Shebbear College
Coordinates: 50°51′50″N 4°12′14″W / 50.864°N 4.204°W
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| Motto | Ad Gloriam Per Spinas ("To Glory Through Thorns") |
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| Established | 1829 - Founded as 'Prospect College' 1841 - Re-founded as 'Shebbear College' |
| Religion | Methodist |
| Headteacher | Robert Barnes |
| Founder | Samuel Thorne |
| Location | Shebbear Devon England |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 3–18 |
| Houses | Way Thorne and Ruddle |
| Colours | Red Gold Black |
| Website | www.shebbearcollege.co.uk |
Shebbear College is a co-educational Methodist public school (privately funded and independent) located in Shebbear, Devon, 39 miles from the county seat of Exeter, in South West England and is one of a group of independent boarding schools that form part of the Methodist Church's involvement in education.
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[edit] History
The College was founded as 'Prospect College' in 1829 by the Bible Christian Church and reformed as 'Shebbear College in 1841. The second-oldest Methodist school in Britain, the College was originally formed for the sons of Bible Christians to train for the ministry. Edgehill College, founded for Methodist girls in nearby Bideford in 1884, was considered the College's 'sister-college'. The College became co-education in the 1990s. In 1993, the school's closure was announced but the decision was subsequently reversed. Since then the school has gone from strength to strength, with growing pupil numbers and an extensive programme of modernisation.
The College has a number of well-known alumni and a strong academic record, with a number of pupils proceeding to prominent universities.
[edit] Headmasters
- Hallifield Cosgayne O'Donnoghue (1840-1842)
- Thomas Ruddle (1864-1909)
- J.Rounsefell(1909-1932)
- Leslie Johnson (1933-1942)
- Jack Morris (1942-1964)
- George Kingsnorth (1964-1983)
- Russell Buley (1983-1997)
- Leslie Clarke (1997-2003)
- Robert Barnes (2003-Present)
[edit] Notable former pupils
Former pupils are sometimes known as "Old Shebbearians".
- Sir Samuel Way, 1st Baronet QC (1836-1916) - Chief Justice and Lieutenant-Governor of South Australia[1]
- Sir Ivan Stedeford GBE (b.1897-d.1975) - industrialist and philanthropist
- Sir Alfred Earle GBE (1907 - 1990) - RAF Vice Chief of Defence to Lord Mountbatten of Burma; Director General of British Defence Intelligence 1966-1968[2]
- Steve Drowne - jockey
[edit] The College Today
[edit] Houses
The College is consistently small in size and currently averages attendance of around 330 pupils from ages three to 18. The College is divided into three Houses that compete both academically and in sport; namely:
- Ruddle - named after the College's most influential headmaster, Thomas Ruddle.
- Way - named after Sir Samuel Way.
- Thorne - named after one of the founders of the College, Samuel Thorne.
The school is also divided into houses within boarding;
- Ruddle - The girls' boarding house - named after the College's most influential headmaster, Thomas Ruddle
- Pollard - The senior boys' boarding house - named after the Methodist missionary and writer, Sam Pollard
- Pyke - The junior boys' boarding house
[edit] Facilities
- The College stands in 85 acres of grounds with a mix of formal gardens, lawns, open fields and woodland.
- Sports hall.
- Fitness Suite.
- 3 Tennis courts.
- 7 Sports Pitches.
- Floodlit astroturf.
- Climbing Hall.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official website
- The "Old Shebbearians Association" official website
