St. Francis' College, Letchworth
Encyclopedia
St Francis' College is a boarding and day school for girls aged 3–18 in Letchworth
, Hertfordshire
. The site is within the Letchworth Conservation Area, management of which is the responsibility of the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation (formerly the Letchworth Corporation). The College occupies a single campus of 3.1 hectares (7.66 acres) comprising a number of buildings, playing fields, gardens and car parking etc.
. Originally built for St Christopher’s School
, it was acquired by the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary
in 1933 to found St Francis’ College, a connection which is reflected in several aspects of the buildings, including the chapel. Various buildings have been developed or improved since 1983, when the sisters withdrew.
The main entrance is into the Broadway Building, a substantial building extending to four floors, plus a basement. It is constructed from steel uprights and beams, in-filled with concrete floor slabs and brick exterior walls. It was built in 1938; the foundation stone was placed by Bishop Eugene van Rechem. Extensions, in the 1960s, were made to the Dining Hall and Chapel above and the JCR (junior common room) and Chapel Annexe added. The Broadway Building contains inter alia the residential area for the boarders, classrooms, Sixth Form Centre, Head’s and her Deputy’s offices and some of the College administration staff.
The Middle School Building was built in 1919 and Mrs Annie Besant
, President of the Theosophical
Education trust, laid what was then a cornerstone to mark the occasion. With later additions in 1924 the cornerstone became a single faced stone in the east wall of the building. It is, in part, two storeys high, organised around a central courtyard, within which is a temporary building.
The Theatre and Gymnasium were built in 1924 at the same time as the northern part of Middle School and again the foundation stone was laid by the, later, Dr Annie Besant. The Theatre has seating for 330 although the originally capacity was 600. Originally it was intended to be an Assembly Hall, but at the eleventh hour the design was altered to add a fly tower and create a theatre. The statue of St Francis, above the entrance, was added in 1937. Well known in its heyday (Olivier
is believed to have made his first stage appearance here, as a babe-in-arms) the Theatre became dilapidated in the 1980s, but the auditorium and stage were refurbished in 2001/02 with further improvements to the foyer etc. in 2003/04. The Prep. Department Building, a two-storey brick building with basement, was constructed in the 1940s with an extension circa late 1960s.
On-site recreation and sporting facilities include a 20-metre, indoor heated swimming pool, built in the early 1970s, five tarmac tennis/netball courts, a sports field and adjacent grassed sports/playing area. Kindergarten is provided, to the north of the Broadway Building, with an all-weather play area extending into an enclosed garden. The Upper Prep pupils have access to a grassed area known as the Loggia garden, south of their classrooms in Middle School.
Letchworth
Letchworth Garden City, commonly known as Letchworth, is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. The town's name is taken from one of the three villages it surrounded - all of which featured in the Domesday Book. The land used was first purchased by Quakers who had intended to farm the...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. The site is within the Letchworth Conservation Area, management of which is the responsibility of the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation (formerly the Letchworth Corporation). The College occupies a single campus of 3.1 hectares (7.66 acres) comprising a number of buildings, playing fields, gardens and car parking etc.
History
The school buildings belong to the period from 1919-38 when Letchworth was being developed as the first Garden CityGarden city movement
The garden city movement is a method of urban planning that was initiated in 1898 by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the United Kingdom. Garden cities were intended to be planned, self-contained communities surrounded by "greenbelts" , containing proportionate areas of residences, industry and...
. Originally built for St Christopher’s School
St Christopher School, Letchworth
St Christopher School is a boarding and day co-educational independent school located in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire. Established in 1915 shortly after Ebenezer Howard founded Letchworth Garden City, the school is a long-time proponent of progressive education...
, it was acquired by the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary
Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary
The Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary is a Roman Catholic religious order founded in Ghent, Belgium on November 4, 1803 by Father Peter Joseph Triest, the parish priest of Lovendegem that time. Father Peter recruited a group of young women, from which the co-foundress Mother...
in 1933 to found St Francis’ College, a connection which is reflected in several aspects of the buildings, including the chapel. Various buildings have been developed or improved since 1983, when the sisters withdrew.
The main entrance is into the Broadway Building, a substantial building extending to four floors, plus a basement. It is constructed from steel uprights and beams, in-filled with concrete floor slabs and brick exterior walls. It was built in 1938; the foundation stone was placed by Bishop Eugene van Rechem. Extensions, in the 1960s, were made to the Dining Hall and Chapel above and the JCR (junior common room) and Chapel Annexe added. The Broadway Building contains inter alia the residential area for the boarders, classrooms, Sixth Form Centre, Head’s and her Deputy’s offices and some of the College administration staff.
The Middle School Building was built in 1919 and Mrs Annie Besant
Annie Besant
Annie Besant was a prominent British Theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator and supporter of Irish and Indian self rule.She was married at 19 to Frank Besant but separated from him over religious differences. She then became a prominent speaker for the National Secular Society ...
, President of the Theosophical
Theosophical Society
The Theosophical Society is an organization formed in 1875 to advance the spiritual principles and search for Truth known as Theosophy. The original organization, after splits and realignments has several successors...
Education trust, laid what was then a cornerstone to mark the occasion. With later additions in 1924 the cornerstone became a single faced stone in the east wall of the building. It is, in part, two storeys high, organised around a central courtyard, within which is a temporary building.
The Theatre and Gymnasium were built in 1924 at the same time as the northern part of Middle School and again the foundation stone was laid by the, later, Dr Annie Besant. The Theatre has seating for 330 although the originally capacity was 600. Originally it was intended to be an Assembly Hall, but at the eleventh hour the design was altered to add a fly tower and create a theatre. The statue of St Francis, above the entrance, was added in 1937. Well known in its heyday (Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
is believed to have made his first stage appearance here, as a babe-in-arms) the Theatre became dilapidated in the 1980s, but the auditorium and stage were refurbished in 2001/02 with further improvements to the foyer etc. in 2003/04. The Prep. Department Building, a two-storey brick building with basement, was constructed in the 1940s with an extension circa late 1960s.
On-site recreation and sporting facilities include a 20-metre, indoor heated swimming pool, built in the early 1970s, five tarmac tennis/netball courts, a sports field and adjacent grassed sports/playing area. Kindergarten is provided, to the north of the Broadway Building, with an all-weather play area extending into an enclosed garden. The Upper Prep pupils have access to a grassed area known as the Loggia garden, south of their classrooms in Middle School.
Notable former pupils
- Jennie BondJennie BondJennifer "Jennie" Bond is an English journalist and television presenter. She worked for fourteen years as the BBC's royal correspondent. She has most recently hosted Cash in the Attic and narrated the five series programme, Great British Menu.-Early career:She was educated at St...
, previously the BBC Royal Correspondent, attended St Francis' College.