St Andrew's School, Pangbourne
Encyclopedia
St Andrew's School is an independent
preparatory school in the hamlet
of Buckhold, near Pangbourne
, Berkshire
, England
.
for boys. In 1961 it became a non-profit-making body under a board of governors, and in 1971 it first admitted girls, going on to become fully co-educational.
The school's main building is a Victorian
Gothic
country house
called 'Buckhold', set in fifty-four acres of woods and playing fields. Newer buildings include a sports hall and a music centre.
In 1991, Catherine Middleton, who was then attending the school, first saw her future husband Prince William when he was part of a Ludgrove School
hockey
team that came to play a match at St Andrew's.
and Bradfield College
. In 2011, there were 266 children at the school, of whom 155 were boys and 111 were girls.
The school has a Christian ethos
, and its chapel
services are reported to be "broadly Anglican
in style". The most important religious event of the school year is the Advent Carol Service, which because of the numbers attending is held not at the school but in the larger chapel of nearby Bradfield College
.
Scholarships are awarded to some children above the age of eleven, based on merit. St Andrew's has a School Council to involve its children in decisions affecting them.
In March 2011 an Independent Schools Inspectorate
report endorsed the school's success.
Independent school (UK)
An independent school is a school that is not financed through the taxation system by local or national government and is instead funded by private sources, predominantly in the form of tuition charges, gifts and long-term charitable endowments, and so is not subject to the conditions imposed by...
preparatory school in the hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
of Buckhold, near Pangbourne
Pangbourne
Pangbourne is a large village and civil parish on the River Thames in the English county of Berkshire. Pangbourne is the home of the independent school, Pangbourne College.-Location:...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, 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...
.
History
The school was founded in 1934 as a boarding schoolBoarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for boys. In 1961 it became a non-profit-making body under a board of governors, and in 1971 it first admitted girls, going on to become fully co-educational.
The school's main building is a 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
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
country house
English country house
The English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a London house. This allowed to them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these people, the term distinguished between town and country...
called 'Buckhold', set in fifty-four acres of woods and playing fields. Newer buildings include a sports hall and a music centre.
In 1991, Catherine Middleton, who was then attending the school, first saw her future husband Prince William when he was part of a Ludgrove School
Ludgrove School
Ludgrove School is an independent preparatory boarding school for about 200 boys, aged from seven or eight years to thirteen. It is situated in the civil parish of Wokingham Without, adjoining the town of Wokingham in the English county of Berkshire.-History:...
hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
team that came to play a match at St Andrew's.
Present day
Together with its 'Pre-Prep – Early Years' department, the school now educates girls and boys aged between three and thirteen. On leaving St Andrew's children go on to a wide variety of secondary schools, especially Pangbourne CollegePangbourne College
Pangbourne College is a coeducational independent school located in the civil parish of Pangbourne, just South West of the village, in the English County of Berkshire....
and Bradfield College
Bradfield College
Bradfield College is a coeducational independent school located in the small village of Bradfield in the English county of Berkshire.The college was founded in 1850 by Thomas Stevens, Rector and Lord of the Manor of Bradfield...
. In 2011, there were 266 children at the school, of whom 155 were boys and 111 were girls.
The school has a Christian ethos
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, and its chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
services are reported to be "broadly Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
in style". The most important religious event of the school year is the Advent Carol Service, which because of the numbers attending is held not at the school but in the larger chapel of nearby Bradfield College
Bradfield College
Bradfield College is a coeducational independent school located in the small village of Bradfield in the English county of Berkshire.The college was founded in 1850 by Thomas Stevens, Rector and Lord of the Manor of Bradfield...
.
Scholarships are awarded to some children above the age of eleven, based on merit. St Andrew's has a School Council to involve its children in decisions affecting them.
In March 2011 an Independent Schools Inspectorate
Independent 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...
report endorsed the school's success.
Notable former pupils
Former students of the school are called "Old St Andrew's", and there is an OSA Association.- Adrian Liddell HartAdrian Liddell HartAdrian Liddell Hart was a British soldier, Royal Navy officer, author and adventurer. He served briefly in the French Foreign Legion and portrayed it in the 1953 book Strange Company.-Early life and career:...
, author and adventurer - David Cornwell (John le Carré), spy fiction writer
- Howard Hodgkin Artist
- J.K.Brunner Author
- Adam Hart-Davis Broadcaster
- Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, wife of Prince William
Headmasters
- 1934 - 1954: R. W. Robertson-Glasgow
- 1934 - 1945: Bill Ward-Clark
- 1945 - 1975: Jack Llewellyn-Smith
- 1952 - 1970: Rodney Stebbing
- 1949 - 1952: Bill Berkley
- 1975(?)- 1985: Bill Phillips
- 1985 - 1995: Bob Acheson
- 1995 - 2008: Jeremy Snow
- 2009 – : Dr David Livingstone
External links
- Official website
- Independent Schools Inspectorate Report (March 2011)