William Ellis School

Infobox UK school
name = William Ellis School
size =
latitude = 53.748401
longitude = -0.365094
dms =
motto = "Rather Use Than Fame"
motto_pl =
established = 1862
approx =
closed =
c_approx =
type = Voluntary Aided Trust School
religion = Non-Denominational
president =
head_label = Headmaster
head = Mr. R. J. Cathcart LRAM
r_head_label =
r_head =
chair_label = Chair of the Governors
chair = Fiona Millar
founder = William Ellis
founder_pl =
specialist = A Language College
specialist_pl =
street = Highgate Road
city = Highgate
county = London
country = England
postcode = NW5 1RN
LEA = London Borough of Camden
ofsted =
staff = 95 teaching, 30 support
enrollment = c. 850 students
gender = Boys
lower_age = 11
upper_age = 18
houses =
colours = Blue & Gold color box|blue color box|yellow
free_label_1 = Alumni Society
free_1 = The Old Elysians Club
free_label_2 =
free_2 =
free_label_3 =
free_3 =
website = http://www.williamellis.camden.sch.uk/
website_name = www.williamellis.camden.sch.uk

William Ellis School Language College is a United Kingdom secondary comprehensive school for boys in Highgate, London.

William Ellis was a public-spirited businessman who, in the mid-nineteenth century, founded a number of schools, and inspired many teachers to promote his educational ideas. He wanted children to be taught "useful" subjects like science (including 'Social Science'), and to develop the faculty of reason; this in contrast to the rote learning of religious tracts, ancient languages and history which characterised what was offered by so many schools at the time. William Ellis School, the only one of these schools remaining, was established in 1862 at Gospel Oak, and re-organised in 1889 as a boys' secondary school. Its motto is 'Rather Use Than Fame'.

In 1937 the School moved to its present site in Highgate, backing on to Parliament Hill Fields, Hampstead Heath. This was to lead to its most celebrated period, in the 1960s and early 1970s; a combination of its catchment area (drawing upon an intellectual North London demographic) and its status as a voluntary aided grammar school and member of the Headmasters' Conference led to a period of enormous educational liberality and achievement, especially under headmaster Sidney Baxter. Alumni of this period include the filmmaker Julien Temple, and the guitarist Richard Thompson.

Much ingenuity had gone into extending and converting the building to provide the additional classrooms and specialist accommodation required by the post-war grammar school's large sixth form. However, the school's relatively small size meant that it was not capable of becoming either an independent, or a full comprehensive school, at the point when the state withdrew funding from direct grant grammar schools.

With the provision of better facilities for the National Curriculum and for Information Technology the School became fully comprehensive in the years after 1978. From 1990 the School gained greater autonomy under the Local Management of Schools scheme, and spends a devolved budget of over 13 million per year for its 1000 pupils. In 1997 the school earned Language College status under the Specialist School Scheme. [cite web
last=
first=
authorlink=
coauthors=
title=Specialist Schools Home
work=
publisher=DfES
month=July | year=2006
url=http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/specialistschools/
format=
doi=
accessdate=2006-08-02]

In January 2008, it was revealed that the school was in financial trouble, following a row between a bursar and the local authority with regard to who should fit the bill for a new central heating system, and RJ Tanton stepped down from his post as Headmaster. [cite web
last=
first=
authorlink=
coauthors=
title=Camden Journal
work=
publisher=
date=28 January 2008
url=http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2008/012408/edu012408_01.htmlls/
format=
doi=
accessdate=2008-02-18] An Acting Headmaster was promptly appointed [cite web
last=
first=
authorlink=
coauthors=
title=Statement from Board of Governors
work=
publisher=
date=8 February 2008
url=http://williamellis.virtualschools.net/folders/wes_reporter/latest_newsletter/index.cfm
format=
doi=
accessdate=2008-02-18] in the shape of JM Rose, who began his career at the school during its Seventies' heyday. A new Headmaster, Robbie Cathcart, took over from 1st September 2008. Mr Rose remains with the school as Director of the Sixth Form consortium.

William Ellis School has a joint Sixth Form with the adjacent Parliament Hill Girls School, and all classes are coeducational. Together with La Sainte Union Catholic Secondary School and Acland Burghley School they make up the "La Swap" consortium for 16–19 education, educating around 1000 students altogether.

Notable Alumni

* [Unreferencedsection|date=July 2008
*David Aaronovitch - journalist, broadcaster and author
*Henry Binns - member of musical duo Zero 7
*Richard Causton - composer
*Hugh Cornwell - singer-songwriter and former frontman of The Stranglers
*Sean French - journalist and half of the pseudonymous thriller writing partnership Nicci French
*Nigel Godrich - Grammy Award-winning recording engineer and record producer known for his work with Radiohead, Paul McCartney, *Travis, Beck, Pavement, Air, Natalie Imbruglia, U2, and R.E.M.
*Bernard Jenkin - Member of Parliament
*Faith SFX, One of the world's best beatboxing champions
*Julien Temple - film maker
*Richard Thompson — singer/songwriter & guitarist
*Neil Turok - Professor of Mathematical Physics, Cambridge University
*Sean Yazbeck - The Apprentice (US Season 5), winner
*Toby Young - author & journalist
*Fred Titmuss - England cricketer(53 tests)1955-1975, Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1963
*Adam Swift - Academic
*Krishan Kumar- Academic
*Michael and Sam Oji- Professional Footballers

References

External links

* [http://www.williamellis.camden.sch.uk Web site]