hill. Hindhead is the highest village in Surrey...
, under the headmastership of E. Cotgreave Brown. The reason on this occasion was to be further away from the dangers of London in war-time and to benefit from the healthy atmosphere of a rural location. It also became full boarding at this time.
The new main school building had been designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1903, the only school he did design. The building is today classified as a Grade 2* structure as it was the earliest design completed by Lutyens in the Wren
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
style. Of particular interest are the strainer arches in the upstairs passage and the small windows on the eastern western face of the building, small because Lutyens believed that a room should contain pools of light rather than overall brightness.
In 1920 Brown resigned and was replaced by C. L. MacDonald. By the autumn term of 1923, there were a then record 51 boarders. A neighbouring house called Bracklands was bought in 1927 and was to remain part of the school until 1979, housing classrooms, library, music and games room and some staff accommodation. MacDonald died in 1939,
The next headmaster, Major Tom Reynolds, took over the school in 1938 as MacDonald's health was failing. One of the first things he did was to help design the school chapel, which built during the summer holidays and dedicated on 2 October 1938 in the name of St Francis, by the Right Reverend J.V. Macmillan, Bishop of Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
. The wooden panelling covering the walls of the chancel was completed in 1942 and was a gift to the school from General Sir Bernard Montgomery and his son, David, who had been a pupil since 1936. Amesbury was 'home' for Montgomery and David during the 1940s and the Reynolds became David's guardians. King George V1 gave Montgomery his consent to allow the Amesbury Chapel Choir to wear scarlet cassock
Cassock
The cassock, an item of clerical clothing, is an ankle-length robe worn by clerics of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Church, Lutheran Church and some ministers and ordained officers of Presbyterian and Reformed churches. Ankle-length garment is the meaning of the...
s.
By 1944 Amesbury had become Montgomery's Rear HQ. A plaque was put on the door of his room in the headmaster's house with the 21st Army Group sign and it was here and in the summerhouse in the remembrance garden that he was visited by his staff and generals. Here he also made his final plans for D-Day.
On 5 June 1944 Montgomery dined at Amesbury before leaving for Normandy. "That evening, Monty drove up to Hindhead to see the Reynolds and to make "final arrangements" regarding David." Reynolds retired four years later, being replaced as headmaster by A. G. Peel.
1970, the school's centenary, was a year of extreme difficulty and a crucial one in Amesbury's history. After a long period of good pupil numbers and a virtually unchanged staff, which had ensured a good record of academic success, changes began to happen. Peel was himself reaching an age when he could reasonably think of retiring and there had been one or two abortive attempts to find a suitable successor to take over the school. Eventually the parents formed a committee, chaired by H. H. Rose. OBE, and looked into the possibility of turning the school into an Educational Trust. By May the £25,000 minimum required had been assured by interest free loans and donations: the school became an Educational Trust and a board of governors was appointed, with Peel continuing as headmaster until a replacement could be found. Today the main academic scholarship is named the 'The Rose Scholarship'.
During this uncertain time, numbers in the school suffered and by the time Dominick Spencer became the school's first salaried headmaster in 1971, there were only 59 boys in the school. The next three years saw numbers steadily rise: full boarding continued but day boys were welcomed and weekly boarding was started for the younger pupils. With numbers steadily increasing, the school was back on a sound financial footing and the governors felt able to start some much needed improvements.
The old theatre was now too small and the gymnasium was converted to act as a centre for PT, fencing, badminton, theatre and cinema. In 1973, with Science due to become a compulsory subject in Common Entrance, a dedicated teaching facility was needed. The next few years saw gradual improvements throughout the school. The early 1980s saw the stable block converted for staff accommodation and the old vegetable garden became grass tennis courts until 1987 when the all weather hard courts were built. A new teaching block was added in 1987 housing classrooms, art room and a new science lab. Always known as the New Block, in 1995, the main entrance was renamed Spencers as a tribute to Dominick and Sue Spencer, who retired in 1989 and were succeeded until 1994 by Paul Cheater.
The 1985 school-based television series Drummonds
Drummonds (TV series)
Drummonds was a 1985 British television series set in a boarding school for boys during the mid 1950s. It was produced for the ITV Network by London Weekend Television and ran for two seasons between 1985 and 1987. It starred Richard Pasco as the school's headmaster, George Drummond.The series was...
was filmed at Amesbury School
In 1987 Amesbury opened a Pre-Prep Department (the first of its kind in the area) catering for pupils under seven.
Recent history
The current headmaster of Amesbury, Nigel Taylor, was appointed in September 1994.The school has grown significantly in size and there has been a huge amount of change since then, which include the building of a large sports hall, redevelopment of the Findley academic block, complete refurbishment of The Lutyens Building, the transformation of the Old Gym into a Performing Arts Centre and the construction of a large Astroturf area.
Extra-curricular
The Good School Guide described the Performing Arts as "mind blowingly good" and that 'sport is important here.'The school play sports on a strong circuit including Aldro
Aldro
Aldro is a preparatory school in Shackleford, near Godalming, Surrey, England. It caters for about 240 boys between the ages of 7 and 13. The Good Schools Guide called the school an "Extremely popular and successful traditional prep school," also stating "It is a somewhat eccentric world with...
, Cranleigh
Cranleigh
Cranleigh is a large village, self-proclaimed the largest in England, and is situated 8 miles south east of Godalming in Surrey. It lies to the east of the A281 which links Guildford with Horsham; neighbouring villages include: Ewhurst, Alfold and Hascombe....
, Highfield
The Highfield School
The Highfield School is a specialist Science College for secondary education in Letchworth, Hertfordshire. The Highfield School teaches students aged 11-18 from Year 7 through to Year 13. The school is part of the Letchworth Sixth Form Consortium with Fearnhill School...
and The Portsmouth Grammar School
The Portsmouth Grammar School
The Portsmouth Grammar School was founded in 1732, and is located in the historic part of the city. It is one of the top Public schools in the UK consistently ranking highly in national reviews of teaching quality and examination results.-History:...
. The rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
1st XV has been undefeated during a season twice since 2005 and lost only one game in 2006. In 2005 the U13 group of boys were undefeated across all sports and the XV did not concede a single point during the entire season.
In 2010 the U11 & U13 girls were ranked 12th and 5th at the National IAPS netball championships. The school was one of five schools in the UK to have U11 & U13 teams through to the National Finals. The U11 Netball teams won the Bryanston IAPS Regional tournament on three consecutive occasions between 2006–2008, and five times in the last decade. In 2007 the U11 team was ranked 4th in the IAPS National Rounders Competition.
Charities
Amesbury has had a longstanding relationship with three particular charities CHASECHASE hospice care for children
CHASE hospice care for children is a UK-based charity . It is intended to support and provide palliative care to families with children who are not expected to reach the age of 19 because of illness or incurable disease...
, The King's World Trust for Children and C.R.Y.