Old Swinford Hospital
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Old Swinfod 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 school. Founded in 1667 by Thomas Foley, a Worcestershire Ironmaster, it is now recognised as one of England's leading state schools, placed in the top 5% of all schools at GCSE and with a strong record at A level. In October 2006, OFSTED rated the school as "outstanding" in each of the 39 inspection judgements.
Some two thirds of the current (approximately 600) 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 EU 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 six boarding houses: Baxter (named after Richard Baxter, the Seventeenth Century divine who was influential in the founding of the school), Dudley (after the Dukes of Dudley), Foster (after the Foster family, local landowners and benefactors of the school), Foley (after the founder's family), Maybury (after W J Maybury, headmaster of the school for forty years in the 19th and 20th centuries) and Witley (after the founder's estate at Great Witley in Worcestershire). The Sixth Form day house Harris House (named after Richard Harris until recently the long-serving Chairman of Feoffees) is based in the Sixth Form Centre.
[edit] History
Old Swinford Hospital opened in the late summer of 1670.There are a number of outstanding students who have passed through the school.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 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.
[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
- Richard West — Rugby Player for Gloucester RFC and England
- Nicholas R Bailey - actor - performed in Coronation Street, Casualty, Eastenders.
- Matthew Chance - CNN reporter
[edit] Head Master
Melvyn Roffe
Starting September 2007 - Peter Jones - current deputy head
