King Edward VII and Queen Mary School
Encyclopedia
King Edward VII and Queen Mary School (KEQMS) is an HMC
Independent Co-educational school in Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire
, England
.
The Lytham Schools Foundation was established in 1719 after a flood disaster in the town. In 1908, one hundred and eighty-nine years after the Foundation's initial formation, King Edward VII School was opened to provide an education for local boys. The opening of the girls' Queen Mary School followed in 1930.
The school boasts extensive sports grounds, including a new synthetic hockey pitch, top of the range computing facilities built in 2003, modern language laboratories, modern library and a sea view; it also has a reputation of excellence in sports and a thriving history of drama productions and has links with the Czech Republic
, France
and Germany
, with which exchange trips are frequently held.
The Board of Governors has now announced that King Edward VII and Queen Mary School will be merging with Arnold School, another fee-paying school in the North-West, in September 2012. This has happened without consultation inclusive of parents, pupils or staff. A parent group opposed to the takeover submitted objections to the Charity Commission which prompted a review prior to allowing the merger to proceed. The Charity Commission completed their report and announced on 11th November 2011 that they had approved the new scheme.. The parent group have announced their intention to appeal against the Charity Commission decision.
. This coat of arms is now used for the combined school since the merger in 1999. The uniforms for both boys and girls were also changed at this time. As of 2008, a new rebrand of the KEQMS brand was launched. A new logo was produced, and the motto was changed to 'Inspiring Personal Excellence'
After a reduction in student numbers caused by New Labour's abolition of the Assisted Places Scheme
in 1997, the two single-sex schools were forced to merge. Now fully co-educational and housed in and around the old King Edward VII building, it consists of a Kindergarten, Infant, Junior and Senior School, plus a Sixth Form, which is situated on the first floor of the House, and in the old Lecture Theatre. The Queen Mary site was sold in order to raise money for the continuing development of the new school, and is now housing.
The 1960s block (housing music, food technology, maths and English) was also refurbished at the same time; the kitchen/dining room was moved into the former bike sheds at this time too.
In 2005 the library was relocated back to its former location (in the original dining room) and this underwent extensive refurbishment.
The summer of 2007 saw refurbishment of ground floor classrooms in the original 1908 building, and the replacement of many original wooden windows. Further, Summer 2008 saw science laboratories upgraded and improved as well as an improved careers and further education advice room.
During Autumn 2008, the Main School Hall was restored, with the original stage re-instated, as well as the addition of state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment to suit many hall configurations, including theatre 'in the round'.
became involved in the heated controvesry surrounding the proposed take-over of the school by the United Church Schools Trust
and its merger with Arnold School
.
Principals of King Edward VII and Queen Mary School
Headmasters of King Edward VII School
Headmistresses of Queen Mary School
, the girls' school did not have a house system; the boys' school had five houses (each having its own flag - the house logo on a dark blue background):
The boys' junior school had a separate system of four houses.
Post amalgamation (1999), four houses were established:
All the houses have a house leader and a group of captains.
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference is an association of the headmasters or headmistressess of 243 leading day and boarding independent schools in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland...
Independent Co-educational school in Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, 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...
.
The Lytham Schools Foundation was established in 1719 after a flood disaster in the town. In 1908, one hundred and eighty-nine years after the Foundation's initial formation, King Edward VII School was opened to provide an education for local boys. The opening of the girls' Queen Mary School followed in 1930.
The school boasts extensive sports grounds, including a new synthetic hockey pitch, top of the range computing facilities built in 2003, modern language laboratories, modern library and a sea view; it also has a reputation of excellence in sports and a thriving history of drama productions and has links with the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, with which exchange trips are frequently held.
The Board of Governors has now announced that King Edward VII and Queen Mary School will be merging with Arnold School, another fee-paying school in the North-West, in September 2012. This has happened without consultation inclusive of parents, pupils or staff. A parent group opposed to the takeover submitted objections to the Charity Commission which prompted a review prior to allowing the merger to proceed. The Charity Commission completed their report and announced on 11th November 2011 that they had approved the new scheme.. The parent group have announced their intention to appeal against the Charity Commission decision.
Motto
King Edward School's motto was 'Sublimis Ab Unda', which is Latin for 'raised from the waves', in reference to the fact the school was funded by the aforementioned flood disaster. Queen Mary School's motto was 'Semper Fidelis, Semper Parata', which translates as 'Always Faithful, Always Prepared'. The two former schools each had a coat of arms, however despite the two schools being separate they shared the same governing body, which itself had a coat of arms, that consisted of the two schools' coats of arms impaledImpalement (heraldry)
In heraldry, impalement is the combination of two coats of arms side-by-side in one shield or escutcheon to denote union, most often that of a husband and wife, but also for ecclesiastical use...
. This coat of arms is now used for the combined school since the merger in 1999. The uniforms for both boys and girls were also changed at this time. As of 2008, a new rebrand of the KEQMS brand was launched. A new logo was produced, and the motto was changed to 'Inspiring Personal Excellence'
Amalgamation
Assisted Places Scheme
The Assisted Places Scheme was established in the UK by the Conservative government in 1980. Children who could not afford to go to fee-paying independent schools were provided with free or subsidised places - if they were able to score within the top 10-15% of applicants in the school's entrance...
in 1997, the two single-sex schools were forced to merge. Now fully co-educational and housed in and around the old King Edward VII building, it consists of a Kindergarten, Infant, Junior and Senior School, plus a Sixth Form, which is situated on the first floor of the House, and in the old Lecture Theatre. The Queen Mary site was sold in order to raise money for the continuing development of the new school, and is now housing.
Continuing Development
Since the sale of the Queen Mary site, a new block has been built in 2003 to house the junior school on the ground floor, and 11 new senior classrooms on the first floor, housing three computer labs, a multimedia language lab, and classrooms for art and modern languages.The 1960s block (housing music, food technology, maths and English) was also refurbished at the same time; the kitchen/dining room was moved into the former bike sheds at this time too.
In 2005 the library was relocated back to its former location (in the original dining room) and this underwent extensive refurbishment.
The summer of 2007 saw refurbishment of ground floor classrooms in the original 1908 building, and the replacement of many original wooden windows. Further, Summer 2008 saw science laboratories upgraded and improved as well as an improved careers and further education advice room.
During Autumn 2008, the Main School Hall was restored, with the original stage re-instated, as well as the addition of state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment to suit many hall configurations, including theatre 'in the round'.
Proposed Takeover
In 2011 Fylde M.P. Mark MenziesMark Menzies
Mark Andrew Menzies is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Fylde in Lancashire since 2010. He is Parliamentary Private Secretary to Charles Hendry MP, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change and a former member of the Scottish Affairs Select...
became involved in the heated controvesry surrounding the proposed take-over of the school by the United Church Schools Trust
United Church Schools Trust
The United Church Schools Trust is a large education charity in the United Kingdom which owns and operates a group of 11 independent schools.-History:...
and its merger with Arnold School
Arnold School
Arnold School is an independent school located in Blackpool, Lancashire, England on the Fylde coast. It is in the United Church Schools Trust group of schools and is a member of HMC.-History:Arnold School was founded by Frank Truswell Pennington on 4 May 1896...
.
Leadership
- Robert Karling (2003–Present)
- Julian Wilde (1999–2003)
Headmasters of King Edward VII School
- Julian Wilde (1993–1999)
- David Heap (1982–1993)
- Christopher J Lipscomb (1966–1982)
- CDA Baggley (1957–1966)
- John Bell (1942–1957)
- WN Weech (1940–1942)
- DGO Ayerst (1937–1940)
- JRL Penry (1913–1937)
- H Bompas-Smith (1908–1913)
Headmistresses of Queen Mary School
- Mrs S Piggott (1998–1999)
- Miss M Ritchie (1981–1998)
- Miss J Charlton (1970–1981)
- Miss JL Harley (1952–1970)
- Mrs D Bailey (1930–1951)
Houses
The senior school has had 2 house systems. Prior to the amalgamationConsolidation (business)
Consolidation or amalgamation is the act of merging many things into one. In business, it often refers to the mergers and acquisitions of many smaller companies into much larger ones. In the context of financial accounting, consolidation refers to the aggregation of financial statements of a group...
, the girls' school did not have a house system; the boys' school had five houses (each having its own flag - the house logo on a dark blue background):
- Argonauts (Motto: Ludite integre; nollite cessare)
- Adventurers (Motto: Redde cuique quod suum est)
- Lancastrians (Motto: Vel primus, vel cum primis)
- St Johns (Motto: Pro Domo)
- Templars (Motto: Quo non audebis, eo non habesis)
The boys' junior school had a separate system of four houses.
Post amalgamation (1999), four houses were established:
- Ashton
- Lowther
- Talbot
- Clifton
All the houses have a house leader and a group of captains.
Notable former pupils
Notable former pupils (Lidunians) include:- Malcolm ArcherMalcolm ArcherMalcolm Archer is an English organist, conductor and composer. He combines this work with a recital career. Archer was formerly Organist and Director of Music at St Paul's Cathedral, and is now Director of Chapel Music at Winchester College....
, Organist and Director of Music, St Paul's Cathedral - Roy HarperRoy HarperRoy Harper is an English folk / rock singer-songwriter and guitarist who has been a professional musician since the mid 1960s...
, Musician and songwriter - Lee BlackettLee BlackettLee Blackett is a rugby union footballer for Leeds Carnegie. His usual position is at wing or centre...
, Leeds Carnegie centre - Simon BrailsfordSimon BrailsfordSquadron Leader Simon Brailsford was Equerry to Her Majesty The Queen 1998-2001. He was a career Royal Air Force officer, specialising as a navigator. He was promoted to Squadron Leader 1 January 1997, and was later promoted to Wing Commander and Group Captain....
, Equerry to Her Majesty the Queen - Michael MingosMichael MingosDavid Michael Patrick Mingos FRS was Principal of St Edmund Hall, Oxford from 1999 to 2009, and Professor of Inorganic Chemistry in the University of Oxford...
, Principal of St Edmund Hall, OxfordSt Edmund Hall, OxfordSt Edmund Hall is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Better known within the University by its nickname, "Teddy Hall", the college has a claim to being "the oldest academical society for the education of undergraduates in any university"... - John SunderlandJohn Sunderland (businessman)Sir John Michael Sunderland is a British businessman who was President of the Confederation of British Industry from 2004 to 2006, where his priority was restoring confidence in business after a series of corporate scandals....
, Chairman of Cadbury SchweppesCadbury SchweppesCadbury is a confectionery company owned by Kraft Foods and is the industry's second-largest globally after Mars, Incorporated. Headquartered in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom, the company operates in more than 50 countries worldwide....
and President of the Confederation of British IndustryConfederation of British IndustryThe Confederation of British Industry is a British not for profit organisation incorporated by Royal charter which promotes the interests of its members, some 200,000 British businesses, a figure which includes some 80% of FTSE 100 companies and around 50% of FTSE 350 companies.-Role:The CBI works... - Andy InglisAndy InglisAndrew G. Inglis b. 51 is a British engineer and Head of Exploration and Production of British oil company BP.-Background:Andrew graduated from Pembroke College with an MA in engineering in 1980....
, Head of Exploration and Production, Board Member, British Petroleum - Richard Goad - Chief Executive Mansfield District Council
- Jenny Eclair, writer and comedian
- Tom O'Brien, Broadcast Journalist, Hallam FMHallam FMHallam FM is an independent local radio station serving South Yorkshire and the North Midlands from studios in Sheffield. The station is owned and operated by Bauer Radio and forms part of Bauer's Place Network of stations.-History:...
, Radio Aire, Viking FM - J.T Wilson, author
- Paul Shepherd, Keyboard player of Alternative Metal band Screams of Cold Winter (UK)Screams of Cold Winter (UK)Screams of Cold Winter is a Alternative Metal band formed in late 2007 in Preston, Lancashire, England.They have established themselves within the Alternative Metal scene, they have supported the Sophie Lancaster Foundation by playing at Mansfield's Intake Club and have also played at Blackpool...