Norwich School (independent school)
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| Motto | Praemia Virtutis Honores (Latin) Honours are the rewards of virtue |
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| Established | 1096 (Traceable history)[1] 1547 (Refoundation) |
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| Type | Independent day school | |||||||||||||||||
| Religion | Church of England | |||||||||||||||||
| Headmaster | SDA Griffiths | |||||||||||||||||
| Chairman of Governors | PJE Smith FIA | |||||||||||||||||
| Founders | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | 70 The Close Norwich Norfolk NR1 4DD England Coordinates: 52°37′54″N 1°17′57″E / 52.6318°N 1.2993°E |
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| DfE number | 926/6124 | |||||||||||||||||
| DfE URN | 121242 Tables | |||||||||||||||||
| Staff | Approx. 140 full-time | |||||||||||||||||
| Students | Approx. 1,020 | |||||||||||||||||
| Gender | Coeducational | |||||||||||||||||
| Ages | 7–18 | |||||||||||||||||
| Houses | Brooke, Coke, Nelson, Parker, Repton, School, Seagrim, Valpy | |||||||||||||||||
| Colours |
royal blue |
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| Former pupils | Old Norvicensians | |||||||||||||||||
| Affiliations | Worshipful Company of Dyers HMC |
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| Website | norwich-school.org.uk | |||||||||||||||||
Norwich School (previously King Edward VI’s Grammar School) is a fee-paying, co-educational independent school located in Norwich, United Kingdom. It is one of the oldest schools in the world, with a traceable history to 1096,[1] (just 30 years after the Norman invasion) and is a member of The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.
Norwich School has one of the best academic records in East Anglia.[2] In 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 The Daily Telegraph ranked its A-Level results as 80th, 71st, 93rd, 78th and 38th respectively amongst independent schools in the UK.
The school is located in the cathedral close of Norwich Cathedral, hence the address, and has a long association with it. On weekdays it is used by pupils for morning assemblies and various annual events.
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History [edit]
- 1096 Bishop Herbert de Losinga, first Bishop of Norwich, establishes the Benedictine Priory at Norwich and, shortly afterwards, an Episcopal Grammar School.
- c.1100 The original Bishop’s Palace is built (now part of a Senior School classroom block).
- c.1240 Vincent of Scarning appears in a document as Master of the Episcopal School – the first in an unbroken and documented line of headmasters that continues to the present day.
- c.1285 First record of the Almonry School – a second school within close proximity of the Cathedral.
- 1316 Chantry Chapel of St John the Evangelist (now the School Chapel) is founded by Bishop John Salmon.
- 1421 A further Chantry Chapel, probably associated with Agincourt veterans, is founded in the Chapel Crypt by Henry V.
- c.1516 Amalgamation of the Episcopal School and the Almonry School.
- 1540 King Henry VIII’s Grammar School is established, on the Cathedral foundation.
- 1547 The School is refounded as King Edward VI’s Grammar School under the Great Hospital Charter, thus separating it from the Cathedral foundation and placing it under the control of the Mayor and Aldermen of Norwich.
- 1551 The School moves into its current buildings – School House and the School Chapel (the former College and Chantry of St John the Evangelist, which has been dissolved in 1547).
- From September 2008, girls were admitted below the Sixth Form for the first time and were in every year group by September 2010.[3]
Admissions [edit]
Pupils enter the Lower School in year 3 though there may be a limited number who start in years 4, 5 or 6. Entry to the Senior School is at year 7 and a smaller number at year 9. Applicants sit the school entry papers. Approximately 50 pupils enter the school at year 12.
Scholarships [edit]
Scholarships are available, giving a reduction in school fees. The maximum value of a means-tested Scholarship is the entirety of the school's fees. Music scholarships, academic scholarships and other awards are also available.
Cathedral choristers are given assistance with school fees from the Norwich Cathedral Choir Endowment Fund.
Fees [edit]
For the forthcoming academic year 2013/2014 Lower School Forms Lower 1, 1, 2 & 3 £11,997 per annum, £3,999 per term. Senior School Forms Lower 4 upwards £13,167 per annum, £4,389 per term.
The School also charges fees for lunches and entries for public examinations.
Curriculum [edit]
From 11 – 16
The traditional array of subjects is taught but pupils have a full experience of the creative arts, in particular drama, music and design. They encounter many languages as well as being taught philosophy and skills relating to thinking, relaxation and study. There are practical elements where learning takes place outdoors – to learn, for example, about ecology and food production by experience on school land. Site visits to the North Norfolk coast and other areas of the county are programmed into the year so that different academic subjects such as Art, Biology, Geography and History can combine resources on project work. Lessons such as Meno and Demos feature, which involve orienteering, drugs awareness and life planning. The aim is to aid learning through varied experiences and stimuli and to excite the pupils about the learning process.
The Sixth Form
Almost all Sixth Form pupils go to university upon leaving Norwich School. There is a long track record of success in large numbers gaining entrance to 'Golden Triangle', Russell Group and the other elite universities. In equipping boys and girls for this next stage of their career, care is taken to ensure that they have impressive academic credentials, the ability to work independently and with enthusiasm, and the capacity to lead full and varied lives. All are encouraged to excel in their A level studies and to be committed to sporting, cultural and co-curricular activity.
School terms [edit]
The school's year is divided into three terms: Michaelmas (early September to mid December), Lent (early January to the Easter holiday) and Trinity (the Easter holiday to early July). In the middle of each term there is a week-long half-term holiday. The academic year thus begins with the Michaelmas term and ends with the Trinity term. The pupils receive an extra week of holiday in the three major holidays between terms, compared to most state schools of England.
Form system [edit]
The day-to-day care of the pupils is in the hands of the tutors. Each year group within a house is run by a tutor; sixth form groups, which are larger, have two tutors. The tutor sees everyone in the tutor group daily, for registration, and weekly, for a longer tutor period. The tutor monitors the pupil's academic progress, general welfare, co-curricular involvement, and so on, and is the first point of contact for most matters of concern or enquiry.
Houses [edit]
The pastoral care of the Senior School is organised by houses. Pupils are allocated to one of the eight houses upon joining the school, and stay with that house as they move up through the year groups. The houses are named after distinguished former pupils or Head Masters, with the exception of School House, and each is designated a colour. These houses are:
| Brooke | Yellow | Sir James Brooke[4]
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| Coke | Royal blue | Sir Edward Coke[5]
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| Nelson | Red | Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson[6]
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| Parker | White and black | Matthew Parker[7]
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| Repton | Burnt gold | Humphrey Repton[8]
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| School | Green | Owes its name to its origins as a boarding house[9]
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| Seagrim | Wine red | Derek Seagrim[10] and Hugh Seagrim[10]
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| Valpy | Turquoise | Edward Valpy[11]
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The House Masters are managed by the Principal Deputy Head, who is accountable to the Head Master for the day-to-day pastoral care and discipline of the school, as well as for much of the rest of the school's non-academic activity.
Extracurricular activities [edit]
There are a wide range of clubs which reflect the interests of the pupils at the school. Societies include: debating, bridge, history, literary, creative writing, film, classical, planewalkers, Christian, engineering, languages and many more. On the music front there are 27 music groups: orchestras, jazz bands, guitar groups, choirs, etc. The school also puts on a number of productions: plays, drama evenings and musicals. The Senior Play is performed in the Maddermarket Theatre, the Junior Play is performed at the Norwich Puppet Theatre, whilst the annual musical is performed at the Norwich Playhouse. There are also a number of overseas visits, with the Modern Languages Department running exchanges to France, Germany, Spain and Liechtenstein. Cultural, sporting and adventurous trips have also been undertaken to Austria, Canada, China, Ecuador, Egypt, Greece, Holland, Iceland, India, Israel, Russia, Turkey and the United States. The school also offers the Duke of Edinburgh Award and sixth formers can take part in the Young Enterprise Scheme and a well-developed Community Service Programme.
Sports [edit]
The school owns a gymnasium and 2 sports grounds, one at the Lower Close and the other just north of the city. The main sports for boys are rugby, hockey and cricket; for girls, they are hockey, netball and rounders. The school also excels in sailing, tennis, and rowing. Other sports offered include: swimming, netball, cross-country running, fencing, self-defence, shooting and badminton.
8th Norwich Sea Scouts [edit]
The 8th Norwich Sea Scout Group and the associated Octavi Explorer Scout Unit are sponsored by Norwich School and membership is restricted to members of the School. The Group is one of about a hundred Sea Scout groups recognised by the Royal Navy.
Lower School [edit]
The Lower School is the base for Norwich School pupils between the ages of seven and eleven. There are currently 170 pupils in the Lower School. The vast majority of pupils from the Lower School progress to the Senior School at age eleven and the curriculum is designed to prepare the pupils effectively for the demands of the next stage of their Norwich School education. There are close links between the Lower and Senior Schools. The Master of the Lower School attends meetings of the Norwich School Board of Governors each term and meets regularly with members of the Senior School Management Team. In total, there are 13 full-time and 31 part-time members of the teaching staff.
Governing body [edit]
The school is governed by a council of management.
Council of Management [edit]
PJE Smith MA FIA (Chairman) *; Professor C Andrew MA University of Cambridge; Dr SC Bamber; AR Burdon-Cooper MA LLB Worshipful Company of Dyers; JR Chambers FCA Worshipful Company of Dyers; Mrs AM Fry MA; EJH Gould MA *; TJ Gould MA (Vice Chairman) *; Mrs AJC Green BSc*; The Reverend Canon JM Haselock BA BPhil MA; CW Hoffman ACIB; JAE Hustler; Mrs M Jarrold; AD Jeakings FCMA *; RA Leuchars BSc Worshipful Company of Dyers; PN Mirfield BCL MA BA University of Oxford; Mrs MCG Phillips BA; I Reid BSc MRICS*; Dr NPV Richardson MA*; The Very Reverend GCM Smith BA Dean and Chapter; DW Talbot ACA; Miss TJ Yates BA; Dr K Yeoman
Notable people [edit]
The following is a list of notable former pupils of Norwich School, known as Old Norvicensians (ONs).
Military [edit]
- Joseph Burnett, Australian naval captain
- Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson[13][14][6]
- Lt Col Derek Seagrim VC[10]
- Major Hugh Seagrim GC[10]
Politicians [edit]
- Michael Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft
- Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak[4]
- Sir Edward Coke, lawyer, legal writer and politician[15][5]
- Arthur Samuel, 1st Baron Mancroft[16]
Academics [edit]
- Christopher Andrew, historian
- Robert Blake, Baron Blake, historian
- Joe Farman, geophysicist, co-discover of the Antarctic ozone hole
- John Lindley, botanist
- Oliver Rackham
- Edward Valpy, headmaster and classical scholar[11]
Writers [edit]
- George Borrow, author
- John Brereton, 17th century chronicler
- Robert Greene, poet, novelist and critic of Shakespeare
- D J Taylor, critic, novelist and biographer
Artists [edit]
Religious leaders [edit]
- William Aubrey Aitken, Bishop of Lynn
- Frederick Dudley Vaughan Narborough, Anglican Bishop
- Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury (1559-1575)[7]
- John James Stewart Perowne, Bishop of Worcester
- Henry Walpole, Jesuit martyr
- Cecil Wilfred Wilson, Bishop of Middleton
Sports [edit]
- Tom Adeyemi, footballer
- Emma Pooley, Olympic cyclist
- Clive Radley, cricketer
Other [edit]
- Peter Kindersley, publisher
- Becky Mantin, model and television presenter
- Sir John Quinton, chairman of Barclays Bank and the first chairman of the FA Premier League[17]
- Humphry Repton, landscape gardener[8]
- Tim Westwood, DJ
Notable staff [edit]
- Theodore Acland, Headmaster 1930 to 1943
- John Crome, sometime drawing master and founder member of The Norwich School of Artists
- David N. Farr, historian
- Augustus Jessopp, 19th century Headmaster and author
- Adrian Lucas, organist and conductor
- Philip Stibbe, a former Chindit and author of Return via Rangoon
- O. W. Tancock, Headmaster 1880 to 1890, author[18]
- G. A. Williamson, who was senior classics master at Norwich from 1922-1960 has translated many histories of Roman times.
See also [edit]
- List of the oldest schools in the world
- Grammar School
- Ranger and Hobsbawm, The Invention of Tradition, (Cambridge University Press, 1983, ISBN 0-521-43773-3)
- Rawcliffe, Wilson and Clark, Norwich Since 1555, (International Publishing Group, 2004, p. 308)
References [edit]
- ^ a b Swinnerton, Jo (2005). The History of Britain Companion. London, United Kingdom: Robson. ISBN 1861059140. Retrieved 2 July, 2011.
- ^ "Guardian Unlimited 2006 GCSE and A-level results". London: The Guardian. 2006. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
- ^ "Lord Nelson school to allow girls". London: Press Association. 15 September 2007. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
- ^ a b "Brooke House". Norwich School. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
- ^ a b "Coke House". Norwich School. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
- ^ a b "Nelson House". Norwich School. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
- ^ a b "Parker House". Retrieved 3 February 2013.
- ^ a b "Repton House". Retrieved 3 February 2013.
- ^ "School House". Norwich School. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Seagrim House". Norwich School. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
- ^ a b "Valpy House". Retrieved 3 February 2013.
- ^ Sugden, Nelson: A Dream of Glory, 2004, p. 464
- ^ "Early life". The National Archives. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
- ^ "Heritage". Norwich School. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
- ^ Boyer, Allen (2003). "Chapter 2: Roads South: Norwich, Cambridge, Holborn". Sir Edward Coke and the Elizabethan Age. Stanford University Press. pp. 12–16. ISBN 0804748098. Retrieved 11 December, 2012. Text "page " ignored (help)
- ^ "The Papers of 1st Baron Mancroft". Janus, University of Cambridge. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
- ^ "Sir John Quinton". London: The Telegraph. 1 May 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
- ^ TANCOCK, Rev. Osborne William, in Who Was Who (A. & C. Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, December 2007, accessed 8 April 2012) (subscription required)
