Peter Symonds College
Encyclopedia
Peter Symonds College is a sixth form college
in Winchester
, Hampshire
, in the south of England. It is one of the largest sixth form colleges in Britain.
and the Falkland Islands
.
in 1897 and became a coeducational 16-19 college in 1974, although its roots go back to charities established in the 16th century at the bequest of Peter Symonds
, a wealthy merchant. From 1944 it was a voluntary controlled
grammar school.
, became a comprehensive in 1974, taking until 1978.
The £4.2M Ashurst Learning Resources Centre was completed in the spring of 2007. Ashurst contains five computer suites, housing over 170 computers (three suites double as classrooms, but remain open access when not in use), a vast library and large silent study areas.
The present principal, Neil Hopkins is now the only principal not to have a building in the college named after him, and instead the landfill site in front of the Northbrook building which was demolished has been affectionately called Hopkins' Hump.
pupils from Winchester.
Wyke Lodge is now the Environmental Studies block and Kelso is now the Music department. School House is still used for boarding (30 students), along with the newly built Falkland Lodge (47 students). Both male and female students are accommodated. The construction of Falkland Lodge was funded by the government of the Falkland Islands
as a boarding house so that students from the islands can study at the college.
top 50 state sixth forms. In the same year the college was ranked 85th in the country (only including institutions with at least 30 exam entrants) based on Average Points Score.
All students study A-Level General Studies. All students also partake in one extra curricular activity per term (societies, sports, arts).
Sixth form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Belize, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 18 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, or school-level qualifications such as GCSEs. In Singapore and India, this is...
in Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, in the south of England. It is one of the largest sixth form colleges in Britain.
Admissions
It has some 3250 students aged 16–18 mainly from central Hampshire but also teenagers from the British Forces who live on campus in one of the two boarding houses and mostly come from Germany, CyprusCyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
.
Grammar school
The college was founded as a boys' grammar schoolGrammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
in 1897 and became a coeducational 16-19 college in 1974, although its roots go back to charities established in the 16th century at the bequest of Peter Symonds
Peter Symonds
Peter Symonds was a wealthy English merchant and benefactor, notable for the foundation of a number of almshouses in the South East of England. His most notable legacy is the foundation of an almshouse in Winchester which later developed into Peter Symonds College.-Family background:Symonds was...
, a wealthy merchant. From 1944 it was a voluntary controlled
Voluntary controlled school
A voluntary controlled school is a state-funded school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in which a foundation or trust has some formal influence in the running of the school...
grammar school.
Sixth form college
The school, along with the Winchester County Girls' High School, also a grammar schoolGrammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
, became a comprehensive in 1974, taking until 1978.
Apostrophe
In the late 1990s or early 2000s, for reasons unknown (but possibly because of the difficulty students and correspondents had in spelling the College's name correctly), the College dropped the possessive apostrophe from its founder's name in its official title, and is now known as Peter Symonds College.New buildings
In 2004, the John Shields Building was unveiled, providing classrooms for the computing, psychology and environmental science departments. Also in that year the Varley Sports Café was rebuilt.The £4.2M Ashurst Learning Resources Centre was completed in the spring of 2007. Ashurst contains five computer suites, housing over 170 computers (three suites double as classrooms, but remain open access when not in use), a vast library and large silent study areas.
The present principal, Neil Hopkins is now the only principal not to have a building in the college named after him, and instead the landfill site in front of the Northbrook building which was demolished has been affectionately called Hopkins' Hump.
Boarding
The school previously operated a number of boarding houses. The houses (School House, Wyke Lodge and Kelso) brought in a welcome variety of boys from far-flung corners of the world (outposts of Empire and Armed Forces bases) to spice up the – largely insular – intake of 11+Eleven plus
In the United Kingdom, the 11-plus or Eleven plus is an examination administered to some students in their last year of primary education, governing admission to various types of secondary school. The name derives from the age group for secondary entry: 11–12 years...
pupils from Winchester.
Wyke Lodge is now the Environmental Studies block and Kelso is now the Music department. School House is still used for boarding (30 students), along with the newly built Falkland Lodge (47 students). Both male and female students are accommodated. The construction of Falkland Lodge was funded by the government of the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
as a boarding house so that students from the islands can study at the college.
Academic achievement
In 2009 Peter Symonds was placed sixth in The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
top 50 state sixth forms. In the same year the college was ranked 85th in the country (only including institutions with at least 30 exam entrants) based on Average Points Score.
Extra-curricular activities
The college produces an online magazine named "The BUZZ", written and edited by students, which replaced "Converse" in 2008. There is also a student produced college radio station, 7Radio, founded by James Silsbury and Josh Lewkowicz on the 14th Feb 2007. The '7' or 'Seven' of 7Radio, as well as relating to broadcasting 7 days a week when first set up, refers to Symonds Events and Entertainment Network radioAll students study A-Level General Studies. All students also partake in one extra curricular activity per term (societies, sports, arts).
Headmasters and principals
- Revd Telford Varley III, 1897 to 1926
- Dr Freeman, 1926 to 1956
- Charles Simpson (acting), 1956 to 1957
- John Shields, 1957 to 1963
- John Ashurst, 1963 to 1973
- Stuart Nicholls, 1973 to 1993
- Neil Hopkins, 1993 to present
Notable alumni
- Ben AinslieBen AinslieCharles Benedict Ainslie, CBE is an English sailor and three-times Olympic gold medalist. He started sailing at the age of 8 and first competed at the age of 10...
- British sailor and three-times Olympic gold medalist. - Gina BeckGina BeckGina Beck is an English actress and singer known primarily for her roles in leading musical theatre productions. Gina recently starred as Christine Daaé in Cameron Mackintosh's production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera in London's West End for two years...
- actress, singer, currently starring as Christine in the London production of The Phantom of the OperaThe Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,... - Jon BodenJon BodenJon Boden is an multi-instrumental musician and English folk singer.-Career:Boden plays fiddle as part of the duo Spiers and Boden, the band Bellowhead and up until 2007, Eliza Carthy's band The Ratcatchers. In 2009 he toured with his new backing band The Remnant Kings. He has also written a...
- lead singer in the band BellowheadBellowheadBellowhead are an English contemporary folk band originally brought together by John Spiers and Jon Boden. The eleven-piece band plays traditional dance tunes, folk songs and shanties, with arrangements drawing inspiration from a wide diversity of musical styles and influences...
. - Andy BurrowsAndy BurrowsAndrew William Burrows is a British musician. He first began his musical career as a percussionist in the Hampshire County Youth Band. He was the drummer the Razorlight from 2004 to 2009, and as guest drummer We Are Scientists from 2009 onwards.-Razorlight:He joined the band in May 2004...
- former drummer in the band RazorlightRazorlightRazorlight are a UK based indie rock band formed in 2002. They are primarily known in the UK, having topped the charts with the 2006 single "America" and its parent self-titled album, their second...
. - Laura CarmichaelLaura CarmichaelLaura Carmichael is a British actress. She was educated at The Mountbatten School, Peter Symonds College, and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and her TV appearances include Downton Abbey. She is also a member of The Fitzrovia Radio Hour.-Filmography:...
- Actress, currently starring in Downton Abbey - Will ChampionWill ChampionWilliam "Will" Champion is an English musician and the drummer of rock band Coldplay.-Early life:William Champion was born in Southampton, Hampshire, England, and was brought up in Highfield, Southampton, where his father, Timothy Champion, is a professor of archaeology...
- drummer in the band ColdplayColdplayColdplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
. - Alexa ChungAlexa ChungAlexa Chung is an English television presenter, model and contributing editor at British Vogue.She currently hosts Gonzo with Alexa Chung for MTV UK, and is scheduled to host Thrift America for PBS in 2011...
- TV presenter, former model, fashionista, girlfriend of Arctic MonkeysArctic MonkeysArctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
frontman Alex TurnerAlex Turner (musician)Alexander David Turner is an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist and main songwriter of the English rock band Arctic Monkeys...
. - Diane Corner, High Commissioner to Tanzania since 2009
- Jack DeeJack DeeJames Andrew Innes "Jack" Dee is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer known for his sardonic, curmudgeonly, and deadpan style.-Early life:...
- Stand up comedian and actor. - Phil HughesPhil Hughes (cricketer, born 1991)Philip Heywood Hughes is an English cricketer. Hughes is a right-handed batsman who bowls right arm medium pace. He was born in Southampton, Hampshire. He was educated at the The Romsey School and Peter Symonds College....
(born 1991), cricketer - Alice Kettle - Textile artist
- Dan LobbDan LobbDaniel "Dan" Jonathon Lobb is a British retired tennis player, currently working as a presenter, and is the sports editor for ITV's Daybreak.-Tennis:...
- Retired tennis player and sports broadcaster. - Caroline NokesCaroline NokesCaroline Fiona Ellen Nokes is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom. She is the Member of Parliament for Romsey and Southampton North in Hampshire.-Early life:...
, Conservative MP since 2010 for Romsey and Southampton North - Iain PercyIain PercyIain Bryden Percy OBE is a British sailor and double Olympic champion.-Sailing competitions:Percy competed in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where he won a gold medal in the Finn class...
- British sailor and double Olympic champion. - Lucy PinderLucy PinderLucy Katherine Pinder is an English glamour model, from Winchester, Hampshire.-Modelling career:In the summer of 2003, Pinder was spotted by a freelance photographer while sunbathing on Bournemouth beach...
- Glamour Model and Celebrity Big BrotherCelebrity Big BrotherCelebrity Big Brother could refer to:*Any series of Celebrity Big Brother UK:** Celebrity Big Brother 2001 ** Celebrity Big Brother 2002 ** Celebrity Big Brother 2005 ** Celebrity Big Brother 2006 ** Celebrity Big Brother 2007...
housemate. - Christian O'ConnellChristian O'ConnellChristian O'Connell is an English radio DJ who presents the Absolute Radio weekday breakfast show.He has formerly hosted BBC Radio Five Live's weekend sports game show Fighting Talk alongside the weekday breakfast show on indie music station Xfm London...
- radio DJ who presents the Absolute Radio weekday breakfast show. - Budge PountneyBudge PountneyAnthony Charles Pountney is the former Director of Rugby at Northampton Saints rugby union club. He formerly played at flanker for Northampton and Scotland...
- former captain of Scotland rugby union team.. - Pete Robertson - drummer for UK-band The Vaccines
- Chris GeereChris GeereChristopher William "Chris" Geere is an English actor. He best known for his role as King Edvard/Eddie in the The Prince and Me sequels.-Private life:Geere lives in Putney, London....
- Actor, most famous for his role in Waterloo Road, as Matt Wilding Head of Music and Drama.