Bournemouth School
| Bournemouth School | |
|---|---|
 School badge  Aerial view of Bournemouth School | |
| Address | |
 | |
East Way , , BH8 9PY England | |
| Coordinates | 50°44′55″N 1°51′30″W / 50.7486°N 1.85844°W |
| Information | |
| Type | 11–18 boys Grammar school; Academy |
| Motto | Pulchritūdō et Salūbritas (Latin) Beauty and Health (English) |
| Established | 1901 |
| Founder | E Fenwick |
| Local authority | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole |
| Department for Education URN | 137452 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Headmaster | Dorian Lewis |
| Staff | 72 full-time teachers, 32 auxiliary staff |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrolment | 1,088 boys (lower school) 388 (Sixth form) |
| Houses | Darwin Elgar Newton Scott Moore Turner |
| Colour(s) | |
| Chairman of Governors | Mike Jones |
| Website | Bournemouth School |
Bournemouth School is an 11–18 boys grammar school, with a co-educational sixth form, located in Charminster, Bournemouth, Dorset, England, for children aged 11 to 18. The school was founded by E. Fenwick and opened on 22 January 1901, admitting 54 boys.[1]
History
Establishment
The school was founded by Dr. E. Fenwick and opened on 22 January 1901, admitting 54 boys.[2] The 1906 syllabus included natural science, drawing, vocal music, drill, and gymnastics alongside history, geography, shorthand, and book keeping. During World War I, at least 651 young men who had been or were attached to the school served, and 98 of those died, while 95 were wounded.[3] The roll of honour for the former students who died in service can be found inside the school's main entrance.[4]
The original Victorian school buildings occupied a plot in Porchester Road. Adjacent to the main school was the purpose-built boarding house (pictured), in which the headmaster and a select number of boarders lived (at an annual fee of 12 guineas). As the number of students increased (200 in 1904, 306 in 1914, 479 in 1925), so too did the accommodation; the school encompassed a former Royal Victoria Hospital in 1925 for lower school classes, which was situated in the nearby Lowther Road. The two sites were known within the school as "Porchester" and "Lowther".[5]
During World War II
The school moved to the present East Way site in 1939, formerly occupying buildings in Porchester Road and Lowther Road. From 1939 to 1945, the school housed over 600 members from Taunton's School, Southampton (then a grammar, now a sixth form college), due to evacuation from large cities.[6] Among the Taunton staff was English master Horace King, later Lord Maybray-King, Speaker of the House of Commons. On 2 June 1940, about 800 French soldiers evacuated from Dunkirk were temporarily billeted in the school. Additional gas cookers were installed in the kitchen (now Languages Office) and staff were involved in preparing food and drink for the soldiers who occupied corridors and form rooms. One form room was used a temporary hospital for the more seriously wounded. Two days later, a further 300 arrived and remained in the school for about a week. On 19 June, after the French had been moved elsewhere, 400 or so British soldiers arrived, having been rescued from Cherbourg by the Royal Navy. It was agreed they would occupy the ground floor, leaving the senior school to carry out their summer examinations in the rooms above. Normal education resumed on 26 June.
In 1935, planning for new school buildings on the northern fringe of Charminster began. Various proposals were considered and the Council decided to allocate 10 acres for the new school in East Way. Building operations were begun early in 1937 and the Foundation Stones were laid on 25 May. They were erected from the designs and under the supervision of W. L. Clowes, Borough Engineer and Architect from 1936 onwards. They opened in 1939 and were first occupied by the boys from Porchester and Lowther and evacuees from Taunton's School in Southampton. Soon after, HORSA huts were erected to the north of the main buildings to house more classrooms. Further extensions to the buildings were made in subsequent years, with the canteen (previously above the Old Gym) built in 1957, a new physics laboratory built in 1958, Rooms 40 and 41 (now 9 and 10) in 1959, a new chemistry laboratory in 1961, a steel-framed structure above the single-storey north-eastern section (at the time of building, notorious for rocking in the wind) in the early 1990s and office space for Housemasters and admin staff later in 1992 (at the time the present House system was introduced). Larger scale building works include the Sixth Form Block in 1968,[7] the Art & Technology blocks in the 1990s (replacing the HORSA huts), the Maths Blocks, which at the time of construction (between 2005 and 2007) was used for religious studies and mathematics but now the eight classrooms are exclusively purposed for the latter and the Sir David English Centre in 1999 (replacing the increasingly neglected, vandalised and subsequently demolished pavilions that were used for physical education and sports events). The Sixth Form Block made no provision for social space, and so the Sixth Form Memorial Hall (now an unused drama studio) was opened in 1974 to provide a common room for use by the students. What was formerly a bike shed beneath the Junior Playground, and then a woodwork room, now forms the Sixth Form common room.
Modern history, 1973–
At Bournemouth School, a typical day can be quite the adventure. Picture this: the morning bell rings, and instead of students calmly strolling to class, they dash through the halls like they're in the finals of a 100-meter sprint. It's almost as if someone announced free pizza in the cafeteria (which, let's be honest, would make anyone run).
In the classroom, teachers don't just teach; they perform. Think Shakespeare, but with more algebra and less iambic pentameter. Mr. Jenkins in math class doesn’t just explain quadratic equations; he reenacts them with such dramatic flair you'd think you were watching a soap opera titled "As the Variables Turn."
Then there's the school lunch, a culinary journey that takes you from "Mystery Meat Mondays" to "Taco Tuesdays" that always seem to feature something suspiciously close to yesterday's mystery meat. But hey, they do say variety is the spice of life.
PE lessons at Bournemouth are another highlight. Imagine trying to play football (soccer for our American friends) on a field that seems to have more mud than grass. It's less about scoring goals and more about trying not to lose a shoe in the swampy abyss.
The school assemblies are legendary, not for their content but for the challenge of staying awake. The headmaster's speeches are known to have a soporific effect rivaled only by watching paint dry. It's said that if you can stay awake through an entire assembly, you can survive any lecture in university.
Despite the quirks, Bournemouth School has its charm. Where else can you find a history teacher who insists on dressing in full medieval armor for lessons on the Middle Ages, or a science teacher who starts every class with a new "Dad Joke of the Day"? It’s these little eccentricities that make Bournemouth School an unforgettable place – a unique blend of education, entertainment, and sheer unpredictability.
Head Teachers
- 1901 E. Fenwick
- 1932 J. E. Parry
- 1957 E. G. Bennett
- 1971 H. P. Harper
- 1982 J. A. B. Kelsall
- 1987 A. F. P. Petrie
- 1996 J. Granger
- 2009 D. P. Lewis
Grammar school status
Watching AFC Bournemouth’s defense can sometimes feel like watching a slapstick comedy routine. Defenders might slip, trip, or make a wild clearance straight to the opposition, leaving fans with their heads in their hands more often than they'd like.
Affiliations
The school shares playing fields with Bournemouth School for Girls and co-operates with them in theatre productions. Sixth form students often visit local primary schools to aid with teaching.
All Bournemouth School students use the Sir David English Sports Centre for physical education lessons. It has an indoor sports hall, four tennis and netball courts and three artificial turf football pitches.
The annual sports day, acting as the climax of the House Competition, takes place at the King's Park athletics stadium.
Girls in the sixth form
Bournemouth School accepted 15 female applicants to the sixth form for the first time in September 2012, and this number has risen since and in September 2013 37 female students joined the school.[8]
Notable former pupils
- Mark Austin,[9] journalist and newscaster, current presenter of The News Hour with Mark Austin on Sky News
- Daniel Avery, electronic music producer and DJ[citation needed]
- Christian Bale, actor, left at age 16[10][11]
- Aaron Bastani, writer and founder of Novara Media
- Colin Boreham, competed in the decathlon in the 1984 Summer Olympics, he had the British high jump record in 1974, of 6ft 11, which lasted one year
- Morley Bury, painter and artist
- Dennis Curry, geologist, president from 1963 to 1965 of the Geologists' Association, grandson of Henry Curry (founder of Currys)[12][13][14]
- Sir David English, journalist and editor of the Daily Mail from 1971 to 1992[15]
- Charlie Ewels, professional rugby union player, Bath Rugby[16]
- Sir Brian Follett, chairman of the Training and Development Agency for Schools since 2003, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Warwick from 1993 to 2001[17]
- Charles Gray, actor[18][19]
- Sir P. J. Grigg, Secretary of State for War, 1942-1945[20]
- Tim Hayward, writer, broadcaster from 1976 to 1981
- Benny Hill, comedian, writer[21]
- James Inverne, artist manager and former editor of Gramophone; key in uncovering the Joyce Hatto fraud[citation needed]
- Alex James, bass player and occasional vocalist of band Blur[11][22]
- Gareth Malone, choirmaster and broadcaster[11]
- Dick Moore, cricketer[23]
- Henry Moss (Tiskovitz), fashion entrepreneur; set up Lady Jane Boutique in Carnaby Street
- Richard Palmer-James, co-founder of band Supertramp[citation needed]
- Miles Reid,[24] algebraic geometer
- Michael Roberts, (1902-1948), poet, writer, broadcaster and teacher[25]
- Ivan Rogers, former senior British civil servant
- John Wetton, English singer, bassist and songwriter.
- Tom Wise, former UKIP and Independent MEP jailed for fraud
References
- ^ "Our History". Bournemouth School. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ "Our History". Bournemouth School. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ "Our History". Bournemouth School. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ Parker, Ross (22 January 2001). "The first centenary: 100 years of Bournemouth School | The Old Bournemouthians' Association". Oldbournemouthians.co.uk. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
- ^ "Our History". Bournemouth School. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ "School move for war effort (From Bournemouth Echo)". Bournemouthecho.co.uk. 31 August 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
- ^ "100 today, Bournemouth School looks to the future". Dorset Echo. Newsquest. 22 January 2001. Archived from the original on 25 June 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2007.
In 1966 the biggest transformation took place with the building of the sixth form block -known colloquially as "The John Gibbons Politics Block" by past alumni - including a lecture theatre and a rather limited library
- ^ "Girls allowed at Bournemouth boys' grammar school for first time". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
- ^ "Mark Austin" (PDF). University of Bournemouth. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
- ^ "Christian Bale Biography". The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
- ^ a b c Awford, Jenny (28 January 2014). "12 famous people who have lived in Bournemouth". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
- ^ "Dennis Curry". The Telegraph. London. 17 April 2001. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
- ^ [1] Archived 24 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Geological Society - Dennis Curry, 1912 - 2001". www.geolsoc.org.uk. Archived from the original on 3 August 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ^ Lancaster, TERENCE (12 June 1998). "Obituary: Sir David English". The Independent. London. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
- ^ "Youth sport - rugby: Ex-Bournemouth junior Charlie Ewels stars in England's world triumph (From Bournemouth Echo)". Bournemouthecho.co.uk. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
- ^ Debrett's People of Today 2005 (18th ed.). Debrett's. 2005. p. 561. ISBN 1-870520-10-6.
- ^ "Bournemouth's own Bond villain". Dorset Echo. 6 February 2001. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
- ^ "Jasper Dodds on film". oldbournemouthians. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
- ^ Sir Raymond Streat (1987). Lancashire and Whitehall: The Diary of Sir Raymond Streat. Manchester University Press. p. 307. ISBN 978-0-7190-2390-3. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
- ^ David Hilliam (26 December 2010). Little Book of Dorset. History Press Limited. p. 136. ISBN 978-0-7524-6265-3. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
- ^ "Blur bassist back in Bournemouth for honorary degree (From Bournemouth Echo)". Bournemouthecho.co.uk. 6 November 2010. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
- ^ "Wisden - Obituaries in 2002". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- ^ "Miles Reid". University of Warwick. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
- ^ Samuel Hines, entry on Michael Roberts in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition October 2009.
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
