Malvern College
Encyclopedia
Malvern College is a coeducational independent school located on a 250 acre (101 ha) campus near the town centre of Malvern
, Worcestershire
in England. Founded on 25 January 1865, until 1992, the College was a secondary school
for boys aged 13 to 18. Following a series of mergers, with private primary schools and a girls' school in the area, it has since become coeducational with pupils from 3 to 19 years old. As at February 2008 the school had a total of 600 pupils, of which 477 were boarders aged 12 – 19.
The school is known for its innovative approaches to education and for sports. Among its alumni are at least two Prime Minister
s, two Nobel Laureates and an Olympic Gold medalist. The novelist C. S. Lewis
, author of The Chronicles of Narnia
was also a former student of the school. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
and of the Rugby Group
of British independent schools.
Set in the Malvern Hills
, the school's location owes much to Malvern's emergence in the nineteenth century as a fashionable spa resort, appreciated for its unpolluted air and the healing qualities of its famous spring water
. The school opened its doors for the first time in January 1865. Initially, there were only about twenty four boy pupils, six teachers and two houses
but its expansion was rapid. In 1875, there were 200 boys on the Roll and five boarding houses ; by the end of the 19th century, the numbers had risen to more than 400 boys and ten houses. American poet Henry Longfellow
visited the school in 1868, Prince
and Princess Christian
on speech-day in 1870 and The Duke
and Duchess of Teck
visited in 1891 with their daughter, Princess May
(later Queen Mary). Lord Randolph Churchill
's speech-day comments on education in 1889 were reported in the Times
. The school was one of the twenty four Public Schools
listed in the Public Schools Yearbook of 1889. Further expansion of pupil numbers and buildings continued between the end of the First World War in 1918 and the start of the Second World War in 1939. During the two Wars, 457 and 258 former pupils, respectively, gave their lives. Seven former pupils were among 'the few' who took part in the Battle of Britain.
Following the onset of World War II
, the College premises were requisitioned by the Admiralty
between October 1939 and July 1940, with the result that the school was temporarily relocated to Blenheim Palace
. In 1942, its premises were again needed for governmental use, on this occasion by the TRE
and, from May 1942 to July 1946, the school was housed with Harrow School
. QinetiQ
, a private sector successor to the government's original research facility, is still sited on former college land.
Having traditionally been a school for boys aged from 13 to 18 years old, in 1992 it merged with Ellerslie Girls’ School and Hillstone prep school
to become coeducational, with pupils from 3 to 18 years old. In September 2008, the College's Prep School merged with The Downs
prep school on the latter's nearby site in Colwall
, Herefordshire
to form The Downs, Malvern College Prep School.
The year 2008 also saw the start of a multi-million pound development scheme that included a new sports complex, new athletics and viewing facilities at the pitches and two new boarding houses. The sports complex and new houses were opened in October 2009 by The Duke of York
. Ellerslie House was opened for girls, commemorating the eponymous former girls' school, and the other new house has become the new permanent residence for the boys of No. 7.
of approximately fifteen members, chaired since 2002 by Lord MacLaurin. Antony Clark
joined the school as Headmaster in 2008.
report, following an October 2010 inspection, rated the school's services against specific criteria and assigned an overall quality rating of Grade 1 (outstanding). This compares to an overall rating of Grade 2 (good) in the previous report published in 2008. In the latest report, "organisation" and health and safety provision were upgraded to Grade 1 while boarding accommodation was rated Grade 2. Other areas assessed included "helping children to achieve", to "make a positive contribution" and to "enjoy what they do" and these remained Grade 1 (outstanding). The report states that four recommendations made in Ofsted's last report had all been addressed and that the school "delivers an outstanding service that continues to be developed".
level and special arrangements are sometimes made for other courses upon request.
school although its cricket
sides have also produced players who have gone on to play at international level. Traditionally, sport for boys used to be split between the original 'major sports' of football, cricket, and rackets (rugby
was added later), and 'minor sports'. Colours were awarded for each major sport, as appropriate. After 1995, the distinction between 'major sport' and 'minor sport' was removed. The girls' main sports are hockey and lacrosse
in the winter, lacrosse and netball in the Lent Term and tennis and rounders
in the summer.
The College also plays a multitude of other sports such as Rackets, Fives
, Athletics, Tennis, Squash, Croquet, Basketball, Badminton and Polo. Some boys' hockey and girls' football are played.
On October 16, 2009, a new sports complex and hospitality suite was opened by The Duke of York
. The opening was attended by several well known sports personalities including athlete Dame Kelly Holmes, cricketers Michael Vaughan
and Graham Gooch
, footballer Peter Shilton
, rugby union player Jason Leonard
, athlete Christina Boxer
and hockey player Rachel Walker
. The indoor complex, which was built on the site of the old sports hall and swimming pool, offers an 8 court sports hall, a dance studio and fitness suite, a climbing wall, two squash courts, a shooting range, a large function suite, and a 6 lane swimming pool and its facilities are also available for use by the wider community. They are also used by Worcestershire County Cricket Club
for their winter training programme. In February 2010, the school also hosted the England Blind Cricket squad for training sessions.
In November 2010 Vera Hughes opened the two newly refurbished Rackets courts. The courts were named after her husband Ron Hughes who was the Rackets Professional at Malvern from 1956 until 1986 The courts are now both tournament quality.
, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, First Aid
, Orchestra/Band, Orienteering, Outdoor Pursuits, Photography, Practical Engineering, Riding, and Skiing. A wider range of activities depending on the demand may also be available and include, Ballet/Dance, Ceramics, Chess, Choir, Climbing, Community Service, Current Affairs, Dancing, Debating/Public Speaking, Design/Technology, Drama/Theatre Studies, Life Saving/First Aid, Outdoor Pursuits, Photography, Practical Engineering, Textiles, and Young Enterprise.
Facilities are also available (in some cases, by prior arrangement) for independent extra-curricular activities such as journalism and music rehearsal.
, a girls' school founded by the sisters of the Old Malvernian judge Sir Paul Ogden Lawrence
. The houses, in order of foundation are:
The main social event of the school calendar Commemoration Day, or "Commem" as it is known in the school, celebrates the founding of the school. A service is held where prizes are awarded. A cricket match then takes place between the 1st cricket XI and the Free Foresters. The inter-house Athletics competition and the Summer Concert take place on the Friday before Commem. It is held on the Saturday of Half-term in the Summer term
.
The CVS Ball
The School Council organises a charity ball, a black tie
themed event that takes place in the 5th week of every Autumn Term. A similar event called The Autumn Ball is held for the Lower School.
The inter-house Singing Cup Competition
This is held annually in the winter term. It is one of the most significant inter-house events on the school social calendar.
The Ledder
The Ledder, or Ledbury Run, is a 7.5 miles (12.1 km) cross country race that starts in the town of Ledbury
, goes over the Malvern Hills and finishes on the Senior, the main cricket pitch in the centre of the College. The first 9 runners receive Ledder Caps. In its early days there was no organised route and pupils simply had to get back to college as fast as they could.
Remembrance Sunday
On the Sunday closest to the 11th of November, known as Remembrance Sunday
, the entire college assembles in front of St. George to await a procession of parents, alumni, guests and teachers. Two minutes silence is followed by The Last Post and a reading. Representatives of the student body (the Senior Chapel Prefect, who is the Head Boy or Girl) and of the Old Malvernian Society then place wreaths at the foot of St. George. A memorial service follows in the chapel for the more than 400 Malvernians who lost their lives in the Great War.
and R. E. Lyon. It was first sung on speech day in 1888. Although not sung for the past decade it has recently been revived and was sung at the 2008 Commem.
The same song became the school song of Eastbourne College
when Bayfield became headmaster there in 1895.
oratory. It is thought to be the first school in the country to have had a careers service. Under the direction of John Lewis, a former master, it pioneered Nuffield Physics
in the 1960s, Science in Society in the 1970s, and the Diploma of Achievement in the 1990s. At the beginning of the 1990s, Malvern College became one of the first schools in Britain to offer the choice between the International Baccalaureate
and A-Levels in the Sixth Form
. The school was one of the first boys' public schools to become coeducational for pupils from 3 to 18 years.
Each summer the staff and some older pupils run a summer school, Young Malvern, which incorporates many sports, activities and learning experiences. Malvern College is one of the two schools in the country (the other being Dulwich College
) to offer Debating
in the curriculum and pupils participate in regional and national competitions including the Debating Matters competition and the Three Counties Tournament. The subject is compulsory at Foundation Year level.
, and the Old Malvernians Football Club
, a record breaking club competing in the Arthurian League.
Old Malvernians have been instrumental in the formation of sporting and charitable organisations such as Blackburn Rovers FC and the Docklands Settlements.
At least two of the school's former pupils have become Nobel Laureates. Some past pupils are royalty from various nations, and others have become Heads of State, military officers, jurists, authors, and sportspeople.
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
in England. Founded on 25 January 1865, until 1992, the College was a secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
for boys aged 13 to 18. Following a series of mergers, with private primary schools and a girls' school in the area, it has since become coeducational with pupils from 3 to 19 years old. As at February 2008 the school had a total of 600 pupils, of which 477 were boarders aged 12 – 19.
The school is known for its innovative approaches to education and for sports. Among its alumni are at least two Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
s, two Nobel Laureates and an Olympic Gold medalist. The novelist C. S. Lewis
C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...
, author of The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels for children by C. S. Lewis. It is considered a classic of children's literature and is the author's best-known work, having sold over 100 million copies in 47 languages...
was also a former student of the school. It 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...
and of the Rugby Group
Rugby Group
The Rugby Group is a group of British independent schools.The group was formed in the 1960s as an association of major boarding schools within the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
of British independent schools.
History
Malvern Hills
The Malvern Hills are a range of hills in the English counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and a small area of northern Gloucestershire, dominating the surrounding countryside and the towns and villages of the district of Malvern...
, the school's location owes much to Malvern's emergence in the nineteenth century as a fashionable spa resort, appreciated for its unpolluted air and the healing qualities of its famous spring water
Malvern Water
Malvern water is a natural spring water from the Malvern Hills on the border of the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire in England. The Hills consist of very hard granite and limestone rock. Fissures in the rock retain rain water, which slowly permeates through, escaping at the springs...
. The school opened its doors for the first time in January 1865. Initially, there were only about twenty four boy pupils, six teachers and two houses
Boarding house
A boarding house, is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide "bed...
but its expansion was rapid. In 1875, there were 200 boys on the Roll and five boarding houses ; by the end of the 19th century, the numbers had risen to more than 400 boys and ten houses. American poet Henry Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
visited the school in 1868, Prince
Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein was a minor German prince who became a member of the British Royal Family through his marriage to Princess Helena of the United Kingdom , the fifth child and third daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of...
and Princess Christian
Princess Helena of the United Kingdom
Princess Helena was a member of the British Royal Family, the third daughter and fifth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert....
on speech-day in 1870 and The Duke
Francis, Duke of Teck
Francis, Duke of Teck , was a member of the German nobility, and later of the British Royal Family. He was the father of Queen Mary, the wife of King George V...
and Duchess of Teck
Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
Princess Mary Adelaide Wilhelmina Elizabeth of Cambridge was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of George III, and great-grandmother of Elizabeth II. She held the title of Duchess of Teck through marriage.Mary Adelaide is remembered as the mother of Queen Mary, the consort of...
visited in 1891 with their daughter, Princess May
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
(later Queen Mary). Lord Randolph Churchill
Lord Randolph Churchill
Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill MP was a British statesman. He was the third son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough and his wife Lady Frances Anne Emily Vane , daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry...
's speech-day comments on education in 1889 were reported in the Times
Times
The Times is a UK daily newspaper, the original English language newspaper titled "Times". Times may also refer to:In newspapers:*The Times , went defunct in 2005*The Times *The Times of Northwest Indiana...
. The school was one of the twenty four Public Schools
Public School (UK)
A public school, in common British usage, is a school that is neither administered nor financed by the state or from taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of endowments, tuition fees and charitable contributions, usually existing as a non profit-making charitable trust...
listed in the Public Schools Yearbook of 1889. Further expansion of pupil numbers and buildings continued between the end of the First World War in 1918 and the start of the Second World War in 1939. During the two Wars, 457 and 258 former pupils, respectively, gave their lives. Seven former pupils were among 'the few' who took part in the Battle of Britain.
Following the onset of World War II
World War II
World 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...
, the College premises were requisitioned by the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
between October 1939 and July 1940, with the result that the school was temporarily relocated to Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is a monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, residence of the dukes of Marlborough. It is the only non-royal non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between...
. In 1942, its premises were again needed for governmental use, on this occasion by the TRE
Telecommunications Research Establishment
The Telecommunications Research Establishment was the main United Kingdom research and development organization for radio navigation, radar, infra-red detection for heat seeking missiles, and related work for the Royal Air Force during World War II and the years that followed. The name was...
and, from May 1942 to July 1946, the school was housed with Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
. QinetiQ
QinetiQ
Qinetiq is a British global defence technology company, formed from the greater part of the former UK government agency, Defence Evaluation and Research Agency , when it was split up in June 2001...
, a private sector successor to the government's original research facility, is still sited on former college land.
Having traditionally been a school for boys aged from 13 to 18 years old, in 1992 it merged with Ellerslie Girls’ School and Hillstone prep school
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
to become coeducational, with pupils from 3 to 18 years old. In September 2008, the College's Prep School merged with The Downs
The Downs School (Herefordshire)
The Downs, Malvern College Prep. is an independent coeducational school in the United Kingdom, founded in 1900. It is located in Colwall in the County of Herefordshire, on the western slopes of the Malvern Hills.-Overview:...
prep school on the latter's nearby site in Colwall
Colwall
Colwall is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England on the border with Worcestershire, nestling into the side of the Malvern Hills. Areas of the village are known as Colwall Stone, Upper Colwall and Colwall Green along over a mile of the B4218 road...
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
to form The Downs, Malvern College Prep School.
The year 2008 also saw the start of a multi-million pound development scheme that included a new sports complex, new athletics and viewing facilities at the pitches and two new boarding houses. The sports complex and new houses were opened in October 2009 by The Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
. Ellerslie House was opened for girls, commemorating the eponymous former girls' school, and the other new house has become the new permanent residence for the boys of No. 7.
Governance
The school is governed by a College CouncilBoard of governors
Board of governors is a term sometimes applied to the board of directors of a public entity or non-profit organization.Many public institutions, such as public universities, are government-owned corporations. The British Broadcasting Corporation was managed by a board of governors, though this role...
of approximately fifteen members, chaired since 2002 by Lord MacLaurin. Antony Clark
Antony Roy Clark
Antony Roy Clark MA is a South African schoolmaster and educationalist, formerly a first-class cricketer, currently headmaster of Malvern College.-Early life:...
joined the school as Headmaster in 2008.
Educational and Social Care Standards
An OfstedOfsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
report, following an October 2010 inspection, rated the school's services against specific criteria and assigned an overall quality rating of Grade 1 (outstanding). This compares to an overall rating of Grade 2 (good) in the previous report published in 2008. In the latest report, "organisation" and health and safety provision were upgraded to Grade 1 while boarding accommodation was rated Grade 2. Other areas assessed included "helping children to achieve", to "make a positive contribution" and to "enjoy what they do" and these remained Grade 1 (outstanding). The report states that four recommendations made in Ofsted's last report had all been addressed and that the school "delivers an outstanding service that continues to be developed".
Curriculum
While academic success is considered important, emphasis is also placed on the all-round development of the individual rather than on academic results alone. In the Sixth Form, courses are offered at A-Level in art, business studies, classical civilisation, design and technology, drama and theatre studies, economics, English literature, geography, Greek, history, history of art, key skills, Latin, mathematics, modern languages (French, German, Spanish), music, music technology, physical education, politics and the sciences (biology, chemistry, physics). Further courses are available at International BaccalaureateIB Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for students aged 16–19that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva by...
level and special arrangements are sometimes made for other courses upon request.
Academic performance
An Ofsted report, following a February 2008 inspection, rated the school against specific criteria and assigned an overall quality rating of Grade 2 (good) which was based upon Grade 2 (good) ratings for organisation and health and safety provision and Grade 1 (outstanding) ratings for "helping children to achieve", to "make a positive contribution" and to "enjoy what they do".Admission
Generally, parents register their children up to two years in advance, in order to secure a place at age 13, through sitting a Common Entrance exam, or via the award of an open Academic Scholarship. Sixth Form entry is gained either through a scholarship exam, or by tests in the subjects to be studied. Bursaries are available for new entrants, and subject scholarships are awarded for Art, Drama, Music, Science/Technology and Sport.Sport
The school has a strong sporting tradition. For boys' sports, some Malvernians would consider the College to be best known as a footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
school although its cricket
Cricket
Cricket 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...
sides have also produced players who have gone on to play at international level. Traditionally, sport for boys used to be split between the original 'major sports' of football, cricket, and rackets (rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
was added later), and 'minor sports'. Colours were awarded for each major sport, as appropriate. After 1995, the distinction between 'major sport' and 'minor sport' was removed. The girls' main sports are hockey and lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
in the winter, lacrosse and netball in the Lent Term and tennis and rounders
Rounders
Rounders 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 the summer.
The College also plays a multitude of other sports such as Rackets, Fives
Fives
Fives is a British sport believed to derive from the same origins as many racquet sports. In fives, a ball is propelled against the walls of a special court using gloved or bare hands as though they were a racquet.-Background:...
, Athletics, Tennis, Squash, Croquet, Basketball, Badminton and Polo. Some boys' hockey and girls' football are played.
On October 16, 2009, a new sports complex and hospitality suite was opened by The Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
. The opening was attended by several well known sports personalities including athlete Dame Kelly Holmes, cricketers Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan
Michael Paul Vaughan OBE is a retired cricketer who represented Yorkshire and England. A classically elegant right-handed batsman and occasional off-spinner, Vaughan was ranked one of the best batsmen in the world following the 2002/3 Ashes, in which he scored 633 runs, including three centuries...
and Graham Gooch
Graham Gooch
Graham Alan Gooch OBE DL is a former cricketer who captained Essex and England. He was one of the most successful international batsmen of his generation, and through a career spanning from 1973 until 2000, he became the most prolific run scorer of all time with 67,057 runs...
, footballer Peter Shilton
Peter Shilton
Peter Leslie Shilton OBE is a former English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He currently holds the record for playing more games for England than anyone else, earning 125 caps....
, rugby union player Jason Leonard
Jason Leonard
Jason Leonard OBE , also known as "The Fun Bus", is an English former rugby union prop forward who held the world record for winning the most international caps until 2005, when it was surpassed by Australia's scrum-half George Gregan...
, athlete Christina Boxer
Christina Boxer
Christina Tracy Boxer-Cahill is a retired female middle distance athlete from England. She competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics for Great Britain, starting in 1980. Boxer claimed the gold medal in the women's 1500 m event at the 1982 Commonwealth Games.In 1984, Boxer finished 6th in the...
and hockey player Rachel Walker
Rachel Walker (field hockey)
Rachel Walker is an English field hockey international, who was a member of the England and Great Britain women's field hockey team since making her England debut in June 2000 against Ireland. She is nicknamed Wacker.-References:**...
. The indoor complex, which was built on the site of the old sports hall and swimming pool, offers an 8 court sports hall, a dance studio and fitness suite, a climbing wall, two squash courts, a shooting range, a large function suite, and a 6 lane swimming pool and its facilities are also available for use by the wider community. They are also used by Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
for their winter training programme. In February 2010, the school also hosted the England Blind Cricket squad for training sessions.
In November 2010 Vera Hughes opened the two newly refurbished Rackets courts. The courts were named after her husband Ron Hughes who was the Rackets Professional at Malvern from 1956 until 1986 The courts are now both tournament quality.
Activities
Activities offered in addition to the academic curriculum include sports (see above), Combined Cadet Force (CCF)Combined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance,...
, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, First Aid
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
, Orchestra/Band, Orienteering, Outdoor Pursuits, Photography, Practical Engineering, Riding, and Skiing. A wider range of activities depending on the demand may also be available and include, Ballet/Dance, Ceramics, Chess, Choir, Climbing, Community Service, Current Affairs, Dancing, Debating/Public Speaking, Design/Technology, Drama/Theatre Studies, Life Saving/First Aid, Outdoor Pursuits, Photography, Practical Engineering, Textiles, and Young Enterprise.
Facilities are also available (in some cases, by prior arrangement) for independent extra-curricular activities such as journalism and music rehearsal.
Year names
| Year | Year Name |
| 9 | Foundation Year (FY) |
| 10 | The Remove |
| 11 | The Hundred |
| 12 | Lower Sixth (Sixth Form) |
| 13 | Upper Sixth (Sixth Form) |
Houses
A House is a component of the school community and a place where pupils reside and engage in private study. Normally, a pupil remains at his chosen House until he leaves the school. Each house has its own colours. Competitions are regularly arranged between the Houses in a range of academic, artistic and sporting activities. With the exceptions of School House and Ellerslie House, the eleven houses at Malvern are named with numbers 1 to 9, a system which used to be used at Roedean SchoolRoedean School
-Roedeanians in fiction:* Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward * Dawn Drummond-Clayton * Emily James...
, a girls' school founded by the sisters of the Old Malvernian judge Sir Paul Ogden Lawrence
Paul Ogden Lawrence
Sir Paul Ogden Lawrence was an eminent barrister and judge. He was educated at Malvern College, Worcs. He was appointed a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in 1926. Sir Paul's sisters founded Roedean School....
. The houses, in order of foundation are:
| House | Sex | House Colours | |
| School House | Boys | Black, Magenta and Blue | |
| No. 1 | Boys | Red and White | |
| No. 2 | Boys | Blue and White | |
| No. 3 | Girls | Light Blue | |
| No. 4 | Girls | Maroon | |
| No. 5 | Boys | Red and Black | |
| No. 6 | Girls | Light Yellow | |
| No. 7 | Boys | Purple and Black | |
| No. 8 | Girls | Pink | |
| No. 9 | Boys | Green and Black | |
| Ellerslie House | Girls | Teal |
Events
Commemoration DayThe main social event of the school calendar Commemoration Day, or "Commem" as it is known in the school, celebrates the founding of the school. A service is held where prizes are awarded. A cricket match then takes place between the 1st cricket XI and the Free Foresters. The inter-house Athletics competition and the Summer Concert take place on the Friday before Commem. It is held on the Saturday of Half-term in the Summer term
Summer term
Summer term is the name of the summer academic term at many British schools and universities and elsewhere in the world.In the UK, 'Summer term' runs from the Easter holiday until the end of the academic year in June or July, and thus corresponds to the Easter term at Cambridge University, and...
.
The CVS Ball
The School Council organises a charity ball, a black tie
Black tie
Black tie is a dress code for evening events and social functions. For a man, the main component is a usually black jacket, known as a dinner jacket or tuxedo...
themed event that takes place in the 5th week of every Autumn Term. A similar event called The Autumn Ball is held for the Lower School.
The inter-house Singing Cup Competition
This is held annually in the winter term. It is one of the most significant inter-house events on the school social calendar.
The Ledder
The Ledder, or Ledbury Run, is a 7.5 miles (12.1 km) cross country race that starts in the town of Ledbury
Ledbury
Ledbury is a town in Herefordshire, England, lying east of Hereford, and south of the Malvern Hills.Today, Ledbury is a thriving market town in rural England. The town has a large number of timber framed buildings, in particular along Church Lane and High Street. One of Ledbury's most outstanding...
, goes over the Malvern Hills and finishes on the Senior, the main cricket pitch in the centre of the College. The first 9 runners receive Ledder Caps. In its early days there was no organised route and pupils simply had to get back to college as fast as they could.
On the Sunday closest to the 11th of November, known as Remembrance Sunday
Remembrance Sunday
In the United Kingdom, 'Remembrance Sunday' is held on the second Sunday in November, which is the Sunday nearest to 11 November Armistice Day. It is the anniversary of the end of hostilities in the First World War at 11 a.m...
, the entire college assembles in front of St. George to await a procession of parents, alumni, guests and teachers. Two minutes silence is followed by The Last Post and a reading. Representatives of the student body (the Senior Chapel Prefect, who is the Head Boy or Girl) and of the Old Malvernian Society then place wreaths at the foot of St. George. A memorial service follows in the chapel for the more than 400 Malvernians who lost their lives in the Great War.
Carmen Malvernense
The school song was written and composed by two masters, M. A. BayfieldM. A. Bayfield
Matthew Albert Bayfield was an English classical scholar, author, headmaster, clergyman and spiritualist. Bayfield is best known for his commentaries on classical Greek texts as well his writing on the subject of poetry. His works include The Measures Of The Poets and A Study of Shakespeare's...
and R. E. Lyon. It was first sung on speech day in 1888. Although not sung for the past decade it has recently been revived and was sung at the 2008 Commem.
- Exultemus, O sodales,
- Iam cessare fas novales,
- Paululum laxemus mentes,
- Dulcem, domum repententes,
- Age soror iuxta fratrem,
- Celebremus Almam Matrem,
- Quae nos ornat, haec ornanda,
- Quae nos amat, adamanda.
The same song became the school song of Eastbourne College
Eastbourne College
Eastbourne College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils aged 13–18, situated on the south coast of England, included in the Tatler list of top public schools. The College's current headmaster is Simon Davies. The College was founded by the Duke of Devonshire...
when Bayfield became headmaster there in 1895.
Innovations
In 1963, the College was the first independent school to have a language labLanguage lab
The language laboratory is an audio or audio-visual installation used as an aid in modern language teaching. They can be found, amongst other places, in schools, universities and academies. Perhaps the first lab was at the University of Grenoble. In the 1950s up until the 1990s, they were tape...
oratory. It is thought to be the first school in the country to have had a careers service. Under the direction of John Lewis, a former master, it pioneered Nuffield Physics
Nuffield Foundation
The Nuffield Foundation is a British charitable trust, established in 1943 by William Morris , the founder of the Morris Motor Company. Lord Nuffield wanted to contribute to improvements in society, including the expansion of education and the alleviation of disadvantage...
in the 1960s, Science in Society in the 1970s, and the Diploma of Achievement in the 1990s. At the beginning of the 1990s, Malvern College became one of the first schools in Britain to offer the choice between the International Baccalaureate
IB Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for students aged 16–19that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva by...
and A-Levels in the 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,...
. The school was one of the first boys' public schools to become coeducational for pupils from 3 to 18 years.
Each summer the staff and some older pupils run a summer school, Young Malvern, which incorporates many sports, activities and learning experiences. Malvern College is one of the two schools in the country (the other being Dulwich College
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
) to offer Debating
Debate
Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
in the curriculum and pupils participate in regional and national competitions including the Debating Matters competition and the Three Counties Tournament. The subject is compulsory at Foundation Year level.
Notable alumni
The school's alumni are known as Old Malvernians, or OM's. The Malvernian Society holds many annual reunions and events and Old Malvernians, including former pupils of The Downs, Hillstone, and Ellerslie schools which have merged with Malvern College, benefit from a remission in fees for their own children. Other Old Malvernian clubs and societies include OM Lodge, Court Games, Golf, Sailing, Shooting, the Old Malvernians Cricket ClubOld Malvernians Cricket Club
Old Malvernians Cricket Club is an amateur cricket club for the alumni of Malvern College, for more than a century it has been a tradition to travel to Sussex in the summer on an annual cricket tour, playing regularly with the Old Eastbournians, Lancing, Uppingham Rovers and Eastbourne Town.The...
, and the Old Malvernians Football Club
Old Malvernians F.C.
Old Malvernians F.C. is a football club based at Chelsea Training Centre in Cobham, Surrey, England. The members of the club are old boys of Malvern College, in Malvern, Worcestershire, England....
, a record breaking club competing in the Arthurian League.
Old Malvernians have been instrumental in the formation of sporting and charitable organisations such as Blackburn Rovers FC and the Docklands Settlements.
At least two of the school's former pupils have become Nobel Laureates. Some past pupils are royalty from various nations, and others have become Heads of State, military officers, jurists, authors, and sportspeople.
Fire damage
In 2010 part of the school suffered very serious damage when fire broke out on 10 April in one of the boarding houses. The 1871 Grade 2 listed building which was the boarding house for 55 girls and living accommodation of the housemistress and her family, was almost completely destroyed. Over 70 firefighters and 13 fire engines from Malvern, Worcester and Stourport-on-Severn depots fought the blaze.See also
- Henry MorganH.F.S. MorganHenry Frederick Stanley Morgan known as H.F.S. was an English sports car manufacturer and founder of the Morgan Motor Company and its Chairman from 1937 until his death in 1959....
, founder of the Morgan Motor CompanyMorgan Motor CompanyThe Morgan Motor Company is a British motor car manufacturer. The company was founded in 1910 by Harry Frederick Stanley Morgan, generally known as "HFS" and was run by him until he died, aged 77, in 1959. Peter Morgan, son of H.F.S., ran the company until a few years before his death in 2003...
who assembled the prototype Morgan car at the school in 1909. - Pepper v HartPepper v HartPepper v Hart [1992] UKHL 3, is a landmark decision of the House of Lords on the use of legislative history in statutory interpretation...
, a landmark decision of the House of Lords. - The Southern RailwaySouthern Railway (Great Britain)The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
named each of its 40 V Class Locomotives after English public schools. The nameplate for the "Malvern" locomotive (no. 929) is displayed in the school's Memorial Library.
External links
- Malvern College official web site
- The Downs, Malvern College Preparatory School official web site
- Profile at the Good Schools Guide
- Profile at the Guide to Independent Schools
- Profile at the Independent Schools Council (ISC)
- The Nuffield Foundation
- Nuffield Practical Physics
- Other science projects : Nuffield Curriculum Programme : Teaching, Education, Learning
- Tatler's Schools Guide 2010 : Malvern College.
- Science in Society website