Bishop Wordsworth's School
Encyclopedia
Bishop Wordsworth's School is a Church of England
boys' day grammar school
located in Salisbury
, England. In 2010, there were 748 pupils aged between 11 and 18. The school is regularly amongst the top-performing schools in England, and in 2011 was the top school performer for the English Baccalaureate. The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
.
The full name of the school is Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School for Boys, abbreviated
as BWS. The school is known colloquially as Bishop's, and its students as "Bishop's Boys". The school's motto
is Veritas in Caritate
, translated as "Truth Through Caring" or "Truth Through Charity", and originates from the epitaph of Bishop Wordsworth
's father.
The foundations of the school came in June 1889, when the Bishop of Salisbury
, John Wordsworth
, announced to his friend Canon Woodall, "I should like to see Salisbury a great educational centre. I should like to found a school which shall be equal to the greatest and best of our public schools." His initial desire that working class boys were not to be admitted caused much controversy. Fees were initially set at £1.10.0d, and boarding fees were £2 per term; however, the fees were raised to £9 in 1894 to meet the unexpected costs of the school. During the first year, classes were taught in the Bishop's palace
of Salisbury itself. Bishop Wordsworth personally donated
£3000, which was used to purchase an area of land in the cathedral close and to build the school's first buildings. After Bishop Wordsworth's death, the school was renamed Bishop Wordsworth's School, having been previously known as "The Bishop's School".
In 1905, the school became a grammar school
, its buildings consisting of the current Chapel Block and Bishopgate. Between 1905 and 1927 the School also used buildings in the Friary and also on New Street in Salisbury. Until 1928 the school admitted both boys and girls, but from 1927, with the founding of a girls' grammar school in the city called South Wilts Grammar School, the school admitted boys only.
In 1931 a hall, science laboratories and a library were built. By the 1930s, the school had achieved a reputation for pioneering educational work, and in 1936 became a public school. In 1948 the Governors accepted voluntary controlled status
, which meant being funded by Wiltshire County Council
as local education authority
and accepting its supervision. Boarding at the school in the Bishopgate buildings ended in the 1950s, and the buildings were used for teaching thereafter. During the Second World War, pupils from the Priory School in Portsmouth
moved to BWS to avoid the bombing of the city.
The school now educates boys aged 11 to 18, with some exceptions. Sixth form
classes are shared with students from South Wilts Grammar School. In 2002, a major redevelopment of the school's site and buildings was commenced. Since then, a new classroom block and drama studio has been followed by an extensive sports hall and physical education facilities, and the new sixth form block was finished in July 2010. The old sports hall was converted to house the art department, and the design technology block has been expanded. The school is also investing money in the development of the languages department (including work with most of the city primary schools) and in later years hopes to improve the canteen and staff room areas.
Since 2000 there has been considerable expansion of the sixth form curriculum, with around fifteen subjects being part of an extensive collaboration with the girls' grammar school in Salisbury. In 2004 the school became a specialist
Language College
, and this has led to broadening of the curriculum and further opportunities for overseas trips. In 2008 the school achieved an additional specialism in science. The School converted to Academy Status on 1/3/2011, continuing its traditions of innovation and independence.
examination. Applicants sit the test in Year 6, at the age of 10 or 11. The exams are held in November at the school itself. There are also limited twelve plus and thirteen plus admissions, similarly by examination. Sixth Form
admission is administered by the head of Sixth Form, and is granted on the basis of GCSE results, a personal statement and recommendation from the candidate's former head of school. Current pupils must achieve more than six A*–Bs (including Maths and English) in their GCSEs to continue their studies in Sixth Form, as well a relatively high grade in the options they propose to take.
There are four houses which are named after previous Bishops of Salisbury: Jewell
(1560–1571), Martival
(1315–1330), Poore
(1240–1270) and Osmund (1078–1099). The houses take their crests from the heraldry of the Bishops, and their names are often abbreviated to J, M, P and O respectively. Each boy is assigned to a certain house when they join the school. Throughout the year there are various inter-house competitions, including the music festival, sporting events, the drama competition and more recently, a chess tournament and several debating tournaments. Throughout the year each house is awarded points according to their achievements in the house competitions. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is rewarded with the house cup.
All members of the sixth form are prefects and expected to perform duties. A smaller group of between 20 and 30 boys fill the roles of Senior Prefects, selected by a ballot of staff and peers. Within this group are the Head Boy
, Deputy Head Boy, and the Cathedral Prefect. These positions are subject to an application (upon receiving an invitation to apply), and a subsequent interview if the application is accepted. Furthermore, there are five Patrol Leaders and Heads of each House. Furthermore, there are 10 Resources Prefects (made of five IT and five Library Prefects), there is a Sixth Form Council Prefect, a Sixth Form Common Room Prefect, and also a Charity committee Prefect. Senior prefects are also responsible for assisting at school functions such as Founders Day and Speech Day (Prize giving), as well as monthly services, held at Salisbury Cathedral
.
The positions of office are held from the start of Term Five (after the Easter holidays), until the end of the subsequent Term Four, with the announcement of positions, and presentations of ties traditionally being made by the Headmaster in the last assembly of term before the Easter holiday. Originally known as the Senior Pupil, the Head Boy enjoys one privilege most prominently: the opportunity to get married in the Cathedral
.
and the Wiltshire schools cup, the Sixth Form football team in the national English Schools' Football Association (ESFA) Cup whilst Cross Country teams from the school regularly compete at a national level in the ESAA Schools' Cup.
The school has a large choir, with entrance by audition. They regularly perform at Salisbury Cathedral
, other cathedrals, colleges and at many other events; in the spring there is a biennial trip to France.
There is also a major annual school play usually either just before or just after Christmas. For 30 years these plays have been directed by Dr John Cox; they have included (in recent years) West Side Story
, Oliver!
, Henry IV (Part One)
, A Winter's Tale, The Front Page
, A Christmas Carol
and Caucasian Chalk Circle. These plays, as with many other sixth form activities, are produced in collaboration with South Wilts Girls Grammar School. In November 2008 John Cox directed his last play, The Front Page
. The first play he directed at Bishop's starred actor Ralph Fiennes
(see notable alumni below).
BWS recently became the first school to take part in the notorious Fastnet Race
. A team of 17 boys, supported by two members of staff (plus two professional crew and a doctor) were the crew of a chartered Farr Yacht Design
Farr Millennium 65 yacht which took part in the 2009 Fastnet, which started on Sunday the 9th of August 2009. The team finished with an elapsed time of 4 days 6 hours and 47 minutes, early on in the finishing order.
, author of the novel Lord of the Flies
and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature
, was a schoolmaster teaching Philosophy
and English
in 1939 and then English
from 1945 to 1962. Lord of the Flies was Golding's first book, written in 1954, and it is widely believed that the child characters were based on Golding's students, some of whom are alive to this day. Golding also regularly sang with Bishop Wordsworth's School choir.
After Golding's death in 1993, the school choir sang at his memorial service in Salisbury Cathedral. A plaque was placed at the school to commemorate Golding's time as a teacher in March 2005.
Headmaster Happold
was also noted for the foundation of the "Company of Honour and Service". Father Kenelm Foster O.P. wrote "[the Company is] a sort of modernist Grail (for Boys) or Solidarity which Dr Happold founded in 1935 at Bishop Wordsworth's School, Salisbury. This is his nucleus, his 'order', his new aristocracy, which is to permeate England: a little cohort of leaders, of seers, of doers." (Cited in Happold, 1964, pp. 33).
Alan Harwood was a notable organ scholar and taught Music at Bishop Wordsworth's School. After Harwood's death in 2003, composer Sam Hanson dedicated a requiem to him.
Former Headmaster Clive Barnett HMI (who left the school in 2002) is patron of the charity EdUKaid, a role he shares with Glenys Kinnock
MEP
.
1928–1960 Dr. Frederick Crossfield Happold
D.S.O.
(Cantab.)
1960–1963 Mr. Ernest Ethrin Sabben-Clare (Oxon.)
1963–1974 Mr. Robert CR Blackledge (Oxon.)
1974–1992, Mr. Glyn Evans
1992–2002, Mr. Clive Barnett (Oxon.)
2002–Present, Dr. Stuart Smallwood (Leeds)
Military
Sports
Business
Arts
Education
Legal
Religious
Other
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
boys' day grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
located in Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, England. In 2010, there were 748 pupils aged between 11 and 18. The school is regularly amongst the top-performing schools in England, and in 2011 was the top school performer for the English Baccalaureate. The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference is an association of the headmasters or headmistressess of 243 leading day and boarding independent schools in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland...
.
The full name of the school is Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School for Boys, abbreviated
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
as BWS. The school is known colloquially as Bishop's, and its students as "Bishop's Boys". The school's motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
is Veritas in Caritate
Caritas in Veritate
Caritas in Veritate is the third encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI and his first social encyclical. It was signed on June 29, 2009, and was published on July 7, 2009...
, translated as "Truth Through Caring" or "Truth Through Charity", and originates from the epitaph of Bishop Wordsworth
John Wordsworth
The Right Reverend John Wordsworth was an English prelate. He was born at Harrow on the Hill, to the Reverend Christopher Wordsworth, nephew of the poet William Wordsworth...
's father.
History
Bishop of Salisbury
The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
, John Wordsworth
John Wordsworth
The Right Reverend John Wordsworth was an English prelate. He was born at Harrow on the Hill, to the Reverend Christopher Wordsworth, nephew of the poet William Wordsworth...
, announced to his friend Canon Woodall, "I should like to see Salisbury a great educational centre. I should like to found a school which shall be equal to the greatest and best of our public schools." His initial desire that working class boys were not to be admitted caused much controversy. Fees were initially set at £1.10.0d, and boarding fees were £2 per term; however, the fees were raised to £9 in 1894 to meet the unexpected costs of the school. During the first year, classes were taught in the Bishop's palace
Bishop's palace
Bishop's Palace may refer to the official residence of any bishop, such as those listed in the :Category:Episcopal palaces.Specific residences called Bishop's Palace include:* Bishop's Palace, Castres, France...
of Salisbury itself. Bishop Wordsworth personally donated
Donation
A donation is a gift given by physical or legal persons, typically for charitable purposes and/or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including cash, services, new or used goods including clothing, toys, food, and vehicles...
£3000, which was used to purchase an area of land in the cathedral close and to build the school's first buildings. After Bishop Wordsworth's death, the school was renamed Bishop Wordsworth's School, having been previously known as "The Bishop's School".
In 1905, the school became a grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
, its buildings consisting of the current Chapel Block and Bishopgate. Between 1905 and 1927 the School also used buildings in the Friary and also on New Street in Salisbury. Until 1928 the school admitted both boys and girls, but from 1927, with the founding of a girls' grammar school in the city called South Wilts Grammar School, the school admitted boys only.
In 1931 a hall, science laboratories and a library were built. By the 1930s, the school had achieved a reputation for pioneering educational work, and in 1936 became a public school. In 1948 the Governors accepted voluntary controlled status
Voluntary controlled school
A voluntary controlled school is a state-funded school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in which a foundation or trust has some formal influence in the running of the school...
, which meant being funded by Wiltshire County Council
Wiltshire County Council
Wiltshire County Council was the county council of Wiltshire in the South West of England, an elected local Government body responsible for most local government services in the county....
as local education authority
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
and accepting its supervision. Boarding at the school in the Bishopgate buildings ended in the 1950s, and the buildings were used for teaching thereafter. During the Second World War, pupils from the Priory School in Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
moved to BWS to avoid the bombing of the city.
The school now educates boys aged 11 to 18, with some exceptions. Sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
classes are shared with students from South Wilts Grammar School. In 2002, a major redevelopment of the school's site and buildings was commenced. Since then, a new classroom block and drama studio has been followed by an extensive sports hall and physical education facilities, and the new sixth form block was finished in July 2010. The old sports hall was converted to house the art department, and the design technology block has been expanded. The school is also investing money in the development of the languages department (including work with most of the city primary schools) and in later years hopes to improve the canteen and staff room areas.
Since 2000 there has been considerable expansion of the sixth form curriculum, with around fifteen subjects being part of an extensive collaboration with the girls' grammar school in Salisbury. In 2004 the school became a specialist
Specialist school
The specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...
Language College
Language College
Language Colleges were introduced in 1995 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, modern foreign languages...
, and this has led to broadening of the curriculum and further opportunities for overseas trips. In 2008 the school achieved an additional specialism in science. The School converted to Academy Status on 1/3/2011, continuing its traditions of innovation and independence.
Entrance
Entry to the school is regulated by the eleven plusEleven plus
In the United Kingdom, the 11-plus or Eleven plus is an examination administered to some students in their last year of primary education, governing admission to various types of secondary school. The name derives from the age group for secondary entry: 11–12 years...
examination. Applicants sit the test in Year 6, at the age of 10 or 11. The exams are held in November at the school itself. There are also limited twelve plus and thirteen plus admissions, similarly by examination. Sixth Form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
admission is administered by the head of Sixth Form, and is granted on the basis of GCSE results, a personal statement and recommendation from the candidate's former head of school. Current pupils must achieve more than six A*–Bs (including Maths and English) in their GCSEs to continue their studies in Sixth Form, as well a relatively high grade in the options they propose to take.
Houses
John Jewel
John Jewel was an English bishop of Salisbury.-Life:He was the son of John Jewel of Buden, Devon, was educated under his uncle John Bellamy, rector of Hampton, and other private tutors until his matriculation at Merton College, Oxford, in July 1535.There he was taught by John Parkhurst,...
(1560–1571), Martival
Roger Martival
Roger Martival was a medieval Bishop of Salisbury.He was elected about 11 June 1315 and consecrated on 28 September 1315. He died 14 March 1330. He has a house named for him at Bishop Wordsworth's School, Salisbury.-References:...
(1315–1330), Poore
Richard Poore
Richard Poore was a medieval English clergyman best known for his role in the construction of Salisbury Cathedral.-Early life:...
(1240–1270) and Osmund (1078–1099). The houses take their crests from the heraldry of the Bishops, and their names are often abbreviated to J, M, P and O respectively. Each boy is assigned to a certain house when they join the school. Throughout the year there are various inter-house competitions, including the music festival, sporting events, the drama competition and more recently, a chess tournament and several debating tournaments. Throughout the year each house is awarded points according to their achievements in the house competitions. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is rewarded with the house cup.
Senior Prefects
Head boy
Head Boy and Head Girl are terms commonly used in the British education system, and in private schools throughout the Commonwealth.-United Kingdom:...
, Deputy Head Boy, and the Cathedral Prefect. These positions are subject to an application (upon receiving an invitation to apply), and a subsequent interview if the application is accepted. Furthermore, there are five Patrol Leaders and Heads of each House. Furthermore, there are 10 Resources Prefects (made of five IT and five Library Prefects), there is a Sixth Form Council Prefect, a Sixth Form Common Room Prefect, and also a Charity committee Prefect. Senior prefects are also responsible for assisting at school functions such as Founders Day and Speech Day (Prize giving), as well as monthly services, held at Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture....
.
The positions of office are held from the start of Term Five (after the Easter holidays), until the end of the subsequent Term Four, with the announcement of positions, and presentations of ties traditionally being made by the Headmaster in the last assembly of term before the Easter holiday. Originally known as the Senior Pupil, the Head Boy enjoys one privilege most prominently: the opportunity to get married in the Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture....
.
Extra-curricular
The school has a strong sporting tradition, particularly in rugby, but also in athletics and more recently in football, basketball and cross country. There are regular sports fixtures, and the Rugby teams regularly compete in the Daily Mail CupDaily Mail Cup
The Daily Mail RBS Cup is the annual English schools' rugby union cup competition. The semi-finals are now held at Broadstreet Rugby Club. The final is held at Twickenham Stadium. Competitions are held at the U18 and U15 age group levels...
and the Wiltshire schools cup, the Sixth Form football team in the national English Schools' Football Association (ESFA) Cup whilst Cross Country teams from the school regularly compete at a national level in the ESAA Schools' Cup.
The school has a large choir, with entrance by audition. They regularly perform at Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture....
, other cathedrals, colleges and at many other events; in the spring there is a biennial trip to France.
There is also a major annual school play usually either just before or just after Christmas. For 30 years these plays have been directed by Dr John Cox; they have included (in recent years) West Side Story
West Side Story
West Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
, Oliver!
Oliver
The surname Oliver is of several different origins.-Etymology:The surname Oliver is derived from the Old French personal name Olivier. The Oliver surname seems to be French Norman in origin. The Olivers were probably part of William the Conqueror's Norman Invasion of Britain in 1066...
, Henry IV (Part One)
Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. It is the second play in Shakespeare's tetralogy dealing with the successive reigns of Richard II, Henry IV , and Henry V...
, A Winter's Tale, The Front Page
The Front Page
The Front Page is a hit Broadway comedy about tabloid newspaper reporters on the police beat, written by one-time Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur which was first produced in 1928.-Synopsis:...
, A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
and Caucasian Chalk Circle. These plays, as with many other sixth form activities, are produced in collaboration with South Wilts Girls Grammar School. In November 2008 John Cox directed his last play, The Front Page
The Front Page
The Front Page is a hit Broadway comedy about tabloid newspaper reporters on the police beat, written by one-time Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur which was first produced in 1928.-Synopsis:...
. The first play he directed at Bishop's starred actor Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and film director. He has appeared in such films as The English Patient, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, Strange Days, The Duchess and Schindler's List....
(see notable alumni below).
BWS recently became the first school to take part in the notorious Fastnet Race
Fastnet race
The Fastnet Race is a famous offshore yachting race. It is considered one of the classic offshore races. It takes place every two years over a course of . The race starts off Cowes on the Isle of Wight in England, rounds the Fastnet Rock off the southwest coast of Ireland and then finishes at...
. A team of 17 boys, supported by two members of staff (plus two professional crew and a doctor) were the crew of a chartered Farr Yacht Design
Farr Yacht Design
Farr Yacht Design, headed by Bruce Farr, is a racing yacht design team based in the United States. Its yachts measure from 25 to 125 feet . Farr develops custom and production yachts, including: interiors, sails, and hull design...
Farr Millennium 65 yacht which took part in the 2009 Fastnet, which started on Sunday the 9th of August 2009. The team finished with an elapsed time of 4 days 6 hours and 47 minutes, early on in the finishing order.
Notable staff
Sir William GoldingWilliam Golding
Sir William Gerald Golding was a British novelist, poet, playwright and Nobel Prize for Literature laureate, best known for his novel Lord of the Flies...
, author of the novel Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies is a novel by Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding about a group of British boys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves, with disastrous results...
and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature
Nobel Prize in Literature
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
, was a schoolmaster teaching Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in 1939 and then English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
from 1945 to 1962. Lord of the Flies was Golding's first book, written in 1954, and it is widely believed that the child characters were based on Golding's students, some of whom are alive to this day. Golding also regularly sang with Bishop Wordsworth's School choir.
After Golding's death in 1993, the school choir sang at his memorial service in Salisbury Cathedral. A plaque was placed at the school to commemorate Golding's time as a teacher in March 2005.
Headmaster Happold
Frederick Crossfield Happold
Frederick Crossfield Happold, was an educational pioneer, tenured headmaster, author and decorated British army officer.-Early life and First World War:...
was also noted for the foundation of the "Company of Honour and Service". Father Kenelm Foster O.P. wrote "[the Company is] a sort of modernist Grail (for Boys) or Solidarity which Dr Happold founded in 1935 at Bishop Wordsworth's School, Salisbury. This is his nucleus, his 'order', his new aristocracy, which is to permeate England: a little cohort of leaders, of seers, of doers." (Cited in Happold, 1964, pp. 33).
Alan Harwood was a notable organ scholar and taught Music at Bishop Wordsworth's School. After Harwood's death in 2003, composer Sam Hanson dedicated a requiem to him.
Former Headmaster Clive Barnett HMI (who left the school in 2002) is patron of the charity EdUKaid, a role he shares with Glenys Kinnock
Glenys Kinnock
Glenys Elizabeth Kinnock, Baroness Kinnock and Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead is a British politician....
MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
.
Headmasters
1890–1928 Reuben Bracher Esq.1928–1960 Dr. Frederick Crossfield Happold
Frederick Crossfield Happold
Frederick Crossfield Happold, was an educational pioneer, tenured headmaster, author and decorated British army officer.-Early life and First World War:...
D.S.O.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(Cantab.)
1960–1963 Mr. Ernest Ethrin Sabben-Clare (Oxon.)
1963–1974 Mr. Robert CR Blackledge (Oxon.)
1974–1992, Mr. Glyn Evans
1992–2002, Mr. Clive Barnett (Oxon.)
2002–Present, Dr. Stuart Smallwood (Leeds)
Notable former pupils
The "Old Wordsworthian" AGM and lunch is traditionally held after the Cathedral service and Founder's Day celebrations in July. Notable alumni include:Military
- Brigadier Andrew McLaughlin
- Colonel WE Maxfield DSODSODSO may refer to:Decorations* Distinguished Service Order refers to a number of decorationsMusic* Dallas Symphony Orchestra* Dark Star Orchestra* Deathspell Omega, a French black metal band* Detroit Symphony Orchestra...
, First Canadian Mounted RiflesRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,... - Colonel WST Douglas, OBE, Royal EngineersRoyal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
- Lieutenant Colonel Ian Blower MBEMBEMBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
, Royal Corps of SignalsRoyal Corps of SignalsThe Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army... - Lieutenant Colonel Tom Adlam, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire RegimentBedfordshire and Hertfordshire RegimentThe Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army originally formed in 1688...
, Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
recipient - Captain Chris Moon MBEMBEMBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
, Royal Anglian RegimentRoyal Anglian RegimentThe Royal Anglian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on 1 September 1964 as the first of the new large infantry regiments, through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the East Anglian Brigade.* 1st Battalion from the... - Lieutenant Richard Crisp, Special Air Service Regiment, executed by enemy forces during SAS/SOE Operation BulbasketOperation BulbasketOperation Bulbasket was an ill-fated operation by 'B' Squadron, 1st Special Air Service, behind German lines in German occupied France, between June and August 1944...
- Flight Sergeant F N Robertson, DFMDFMDFM is a three letter abbreviation which could mean or stand for:* a pseudonym of Paul Van Dyk* D. F. M. Strauss* Dan for Mayor, a Canadian comedy television series starring Fred Ewanuick* Department of Family Medicine...
, No 261 SqnNo. 261 Squadron RAFNo. 261 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force notably involved in the defence of Malta from August 1940 till May 1941 and the campaign in Burma.-Formation and World War I:...
Hurricane fighter ace with 11th most kills of any Commonwealth pilot in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Sports
- David EgertonDavid EgertonDavid Egerton is a former a rugby union international who represented England from 1988 to 1990.-Rugby union career:Egerton made his international debut on Apr 23, 1988 at Lansdowne Road in the Ireland vs England match....
, England XV rugby internationalEngland national rugby union teamThe England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
player - Richard HillRichard Hill (flanker)Richard Hill MBE is a former rugby union footballer who played flanker for Saracens and England.Often portrayed as the 'silent assassin' at both club and international level, his effective and abrasive style of forward play has made him legendary in rugby union circles...
, England XV rugby internationalEngland national rugby union teamThe England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
player/captain/winner RWC 2003 (flanker) - Richard HillRichard Hill (scrum-half)Richard Hill , is rugby union coach and former English international rugby footballer.-Biography:Born in Birmingham, Hill was educated at Bishop Wordsworth's Grammar School in Salisbury, and Exeter University...
, England XV rugby internationalEngland national rugby union teamThe England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
player/captain (scrum half) - Christopher Jackson, Scotland U18 rugby international player (scrum half)
- John Shaw, England XI hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
captain and Olympian
Business
- Dr David Atterton CBE, industrialist and central banker, President of the Institute of Metals (now the Institute of Materials, Minerals and MiningInstitute of Materials, Minerals and MiningThe Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining is a major UK engineering institution whose activities encompass the whole materials cycle, from exploration and extraction, through characterisation, processing, forming, finishing and application, to product recycling and land reuse...
) from 1987-8 - Sir Leonard Cooke OBE, Chairman of the Co-op CWSThe Co-operative GroupThe Co-operative Group Ltd. is a United Kingdom consumer cooperative with a diverse range of business interests. It is co-operatively run and owned by its members. It is the largest organisation of this type in the world, with over 5.5 million members, who all have a say in how the business is...
from 1960–66 - Colin Sharman, Lord Sharman of Redlynch, Chairman of KPMG InternationalKPMGKPMG is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young and PwC. Its global headquarters is located in Amstelveen, Netherlands....
and Chairman of the Aegis Group since 2000
Arts
- Joseph FiennesJoseph FiennesJoseph Fiennes is an English film and stage actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayals of William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love, Sir Robert Dudley in Elizabeth, Commisar Danilov in Enemy at the Gates, Martin Luther in Luther, Merlin in Camelot, and his portrayal of Mark Benford in the...
, actor - Ralph FiennesRalph FiennesRalph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and film director. He has appeared in such films as The English Patient, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, Strange Days, The Duchess and Schindler's List....
, actor - MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Anthony Robert KlitzAnthony Robert KlitzAnthony Robert Klitz was an artist who specialised in cityscapes, notably London. He was born in Southport, attended Bishop Wordsworth's School in Salisbury and studied art at the Cheltenham Art College , whilst simultaneously training to be an architect...
, Middlesex RegimentMiddlesex RegimentThe Middlesex Regiment was a regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms when the 57th and 77th Regiments of Foot were amalgamated with the county's militia and rifle volunteer units.On 31 December 1966 The Middlesex Regiment was amalgamated with three...
, artistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only... - Hamish MilneHamish MilneHamish Milne is a British pianist known for his advocacy of Nikolai Medtner.Milne studied at Bishop Wordsworth's School in Salisbury and then at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he now teaches, and later in Italy under Guido Agosti...
, concert pianist and professor of piano at the Royal Academy of MusicRoyal Academy of MusicThe Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas... - David OakesDavid OakesDavid Oakes is an English film, television and theatre actor.-Early life and education:He was born in Fordingbridge, New Forest, England, the son of a Church of England canon and a professional musician....
, actor http://www.rowandavidoakes.co.uk/ - Otto PlaschkesOtto PlaschkesOtto Plaschkes was a British-Jewish film producer.-Early life:Plaschkes was born in Vienna. His father, a butcher, was from Bratislava and his mother from Budapest...
, movie producer - Jake Riddell, EastEndersEastEndersEastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
Screenwriter - Andy SheppardAndy SheppardAndy Sheppard is a British jazz saxophonist and composer. He has been awarded several prizes at the British Jazz Awards, and has worked with some notable figures in contemporary jazz, including Gil Evans, Carla Bley, George Russell and Steve Swallow.-Biography:Sheppard was born in Warminster,...
, jazz musician
- Nigel Shore, principal oboist with the Komische Oper Berlin
- Mike PaxmanMike PaxmanMike Paxman is a multi-instrumentalist and record producer, best known for his work with Judie Tzuke, Nick Kamen, Uriah Heep and Status Quo.Paxman grew up in Wiltshire and went to Bishop Wordsworth's School in Salisbury...
, rock composer, guitarist, producer (Judie Tzuke, Status Quo, Asia) - David Bates, musician and director of La Nuova Musica
Education
- DrDoctor (title)Doctor, as a title, originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docēre . It has been used as an honored academic title for over a millennium in Europe, where it dates back to the rise of the university. This use spread...
Robin Baker, Vice-Chancellor of the University of ChichesterUniversity of ChichesterThe University of Chichester is a university based in West Sussex, England. Campuses are based in the city of Chichester and the nearby coastal resort of Bognor Regis...
2007-2010, Vice-Chancellor of Canterbury Christ Church University 2010- - Prof Andrew Copp, neurobiologist
- Prof Andrew Hattersley, Professor of Molecular Medicine, Peninsula Medical School
Legal
- Ken Macdonald, Lord Macdonald of River Glaven, QCQueen's CounselQueen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, Director of Public ProsecutionsDirector of Public ProsecutionsThe Director of Public Prosecutions is the officer charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world...
of England and WalesEngland and WalesEngland and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
and head of the Crown Prosecution ServiceCrown Prosecution ServiceThe Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the...
Religious
- Mervyn AlexanderMervyn AlexanderThe Right Reverend Meryvn Alban Alexander was the 8th Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clifton .He was born on 29 June 1925 in Highbury, London, the eldest son of William and Grace Alexander...
, Roman Catholic Bishop of CliftonBishop of CliftonThe Bishop of Clifton is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clifton in the Province of Birmingham, England.The see is in the suburb of Clifton in the city of Bristol where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of SS. Peter and Paul...
from 1974–2001
Other
- SirSirSir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Cecil ChubbCecil ChubbSir Cecil Herbert Edward Chubb, 1st Baronet was the last private owner of Stonehenge, which he donated to the British government in 1918....
, Last private owner of Stonehenge - Peter Cooper (journalist)Peter Cooper (journalist)Peter Cooper is an Internet publisher, financial journalist and author living in Dubai and was a partner in the successful dot-com publisher AMEinfo.com sold to Emap plc in 2006...
- Andrew HarveyAndrew Harvey (journalist)Andrew Harvey is a British journalist who over a period of thirty years has presented most of main television news programmes of the BBC and ITN on British television.-BBC career:...
, BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
NewsreaderNews presenterA news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather... - Sir Graham Smith, HM Chief Inspector of Probation 1992-2001
- Sir Frank Noyce CBECBECBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
- Alex Rossi Sky NewsSky NewsSky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
Foreign Correspondent
External links
- Old Wordsworthians' Association Website
- http://www.education.gov.uk/cgi-bin/performancetables/school_10.pl?Mode=Z&Base=c&Type=SC&Year=10&Phase=1&Begin=2&No=8655413&Num=865&s2s=1Statistics on BWS from the Department for EducationDepartment for EducationThe Department for Education is a department of the UK government responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education....
] - Information on the school from Salisbury Cathedral
- Bishop Wordsworth's School Choir website