Oakham School

Oakham School

Motto	Latin: Et quasi cursores vitai lampada tradunt (And, like runners, they pass on the torch of life)
Established	1584
Type	Independent school
Religion	Church of England
Headmaster	N. Lashbrook MChem
Chairman of Trustees	S. E. Blaza, BSc, PhD
Founder	Archdeacon Robert Johnson
Location	Market Place Oakham Rutland England
Staff	160
Students	1,080 pupils (approx.)
Gender	Coeducational
Ages	10–18
Houses	16 day and boarding houses
Colours	Red and Black
Former pupils	Old Oakhamians
Website	www.oakham.rutland.sch.uk

Coordinates: 52°40′13″N 0°43′40″W / 52.6704°N 0.7277°W / 52.6704; -0.7277

Oakham School is a British co-educational independent school in the historic market town of Oakham in Rutland, accepting around 1,000 pupils, aged from 10 to 18, both male and female, as boarders and day pupils (including about 10% from overseas).^{[citation needed]} The Good Schools Guide called the school "a privileged but unpretentious and non-spoiling start in life for the lucky".^[1] It was founded in 1584 by Archdeacon Robert Johnson, along with Uppingham School, a few miles away.^[2] They share a common badge design (and a strong rivalry), but while Uppingham's colours tend towards blue and white, Oakham's are usually black and red. Under the late John Buchanan, Oakham was the first independent secondary school in Britain to accept both male and female pupils.^[3] In 1995, it was the first public school to go on-line.^[4] The current headmaster is Nigel Lashbrook, who replaced Joseph Spence in 2009.

Leicestershire County Cricket Club occasionally plays games on the school grounds.^[5]

Annual fees range from £13,560 to £25,050.^[6]

History

Oakham School was founded in 1584 by Archdeacon Robert Johnson. Johnson received an income from four church positions and used this wealth to set up a number of charitable institutions, including the two free grammar schools at Oakham and Uppingham. As someone on the Puritan wing of the Church of England he had a strong belief in the benefits of education.^{[citation needed]}

According to Johnson's statutes for the school, "the schoolmaster shall teach all those grammar scholars that are brought up in Oakham, freely without pay, if their parents be poor and not able to pay, and keep them constantly to school."^[7] The master of the school was to teach Hebrew, Latin and Greek. Of course, although the schooling was free, permanent attendance meant the loss to a family of an income, so not many very poor would have attended, or wanted the education. The master could supplement his income of £24 per year by taking in boarders. Johnson was careful to ensure that his schools were sufficiently endowed. This endowment was confirmed by Royal Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I.

The original school building was restored in the eighteenth century, but remained the sole classroom for 300 years. In 1749 a case involving payment of rates recorded that "the school of Uppingham is not nor hath been of equal repute with that of Oakham."^[2] However, while Uppingham flourished in the second half of the nineteenth century, Oakham did not.^[2] In 1875 there were just 2 day boys and 2 boarders in the school.^[2] A new headmaster lasted three years before being dismissed.^{[citation needed]}

All classes were still taught in the one room - the original old school. The school did see some development. Science and Modern Languages had recently been added to the curriculum. The subjects examined for a scholarship within the school were: English History (1066-1603), Geography of the British Isles, English Grammar, Arithmetic, English Composition and Dictation. A more successful headmaster, the Rev. E.V. Hodge, headmaster from 1879 to 1902, saw numbers increase, to 125 in 1896, with slightly more boarders than day boys.

This was a temporary peak - by 1905 numbers had fallen back to 66. The response to the obvious financial difficulties which accompanied this decline was to apply for Direct Grant status, and to become in effect the boys' grammar school for Rutland at the same time as continuing as a public school. New facilities for Science teaching were created, boarding accommodation was improved with new building and then a new school house was built. Pupil numbers rose again, to 105 in 1910, and to 200 in 1923.

The Chapel was built in 1925 as a memorial to the 69 old boys who were killed in the First World War.

In 1970, the school became fully independent from the local authority, and in 1971, Oakham admitted female pupils for the first time.

In 2005 Oakham School was one of fifty of the country's leading private schools which were found guilty of running an illegal price-fixing cartel which had allowed them to drive up fees for thousands of parents.^[8] Each school was required to pay a nominal penalty of £10,000 and all agreed to make ex-gratia payments totalling three million pounds into a trust designed to benefit pupils who attended the schools during the period in respect of which fee information was shared.^[9]

Jerwoods

The current school set-up comprises three distinct "levels" of education. The Lower School, for children aged 10-13, is known as "Jerwoods" after the former headmaster and benefactor John Jerwood. The buildings that comprise it mostly date back to the early 70s, when the four houses that comprise the area were established, but the main building, now the boys boarding house, Peterborough House, was the old vicarage, which was bought by the school in 1870^[10]. The girls boarding house, Lincoln, is in a round building to the west, while the two day houses, Sargants for boys and Ancaster for girls, are found on different floors of the main eastern building, which also houses all seven classrooms.

During their time in the Lower School, pupils study all of the core subjects (Mathematics, English, Science, History and Geography) as well as French and either German or Spanish, Religious Education, Latin and ICT. There is also a carousel system of Creative Arts courses, which include textiles, 2D art and sculpture, and pupils take part in a Physical Education scheme of swimming and general ball skills.

The Middle School

All pupils study English (Language and Literature), Mathematics, a dual-award Science course (taught as three separate subjects), RE short course and a foreign language (French, German or Spanish) to GCSE, as well as at least two of History, Geography and French, which is offered as an alternative to a second humanities subject. Pupils are then expected to choose two subjects from a varied selection, which includes a second foreign language, Drama and Theatre Studies, Art and Design subjects, Food Studies, PE and a combined Greek and Latin course. "Gratin", as it is nicknamed, is taught in one slot of the timetable, and pupils receive two full GCSEs at the end of the course.

Pupils also take part in Physical Education, but not to an academic standard. Students in the higher sets for Mathematics are given the opportunity to study for an FSMQ in Further Mathematics.

There are ten houses in the Middle School, six boarding and four day houses, split evenly between boys and girls. The day houses are located at the north end of campus, in the grounds of the old Rutland Hospital. The main building houses the two girls houses, Gunthorpe and Hambleton, while the boys houses, Barrow and Clipsham, are in a much newer house alongside.

The Upper School

The Upper School academic curriculum is designed to give students a wide range of choices that will prepare them for higher education and future careers. Oakham offers both the International Baccalaureate (IB) and AS/A2 levels.

AS/A2 levels

The AS/A2 levels structure at Oakham has been designed to encourage students to take a wider variety of subjects and offers increased permutations of choice and much greater flexibility than was possible within the previous A Level system.

Most students take 4 subjects at AS Level and continue to A2 level in at least 3 of those subjects. However, there will be those who wish to study 5 subjects or an additional AS level subjects in the second year.

International Baccalaureate(IB)

The IB Diploma is an international pre-university qualification recognised by universities and governments throughout the world.

Studying within the Upper School, all students take six subjects. Usually, students take a literature course in their own language, another modern or classical language, a science and a mathematics course, a humanities and an arts course. These are at standard or higher level.

In addition, all students complete an extended essay, take a course in theory of knowledge and complete a programme of creativity, action and service (CAS).

Houses

Oakham School has a total of 16 houses; 2 in the Upper School (1 for boys and 1 for girls), 10 in the Middle School (5 boys houses, 5 girls; 6 boarding, 4 day) and 4 in the Lower School (Jerwoods) (2 boys, 2 girls; 2 boarding, 2 day).

Upper School

Boys

• School House, Mr. D. Jackson

School House is the Seventh Form Boys' Boarding House, which sees all boys in that form housed under one roof. It is set in Chapel Close, separate from the main school campus and located by the Market Place, at the centre of the town.

The Head of School House is traditionally the Head Boy, who is supported by the Headmaster's prefects - the male members of the School's Decem.

Girls

• Round House, Mrs. L. Asher-Roche

The Seventh Form Girls' Boarding house, Round House brings all the Middle School girls together under one roof for their last year. It is situated in Chapel Close, next to School House.

The Head of Round House is the Head Girl, who is supported by the female members of the Decem.

Middle School

Boarding

• Boys: Chapmans, Mr. C. Dawson; Haywoods, Mr. D. Taylor; Wharflands, Mr. N. Paddock
• Girls: Buchanans, Mrs. M. Nicholls; Rushebrookes, Mrs. T. Drummond; Stevens, Mrs. A. Lear

Day

• Boys: Barrow, Mr. A. Williams; Clipsham, Mr. A. Speers
• Girls: Gunthorpe, Miss. M. Grimley; Hambleton, Mrs. S. Healey

Lower School (Jerwoods)

Boarding

• Boys: Peterborough, Mr. S. Foster
• Girls: Lincoln, Mrs. H. Foster

Day

• Boys: Sargants, Mr. M. Durose
• Girls: Ancaster, Mrs. S. Wragg

Old Oakhamians

The arts and science

• Annabelle Apsion, actress
• Joseph George Cumming, geologist and archaeologist
• Horace Donisthorpe, entomologist, myrmecologist and coleopterist
• Andy Harries, UK producer, Left Bank Pictures
• Greg Hicks, actor
• Richard Hope (actor), Official website
• Richard Hurst, writer and director
• Jason Kay, singer
• Matthew Macfadyen, actor
• Matthew Manning, psychic
• China Miéville, novelist
• Katie Mitchell, theatre director
• Alfred Young Nutt, Victorian artist and architect
• John Henry Pratt, mathematician
• Malcolm Rogers, director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts
• Kwame Ryan, Conductor and Musician
• Indra Sinha, novelist

Religion

• John Henley, clergyman, commonly known as 'Orator Henley'
• Thomas Merton, writer and Trappist monk

Public service

• Sir Anthony Clarke, judge
• Lord Cope of Berkeley, Conservative politician
• William George "Bill" O'Chee, Australian politician

Broadcasting

• Miles Jupp, actor/comedian
• Charlotte Uhlenbroek,Biologist and Broadcaster

Sport

• Charlie Beech, professional rugby union player with Northampton Saints and England U19s
• Roderick Bradley, player of American football
• Stuart Broad, cricketer^[11]
• Tom Croft, rugby union player^[11]
• Crista Cullen, England and Great Britain field hockey player
• Arthur Cursham, England footballer and county cricketer
• Alex Goode, rugby union player for Saracens RFC and England U19
• Lewis Moody, rugby union player^[12]
• Lucy Pearson, England women's cricket captain
• Matt Smith, rugby union player
• Ron Jacobs, rugby union player

Aristocracy

• Prince Alexander of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (Alexander Friedrich Antonius Johannes), next in line to succeed as Head of the House of Hohenzollern

Adventurers and record breakers

• Richard Profit, polar explorer

Other

• Ronald Light, defendant in the Green Bicycle Case

Masters

• Frank Jerwood Olympic Rower - Bronze medallist 1908
• Anthony Little, headmaster 1997-2002, now headmaster of Eton College
• Phillip DeFreitas cricket master, ex-England international
• Jeffrey Skitch, formerly baritone with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company (1952-7)

References

1. ^ http://goodschoolsguide.co.uk/school/oakham-school.html
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "Thomas Haywood". London: Daily Telegraph. 2003-04-07. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1426899/Thomas-Haywood.html. Retrieved 2008-11-02. 
3. ^ John Clare (2001-12-19). "Tradition with an eye on the future". London: Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2001/12/19/school3.xml. Retrieved 2008-11-02. 
4. ^ "BBC - Leicester - Around Leicester - History". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/aroundleicester/history/leicester_rutland/rutland.shtml. Retrieved 2009-05-10. 
5. ^ "CricInfo Article". www.cricinfo.com. http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/index.html?object=57226. 
6. ^ "Oakham School Admissions - Fees". Oakham School. http://www.oakham.rutland.sch.uk/admissions/fees.htm. Retrieved 2008-11-12. ^{[dead link]}
7. ^ "A History of Oakham School". http://history.oakham.rutland.sch.uk/story.htm. Retrieved 2008-11-02. 
8. ^ Halpin, Tony (2005-11-10). "Independent schools face huge fines over cartel to fix fees". The Times (London). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article588559.ece. Retrieved 2010-05-20. 
9. ^ http://www.oft.gov.uk/news/press/2006/182-06
10. ^ School Chronology.pdf - A timeline of events published by the Oakham School Foundation
11. ^ ^{a b} Pranav Soneji and Andy Swiss (2008-01-22). "Crafty Croft ready for step up". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/7202349.stm. Retrieved 2008-11-12. 
12. ^ Gareth Davies (2006-03-01). "My School Sport: Lewis Moody". London: Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/2332995/My-School-Sport-Lewis-Moody.html. Retrieved 2008-11-02. 

External links

• Profile at the Good Schools Guide