Queen Victoria School
Encyclopedia
Queen Victoria School was opened on 28 September 1908 by His Majesty King Edward VII, and is Scotland
's Ministry of Defence
school for the sons and daughters of Scottish soldier
s, sailor
s and airmen. It occupies a fine Scottish baronial style building on a campus
just outside of Dunblane
in rural Stirling
.
The idea of the school was originally proposed to Queen Victoria as a memorial to the Scottish dead of the Boer Wars, and after her death it was thought fit to name it in her memory. Money was also raised from Scottish servicemen and the people of Scotland to complete the project.
The school's patron is His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh
KG KT OM GBE, and the head of school is Mrs W A Bellars MA(Hons) DipEd MA(Ed Man) PGCE.
Traditionally the school provided an austere but continuous education for Scottish war orphans, with a good deal of military training and sports. Since the Second World War, the school has provided a stable education to children whose fathers have been travelling the world in Her Majesty's Armed Forces. Since the 1970s the school has become increasingly "secular", with educational results now matching most of the nearby boarding schools. The school is financed from the Ministry of Defence budget, with parents being asked to make a small contribution.
It became co-educational at the start of the 1996-97 academic year. Female pupils were introduced across the entire school, from Primary Seven to Sixth Year. The first female senior monitor was chosen soon after, in 1999.
A strong military ethos is still maintained by a pipe band
and Combined Cadet Force
(CCF) section. The school has its own "colours", its own cap badge
, and pupils wear the Hunting Stewart tartan
. The school pipe band used to play at every rugby
home international
at Murrayfield Stadium
Edinburgh
. The band maintains its high level of performance playing at such events as the Edinburgh Military Tattoo
and the Basel tattoo in Switzerland
. However, the band in recent years has suffered many losses and more younger inexperienced members must now take the mantle which comes with a lot of expectation. These pupils have performed admirably and have even played in front of Pope Benedict XVI
during his 2010 visit to the UK.
The school consists of four boarding houses: Cunningham
, Haig
, Wavell
and Trenchard
. Each house is named after a notable British Officer, and they represent each strand of the armed forces, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Army. Both Cunningham and Haig consist of boys from First Year up until Sixth Year and have the reputation of being the "Senior Boys Houses". Both these houses can maintain up to 60 pupils. In the recent past, Wavell has been traditionally known as the "Junior Boarding House" this has however changed to accommodate the females that recently came to the school and Wavell has adapted into the "Girls House" with up to ninety girls in the house at any one time. Trenchard has now become the "Junior House" consisting of both boys and girls form Primary Seven until Year Two. Up to about 70 pupils can live in Trenchard.
The school boasts good sporting facilities which is represented by the school's excellent sporting teams. The school has several rugby teams right through from Primary Seven up until the schools main 1st XV. The school also boasts excellent football credentials with the 1st 11 football team doing very well in all areas.
The school maintains a high level of confidence throughout all its pupils. This is maintained through the school's use of privilege and discipline. Mr Eastham, House Master of Cunningham House, teaches all his boarders that "Self-discipline is the only Discipline". The school trusts pupils from the age of just twelve to shoot real bullets down the range. The school also helps all pupils with their character building process.
Pupils that have left the school are known as Old Victorians and have an association, the Old Victorians Association (OVA), which keeps many of them in touch.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
's Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
school for the sons and daughters of Scottish soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s, sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
s and airmen. It occupies a fine Scottish baronial style building on a campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
just outside of Dunblane
Dunblane
Dunblane is a small cathedral city and former burgh north of Stirling in the Stirling council area of Scotland. The town is situated off the A9 road, on the way north to Perth. Its main landmark is Dunblane Cathedral and the Allan Water runs through the town centre, with the Cathedral and the High...
in rural Stirling
Stirling (council area)
Stirling is one of the 32 unitary local government council areas of Scotland, and has a population of about 87,000 . It was created under the Local Government etc Act 1994 with the boundaries of the Stirling district of the former Central local government region, and it covers most of the former...
.
The idea of the school was originally proposed to Queen Victoria as a memorial to the Scottish dead of the Boer Wars, and after her death it was thought fit to name it in her memory. Money was also raised from Scottish servicemen and the people of Scotland to complete the project.
The school's patron is His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...
KG KT OM GBE, and the head of school is Mrs W A Bellars MA(Hons) DipEd MA(Ed Man) PGCE.
Traditionally the school provided an austere but continuous education for Scottish war orphans, with a good deal of military training and sports. Since the Second World War, the school has provided a stable education to children whose fathers have been travelling the world in Her Majesty's Armed Forces. Since the 1970s the school has become increasingly "secular", with educational results now matching most of the nearby boarding schools. The school is financed from the Ministry of Defence budget, with parents being asked to make a small contribution.
It became co-educational at the start of the 1996-97 academic year. Female pupils were introduced across the entire school, from Primary Seven to Sixth Year. The first female senior monitor was chosen soon after, in 1999.
A strong military ethos is still maintained by a pipe band
Pipe band
A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term used by military pipe bands, pipes and drums, is also common....
and Combined Cadet Force
Combined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance,...
(CCF) section. The school has its own "colours", its own cap badge
Cap badge
A cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as well as uniformed civilian groups such as the Boy...
, and pupils wear the Hunting Stewart tartan
Tartan
Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
. The school pipe band used to play at every 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:...
home international
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
at Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. The band maintains its high level of performance playing at such events as the Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Edinburgh Military Tattoo
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is an annual series of Military tattoos performed by British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and International military bands and display teams in the Scottish capital Edinburgh...
and the Basel tattoo in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. However, the band in recent years has suffered many losses and more younger inexperienced members must now take the mantle which comes with a lot of expectation. These pupils have performed admirably and have even played in front of Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
during his 2010 visit to the UK.
The school consists of four boarding houses: Cunningham
Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope
Admiral of the Fleet Andrew Browne Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope KT, GCB, OM, DSO and two Bars , was a British admiral of the Second World War. Cunningham was widely known by his nickname, "ABC"....
, Haig
Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig
Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, KT, GCB, OM, GCVO, KCIE, ADC, was a British senior officer during World War I. He commanded the British Expeditionary Force from 1915 to the end of the War...
, Wavell
Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
Field Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell GCB, GCSI, GCIE, CMG, MC, PC was a British field marshal and the commander of British Army forces in the Middle East during the Second World War. He led British forces to victory over the Italians, only to be defeated by the German army...
and Trenchard
Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Hugh Montague Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard GCB OM GCVO DSO was a British officer who was instrumental in establishing the Royal Air Force...
. Each house is named after a notable British Officer, and they represent each strand of the armed forces, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Army. Both Cunningham and Haig consist of boys from First Year up until Sixth Year and have the reputation of being the "Senior Boys Houses". Both these houses can maintain up to 60 pupils. In the recent past, Wavell has been traditionally known as the "Junior Boarding House" this has however changed to accommodate the females that recently came to the school and Wavell has adapted into the "Girls House" with up to ninety girls in the house at any one time. Trenchard has now become the "Junior House" consisting of both boys and girls form Primary Seven until Year Two. Up to about 70 pupils can live in Trenchard.
The school boasts good sporting facilities which is represented by the school's excellent sporting teams. The school has several rugby teams right through from Primary Seven up until the schools main 1st XV. The school also boasts excellent football credentials with the 1st 11 football team doing very well in all areas.
The school maintains a high level of confidence throughout all its pupils. This is maintained through the school's use of privilege and discipline. Mr Eastham, House Master of Cunningham House, teaches all his boarders that "Self-discipline is the only Discipline". The school trusts pupils from the age of just twelve to shoot real bullets down the range. The school also helps all pupils with their character building process.
Pupils that have left the school are known as Old Victorians and have an association, the Old Victorians Association (OVA), which keeps many of them in touch.