Glebe House School & Nursery
Encyclopedia
Glebe House School & Nursery is an independent
coeducational day and weekly boarding school
for children from the age of six months to 13 years (where children can choose to become boarders from the age of seven years), located in the Victorian
seaside town of Hunstanton
, Norfolk
, England.
. St Edmund's was relocated in 1901 to Surrey
, at which point the original Hunstanton
site was purchased by Howard Cambridge Barber and renamed Glebe House School; part of the site on which the school stands was rented from the Church
, hence the name "Glebe
". Barber wished to provide a preparatory
boarding school for boys, from which pupils would feed into English public schools, or the Royal Naval Colleges of Osborne House
and Britannia Royal Naval College
, Dartmouth
. Thanks to its origins, various naval traditions still exist at the school today, for example the naming of the year groups as "Divisions" as opposed to "Years".
Glebe House became coeducational in the mid 1980s.
Today, the Main Building adjoins 12 acres (49,000 m2) of playing fields, which overlook The Wash
and the countryside of North West Norfolk. A new purpose built block housing junior classrooms was opened by Prince Charles in 1992. A conversion of the old dormitory block, completed in 1995, now comprises the Senior (Preparatory) School with an ICT suite, Science Laboratory and specialist teaching rooms for English, History, French, Latin and Geography. September 1996 saw the opening of a new music teaching and recital room as well as a pottery studio. More recently, a whole school wired and wireless intranet, with computer provision in all classrooms allowing controlled access to the internet, a new Drawing Room, a new library and a fully refurbished Art and Design Technology Centre have been added to the facilities already offered.
The school has a twenty five metre indoor heated swimming pool, all weather tennis and netball courts, adventure playground, trim trail and indoor gym. In 1998 the school opened a Nursery so that it can offer child care provision for children from six months prior to their entry to the Pre-Prep.
As of 2005, the Headmaster is John Crofts BA (Hons) PGCE.
In the summer of 2006, the school featured in a Channel 4
two-part documentary series entitled "Admission Impossible http://www.channel4.com/health/microsites/A/admission_impossible/index.html, a program following the applications of six children to their first-choice schools. The young boy applying to Glebe House was successful in gaining a scholarship
and, thanks to a bursary scheme and the generosity of numerous benefactors nationwide, was able to enter Division (Year) III the following September.
The school provides individual music lessons and ballet lessons on request.
The Pre-Prep day runs from 8.35am to 3.30pm. Upon joining the school every child becomes part of the school house system
.
is open for 50 weeks a year and caters for boys and girls from the ages of six months to four years. The ages are divided into three main rooms the 0–2 room, 2–3 room and the 3–4 room, where each child is allocated a key worker.
The Nursery day runs from 8.30am to 4pm, divided into sessions: 8.30 to 12noon, 8.30 to 1pm, 12noon to 4pm and 1pm to 4pm. A hot and nutritious lunch is provided for children between 12 noon and 1pm.
The Nursery follows the Social Services recommendations for staff ratios. Babies are cared for in a bright and well resourced environment, with a staff to child ratio of 1–3. Children move to the 2–3 room (with a staff ratio of 1–4) in the term after they reach two years of age and become a part of the "Foundation Group". All children have time outside every day either in their own garden areas, or walking and playing in the school grounds (weather permitting) or alternately playing in the school Gym.
In the 3–4 room the staff ratio is 1–8 and the children are a continuing part of the Foundation Group, following a curriculum that is closely linked with the Pre-prep Reception Class.
In the Pre-prep, the "Glebe House Out of School Time" (or GHOST) club has been operating every week day during term-time since 2005, enabling children to stay on at school, participating in various activities, until the Prep School finish time of 5.50pm. Organised and free-choice activities include football, music, drama and Dance
.
. These are:
Pupils are assigned houses upon entering the Pre-prep at age 4. In addition to the principal three houses, there are two boarding houses: Eyrie (the girls' boarding house) and Lady Margaret Cottage (the boys' boarding house).
There are many Inter-House competitions at Glebe House, both sporting and academic. These include football, rugby union, cross country, house singing and public speaking. The competitions themselves are held every year, and the "House Flag" is awarded annually to the house which has gained the most points throughout the year.
The boarding routine begins immediately after school. Following supper the senior children finish homework under the supervision of a member of staff before joining the juniors for evening activities with the Gap year students. Activities vary from use of the music, art and ICT rooms, playing games in the gym or on the playing fields and occasional excursions to the local park or beach.
Following activities the girls and boys retire to their respective boarding houses, each offering a large common room with easy chairs, TV, DVD and videos and a selection of quiet games. Each house has at least two resident staff who supervise quiet activities, evening snacks and bedtime.
Those who learn a musical instrument are allocated practice times each morning before breakfast.
The principal sports played in Autumn, Spring and Summer terms respectively are:
In addition, a large variety of minor sports take place throughout the year, including football, rugby sevens
, tennis, swimming, archery
, cross-country
, athletics
, gymnastics and ballet
.
The school's sports facilities are extensive and include:
grounds, divided as necessary to cater for rugby union, football, hockey, cricket, rounders
, brass
, woodwind, percussion, drums, guitars (electric and classical) and singing. These take place during the school day and are given by visiting peripatetic teachers. Various ensemble groups take place during break times, and two school choirs (Pre-prep and Prep) rehearse once a week. Regular informal concerts are given throughout the year, culminating in the main "Summer Sensation" concert at the end of the Summer term, in which many pupils participate with a huge variety of acts. The choirs also sing at official school services (such as the carol service and Leavers' service) in St Mary's Church, Old Hunstanton.
Drama is very strong at Glebe House, with regular termly productions. Recent productions have included Dickens' "A Christmas Carol
" and Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream
".
Other trips and excursions take place regularly throughout the year. Alongside regular annual trips such as the ski trip and the senior year’s week in Paris, recent trips have included residential visits to Hadrian’s wall, London and York
, and a cricket tour of East Anglia
.
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...
coeducational day and weekly boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for children from the age of six months to 13 years (where children can choose to become boarders from the age of seven years), located in the Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
seaside town of Hunstanton
Hunstanton
Hunstanton, often pronounced by locals as and known colloquially as 'Sunny Hunny', is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, facing The Wash....
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England.
About Glebe House
Glebe House School began life in 1874 under the name of St Edmund's SchoolSt. Edmund's School (Hindhead)
St. Edmund's School is a coeducational nursery, pre-prep and preparatory school originally founded in Hunstanton, Norfolk, England in 1874, and subsequently moved to Hindhead, Surrey, England in 1900, where the school moved into a large country house named Blen Cathra, previously a home of George...
. St Edmund's was relocated in 1901 to 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...
, at which point the original Hunstanton
Hunstanton
Hunstanton, often pronounced by locals as and known colloquially as 'Sunny Hunny', is a seaside town in Norfolk, England, facing The Wash....
site was purchased by Howard Cambridge Barber and renamed Glebe House School; part of the site on which the school stands was rented from the Church
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...
, hence the name "Glebe
Glebe
Glebe Glebe Glebe (also known as Church furlong or parson's closes is an area of land within a manor and parish used to support a parish priest.-Medieval origins:...
". Barber wished to provide a preparatory
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...
boarding school for boys, from which pupils would feed into English public schools, or the Royal Naval Colleges of Osborne House
Osborne House
Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat....
and Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
, Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
. Thanks to its origins, various naval traditions still exist at the school today, for example the naming of the year groups as "Divisions" as opposed to "Years".
Glebe House became coeducational in the mid 1980s.
Today, the Main Building adjoins 12 acres (49,000 m2) of playing fields, which overlook The Wash
The Wash
The Wash is the square-mouthed bay and estuary on the northwest margin of East Anglia on the east coast of England, where Norfolk meets Lincolnshire. It is among the largest estuaries in the United Kingdom...
and the countryside of North West Norfolk. A new purpose built block housing junior classrooms was opened by Prince Charles in 1992. A conversion of the old dormitory block, completed in 1995, now comprises the Senior (Preparatory) School with an ICT suite, Science Laboratory and specialist teaching rooms for English, History, French, Latin and Geography. September 1996 saw the opening of a new music teaching and recital room as well as a pottery studio. More recently, a whole school wired and wireless intranet, with computer provision in all classrooms allowing controlled access to the internet, a new Drawing Room, a new library and a fully refurbished Art and Design Technology Centre have been added to the facilities already offered.
The school has a twenty five metre indoor heated swimming pool, all weather tennis and netball courts, adventure playground, trim trail and indoor gym. In 1998 the school opened a Nursery so that it can offer child care provision for children from six months prior to their entry to the Pre-Prep.
As of 2005, the Headmaster is John Crofts BA (Hons) PGCE.
In the summer of 2006, the school featured in a Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
two-part documentary series entitled "Admission Impossible http://www.channel4.com/health/microsites/A/admission_impossible/index.html, a program following the applications of six children to their first-choice schools. The young boy applying to Glebe House was successful in gaining a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
and, thanks to a bursary scheme and the generosity of numerous benefactors nationwide, was able to enter Division (Year) III the following September.
The preparatory school
The Preparatory School caters for children from Year III to Year VIII. The majority are day pupils although approximately 20% board on a weekly or flexi basis. For day pupils the school day runs from 8.30am to 6pm, Glebe House does not have school on Saturdays, although some matches are played then. From Year III children begin to have their lessons taught by subject specialists until by Year V all of their lessons are specialist taught. Lessons cover the usual national curriculum areas plus French, ICT, PE & Games (including swimming), Music & Drama.The school provides individual music lessons and ballet lessons on request.
The Pre-prep
The Pre-Prep caters for children from Reception to Year II, where they have their own classrooms, but in addition use many of the Main School facilities such as the Music School, the Hall, Gym & Swimming Pool, where they are often taught by subject specialists. The Pre-prep consists mostly of children moving up from the Nursery, as well as those joining the school for the first time.The Pre-Prep day runs from 8.35am to 3.30pm. Upon joining the school every child becomes part of the school house system
House system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
.
The Nursery
The NurseryNursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
is open for 50 weeks a year and caters for boys and girls from the ages of six months to four years. The ages are divided into three main rooms the 0–2 room, 2–3 room and the 3–4 room, where each child is allocated a key worker.
The Nursery day runs from 8.30am to 4pm, divided into sessions: 8.30 to 12noon, 8.30 to 1pm, 12noon to 4pm and 1pm to 4pm. A hot and nutritious lunch is provided for children between 12 noon and 1pm.
The Nursery follows the Social Services recommendations for staff ratios. Babies are cared for in a bright and well resourced environment, with a staff to child ratio of 1–3. Children move to the 2–3 room (with a staff ratio of 1–4) in the term after they reach two years of age and become a part of the "Foundation Group". All children have time outside every day either in their own garden areas, or walking and playing in the school grounds (weather permitting) or alternately playing in the school Gym.
In the 3–4 room the staff ratio is 1–8 and the children are a continuing part of the Foundation Group, following a curriculum that is closely linked with the Pre-prep Reception Class.
Recent developments
As of 2007, some of the School's most recent developments have included:- The instillation of two band-new interactive whiteboardInteractive whiteboardAn interactive whiteboard , is a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector. A projector projects the computer's desktop onto the board's surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger, stylus, or other device...
s - The creation of a school councilStudent councilStudent council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
, giving pupils a hand in the operation of the school and experience of how such a system operates. - The introduction of an ‘Aquilae Award’ scheme, encouraging children to take advantage of the extensive range of extracurricular activities on offer
- The introduction of breakfast and supper clubs, to help parents with drop-off/pick-up times
- The creation of a new wildlife garden, largely designed and created by the pupils themselves, aided by local landscapers and the local council.
In the Pre-prep, the "Glebe House Out of School Time" (or GHOST) club has been operating every week day during term-time since 2005, enabling children to stay on at school, participating in various activities, until the Prep School finish time of 5.50pm. Organised and free-choice activities include football, music, drama and Dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
.
Students and houses
The school is split into three housesHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
. These are:
- Barber's: named after the school's founder, Howard Cambridge Barber; colour: gold
- L'Estrange: named after a local land-owning family on whose land part the school stands; colour: Red
- St Edmund's: named after Glebe House's "mother" school of the same name in SurreySurreySurrey 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...
; colour: Green
Pupils are assigned houses upon entering the Pre-prep at age 4. In addition to the principal three houses, there are two boarding houses: Eyrie (the girls' boarding house) and Lady Margaret Cottage (the boys' boarding house).
There are many Inter-House competitions at Glebe House, both sporting and academic. These include football, rugby union, cross country, house singing and public speaking. The competitions themselves are held every year, and the "House Flag" is awarded annually to the house which has gained the most points throughout the year.
Boarding
Boarding is available for children in the Prep School on Monday to Thursday nights inclusive. ‘Full boarders’ take advantage of all four nights whilst others may choose to board on regular or occasional nights throughout the term. Boarding at Glebe offers a useful preparation for boarding life at a senior school.The boarding routine begins immediately after school. Following supper the senior children finish homework under the supervision of a member of staff before joining the juniors for evening activities with the Gap year students. Activities vary from use of the music, art and ICT rooms, playing games in the gym or on the playing fields and occasional excursions to the local park or beach.
Following activities the girls and boys retire to their respective boarding houses, each offering a large common room with easy chairs, TV, DVD and videos and a selection of quiet games. Each house has at least two resident staff who supervise quiet activities, evening snacks and bedtime.
Those who learn a musical instrument are allocated practice times each morning before breakfast.
Sport
- For boys: Rugby unionRugby unionRugby 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...
, HockeyHockeyHockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
and CricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the... - For girls: HockeyHockeyHockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
, NetballNetballNetball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
and RoundersRoundersRounders is a game played between two teams of either gender. The game originated in England where it was played in Tudor times. Rounders is a striking and fielding team game that involves hitting a small, hard, leather-cased ball with a round wooden, plastic or metal bat. The players score by...
In addition, a large variety of minor sports take place throughout the year, including football, rugby sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
, tennis, swimming, archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
, cross-country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, athletics
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
, gymnastics and ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
.
The school's sports facilities are extensive and include:
grounds, divided as necessary to cater for rugby union, football, hockey, cricket, rounders
- A 25 metre indoor heated swimming pool
- A Gymnasium, offering indoor ball games, gymnastic equipment and table tennis
- Two outdoor all-weather tennis/netball courts
- An outdoor jungle gym/trim trail
- An adventure playground
Music & drama
Individual instrumental or vocal lessons are provided on request; these include stringsString instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
, brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
, woodwind, percussion, drums, guitars (electric and classical) and singing. These take place during the school day and are given by visiting peripatetic teachers. Various ensemble groups take place during break times, and two school choirs (Pre-prep and Prep) rehearse once a week. Regular informal concerts are given throughout the year, culminating in the main "Summer Sensation" concert at the end of the Summer term, in which many pupils participate with a huge variety of acts. The choirs also sing at official school services (such as the carol service and Leavers' service) in St Mary's Church, Old Hunstanton.
Drama is very strong at Glebe House, with regular termly productions. Recent productions have included Dickens' "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 Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
".
Holiday courses
The "Go! Glebe" programme runs for a period of two weeks in the Easter holiday and four weeks in the summer holiday providing a wealth of activities for varying age groups, from lifeguarded swimming sessions available every weekday afternoon, to football coaching, archery, tennis and swimming lessons, sailing, dry slope skiing, informative excursions, art and craft sessions, singing workshops, cycle training and a drama week. The Go! Glebe courses are open to all children from any school.Other trips and excursions take place regularly throughout the year. Alongside regular annual trips such as the ski trip and the senior year’s week in Paris, recent trips have included residential visits to Hadrian’s wall, London and York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, and a cricket tour of East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
.