Churcher's College

Churcher's College

Motto	Credita Caelo
Established	1722
Type	Public School
Religion	Non-denominational
Headmaster	Mr. Simon H L Williams
Founder	Richard Churcher
Location	Petersfield & Liphook Hampshire GU31 4AS England
Local authority	Hampshire
Students	920 (approx.)
Gender	Co-educational
Ages	4–18
Houses	Collingwood      Drake      Grenville      Nelson      Rodney
Colours	Red, White & Blue
Former pupils	Old Churcherians
Website	churcherscollege.com

Coordinates: 51°00′32″N 0°55′41″W / 51.009°N 0.928°W / 51.009; -0.928

Churcher's College is an English co-educational independent, fee-paying school which is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC). The senior school (ages 11-17) is located in the market town of Petersfield, Hampshire with the junior school (ages 5-11) in nearby Liphook. The current headmaster is Simon Williams, who replaced Geoffrey Buttle in September 2004.

The college has several notable alumni, known as 'Old Churcherians' or 'OCs'. Male OCs are eligible to become members of the East India Club, whilst women may join the University Women’s Club.

History

The school was founded under the will of Richard Churcher in 1722. Churcher was a wealthy local philanthropist, who had made his fortune through interests in the British East India Company. His will, dated 1722, decreed that the College was to educate:

“

10 or 12 local boys from Petersfield, of any age from 9 to 14, in the arts of writing, arithmetic, mathematics and navigation so they could be apprenticed to masters of ships sailing in the East Indies.

”

Under the terms of the will, Churcher's College was created as a non-denominational foundation, a status it has kept to this day. The school was originally in a fine 1729 building, which still stands in College Street. The school became increasingly popular due to its successes, and in 1881 the school moved to a new location close to the original site in Ramshill, where the school is still based today. However, the school's expanding population has meant there are many modern buildings alongside the original 1881 buildings.

For much of the 20th century, Churcher's College operated as a voluntary aided grammar school. In 1979, Hampshire County Council decided to cease to maintain the college, which became an independent fee-paying school.^[1] Girls were first admitted to the Sixth Form in 1980, and the school became fully co-educational in 1988. In accordance with the naval history, the college's five houses are named for renowned naval heroes; Drake, Grenville, Nelson, Rodney and Collingwood.

In 1993 the school purchased Morton House School in Petersfield, which became the Churcher's College Junior School. Like the Senior school before it, the junior school is very successful, and soon outgrew its premises. Following an unsuccessful attempt to relocate in Petersfield, the school eventually purchased an existing school campus in Liphook (Littlefield's School), which from 2003 became the new site for the Junior School.

Sport and outdoor pursuits

- The boys compete in rugby union, field hockey and cricket, whilst the girls play netball, field hockey and rounders.

- The school also has equestrianism, golf, tennis, squash, swimming and athletics teams and events.

- There are also Combined Cadet Force and Duke of Edinburgh Award programmes, as well as regular World Challenge and First Challenge expeditions.

- Churcher's College provides teams that compete in many physical contests, such as the Ten Tors.

- The College was the first school to affiliate to the Hampshire RFU in 1924. OC Frank Guy was responsible for the founding of local rugby union club Petersfield R.F.C. in 1927.

Uniform

• Senior Boys - Black Blazer, Red & Blue Striped Tie, White Shirt, Black Trousers.
• Senior Girls - Black Blazer, White Blouse, White & Black Tartan Kilt.
• Junior Boys - Brown Blazer, Green & Red Striped Tie, White Shirt, Black Trousers.
• Junior Girls - Brown Blazer, White Blouse, Green & Red Tartan Skirt.

6th formers are allowed more freedom in their dress code. Boys may wear a jacket, shirt and VI form or colours tie, whereas the girls wear either skirt or trouser suits.

The school's sports colours are red and dark blue.

Fees

Termly Fees and Extras for the academic year 2011/2012^[2] Per term (3 terms in each academic year) Junior School Classes 3 – 6: £2,615 Classes R/1/2: £2,450

Senior School All Years: £3,850

The above fees are inclusive of normal charges for examination fees and text books.

Lunches Junior School £2.70 per day Senior School All Years £3.10 per day

Notable Old Churcherians

• Brig Henry Baxter CBE GM, Commander from 1973-6 of the Ulster Defence Regiment, who won the George Medal in 1957 for removing an IRA bomb in Armagh
• Charles Beeson (1957- ), TV director^[3]
• Dr Geoffrey Boxshall, Deputy Chief Scientific Officer since 1997 of the Natural History Museum, and joint winner in 2004, with John Dransfield, of the Linnean Medal
• Rhidian Brook, writer, broadcaster
• Arthur Brough, actor (Are You Being Served?)
• Prof John Bull CBE, Vice-Chancellor from 1992-2002 of the University of Plymouth, Director from 1989-92 of Polytechnic South West, and Director from 1994-7 of the Higher Education Quality Council (HEQC)
• Rt Rev Harry Carpenter, Bishop of Oxford from 1955-70
• Howard Drake OBE, High Commissioner to Jamaica since 2010, and Ambassador to Chile from 2005-9
• Dr Richard Dyer OBE, Chief Executive from 2006-9 of the Biosciences Federation, and Director from 1994-2005 of the Babraham Institute
• Tim Footman, writer and quiz show regular
• Reg Gammon, artist
• Ned Goy, slavonic translator^[4]
• Jim Hetherington, former England rugby union player
• Simon Ings, writer
• Edward Kelsey, actor (The Archers - Joe Grundy, DangerMouse)
• William Kirkman MBE, Chairman from 1971-3 of the Standing Conference of University Appointments Services (now the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services - AGCAS)
• Prof John Laver CBE, Professor of Phonetics from 1985-2000 at the University of Edinburgh, and President from 1991-5 of the International Phonetic Association
• Rear Adm Philip Mathias MBE, Director since 2010 of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (Nuclear), and President in 2004 of the Admiralty Interview Board
• John Peters (RAF officer), first pilot shot down in first Gulf War, with John Nichol on 17 January 1991
• Stuart Ernest Piggott (1910-1996), archaeologist
• Tim Rodber (1969- ), former England rugby union player
• Tiny Rowland (1917-1998), businessman and chairman of the Lonrho conglomerate
• Malcolm Shirley, Director General from 1998-2001 of the Engineering Council
• Tim Spanton (1957- ), journalist
• Rear Adm Chris Snow, Flag Officer Sea Training since February 2009, and commanded HMS Ocean from 2005-6^[5]
• Robert Tronson, TV (and some films) director, notably of police dramas and The Darling Buds of May
• Philip Wood, epidemiologist

References

1. ^ Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, 2 July 1979, column 486W..
2. ^ http://www.churcherscollege.com/the-college/?Fees-Bursaries-and-Scholarships
3. ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0066596/
4. ^ Ned Goy
5. ^ Chris Snow