Dauntsey's School
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| Dauntsey's School | |
| Motto | Honor Deo (Motto of the Worshipful Company of Mercers meaning "Honour God") |
| Established | 1542 |
| Type | Boarding school |
| Religious affiliation | Anglican Christian |
| Master | Stewart Roberts |
| Visitor | The Most Rev The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury |
| Chairman of Governors | |
| Founder | William Dauntesey |
| Location | West Lavington Wiltshire SN10 4HE England  |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Ages | 11 to 18 |
| Houses | 5 Boarding houses and & day houses |
| School colours | Black & White |
| Publication | The Dauntseian |
| Former pupils | Old Dauntseians |
| Website | www.dauntseys.org |
Dauntsey's School is a co-educational independent day and boarding school in the village of West Lavington, Wiltshire, South West England. The School was founded in 1542 in accordance with the will of Mercer William Dauntesey.
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[edit] The School
The school was moved to its current site in the 1895. The school occupies approximately 25 acres of land at the main school campus, though this was recently increased by the acquisition of a field behind the school. However, the school has yet to develop this land, and it remains a ploughed field with a bike park, the bike park featured in MBUK in 2004 when they held the 'Backyard Jam'. Where the Osiris BMX team did a show there, though the park has since been bulldozed by the school to avoid law suits as the locality took to using it without permission. The school also owns a large portion of land approximately 15 minutes' walk (or a mile's drive) from the main school. The land has an old Manor building on it, a wood, a golf course and an athletics track and now also a cricket pitch set in the walled garden.
[edit] Houses
Most houses are named after former headmasters, the exceptions being Manor, Farmer and Mercers (named after a building, a generous donor, and the Worshipful Company respectively).[1] All houses are on main school site, except Manor.
[edit] Lower school houses
In lower school the day pupils' houses determine little more than where their locker is, and where they must be for registration. For lower school boarders, however, the Manor house is the only boarding house available, and therefore will be where they live, and eat (breakfast and supper).
All classes have pupils from all houses.
| Day | Boarding |
| Forbes | Manor |
| Rendell | |
| Scott |
[edit] Upper school houses
In upper school, houses are not mixed, and the eight houses are divided equally among day, boarding, female and male pupils . A pupil's house is determined at random, although siblings tend to be placed in the same house. In the boys houses they compete for the Strong Cup.
| Day | Boarding | |
| Girls | King-Reynolds | Jeanne |
| Lambert | Evans | |
| Boys | Farmer | Mercers |
| Hemens | Fitzmaurice |
[edit] Strong Cup
Strong Cup is the annual point-system senior house competition for boys at Dauntsey's School, so Farmer, Fitzmaurice, Hemens and Mercers are the only houses that are involved. The all time winners are Farmer but their current 5 year reign was ended by Fitzmaurice House, who won the competition by 2 points.
The points are awarded from inter-house events throughout the academic year. Such events include athletics, rugby, cricket, tennis, hockey, football, general knowledge quiz, basketball, water polo, music and a minor sports festival which includes badminton, squash, skittles, chess and table tennis.
[edit] Jolie Brise
Jolie Brise, the famous gaff rigged pilot cutter, is sailed exclusively by Dauntsey pupils throughout the year. In summer 2000 Dauntsey crews took part in the The Tall Ships' Race 2000, which took her from Southampton to Cadiz, Bermuda, Charleston, New York, Boston, Halifax and Amsterdam. In Amsterdam, Jolie Brise was declared the overall winner of this prestigious international race. She also won The Tall Ships' Races 2002, which took her from Alicante to Malaga. Last summer Jolie Brise cruised to the Azores; this summer Jolie Brise circumnavigated Britain before sailing to Spain.
[edit] Mercers' Company
The school was founded in the 16th Century in accordance with the will of Mercer William Dauntesey, the school's affiliation with the Mercers Company still remains, and the Master Mercer is a regular guest of honour or speaker at school events. The company also helps with the financial support of students individual ventures, including gap years and sporting tours, where the company sees fit.
[edit] History
Three centuries after the school's foundation in 1542 (above), the school moved to its current site at the North end of West Lavington, Wiltshire: in may 1895, the Rt. Hon. Joseph Chamberlain opened the new school buildings and officially inaugurated Dauntsey's Agricultural School. In 1929, the school purchased the Manor House estate which is now accommodation for lower school borders. In 1930, the school changed its name to Dauntsey's School although remained largely dedicated to an agriculture-based education. In 1967, the 'Olive Block' opened, which is now Fitzmaurice House. 1970 saw the foundation of the sailing club, while, in 1971, the first ever girls were admitted. In 1972, the farm buildings were closed and the school became a primarily academic institution. In 1977, the school acquired Jolie Brise (above). The school continues a wide range of building and expansion projects to this day, including the recent building of Mercers' House and the new school library.
[edit] The Civic Guild of Old Mercers
The Civic Guild of Old Mercers, established c. 1947, by ex-pupils of Mercers' School, has the stated aim of encouraging former pupils of the Mercers' School to become Freemen and Liverymen of the City of London: and to select, if possible, a Livery Company appropriate to their own trade or profession.
When the Mercers' School closed in 1959 it was decided, to extend membership to former pupils from other schools in the Mercers' Cluster. Membership is now open to pupils of the following schools; Abingdon School, Dauntsey's School, Mercers' School, St Paul's School, St Paul's Girls School and Thomas Telford School, and the Colleges of Richard Collyer and Peter Symonds.
[edit] Old Dauntseians
- W. V. Awdry, children's author
- Nigel Balchin, novelist
- Eason Chan, Hong Kong singer
- Andrew Gardner, ITN newscaster from 1962, senior News at Ten co-presenter 1967-1980 and chief Thames News co-presenter 1980-1992)
- Simon May, composer of BBC Eastenders TV theme music & others)
- Desmond Morris, sociologist
- Andrew Miller: novelist
- Adrian Mitchell - poet
- Mark Seddon, journalist, former editor of Tribune and correspondent for Al Jazeera English
- Amédée Turner, patent law barrister and Member of the European Parliament
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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