The New Beacon Preparatory School
Encyclopedia
The New Beacon Preparatory School is a fee-paying preparatory school
, or prep school, located in Sevenoaks
, Kent
, United Kingdom
, which caters both for day-boys and boarders
, in the age range 4-13. Currently there are about 400 pupils.
The New Beacon is situated in 21 acres (84,984.1 m²) of gardens and playing fields. Upon starting at The New Beacon, pupils are put into one of four "Companies"; Nelson (blue), Drake (Yellow), Marlborough (green) and Wellington (red). There is a strong Company tradition at New Beacon, with competition between the companies including Company rugby
, cross country
, shooting, cricket
, football and quiz competitions.
In the middle and senior school boys wear the aforementioned except for grey trousers. Boys who receive 1st's Colours are awarded a navy blue tie with two thin red stripes. The highest achievement awarded is 1st's Colours reawarded in any of the major sports, i.e. you have managed to play 2 seasons at first-team level. First's Colours are a red and gold band around the school crest.
Games kit consists of plain red or blue rugby shirts, tight fitting rugby league style blue elasticated shorts, long navy blue socks and black football boots. For hygiene reasons, the head of sport dictated that all boys are required to wear regulation navy or black swimming trunks.
examination, used by British public schools
to select pupils, and each year many of the school's pupils succeed in gaining places either at Sevenoaks School
or Tonbridge School
- both consistently ranked amongst the top fee-paying secondary schools in the country in terms of A-Level/IB
performance and Oxbridge
entrance. Over the years ex-Beacon Boys have gone on to attend some of the country's oldest and most famous public schools, including Eton College
, Harrow School
, Winchester College
and Westminster 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...
, or prep school, located in Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, which caters both for day-boys and boarders
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...
, in the age range 4-13. Currently there are about 400 pupils.
Overview
The school was founded in 1882 at St John's Hill in Sevenoaks and was known as the Beacon. In 1900 it was relocated to its current location on Britains Lane and renamed the New Beacon.The New Beacon is situated in 21 acres (84,984.1 m²) of gardens and playing fields. Upon starting at The New Beacon, pupils are put into one of four "Companies"; Nelson (blue), Drake (Yellow), Marlborough (green) and Wellington (red). There is a strong Company tradition at New Beacon, with competition between the companies including Company rugby
Rugby union
Rugby 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...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, shooting, 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...
, football and quiz competitions.
Uniform
Junior prep boys wear a grey shirt, grey shorts (a recent development has been that in winter, the Junior boys do not have to wear shorts and may wear trousers), a red and blue tie ([Originally supplied by Harrods]), long grey socks with red and blue stripes, black shoes and the classic New Beacon cap - Navy Blue with a Red star on the top. The blazer is navy blue and has the school crest and the motto- "Dare Ex fumo Lucem". The school uniform is now supplied by Horncastles of Sevenoaks, Kent.In the middle and senior school boys wear the aforementioned except for grey trousers. Boys who receive 1st's Colours are awarded a navy blue tie with two thin red stripes. The highest achievement awarded is 1st's Colours reawarded in any of the major sports, i.e. you have managed to play 2 seasons at first-team level. First's Colours are a red and gold band around the school crest.
Games kit consists of plain red or blue rugby shirts, tight fitting rugby league style blue elasticated shorts, long navy blue socks and black football boots. For hygiene reasons, the head of sport dictated that all boys are required to wear regulation navy or black swimming trunks.
Companies
| Nelson | Day | Navy | Blue |
| Drake | Day | Navy | Yellow |
| Marlborough | Day | Army | Green |
| Wellington | Day | Army | Red |
Sport
Sport plays a large role at the New Beacon with teams ranging from Under 9 Es to the 1st XV. School colours are awarded for different teams above Colts B level. The School's 1st XV rugby team wear a red, gold and blue striped jersey. After playing for a season at 1st XV level, the members are allowed to keep their shirts. Boys who score a half century or a hat trick in cricket receive a cricket ball in chapel. Anyone who scores a century receives a cricket bat on Open day.Results
The school's principal function is to prepare boys for the Common EntranceCommon Entrance
Common Entrance Examinations are taken by some children in the UK as part of the admissions process for academically selective secondary schools at age 13 or 11. Most of the secondary schools that use Common Entrance for admission are public schools; most of the schools that routinely prepare...
examination, used by British 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...
to select pupils, and each year many of the school's pupils succeed in gaining places either at Sevenoaks School
Sevenoaks School
Sevenoaks School is an English coeducational independent school located in the town of Sevenoaks, Kent. It is the oldest lay school in the United Kingdom, dating back to 1432. Almost 1,000 day pupils and boarders attend, ranging in age from 11 to 18 years. There are approximately equal numbers of...
or Tonbridge School
Tonbridge School
Tonbridge School is a British boys' independent school for both boarding and day pupils in Tonbridge, Kent, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judd . It is a member of the Eton Group, and has close links with the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the oldest London livery companies...
- both consistently ranked amongst the top fee-paying secondary schools in the country in terms of A-Level/IB
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...
performance and Oxbridge
Oxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...
entrance. Over the years ex-Beacon Boys have gone on to attend some of the country's oldest and most famous public schools, including Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, 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...
, Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
and Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
.
Notable alumni
- Siegfried SassoonSiegfried SassoonSiegfried Loraine Sassoon CBE MC was an English poet, author and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World War. His poetry both described the horrors of the trenches, and satirised the patriotic pretensions of those who, in Sassoon's...
, First World War poet - Vice AdmiralVice AdmiralVice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Sir Timothy LaurenceTimothy LaurenceVice Admiral Sir Timothy James Hamilton Laurence, KCVO, CB, ADC is a senior British naval officer and the second husband of HRH The Princess Royal, the only daughter of HM The Queen...
, second husband of Anne, Princess RoyalAnne, Princess RoyalPrincess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh... - Lord Mayhew of Twysden, former political advisor for Northern Ireland
- Anthony PowellAnthony PowellAnthony Dymoke Powell CH, CBE was an English novelist best known for his twelve-volume work A Dance to the Music of Time, published between 1951 and 1975....
, author of A Dance to the Music of TimeA Dance to the Music of TimeA Dance to the Music of Time is a twelve-volume cycle of novels by Anthony Powell, inspired by the painting of the same name by Nicolas Poussin. One of the longest works of fiction in literature, it was published between 1951 and 1975 to critical acclaim... - Sir Sherard Cowper-ColesSherard Cowper-ColesSir Sherard Louis Cowper-Coles KCMG LVO is a British diplomat. From 2009 to 2010 the Foreign Secretary's Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, he is now BAE Systems' international business development director, focusing on the Middle East and south-east Asia...
, diplomat