| Motto | A Minimis Incipe (From The Smallest Beginnings) |
|---|---|
| Established | 1902 |
| Type | Independent |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Headmasters | Christopher Cleugh (Senior School)[1] Robert Simmons (Junior School) |
| Founder | Fr. Sebastian Cave |
| Location | Eaton Rise Ealing London W5 2ES United Kingdom |
| Students |
~650 (Senior School) |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 3 (Nursery)/4 (Junior School)–18 |
| Houses | Barlow, Gervase, Pickering, Roberts |
| Colours |
Green, Yellow and Black |
| Publication | The Priorian |
| Former pupils | Old Priorians |
| Head Boy 2011/12 | Matthew Roberts |
| Head Girl 2011/12 | Rhianna Ilube |
| Deputy Head Boy(s) 2011/12 | Andrew Hutchinson and Rory O'Connor |
| Deputy Head Girl(s) 2011/12 | Christina Haddad and Eloise Keal |
| Website | St Benedict's School website |
St Benedict's School is a co-educational independent Roman Catholic school situated in Ealing, West London. The school is part of Ealing Abbey and is governed by the Abbot and monks of Ealing. As the only day school of the English Houses of the English Benedictine Congregation, the school does not take boarding pupils. Although a Catholic Benedictine establishment, the school accepts pupils of other Christian denominations and, in the Senior School, other faiths.[2]
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St Benedict’s School, Ealing was established following the arrival of Benedictine monks from Downside Abbey in Ealing in 1897 to found the first Benedictine Abbey in London since the Reformation. Under the leadership of Dom Sebastian Cave, Ealing Priory School, as the School was known, (becoming St Benedict's School in 1948) opened on 2 October 1902, with three boys enrolled.
The school has occupied various premises at various times in its history, firstly in Blakesley Avenue, then taking rooms in the priory in 1904 before moving across to Orchard Dene (which currently houses the Junior School) in Montpelier Avenue. In 1906 15 acres (61,000 m2), about a mile from the main school grounds, in Perivale were purchased to provide a sports grounds. By the 1920s Orchard Dene was used for boarders and the school was located in two houses on Eaton Rise. A purpose built school building linking these houses was in use by 1936. During the Second World War pupils were evacuated - boarding ceased - and the Abbey church was badly damaged by a bomb on 7 October 1940.[3]
The Junior School was 'spun off' as a separate entity with its own headmaster in 1946. The Junior School's first lay headmaster, Dennis McSweeny, was appointed in 2000. The present headmaster, appointed in 2005, is Mr Robert Simmons, himself a former pupil of St Benedict's School. Visits to many places of interest in London, and further afield, extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the world around them. In Year 5, pupils visit Normandy. The school has worthwhile links with the local and wider community. The pupils demonstrate concern for others less fortunate than themselves by supporting local and international charities. Concern for the environment is encouraged and the school has an effective school travel plan. Support of the Healthy Planet project has resulted in the purchase of a piece of land in Central America which has been planted with trees. Each year a whole school (Junior and Senior) charity day takes place at the end of March to support the Abbey’s Lenten Appeal.[4]
Although St Benedict's was originally founded as a boys' school, girls have been admitted to the Sixth Form of the Senior School since the 1970s and to the nursery since it was founded in 2002. In June 2006 the Monastic Chapter voted to extend co-education across the whole school and since the Michaelmas term of 2007 the Junior School has been fully co-educational. The Senior School became fully co-educational in Michaelmas 2008.
In October 2009, Dom David Pearce, a monk of Ealing Abbey and former headmaster of the Junior School, was jailed for eight years, subsequently reduced to five years, for sexual abuse offences at the school in the period from 1972 - 1992 and for one further offence in 2007 after he had ceased to work in the school.[5][6] In March 2011 Dom Laurence Soper, the Abbot of Ealing Abbey during the 1990s, was arrested on child abuse charges relating to the period when he was a teacher at, and the bursar of, St Benedict's School; it was reported in October 2011 that he had failed to answer bail and was being sought by the police.[7]
In August 2010 the Abbot commissioned an enquiry into the claims of sexual abuse at the school, to be conducted by Lord Carlile of Berriew; its report was published in November 2011 and detailed 21 separate abuse cases since 1970 and concluded "that the form of governance of St Benedict's School is wholly outdated and demonstrably unacceptable." It recommended that two trusts be formed to remove control by the abbey, but maintaining a Benedictine connection for the parents.[8][9]. In October 2011 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ordered its own enquiry into the same matters, to be conducted by Bishop John Arnold.[10]
Since its earliest days, members of the monastic community at Ealing Abbey have taught at, and provided pastoral, spiritual and educational leadership, within the School. Until the Senior School's first lay headmaster, Dr A.J. Dachs, was appointed in 1987, all headmasters were monks of the Abbey. The present Senior School headmaster, Mr Christopher Cleugh, joined the school in 2001 and so, as were his predecessors since 1951, is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.
There are three academic terms in the year:
The Rule of St Benedict permeates the community in a palpable way as a sense of shared purpose in growing towards ‘discernment’ in life.[11] Qualities such as tolerance, forgiveness, mutual support and hospitality characterize the school community. Pupils’ excellent spiritual development is fostered by the sense of stability generated by the daily practice of adherence to the Benedictine way. The spiritual development of individuals manifests itself most obviously in the way in which they relate to each other, both students and teachers. In appreciating the worth of others, pupils learn respect for themselves and how to live out the gospel values that they have learned. Collective acts of worship in assemblies or in the Abbey Church are respectful and prayerful and evoke a high level of pupil participation.[12]
The Abbey Church provides the awe-inspiring backdrop for worship.[13] Registration sessions are accompanied by prayer, in which pupils happily participate and which they sometimes lead. Mass is celebrated weekly in the school chapel for those staff and pupils who wish to attend. Retreats organized for each year group give valuable time for reflection and for spiritual growth. Trips are organized, for instance to Rome on a study pilgrimage and to Lourdes, where pupils develop their understanding or are able to express their commitment to service. Most of all the pupils assimilate the pattern for a whole way of life, as part of which the school encourages former pupils to feel that they remain part of the Benedictine community which has shaped them.[14]
The Independent Schools Inspectorate notes that pupils develop a strong personal morality at St Benedict's. The qualities of character from which moral and responsible behaviour proceed are acquired cumulatively through the good quality relationships which pupils form. Staff and older pupils act as excellent rôle models and their example of care, respect and tolerance for others plays a strong part in developing the moral code of younger pupils. The school rules, which emphasize consideration for others, make sense to the pupils and they respect them. They behave well towards each other and towards all they meet, and clearly exhibit a strong sense of right and wrong.[15]
On entry to the School, each pupil is assigned to a house - Barlow (partnered with More House in the Junior School), Gervase (partnered with Gregory), Pickering (partnered with Bede) or Roberts (partnered with Fisher). These houses are named after the Benedictine martyrs St Ambrose Barlow, Blessed George Gervase, Blessed Thomas Pickering and St John Roberts. From the Upper 4th (Year 9) onwards House Captains are appointed in each division, while in Form 3 and Lower 4th (Years 7 and 8) there are house representatives. In addition House Colours are awarded from the Upper 4th for outstanding overall contribution to the life of the School.
The Senior School has a strong record in rugby union, winning the national Under 15 Daily Mail Cup competition in the 2004/5 season,[16] and reaching the semi-final of the Cup in 2007.[17] As finalist again at Twickenham in the Under 18 Daily Mail Cup in 2008, St Benedict's is one of only two teams in the history of the national competition to have played in both Under 15 and Under 18 Daily Mail Cup finals as one year group (the other being Wellington College). The School XV were undefeated in 2008 in 21 of 22 league matches, finishing top of the Canterbury Rankings ahead of Wellington College, Millfield School and Sedbergh School.[18] The same team was selected by the Rugby Football Union to represent England in the Sanix World Rugby Youth Invitational Tournament, losing only to the eventual winner.[19] The school is the current holder of the Middlesex Cup at both U14 and U16 level [20] and retained the Cronk-Cunis National U21 XVs Rugby Festival title in August 2010. [21]
The main sports for girls are netball, hockey and rounders. The school also offers other sports including cricket, fencing, tennis and swimming.
In the Senior School there are over 70 clubs and societies. Pupils run a debating society, staff a Combined Cadet Force and participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme [22], as well as producing consistently accomplished art, music and drama.[23]The Junior School runs a daily programme of after class Hobbies including Mandarin, ballet, chess, cross stitch, fencing - St Benedict’s currently holds the Under 11 Girls Foil British School Team Champions Title - computing and swimming. Both Senior and Junior School pupils contribute to the Priorian, the School magazine.
Alumni of the school are known as Old Priorians and include:
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