Ratcliffe College
Encyclopedia
Ratcliffe College is an independent
Catholic
boarding and day school in Leicestershire
, England
. The College, situated in 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of parkland on the Fosse Way
about six miles (10 km) north of Leicester
, was founded on the instructions of Blessed Father Antonio Rosmini-Serbati
in 1845 as a seminary
. In 1847, the buildings were converted for use as a boarding school for upper-class boys. The College became coeducational under the Presidency of Father Tony Baxter in the mid 1970s. As of the 2009–2010 academic years, there were 675 students on roll at Ratcliffe, from ages 3 to 18.
The school buildings were designed by the Victorian
Gothic revivalist Augustus Welby Pugin. Pugin, who is associated with Catholic architecture
throughout the Midlands and north of England, is also noted for his collaboration with Charles Barry
in the reconstruction of the Palace of Westminster
. The Square was designed by Charles Francis Hansom, brother of Joseph Hansom
, the designer of the Hansom cab
. various building works over the years have contributed to Pugin and Hansom's work, and modern buildings include a "new" gothic refectory
(constructed in the early years of the twentieth century) and a Byzantine
-style church.
President, Tim Kilbride, and the position was renamed Headmaster. He was succeeded in 2000 by Peter Farrar.
The Head is presently assisted by a Senior Deputy Head (Mrs Clayfield) and a Second Deputy Head (Mr. Reddin), who take responsibility for academic and pastoral concerns respectively. They are joined on a 'Senior Leadership Team' by the Assistant Head, Director of Finance and Head of the Junior School.
ground is used by the college cricket team. The first recorded use of the ground came in 1948, when Ratcliffe College played King Edward's School, Birmingham
. The ground has also played host to a single List-A match, when the Leicestershire Cricket Board
played Denmark in the 1st round of the 2003 Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy
which was played in 2002.
s throughout its history, the current system was resurrected in 1991. There is no strong house rivalry, as in many other independent schools, due to the nature of the school as both coeducational and containing a mix of boarding and day students.
Currently, there are four houses named after major figures in the College's history:
Ratcliffe is well known for good GCSE and A-Level results with the school appearing in the top 500 schools in the country
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
boarding and day school in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, 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 College, situated in 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of parkland on the Fosse Way
Fosse Way
The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England that linked Exeter in South West England to Lincoln in Lincolnshire, via Ilchester , Bath , Cirencester and Leicester .It joined Akeman Street and Ermin Way at Cirencester, crossed Watling Street at Venonis south...
about six miles (10 km) north of Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, was founded on the instructions of Blessed Father Antonio Rosmini-Serbati
Antonio Rosmini-Serbati
Blessed Antonio Rosmini-Serbati was an Italian Roman Catholic priest and philosopher. He founded the Rosminians, officially the Institute of Charity or Societas a charitate nuncupata.-Biography:...
in 1845 as a seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
. In 1847, the buildings were converted for use as a boarding school for upper-class boys. The College became coeducational under the Presidency of Father Tony Baxter in the mid 1970s. As of the 2009–2010 academic years, there were 675 students on roll at Ratcliffe, from ages 3 to 18.
The school buildings were designed by the Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
Gothic revivalist Augustus Welby Pugin. Pugin, who is associated with Catholic architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
throughout the Midlands and north of England, is also noted for his collaboration with Charles Barry
Charles Barry
Sir Charles Barry FRS was an English architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsible for numerous other buildings and gardens.- Background and training :Born on 23 May 1795 in Bridge Street, Westminster...
in the reconstruction of the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
. The Square was designed by Charles Francis Hansom, brother of Joseph Hansom
Joseph Hansom
Joseph Aloysius Hansom was a prolific English architect working principally in the Gothic Revival style, who invented the Hansom cab and was one of the founders of the eminent architectural journal, The Builder, in 1843....
, the designer of the Hansom cab
Hansom cab
The hansom cab is a kind of horse-drawn cart designed and patented in 1834 by Joseph Hansom, an architect from York. The vehicle was developed and tested by Hansom in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England. Originally called the Hansom safety cab, it was designed to combine speed with safety, with a low...
. various building works over the years have contributed to Pugin and Hansom's work, and modern buildings include a "new" gothic refectory
Refectory
A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. One of the places the term is most often used today is in graduate seminaries...
(constructed in the early years of the twentieth century) and a Byzantine
Byzantine architecture
Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire. The empire gradually emerged as a distinct artistic and cultural entity from what is today referred to as the Roman Empire after AD 330, when the Roman Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire east from Rome to...
-style church.
Management
The school, operated officially by Rosmini's Institute of Charity, originally used the title "Father President" for the most senior member of staff who, up until 1996, was always a Father of the Institute. In 1996, the school appointed its first layLaity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
President, Tim Kilbride, and the position was renamed Headmaster. He was succeeded in 2000 by Peter Farrar.
The Head is presently assisted by a Senior Deputy Head (Mrs Clayfield) and a Second Deputy Head (Mr. Reddin), who take responsibility for academic and pastoral concerns respectively. They are joined on a 'Senior Leadership Team' by the Assistant Head, Director of Finance and Head of the Junior School.
Former Presidents and Headmasters
- Father Peter HuttonPeter Hutton (priest)Peter Hutton was an English Roman Catholic priest and headmaster of Ratcliffe College.-Life:...
IC 1851 – 1880 - Father Joseph Hirst IC 1880 – 1895
- Father Joseph Cremonini IC 1895 – 1919
- Father Aloysius Emery IC 1919 – 1923
- Father Cuthbert Emery IC, MA 1923 – 1948
- Father Claude Leetham IC, BA 1948 – 1962
- Father John Morris IC 1962, MA, BSc 1962 – 1973
- Father Anthony Baxter IC, MA 1973 – 1982
- Father William Fearon IC, BA 1982 – 1983
- Father Lancelot Hurdidge IC, BA 1983 – 1993
- Father Keith Tomlinson IC, MA 1993 – 1996
- Mr. Timothy Kilbride 1996 – 1999
- Mr. Peter Farrar 1999 – 2009
- Mr. Gareth Lloyd 2009 – present
Cricket ground
The college 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...
ground is used by the college cricket team. The first recorded use of the ground came in 1948, when Ratcliffe College played King Edward's School, Birmingham
King Edward's School, Birmingham
King Edward's School is an independent secondary school in Birmingham, England, founded by King Edward VI in 1552. It is part of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham, and is widely regarded as one of the most academically successful schools in the country, according to...
. The ground has also played host to a single List-A match, when the Leicestershire Cricket Board
Leicestershire Cricket Board
The Leicestershire & Rutland Cricket Board is the governing body for all recreational cricket in the historic counties of Leicestershire and Rutland....
played Denmark in the 1st round of the 2003 Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy
2003 Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy
The 2003 Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy was an English county cricket tournament, held between 29 August 2002 and 30 August 2003. The competition was won by Gloucestershire who beat the Worcestershire by 7 wickets at Lord's.-Format:...
which was played in 2002.
House system
Although the College has used various house systemHouse 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...
s throughout its history, the current system was resurrected in 1991. There is no strong house rivalry, as in many other independent schools, due to the nature of the school as both coeducational and containing a mix of boarding and day students.
Currently, there are four houses named after major figures in the College's history:
- Emery (named for Father Cuthbert Emery, a former President) St Michael, St Francis, St Maria Goretti, St Ignatius, St, Dominic, St David
- Leetham (named for Father Claude Leetham, a former President) St Patrick, St Kieran, St John of the Cross, St Francis Xavier, St Peter, St Michael
- De Lisle (named for Ambrose De LisleAmbrose Lisle March Phillipps De LisleAmbrose Lisle March Phillipps de Lisle was an English Catholic convert. He founded Mount St. Bernard Abbey, a Trappist abbey in Leicestershire and worked for the reconversion or reconciliation of Britain to Catholicism....
, early patron of the College and Catholic revivalist) St Joseph, St Kevin, St Barnabas, St Chad, - Arundel (named for Lady Arundel, an early patron of the College and relative of Catholic Duke of NorfolkDuke of NorfolkThe Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
) St Stephen, St Canice, St Pio, St Gregory, St Thomas Aquinas
Ratcliffe is well known for good GCSE and A-Level results with the school appearing in the top 500 schools in the country
Old Ratcliffians
The Old Ratcliffians – that is, the alumni of Ratcliffe College – currently count among their number:- Terence AlexanderTerence AlexanderTerence Joseph Alexander was an English film and television actor, best known for his role as Charlie Hungerford in the British TV drama Bergerac.-Early life and career:...
, film and television actor - Ian BannenIan BannenIan Bannen was a Scottish character actor and occasional leading man.-Early life and career:Bannen was born in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, the son of Clare and John James Bannen, a lawyer. Bannen served in the British Army after attending St Aloysius' College, Glasgow and Ratcliffe College,...
, noted Scottish actor and OscarAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (1965) - Peter CaruanaPeter CaruanaPeter Richard Caruana, QC is a Gibraltarian politician, and has been Chief Minister of Gibraltar since 1996, when his party, the Gibraltar Social Democrats , first came to power. His party was re-elected to office in 2000, 2003 and 2007...
, QCQueen's CounselQueen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, Chief Minister of Gibraltar - Louis DeaconLouis DeaconLouis Deacon is an English rugby union footballer. He is a lock.His playing career started as an eight year old, playing with Wigston, before joining Syston. He later joined Syston and as a Ratcliffe College student represented the Midlands county and both the England 16 Group and U18 Group School...
, England and Tigers rugby player - François GrosjeanFrancois GrosjeanFrançois Grosjean is a Professor Emeritus and former Director of the Language and Speech Processing Laboratory at the University of Neuchâtel . His specialty is psycholinguistics and his domains of interest are the perception, comprehension and production of language, be it speech or sign language,...
, psycholinguist and researcher on bilingualism - Patrick McGoohanPatrick McGoohanPatrick Joseph McGoohan was an American-born actor, raised in Ireland and England, with an extensive stage and film career, most notably in the 1960s television series Danger Man , and The Prisoner, which he co-created...
, American-born actor of Irish parentage who rose to fame in the British film and TV industry: starring in the 1960s television series Danger ManDanger ManDanger Man is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Ralph Smart created the program and wrote many of the scripts...
and cult classic The PrisonerThe PrisonerThe Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968. Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.The series follows a British former...
. - James Major, son of former British Prime Minister John MajorJohn MajorSir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
- Kevin MyersKevin MyersKevin Myers is an Irish journalist and writer. He writes for the Irish Independent and is a former contributor to The Irish Times, where he wrote the "An Irishman's Diary" opinion column several times weekly...
, journalist. - Patrick NuttgensPatrick NuttgensPatrick John Nuttgens CBE was an English architect and academic.Patrick Nuttgens was raised in Piggotts Hill, near High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. His father, stained-glass artist Joseph Edward Nuttgens, married twice, and Patrick was one of four children from the first marriage. His mother died...
, noted architect, CBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions... - Sir Gordon ReeceGordon ReeceSir James Gordon Reece was a British journalist and television producer who worked as a political strategist for Margaret Thatcher during the 1979 general election which led to her victory over then prime minister James Callaghan...
, former advisor to Margaret ThatcherMargaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990... - The Rt. Hon Lord St John of Fawsley, PCPrivy Council of the United KingdomHer Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, former ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
minister under Margaret ThatcherMargaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990... - Richard WallaceRichard Wallace (journalist)Richard Wallace is the current editor of British newspaper the Daily Mirror.Wallace began his Fleet Street career working for the Daily Mail and The Sun. In 1990 he joined the Daily Mirror. During Piers Morgan's editorship of the paper he became show business editor before becoming head of news in...
, Editor of the Daily Mirror - Luke Wright, Sussex CCC, and England Cricketer.