Leighton Park School
Encyclopedia
Leighton Park School is a co-educational Quaker independent school
for both day and boarding pupils. It is situated in the large town of Reading
in Berkshire
, in South East England
. The school was founded in 1890, following the closure of Grove House School, also a Quaker establishment.
, adjacent to the Whiteknights Park
campus of the University of Reading
. The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
. From 2009, the school has offered the International Baccalaureate qualification. In January 2011, John Dunston
stepped down as Headmaster after over a decade in the post. He was succeeded by Alex McGrath, former deputy head of Trent College
.
The latest edition of The Good Schools Guide
describes Leighton Park as "one of the most distinctive schools we'd visited and we came away with a renewed sense of hope for the future. More schools would do well to adopt the LP model — it has integrity and honesty at heart". In December 2010, following inspection, the ISI wrote "The excellent personal development of the pupils is a strength of the school."
The School House and Attached Laboratories at Leighton Park School are Grade II listed buildings.
for boys, with the specific aim of preparing academically able boys to enter university, to think for themselves and to develop self-reliance.
The school was founded after Grove House School, also a Quaker school, closed in 1877. Grove School had educated notable personalities such as Lord Lister, Alfred Waterhouse
and Thomas Hodgkin
.
Nicknamed 'the Quaker Eton
', Leighton Park has sent a high proportion of its pupils to Oxford
or Cambridge
. To this day it retains academic prestige, being described as a school that possesses "outstanding teaching, facilities and excellent academic results [that] give it the qualities that parents seek in a school" recently by ISBI schools.
Leighton Park grew from 4 boys in 1890 to 103 in the 1920s. By 1970 the school had 300 pupils, and in 1975 girls were admitted to the sixth form. In 1993 the school became fully coeducational. Today the school is home to 500 pupils drawn from over twenty different countries.
In 2004, 'Oakview', the new central-dining facility was introduced instead of traditional in-house dining. The facility was officially opened by Sir Steve Redgrave
.
Currently at 500 pupils, the development plans on the school's website state it plans to increase the school roll to a maximum of 510 in the near future.
sports pitch and 22 tennis courts, along with four main sports fields. The school's sporting strengths lie in cricket and rugby for boys; hockey and netball for girls. Many other sports are catered for including football, athletics, tennis and swimming. The school awards scholarships for talented and capable sportsmen and women.
The school hosts an annual cross-country competition: the race is over 2.5km long. There is also a house 'Road Relay' race where 12 pupils, teams of four from each senior house, race to complete one lap of the kilometre-long road track. The results of the road relay count towards the annual House Cup, awarded at the end of each academic year. There are also other regular house sport competitions: rugby, football, athletics, hockey, tennis and swimming.
In April 2011, student Charlotte Turner (Year 10) qualified for the UK National County Cross-Country Championships.
The school recently hosted a Super Six Rugby Sevens
Tournament, a spin-off of the 'Super Six' rugby XV cup competition that the school founded and takes part in with five other schools. It has won the cup on several occasions. The school also participates in the Daily Mail Cup
rugby competition.
Most notably, Leighton Park is known for its annual House Music competition. The competition involves many students - from House 'Big Group' (where songs such as Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' and Shania Twain's 'Man! I feel like a woman!' have been performed), to solo artists (Laura Marling
competed live in 2007, but lost out in her catagory of "Original Song"). The house music competition's final standings award points to Houses, which go towards the annual House Cup.
The school offers Music GCSE and A-Level.
Most recently, the school has put on Grease
, Much Ado About Nothing
as well as several other well known dramatic pieces.
The drama department is headed by Geraint Thomas, and supplemented by several other teachers. The school offers GCSE drama as well as A-level Theatre Studies.
In April 2005, Quaker-based Sunday Worship was broadcast live from Leighton Park on BBC Radio 4. Heard by an estimated 1.75 million listeners, the sequence of readings, music, ministry and silence "reflected the essence of Quaker values to the wider world."
Leighton Park also featured in the press in 2005 for the introduction of a music workshop by ex-child soldier turned musician, Ben Okafor.
, by Alan Bennett
. The headmaster mentions schools he would like to emulate regarding high pupil entry to Oxford; among them is Leighton Park — 'or is that an open prison?', he adds.
It has been alleged that headteachers of other schools in Reading encouraged their pupils to say they were from Leighton Park if challenged by the police or the public, as they were to be regarded as notorious.
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. It is situated in the large town of Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, in South East 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...
. The school was founded in 1890, following the closure of Grove House School, also a Quaker establishment.
Overview
The school is based in a parkland estate setting just south of the town centre of ReadingReading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, adjacent to the Whiteknights Park
Whiteknights Park
Whiteknights Park, or the Whiteknights Campus of the University of Reading, is the principal campus of that university. The park covers the area of the manor of Earley Whiteknights, also known as Earley St Nicholas and Earley Regis.Whiteknights Park is some two miles south of the centre of the town...
campus of the University of Reading
University of Reading
The University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
. 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...
. From 2009, the school has offered the International Baccalaureate qualification. In January 2011, John Dunston
John Dunston
John Herbert Dunston FRSA was the head of Leighton Park School and Sibford School, both English Quaker schools.John Dunston studied Modern Foreign Languages at the University of Cambridge. He then undertook teacher training at the University of York. He taught in Germany as well as the maintained...
stepped down as Headmaster after over a decade in the post. He was succeeded by Alex McGrath, former deputy head of Trent College
Trent College
Trent College is a co-educational, HMC independent day and boarding school. There are 760 pupils in the Senior School and 330 pupils in the Junior School, The Elms School...
.
The latest edition of The Good Schools Guide
The Good Schools Guide
The Good Schools Guide is a guide to British schools .- Overview :The guide is compiled by a team of editors, which according to the official website "comprises some 50 editors, writers, researchers and contributors; mostly parents but some former headteachers." The website states that it is...
describes Leighton Park as "one of the most distinctive schools we'd visited and we came away with a renewed sense of hope for the future. More schools would do well to adopt the LP model — it has integrity and honesty at heart". In December 2010, following inspection, the ISI wrote "The excellent personal development of the pupils is a strength of the school."
The School House and Attached Laboratories at Leighton Park School are Grade II listed buildings.
History
The teaching of young people has always been a priority for Quakers; from the late seventeenth century onwards, many were involved in establishing schools for their own children and others in need. In this light, Leighton Park was opened in 1890 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), as a public schoolIndependent 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...
for boys, with the specific aim of preparing academically able boys to enter university, to think for themselves and to develop self-reliance.
The school was founded after Grove House School, also a Quaker school, closed in 1877. Grove School had educated notable personalities such as Lord Lister, Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse was a British architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. He is perhaps best known for his design for the Natural History Museum in London, and Manchester Town Hall, although he also built a wide variety of other buildings throughout the...
and Thomas Hodgkin
Thomas Hodgkin
Thomas Hodgkin was a British physician, considered one of the most prominent pathologists of his time and a pioneer in preventive medicine. He is now best known for the first account of Hodgkin's disease, a form of lymphoma and blood disease, in 1832...
.
Nicknamed 'the Quaker Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
', Leighton Park has sent a high proportion of its pupils to Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
or Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. To this day it retains academic prestige, being described as a school that possesses "outstanding teaching, facilities and excellent academic results [that] give it the qualities that parents seek in a school" recently by ISBI schools.
Leighton Park grew from 4 boys in 1890 to 103 in the 1920s. By 1970 the school had 300 pupils, and in 1975 girls were admitted to the sixth form. In 1993 the school became fully coeducational. Today the school is home to 500 pupils drawn from over twenty different countries.
In 2004, 'Oakview', the new central-dining facility was introduced instead of traditional in-house dining. The facility was officially opened by Sir Steve Redgrave
Steve Redgrave
Sir Steven Geoffrey Redgrave CBE is an English rower who won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000. He has also won three Commonwealth Games gold medals and nine World Rowing Championships gold medals...
.
Currently at 500 pupils, the development plans on the school's website state it plans to increase the school roll to a maximum of 510 in the near future.
Traditions and routines
Leighton Park, due to its Quaker faith, has marked customs and traditions which differ from those in Anglican schools. Some of these traditions are:- "Collect": The daily routine meeting similar to that of assembly in other schools, where the school gathers for presentations and talks. Every collect is then finished with a silence lasting several minutes to reflect on the topic addressed in the meeting. The distinct difference between "Collect" and other similar meetings in Anglican schools is the omission of hymn singing.
- "Meeting for WorshipMeeting for worshipA meeting for worship is a practice of the Religious Society of Friends in many ways comparable to a church service. These services have a wide variety of forms, creating a spectrum from typical Protestant liturgy to silent waiting for the Spirit .A Meeting for Worship may start with a query;...
": A weekly event which replaces "Collect" on Thursday, similar to Quaker meetings across the country. The meeting is held in silence to reflect on thoughts and feelings, with a free forum for anyone to stand up and break the silence by speaking about the issue on their mind. "Meeting for Worship" currently lasts 20–25 minutes, reduced from longer lengths over the years.
- "Monthly Meeting": A meeting held once a month which gives the chance for the pupil body to air grievances on any matter (such as dress code, lunch queues etc.). It is usually clerked by the Head Boy and Head Girl, alongside a member of staff who takes the minutes. The school senior management are usually present to respond to grievances. This form of response differs from other, more traditional, forms of Quaker Monthly Meeting. In its present form, senior staff respond directly to issues as they are raised. Traditionally, issues are not just considered by the senior management, but by the meeting as a whole. Such a method of consensus problem-solving reflects the quaker value of Equality.
Houses
There are five houses at Leighton Park; four senior and one junior; with an average of 100 pupils in each senior house and approximately 90 pupils in the junior house. The first house established is named 'Grove', after Grove School, which Leighton Park has historical links with. The junior house, 'Fryer', houses pupils aged 11–13. All houses are mixed sex, and they all have facilities for day and boarding pupils.| House | Type of House | Housemaster |
|---|---|---|
| School | Senior | Simon Cain |
| Field | Senior | Mark Simmons |
| Grove | Senior | Geoff Harnett |
| Reckitt | Senior | Julian Berrow |
| Fryer | Junior | Nicky Williams |
Sport
The school has a floodlit astroturfAstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
sports pitch and 22 tennis courts, along with four main sports fields. The school's sporting strengths lie in cricket and rugby for boys; hockey and netball for girls. Many other sports are catered for including football, athletics, tennis and swimming. The school awards scholarships for talented and capable sportsmen and women.
The school hosts an annual cross-country competition: the race is over 2.5km long. There is also a house 'Road Relay' race where 12 pupils, teams of four from each senior house, race to complete one lap of the kilometre-long road track. The results of the road relay count towards the annual House Cup, awarded at the end of each academic year. There are also other regular house sport competitions: rugby, football, athletics, hockey, tennis and swimming.
In April 2011, student Charlotte Turner (Year 10) qualified for the UK National County Cross-Country Championships.
The school recently hosted a Super Six 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...
Tournament, a spin-off of the 'Super Six' rugby XV cup competition that the school founded and takes part in with five other schools. It has won the cup on several occasions. The school also participates in the Daily Mail Cup
Daily 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...
rugby competition.
Music
The current Head of Music is Rosemary Scales. At Leighton Park many instruments are taught, with opportunities being given to all students should they wish to learn. The school also has a fully equipped specialist recording studio. Leighton Park gives scholarships for dedicated and talented musicians.Most notably, Leighton Park is known for its annual House Music competition. The competition involves many students - from House 'Big Group' (where songs such as Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' and Shania Twain's 'Man! I feel like a woman!' have been performed), to solo artists (Laura Marling
Laura Marling
Laura Beatrice Marling is an English folk musician from Eversley, Hampshire.Initially prominent within the London folk scene, she has also toured with a number of well-known indie artists in the UK. Her debut album Alas, I Cannot Swim and her second album I Speak Because I Can were nominated for...
competed live in 2007, but lost out in her catagory of "Original Song"). The house music competition's final standings award points to Houses, which go towards the annual House Cup.
The school offers Music GCSE and A-Level.
Drama
There is one main theatre outside of the drama department at Leighton Park, Main Hall, where the annual School Play, and other plays, take place. There is usually one main School Play per academic year. The School Play usually takes place in the Spring Term and has a high reputation. It is normally fully booked every night.Most recently, the school has put on Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
, Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero....
as well as several other well known dramatic pieces.
The drama department is headed by Geraint Thomas, and supplemented by several other teachers. The school offers GCSE drama as well as A-level Theatre Studies.
Discipline
Being a Quaker community, Leighton Park understands the importance of maintaining equality within the school community. Nevertheless, the school has a host of punishments for disobeying school rules.- Detention: Held with the Director of Studies, this punishment is most frequently used in situations of minor misdemeanor, such as when Prep (homework) has not been completed or a pupil has behaved in a disorderly manner in class.
- "Gating": Issued in 'slots', gating is a punishment designed to constrain a pupil's free time. A pupil is given an increasing number of 'slots' depending on the severity of their offence. For each 'slot' given, a pupil must sign in with their house's Duty Staff every half an hour. Such a punishment is given for more serious breaches of school rules such as smoking on school premises or failing to attend in-house prep sessions at the specified times.
- Suspension and Explusion: Common punishments available in all schools for severe disobedience such as proven bullying or consistent disruptive behaviour within the school community.
Press
Leighton Park has featured in the press most recently in light of the BBC Politics Show, which was hosted at Leighton Park in December 2010.In April 2005, Quaker-based Sunday Worship was broadcast live from Leighton Park on BBC Radio 4. Heard by an estimated 1.75 million listeners, the sequence of readings, music, ministry and silence "reflected the essence of Quaker values to the wider world."
Leighton Park also featured in the press in 2005 for the introduction of a music workshop by ex-child soldier turned musician, Ben Okafor.
Trivia
The school is mentioned in the play and film, The History BoysThe History Boys
The History Boys is a play by British playwright Alan Bennett. The play premiered at the Lyttelton Theatre in London on 18 May 2004. Its Broadway debut was on 23 April 2006 at the Broadhurst Theatre where there were 185 performances staged before it closed on 1 October 2006.The play won multiple...
, by Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett is a British playwright, screenwriter, actor and author. Born in Leeds, he attended Oxford University where he studied history and performed with The Oxford Revue. He stayed to teach and research mediaeval history at the university for several years...
. The headmaster mentions schools he would like to emulate regarding high pupil entry to Oxford; among them is Leighton Park — 'or is that an open prison?', he adds.
It has been alleged that headteachers of other schools in Reading encouraged their pupils to say they were from Leighton Park if challenged by the police or the public, as they were to be regarded as notorious.