Yardley Court
Encyclopedia
Yardley Court is a preparatory school in Tonbridge, Kent, England, for boys aged seven to thirteen. The school motto is Comites in comitate, "Courtiers in courtesy".

Founded in 1898, Yardley Court was in its early years run by members of the Bickmore family, including Maurice Bickmore (MHB) and "Eric" Bickmore (AFB). Eric played cricket for Oxford University (1920–21) and for Kent (1919–29). They were succeeded by Eric's sons, John (JADB) and Michael. They were known at the school as "Mr Maurice" (unofficially "Morry" or "Moriatur"), "Mr Eric" ("Old Earache"), "Mr John" ("Johnny") and "Mr Michael" ("Mickey", "Michaelmas Daisies").

Since 1997, John Coakley has been the headmaster. The current deputy head is Richard Green who arrived at the school in January 2000. Nathan Close is the Director of Studies with Jonathan Shute the head of the Junior school. Malcolm Gough is the Head of Teaching and Learning. The school moved to its current site in 1999; having been previously situated on Yardley Park Road, close to Tonbridge School. At its current site, Derwent Lodge was added in 2001, with a Pre-Prep school joining in 2006.

The school's facilities include a sports hall that was opened on 4 July 2002 by Mrs Godfrey Jayne Hallows Bickmore, new dining room and an indoor swimming pool. Dame Kelly Holmes
Kelly Holmes
Dame Kelly Holmes, DBE, MBE is a retired British middle distance athlete. She specialised in the 800 metres and 1500 metres events and won a gold medal for both distances at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens...

 opened the dining room and swimming pool on the 1 October 2009.

Notable alumni

The school's alumni, known as Old Yardley Courtiers (OYCs), include journalist Robert Fisk
Robert Fisk
Robert Fisk is an English writer and journalist from Maidstone, Kent. As Middle East correspondent of The Independent, he has primarily been based in Beirut for more than 30 years. He has published a number of books and has reported on the United States's war in Afghanistan and the same country's...

, cricketer Bob Woolmer
Bob Woolmer
Robert Andrew Woolmer was an international cricketer, professional cricket coach and also a professional commentator...

, novelist Frederick Forsyth
Frederick Forsyth
Frederick Forsyth, CBE is an English author and occasional political commentator. He is best known for thrillers such as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fist of God, Icon, The Veteran, Avenger, The Afghan and The Cobra.-...

, presenter Peter West
Peter West
Peter Anthony West was a BBC presenter and sports commentator best known for his work on the corporation's cricket, tennis and rugby coverage as well as occasionally commentating on field hockey. Throughout his television career he remained freelance.-Early life:He was an only child...

  and comedian Nick Milnes. Another well known OYC is the late Elleston Trevor
Elleston Trevor
Elleston Trevor was the pseudonym, and eventually legal name, of the British novelist Trevor Dudley-Smith , who also wrote as Adam Hall, Simon Rattray, Howard North, Roger Fitzalan, Mansell Black, Trevor Burgess, Warwick Scott, Caesar Smith and Lesley Stone...

, known as the author of Flight of The Phoenix and the Quiller series of espionage novels.
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