St. Aubyns Preparatory School
Encyclopedia
St. Aubyns Preparatory School is a private co-educational school in Rottingdean
, East Sussex, England, catering for children from the ages of 3 to 13. The school was formally founded in 1895 but has origins in educational establishments founded in the 18th century by the then vicar of Rottingdean, Dr Thomas Hooker. The headmaster is Simon Hitchings. By tradition the school does not use the apostrophe in its name.
and moved with his wife, his deputy (Mr RCV Lang), a maintenance man and six pupils to start a new school.
The premises which he occupied had been a school for much of the 19th Century. Revd Thomas Hooker, Vicar of Rottingdean from 1790s to 1830s, was well-known as an educator of pupils who lodged with him at the vicarage. He then rented rooms in the former Rottingdean Manor House and employed a second master as an extension to the school. After his death this continued as a school which changed hands several times. From 1863 a Mr Hewitt ran a school on this site called Field House School - here Ralph Vaughan Williams and the later Earl Jellicoe were educated. The school was bought in 1887 by two brothers called Mason; they gave the name Rottingdean School to their establishment. They vacated the site in 1894 and moved Rottingdean School to another site in the village. Thus Mr Stanford came upon an empty site when he arrived in 1895.
The school remained in essence unchanged for its first 100 years, with numbers between 60 and 100 pupils for most of that time. A chapel was built in 1912 and dedicated the following year. This records the names of 102 old boys who died in the First
and Second World Wars
.
The school was privately owned by Mr Stanford who passed it on to Mr Lang who succeeded him as Headmaster in 1919. Mr Lang in turn passed the school on to his successor Mr WH Gervis in 1940. One of the other masters, Mr EK Webber, had a financial share in the business. The school became a limited company and a charitable trust in 1969.
During the Second World War the school was evacuated to North Wales. A family called Wynne Finch made their mansion, Voelas near Pentrefoelas, available to the school in 1940. Here school life continued as if unchanged, including sporting fixtures against other prep schools evacuated to the area. The Voelas Cup is still awarded each year to a pupil who has gained the most section marks.
In 1995 a Pre-Prep Department was opened and with this came an increase in the proportion of day pupils. Girls were first admitted to the school in 1996 (although the first girl was Molly Stanford, daughter of Mr Stanford, in the first decade of the 1900s). In 2002 a Nursery was opened. Full boarding ended in 2003, although weekly- and flexi-boarding continue.
Throughout its history St Aubyns has prepared pupils for entry to public schools nationally and locally. In its first hundred years a majority of pupils moved on to Eton, Harrow, Radley, Stowe, Marlborough and Charterhouse
. More recently the destination of pupils has been predominantly local to schools such as Brighton College
, St Bede's, Lancing College
, Hurstpierpoint College
, Roedean and Eastbourne College
, although in most years some girls and boys will move to boarding schools beyond Sussex.
highlights a "stimulating and tolerant atmosphere", "outstanding" pastoral care, and the focus on personalised learning as "an area of outstanding practice". "Achievement in drama, art and sport ... is outstanding for a school of its size", the report states. The behaviour of the children and the excellent relationship between pupils and staff are also singled out for praise. The Nursery Inspection (Ofsted 2008) emphasises the outstanding nature of the provision at that level. The boarding provision was judged to be outstanding in the Boarding Inspection (Ofsted 2009). A recent press article described the school as having 'the intoxicating combination of small classes and a big heart".
Rottingdean
Rottingdean is a coastal village next to the town of Brighton and technically within the city of Brighton and Hove, in East Sussex, on the south coast of England...
, East Sussex, England, catering for children from the ages of 3 to 13. The school was formally founded in 1895 but has origins in educational establishments founded in the 18th century by the then vicar of Rottingdean, Dr Thomas Hooker. The headmaster is Simon Hitchings. By tradition the school does not use the apostrophe in its name.
History
St Aubyns was founded by Mr CEF Stanford in 1895 as a boys' boarding prep school. Mr Stanford had been a housemaster of Kingsgate School in WinchesterWinchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
and moved with his wife, his deputy (Mr RCV Lang), a maintenance man and six pupils to start a new school.
The premises which he occupied had been a school for much of the 19th Century. Revd Thomas Hooker, Vicar of Rottingdean from 1790s to 1830s, was well-known as an educator of pupils who lodged with him at the vicarage. He then rented rooms in the former Rottingdean Manor House and employed a second master as an extension to the school. After his death this continued as a school which changed hands several times. From 1863 a Mr Hewitt ran a school on this site called Field House School - here Ralph Vaughan Williams and the later Earl Jellicoe were educated. The school was bought in 1887 by two brothers called Mason; they gave the name Rottingdean School to their establishment. They vacated the site in 1894 and moved Rottingdean School to another site in the village. Thus Mr Stanford came upon an empty site when he arrived in 1895.
The school remained in essence unchanged for its first 100 years, with numbers between 60 and 100 pupils for most of that time. A chapel was built in 1912 and dedicated the following year. This records the names of 102 old boys who died in the First
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and Second World Wars
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The school was privately owned by Mr Stanford who passed it on to Mr Lang who succeeded him as Headmaster in 1919. Mr Lang in turn passed the school on to his successor Mr WH Gervis in 1940. One of the other masters, Mr EK Webber, had a financial share in the business. The school became a limited company and a charitable trust in 1969.
During the Second World War the school was evacuated to North Wales. A family called Wynne Finch made their mansion, Voelas near Pentrefoelas, available to the school in 1940. Here school life continued as if unchanged, including sporting fixtures against other prep schools evacuated to the area. The Voelas Cup is still awarded each year to a pupil who has gained the most section marks.
In 1995 a Pre-Prep Department was opened and with this came an increase in the proportion of day pupils. Girls were first admitted to the school in 1996 (although the first girl was Molly Stanford, daughter of Mr Stanford, in the first decade of the 1900s). In 2002 a Nursery was opened. Full boarding ended in 2003, although weekly- and flexi-boarding continue.
Throughout its history St Aubyns has prepared pupils for entry to public schools nationally and locally. In its first hundred years a majority of pupils moved on to Eton, Harrow, Radley, Stowe, Marlborough and Charterhouse
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
. More recently the destination of pupils has been predominantly local to schools such as Brighton College
Brighton College
Brighton College is an institution divided between a Senior School known simply as Brighton College, the Prep School and the Pre-Prep School. All of these schools are co-educational independent schools in Brighton, England, sited immediately next to each another. The Senior School caters for...
, St Bede's, Lancing College
Lancing College
Lancing College is a co-educational English independent school in the British public school tradition, founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard. Woodard's aim was to provide education "based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith." Lancing was the first of a...
, Hurstpierpoint College
Hurstpierpoint College
Hurstpierpoint College is an independent, co-educational, day and boarding school for pupils aged 4–18, located just to the north of the village of Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex in the lee of the South Downs...
, Roedean and Eastbourne College
Eastbourne College
Eastbourne College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils aged 13–18, situated on the south coast of England, included in the Tatler list of top public schools. The College's current headmaster is Simon Davies. The College was founded by the Duke of Devonshire...
, although in most years some girls and boys will move to boarding schools beyond Sussex.
School name
Mr Stanford founded the school as St Aubyn's. The reason for the choice of name is not known. The apostrophe was used in the name until 1940. Without any explanation or comment the apostrophe was dropped after the Spring Term 1940. This can be seen in the school magazines for the Spring and Summer Terms of that year. The change coincided with the new Headmaster, Mr Gervis, and with the school's evacuation from Rottingdean at the start of the war. The name St Aubyns has been used consistently by the school ever since.Headmasters
- 1895-1919 Mr C.E.F. Stanford
- 1919-1940 Mr R.C.V. Lang
- 1940-1974 Mr W.H. Gervis
- 1974-1998 Mr J.A.L. James
- 1998-2007 Mr A.G. Gobat
- 2007- Mr S.L. Hitchings
Notable former pupils
- William ShawcrossWilliam ShawcrossWilliam Hartley Hume Shawcross, CVO is a British writer and commentator.-Career:Shawcross was educated at St. Aubyns Preparatory School, Rottingdean, Eton College and University College, Oxford. He attended St. Martin's Art School to study sculpture after leaving Oxford. He worked as a journalist...
, writer - Robert Boothby, Baron Boothby, politician
- Sir Wilfred Thesiger, explorer
- David Carnegie, 11th Earl of NortheskDavid Carnegie, 11th Earl of NortheskDavid Ludovic George Hopetoun Carnegie, 11th Earl of Northesk , elected a Scottish representative peer, was also an Olympic medallist....
, winter olympian and representative peer - Terence Bourke, 10th Earl of MayoTerence Bourke, 10th Earl of MayoTerence Patrick Bourke, 10th Earl of Mayo spent much of his life in England, before moving to Ireland and finally France. He was a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm, ran a printing company, attempted to be elected as an MP in England, ran a marble quarrying company, and finally bred deer in south-west...
, businessman, politician and farmer - Sir Guy Campbell, 5th BaronetSir Guy Campbell, 5th BaronetColonel Sir Guy Theophilus Halswell Campbell, 5th Baronet OBE, MC was a British soldier. Sir Guy's branch of the Campbell Baronets, of St Cross Mede, were created in 1815 with Sir Guy Campbell, 1st Baronet.-Background:...
, soldier - Percy Bernard, 5th Earl of BandonPercy Bernard, 5th Earl of BandonAir Chief Marshal Percy Ronald Gardner Bernard, 5th Earl of Bandon, GBE, CB, CVO, DSO, RAF was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force in the mid-20th century. He was a squadron, station and group commander during World War II and the fifth Commandant of the Royal Observer Corps after the War...
, Air Chief Marshal - Myles PonsonbyMyles PonsonbyMyles Walter Ponsonby CBE , was a British soldier, intelligence officer, diplomat and politician. He was Ambassador to Mongolia from 1974 to 1977.-Early life:...
, intelligence officer, diplomat, British Ambassador to MongoliaMongoliaMongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest... - Nicholas SoamesNicholas SoamesArthur Nicholas Winston Soames MP , known as Nicholas Soames, is a British Conservative Party Member of Parliament for the constituency of Mid Sussex....
, politician - Sir George YoungSir George Young, 6th BaronetSir George Samuel Knatchbull Young, 6th Baronet is a British politician. He is currently the Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal, and has served as a Conservative Party Member of Parliament since 1974, having represented North West Hampshire since 1997, and Ealing Acton before...
, politician - Edward Baldwin, 4th Earl Baldwin of BewdleyEarl Baldwin of BewdleyEarl Baldwin of Bewdley is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1937 for the Conservative politician Stanley Baldwin. He was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1923 to 1924, from 1924 to 1929 and from 1935 to 1937. Baldwin was made Viscount Corvedale, of Corvedale...
, politician - Stuart WheelerStuart WheelerStuart Wheeler is a British businessman and politician. He made his fortune as the founder of the spread betting firm IG Index in 1974, but is best known for his political activism, being formerly a major donor to the Conservative Party and since 2011, has been treasurer of the United Kingdom...
, businessman and political activist - Sir Ralph Anstruther, Treasurer and Equerry to Her Majesty the Queen Mother
- Hugo SwireHugo SwireHugo George William Swire is a British Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for East Devon since 2001. He is currently a Minister of State for Northern Ireland in the current Government....
, politician - Andrew LindsayAndrew LindsayAndrew Lindsay is a British competition rower and Olympic champion.Lindsay won a gold medal in coxed eights at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, as a member of the British rowing team....
, Olympic gold medallist (2000), rowing - Matthew FlemingMatthew FlemingMatthew Valentine Fleming is a former cricketer who represented Kent and England.Born out of his time, his background was Eton and the Royal Greenjackets, his approach was cavalier. His first 2 scoring shots in first class cricket were sixes.He played 11 One Day Internationals but no Test matches...
, England and Kent cricketer - Adam VirgoAdam VirgoAdam John Virgo is a professional footballer currently playing for Bristol Rovers.-Career:From the age of seven Virgo played for the St. Aubyns Preparatory School football team. At 13 he was awarded a sports scholarship to Ardingly College. He then moved to his home town club Brighton...
, football player - Noah CatoNoah CatoNoah Cato is a rugby union player who currently plays as a Winger/Fullback for Northampton Rugby Club in the Guinness Premiership....
, rugby player - John Kipling, son of Rudyard KiplingRudyard KiplingJoseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
, see My Boy JackMy Boy Jack (poem)My Boy Jack is a 1915 poem by Rudyard Kipling. Kipling wrote it after his beloved son John an 18 year old Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, Irish Guards went missing in September 1915 during the Battle of Loos, during World War I... - John Kempe, Headmaster of Gordonstoun, mountaineer
Inspection
The Independent Schools InspectorateIndependent Schools Inspectorate
The Independent Schools Inspectorate is an organisation responsible for the inspection of independent schools in England which are affiliated to the Independent Schools Council . The Inspectorate is a separate company, owned by the Independent Schools Council and has its work monitored by the...
highlights a "stimulating and tolerant atmosphere", "outstanding" pastoral care, and the focus on personalised learning as "an area of outstanding practice". "Achievement in drama, art and sport ... is outstanding for a school of its size", the report states. The behaviour of the children and the excellent relationship between pupils and staff are also singled out for praise. The Nursery Inspection (Ofsted 2008) emphasises the outstanding nature of the provision at that level. The boarding provision was judged to be outstanding in the Boarding Inspection (Ofsted 2009). A recent press article described the school as having 'the intoxicating combination of small classes and a big heart".