Stoke Brunswick School
Encyclopedia
Stoke Brunswick School was a small co-educational day and boarding
independent school
for children aged 3 to 13 years, situated in Ashurst Wood
, West Sussex
, near the town of East Grinstead
. It was the former junior school (after St. George's School
in Ascot
, Berkshire
), of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
(then known as Brunswick School and located in Hove
, near Brighton
). The last headmaster was Richard Taylor, who took over from Mark Ellerton in 2005. Before closing, the school had 138 pupils.
Stoke Brunswick School closed in the summer of 2009 because the forecast pupil intake for September was "not adequate".
Despite their best efforts to secure the school's future, including a six figure financial pledge, the parents fell just short of numbers for it to continue.
The oldest wing of the building, in which the Headmaster resided, dates back to the 14th century and was a hunting lodge belonging to John of Gaunt. The rest of building, built in the 17th century, was originally situated in Cheshire and was called Dutton Hall. It was transported piece by piece to its current location, Homestall, in the 1930s by the Dewar family and became an all-boys school after WWII. The school became co-educational in 1964.
facilities, a pre-prep school and a network of computers for teachers and pupils alike to use.
. The school choir often reached the semi-finals of Children's Choir of the Year, and participated in Glyndebourne
operatic productions numerous times. All of the pupils were encouraged to learn a musical instrument and sing. The successful drum group performed at numerous prestigious locations, and reached the finals of the Music for Youth
competition at the Royal Festival Hall
for the last two consecutive years.
The Stoke Brunswick choir was well known by many in the area.
, Cricket, Basketball, Softball, Rounders, Athletics and Football (Soccer).
Boarding
Boarding may refer to:*Temporarily residing somewhere, as in a boarding school or boarding house*Boarding , a naval term for the forcible attempt at capturing another naval vessel*Boarding , customs, coastguard etc...
independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
for children aged 3 to 13 years, situated in Ashurst Wood
Ashurst Wood
Ashurst Wood is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, within the historic county of Sussex, England. It is to the southeast of East Grinstead, just off the A22 arterial road. The village is in the Mid Sussex district of the county, and has a parish population of...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, near the town of East Grinstead
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
. It was the former junior school (after St. George's School
St. George's School, Ascot
St George's School, Ascot is an independent boarding and day school in Ascot, Berkshire, England. It is now a single-sex girls' school , which selects all of its incoming pupils on the basis of examined ability, usually at age 11, with a few entrants at 13 and 16.-History:The school was founded in...
in Ascot
Ascot, Berkshire
Ascot is a village within the civil parish of Sunninghill and Ascot, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. It is most notable as the location of Ascot Racecourse, home of the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
), of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
(then known as Brunswick School and located in Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
, near Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
). The last headmaster was Richard Taylor, who took over from Mark Ellerton in 2005. Before closing, the school had 138 pupils.
Stoke Brunswick School closed in the summer of 2009 because the forecast pupil intake for September was "not adequate".
Despite their best efforts to secure the school's future, including a six figure financial pledge, the parents fell just short of numbers for it to continue.
History
Grounds
The school was situated in the idyllic setting of the Sussex countryside. There were 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of grounds for the children to play in. 11 acres (44,515.5 m²) of these 30 were mainly woodland, in which the children would play at breaktimes in summer.Facilities
The school had 28 classrooms. There was a chemistry lab, a library, a newly refurbished gymnasium, a chapel, a swimming pool, 8 playing fields, a 9-hole golf course, extensive dyslexiaDyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
facilities, a pre-prep school and a network of computers for teachers and pupils alike to use.
Music
The school had a reputation as one of the most musical in the area. The last head of music was Caroline Long, who took over from Sue Barber in 2006. She taught the pupils using the Kodály methodZoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is best known internationally as the creator of the Kodály Method.-Life:Born in Kecskemét, Kodály learned to play the violin as a child....
. The school choir often reached the semi-finals of Children's Choir of the Year, and participated in Glyndebourne
Glyndebourne Festival Opera
Glyndebourne Festival Opera is an English opera festival held at Glyndebourne, an English country house near Lewes, in East Sussex, England.-History:...
operatic productions numerous times. All of the pupils were encouraged to learn a musical instrument and sing. The successful drum group performed at numerous prestigious locations, and reached the finals of the Music for Youth
Music for Youth
Music for Youth is a British charity which provides free access to educational and performance opportunities for groups of young musicians and audiences through a series of festivals and concerts throughout the UK. 2 million children have taken part in Music for Youth events since 1971...
competition at the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
for the last two consecutive years.
The Stoke Brunswick choir was well known by many in the area.
Sport
Stoke Brunswick offered a wide range of sports and encouraged participation whatever the individual's abilities. Even though the teams were chosen on individual merit, the school held swimming galas and sports days to get all of the pupils involved. The pupils at the school played a wide variety of sports, including: Rugby, Hockey, Tennis, Netball, LacrosseLacrosse
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...
, Cricket, Basketball, Softball, Rounders, Athletics and Football (Soccer).