Eltham College

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This article is about the school in London, England. For the school in Research, Australia see Eltham College of Education.

Eltham College
Motto Gloria Filiorum Patres (The glory of sons is their fathers - Proverbs 17: 6)
Established 1842 (re-established 1852)
Type Independent day school
Headmaster Paul J. Henderson
Location Mottingham
London
England
LEA Bromley
Former Pupils Old Elthamians
Gender Boys (with coeducational sixth form)
Website eltham-college.org.uk


Eltham College is an independent school situated in Mottingham in south-east London. Eltham and Mottingham once formed part of the same parish, hence its name.[1]

Contents

[edit] Early history

The school dates back to 1842 when it was founded as the London Missionary Society's School for the Sons and Orphans of Missionaries. A girls' school had been established in Walthamstow in 1837 and a boys' school was opened in the same place at the beginning of 1842. The boys' school later relocated to Mornington Crescent in 1852 and then to a purpose-built location in the centre of Blackheath in 1857[2] (the old school building became the headquarters of the Church Army and is now a private hospital). Missionary David Livingstone sent his sons to the school while it was in Blackheath[3].

[edit] Current site

The school moved to its present site of 15 hectares / 36 acres - centred around an 18th century mansion (Fairy Hall) in Mottingham - in 1912. The building had previously been used by the Royal Naval School from 1889 to the end of the summer term in 1910.

Eltham College began life as a small boarding school catering for children of missionaries serving overseas, mainly in India, China and Africa. Since the 1950s the college has become primarily a day school for boys with a co-educational sixth form since 1981. The pupils are split into four houses, named Carey, Livingstone, Chalmers and Moffat; coloured blue, green, red and yellow respectively.

Its buildings have been progressively modernised and extended over the last few decades, with the addition of new sports facilities, science labs, theatre, a music school and Junior School facilities. In 2005, a "drop-off and pick-up zone" was constructed on the foremost playing field of the school, due to the overcrowding of the original carpark.

The school is well regarded for the educational attainment of its students, regularly appearing highly in rankings of exam performance and Oxbridge entry.

[edit] Headmasters

The school's headmasters at Blackheath[4] were:

  • 1852-1866: William George Lemon
  • 1866-1868: James Scottdik
  • 1869-1870: Charles Dugard Makepeace
  • 1870-1875: Revd Edward J Chincock
  • 1875-1892: Revd Edward Waite
  • 1893-1914: Walter Branerd Haward
  • 1930-1959: Geoffrey Turberville
  • 1959-1983: Christopher Porteous


Christopher Porteous was succeeded as headmaster by Christopher Waller. The College's current headmaster is Paul J. Henderson, who took over from Malcolm Green in September 2000.

[edit] Redevelopment

Henderson has continued the school's programme of building and development started by Malcolm Green, including a controversial major redevelopment to the front of the College, the Junior School and Music School.

[edit] Notable Old Elthamians

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ Eltham St John the Baptist CP/AP Kent through time | Administrative history of Parish-level Unit: hierarchies, boundaries
  2. ^ Rhind, N. (1993) Blackheath Village & Environs, 1790-1990, Vol.1 The Village and Blackheath Vale (Bookshop Blackheath, London), p.117.
  3. ^ Rhind, N. (1993) Blackheath Village & Environs, 1790-1990, Vol.1 The Village and Blackheath Vale (Bookshop Blackheath, London), p.118.
  4. ^ Rhind, N. (1993) Blackheath Village & Environs, 1790-1990, Vol.1 The Village and Blackheath Vale (Bookshop Blackheath, London), p.119.
  5. ^ Rhind, N. (1993) Blackheath Village & Environs, 1790-1990, Vol.1 The Village and Blackheath Vale (Bookshop Blackheath, London), p.118.
  6. ^ Article from Daily Mail
  7. ^ Obituary from The Independent


Coordinates: 51.438° N 0.039° E