Ratcliffe College

Infobox UK school
name = Ratcliffe College
native_name =


motto ="Legis Plenitudo Charitas"
(Charity is the fulfilment of the law)
established =1845
address =
city =Ratcliffe-upon-Wreake
state =Leicestershire
country =England
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type =Independent school
affiliation =
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headmaster = Mr. Peter Farrar
founder = Blessed Father Antonio Rosmini-Serbati
chairman =
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head =
faculty =
students =750 (approx.)
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website = [http://www.ratcliffecollege.com]
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Ratcliffe College is an independent Catholic boarding and day school in Leicestershire, England. The College, situated in 100 acres of parkland on the Fosse Way about six miles north of Leicester, was founded on the instructions of Blessed Father Antonio Rosmini-Serbati in 1845 as a seminary. In 1847, the buildings were converted for use as a boarding school for upper-class boys. The College became coeducational under the Presidency of Father Tony Baxter in the mid 1970s, and there are now 756 students on roll at Ratcliffe, from ages 3-18.

The school buildings were designed by the Victorian Gothic revivalist Augustus Welby Pugin. Pugin, who is associated with Catholic architecture throughout the Midlands and north of England, is also noted for his collaboration with Charles Barry in the reconstruction of the Palace of Westminster. The Square was designed by Joseph Hansom, the designer of the Hansom cab. various building works over the years have contributed to Pugin and Hansom's work, and modern buildings include a "new" gothic refectory (constructed in the early years of the twentieth century) and a Byzantine-style church.

Management

The school, operated officially by Rosmini's Institute of Charity, originally used the title "Father President" for the most senior member of staff who, up until 1996, was always a Father of the Institute. In 1996, the school appointed its first lay President, Tim Kilbride, and the position was renamed Headmaster. he was succeeded in 2000 by Peter Farrar, who still holds the position.

The head is presently assisted by a Deputy Headmaster (presently Darryl Wideman, who will be leaving at the end of the 2007/2008 school year) and a Deputy Headmistress (Mrs Clayfield), who take responsibility for pastoral and academic concerns respectively. They are joined on a 'Senior Management Team' by the Head of Sixth Form and the Curriculum Co-ordinator.

Former Presidents and Headmasters

* Father Peter Hutton IC 1851 - 1880
* Father Joseph Hirst IC 1880 - 1895
* Father Joseph Cremonini IC 1895 - 1919
* Father Aloysius Emery IC 1919 - 1923
* Father Cuthbert Emery IC, MA 1923 - 1948
* Father Claude Leetham IC, BA 1948 - 1962
* Father John Morris IC 1962, MA, BSc 1962 - 1973
* Father Anthony Baxter IC, MA 1973 - 1982
* Father William Fearon IC, BA 1982 - 1983
* Father Lancelot Hurdidge IC, BA 1983 - 1993
* Father Keith Tomlinson IC, MA 1993 - 1996
* Mr Tim Kilbride, BEd 1996 - 1999
* Mr Peter Farrar, MA 2000 - Present

House system

Although the College has used various house systems throughout its history, the current system was resurrected in 1991. There is no strong house rivalry, as in many other independent schools, due to the nature of the school as both coeducational and containing a mix of boarding and day students.

Currently, there are four houses named after major figures in the College's history:

* Emery (named for Father Cuthbert Emery, a former President)
* Leetham (named for Father Leetham, a former President)
* De Lisle (named for Ambrose De Lisle, early patron of the College and Catholic revivalist)
* Arundel (named for Lady Arundel, an early patron of the College and relative of Catholic Duke of Norfolk)

Old Ratcliffians

The - that is, the alumni of Ratcliffe College - currently count among their number:
* James Major, son of former British Prime Minister John Major
* The Rt. Hon Lord St John of Fawsley, PC, former Conservative minister under Margaret Thatcher
* Sir Gordon Reece, former advisor to Margaret Thatcher
* Patrick Nuttgens, noted architect, CBE
* Peter Caruana, QC, Chief Minister of Gibraltar
* Ian Bannen, noted Scottish actor and Oscar Nominee for Best Supporting Actor (1965)
* Patrick McGoohan, American-born actor of Irish parentage who rose to fame in the British film and TV industry: starring in the 1960s television series Danger Man and cult classic The Prisoner.
* Richard Wallace, Editor of the "Daily Mirror"
* Louis Deacon, England and Tigers rugby player
* Kevin Myers, journalist.

Bibliography

* "Ratcliffe College 1847-1947" edited by Rev. C. R. Leetham with an Appendix at the back entitled 'Alphabetical List of Students 1847-1950' [ From a copy of book published by the Ratcliffian Association in 1950 which contains black and white photographs ]

External links

* [http://www.ratcliffecollege.com Ratcliffe College] official website

Footnotes

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