Arnold School

The school's Coat of Arms

Arnold School is an independent school, or public school, located in Blackpool, Lancashire, England on the Fylde coast established in 1896 during the Victorian expansion of public boarding schools in England.

The school is in the United Church Schools Trust group of schools and is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.

Some distinguished Old Arnoldians include William Lyons, Jenna-Louise Coleman, and Jonas Armstrong.

History

Arnold School was founded by Frank Truswell Pennington on 4 May 1896. Known initially as South Shore Collegiate School, the school moved to its present site in Lytham Road when Pennington took over and gradually expanded the buildings of an earlier Victorian Public School. He then adopted the former school's name of Arnold House School, named after Dr Thomas Arnold, Headmaster of Rugby School. The name was later shortened to Arnold School. The school was founded on Christian principles and a tradition of service.^[1] Following Pennington's death, the school enlarged as a Direct Grant boys' grammar school, flanked by a sister Arnold High School for Girls. The abolition of the Direct Grant system placed Arnold School back into independence, and in 1938 the school was then given to the Old Boys, who elected a Governing Council. The step towards co-education was taken during the leadership of Cameron Cochrane in 1973.^[2]

Coat of Arms

The school was granted a new Coat of Arms in 1999. The shield bears three red roses of Lancashire on a silver field between wedges of Arnold green. The crest is a red rose between two laurel leaves (for scholarship), standing on silver and blue waves (for Blackpool).^[3]

Expansion and Development

^[4] The Victorian school saw significant developments in the mid-20th Century and the early 21st century. Some developments include the completion of a new Sixth Form Centre and Preparatory School in 1972; the Art and Music departments in 1981; the Design Centre in 1990; the all-weather playing field in 1993; the Kindergarten in 1995; the Information Technology Centres in 1997; the Modern Languages Faculty in 1997; the Centenary Complex in 1998; the opening of the Windmill Charities Room in 2003.

On June 1, 2008, Arnold School joined the United Church Schools Trust. There followed an immediate investment in the infrastructure of the school, and the installation of the latest technologies available. Major refurbishments of the Sixth Form Centre, Fifth Form Lounge, and Dining Room were also undertaken.

Amalgamation with KEQMS

In September 2011 Arnold announced that it would be merging with King Edward VII & Queen Mary School (KEQMS) in September 2012. The new school would be called Arnold KEQMS School or, for short, "AKS". A KEQMS parent group opposed to the merger submitted objections to the Charity Commission which prompted a review prior to allowing the merger to proceed. The Charity Commission completed their report and announced on 11 November 2011 that they had approved the new scheme.

The KEQMS parent group immediately announced their intention to appeal against the Charity Commission decision. The appeal was lodged with HM Courts and Tribunal Service – First Tier Tribunal on Friday 9 December 2011. The appeal was heard on 11 & 12 April 2012^[5][6] and a decision was released by the tribunal on 17 May 2012 stating that the merger can proceed however the lease granted to UCST does not adequately protect the assets of the Lytham Schools and will therefore need to be re-written.^[7]

The parents group subsequently announced that they would not be appealing this decision and the merger went ahead successfully over the course of 2013.^[8] UCST committed to a substantial expenditure in excess of £6 million, in order to upgrade the infrastructure at the Lytham site so as to accommodate the expanded school.

Headmasters

• 1896–1932 F T Pennington
• 1932–1933 H C Cooksey MA
• 1933–1938 F T Pennington
• 1938–1966 F W Holdgate MA
• 1966–1973 O C Wigmore MA
• 1973–1979 A J C Cochrane MA
• 1979–1987 R D W Rhodes JP.,B.A. (Later headmaster of Rossall School)
• 1987–1993 J A B Kelsall MA
• 1993–2003 W T Gillen MA (Previously headmaster at The Kings School Tynemouth)
• 2003–2010 B M Hughes BSc
• 2010-current J E Keefe BA

Notable Old Arnoldians

Honours

• Sir Walter Clegg (Government Chief Whip, Ex-Officio Controller of the Royal Household);
• Sir Harold Grime (Director of Reuter’s Agency, Chairman of the Press Association, Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire);
• Sir Martin Holdgate (Geographical and Zoological);
• Sir William Lyons (Founder of Jaguar Cars);
• Sir Ernest Woodhouse Smith, (President of Institute of Fuel);
• John Schofield (1892–1918), World War I Victoria Cross;
• John Pritchard (born 1948), Bishop of Oxford.

Academic

• Michael Austin, (Professor of Organ and Counterpoint, Royal Academy of Music);
• Peter Beighton (Professor of Human Genetics);
• Terence Charleston (Professor of Early Music, Royal Academy of Music);
• Geoffrey Deamaley (Professor of Physics);
• Harold Fox (Professor - University of Manchester);
• Alan Gillies (Professor of Information Management, University of Central Lancashire);
• Richard Hardman, (President of Geological Society);
• David Harris (Tutorial Fellow in Priochemistry, University of Oxford);
• Paul Helm (Professor of History & Philosophy of Religion);
• Stephen Hold (Professor of Gastroenterology & Medicine, Canada);
• Ashley Kent, (President of Geographical Society);
• Geoffrey Marshall, (Provost of the Queen’s College, Oxford);
• Charles Moseley (Director of Studies, Wolfson College Cambridge);
• Eric Renshaw (Professor of Statistics, Strathclyde University);
• Michael Smith (Nobel Prize Winner);
• Peter Wall (Professor of Priotechnology);
• John Wilkinson (President, European Haematological Society; Life Councillor, International Haematological Society, Freeman of the City of London);
• David Wilde (Professor at Hockschule fur Musik und Thectes, Hanover and international concert pianist);
• Keith Yates (Professor of Chemistry).

Public Life/Commerce

• Douglas Bickerstaffe (Chairman of Blackpool Tower Company);
• Peter Boydell (Leader of the Parliamentary Bar; Chancellor of the Diocese of Truro);
• His Honour Judge Robert Brown, (Circuit Judge);
• District Judge Michael Buckley(Northern Court Circuit);
• Dr Alan Curry, (controller Forensic Science Service, Home Office);
• Arthur Firth, (Editor of the Daily Express, Sports Editor of the Daily Mail);
• Keith Gledhill, (Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire, High Sheriff of Lancashire);
• His Honour Judge Christopher Hilliard (Member of the Central Criminal Court);
• Frederick Laws, (Vice-Chairman Commission for Local Administration in England);
• Alderman Rhodes Marshall (Honorary Freeman of Blackpool and twice Mayor of Blackpool);
• James Mitchell (Chairman of Stead & Simpson);
• Keith Oates, (Deputy Chairman and Joint Finance Director of Marks & Spencer);
• Norman Quick, (Chairman of H & J Quick Group Plc, High Sheriff);
• Geoffrey Thompson (1936–2004), owner of Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Sport

• James Armfield CBE, High Sheriff of Lancashire, (43 caps for England Soccer, 15 as captain);
• George Eastham OBE, (19 caps for England Soccer);
• Tom Graveney, (79 tests for England Cricket);
• Richard Halsall (ECB National Fielding Coach);
• Robert Hesford, (10 Caps for England Rugby Union);
• Barrie-Jon Mather, (3 caps for Great Britain Rugby League, 2 caps for England Rugby League, 1 cap for England Rugby Union);
• James Mitchell (England Cricket); Malcolm Phillips, (25 caps for England Rugby Union);
• David Stephenson, (10 caps for Great Britain Rugby League).

Arts/Theatre/TV

• Jonas Armstrong, actor, Robin in the BBC's Robin Hood
• David Ball, (Member of pop group “Soft Cell”);
• Jenna-Louise Coleman, actress in Emmerdale and Doctor Who;
• Chris Lowe, member of the Pet Shop Boys
• Peter Purves (TV Personality);
• Michelle Walton, (Opera Singer with Scottish Opera);
• Edgar Metcalfe, actor and theatre director;
• David Wilde, pianist and composer;
• Tim Woolcock, Painter.

References

External links

• Official website