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Coordinates: 50°56′49″N 2°31′05″W / 50.947°N 2.518°W / 50.947; -2.518

Sherborne School

Motto	Dieu et mon droit (God and my right)
Established	1550
Type	Public school Independent day and boarding
Religion	Church of England
Headmaster	Christopher Davis
Chairman of the Governors	Professor Richard Hodder-Williams
Founder	St Aldhelm
Location	Sherborne Dorset DT9 3AP England
DfE number	835/6006
DfE URN	113918
Students	598
Gender	Boys
Ages	13–18
Houses	8
Colours	Royal Blue & Gold
Former pupils	Old Shirburnians
Website	www.sherborne.org

Sherborne School is a British independent school for boys, located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. It is one of the original member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. It has close partnerships with the nearby girls' school Sherborne Girls and shares some activities and Sixth Form courses.

The Good Schools Guide called the school a "Strong, traditional public school in delightful setting," adding that it provides "An invigorating, intellectually sound and multi-faceted environment'. However, it warns that the school is "not always gentle."^[1]

History [link]

Some historians have speculated that a school must have existed in Sherborne since the 3rd century A.D.; however, there is no evidential basis for this. The school's definite origins date back to the eighth century, when a tradition of education in Sherborne was begun by St Aldhelm. According to legend, Alfred the Great was one of the school's early pupils. The school was then linked with the Benedictine Abbey in the town. The earliest Master known about was Thomas Copeland in 1437. After the Dissolution of the monasteries, Edward VI refounded the School in 1550 as King Edward's school, a free grammar school for local boys. The present School, which has gone through various changes of fortune since the Protestant Reformation (and no doubt before), stands on land which once belonged to the Monastery. The Library, Chapel and Headmaster's rooms, which adjoin the Abbey Church, are modifications of its original monastic buildings.

The school stood in for Brookfield School in the 1969 film Goodbye, Mr. Chips (the original 1939 version of the story was filmed at Repton School in Derbyshire), and many boys served as extras in the production. Alec Waugh's Fernhurst in The Loom of Youth is undoubtedly drawn from the author's experiences at Sherborne in the early 1900s.

In 2005, Sherborne School 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.^[2] 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.^[3] 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."^[4]

Qatar branch [link]

In March 2009, it was announced that a replica of the school would be built in Doha, Qatar, with the first academic year starting in September 2009 and the development being completed by 2012.^[5]

Houses [link]

House Colours

	School House (black & magenta)	Abbey House (black & purple)	The Green (black & yellow)	Harper House (black & light-blue)
	Wallace House (blue & red)	Abbeylands (black & red)	Lyon House (black & dark-blue)	The Digby (black & green)
	Westcott House (defunct) (black & white)

Sherborne School is composed of eight houses, where the pupils (invariably referred to as 'boys') live and work when not in lessons. The names of the houses, and their distinctive letter, used in certain circumstances as an abbreviation are:

• School House (a) (location: Abbey Road)
• Abbey House (b) (location: Abbey Road)
• The Green (c) (location: Hospital Lane)
• Harper House (d) (location: Hound Street)
• Wallace House (e) (formerly Elmdene, location: South Street)
• Abbeylands (f) (location: Abbey Road)
• Lyon House (g) (location: Richmond Road)
• The Digby (m) (location: Digby Road)

Until 1999 there was another house, Westcott (h) (location: Horsecastles Lane). These houses also compete against each other in various sporting, educational and musical competitions.

Sport [link]

Rugby [link]

The traditional winter game is rugby football, played in the Michaelmas term. Sherborne was one of the first four schools in the country to adopt the code of rules that originated at Rugby School. In October 2010, the 1st XV took part in a tournament at Durham School dubbed the 'Veterrimi IV' or 'oldest four', along with Durham School, Cheltenham College and Rugby School itself. The school plays many of the other top public schools in the south of England. Rivals on the circuit include Marlborough College, Radley and Wellington College. In 1991 a pupil at the school, Robert Hands, wrote 'A History of Rugby Football at Sherborne School' which set out in detail the intimate relationship the school has had with the game for over a century.

Cricket [link]

Cricket remains the major Summer sport, although boys can choose Tennis or Athletics. The 1st XI plays on the Upper ground, and in recent years has been successful. In 2007 they reached the final of the Independent Schools' national twenty20 competition, narrowly losing to Dulwich.^[6] There are senior cricket tours every two to three years, with recent destinations including Sri Lanka (2004), South Africa (2007) and Australia (2009). The school has also sent pre-season 'Development Squads' featuring younger boys to India (2009) and Sri Lanka (2011).

Grounds [link]

Sherborne School cricket ground

The school's cricket ground – the Upper – is usually used by the 1st XI cricket team. The ground was first used in 1870, when Sherborne School played Clifton College.^[7] The ground is also one of the venues used by Dorset for their home fixtures. Dorset played their first match on the ground in the 1902 Minor Counties Championship against Devon. From 1902 to 1997, the ground played host to 69 Minor Counties Championship matches, with the final Championship match involving Dorset coming in 1997 when they played Herefordshire.^[8] In addition, the ground has hosted 13 MCCA Knockout Trophy matches, the last of which was in 2008, when Dorset played Buckinghamshire.^[9]

The ground has also played host to a single List A match, when Dorset played Bedfordshire in the 1968 Gillette Cup.^[10]

On 30 May 2010, Dorset played Somerset, which included international players such as Marcus Trescothick and Craig Kieswetter in a friendly Twenty20 fixture on the ground. On the 27 May 2011, the Upper hosted Dorset against Gloucestershire.^[11]

Pursuits and societies [link]

There is a wide variety of pursuits and societies that boys can partake in while at the school. Boys are encouraged to be as active in these as they are able.

CCF [link]

The school has a committed Combined Cadet Force. Boys can join in their second year, and are allocated to one of the services- Army, Navy or Royal Marines. Regular field trips are held, including an annual weekend on Salisbury plain.

Music [link]

In 2010 the departing headmaster Simon Eliot opened a new music school featuring state of the art performing, recording and practising facilities. Music is incredibly popular at the school, and there is a diverse range of ensembles. Perhaps the most popular aspect of Sherborne music is the Rock Society, or 'RocSoc', which lays on concerts every term. The biggest of these is the 'Concert in the Courts', held in the opening weekends of the summer term, which is open to all members of the school and its sister school Sherborne Girls, and neighbouring schools.

Drama [link]

There are a number of productions every year, from house plays to the biennial School Musical in the BSR. Each house puts on a play every two years, and these are usually fairly short and comic in nature. There is a school play every year and usually a junior production in the Summer term. In recent years, the school has also sent small performances to the Edinburgh Fringe festival. The heart of Shirburnian drama is the Powell Theatre on Abbey Road, which hosts all but the biggest productions. Musicals of the recent past include 'Les Misérables' and 'Grease'.

Publications [link]

The school's main publication is known as The Shirburnian, and is published once a year. This acts as a record for the enterprises of boys and also comments on the state of affairs both of the school and the changing world it is surrounded by. There is also a boy-run periodical called The Black & White which offers more strident views on events of school life, as well as gently mocking staff and fellow students.

School song ("Carmen Scirburnense") [link]

The song is of five verses, but the first and the last (referred to as the 'Carmen Saeculare') are the two printed each term in the School's 'Blue Book' diary and are nowadays sung at the end of whole school assemblies at the end of term (known as "lists") where prize-winners will receive prizes and various announcements will be made. A Classical Greek version of the song was composed along with this one, but it is never used.

Headmasters [link]

Old Shirburnians [link]

This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability or notability policies. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources cited within this article showing they are notable and alumni or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations. (February 2012)

Academia [link]

• Francis John Lys, Provost of Worcester College, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford^[12]
• Sir Colin Lucas, former Master of Balliol College and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University until 2001.
• Michael McCrum CBE, former Headmaster of Eton College, former Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University until 2004.
• Sir Derman Christopherson OBE FRS FREng, former Vice-Chancellor of Durham University and Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge
• Harold Temperley, historian and former Master of Peterhouse College, Cambridge
• Alan Turing OBE, FRS, mathematician and instrumental figure at Bletchley Park
• Alfred North Whitehead OM, mathematician and philosopher
• John Newsom-Davis CBE, FRCP FRS, FMedSci, neurologist
• The Right Honourable the Lord Thomas of Swynnerton, historian
• Richard Atkinson CBE, prehistorian and archeologist
• Sir Malcom Pasley Bt FBA, literary scholar

Military [link]

• Field Marshal Sir Claud Jacob GCB GCSI KCMG, WW1 Commander
• Admiral Sir Horace Law GCB OBE, DSC, Commander in Chief Naval Home Command 1971-2
• General Sir Charles Monro GCB, GCMG GCSI Bt, Commander in Chief India 1916–1920, Governor of Gibraltar 1923–1928
• General Sir John Wilsey GCB, CBE, DL, Commander in Chief Land Command 1995–1996
• General Sir Jeremy Blacker KCB CBE, Master-General of the Ordnance 1991–1995
• General Sir Nicholas Parker KCB, CBE, former Commander in Chief Land Command and former Deputy Commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan
• Vice Admiral Sir James Perowne KBE, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe 1998–2002
• Lieutenant General Sir Steuart Pringle Bt, KCB, DSC, former Commandant General Royal Marines until 1984
• Lieutenant General Sir Martin Garrod KCB, CMG OBE, DL, former Commandant General Royal Marines 1987–90
• Lieutenant General David Leakey CMG, CBE, retired, currently Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod
• Major General the Right Honourable the Viscount Wells of Essex, KG, a prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials of major war criminals
• Major-General Sir Iain Mackay-Dick KCVO MBE, former Major-General Commanding the Household Division and General Officer Commanding London District
• Major General Sir Roy Redgrave KBE MC, former Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong
• Major General Julian Thompson CB OBE, Commander of Royal Marines (3 Commando Brigade) in the Falklands War
• Major General Patrick Cordingley DSO, Commander Desert Rats (and overall British Commander) in the Gulf War
• Brigadier Hugh Bellamy CBE DSO, commander of 6th Airlanding Brigade during the Rhine Crossing and Operation Varsity, the famous airborne assault.
• Lieutenant Colonel Reginald Applin DSO OBE, developer of machine gun tactics and Conservative MP.
• Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Spicer OBE, CEO of Aegis Defence Services
• Captain Keith Muspratt MC, World War One flying ace
• Flight Lieutenant Carl Raymond Davis DFC, Battle of Britain flying ace

Intelligence [link]

• Sir David Spedding KCMG CVO OBE, former Head of the Secret Intelligence Service
• Sir Christopher Curwen KCMG, former Head of the Secret Intelligence Service.

Diplomacy and colonial administration [link]

• The Right Honourable the Viscount Bledisloe GCMG KBE PC, former Governor-General of New Zealand
• Sir Alan Campbell GCMG, diplomat
• Sir Hugh Norman-Walker KCMG, OBE, colonial administrator
• Sir Donald MacGillivray KCMG, MBE, last British High Commissioner in Malaya
• Sir John Weston KCMG, former UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations
• Sir Brian Barder KCMG, former UK High Commissioner to Australia
• Sir Timothy Daunt KCMG, former UK Ambassador to Turkey and current Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man

Notable clergymen [link]

• The Most Reverend Edwin Curtis, former Archbishop of the Indian Ocean
• The Right Reverend and Right Honourable the Lord Sheppard of Liverpool, well-known former Bishop of Liverpool and England cricketer
• The Right Reverend Neville Lovett CBE. DD, former Bishop of Salisbury
• The Right Reverend Henry Whitehead DD, former Bishop of Madras
• The Right Reverend Geoffrey Lunt, former Bishop of Ripon
• The Right Reverend Henry Henn, former Bishop of Burnley
• The Right Reverend Forbes Horan, former Bishop of Tewkesbury
• The Right Reverend Paul Barber, former Bishop of Brixworth
• The Right Reverend Peter Mumford former Bishop of Truro 1981-9
• The Right Reverend Piers Holt Wilson, former Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness 1943–52
• The Venerable Arthur William Upcott DD, MA, eminent priest and educationalist, and Archdeacon of Hastings 1920–22.
• The Very Reverend Frank Bennett, former Dean of Chester and eminent Anglican scholar
• The Very Reverend Benjamin Lewers, former Provost of Derby Cathedral
• The Reverend Rico Tice, priest and writer

The arts etc. [link]

• Cecil Day-Lewis CBE, poet
• John Le Mesurier, actor, for example in Dad's Army
• David Cornwell, (a.k.a. John le Carré), writer, for example of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
• Jeremy Irons, actor, for example Brideshead Revisited and The Mission
• Hugh Bonneville, actor, for example Downton Abbey
• Alec Waugh, novelist
• Arthur Waugh, author, critic and publisher
• Clive Carey, baritone singer and composer
• Warren Chetham-Strode MC, author and playwright
• Charles Collingwood, actor
• Charlie Cox, actor, for example Stardust
• Sir Richard Eyre CBE, film and theatre director, artistic director of the National Theatre 1988–97
• Tim Heald, journalist and author
• Sir Michael Hopkins CBE, architect
• Anthony Lane, film critic
• Chris Martin, lead singer of rock band Coldplay
• Robert McCrum, writer and editor
• Ian Messiter, creator of Just a Minute
• Lance Percival, actor
• Jon Pertwee, actor
• Jonathan Powell, Controller of BBC One (1987–1992)
• John Cowper Powys, author, lecturer and philosopher
• James Purefoy, actor
• Jon Stock, journalist and author
• Roland Young, actor

Broadcasting [link]

• Tom Bradby, TV journalist and current ITV News Political Editor
• Alistair Bunkall, TV journalist and current Sky News Business Correspondent
• Simon McCoy, TV journalist and current BBC News news presenter

Politics [link]

• The Right Honourable the Earl of Salisbury KG PC, 18th Century politician
• The Right Honourable the Viscount Boyd of Merton CH PC DL, Secretary of State for the Colonies 1954-9
• The Right Honourable Sir Christopher Chataway, long distance runner and Education Minister 1962-4.
• The Right Honourable Thomas Buchanan, Under-Secretary of State for India 1908-9
• Robert Key. Former Member of Parliament.
• Stanley Johnson, politician, writer, farmer and father of Boris Johnson
• Peter Oborne, journalist, author and political commentator
• David French, Chief Executive of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy

Sport [link]

• Nick Greenstock, former England Rugby Union centre
• James Adams, cricketer, captain of Hampshire CCC
• John Bain (1854–1929), England footballer and 1877 FA Cup Finalist

Other [link]

• Sir Nathaniel Highmore GBE KCB, Government barrister and civil servant
• Sir Alastair Pilkington, director of the Bank of England
• Lieutenant Commander Peter Twiss OBE DSC & Bar, first person to exceed 1000 miles per hour
• Charles Palmer CIE, engineer and survivor of the siege of Lucknow
• King Mswati III, king of Swaziland
• His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Heir Apparent of Qatar
• Ronald Cunningham, (a.k.a. The Great Omani), escapologist
• Nigel Dempster, journalist
• Franklin Adin Simmonds FRCS, orthopaedic surgeon
• John Insall, American, orthopaedic surgeon

Victoria Cross holders [link]

Five Old Shirburnians have been awarded the Victoria Cross, to whom a memorial plaque was commissioned, the unveiling of which took place in the School Chapel on 19 September 2004.^[13]

• Rear Admiral Henry James Raby VC CB.
  VC won in the Crimean War, when he was a Lieutenant in the Naval Brigade. Raby was the first man to actually receive the medal, with Queen Victoria pinning it onto him in the first investiture.
• Brigadier General Sir Arthur George Hammond VC, KCB DSO
  VC won in the Second Afghan War, when he was a Captain in the Bengal Staff Corps, Indian Army
• Major General Charles Edward Hudson VC, CB, DSO & Bar MC
  VC won in the First World War, when he was a Temporary Lieutenant Colonel in the Sherwood Foresters
• Major Edward Bamford VC, DSO,
  VC won in the First World War, when he was a Captain in the Royal Marine Light Infantry
• Captain John Hollington Grayburn VC,
  VC granted posthumously and he was gazetted Captain; won in the Second World War, as a Lieutenant in the Parachute Regiment

See also [link]

• Sherborne School For Girls
• List of Victoria Crosses by School

References [link]

External links [link]

• Sherborne School
• Old Shirburnian Society website
• Sherborne School Cricket Ground at CricketArchive
• Sherborne School Archives