Solihull School
Encyclopedia
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...
situated near the centre of Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, 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...
.
2010 saw Solihull School celebrate its 450th anniversary since its foundation in 1560.
It has approximately 900 day pupils, of whom 260 are in the Sixth Form and 150 are in the Junior School. It selectively accepts boys and girls aged 7 to 18.
History
In 1560 the revenues of the chantryChantry
Chantry is the English term for a fund established to pay for a priest to celebrate sung Masses for a specified purpose, generally for the soul of the deceased donor. Chantries were endowed with lands given by donors, the income from which maintained the chantry priest...
chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
s of St Mary and St Katherine
Catherine of Alexandria
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the pagan emperor Maxentius...
were diverted for the endowment of a school for boys. The revenue of the chapel of St Alphege was added to the fund six years later enhancing the capacity of the school. The education remained based in teachings of 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...
and the desire to turn out 'respectable, thoughtful, successful young gentlemen'.
In the 17th century it became a 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...
and the number of pupils grew. The school became more notable and well thought of due to the involvement of several prominent families. Much of this development came under the Headmastership of Rev. Richard Mashiter who, in 1735, was famously elected ahead of Dr Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...
, the celebrated author, essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
ist, and lexicographer. Johnson was passed over because the school's directors thought he was "a very haughty, ill-natured gent., and that he has such a way of distorting his face (which though he can't help) the gent[s] think it may affect some lads in the pursuit of learning". The successful applicant Mashiter was, by marriage, related to the aristocratic
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
Holbeche family and his daughter married John Short, a well-respected surgeon in Solihull who would go on to serve the school as a Feoffee
Feoffee
A Feoffee is a trustee who holds a fief , that is to say an estate in land, for the use of a beneficial owner. The term is more fully stated as a feoffee to uses of the beneficial owner. The use of such trustees developed towards the end of the era of feudalism in the middle ages and became...
for 57 years. Short's six sons were all educated at Solihull School and became professionally and socially successful. One of whom, Robert Short
Robert Short (officer)
Robert Short was a lieutenant-colonel in the 21st Madras Native Infantry, Honourable East India Company. He later became 54th Lord of the Manor of Solihull.-Early years:...
, rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the army of The Honourable East India Company and later became 54th Lord of The Manor of Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
. Due to a strong affection for Solihull School he expressly recommended it to his fellow officers and peers
Peerage of the United Kingdom
The Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
, according to the diaries of Caroline Clive
Caroline Clive
Caroline Clive, sometimes known as Caroline Wigley Clive was an English writer born Caroline Meysey-Wigley in Brompton Grove, London to Edmund Meysey-Wigley of Shakenhurst, Worcestershire and Anna Marie Meysey....
.
In around 1879 the Feoffee
Feoffee
A Feoffee is a trustee who holds a fief , that is to say an estate in land, for the use of a beneficial owner. The term is more fully stated as a feoffee to uses of the beneficial owner. The use of such trustees developed towards the end of the era of feudalism in the middle ages and became...
s were replaced by a board of Governors who allowed £4,345 to be made available for an architect, J. A. Chatwin
J. A. Chatwin
J. A. Chatwin FRIBA, RBS, FSAScot , was a designer of buildings and the most prolific architect involved with the building and modification of churches in Birmingham, England, building or altering many of the parish churches in the city. He used both the Gothic and Classical styles...
, to be commissioned to build a new school on a new site for 80 day boys and 20 boarders. Upon the building's completion in 1882, the school relocated to the new site on the Warwick Road from its previous location on the edge of Brueton Park. 'School House' is now a grade II listed building. Expansion continued on this Warwick Road site into the 20th century. Over the course of the 20th century the school grew steadily from 200 to nearly 1000 pupils.
In 1960 a new chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
was built and was named The Chapel of St Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
and St Katherine
Catherine of Alexandria
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the pagan emperor Maxentius...
to commemorate the origins of the school. The Chapel was unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
In the early 1970s the school admitted girls into the Sixth Form for the first time. Only ten girls joined in the first year, but this grew quickly over the following years, until 2002 when for the first time as many girls entered the Sixth Form as did boys.
Perhaps the major change to the life of the school since the demise of boarding took place in September 2005, when the school began a transition to becoming fully co-educational
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
, at first admitting girls into all four years of the Junior School and at 11+ level, beginning a process which will be completed in 2009, when the first Third Form (Year 7) girls will reach Upper Vth (Year 11).
In 2010 Solihull School celebrated its 450th anniversary. Both the school and the Old Silhillians' Association hosted a range of ceremonial, musical and sporting events to mark the historic occasion.
Facilities
The school currently occupies a large site of approximately 65 acreAcre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (260,000 m²). This is partly as a result of a former headmaster
Head teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
, Mr Warin Foster Bushell
Warin Foster Bushell
Warin Foster Bushell MA FRAS was a schoolmaster and educationalist who was headmaster of leading schools in England and South Africa and a President of the Mathematical Association.-Early life:...
, who in the 1920s bought much of the land himself when the governors refused to finance the purchase out of school funds. On his retirement Bushell sold the fields to the school at no profit. The school's quadrangle
Quadrangle (architecture)
In architecture, a quadrangle is a space or courtyard, usually rectangular in plan, the sides of which are entirely or mainly occupied by parts of a large building. The word is probably most closely associated with college or university campus architecture, but quadrangles may be found in other...
and surrounding classrooms, as well as the former hall, known as Big School, were built after this period, and were followed by a chapel and large teaching block and sports hall, amongst other additions. Solihull School has a large number of rugby pitches, cricket squares and nets, tennis courts, football pitches and general purpose sports fields. There is also a fully floodlit artificial pitch on the school's main campus, incorporating 2, 8x40 warm-up areas. The pitch is used primarily for hockey in the winter months and in the summer term the pitch affords a further 8 tennis courts and an extensive multi-purpose training/coaching area.
One mile away, at Copt Heath, the School has another 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) of fields, comprising 4 rugby pitches, a new floodlit artificial pitch and a cricket square. These 13 acres (52,609.2 m²) are a part of the site that is home to the School's old boys' club, the Old Silhillians' Association.
The school also possesses a mountain cottage in Snowdonia
Snowdonia
Snowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
, North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. Mr and Mrs Fricke presented the Cottage to the School in 1958 following the death of their son David, who was a school pupil between 1946-1956. David was a keen mountain walker and it was felt that the Cottage would be a fitting tribute to his memory. Most pupils will visit the cottage as part of Snowdonia School in the Shell forms. Those taking part in 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,...
or the Duke of Edinburgh award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award , is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged 14 to 24, regardless of personal ability....
scheme may also use this facility on other occasions.
In recent years the success of the school's many and varied investments has allowed it to enter a period of almost continual upgrading and extending of its buildings and facilities. In 1990 a new building was constructed to house the Junior School. This was followed by the extension of the science laboratories in 1995; the extensive renovation of most classrooms (with the removal of such features as 1950s desks with attached seats and the installation of large interactive whiteboards in most classrooms) in 1998; and the conversion of Big School into a library, and the construction of a new hall and theatre building at the cost of several million pounds, completed in 2002 and named the Bushell Hall after the former headmaster (see above). A large new pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
was constructed in 2003 at a cost of just under £2m, and named the Alan Lee Pavilion after another former headmaster (1983–1996) who died shortly after its completion.
The rapid expansion of the school's facilities shows no signs of stopping, with the construction of a new teaching block and redevelopment of a large part of the school, involving the demolition of several buildings from the early 20th century recently being completed. Opened in September 2005, this building provides fifteen new teaching rooms for the Classics, History, Economics & Business Studies, Religious Studies and IT departments. There is also a large multi-purpose teaching room and a social area. This new facility has made department-based teaching possible throughout the school. It has been named the George Hill building after a Governor of the school who died shortly before its completion. George Hill's business acumen helped secure the school's financial position throughout the 20th Century.
In 2007, the Governors of the school commisoned a new music school to be built for the 450th anniversary of the school. Building work started on the Music School in 2008 with it scheduled for completion in 2010. It is rumoured that the new addition to the campus will be named the Graham Hughes Music School, after the Chairman of the Governors who commissioned the project. It was later named the David Turnbull Music School, after a former Director of Music at the school, who was responsible for the development of music within the school and is recognised as the reason the standard of music in the school is so good.
School houses
- Fetherstone (Gold) - named after Barnaby Fetherstone who was the first Usher of the School; a post that today would be called Deputy Master. Fetherstone was instrumental in obtaining donations of land from Henry Hugford, Thomas Dabridgecourt, Thomas Waring and Thomas Greswolde. The later three have their arms incorporated in the School badge.
- Jago (Maroon) - named after 18th-century poet and Old Silhillian Richard JagoRichard JagoRichard Jago was an English poet. He was the third son of Richard Jago, Rector of Beaudesert, Warwickshire.-Education:Jago was educated at Solihull School in the West Midlands. One of the school's five houses bears his name...
. Jago went up to University College, OxfordUniversity College, Oxford.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
and then returned to WarwickshireWarwickshireWarwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, eventually entering the clergy. - Pole (Sky blue) - this house carries the name of the school's first Headmaster.
- Shenstone (Black) - named after 18th-century poet, Old Silhillian, classmate and lifelong friend of Jago, William ShenstoneWilliam ShenstoneWilliam Shenstone was an English poet and one of the earliest practitioners of landscape gardening through the development of his estate, The Leasowes.-Life:...
. Shenstone went up to Pembroke College, OxfordPembroke College, OxfordPembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
and then returned home to manage his family's estate. On sporting occasions they are often referred to as the 'All Blacks', due to their black shirts. - Windsor (Royal blue) - created in 1959 as a mark of respect to the Royal FamilyHouse of WindsorThe House of Windsor is the royal house of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V by royal proclamation on the 17 July 1917, when he changed the name of his family from the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the English Windsor, due to the anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom...
. Shortly afterwards, in 1960 and 1962, the School received two Royal visits; from The Duchess of Kent and Queen Elizabeth II respectively. Former house captains include Simon Wernick.
All houses compete against one another in the inter-house competitions in the senior school. The most successful house over an academic year gets awarded the Cock House Trophy. The Junior School has its own exclusive Cock House Competition. Interestingly, the Junior School trophy is an old oak toilet seat.
School structure
The School is divided into four sections, designed to create smaller units with which the pupils can identify. These form the basis of the pastoral structure of the school.- Junior School - J1, J2, J3, J4 (academic years 3, 4, 5, 6)
- Lower School - Thirds, Shells, Fourths (7, 8, 9)
- Middle School - Lower Fifth, Upper Fifth (10, 11)
- Upper School - Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth (12, 13)
Prefectorial system
Pupils are selected by members of staff to hold positions of responsibility within the various sections of the school. They are, in the Senior School, known as Benchers. Benchers are selected based on fortitude of character and due to the belief that they will uphold the ethos of the school. Details of the different Benches are listed below in descending seniority:- Heads of School - After a detailed interview process, the staff will select one male and one female member of the Upper Sixth to be Head Boy and Head Girl. A deputy of each sex will be assigned also.
- The School Bench - School Benchers are selected by means of a poll of their peers and members of staff at the end of their Lower Sixth year. They are responsible for the behaviour of pupils in the refectory; general behaviour and standards of other pupils; and giving tours of the school to parents of prospective pupils. Although they cannot, nowadays, directly give detentions, they can refer pupils who may be deserving of punishment to a House Master. They are the only pupils in the school who are allowed to walk across the grass in The Great Quadrangle; all others must walk around the paved perimeter. They are denoted by virtue of wearing a small, maroon rosette on the left lapel; It is affectionately known as a cabbage.
- Middle School Bench - Middle School Benchers are members of the Upper Fifth and are selected by members of staff. They wear a cabbage similar to that of the more senior School Benchers, but dark green rather than maroon.
- Lower School - Lower School Benchers are selected from the Fourth Form and wear a blue cabbage.
- Junior School - Monitors are selected from members of J4 and wear an enamel badge on the left lapel of the blazer. Their responsibilities are limited to the confines of the Junior School.
N.B. - Each section of the school has a Head Boy and Head Girl. The Head Boy and Girl of Upper School are known as Heads of School.
Sport
Sport plays a major part of life at Solihull School, as is true of many similar schools. The campus covers an area of approximately 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) and this includes rugbyRugby 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:...
pitches, 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...
squares, football pitches, an all-weather pitch, all-weather training areas, tennis courts, squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
courts, 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...
facilities (running track and jumps/throws areas), climbing wall, rifle range, an indoor swimming pool and two gymnasiums.
Boys' Games
- 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...
is the main competitive team sport and is played from the age of 11 onwards. The standard of coaching is high at all age levels, with the vast majority of the coaching staff having played for professional clubs. The First XV traditionally play in a dark blue jersey with narrow, horizontal white and maroon stripes, white shorts and dark blue, maroon and white socks. The striped jersey has, in recent years, been swapped for a maroon shirt with blue sleeves. The teams have recently done well nationally, the First XV having won the Daily Mail Vase Cup in 2011 at Twickenham, is the furthest the school has ever reached. Solihull School regularly produces players who attain representative honours at county level and beyond. The Big Side teams tour biennially to, amongst other countries, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The u.15 age-group travel to ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
each year to play against several Italian club sides. Solihull School also plays rugby sevensRugby sevensRugby 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...
, competing at national tournaments such as The National Schools Sevens at Rosslyn Park, Blackpool Sevens and Fylde Sevens. The Old Boys fixture is always an eagerly anticipated and hotly contested event, with many pupils, Old Silhillians and parents turning out to watch the current XV compete against a selection of Old Silhillians. The match, held in early December, is usually preceded by a barbecue and followed by drinks, speeches and presentations in the Alan Lee PavilionPavilion (structure)In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
. - HockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
is also a hugely popular and successful sport. Solihull School has former Olympic team member, Chris Mayer, as Head Hockey Coach. The First XI have, in recent years, scored victories over the likes of Rugby SchoolRugby SchoolRugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
, Warwick SchoolWarwick SchoolWarwick School is an independent school with boarding facilities for boys in Warwick, England, and is reputed to be the third-oldest surviving school in the country after King's School, Canterbury and St Peter's School, York; and the oldest boy's school in England...
, both of which are local rivals, advancing through the rounds of the regional and national cup competitions in the process. - 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...
has, in recent years, produced players of an extremely high calibre, many of whom have represented Warwickshire CCC at first-class level. Several players have been rewarded for fine school and county performances with international honours. Both batsmen and bowlers from Solihull School have been cited in the Wisden Cricketers' AlmanackWisden Cricketers' AlmanackWisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
for outstanding performances over the course of a season. The school's recently formed Twenty20Twenty20Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
team, who play in an all red kit, compete at various Twenty20Twenty20Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
schools' tournaments around the country. - AthleticsAthletics (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...
brings huge success, as Solihull School regularly beat many of Britain's most prestigious schools. The school provides many representatives for the SolihullSolihullSolihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
Borough athletics team, as well and the West MidlandsWest Midlands (county)The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
and MidlandsEnglish MidlandsThe Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
teams. Daniel CainesDaniel CainesDaniel Stephen Caines is an English athlete who mainly competes in the 400 metres.-Early life:He was educated at Solihull School, a British independent school in the affluent West Midlands town of Solihull...
, former World Champion indoor 400 m runner, is an Old Silhillian.
Girls' Games
- HockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
is the main winter sport for girls and, as with the boys' XI, the coaching is of a high standard and the quality of play is high. The team competes well in regional and national competitions. The Solihull School kit consists of maroon or white tops, navy blue skirts and socks. - 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...
is played in the summer and the first team play a wide range of schools from across the country. The team plays in a blue skirt and white polo shirt. A picnic is held for the Upper Sixth pupils on the afternoon of the last game of the season. - 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 ...
is popular, with a 1st and 2nd team, both of very high standards, competing during the summer term. The teams play in identical kits to that of the 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...
team. - AthleticsAthletics (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...
. The squad travel to, and compete at many of the same competitions as the boys. The success of the boys' team is mirrored to some extent in the girls' team. However, the girls do not take part in as many invitational meetings as the boys' team.
N.B. Sports as such golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, shooting (both clay pigeon
Clay pigeon shooting
Clay pigeon shooting, also known as clay target shooting, and formally known as Inanimate Bird Shooting, is the art of shooting at special flying targets, known as clay pigeons or clay targets, with a shotgun or any type of firearm....
and rifle shooting), Swimming, cross country, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
and badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
are all played within the school and teams are put forward to compete against other schools. Also, an even wider range of sports are played recreationally. These include basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, 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...
and water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
.
School colours
- School ColoursSporting ColoursSporting colours, more often known merely as colours or house-colours, are awarded to members of a university or school who have excelled in a sport. Colours are traditionally worn in or on scarves, ties, blazers, gowns, cuff-links, and other items of apparel...
are given to a pupil who has represented School in his or her chosen sport. The reward takes the form of a dark blue blazer with narrow red and white vertical stripes. These may be worn instead of the standard plain blue blazer.
Since 2006 it has been possible for those who have achieved in the theatrical or musical arenas to be awarded the sport blazer. This has caused some unrest amongst Old Silhillians and current pupils who see it as an erosion of tradition. When a pupil achieves school colours, they get a silver school crest that goes on the breast pocket. Those achieving "double colours" get a gold crest to replace the silver.
Music and drama
The school has a thriving music society. There are 3 orchestras, a Big BandBig band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
and numerous instrumental groups and choirs. These range from traditional wind and string ensembles to African and Samba percussion groups.
Both the Music and Drama Departments are able to use the Bushell Hall for performances. This building is used as an assembly hall and has a state-of-the-art retractable stage with under-stage orchestra pit and seats an audience of around 1,000.
CCF
The school has an extremely popular Combined Cadet ForceCombined 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,...
which is open to Senior School pupils. It boasts upwards of 170 cadets across the Army and Air Force sections. It is one of the oldest School Combined Cadet Forces
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,...
in the country, having celebrated its centenary in 1998 with a parade of over 300 cadets and displays by the Armed Forces.
Outdoor pursuits
- The D of EThe Duke of Edinburgh's AwardThe Duke of Edinburgh's Award , is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged 14 to 24, regardless of personal ability....
scheme is enormously popular amongst the Senior School pupils; many achieve the Gold Award. There is a huge amount of support available to any pupil wishing to partake in this scheme and there are several members of staff who take groups camping as part of their D of EThe Duke of Edinburgh's AwardThe Duke of Edinburgh's Award , is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged 14 to 24, regardless of personal ability....
course. - Terriers is a course for the Third Form that introduces them to many outdoor skills. They learn to read maps, erect tents, hike, climb, canoe etc. The culmination of this course is a week spent in the school's cottage in SnowdoniaSnowdoniaSnowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
when in Shell Form where all of these skills are put to use. - The Mountain Club is a purely recreational society co-run by staff and older pupils. Trips are organised to parts of the country in order that a day or two of hiking may be enjoyed.
- There is, biennially, what can only be described as an 'expedition to a particularly inhospitable region'. Pupils and teachers have the opportunity to travel to places such as TibetTibetTibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, NepalNepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
for the purposes of trekking in and the exploration of distant mountainous regions. For summer 2009, a trip is planned to the LadakhLadakhLadakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent...
region of northern India. - Skiing is popular and there is a trip each year, usually to The French AlpsAlpsThe Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
for the three sections of the Senior School.
School publications
- The Shenstonian is the school's annual publication and reviews the academic, sporting and other events within the school. It chronicles the achievements of pupils and publishes works of arts, poetry and prose. Although the editor is a member of staff, it is largely contributed to by team captains, house captains, heads of societies and other pupils. It is named, as is one of the houses, after the notable poet and Old Silhillian William ShenstoneWilliam ShenstoneWilliam Shenstone was an English poet and one of the earliest practitioners of landscape gardening through the development of his estate, The Leasowes.-Life:...
. - The Silhillian is the magazine of the Old Silhillians' Association. It includes news of the school, messages from the committee, news of old boys, reminiscences of School, news of the Old Silhillian sports clubs and obituaries of Old Silhillians and former masters.
Politics and governance
- Sir Oliver WrightOliver WrightSir John Oliver Wright, GCMG, GCVO, DSC was a British diplomat.- Early life :Wright was born on 6 March 1921. He was educated at Solihull School and later Christ's College, Cambridge although his studies were interrupted by World War II. He served in the Royal Naval Reserve and was awarded the...
, diplomat - Andrew MacKay, Former Conservative MP for Bracknell
- John OwenJohn OwenJohn Owen may refer to:*John Owen , dramatist and director*John Owen , Bishop of St David's, Principal of St David's College, Lampeter...
, High Court judge - Giles MarshallGiles MarshallGiles Marshall is a member of the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom. He was chairman of the Tory Reform Group. Marshall was educated at Solihull School, an historic school in the Midlands...
, former head of the Tory Reform Group
Sport
- Bert MillichipBert MillichipSir Frederick Albert Millichip was an English association footballer best known for his sometimes controversial contributions to the administration of the game....
, former chairman of the Football Association - James HudsonJames Hudson (rugby player)James Hudson is a rugby union player for Newcastle Falcons in the Aviva Premiership.He was educated at Solihull School, where he gained 1st XV stripes as a lock....
, Rugby union player - Richard Johnson, Cricketer
- Daniel CainesDaniel CainesDaniel Stephen Caines is an English athlete who mainly competes in the 400 metres.-Early life:He was educated at Solihull School, a British independent school in the affluent West Midlands town of Solihull...
, athlete - John CurryJohn CurryJohn Anthony Curry, OBE was a British figure skater. He was the 1976 Olympic and World Champion. He was famous for combining ballet and modern dance influences into his skating.-Early life:...
, figure skater - Jim ProudfootJim ProudfootJim Proudfoot is an English football commentator, who has worked on national radio and television since the late 1990s.Proudfoot was born in the West Country on 16 December 1972, but moved to the Midlands at a young age...
, football commentator - Frank Foster, England cricketer
Arts and entertainment
- William ShenstoneWilliam ShenstoneWilliam Shenstone was an English poet and one of the earliest practitioners of landscape gardening through the development of his estate, The Leasowes.-Life:...
, poet - Richard JagoRichard JagoRichard Jago was an English poet. He was the third son of Richard Jago, Rector of Beaudesert, Warwickshire.-Education:Jago was educated at Solihull School in the West Midlands. One of the school's five houses bears his name...
, poet - John Taylor, classicist
- Stewart LeeStewart LeeStewart Lee is an English stand-up comedian, writer and director known for being one half of the 1990s comedy duo Lee and Herring, and for co-writing and directing the critically acclaimed and controversial stage show Jerry Springer - The Opera...
, comedian - Mike BullenMike BullenMike Bullen is an English-born screenwriter. Bullen grew up in the West Midlands of England, attending the Solihull School and later Magdalene College, Cambridge. He left with a degree in history of art and became a radio producer for the BBC World Service...
, writer - Michael BuerkMichael BuerkMichael Duncan Buerk is a BBC journalist and newsreader, most famous for his reporting of the Ethiopian famine on 23 October 1984, which inspired the Band Aid charity record.-Early life:...
, broadcaster and journalist - Richard HammondRichard HammondRichard Mark Hammond is an English broadcaster, writer, and journalist most noted for co-hosting car programme Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky 1.-Early life:...
, journalist and television presenter - Philip AchillePhilip AchillePhilip Achille is a British harmonica player who attended Solihull School, a British independent school in the West Midlands. He is currently studying Chromatic Harmonica at the Royal College of Music....
, harmonica player - Simon MayoSimon MayoSimon Mayo is an English radio presenter who has worked for BBC Radio since 1981. As of January 2010, Mayo is presenter of Simon Mayo Drivetime on BBC Radio 2 and, with Mark Kermode, presenter of Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews on BBC Radio 5 Live.In 2008, Mayo was recognised as the "radio...
, BBC radio DJ - David Briggs, organist and composer
- Paul HalePaul HalePaul Hale is Director of Music at Southwell Minster, Nottinghamshire.He was previously Assistant Organist of Rochester Cathedral and Organist of Tonbridge School. He studied at New College, Oxford where he was Organ Scholar...
, organist and Rector Chori of Southwell Minster - James BarraletJames BarraletJames Barralet is a British cellist.-Biography:Educated at Solihull School, Barralet started playing the cello at the age of five, studying with Hannah Roberts at the Royal Northern College of Music and Thomas Demenga in Basel Hochschule für Musik where he was awarded the Soloists Diploma.He...
, cellist - Johnnie WalkerJohnnie Walker (DJ)Johnnie Walker MBE is a popular British veteran radio disc jockey and broadcaster....
, radio DJ - Andy DickensAndy DickensAndy Dickens is an English jazz trumpeter, singer and bandleader.Dickens was born in Birmingham, England, the son of a patent agent and headmistress. Educated at Solihull School he began playing trumpet at the age of 14...
, jazz musician - Ritchie Neville, musician
- Neil Andrew Megson AKA Genesis P-OrridgeGenesis P-OrridgeGenesis Breyer P-Orridge is an English singer-songwriter, musician, writer and artist. P-Orridge's early confrontational performance work in COUM Transmissions in the late 1960s and early 1970s along with the industrial band Throbbing Gristle, which dealt with subjects such as prostitution,...
, musician - Lizo MzimbaLizo MzimbaLizo Mzimba is the Entertainment Correspondent for BBC News.-Early life:He attended the independent Solihull School and The University of Birmingham...
, journalist and television presenter - Miles RatledgeMiles RatledgeMiles Ratledge is a founding member of the band Napalm Death, the band credited with creating the grindcore genre which blended elements of extreme metal and punk rock.-Biography:...
, musician - Laurence CummingsLaurence CummingsLaurence Cummings , MA , ARCM, FRCO, HonRAM is a British harpsichordist, organist, and conductor. Cummings was educated at Solihull School, Christ Church, Oxford and the Royal College of Music...
, harpsichordist, organist, and conductor
Other
- Lt Col Robert ShortRobert Short (officer)Robert Short was a lieutenant-colonel in the 21st Madras Native Infantry, Honourable East India Company. He later became 54th Lord of the Manor of Solihull.-Early years:...
, officer in the East India Company - Sir Derek HiggsDerek HiggsSir Derek Alan Higgs was an English businessman and merchant banker. He was knighted in 2004. His father, Alan Higgs, was a multimillionaire through property businesses in the Midlands.-Early life:...
, businessman - David TustinDavid TustinDavid Tustin was the Suffragan Bishop of Grimsby from 1979 until 2000. He was born on 12 January 1935 and educated at Solihull School and Magdalene College, Cambridge...
, former Bishop of Grimsby - John Butterfield, Baron Butterfield, vice-chancellor of Cambridge University)
- Commander Malcolm BurleyMalcolm BurleyCommander Malcolm Keith Burley was a British mountaineer and Royal Navy officer.Burley led the first ascent of Mount Paget on the island of South Georgia in 1964.- External links :*...