Royal Mathematical School
| Established | approx 1680 |
|---|---|
| Master | Mr Alan Smith BSc |
| Founder | King Charles II of England |
| Specialism | Mathematics |
| Location |
Christ's Hospital West Sussex England |
| Local authority | Christ's Hospital |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Former Pupils | Old Blues |
| Website | chweb/Departments/Mathematics/index.htm |
Royal Mathematical School is a branch of Christ's Hospital, founded by Charles II. It is currently Christ's Hospital's Maths Department.
History
It was established so that potential sailors could learn navigation and mathematicians could train at the school. Samuel Pepys was closely involved in the foundation, in 1673, with Jonas Moore.[1] The School was integrated into Christ's Hospital, with boys who were pupils being selected aged 11 or 12 and prepared for a career in the Royal Navy.[2]
There was a short-lived new mathematical school within Christ's Hospital, backed by Isaac Newton, and taught by Humphry Ditton; it ran from 1706 to 1715, when Ditton died, but then was closed down.[3] James Hodgson was master of the Royal Mathematical School from 1709 to 1755, with John Robertson as assistant towards the end of his life. Other masters included James Dodson and William Wales. The master of the early 1760s, Daniel Harris, wrote with John Bevis the manual "Hints for Running the Lines" used by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon for their survey of the Mason-Dixon Line.[4]
Current department
Alan Smith, Master of the Royal Mathematical School, also writes maths text books for United Kingdom secondary schools.
Staff
| Name | Role at Royal Mathematical School and CH |
|---|---|
| Alan Smith BSc | Master of the Royal Mathematical School |
| Damini McCulloch BSc MSc | Head of Second Form |
| Chris Hennock MA Cantab | School Examiner, Scouts Treasurer |
| Arthur Mayhew BSc | Housemaster of Peele B |
| Sean O'Boyle BSc ARCS | Director of Studies at Christ's Hospital |
| David Griffiths BSc | Assistant Housemaster of Peele B |
| Debbie 'DJ' Stamp BEd | Housemistress of Barnes A |
See also
References
- N. Plumley, The Royal Mathematical School within Christ's Hospital: The early years. — Its aims and achievements, Vistas in Astronomy, Volume 20, Part 1, 1976, Pages 51–56.