Aberdour School
Encyclopedia
Aberdour School, founded in 1933, is a co-educational preparatory school
for ages 3–13 in Banstead
, Surrey
, England
.
.
In 1971 Aberdour School became an educational charitable trust and is now administered by a board of governors
.
department, Pre-preparatory school and preparatory school
, and covers 14 acres (56,656 m²), 10 of which are playing fields. It has many facilities including a large Sports Hall, heated indoor Swimming Pool, two purpose-built Science Laboratories, all-weather pitches, courts and wickets, libraries and two IT suites. The School is also fully equipped with sick bay, run by qualified nursing staff.
from the very beginning of their time at Aberdour. Each house has about 60 girls and boys, and every house chooses pupils to take the role of Head of House, Head of Girls Games and Head of Boys Games for one term
at a time. At least once a term
, the pre-prep
and preparatory
departments have separate meetings including all the staff and pupils within a certain house.
.
Within the physical education programme, all students participate in a comprehensive agenda of activities including gymnastics
, badminton
, fitness
, dance
, lacrosse
, short tennis, tennis
, athletics
and swimming
. The presence of the on-site pool enables children from Transition to Year 8 to swim regularly.
Extensive playing fields accommodate football, rugby
, hockey
and cricket
. Tennis
, netball
and hockey
are played on the all-weather courts.
The major boys' activities are football, rugby
and cricket
, whilst for girls the sports are netball
, hockey
and rounders
. An extensive fixture card allows children from Years 3 to 8 to play regular matches against other schools and represent the school. Fixtures are matched according to ability and vary from friendly fixtures to participation in league
, county
. and national
competitions.
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...
for ages 3–13 in Banstead
Banstead
Banstead is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in the county of Surrey, England, on the border with Greater London. It lies south of London, west of Croydon and of the county town of Kingston-Upon-Thames. Banstead is on the North Downs and is protected by the Metropolitan Green Belt;...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, 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...
.
History
Aberdour was founded in 1933 as a boys boarding school. In 1994 it became a co-educational school and its first intake of girls was welcomed with the newly opened nurseryNursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
.
In 1971 Aberdour School became an educational charitable trust and is now administered by a board of governors
Board of governors
Board of governors is a term sometimes applied to the board of directors of a public entity or non-profit organization.Many public institutions, such as public universities, are government-owned corporations. The British Broadcasting Corporation was managed by a board of governors, though this role...
.
Facilities
The school is made up of a nurseryNursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
department, Pre-preparatory school and preparatory 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...
, and covers 14 acres (56,656 m²), 10 of which are playing fields. It has many facilities including a large Sports Hall, heated indoor Swimming Pool, two purpose-built Science Laboratories, all-weather pitches, courts and wickets, libraries and two IT suites. The School is also fully equipped with sick bay, run by qualified nursing staff.
Headmasters
- Mr Richard Grange (1933–1981)
- Mr Alan Barraclough (1981–2002)
- Dr Gerard Silverlock (2002–2006)
- Mr Simon Collins (2006–present)
Houses
Every student is placed into a houseHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
from the very beginning of their time at Aberdour. Each house has about 60 girls and boys, and every house chooses pupils to take the role of Head of House, Head of Girls Games and Head of Boys Games for one term
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...
at a time. At least once a term
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...
, the pre-prep
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...
and preparatory
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...
departments have separate meetings including all the staff and pupils within a certain house.
| House Name | Colours | Named after | Beaumont | One of the first pupils to receive Honours to their secondary school | Mary Garratt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clements | One of the first pupils to receive Honours to their secondary school | Helen Shipley | |
| Malvern | One of the first pupils to receive Honours to their secondary school | Urmilla Goverkar | |
| Roberts | One of the first pupils to receive Honours to their secondary school | Tracy Thomas |
Sport
All boys and girls at Aberdour School are presented with the opportunity to participate in, and experience a wide range of physical recreation and sporting activitiesSport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
.
Within the physical education programme, all students participate in a comprehensive agenda of activities including gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, 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...
, fitness
Physical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
, dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, 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...
, short tennis, 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...
, 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...
and swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
. The presence of the on-site pool enables children from Transition to Year 8 to swim regularly.
Extensive playing fields accommodate football, rugby
Rugby 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:...
, hockey
Field hockey
Field 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...
and 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...
. 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...
, netball
Netball
Netball 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 ...
and hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
are played on the all-weather courts.
The major boys' activities are football, rugby
Rugby 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:...
and 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...
, whilst for girls the sports are netball
Netball
Netball 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 ...
, hockey
Field hockey
Field 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...
and rounders
Rounders
Rounders 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...
. An extensive fixture card allows children from Years 3 to 8 to play regular matches against other schools and represent the school. Fixtures are matched according to ability and vary from friendly fixtures to participation in league
Sports league
League is a term commonly used to describe a group of sports teams or individual athletes that compete against each other in a specific sport. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an...
, county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
. and national
Country
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
competitions.