Old Swinford Hospital
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Old Swinford Hospital is a boys' boarding school and mixed sixth form college at Oldswinford in Stourbridge, England that has been in continuous operation since the 17th Century.
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[edit] The School
Old Swinford Hospital is a unique and highly successful place. Founded in 1667 by Thomas Foley, a Worcestershire iron master, it is now recognised as one of the UK's leading institutions, placed in the top 5% of schools at GCSE and with a strong record of excellence at Sixth Form level. 99% of students leave to study at university with many gaining admission to Oxford and Cambridge.
Some two thirds of the current 590 pupils are boarders from the immediate surrounding area and further afield in the UK. There is also a significant contingent of pupils from overseas as all those with a full UK or ER passport are entitled to apply for admission.
Old Swinford Hospital is, by tradition, a school for boys. However, since September 2004 the Governors have been offering places to girls wishing to study in the Sixth Form as day students.
Old Swinford Hospital is a member of the State Boarding Schools Association (formerly STABIS).
Although the name can be written Old Swinford Hospital School for the sake of clarity, it is generally agreed that the word school is not part of the official title.
The school consists of 6 boarding houses: Baxter (named after Richard Baxter, who was influential in the founding of the school), Dudley (after the Earl of Dudley), Foster (after the Foster family, local landowners and benefactors of the school), Foley (after the founder), Maybury (after W J Maybury, headmaster of the school for forty years in the nineteenth century) and Witley (after Witley Court, the founder's estate). It also has a day centre for the sixth form, called Harris House (named for a former Chair of the Feoffees).
After being a school exclusively for boys since its founding, in 2004 the first female sixth form day students were admitted to the school.
[edit] History
Old Swinford Hospital opened in the late summer of 1670. It was founded by Thomas Foley, an ironmaster whose estate was at Great Witley in Worcestershire, to educate 60 boys from “poor but honest” families nominated by parishes in Worcestershire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire. Due to the style of the clock tower, the school's oldest buildings are thought to have been designed by Sir Christopher Wren, although it is unlikely that proof of this possibility will be forthcoming.
When Thomas Foley died in 1677 he left the manor of Pedmore and a considerable sum of money in trust for the maintenance of the School. The fifteen trustees of this bequest were called Feoffees and included amongst them Thomas’ three sons, Thomas, Philip and Paul. Today there are still fifteen Feoffees who are the trustees of the original foundation. Three of the Feoffees are still direct male descendants of the Founder.
In 1950 the School ceased to be independent and became a Voluntary Aided school under an arrangement with Worcestershire County Council. Numbers in the School began to increase and a Sixth Form was started in the mid 1950s. New buildings, including a gymnasium and Lyttleton block were built to accommodate the enlarged School.
By the late 1970s day boys outnumbered boarders and an ambitious building programme commenced to enhance and extend the boarding provision. This included the construction of Foley House (1982), Witley House (1983), Dudley House (1984) and Baxter House (1990) in line with the existing house system. Facilities have been further improved in more recent years by the construction of a new classroom block and a large sports centre.
In September 1989 Old Swinford Hospital became one of the first Grant Maintained Schools, independent of the Local Education Authority. With the ending of that status in 1998, the School reverted to being a Voluntary Aided school. The Governors and Headmaster retain considerable autonomy, however, and the Feoffees, as Foundation Trustees, continue to appoint a majority of the Governors.
The School is remarkable for having had only five Headmasters since 1882. The latest, Mr. Melvyn Roffe, formerly Director of Studies at Monmouth School, took up his appointment in September 2001. The previous headmaster Mr Christopher Potter had a stint of well over 20 years as headmaster of the school (and received an OBE for services to education).
[edit] Recent Old Foleyans
Old boys of the school are called Old Foleyans after the founder of the school Thomas Foley
- Philip Davies-Conservative MP for Shipley
- Dean Headley - England Cricketer
- Joe Shaw-Rugby Player for Newcastle Falcons
