Radley College
| Radley College | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
| , | |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent school |
| Motto | "Sicut serpentes, sicut columbae" |
| Established | 1847 |
| Founder | William Sewell |
| Headmaster | Angus McPhail |
| Number of students | 635 |
| Colour(s) | Red & White |
| Newspaper | The Radley College Chronicle |
| Yearbook | The Radleian |
| Ages | 13 to 18 |
| Website | www.radley.org.uk |
Radley College (St Peter's College, Radley) is a famous English public school situated on the edge of the village of Radley near Abingdon in Oxfordshire. It was founded in 1847 by William Sewell and Robert Singleton, and is one of only four remaining schools in the United Kingdom that admits only boys and at which all students are boarders. The school is centred around the Mansion, formerly Radley Hall (built 1721 to 1725). Now the campus of school buildings, playing fields, golf course, lake, and farmland now covers some 800 acres, including the largest continuous area of mown grass in England.
The prevailing ethos is of respect for authority as vested in senior boys, masters — known as "dons" — the Anglican Church (with Evensong during weekdays and a Sung Eucharist every Sunday), and the institutions of the British establishment.
The college is an academic institution that achieves competitive public exam results - an average of 88% As and Bs at A level examinations over the last two years - but Music, Art, and Drama too play an important role in the life of the school, the latter more so than ever after the opening of the 400-seat "New Theatre" in October 2006. Many scholarships are awarded each year - over 20 in March 2007 - for music, art, drama and all-round skills as well as academic excellence and sport. Sixth Form Organ Scholarships will be awarded for the first time in 2007, to support the large Chapel Choir and new Choristership scheme, and planning for a new pipe organ is underway, to replace the current 3-manual Hill, Norman and Beard instrument.
Socials
The pupils live in one of eight boarding houses — "Socials" in the school vernacular — named A–H. Some students additionally spend some of their time resident in Orchard House, not a Social in itself but a smaller boarding house providing alternative accommodation for some of the older pupils. The socials are sometimes known by the name of their "Tutor" (housemaster). For example, B Social is also sometimes known as Greed's Social after its Tutor, Mr Greed. Each social has an assistant housemaster ('Resident Subtutor') and matron ('Pastoral Housemistress') who are resident in the building. Two more socials (J and K) are due to be opened in September 2008 with Orchard House becoming incorporated into J Social. As a result the number of boys in each social will drop from around 80 to about 65 and the overall size of the school will increase slightly. B social is undoubtedly the best social with the girls
The socials compete against each other constantly in sports and extra-curricular activities ranging from debating to chess, bridge, singing and, now, even the efficiency of their recycling of paper, plastic and cans. For the Shells (first years) there is even an inter-social Drama Prize - the Haddon Cup - currently held by H Social.
Many Socials put on an annual play, performed and perhaps directed by boys in that social. Alternatively or additionally they might have a "Cultural Evening" of assorted musical performances, sketches, dances and dramatic extracts, staged in the Silk Hall or Theatre.
Television series
During the 1979 summer term, the school's activities were filmed by the BBC for a series called "Public School", broadcast on BBC2 early in 1980. Capturing the end of a period when such schools felt genuinely afraid that the Labour government might push through legislation to close them down (there is a memorable scene of the headmaster expressing his delight in Margaret Thatcher's first election victory), the programme nevertheless now seems like a period piece, if only because it shows certain teaching methods and values that would never be allowed today.
Former pupils
A Category:Old Radleians is being compiled on this site
- Peter Cook, Comedian.
- Desmond Llewelyn, Actor (who played Q in many James Bond films).
- Lord Scarman, Judge.
- Clive Stafford Smith, Campaigning Lawyer.
- Andrew Strauss, Cricketer.
- Ben Hutton, Cricketer.
- Jamie Dalrymple, Cricketer.
- Ted Dexter, Cricketer.
- Peter Wildeblood, Journalist and Playwright.
- Gerald Brenan, one of the most revered Hispanists of the twentieth century
- Harold Monro, founder of the Poetry Bookshop
- Brough Scott, Racing broadcaster and Journalist.
- Andrew Motion, poet and Poet Laureate.
- Alexander Downer, Australian Foreign Minister.
- Richard Wilson, Baron Wilson of Dinton, former UK Cabinet Secretary.
- Sir Ivan Ewart, 6th Baronet, Northern Irish business man and charity worker.
- Charles Howard, Pioneering bomb disposal expert in WW2. Featured in The English patient by Michael Ondaatje.
- Mark Durden-Smith, Television presenter.
- Sandy Nairne, Director of the National Portrait Gallery
- James Male, World Raquets Champion
- Christopher Hibbert, historian
Former Wardens include Dennis Silk.
Southern Railway School's Class
The School lent its name to the thirtyfirst steam locomotive (Engine 930) in the Southern Railway's Class V of which there were 40. This Class was also known as the Schools Class because all 40 of the class were named after prominent English public schools. 'Radley', as it was called, was built in 1934.Although withdrawn in the early 1960s, the nameplate has been preserved by the School and is now displayed in the school shop's stationery department.
Literature
- Christopher Hibbert, No Ordinary Place: Radley College and the Public School System 1847–1997, 1997, London: John Murray General Publishing Division, ISBN 0-7195-5176-5.