Lancing College

This page is about the College. For the Chapel within the college, see Lancing College Chapel.

Lancing College
(formerly College of St Mary and St Nicolas)

Motto	'Beati Mundo Corde'[1] (Blessed are the pure in heart)[2]
Established	1848
Type	Independent day and boarding
Religion	Church of England
Head Master	Dominic Oliver, MPhil
Chairman	Dr. Harry Brünjes
Founder	Nathaniel Woodard
Location	Lancing West Sussex BN15 0RW England
DfE URN	126108 Tables
Students	c.550
Gender	Mixed
Ages	13–18
Houses	9
Colours	Blue and White
Publication	The Quad; Lancing Life
Former pupils	OLs
Affiliation	Woodard Corporation
Website	www.lancingcollege.co.uk

Lancing College is a co-educational English independent school in the British public school tradition, founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard. Woodard's aim was to provide education "based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith." Lancing was the first of a family of more than 30 schools founded by Woodard (others include Hurstpierpoint College, Ardingly College, Bloxham School and Worksop College).

Typical of major independent schools, Lancing places emphasis on what might be described as tradition — Anglican Christianity (chapel attendance is compulsory for all pupils), and sport (notably football, Eton fives, squash, tennis, hockey and cricket).

The school is based in 550 acres (2.2 km²) of countryside in West Sussex, east of Worthing near the village of Lancing, on the south coast of England. The college is situated on a hill which is part of the South Downs, and the campus dominates the local landscape. The college overlooks the River Adur and the Ladywell Stream, a holy well or sacred stream within the College grounds has pre-Christian significance.^[3]

The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. Girls were first admitted in 1970. The school is dominated by a Gothic revival chapel, and follows a high church Anglican tradition. The College of St Mary and St Nicolas (as it was originally known) was intended for the sons of upper middle classes and professional men; in time this became Lancing College, moving to its present site in 1857.

The school's buildings of the 1850s were designed by the architect Richard Cromwell Carpenter, with later ones by John William Simpson.

Lancing educates c.550 pupils between the ages of 13 and 18; the co-educational ratio is c.60:40 boys to girls. Roughly 60% of pupils are boarders, at a cost of £32,910 per year; c.40% are day pupils, at a cost of £23,130 per year. Occasional overnight stays are available to day pupils at an additional cost.^[4] A small number of the students attend Lancing on academic and musical scholarships provided by the school; of the other pupils, some may receive some kind of bursary. Former pupils are referred to as OLs.

In 2003 Lancing was one of fifty of the country's leading independent schools which were found guilty of running an illegal price-fixing cartel which had allowed them to drive up fees for thousands of parents, although the schools made clear that they had not realised that the change to the law (which had happened only a few months earlier) about the sharing of information had subsequently made it an offence.^[5] Each school was required to pay a nominal penalty of £10,000 and all agreed to make ex-gratia payments totalling three million pounds into a trust designed to benefit pupils who attended the schools during the period in respect of which fee information was shared.^[6] However, Mrs Jean Scott, the head of the Independent Schools Council, said that independent schools had always been exempt from anti-cartel rules applied to business, were following a long-established procedure in sharing the information with each other, and that they were unaware of the change to the law (on which they had not been consulted). She wrote to John Vickers, the OFT director-general, saying, "They are not a group of businessmen meeting behind closed doors to fix the price of their products to the disadvantage of the consumer. They are schools that have quite openly continued to follow a long-established practice because they were unaware that the law had changed."^[7]

School life

The school day begins with 'Roll Call' at 8.15 and ends around 6pm with sports during the afternoons of alternate days. At 7pm there are two hours of 'evening school' where pupils are expected to remain in their studies and complete any prep that may have been set during the academic day. Pupils are also expected to attend lessons on Saturday mornings.

The college is divided up into houses, each house resident to between 30 and 80 pupils.

Lancing Lower Quad

Each house has a distinctive set of 'colours' which are awarded to students for merit and/or commitment for representing the house. The award allows male students to wear a house tie.

Besides academic study pupils are involved in activities that include football, rugby, tennis, squash, badminton, lacrosse, basketball, fives, hockey, running, fencing, debating, farming, riding, clay pigeon shooting, target rifle shooting, Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme, sailing, and the Combined Cadet Force.

Chapel

Main Article: Lancing College Chapel

The interior facing west

The interior facing east

The chapel viewed from the south east

The organ and stained glass

The foundation stone of the college chapel was laid in 1868, but the chapel itself was not finished in Woodard's lifetime. In fact, the chapel remains unfinished. It stands at about 50 metres (with foundations going down 20 metres into the ground), but the original plans called for a tower at the west end which would raise the height to 100 metres. The apex of the vaulting rises to 27.4 m (90 ft).^[8] One reason that the chapel ended up as high as it did was that Woodard insisted that it be built to its full height at one end first, so that even if he died before completion the height could not be cut down to save money. The chapel is built in the English gothic style of the 14th century, with 13th century French influences. It was designed by R. H. Carpenter and William Slater, and is built of Sussex sandstone from Scaynes Hill.

The chapel was dedicated to St Mary and St Nicolas in 1911, although the college worshiped in the finished crypt from 1875. Inside can be found, amongst other things, the tomb of the founder, three organs, and a rose window designed by Stephen Dykes Bower, completed in 1977, and the largest rose window in England, being 32 ft in diameter. The chapel itself is the largest school chapel in the world.^[9]

The eastern organ is a two-manual mechanical organ built by the Danish firm Frobenius and was installed and voiced 'in situ' in 1986. That year also marked the completion of the rebuild of the four-manual Walker organ at the west end of the chapel^[10] - both of which were showcased in the opening concert by the American organ virtuoso, Carlo Curley.

A stained glass window was recently commissioned in memory of Trevor Huddleston OL, and was consecrated by Desmond Tutu on Tuesday 22 May 2007.

The chapel is open to the public every day, Monday to Saturday from 10.00 until 16.00, and Sunday from 12.00 until 16.00. Full school services are held every Wednesday morning during term time at 08.35, and on certain Sundays throughout the year. There is also a eucharist every morning at 07.40, and benediction on a Friday evening followed by a lower school service on Saturday mornings at 8:25.

Lancing's chapel "symbolises the importance of Christian worship" at the college. Every year the building brings thousands of visitors to its doors.

Campus

Most school buildings and boarding houses are positioned around the central quads with the chapel positioned adjacent to the college drive. The school has an operational farm, river access, squash courts, fives courts, smallbore rifle range, swimming pool, a multigym, weightroom, two all weather astro-turfs, twenty-eight tennis courts, two theatres, two libraries and classrooms.

The school is one of only a small number in the country to have Eton fives courts.

During World War II, students were evacuated to Downton Castle in Herefordshire.^[11] Both the main college and the prep school buildings were requistioned by the Admiralty and became part of the Royal Navy shore establishment HMS King Alfred.

Developments

Upper quadrangle view from Great School

Despite the principles of Victorian austerity on which the school was founded, Lancing has recently completed a number of developments that include a new design centre. The new art school was opened by HRH Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester in September 2009.

A development council is operating under the chairmanship of Sir Tim Rice. It acts in an advisory capacity on development and fundraising matters.

In 1856 Lancing created its own code of football which (unlike other school codes) was regarded as a means of fostering teamwork.^[12]

Notable alumni

The College Drive

Arts

• George Warner Allen (1916–1988), artist
• Tim Battersby, composer, musician and lyricist
• David Bedford (1937–2011), composer
• Giles Cooper (1918–1966), radio dramatist
• John Lowry-Corry, 8th Earl Belmore, art collector
• Frederick Gore (1913–2009), artist, educator and author
• Brodrick Haldane (1912–1996), society portrait photographer
• Henry Hardy, editor and composer
• Sir Peter Pears (1910–1986), tenor
• Edward Piper (1938–1990), artist (son of John Piper)
• Sir Tim Rice, lyricist
• Neil Richardson (1930–2010), composer

Literature

• Stuart Cloete (1897–1976), novelist
• Andrew Crofts (author), ghostwriter
• Plantagenet Somerset Fry (1931–1996), historian and author
• Mark Mills (writer), novelist and screenplay writer
• Jan Morris, author and journalist
• Alex Preston, novelist
• Tom Sharpe, novelist
• Evelyn Waugh (1903–1966), novelist
• Philip Womack, author and journalist

Broadcasting, theatre and film

• George Baker (1931–2011), actor
• Christopher Hampton, playwright
• Sir David Hare, playwright
• Alex Horne, comedian
• Royce Ryton (1924–2009), actor and playwright
• Jeremy Sinden (1950–1996), actor
• Jamie Theakston, TV and radio presenter
• John Williams (actor) (1903–1983), actor

Politics and law

• Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ghana (2003–2007)
• Greg Barker, Baron Barker of Battle, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change (2010-2014)
• Nicholas Browne-Wilkinson, Baron Browne-Wilkinson, Vice-Chancellor of the Supreme Court (1985–1991), Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary (1995–2000)
• Tom Driberg, Baron Bradwell (1905–1976), Chairman of the Labour Party (1957–1958)
• Sir Roger Fulford (1902–1983), President of the Liberal Party (1964–1965)
• Sir Robert Megarry (1910–2006), Vice-Chancellor of the Chancery Division (1976–1981), Vice-Chancellor of the Supreme Court (1982–1985)
• Patrick Maitland, 17th Earl of Lauderdale (1911–2008), Member of Parliament for Lanark (1951–1959)
• Hugh Molson, Baron Molson (1903–1991), Minister of Works (1957–1959)
• William Rhys Powell, barrister, Member of Parliament for Corby (1983–1997)
• Sir Charles Arthur Roe (1841–1926), Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court (1895–1898)
• John Sankey, 1st Viscount Sankey (1866–1948), Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (1929–1935)
• William Thomas Wells (1908–1990), barrister, Member of Parliament for Walsall (1945–1955) and Walsall North (1955–1974)
• Rob Wilson, Minister for Civil Society (Cabinet Office) (2014-)

Diplomatic service

• Sir Philip Adams (1915–2001), British Chargé d'affaires to Sudan (1954–1956), British Ambassador to Jordan (1966–1970), British Ambassador to Egypt (1973–1975)
• David Lloyd (diplomat), British Ambassador to Slovenia (1997–2000)
• Sir Christopher Meyer, British Ambassador to Germany (1997), British Ambassador to the United States (1997–2003)
• Andrew Page, British Ambassador to Slovenia (2009-2013)
• Sir Elwin Palmer (1852–1906), diplomat and colonial administrator
• Sir John Richmond (diplomat) (1909–1990), British Ambassador to Kuwait (1961–1963), British Ambassador to Sudan (1965–1966)
• Humphrey Trevelyan, Baron Trevelyan (1905–1985), British Chargé d'affaires to China (1953–1955), British Ambassador to Egypt (1955–1956), British Ambassador to Iraq (1958–1961), British Ambassador to Russia (1962–1965), last High Commissioner of Aden (1967)
• Edward Twining, Baron Twining (1899–1967), Governor and Commander-in-Chief, North Borneo (1946–1949); Governor and Commander-in-Chief, Tanganyika (1949–1958)
• Sir Armigel Wade (1890–1966), Colonial Secretary in Kenya (1934–1939)

Sciences

• Sir Roy Calne, pioneer of liver transplantation
• Jack Herbert Driberg, anthropologist^[13]
• Basil William Sholto Mackenzie, 2nd Baron Amulree (1900–1983), physician and geriatrician
• Charles Francis Massey Swynnerton (1877–1938), naturalist
• Gino Watkins (1907–1932), Arctic explorer

The Church

• Michael Ball, suffragan Bishop of Jarrow (1980–1990) and Bishop of Truro (1990–1997)
• Peter Ball, suffragan Bishop of Lewes (1977–1992) and Bishop of Gloucester (1992–1993)
• Christopher Russell Campling, Dean of Ripon (1984–1995)
• Thomas William Cook (1866–1928), Bishop of Lewes (1926–1928)
• Charles John Corfe (1843–1921), inaugural Bishop in Korea (1889–1904)
• Anthony Charles Foottit, Bishop of Lynn (1999–2003)
• Sir Francis Heathcote, 9th Baronet (1868–1961), Anglican Bishop of New Westminster (1940–1951)
• Sir Edwyn Hoskyns, 12th Baronet (1851-1925), Bishop of Burnley (1901-1904), Bishop of Southwell (1904-1925)
• Trevor Huddleston (1913–1998), Archbishop of the Indian Ocean (1976–1984), Bishop of Masasi (1959–1968), Bishop of Stepney (1968–1978), Bishop of Mauritius (1978-1984)
• John Dudley Galtrey Kirkham, Bishop of Sherborne (1976–2001)
• Lewis Evan Meredith (1900–1968), Bishop of Dover (1957–1964)
• Cyril Jonathan Meyrick, Bishop of Lynn (2011-)
• David Reindorp, vicar of Chelsea Old Church, Chaplain to the Honourable Artillery Company and to the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers
• Erik Routley (1917–1982), Congregational minister, composer and musicologist
• James Leo Schuster (1912–2006), Bishop of St John's (1956–1980)
• Henry Edward Champneys Stapleton, Dean of Carlisle (1988–1998)
• Mark Napier Trollope (1862–1930), third Bishop in Korea (1911–1930)

Armed forces

• Lt-Gen Sir Louis Jean Bols (1867–1930), Chief of Staff to the Third Army (World War I), Chief Administrator of Palestine (1919–1920)
• Brig Sir Iltyd Nicholl Clayton (1886–1965), policy-maker active in formation of the Arab League
• Col. Andrew Croft (1906—1998), explorer and member of the Special Operations Executive
• VAdm Herbert Ward Dowding (1843-1915), Naval Officer in Charge, Jamaica (1895-1898)
• Lt-Gen Sir John Fullerton Evetts (1891–1988), Assistant Chief of the Imperial General Staff (1942–1944), Master-General of the Ordnance (1944–1946)
• H.S.H. Maj Prince George G. Imeretinsky (1897-1972), Grenadier Guards and Royal Flying Corps Officer
• H.S.H. Sqn Ldr Prince Michael Imeretinsky (1900-1975), Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Officer
• Col St George Corbet Gore (1849–1913), Surveyor General of India (1899–1904)
• Thomas Percy Henry Touchet-Jesson, 23rd Baron Audley (1913–1963), soldier, playwright
• Adm Francis George Kirby (1854-1951), Captain of HMS Phaeton (1897-1902) and HMS Ramillies (1902-?)
• Capt John Letts (1897-1918), First World War flying ace
• Maj George Henry Wellington Loftus, 7th Marquess of Ely (1903–1969), soldier
• Maj Galbraith Lowry-Corry, 7th Earl Belmore (1913–1960), soldier
• Lt-Gen Vyvyan Pope (1891 – 1941), GOC XXX Corps (1941)
• AVM John Frederick Powell (1915–2008), Director of Education Services RAF
• Sqn Ldr / Lt Cdr Jeffrey Quill (1913–1996), Spitfire test pilot
• Lt-Gen Sir Alan Reay (1925-2012), Director General Army Medical Services (1981–1984)
• Gen Sir Neil Ritchie (1897–1983), Commander-in Chief, Eighth Army (1941–1942)
• Maj-Gen David Rutherford-Jones, Commandant of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst (2007–2009), Military Secretary (2009–2011)
• Adm Cyril Everard Tower DSO (1861-1929), Captain of HMS Illustrious (1908-1910) and HMS Swiftsure (1910-1912)
• AVM Sir Stanley Vincent (1897–1976), Air Officer Commanding No. 13 Group (1943–1944), Air Officer Commanding No. 11 Group (1948–1950), only RAF pilot to shoot down the enemy in both world wars
• Maj-Gen Sir Alexander Wilson (1858–1937), Lieutenant Governor of Jersey (1916–1920)
• RAdm Sir Robert Woodard, Commander of the Royal Yacht Britannia (1985–1990)

Business

• Sir Edgar Beck (1911–2000), Chairman (1961–79) then President (1981–2000) of Mowlem
• Sinclair Beecham, co-founder of Pret a Manger
• Sir John Gilbert Newton Brown (1916–2003), Publisher of the Oxford University Press (1956–1980)
• Sir Michael Darrington, Managing Director of Greggs
• Paul Duffen, Chairman of Hull City A.F.C. (2007-2010)
• Stephen Green, Baron Green of Hurstpierpoint, Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings plc (2006–2010), Minister of State for Trade and Investment (2011-2013)
• Sir Derek Alun-Jones (1933–2004), Chairman of Ferranti (1982–1990)
• Raymond Kwok Ping Luen, vice-chairman and Managing Director of Sun Hung Kai Properties, Chairman of SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings Limited

Sport

• Thomas Southey Baker (1848–1902), amateur athlete who was on the winning crew that won The Boat Race in 1869 and played for England in the fourth unofficial football match against Scotland in November 1871.^[14]
• Reginald Birkett (1849–1898), England footballer, 1880 FA Cup winner
• Edward Cawston (1911–1998), Sussex cricketer
• Edgar Field (1854–1934), England footballer, 1880 FA Cup winner
• Andy Frampton, footballer
• Henry Hammond (1866–1910), England footballer
• Elphinstone Jackson (1868–1945), England footballer and co-founder of the Indian Football Association
• Sholto Marcon (1890–1959), England field hockey player, gold medallist at the 1920 Summer Olympics.^[15]
• Richard Meade, England equestrian and gold medallist at the 1968 Summer Olympics and 1972 Summer Olympics
• Broderick Munro-Wilson (Sanderson's 1959), Polo Player and Gentleman Amateur Jockey, the owner/rider winner of Grand Military Gold Cups at Sandown 1980 and 1981; the Foxhunters Chase at Cheltenham 1982
• H.J.C. Turner (1850-?), England national rugby player
• Charles Wollaston (1849-1926), England footballer, five times FA Cup winner, eighth captain of the England national football team

Academia

• Rajnarayan Chandavarkar (1953–2006), historian and author
• Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, Nazi era scholar
• Michael J. Kennedy, Dean of Faculty of Science and Professor of Geology, University of Dublin
• Sir Max Mallowan (1904–1978), archaeologist and scholar
• Brian Manning (1927–2004), Marxist historian
• Henry Nettleship (1839–1893), English classical scholar
• Peter Self (1919–1999), scholar
• John Dover Wilson (1881–1969), literary critic and scholar

Notable former staff members

• Richard Budworth (1867–1937), former Master and an English rugby union forward
• Sir William Gladstone, former Head Master and Chief Scout of the United Kingdom
• Harry Guest, former Master and poet
• G.O. Smith, sportsman rated the greatest footballer of the nineteenth century
• John Inge, former chemistry teacher and Assistant Chaplain and current Bishop of Worcester
• Edward Clarke Lowe (1823–1912), former Second Master, Provost of St Nicholas College Lancing and key participant in the foundation and development of the Woodard Schools, and first Headmaster of Hurstpierpoint College
• Arthur Temple Lyttelton, Provost of St Nicholas College Lancing, third Bishop of Southampton (1898–1903)
• Sheppard Frere, former House Master, Professor of the Archaeology of the Roman Provinces at the University of London (1961–1966), Professor of the Archaeology of the Roman Empire at Oxford University
• Haldane Campbell Stewart (1868—1942), former Director of Music. Musician and composer. Organist and choirmaster at Magdalen College, Oxford (1919-1938, 1941-1942). Cricketer for Kent County Cricket Team (1892-1903). Father of concert viola performer, Jean Stewart, and of Lorn Alastair Stewart (Johnnie Stewart), who was creator of Top of the Pops.^[16][17]

Hoe Court

South West side of the College

The College owns a number of properties based along the College Drive and all the properties in Hoe Court, a road extending from the rear of the College towards the village of Lancing.

Lancing College Preparatory School at Hove

Lancing College Preparatory School at Hove is an independent nursery, pre-preparatory and preparatory School for approximately 195 children between the ages of 3 and 13. The headmaster is a member of the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools.

Mowden School, as it was originally known, was founded by B A Snell at Mowden Hall, in Essex, in 1896. In 1901, it moved to Lansdowne Place, Hove and in 1913 moved again to its present site. Edward Snell took over from his father in 1937 and, on his death in 1973, his son, Christopher, became headmaster.

In September 2002, the school passed into the care of Lancing College and the current headmaster, Alan Laurent, took over from the Snells. Although the house was purpose built for a preparatory school in 1913 by Christopher Snell's grandfather, there has been a continuing programme of modernisation and development.

In addition to two dedicated IT rooms, each classroom has its own computer, projector and interactive smartboard and there is a well-equipped science laboratory, technology room and an attractive library and reading room. Spacious sports fields surround the school, which accommodate pitches for all the main games and sports, including an all-weather Astroturf area.

There are 4 "Houses" at Lancing College Preparatory School at Mowden: Stewarts, Youngs, Blundells & Lavies

Traditionally the school was for boys only, but in September 2002, girls were accepted for the first time and the school became co-educational.

Mowden School became Lancing College Preparatory School or Lancing Prep (as it is known) in September 2005.

In 2008, an ISI Inspection team concluded that, 'Lancing College Preparatory School meets its aims outstandingly well. It does this by achieving high quality in every aspect of what it provides'.

Lancing College Preparatory School at Worthing .

In 2014 lancing college bought Broadwater Manor school.

Headmasters

Headmaster from 1909 to 1925 Henry Thomas Bowlby

• Henry Jacobs (Aug–Dec 1848)
• Charles Edward Moberly (1849–1851)
• John Branthwaite (1851–1859)
• Henry Walford (1859–1861)
• Robert Edward Sanderson (1862–1889)
• Harry Ward McKenzie (1889–1894)
• Ambrose John Wilson (1895–1901)
• Bernard Henry Tower (1901–1909)
• Canon Henry Thomas Bowlby (1909–1925)
• Cuthbert Harold Blakiston (1925–1934)
• Frank Cecil Doherty (1935–1953)
• John Christopher Dancy (1953–1961)
• Sir Erskine William Gladstone KG Bt (1961–1969)
• Ian David Stafford Beer (1969–1981)
• James Stephen Woodhouse (1981–1993)
• Christopher John Saunders (1993–1998)
• Peter M. Tinniswood (1998–2005)
• Richard R. Biggs (acting, 2005–2006)
• Jonathan William James Gillespie FRSA (Sept 2006–2014)
• Dominic Oliver (Aug 2014–present)

See also

• List of works by R. C. Carpenter

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lancing College.

• Lancing College school website
• The Woodard Corporation
• Old Lancing: OL's
• Lancing Old Boys Football Club
• Lancing Old Boys Tennis
• Lancing Prep school website
• ISI Inspection Reports - Prep School & Senior School

Coordinates: 50°50′47″N 00°18′15″W / 50.84639°N 0.30417°W / 50.84639; -0.30417

Woodard Schools Owned Schools Abbots Bromley School for Girls Ardingly College Bloxham School Denstone College Ellesmere College Hurstpierpoint College King's College Lancing College The Peterborough School Prestfelde School Queen Mary's School St James' School The Cathedral School Worksop College Worksop College Preparatory School Affiliated Schools Archbishop Temple School Bishop Stopford School Crompton House Church of England School Derby Grammar School St Olave's Grammar School St Saviour's and St Olave's Church of England School St Peter's Church of England Aided School The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School The Bishops' Blue Coat Church of England High School St Marylebone School Wren Academy Associated Schools Alderley Edge School for Girls Derby High School Academies St Augustine Academy Kings Priory School The Littlehampton Academy The Sir Robert Woodard Academy