Sevenoaks Prep School
Encyclopedia
Sevenoaks Prep School is a preparatory school
in Sevenoaks
in south-east England
. It is situated in the London commuter belt
. A mixed school of some 380 children, there is a significant proportion of pupils from international
backgrounds.
The School is situated on the Sackville
estate, on grounds bordering the park of Knole House
. It is the venue for the Thomas Trophy, an annual cross-country running event which attracts many hundreds of competitors from schools across South-east England.
) brought together a class of six boys who were too young to attend the main school. She educated them herself in the Grammar School Cottage Block until they were ready to move up.
In 1921 the Rev C G Holland became head master of an already expanding prep school. He bought No. 4 Vine Court Road, to be known as Old School House, and moved there with thirty five boys. The back garden on two levels became the playground, known from then on as the upper and lower Quad. Education consisted of Latin
, divinity
, arithmetic
, history
, geography
, English
, French
but no science
. There was art
, and drama with an annual school play on the lawn, singing
and music
, and some sport on The Vine Cricket Club Ground and Hollybush Lane Recreation Ground. Gym
was mainly marching and turning conducted by an ex-Army Sergeant Major. School caps, which were then maroon and black, were worn as a badge of honour and defended in many sore contests.
In 1928 Mr M N Jukes MA, a wounded veteran of the Gallipoli
campaign, bought the school, inheriting thirty boys. He took in a few fatherless boys, as boarders and cared for them like sons. By 1931 there were seventy two pupils and by 1938 one hundred and two. In this year Mr F G Morgan became joint headmaster. Having survived two World Wars Mr Jukes fell a victim to increasing road traffic. Mr Morgan having moved on in 1946, in 1947 Mr Jukes was seriously disabled when knocked down by a car. From then until his death in 1957 Mr Jukes continued to supervise the school and even teach from his bed, while his able assistant teacher, Mrs A E Lang MA, became headmistress. She maintained the school with all its high reputation until it was bought by Mr K C Ely in 1958.
For ten years Mr K C Ely developed the school to meet the increasing demands of education. Averaging between a hundred and forty and a hundred and fifty boys between the ages of five and fourteen on the register, he hired the Carey Hall of the Vine Baptist Church. Anxious for room to expand and, in particular, to have grounds and playing fields for his boys, Mr Ely took up the tenancy of Fawke Cottage at Godden Green, part of the Sackville
estate in the grounds of Knole House
.
In 1978 Mr Ely retired, handing the school on to Mr E Oatley, who came from his post as deputy head at Winchester House. In 1986 the school took over the lease of the adjacent Stake Farm as a base for the Pre-prep department. The playing fields were greatly extended, with athletics
track, floodlit seven-a-side pitch and all-weather cricket nets. In 1987 a larger car park was built and a new Reception block was put up in the back garden of Stake Farm to enable the school to run two classes in each year group. Considerable expansion took place in the early years of the 21st century with numbers reaching nearly 400 pupils. A large modern sports hall was opened in the millennium
year, this being followed by a new classroom block. On his retirement in 2005 Edward Oatley was honoured as a Member of the Order of the British Empire
(MBE) for services to education and to the community in Kent
.
The present head of 'The Prep' is Mr Philip Oldroyd. Mr Oldroyd is one of five former pupils of the school who are currently members of the teaching staff. The schools ethos remains the same - education at The Prep is for life, not just the classroom. At Sevenoaks Prep teaching is based on the understanding that children are individuals who mature at different times in different ways. An ethos of strong pastoral care and constant two way communication with children and their parents results in a reputation for producing happy, well balanced, high achievers. Improvements at the school continued with a brand new kitchen and dining room (now known as The Oakery) opened by chef Gary Rhodes in June 2009. The same building houses the new drama and music centre.
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...
in Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
in south-east 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 situated in the London commuter belt
London commuter belt
The London commuter belt is the metropolitan area surrounding London, England from which it is practical to commute to work in the capital. It is alternatively known as the Greater South East, the London metropolitan area or the Southeast metropolitan area...
. A mixed school of some 380 children, there is a significant proportion of pupils from international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
backgrounds.
The School is situated on the Sackville
Baron Sackville
Baron Sackville, of Knole in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1876 for the Honourable Mortimer Sackville-West, with remainder, failing heirs male of his body, to his younger brothers the Hon. Lionel and the Hon. William Edward...
estate, on grounds bordering the park of Knole House
Knole House
Knole is an English country house in the town of Sevenoaks in west Kent, surrounded by a deer park. One of England's largest houses, it is reputed to be a calendar house, having 365 rooms, 52 staircases, 12 entrances and 7 courtyards...
. It is the venue for the Thomas Trophy, an annual cross-country running event which attracts many hundreds of competitors from schools across South-east England.
History
There is some uncertainty about the very beginnings of the school, but tradition has it that in 1919 Mrs Garrod, wife of the headmaster of Sevenoaks Grammar School, (now Sevenoaks SchoolSevenoaks School
Sevenoaks School is an English coeducational independent school located in the town of Sevenoaks, Kent. It is the oldest lay school in the United Kingdom, dating back to 1432. Almost 1,000 day pupils and boarders attend, ranging in age from 11 to 18 years. There are approximately equal numbers of...
) brought together a class of six boys who were too young to attend the main school. She educated them herself in the Grammar School Cottage Block until they were ready to move up.
In 1921 the Rev C G Holland became head master of an already expanding prep school. He bought No. 4 Vine Court Road, to be known as Old School House, and moved there with thirty five boys. The back garden on two levels became the playground, known from then on as the upper and lower Quad. Education consisted of Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, divinity
Divinity
Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in...
, arithmetic
Arithmetic
Arithmetic or arithmetics is the oldest and most elementary branch of mathematics, used by almost everyone, for tasks ranging from simple day-to-day counting to advanced science and business calculations. It involves the study of quantity, especially as the result of combining numbers...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
but no science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
. There was art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, and drama with an annual school play on the lawn, singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, and some sport on The Vine Cricket Club Ground and Hollybush Lane Recreation Ground. Gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
was mainly marching and turning conducted by an ex-Army Sergeant Major. School caps, which were then maroon and black, were worn as a badge of honour and defended in many sore contests.
In 1928 Mr M N Jukes MA, a wounded veteran of the Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
campaign, bought the school, inheriting thirty boys. He took in a few fatherless boys, as boarders and cared for them like sons. By 1931 there were seventy two pupils and by 1938 one hundred and two. In this year Mr F G Morgan became joint headmaster. Having survived two World Wars Mr Jukes fell a victim to increasing road traffic. Mr Morgan having moved on in 1946, in 1947 Mr Jukes was seriously disabled when knocked down by a car. From then until his death in 1957 Mr Jukes continued to supervise the school and even teach from his bed, while his able assistant teacher, Mrs A E Lang MA, became headmistress. She maintained the school with all its high reputation until it was bought by Mr K C Ely in 1958.
For ten years Mr K C Ely developed the school to meet the increasing demands of education. Averaging between a hundred and forty and a hundred and fifty boys between the ages of five and fourteen on the register, he hired the Carey Hall of the Vine Baptist Church. Anxious for room to expand and, in particular, to have grounds and playing fields for his boys, Mr Ely took up the tenancy of Fawke Cottage at Godden Green, part of the Sackville
Baron Sackville
Baron Sackville, of Knole in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1876 for the Honourable Mortimer Sackville-West, with remainder, failing heirs male of his body, to his younger brothers the Hon. Lionel and the Hon. William Edward...
estate in the grounds of Knole House
Knole House
Knole is an English country house in the town of Sevenoaks in west Kent, surrounded by a deer park. One of England's largest houses, it is reputed to be a calendar house, having 365 rooms, 52 staircases, 12 entrances and 7 courtyards...
.
In 1978 Mr Ely retired, handing the school on to Mr E Oatley, who came from his post as deputy head at Winchester House. In 1986 the school took over the lease of the adjacent Stake Farm as a base for the Pre-prep department. The playing fields were greatly extended, with 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...
track, floodlit seven-a-side pitch and all-weather cricket nets. In 1987 a larger car park was built and a new Reception block was put up in the back garden of Stake Farm to enable the school to run two classes in each year group. Considerable expansion took place in the early years of the 21st century with numbers reaching nearly 400 pupils. A large modern sports hall was opened in the millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
year, this being followed by a new classroom block. On his retirement in 2005 Edward Oatley was honoured as a Member of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The 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...
(MBE) for services to education and to the community in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
The present head of 'The Prep' is Mr Philip Oldroyd. Mr Oldroyd is one of five former pupils of the school who are currently members of the teaching staff. The schools ethos remains the same - education at The Prep is for life, not just the classroom. At Sevenoaks Prep teaching is based on the understanding that children are individuals who mature at different times in different ways. An ethos of strong pastoral care and constant two way communication with children and their parents results in a reputation for producing happy, well balanced, high achievers. Improvements at the school continued with a brand new kitchen and dining room (now known as The Oakery) opened by chef Gary Rhodes in June 2009. The same building houses the new drama and music centre.
Notable Former Pupils and Teachers
- Ian WalkerIan Walker (sailor)Ian Walker is one of Britain’s most successful sailors, with two Olympic silver medals to his name. Walker also coached Shirley Robertson and her Yngling Team to gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics...
: British Yachtsman of the Year 2001, double Olympic GamesOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
silver medallist, Skipper of the GBR Challenge to the Americas Cup 2002. http://www.yachtinguniverse.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=541&theme=Printer - Mike ConwayMike ConwayMike Conway, born 19 August 1983, is a British racing driver. He lives in Sevenoaks, Kent and is currently competing in the IZOD IndyCar Series.- Biography :Conway who was born in Bromley, Kent, England attended Sevenoaks Prep School from 1986 to 1996....
: 2006 Champion in British Formula 3 International motor racing, British karting Formula A champion, Formula RenaultFormula RenaultFormula Renault is a class of formula racing founded in 1971. It is popular in Europe and other countries. Regarded as an entry-level series to motor racing, it is a respected series where drivers can learn advanced racecraft before moving on to Formula Three, World Series by Renault, GP2 or...
champion 2004. http://www.mikeconway.co.uk/biography.php - Stefan Purdy: National AAA http://www.englandathletics.org/ Shot PutShot putThe shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
champion 1969: Professional rugbyRugby footballRugby 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:...
, playing for SurreySurreySurrey 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...
, SussexSussexSussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, Harlequin F.C.Harlequin F.C.The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
and London WaspsLondon WaspsLondon Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
. - Brian KinseyBrian KinseyBrian Robert Kinsey , is an English footballer who played as a left back in the Football League.-External links:*...
: Former captain of Charlton Athletic F.C.Charlton Athletic F.C.Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
http://www.cafc.co.uk/default.ink, played 418 matches for Charlton from 1956 to 1971. - Dan ClewsDan ClewsDan Clews is a British born singer/songwriter from Sevenoaks, Kent, England.After spending years honing his craft on the UK’s live circuit Dan moved to Sweden and began collaborations with local artists. These collaborations resulted in two now sold-out releases with, ‘The Stars Above’.This...
: Singer-songwriterSinger-songwriterSinger-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
http://www.danclews.co.uk/. Associations with the SwedishSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
group The Stars Above. - James Graham-BrownJames Graham-BrownJames Martin Hilary Graham-Brown is an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler who played for Kent, Derbyshire, and Dorset between 1974 and 1991....
: County CricketCounty cricketCounty cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
for KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, DerbyshireDerbyshireDerbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
and DorsetDorsetDorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
http://www.cricketarchive.com/Kent/Players/29/29734/29734.html - Martin PurdyMartin PurdyMartin Purdy is an English rugby union player who is currently playing for English Rugby side London Welsh. Purdy's position of choice is as a lock.- Career :...
: Professional rugby player, position: lock. EnglandEnglandEngland 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...
Under-16, Under-18, Under-21 teams, London WaspsLondon WaspsLondon Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
(2003–2007), http://www.wasps.co.uk/playerdisplay.ink?season=2005/2006&squadno=5488, Bath RugbyBath RugbyBath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
(2007-)http://www.bathrugby.com/3_7.php. Under-17 Kent County Cricketer, County-standard javelin throwJavelin throwThe javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
. - Daniel Collings: Freelance journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. Contributor to Yorkshire PostYorkshire PostThe Yorkshire Post is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by Yorkshire Post Newspapers, a company owned by Johnston Press...
. Joint author with Anthony SeldonAnthony SeldonDr. Anthony F. Seldon MA, PhD, FRSA, MBA, FRHistS is a political commentator best known as Tony Blair's biographer and the Master of Wellington College...
of Britain Under ThatcherMargaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
(1999). - Jim CarmichaelJim CarmichaelJames F. Carmichael, also known as Jim Carmichael, is a former Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives, representing the 3rd District from 2000–2008. He currently is a commissioner for Wayne County.-External links:*...
: DrummerDrummerA drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
with the bandBand (music)In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
Freak Power http://www.discogs.com/artist/Freak+Power. International hit: Turn on, tune it, cop out 1995 (Levi's TV advertisement background musicBackground musicAlthough background music was by the end of the 20th century generally identified with Muzak or elevator music, there are several stages in the development of this concept.-Antecedents:...
, Top of the PopsTop of the PopsTop of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
) - Mark Sheffield: Yachtsman http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/low/other_sports/sailing/americas_cup/gbr_crew_profiles/2210343.stm, Whitbread Round the World Race, Admirals Cup
- Paul DowntonPaul DowntonPaul Downton is a former English cricketer, who played in thirty Tests and twenty eight ODIs from 1977 to 1989. He was a wicket-keeper and a useful batsman in the lower middle-order...
: First Class and Test Cricketer (Off-break Bowler, Wicket Keeper) - Kent, Middlesex, MCCMarylebone Cricket ClubMarylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
and England. - Spencer James: RadioRadioRadio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
PresenterPresenterA presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
http://www.spencerjames.net/, MediaMass mediaMass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
personality. - Edward Oatley: awarded MBEMBEMBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
for services to education and to the community. One example of his community work was a sponsored cycle ride across South Africa in order to raise money for the Lime Green Laces appeal http://www.limegreenlaceappeal.org/ run by the Haller FoundationHaller FoundationHaller was founded in 2004 in the United Kingdom by Ann Louise Piper to help small holder farmers and their families in water harvesting and sustainable farming methods, including organic farming, use of natural pesticides, integrated aquaculture systems and animal husbandry. Haller is inspired...
.