Oundle School

Oundle School
File:Grocers.gif
Location
Oundle , Northamptonshire , PE8 4GH England
Information
Type	Independent school Day and boarding school
Motto	God Grant Grace
Religious affiliation(s)	Church Of England
Established	1556
Founder	The Worshipful Company of Grocers
Department for Education URN	122129 Tables
Chairman of Governors	J G Tregoning
Headmaster	Charles Bush
Gender	Coeducational
Age	11 to 18
Enrollment	1,100~
Houses	14
Colour(s)	Blue Maroon
Website	http://www.oundleschool.org.uk

Oundle School is a co-educational boarding and day independent school located in the ancient market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire. The school has been maintained by the Worshipful Company of Grocers of the City of London since its foundation in 1556. Oundle has eight boys' houses, five girls' houses, a day house and a junior house. Together these accommodate more than 1100 pupils. The current headmaster is Charles Bush.

History

The original school was known as Laxton Grammar School, and founded by Sir William Laxton. Laxton had been a member of the Worshipful Company of Grocers and was honoured with the role of Lord Mayor of London in 1544, during the reign of Henry VIII. Laxton used the prosperity which his life in London had granted him to establish a school for the local boys of Oundle in his will, which was to be maintained by the Worshipful Company of Grocers. There had in fact been a school on the site since at least as early as 1485, at which Laxton himself was educated. Sir William Laxton founded his school known as Laxton Grammar School in 1556 (the late Queen Mother having attended the school's fourth centenary celebrations in 1956 held at the original school building situated in the churchyard of St. Peter's Church, North Street, Oundle).

The size and reputation of Laxton Grammar School rose gradually in the following centuries such that by the mid-nineteenth century, many of the school's pupils had been sent from all around the country to receive their formal education in Oundle. In 1876 the decision was made by the Grocers to divide the school into two different establishments, Oundle School and Laxton Grammar School. Laxton Grammar School was to continue to educate boys from Oundle and its surrounding villages while Oundle School was to accept only the sons of gentlemen from further afield.

It is during this period of the school's history that Oundle rose to real prominence as an English Public School, a feat which can be largely attributed to the successes of F. W. Sanderson in his role as headmaster from 1892 until his death in 1922. When Sanderson joined Oundle he found a minor country boarding school, by the time of his death the school had become the leading establishment for science and engineering education. The success of Sanderson can be attributed to his educational ethos, he believed in teaching students what they wanted to learn and as a result helped to introduce subjects such as science, modern languages, and engineering to the English independent school system.

The major development in the recent history of the school came about in 1990, when Oundle opened its doors to girls for the first time. In the year 2000 the decision was made by the school's governing body to re-unite Oundle School and Laxton School as a single educational establishment under the common name Oundle School, with Laxton House becoming the day house.

The school today

Oundle has 835 boarders and 235 day pupils. It is the third largest independent boarding school in England, after Eton and Millfield. The various school buildings which date from the 15th century are scattered around the market town, with the Cloisters acting as the nucleus of the school community.

The Good Schools Guide described the school as a "Popular, well oiled, well heeled co-educational boarding school which is riding high." Pupils obtain strong results at GCSE and A Level. In 2007 91.1% of grades awarded to students at A Level were A or B grade and 83.9% of grades awarded to students at GCSE were A* or A grade. Sixty pupils went on to Oxbridge in the last two years; the overwhelming majority of pupils go on to study at Russell Group universities.

The school still promotes the practice of Christian values and maintains strong links with the Church of England by celebrating the major events of the Christian calendar. All pupils who board are required to attend services in the school chapel three times a week, one midweek lunch time service, Friday hymn practice, and the Sunday service. Pupils of other faiths are free to worship according to their own beliefs but must still attend chapel with the rest of the school.

The school places a strong emphasis on extra-curricular activities which encourage pupils to develop interests outside the classroom. One of the ways in which the school fosters extra-curricular interests is through its extensive programme of voluntary clubs and societies (approaching 50 in number), which range from poetry and debating to croquet and wine tasting. Each academic subject also has its own society which organises evening lectures from guest speakers throughout the year; these can be either directly related to the syllabus or simply to broaden interest in the subject. Outside of term time pupils are given the opportunity to participate in the countless regular school trips which explore all corners of the globe. These include history trips to major European cities, language exchanges in Europe and Asia, charity work in Africa, AAAS conventions and politics trips in America, natural history expeditions to Antarctica, and many more.

Sport is considered to be an essential part of school life and while there exists a multitude of sports to choose from, the emphasis remains on traditional team sports such as rugby, hockey, cricket, rowing and soccer for boys, and hockey, netball and tennis for girls. Oundle performs particularly strongly in independent school rugby, cricket and girls' hockey. A large proportion of the school gathers to support the 1st XV rugby team on the Two Acre during the Michaelmas and Christmas quarters. The school's greatest sporting rivalry is with Uppingham School, while other rivalries include Harrow School, Radley College and Rugby School. The school sends regular rugby, cricket and hockey tours to countries all around the world, while the social 'Ramblers' cricket team is known in the school for its tours of the U.K. and the Caribbean.

Like sport, music plays a vital role within school life for many pupils, and over 60% of pupils regularly practice a musical instrument while at Oundle. The school offers an extensive range of groups, bands, orchestras and choirs which cater for many musical tastes. Such is the success of music at Oundle that in recent years many pupils have gone on to receive musical or choral scholarships from Oxbridge, while school bands and choirs have gone on to perform concerts across the U.K., Europe and even Asia. Musical and non-musical pupils are encouraged to get involved in the house shout and part song competitions in the Lent term which are independently judged and contested fiercely. Possibly the greatest success in the practice of music at the school is its rock society, which can count the likes of Bruce Dickinson among its earliest members. 'Roc-Soc' has been running since the 1970s and promotes the independent formation of popular music bands which have their own dedicated concerts towards the end of every term.

Oundle School has the largest Combined Cadet Force of any school in the country which plays an important role in both the development of pupils as well as in the community, for example in the annual Remembrance Day service. The CCF offers pupils the opportunity to practice their leadership skills whether on parade at school, on the termly field weekends, or on the annual camps. The school has a strong tradition of serving the community with many pupils opting to provide assistance in the local area, or Community Action as an alternative to CCF. There are a broad range of Community Action options available in the Oundle area which cater not only for the needs of the local community but also for the extra-curricular interests of the pupils. Many pupils choose to undertake the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme which provides an ideal combination of the skills they acquire during CCF and Community Action. Every summer since 1982 sixth formers and former pupils have run the Oundle School Mencap holiday, a residential holiday for children with a range of learning disabilities and now a highly respected charity in its own right.

The school has ties with the Laxton Junior School, for primary school pupils, some of whom continue their secondary education as pupils at the senior school. A modern building for Laxton Junior was completed in 2003, to cater for increased demand and to grow out of the labyrinthine building used beforehand, now the Oundle School English department.

In November 2005 the school was found to have taken part in a cartel of price fixing amongst public schools.

Facilities

The Cloisters viewed from the spire of St. Peter's Church

The Great Hall

The Chapel of St. Anthony

The Stahl Theatre

Oundle School's facilities include the following:

• Teaching Facilities. There are a number of different teaching buildings located throughout the town which house classrooms, studios and science and language laboratories. Many lessons take place in the Cloisters which are located in the heart of the town, other main teaching buildings include the Scott, the Gascoigne, the Needham, Old Dryden, the Patrick Centre and the newly built Scitec.

• Sporting Facilities. The school has numerous sporting facilities which cater for a wide variety of different sports. Among these are two sand filled astroturf pitches, a six lane synthetic athletics track, a swimming pool and in excess of twenty tennis courts. The Sports Centre houses two fully equipped sports halls, indoor squash and fives facilities, a climbing wall and well equipped gymnasia. All of these have been rebuilt or refurbished in recent years. There are also extensive playing fields and boating facilities on the nearby River Nene.

• Various CCF buildings including two shooting ranges. There are a number of CCF buildings including the Armoury (the main administrative building and rifle store), and various other smaller buildings used primarily for rifle and first aid training. Situated approximately two miles from Oundle, outside the hamlet of Elmington on the Ashton estate, is Oundle School’s full bore outdoor range. At 500 yards (460 m) long, the range is one of the few of its size in the country to be owned by a school. Rifles can be fired from firing points at either 100, 200, 300 or 500 yards (460 m). There is another, smaller .22 shooting range situated next to the school armoury which is used for day to day use.

• The Great Hall was constructed in 1908, with the North and South Wings added shortly afterwards. The Great hall is located prominently in the center of the town adjacent to the Cloisters and School House, it is used for a variety of functions throughout the year including concerts, receptions, lectures, debates and assemblies. The building also houses the offices of the headmaster and the school admissions department.

• The Chapel of Saint Anthony, consecrated in 1923, was built as a memorial to the fallen of the First World War. It contains some of the most important and influential stained glass in the country including the Piper windows of 1954. The Chapel is where the school community meets. It links past and present, and bears witness, both in itself and in its art and worship, to the abiding values of the Christian Faith. The chapel houses two organs, a classical instrument built in 1984 by Frobenius of Denmark has three manuals and pedals, thirty-five speaking stops and mechanical action. It is situated in the Gallery at the West end. A romantic instrument installed by Copeman Hart in 2000 and situated at the East end of the Chapel provides accompaniment for the Chapel Choir, and leads the whole school singing. It has three manuals and pedals with a West end solo division.

• The Yarrow Gallery is the school's private art gallery, which puts on approximately half a dozen exhibitions every year. The space is adaptable and suitable for activities such as poetry readings, plays and small concerts as well as exhibitions. The purpose of the museum is that it should house a collection of pictures, specimens and models to illustrate "the history, development and beauty of the various branches of knowledge". The genealogical tree of the aeroplane and the Durham miner were charted and exhibits such as the skeleton of the white horse which used to draw the School ambulance to the Sanatorium were featured. The statue by Kathleen Scott entitled "Here Am I, Send Me" is erroneously held to be modelled on her son Peter Scott.

• The Stahl Theatre opened in 1980 and runs from a converted church on West Street, it can seat an audience of over 400. The Stahl Theatre is owned and managed by Oundle School, run by the Drama Department staff, many of whom have a professional theatre background. It houses both the School productions and visiting professional theatre companies. It acts as the local community theatre used by the local junior and middle schools for their annual productions, by the Oundle Literature and Organ Festivals and by groups such as the Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

• The Patrick Centre specialises in design technology, automobile engineering and other manual crafts. The school has had a strong reputation for science and engineering since the days of F. W. Sanderson, and this is reflected in the excellent facilities and equipment located within these buildings. Opened in 1998 after a generous donation from an old boy, the Patrick Centre plays an important role in the academic and extra-curricular activities of many pupils. Year after year Oundelians continue to build cars and other forms of automobile the parts of which are manufactured almost entirely in the workshops.

• The Cripps Library was opened in 1988. It houses approximately 22,000 books encompassing all subjects. The Library is staffed throughout the school day and is open to the whole school for research, information or borrowing for academic work and leisure reading. The library was completely refurbished in 2011, with study spaces named in honour of inspirational former teachers at the school. The Peter Ling Room houses the new display cabinets for the Greek pots, the Dudley Heesom Room has been equipped with computer projection facilities for classes and meetings, the Clive Jacques Rare Book Room now houses the rare book collection in sycamore cabinets. It also contains an increasingly wide-ranging School Archive in the form of photographs, newspaper cuttings and record books, the most notable being the earliest register of pupils of 1626.

• OSCAR Radio. The school houses its own radio station which broadcasts from newly converted studios in Old Dryden. Over 2000 pupils and local children have taken part in OSCAR broadcasts since 1998.
• SciTec. The first phase of a new science and technology centre was completed in summer 2007. In September 2007 it was officially opened by the Duke of Gloucester. It is set to be completed in three phases costing around £20 million in total. SciTec is the School's millennium project which upon completion will create a distinctive, new centre to combine the Sciences, Art and Design and Technology. The first stage houses the Chemistry and Biology departments.

Houses

The school has 14 boarding houses in total. There are eight boys' boarding houses (Bramston, Crosby, Fisher [formerly Laxton House], Grafton, Laundimer, School, Sidney and St Anthony), five girls' boarding houses (Dryden, Kirkeby, New House, Sanderson and Wyatt) and a junior house (The Berrystead). Laxton House (formerly Laxton School) caters solely for day pupils.

Oundle's Boarding Houses differ greatly in character, customs, and traditions and there has always been a healthy rivalry between them. House Masters and Mistresses live with their families in private accommodation located within the boarding houses. The House Master/Mistress plays a crucial role in the every day running of the house and is supported by a deputy as well as a head of house and a team of prefects from the sixth form. In addition, each house has a number of house tutors who take care of approximately eight pupils each. Each house also has a resident matron who not only cares for the unwell but also plays an important pastoral and administrative role within the house. Student accommodation varies between houses, most houses contain a mixture of dormitories and bed-sits which are usually allocated according to seniority. Each house has its own library, computer room, recreation room, and dining room as well as living facilities such as kitchens, bathrooms and changing rooms.

The Boarding Houses are divided into two categories, Town and Field. The Town Houses front onto Oundle's central streets and have extensive grounds at the rear. The buildings were converted from a mixture of large private residences and shops and as such tend to possess highly individual, sometimes even labyrinthine layouts. The Field Houses provide accommodation in grand buildings which were purpose-built (mostly around the time of Sanderson) and are located slightly further from the town among the sports pitches and the school's other recreational facilities.

Boys' houses

House	Housemaster	Boys	Founded	Town/Field	Colours
Bramston	Mr A.J. Sherwin	c. 60	1916	Town
Crosby	Mr H.R Roberts	c. 60	1907	Field
Fisher (formerly Laxton)	Mr N.J.T Wood	c. 60	1869	Field
Grafton	Mr W.W.Gough	c. 60	1902	Field
Scotland	Gordon Brown	Scottish	deep fried mars bar	Somewhere in the arctic
School House	Mr Adam .E Langsdale	c. 60	1887	Town
Sidney	Mr C.W Symes	c. 60	1882	Field
St. Anthony	Mr P.J Kemp	c. 65	1928	Town

Girls' Houses

House	Housemistress / Housemaster	Girls	Founded (Converted to girls' house)	Town/Field	Colours
Kirkeby	Mrs A.E Meisner	c. 65	1990	Field
Wyatt	Mrs L.E Kirk	c. 65	1990	Field
New House	Mrs M. Smith	c. 60	1907 (1997)	Town
Sanderson	Mr D. A. Turner	c. 60	1938 (2000)	Town
Dryden	Mrs V. Gascoine	c. 60	1938 (1993)	Town

Junior house

House	Housemistress / Housemaster	Children	Founded	Town/Field	Colours
Berrystead	Mr N.J. Aubury	c. 40	1901	Town

Day house

House	Housemistress / Housemaster	Children	Founded	Town/Field	Colours
Laxton	Mr A.B. Burrows	c. 250	1556	Town

Old Oundelians

See also: Category:People educated at Oundle School

The school has an extensive list of notable alumni spanning across a broad spectrum of different fields. Arguably the most well known of these today are the rock musician Bruce Dickinson and the evolutionary biologist and science writer Richard Dawkins. A full list of notable alumni is available in the List of Old Oundelians.

Former pupils are known as Old Oundelians. The OO Club was founded in 1883 and, to this day, keeps its original objectives very much in mind:

To foster union and good fellowship among Old Oundelians, to promote OO matches and reunions, and to further the interests and prosperity of the School.

Victoria Cross winners

At least three Old Oundelians have been awarded the Victoria Cross. Among them are:

• Charles Geoffrey Vickers VC; awarded for an act that took place during the First World War.

Notable masters

• W. G. Grace Jnr (eldest son of W. G. Grace)
• Dr Maximilian von Habsburg-Lothringen
• John Olver (England Rugby International)
• F. W. Sanderson (Headmaster b.1857 d.1922)
• R. J. Knight Headmaster 1956-1968
• Terry Cobner (Wales and British Lions rugby union player)
• Kevin Walton GC DSC taught workshop engineering at the school

School song

The official school song is Carmen Undeliense (words by R.F. Patterson, music by Clement M. Spurling, published in 1912 by Novello & Company Ltd of London.)

Carmen Undeliense Quid quid puerorum est Hic literatorum, Quid quid magistrorum est, Carmen det Canorum; Alma mater floreat Tempus in aeternum; Tellus carmen resonat Et regnum supernum Floreat Latinitas, Literae Graecorum; Floreat divinitas, Usus calculorum. Floreat scientia, Omnes bone artes; Crescat et prudentia Undeli per partes Lusiones floreant Aut remis aut pilis; Pueri que gaudeant, Gaudeant in illis: Vindicent plus gloriae Ludi et labores; Praemi a victoriae Ferant digniores Laxtonis prudentia Ludum hic fundavit; Domini clementia Ad huc conservavit. Floreat Undelium, Hoc Deum oramus; Et per omne saeculum Idem concinamus

See also

• List of Victoria Crosses by school

Further reading

• McKim, R. J.; Brown, J. (1994). "Astronomy at Oundle School". Journal of the British Astronomical Association. 104 (1): 36–39. Bibcode:1994JBAA..104...36M. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

External links

• Oundle School
• Profile at the Good Schools Guide
• ISI Inspection Reports
• Ofsted Boarding Inspection Reports