Westbourne House School
Encyclopedia
Westbourne House School is an independent preparatory school
1½ miles east of Chichester
, West Sussex
, England
. It is co-educational and serves around 450 boarding and day-school pupils from ages 3–13. The headmaster
is Martin Barker.
on 29 January 1907 and was accommodated in a purpose built school called Westbourne House. The first headteacher, Miss Hare, ran the school until 1932 when Mr Geoffrey Shilcock took over and changed the school from a pre-preparatory to a preparatory school.
In 1938, with war looming, a temporary safer home was found for the school at Upcott near Barnstaple
and in 1939, the school moved to Devon
where it remained for seven years. The original building was damaged during the war, so a search was made for another suitable premises. In 1946, the school bought Shopwyke Park which had been requisitioned during the war and now stood empty. After clearing away the Nissen hut
s from the grounds and some repair of the building, the boys started their first term there in September 1947.
In 1961, Mr Shilcock decided to retire and the school was due to close. However, the Sharmans bought the school and with the help of Mr Maurice Ellis, the recently retired Head of the Mall School
, Twickenham
and Miss Blackman, a stalwart of the staff, the school began to grow. In 1967 it became a Charitable Trust in order for all the money to be put back into the school without deducting tax. Mr and Mrs Sharman developed Westbourne House into a well-respected and well loved school. On their retirement in 1989, Mr Sharman became the Chairman and Mrs Sharman a member of the Board of Governors.
In the 1990s the school was one of nearly 400 schools used to educate the children of British diplomats
posted overseas.
Since that time, the school continued to develop in size, structure and methods. Under the stewardship of Stephen Rigby, the school doubled in size, introduced co-education, developed art and music and undertook an ambitious building program. Mr Rigby moved on in 2003 after 14 successful years as Headmaster. Brendan Law was appointed as his successor in September 2003, until departing to open a school in Abu Dhabi in 2011. Deputy Head of four years Martin Barker succeeded him in April 2011.
said "The school achieves all its major aims and objectives. A strong sense of community pervades the school. The personal development of pupils is outstanding. They develop mutual respect, treat each other and adults with dignity, politeness, and concern, and become confident, caring, and responsible citizens. Within a relaxed yet purposeful atmosphere, pupils of all abilities reach high standards of learning and achievement. Relationships between staff and pupils, the leadership of the senior management team, the dedication and enthusiasm of the staff, and the good standard of teaching are key elements in enabling pupils to reach their potential."
A significant number of Westbourne "Old Boys" have made their way to the finest universities; and alumni vary from professional rugby players to theoretical physicists.
ing excellence over the years under the firm hand of coach Kevin Smith (Sussex CCC) and from 1991 to 2001 won the Hayland Trophy nine out of the ten years. The school 1st XI went six seasons unbeaten from 1997 to 2000. The year leaving 2006 were also a year of great promise being unbeaten.
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...
1½ miles east of Chichester
Chichester
Chichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
, 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...
, 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...
. It is co-educational and serves around 450 boarding and day-school pupils from ages 3–13. The headmaster
Head teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
is Martin Barker.
History
The school was founded in FolkestoneFolkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
on 29 January 1907 and was accommodated in a purpose built school called Westbourne House. The first headteacher, Miss Hare, ran the school until 1932 when Mr Geoffrey Shilcock took over and changed the school from a pre-preparatory to a preparatory school.
In 1938, with war looming, a temporary safer home was found for the school at Upcott near Barnstaple
Barnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
and in 1939, the school moved to Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
where it remained for seven years. The original building was damaged during the war, so a search was made for another suitable premises. In 1946, the school bought Shopwyke Park which had been requisitioned during the war and now stood empty. After clearing away the Nissen hut
Nissen hut
A Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated steel, a variant of which was used extensively during World War II.-Description:...
s from the grounds and some repair of the building, the boys started their first term there in September 1947.
In 1961, Mr Shilcock decided to retire and the school was due to close. However, the Sharmans bought the school and with the help of Mr Maurice Ellis, the recently retired Head of the Mall School
The Mall School
The Mall School is an independent preparatory school for boys, located in Twickenham, Greater London. The current headmaster is Mr. David Price. The majority of boys go on to some of the leading London day schools, particularly St. Paul's School, Hampton School and King's College School. The others...
, Twickenham
Twickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
and Miss Blackman, a stalwart of the staff, the school began to grow. In 1967 it became a Charitable Trust in order for all the money to be put back into the school without deducting tax. Mr and Mrs Sharman developed Westbourne House into a well-respected and well loved school. On their retirement in 1989, Mr Sharman became the Chairman and Mrs Sharman a member of the Board of Governors.
In the 1990s the school was one of nearly 400 schools used to educate the children of British diplomats
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
posted overseas.
Since that time, the school continued to develop in size, structure and methods. Under the stewardship of Stephen Rigby, the school doubled in size, introduced co-education, developed art and music and undertook an ambitious building program. Mr Rigby moved on in 2003 after 14 successful years as Headmaster. Brendan Law was appointed as his successor in September 2003, until departing to open a school in Abu Dhabi in 2011. Deputy Head of four years Martin Barker succeeded him in April 2011.
Academic standards
Following their November 2006 inspection, the Independent Schools InspectorateIndependent Schools Inspectorate
The Independent Schools Inspectorate is an organisation responsible for the inspection of independent schools in England which are affiliated to the Independent Schools Council . The Inspectorate is a separate company, owned by the Independent Schools Council and has its work monitored by the...
said "The school achieves all its major aims and objectives. A strong sense of community pervades the school. The personal development of pupils is outstanding. They develop mutual respect, treat each other and adults with dignity, politeness, and concern, and become confident, caring, and responsible citizens. Within a relaxed yet purposeful atmosphere, pupils of all abilities reach high standards of learning and achievement. Relationships between staff and pupils, the leadership of the senior management team, the dedication and enthusiasm of the staff, and the good standard of teaching are key elements in enabling pupils to reach their potential."
A significant number of Westbourne "Old Boys" have made their way to the finest universities; and alumni vary from professional rugby players to theoretical physicists.
Sport
The school has developed a reputation for cricketCricket
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...
ing excellence over the years under the firm hand of coach Kevin Smith (Sussex CCC) and from 1991 to 2001 won the Hayland Trophy nine out of the ten years. The school 1st XI went six seasons unbeaten from 1997 to 2000. The year leaving 2006 were also a year of great promise being unbeaten.
Music
The school is also noted for its large and successful Music Department, which has been run by Director of Music Alexander Dichmont for the last 20 years, currently assisted by Richard Allum. A large number of pupils receive music scholarships to the leading public schools, and there are numerous concerts and musical productions throughout the year. The department runs two orchestras and four choirs, and in the last five years the Chapel Choir have produced two CDs and toured Paris and Rome. Visiting musicians are a regular feature at the school, with the pianist Steven Savage and the composer John Rutter being the most recent guests. The school employs nearly 30 visiting music staff, who teach a wide range of instruments. A high proportion of these teachers are also professional performers.Notable alumni
- Tom Bradby, journalist and author
- Marcus BrigstockeMarcus BrigstockeMarcus Alexander Brigstocke is an English comedian, actor and satirist who has worked extensively in stand-up comedy, television, radio and in 2010-2011 musical theatre. He is particularly associated with the 6.30pm comedy slot on BBC Radio 4, having frequently appeared on several of its shows...
, comedian - Nick ClarkeNick ClarkeNicholas Campbell Clarke , was an English radio and television presenter and journalist, primarily known for his work on BBC Radio 4....
, presenter and journalist - Holly ColvinHolly ColvinHolly Louise Colvin is an English cricketer and member of the current England women's cricket team.She currently holds the record of being the youngest Test cricketer of either sex to play for England.-School level:...
, England cricketer - Mark LockMark LockMark Lock is a rugby union footballer for Rosslyn Park.Educated at Westbourne House School and Eastbourne College, his usual position is at flanker.-External links:**...
, rugby player - Alastair MackenzieAlastair MackenzieAlastair Mackenzie is a Scottish actor. He was born in 1970 in Trinafour, near Perth and educated at Westbourne House School and Glenalmond College in Perthshire.Mackenzie left home at the age of 18 and moved to London...
, actor - Drummond Money-CouttsDrummond Money-CouttsDrummond William Thomas Money-Coutts , also nicknamed "DMC", is an English magician and specialist card sharp. Money-Coutts is the heir apparent to the Latymer Barony.-Biography:...
, close-quarter magician