Sackville School, Hildenborough

Infobox UK school
name = Sackville School


size =
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motto = "Per ardua ad palmas"
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established = 1987
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closed =
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type = Independent
religion =
president =
head_label = Headteacher
head = Michèle Sinclair
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street = Tonbridge Road
city = Hildenborough,
county = Kent
country = England flagicon|England
postcode = TN11 9HN
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gender = Coeducational
lower_age = 11
upper_age = 18
houses =
colours = Green & Yellow color box|green color box|yellow
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website = http://www.sackvilleschool.com/index.asp
website_name = www.sackvilleschool.com

Sackville School is a small profit-making coeducational independent school located in the village of Hildenborough, in Kent, England. The school is owned and operated by the Cognita Group.

History

Sackville, formerly Foxbush House, was built in 1866 for Charles Fitch Kemp, a London Chartered Accountant. The Charing Cross to Tonbridge railway line was in the process of construction and the purchase enabled him to combine his London career with his ambition to be a country landowner.

He and his wife, Sarah, had ten children (4 sons and 6 daughters) and a large staff of servants and gardeners to maintain the house and its extensive grounds. He kept a pack of harriers in kennels beyond the kitchen garden and employed his own huntsman. He played an important role in local affairs, being the first Chairman of the Hildenborough Parish Council when it was formed in 1894 and a churchwarden from 1869 until his death in 1907.

In 1912 the estate was sold to Barnett Lewis, a wealthy diamond merchant, who installed oak panelling in several of the reception rooms. On his death in 1929, the property was bought by Herbert Rae, whose wife's family coat of arms is on the fireplace in the entrance hall.

During the Second World War, the house was requisitioned as the headquarters of the 59th Newfoundland Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery. From 1949 to 1970 it was the Convent of Our Lady School, which had moved from Cannon Lane, Tonbridge. In 1970, St Thomas's School moved to the site from Sevenoaks, and later became Foxbush School. This in turn was replaced by Sackville School in 1987.

The school today

Sackville, by design is a small school and the student roll never exceeds 200. The school's grounds are a Registered Historic Park. Formal admission points to the school are at the beginning of the academic Years 7, 9 and 12. For year 7 entry, prospective students are assessed in verbal and non-verbal reasoning, Mathematics, English and by interview, taking into account reports from their previous schools. For year 9, entry is via the Public Schools Common Entrance examination. and an interview the preceding term. For year 12, pre qualification requirements are 5 grade C (or higher) GCSE passes and grade B (or higher) in the selected A level subjects. Students must also pass the school's interview process prior to acceptance.

External links

* [http://www.sackvilleschool.com/index.asp Sackville School website]