Royal Wolverhampton School
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The Royal Wolverhampton School began life as The Wolverhampton Orphan Asylum in 1850. It was founded by John Lees, a local lock-manufacturer and freemason, after a cholera epidemic ravaged the town and left many children orphaned. The orphanage was completely funded by voluntary subscription and was dedicated to the education and maintenance of children who had lost one or both parents.
The school's original premises were at 46 Queen Street, Wolverhampton. However in 1854 it moved to new buildings on Penn Road and has remained there ever since. In 1891 Queen Victoria gave permission for the prefix Royal to be used and so The Royal Orphanage of Wolverhampton came into being. The charity carried on using this title until the late 1940s when King George VI permitted it to be re-styled The Royal Wolverhampton School.
This following decade saw a rapid decline in the number of pupils as the newly formed welfare state took over some of the school's responsibilities. The cost of caring for orphans also dramatically increased and so the constitution was controversially changed to allow the admission of full fee-paying pupils. Their proportion has steadily grown to the extent that they now constitute around 90% of its students.
The school's motto is Nisi Dominus Frustra - "Except the Lord in Vain ".
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[edit] Forces bursaries
The children of serving personnel in the British Army, Navy or Royal Air Force are afforded £1,000 a term per child of military personnel in order to help them pay for their children to board. The current fees for boarders is £6,865 per term for those in Year 7 and above, Junior Boarders only pay £6,150 per term, so forces children pay £5,865 and £5,150 respectively.
Eric Idle, whose father died, benefitted from this, his father had been a serving member of the RAF, despite no longer being actively in service he was still allowed the RAF Bursary and would have benefitted from the Orphan's scholarship because if one or both parents are either severely incapacitated or dead a bursary is available.
[edit] School's patron
The Royal's patron is Prince Edward, the youngest son of the Queen, recently he opened up the new swimming baths (the old one was destroyed in a fire).
[edit] Overseas students
The school has students from areas outside of the UK, such as Hong Kong in particular, the school provides EFL lessons, to help those in the school community who don't speak English as a first language, when English or other foreign languages are taught to the rest of the class the foreign students learn, separately, English.
[edit] Scholarships
Despite no longer being an orphanage there is a scholarship provided by the Orphan Foundation, among other scholarships. There is a Music scholarship, an Academic scholarship is available to those who enter, in the Senior School, at ages 11 or 13, those with the top 8 results will be rewarded with an academic scholarship.
The Music scholarship generally reduces the fees by 25% and as a bonus the scholar is rewarded with free tuition in one instrument, these benefits apply only to day pupils. The Director of Music will hold an audition and on the basis of that make an appropriate decision.
A scholarship is available for those who enter the sixth form, the extent of it will be based upon their results at their GCSE examinations the year prior to prospective entry.
[edit] CCF
All boys in Year 8 up until Year 9 are required to be a member of the Combined Cadet Force. Other students (Year 10 onwards) have an option to continue CCF sessions. During the activities (4pm-5pm) period on a Monday afternoon they must participate in either an Army Cadet of RAF Cadet teaching session, due to the school's distance from the sea the option of becoming a Sea Cadet is unavailable as it would be impractical. Those in the CCF learn to shoot and fly, as well as this an assortment of optional and mandatory field trips are included every year. This is an exercise designed to build leadership and survival skills, as well as a good start for those considering a proper forces career.
Girls in year 8 and above can voluntarily join the CCF.
After 2 years of service pupils can apply to become a non-commissioned officer.
[edit] Current headteacher
The current headmaster is Timothy Waters, an ex-navy serviceman, who teaches biology, he has been head for several years now. The current second master of the school is Steph Bailey and has been for many years.
