Westbourne House School
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| Westbourne House School | |
| Established | 29 January 1907 |
| Type | Preparatory, boarding |
| Religious affiliation | non-denominal |
| Headmaster | Brendan Law |
| Location | Coach Road, Shopwyke Chichester West Sussex PO20 2BH England |
| LEA | West Sussex |
| Students | 400 |
| Gender | co-educational |
| Ages | 3 to 13 |
| Website | Westbourne House School |
Westbourne House School is an independent preparatory school 1½ miles east of Chichester, West Sussex, England. It is co-educational and serves around 400 boarding and day-school pupils from ages 3-13. The headmaster is Brendan Law.
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[edit] History
The school was founded in Folkestone on 29 January 1907 and was accommodated in a purpose built school called Westbourne House. The first headteacher, Miss Hare, ran the school until 1932 when Mr Geoffrey Shilcock took over and changed the school from a pre-preparatory to a preparatory school.
In 1938, with war looming, a temporary safer home was found for the school at Upcott near Barnstaple and in 1939, the school moved to Devon where it remained for seven years. The original building was damaged during the war, so a search was made for another suitable premises. In 1946, the school bought Shopwyke Park which had been requisitioned during the war and now stood empty. After clearing away the Nissen huts from the grounds and some repair of the building, the boys started their first term there in September of 1947.
In 1961, Mr Shilcock decided to retire and the school was due to close. However, the Sharmans bought the school and with the help of Mr Maurice Ellis, the recently retired Head of the Mall School, Twickenham and Miss Blackman, a stalwart of the staff, the school began to grow. In 1967 it became a Charitable Trust in order for all the money to be put back into the school without deducting tax. Mr and Mrs Sharman developed Westbourne House into a well respected and well loved school. On their retirement in 1989, Mr Sharman became the Chairman and Mrs Sharman a member of the Board of Governors.
In the 1990s the school was used to educate the children of diplomats.[1][2]
Since that time, the school continued to develop in size, structure and methods. Under the stewardship of Stephen Rigby, the school doubled in size, introduced co-education, developed art and music and undertook an ambitious building program. Mr Rigby moved on in 2003 after 14 successful years as Headmaster. Brendan Law was appointed as his successor in September 2003.
[edit] Academic standards
Following their November 2006 inspection, the Independent Schools Inspectorate said "The school achieves all its major aims and objectives. A strong sense of community pervades the school. The personal development of pupils is outstanding. They develop mutual respect, treat each other and adults with dignity, politeness, and concern, and become confident, caring, and responsible citizens. Within a relaxed yet purposeful atmosphere, pupils of all abilities reach high standards of learning and achievement. Relationships between staff and pupils, the leadership of the senior management team, the dedication and enthusiasm of the staff, and the good standard of teaching are key elements in enabling pupils to reach their potential."
[edit] Sport
The school has developed a reputation for cricketing excellence over the years under the inspirational leadership of coach Kevin Smith (Sussex CCC) and from 1991-2001 won the Hayland Trophy nine out of the ten years. The school 1st XI went six seasons unbeaten from 1997-2003.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Tom Bradby, journalist and author
- Marcus Brigstocke, comedian
- Nick Clarke, presenter and journalist[3]
- Holly Colvin, cricketer
- Alastair Mackenzie, actor
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Report of the Independent Schools Inspectorate, 6-9 November 2006
