King Edward's School, Witley
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| King Edward's School, Witley | |
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Overlaying traditional values with a modern outlook
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| Location | |
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Wormley, Surrey, England  |
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| Information | |
| Founder | King Edward VI |
| President | Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester |
| Headmaster | Mr P Kerr Fulton-Peebles |
| Director of Studies | Mr S J Pugh |
| Students | Approx. 480 |
| Type | Independent school |
| Established | 1553 |
| Homepage | http://www.kesw.surrey.sch.uk/ |
King Edward's School, Witley (commonly known as KESW or KES) is a British co-educational Independent school boarding and day school in Surrey, England with approximately 480 pupils. Originally known as Bridewell Palace or Bridewell Royal Hospital, it was founded by Edward VI of England and Bishop Nicholas Ridley in 1553, after the Bishop pleaded with the king to give some of his empty palaces over to the city to house homeless women and children in. Its creation was sanctioned by the same charter as that of Christ's Hospital and St Thomas' Hospital [1]. It still has strong links with the City of London, and is still supported by it, while many of the children have bursaries funded by the City. The school celebrated its 450th anniversary in 2003.
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[edit] History of the School
In 1867 the school moved from its original site in London to the village of Wormley in Surrey. After the move, it changed its name from Bridewell Royal Hospital to King Edward's School, Witley, although the school is still referred to in some circumstances as the Bridewell Royal Hospital, to distinguish from other schools named after the eight King Edwards of England. The girls’ school remained at Southwark and became known as King Edward’s School, London. In 1922 the girls’ school closed, after which grants were made to other educational establishments for girls in lieu of direct provision of education for girls. In 1952 King Edward’s School, Witley, became co-educational, an early example of a 20th century boarding school for boys and girls.
It was commandeered by the Royal Navy during the Second World War to test and develop the use of radar. The school still remembers this with a plaque in the central area, a junction of corridors known as 'Piccadilly'. The school holds its annual Speech Day at the end of the Summer term.
The President of Bridewell Royal Hospital (the title was kept after the move of location) is now Birgitte, The Duchess of Gloucester, appointed from 1 January 2006. The President of Bridewell prior to this was The Queen Mother, who held the title from 1953 to 2002.
[edit] Boarding houses
There are ten houses in total, five male and five female. The boarding houses at the school are paired, and, in the case of the senior pupils, conjoined in the centre of the buildings. This central area (known as the 'Accy Area', from activity area) allows the boys and girls from the paired houses to meet in the evenings and during spare time, often to chat, watch television or a DVD, or play pool or table football. The right-hand half of the iconic front building of the school is used as Copeland house, the junior girls boarding house, while Queen Mary House was formerly a care home for the mentally ill, and then the school sanatorium until later becoming the junior boys boarding house.
The senior houses were built in the 1970s, and the plans can be seen in the School Museum, housed in the History Department. Borders moved into these new buildings in 1977 and the inauguration of the new buildings was commemorated by a visit from HRH Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother during the summer of that year.
The houses, in their pairs, are:
[edit] Juniors
- Queen Mary House – Known as QMH, this is the junior boys house. It is named after Edward's sister, Mary I of England.
- Copeland – The junior girls’ house, named after Colonel Copeland. This forms part of the façade of the school.
[edit] Seniors
- Ridley – Named after Bishop Nicholas Ridley.
- St Bridget’s – After St Bride, the Saint of the church site where the original school was built.
- Wakefield – Named after Viscount Wakefield, a school governor and President of Bethlem Royal Hospital.
- Elizabeth – After Elizabeth I of England, King Edward’s older sister.
- Edward – After Edward VI himself. The current holders of the Boys Cock House Cup.
- Tudor – The House of Tudor, the current royal family at the time of the school's founding.
- Grafton – Named after Richard Grafton, a personal friend of Thomas Becket.
- Queens
The school has a very competitive atmosphere between all of the houses. They compete in different competitions and challenges such as House Drama, House Music, Sports Day and other various sporting and academic events. These all allow the winning houses to accumulate points for the Cock House Cup, which is awarded to the house with the most points at the end of the School Year. The current holders of the Cock House Cup are Edward House and Queens House.
[edit] Co-Curricular Activity Program
Extra-curricular activities take place every weekday after lessons. These include Art, Ceramics, Chess, Climbing, Creative writing, Cross-stitching, Dance, Digital Video, Drama, Golf, Karate, Life Saving, Riding, Sailing, Canoeing and editing the School Magazine.
These all take place in the afternoon for an hour after afternoon lessons have finished. On Wednesday activities take place for 2 hours. There are also team practices in addition to the standard activities offered by the school.
[edit] 6th Form
In the 6th Form a choice of two curricula are offered:
[edit] School publications
The school has its own magazine, The Edwardian, which it publishes yearly. There is a short school newsletter, KEStrel, published bi-annually, that incorporates recent school events and news.
[edit] Notable associations
Pupils who have left King Edward's are known as 'Old Witleians' (sometimes abbreviated to 'Old Wits'):
- Ivor Caplin - Former pupil, Head Boy in 1975. Labour Member of Parliament for Hove and Portslade from 1997 until 2005. Subsequently became a political lobbyist for a number of defense contractors after having served as an under secretary of state for defence.
- Clive Crook – Former pupil, now the creative director of The Daily Telegraph.
- Edward Tudor-Pole - Former pupil, 1980's popular musician (leader of the band Tenpole Tudor) and actor.
- Piers Golden - Former pupil, now a professional fashion photographer based in London.
- Du'aine Ladejo - British athlete, still the holder of several sports records at the school.
- Edd China - Inventor of the sofa car, and regularly appears on Discovery Real Time in Wheeler Dealers, and other motoring programs
- Ian Allan – Not a former pupil, but the Treasurer 1983-1995, founder of Ian Allan Graphics and Ian Allan Publishing. As a result of this affiliation, Ian Allan Publishing often receives contracts from the school.
- Samuel Pepys – Not a student, but a Governor during the 17th century.
- Tracy Ip Chui Chui – Former pupil of the late 1990s, the Miss Hong Kong in 2005.[1]
[edit] KESPA
The King Edward's School Parent's Association organise school social evenings and events through out the year. They are often called upon to supply or supplement the catering and entertainment at events such as sports day.
[edit] References
- King Edward’s School: Bridewell to Witley 1553-2005, Bertie Mawer, 2000 (ISBN 0-7110-2776-5)
- Bethlem Hospital 1247-1997, Patricia Aldridge
- The City of London, Mary Cathcart Borer, 1977
- Bridewell Royal Hospital and King Edward’s Schools, Alfred J. Copeland, 1912
- The Last Tudor King, Hesther W. Chapman, 1958
- Chronicle, Richard Grafton
- Old Bridewell (Monograph), R.S. Mylne, 1905
- Bridewell Hospital Palace, Prison, Schools, E.C. O’Donoghue, 1929
- Henry VIII, A.W. Pollard, 1905
- Nicholas Ridley, Jasper Ridley, 1957
- Works of Nicholas Ridley, Parker Society Cambridge, 1953
