Denstone College

Denstone College
Motto Lignum crucis arbor scientiae (The wood of the cross is the tree of knowledge)
Established 1868
Type Independent school
Day and boarding school
Public school
Religion Church of England
Headmaster Mr. David Derbyshire
Founder Canon Nathaniel Woodard
Location Denstone
Uttoxeter
Staffordshire
ST14 5HN
England
52°57′35″N 1°52′05″W / 52.959613°N 1.868062°W / 52.959613; -1.868062Coordinates: 52°57′35″N 1°52′05″W / 52.959613°N 1.868062°W / 52.959613; -1.868062
Staff 70
Students 610
Gender Co-educational
Ages 11–18
Houses Meynell, Shrewsbury, Woodard, Phillips, Heywood, Selwyn
Former pupils Old Denstonians
Affiliation Woodard Corporation
HMC
Website www.denstonecollege.org

Denstone College is an independent co-educational day and boarding school, situated in the village of Denstone, Staffordshire, England. Founded by Nathaniel Woodard in 1868, it is a Woodard school with strong Anglo-Catholic and public school traditions. It has an impressive academic record, with results about double the Staffordshire average. A range of academic and sporting scholarships are offered. The College is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.

History

Nathaniel Woodard founded the school, originally called St Chad's College, as his flagship school in the midlands, following earlier foundations in southern England. Work on the school began in 1868 and it opened in 1873 with 46 boys, under the direction of Edward Clarke Lowe, provost of the midland district of the Woodard Corporation. The buildings were designed by William Slater and Richard Carpenter in the Neo-Gothic style. The school buildings, hall, chapel and war memorial are all Grade II listed.[1] The school's chapel was built in 1879–87 by Carpenter and Benjamin Ingelow in a late 13th-century Gothic style; it consists of a four bay nave with polygonal apse.[2] Land for the school was given by Sir Thomas Percival Heywood who owned the nearby Riverside Doveleys mansion.[3] Sir Thomas was the school's first bursar.

The war memorial, representing St George, stands in the Lonsdale quadrangle and was unveiled in 1925. The design was by Sir Aston Webb and Son and the sculptor Alfred Drury.[4] Day boys and girls were admitted in 1976, with girls’ boarding launched in two houses in 1981. A Royal and Ancient-accredited nine-hole golf course was opened in 1992, a new sports hall in 2000 and the school room was completely refurbished as a modern theatre in 2003. A purpose-built music school and additional classrooms were completed in 2010. A further classroom block and the new sports pavilion and complex were completed in 2012, followed by a new library in 2013. The most recent addition to the school is the new languages and maths classroom block, titled "The Derbyshire Building", completed in 2017.

Denstone College opened a preparatory school in 1902, which moved in 1938 to its present site of Smallwood Manor, becoming co-educational and opening a pre-school department in 1983. It also provided boarding accommodation until 1997 but now is a day school for ages 2–11.

The school is divided into the following houses, named after the founders and benefactors of the school: Heywood, Philips, Shrewsbury, Meynell, Woodard, and Selwyn. Previously, there were two other houses, Lonsdale and Lowe, which now no longer exist. These were also named after benefactors of the school.[5]

Expedition to Inaccessible Island

Denstone College is noted for carrying out the most extensive scientific exploration of Inaccessible Island in the South Atlantic.[6] A group of 16 teachers and pupils led by Michael Swales sailed to the island, landing on 25 October 1982 and remained on the island until 9 February 1983, apart from an excursion to the island of Tristan da Cunha at Christmas.[7] The members of the expedition managed to ring 3,000 birds during their stay on the island,[8] and 17 research papers were produced.[9] The hut that they built at Blenden Hall on the island was demolished in 2000.

Film location

The exterior of the school was used as a location for the convent where Novice Joyce Fuddle lived for episode 4 of the 1985 BBC comedy series Happy Families.

Masters

Notable staff
Other Headmasters

Old Denstonians

The college has a number of notable alumni – see Old Denstonians.

References

  1. ↑ "Denstone College". Listed Buildings Online. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
  2. ↑ "Denstone College chapel". Listed Buildings Online. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
  3. ↑ Raven, Michael. 2004. Guide to Staffordshire and the Black Country, The Potteries and the Peak. p. 115. ISBN 0-906114-33-0
  4. ↑ The Denstonian; July 1925, pp. 71–78
  5. ↑ The Denstone Register (1932); pp. 387–89
  6. ↑ M. K. Swales, C. P. Siddall, N. J. Mateer, H. N. Hall, R. C. Preece, M. W. Fraser. The Denstone Expedition to Inaccessible Island. The Geographical Journal, Vol. 151, No. 3 (Nov. 1985), pp. 347–350
  7. ↑ Tristan da Cunha Government and the Tristan da Cunha Association – Inaccessible Island
  8. ↑ Denstone Expedition to Inaccessible Island; Denstonian Supplement, Autumn 1983, Page 49
  9. ↑ United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre – Protected Areas Programme – Gough Island Wildlife Reserve
  10. ↑ Guardian – How I made a million, 24 April 2001
  11. ↑ Cricinfo – Barry Trapnell player profile
  12. ↑ Gravestone photographic resource: Louise Clark grave monument. Retrieved 17 March 2014
  13. ↑ The Denstone Register (1932); p. 349

Further reading

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