Exeter School
Encyclopedia
Exeter School is a selective independent
co-educational day school for pupils between the ages of 7 and 18 located in Exeter
, Devon
, England
. In 2010 there were around 180 pupils in the Junior School and 670 in the Senior School. The school maintains close links with its pupils through the Old Exonian Club which meets annually around the country.
In 1878 the school opened as Exeter Grammar School at a new campus designed by noted architect William Butterfield
. The school occupies this 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) site on Victoria Park Road to this day. The cost at the time was £7,600 with a further £16,750 spent on the erection of buildings. It was decided that St John’s Hospital Trust had to pay to Exeter School the net annual income of all endowments for Exhibitions and Scholarships attached to the School, and it also had to pay a proportion of the residue of its income.
In 1920 the Governors of Exeter School decided that it was no longer possible for them to continue the School without considerable assistance. The Exeter Education Authority agreed to assist but only if the School came under its direct control so, in April 1921, control of the school was handed over to the City. It then became a "maintained" school until 1929 when it became an "aided" school, thus regaining charge of its own finances under a newly appointed Governing Body.
In March 1945 its status changed again to a direct grant grammar school
and remained as such until September 1975 when the Direct Grant System was abolished by the Government of the day. In September 1976 the first "independent" pupils were admitted.
From 1979, the School participated in the Assisted Places Scheme
, taking over 200 pupils at its peak, but this scheme was abolished in 1997 and the last of these pupils left in the summer of 2004.
assessed the school as "Exeter School provides a good rounded education for pupils of a high range of ability from a large catchment area, mainly within 30 miles (48.3 km) of Exeter. It enriches both the academic and, particularly, the cultural and personal development of its pupils. Its many facilities, set in an attractive and very well cared for campus, provide an excellent environment for the education of its pupils. The school achieves its aims and expectations well."
In summer 2007 it was rated the top independent school in the South West on points in A Level examinations, with an overall score equivalent to every candidate gaining more than 3 A grades. At GCSE, candidates scored 59% A*/A grades, with 42 pupils gaining at least 7 A*/As.
Independent school (UK)
An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...
co-educational day school for pupils between the ages of 7 and 18 located in Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, 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...
. In 2010 there were around 180 pupils in the Junior School and 670 in the Senior School. The school maintains close links with its pupils through the Old Exonian Club which meets annually around the country.
History
The School traces its origins from the opening of the Exeter Free Grammar School on 1 August 1633, attended mainly by the sons of the City freemen. Exeter’s wealthy merchants, notably Thomas Walker, provided the finance, with sufficient bequests to pay the Headmaster £50 a year and to install the school in the medieval buildings of St John’s Hospital, which had stood on the south side of the High Street since the 12th Century.In 1878 the school opened as Exeter Grammar School at a new campus designed by noted architect William Butterfield
William Butterfield
William Butterfield was a Gothic Revival architect and associated with the Oxford Movement . He is noted for his use of polychromy-Biography:...
. The school occupies this 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) site on Victoria Park Road to this day. The cost at the time was £7,600 with a further £16,750 spent on the erection of buildings. It was decided that St John’s Hospital Trust had to pay to Exeter School the net annual income of all endowments for Exhibitions and Scholarships attached to the School, and it also had to pay a proportion of the residue of its income.
In 1920 the Governors of Exeter School decided that it was no longer possible for them to continue the School without considerable assistance. The Exeter Education Authority agreed to assist but only if the School came under its direct control so, in April 1921, control of the school was handed over to the City. It then became a "maintained" school until 1929 when it became an "aided" school, thus regaining charge of its own finances under a newly appointed Governing Body.
In March 1945 its status changed again to a direct grant grammar school
Direct grant grammar school
A direct grant grammar school was a selective secondary school in England and Wales between 1945 and 1976 funded partly by the state and partly through private fees....
and remained as such until September 1975 when the Direct Grant System was abolished by the Government of the day. In September 1976 the first "independent" pupils were admitted.
From 1979, the School participated in the Assisted Places Scheme
Assisted Places Scheme
The Assisted Places Scheme was established in the UK by the Conservative government in 1980. Children who could not afford to go to fee-paying independent schools were provided with free or subsidised places - if they were able to score within the top 10-15% of applicants in the school's entrance...
, taking over 200 pupils at its peak, but this scheme was abolished in 1997 and the last of these pupils left in the summer of 2004.
Academic standards
In March 2002, the Independent Schools InspectorateIndependent Schools Inspectorate
The Independent Schools Inspectorate is an organisation responsible for the inspection of independent schools in England which are affiliated to the Independent Schools Council . The Inspectorate is a separate company, owned by the Independent Schools Council and has its work monitored by the...
assessed the school as "Exeter School provides a good rounded education for pupils of a high range of ability from a large catchment area, mainly within 30 miles (48.3 km) of Exeter. It enriches both the academic and, particularly, the cultural and personal development of its pupils. Its many facilities, set in an attractive and very well cared for campus, provide an excellent environment for the education of its pupils. The school achieves its aims and expectations well."
In summer 2007 it was rated the top independent school in the South West on points in A Level examinations, with an overall score equivalent to every candidate gaining more than 3 A grades. At GCSE, candidates scored 59% A*/A grades, with 42 pupils gaining at least 7 A*/As.
Fees
As of February 2009, the day fees are £2800 per term for the Junior School (including lunch) and £3100 per term for the senior school.Notable alumni
- John Percy Vyvian Dacre BalsdonJohn Percy Vyvian Dacre BalsdonJohn Percy Vyvian Dacre Balsdon was an English ancient historian.After attending Exeter School, he studied at Exeter College in Oxford, where he taught Ancient History from 1927 to 1969. Since 1967, he was a member of the British Academy. His research was primarily in Roman History...
, historian - John BlackallJohn BlackallJohn Blackall M.D., FRCP was a physician.John Blackall was the sixth son of the Reverend Theophilus Blackall, a prebendary of Exeter Cathedral, by his wife Elizabeth Ley, and grandson of Bishop Ofspring Blackall, was born in St. Paul's Street, Exeter on 24 December 1771...
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