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Wilson's School
File:Wilsonscoa.gif
Address
Map
Mollison Drive

Wallington
,
Surrey
,
SM6 9JW

 England
Information
TypeVoluntary Aided, Selective
MottoNon sibi sed omnibus
(Not for self but for all)
Established1615
FounderEdward Wilson
Local authorityLondon Borough of Sutton
SpecialistMathematics and Computing; Arts (Media)
OfstedReports
HeadD. M. Charnock
GenderBoys
Age11 to 18
Enrollmentc. 1,000 students
HousesBrecon, Camberwell, Hayes, Greencoat, Southwark
Colour(s)Black, White and Gold      
PublicationOmnibus (formerly The Wilsonian)
Websitehttp://www.wilsonsschool.sutton.sch.uk/

Wilson's School is a boys' grammar school in Wallington, in the London Borough of Sutton, UK. Admission is based on performance in an entrance test. Around 1,000 pupils are taught there.

It was founded as Wilson's Grammar School in Camberwell in 1615, moving to its present location on part of the site of the former Croydon Airport in 1975, changing its name in the process. The move was due to concerns over the size of the facilities, government policy being against grammar schools at the time, and the wish of Sutton Council to have an additional grammar school.

Wilson's became Voluntary Aided in 1997. It was designated as a specialist school in Mathematics and Computing in 2002 and in April 2007 added a second specialism in the Arts. Its academic performance places it among the best schools in the United Kingdom.[1]

The school operates five houses: Brecon, Camberwell, Greencoat, Hayes and Southwark.

The main sport is Association Football, although others such as athletics and cricket are also played. Swimming and Water Polo were of importance before the conversion of the swimming pool into an additional exercise hall. The status of Badminton Academy was conferred on it in 2006.

Wilson's hosts a Combined Cadet Force and is seeking Eco-Schools status.

While information on pupils taught at the school before 1843 has been lost, Wilson's has a long list of noted Old Boys across the fields of entertainment, science, the military and the church.

"A Short History of Wilson's School"[2], from which much of the information below was taken, was first published in 1951; its most recent edition was in 1987.

Academic Performance

According to information supplied by the Department for Education and Skills in January 2007, Wilson's had the 18th best GCSE results[3] and 19th best A-Level results [4] of all UK schools, including independents.

The school was subject to an Ofsted report[1] in June 2007, which rated the school as Grade 1 (outstanding) in all 38 of the target areas. The report begins:

"Wilson's is an outstanding school that deserves its high reputation. This is how the school sees itself, a view shared by the vast majority of the large number of parents who responded to the inspection questionnaire. One parent summed up the school well by noting of their son, 'Wilson's has helped him realise his potential and given him a life-long love for learning.'"

History

Foundation

The Old Buildings, showing the West House, as it was rebuilt in 1687, viewed from the south

The school was founded by Edward Wilson in 1615 and was located in Camberwell, now part of Greater London but at that time a small village of cottages, homesteads, inns and larger buildings grouped around a village green. Wilson was born around 1550 in Cartmel, Lancashire, which had its own grammar school, from where he passed on to Cambridge University. No record remains of him taking a degree, although it is known that he went into the Church, being appointed Deacon at Ely in Norfolk in 1576. He subsequently became Vicar of the Parish of Camberwell, which was presented to him by the Queen in person. This would indicate that he favoured the settlement of the Church of England which Elizabeth I was resolved to make. His nephew Peter Danson became a governor of the new school at its founding. Danson was also vicar of Carshalton in Surrey, ironically only one mile from the present site of the school. A further member of the Wilson family, a namesake of Edward Wilson, is named in the Charter of the School as the Master.

At the time, the establishment of a grammar school in England required the assent of the crown. This was obtained after the first school buildings were constructed. The original Charter bearing this assent has since been lost, although in 1929 the governors of the school obtained a certified extract from the Patent Rolls. This requirement for the agreement of the Crown explains the legend "Founded in 1615 by Royal Charter" that appears in various places beneath the school name. The Charter was granted by King James I, who had succeeded his cousin Elizabeth by this time.

The charter names the school as "The Free Grammar School of Edward Wilson, clerk, in Camberwell, otherwise Camerwell, in the County of Surrey."[2]

Reconstitution

File:Wilsonscamberwell.jpg
Wilson's Grammar School in Camberwell

In 1845 the school was forced to close as a result of a financial scandal. Following an Order in Council of Queen Victoria in 1880, which superseded the previous Royal Charter, the school was rebuilt on a different site in Camberwell, opening in 1883. It again catered to the need for schooling of boys in Camberwell, which by this time had grown considerably from its rustic origins. Its working population largely consisted of men working in the professions, clerks, journalists, tradesmen and labourers.[2] Naturally, a grammar school provided an asset to the neighbourhood, with the prospect for boys to go on to University education.

For five and a half years during the Second World War, Wilson's was evacuated to the Camp School at Barns Green near Horsham, Sussex, and for the only period in its history became a boarding school. The Head Master of Christ's Hospital was kind enough to allow Wilson's the use of the school's cricket pitches, swimming bath and other faciltiies, including the Great Hall for Speech Day.[2]

In 1958, an elementary school in Camberwell known as the Greencoat School was closed after a 250-year history and part of its assets passed to Wilson's Grammar School. The funds were used to provide a new science facility, the Greencoat Building,[5] whch was constructed opposite the main school site in Wilson Road. Two carved figures of a boy and a girl which are believed to have stood over the boys' and girls' entrances to the school were installed first in the Greencoat Building, and later in the Greencoat Courtyard in the new school at Wallington.

Relocation

The new building was used until 1975, when the school moved some eight miles south to Wallington to a site that formerly belonged to Croydon Airport. This was motivated by growing dissatisfaction with the school's buildings (the Great Hall could only accommodate half the school), the threat posed by the policy of the Inner London Education Authority to enforce comprehensive education, and the fact that the London Borough of Sutton was seeking to introduce another grammar school. However, Sutton only provided about 45 boys who had passed the 11+; the remaining 75 were made up by non-selective boys who gained a place by interview, and 'Foundation Places' awarded to applicants from outside the borough. It was for this reason that 'Wilson's Grammar School' was renamed 'Wilson's School'.[2] Since then, the vicissitudes of government policy have led to Wilson's being once again a grammar school in all but name, with all places awarded on the basis of success in the fiercely competitive entrance examination (1,200 or more applicants for approximately 150 places). In 2002 the school proved so popular that when letters of acceptance were sent out to 150 applicants for the 120 available places (on the assumption that as in previous years around 30 people would decline the place offered), all 150 places were accepted, leading to the creation of a fifth form of entry.[6]

The entrance of Wilson's School, with Assembly Hall to left with school sign, captioned "Founded in 1615 by Royal Charter".

The original 1975 building in Wallington was phase I of what was intended to be a larger school built in three phases (and in fact the architects reversed the original plan north to south before building commenced), but the plans for the second and third phases were never put into practice. Instead there have been various additions made when funding has allowed. The Mary Datchelor wing for Music was built using funds from the Mary Datchelor's Girls' School in Camberwell, which suffered closure in 1981 rather than submit to the comprehensive schools plan of the Inner London Education Authority. As with the Greencoat School, Wilson's took on some of the assets of the Mary Datchelor foundation[7], the most bizarre of which is a monumental nineteenth-century painting entitled "Scholarship Crowning Endeavour", an allegorical portrait of some highly decorous Victorian young ladies, which now resides (though mostly covered up) at the back of the main school stage. Other later additions include the Art and DT block, the Sixth Form Centre and the Foundation Building, which houses the Mathematics, I.T. and Media Studies departments. The original swimming pool has been converted into a multi-purpose sports hall to supplement the gymnasium[8].

Wilson's School was one of the first British state schools to be designated a specialist in Mathematics and Computing in 2002 and in April 2007 added a second specialism in the Arts.[9]

Wilson's currently has approximately 700 students in years 7-11 and about 300 in the sixth form.

School Coat of Arms and Badge

File:Wilsonscoa.jpg

From 1883 the school was accustomed to use as a coat of arms the version of the Wilson shield used by Edward Wilson, probably without authority. In 1985 the then Chairman of Governors, Lt. Col. W. R. Bowden, obtained a Grant of Arms from the College of Arms. The new officially authorised Arms introduced to the previous form a silver bar between the wolf and the objects above, together with a gold border. Additionally, a crest is added above the helm in the form of a black wolf holding a silver fleur-de-lys in his paws with a black and gold mantle.[2]

The blazon reads: "Sable a Wolf Salient Or and a Barrulet enhanced Argent in chief a Fleur de Lys also Argent between two Bezants all within a Bordure Gold And for the Crest upon a Helm with a Wreath Or and Sable a demi Wolf Salient Sable holding between its paws an Ogress charged with a Fleur de Lys Argent Mantled Sable doubled Or."

The Grant of Arms also gives the rights to a badge, defined as "Within a voided Hexagon Sable charged with three Fleur de Lys Argent and three Bezants a Wolf salient Sable armed and langued Gules."[2] A lapel badge of this design is worn by senior prefects.

Houses

Each pupil is allocated to one of the houses upon entry to the school. Having once faded almost to complete insignificance in the life of the school, there is now renewed interest in putting the houses back at the heart of school life. More emphasis is being placed on house points awarded for academic, sporting and extra-curricular success; for the first time since 1981 when the new houses replaced the previous six<[2] (Jephson, Kelly, McDowell, Nairne, Whiteley, Wilson), staff are being appointed as Head of House, assisted by prefects as House Captains; all members of the staff (including all ancillary staff, though not senior management) are being allocated to Houses; all students wear a lapel badge of their house shield. House standards have been created for use on Sports Day; these are now kept on permanent display in the main school hall.

There are currently five houses in the school[10], corresponding to the five forms of entry. They are:

BRECON takes its name from the Brecon Beacons, venue for the Field Study trips taken by all Year 7s and Geography students. Colour: red. Motto: Y DDRAIG GOCH DDYRY CYCHWYN

CAMBERWELL This house is named after the school's original location in south-east London; the phoenix refers to the school's rebirth in 1883 and again in 1975. Colour: blue. Motto: VIVAT REDIVIVA

GREENCOAT named after the Greencoat School. The Greencoat Courtyard houses the sculpted figures of two schoolchildren from Greencoat School. Colour: green. Motto: VIROR VIRES VIRTUS
HAYES takes its name from the school's alumni sports club, the Old Wilsonians' Association, located in Hayes, Kent. Colour: yellow. Motto: OMNIBUS QUISQUE CUIQUE OMNES
SOUTHWARK refers to the Church of England's Diocese of Southwark, with which the school has historical links and which has representatives on the school's Board of Governors. This house was added in 2002 when the school moved to 5 form entry; the other four date from 1981. Colour: purple. Motto: MODO MODO INCEPTUM.

Uniform

File:Wilson'sartdt.jpg
Art and Design Technology buildings, with Foundation Building to right

The School Uniform consists of a white shirt, black trousers and black blazer emblazoned with the school badge on the left chest pocket[11]. The tie is black with alternating thin white and yellow stripes. In exceptionally hot weather, with the permission of the Head, the blazer and tie may be removed and shirt sleeves rolled up.

In the Sixth Form, students wear a lounge suit or dark jacket, collar and tie.

Music and Drama

Music and drama play a vital role in the cultural life of the school[12]. More than fifteen musical ensembles rehearse every week, including rock groups, wind bands, choirs, chamber groups and the main orchestra; there are concerts and performances throughout the year, both in school and in venues such as churches, theatres and the Royal Albert Hall.

Every summer the music and drama departments co-operate in the production of a junior musical in which all Year 7 boys are able to take part. In 2006, Wilson's School joined up with Wallington Girls' Grammar School for the musical version of Bugsy Malone. In 2007, they performed Alan Bennett's The Wind in The Willows.[13]

There is generally one senior drama production per year[14], produced under the company name Shock Tactics. This goes back to 1997 when the then Headmaster bowed to pressure from a small number of parents who objected to the play ’Tis Pity She’s A Whore[15] by John Ford being produced in school; the production team responded to the ban by taking the show out to a local theatre and performing not as Wilson’s School but as ‘Shock Tactics’. The following year at the same theatre they presented Ghetto[16] by Joshua Sobol. Since then, productions have returned to the school, but the Shock Tactics moniker has remained, despite producing less controversial material.

Every seven or so years the staff perform in a full-scale Christmas pantomime. The last one was Dick Whittington[17] in 2003, after Aladdin[18] in 1995.

Sport

The original School statutes [2] state that "The scholars play to be Shooting in long bows; chess; running, wrestling and leaping, &c..."

Football

In more modern times, the school's main sport is Football. Wilson's has six teams at Under 19 level and two teams for every age group from Under 12s to Under 16s. Football is compulsory in physical education throughout much of the season during a pupil’s early years at the school. In 2007 the 1st XI won the U19 Surrey Cup but lost to Millfield School in the semi-finals of the National Championship.[2]

Cricket

The school has always has a good standard of cricket. There is a team for every year group up until year 11 when there is a first, second and often a third team. The school competes against local schools on Saturdays and there is first team tour every two years. [19]

Athletics

Alongside cricket, athletics is also popular. During the summer term, the school partakes in many track and field events; these include 100m to 1500m races, hurdles, javelin, shot put, long jump, high jump, triple jump and discus. [20]

Badminton

The school was designated an Academy School by Badminton England in February 2006. The six boys considered best in Badminton from years 8 to 12 receive specialist coaching and there is an after-school club for years 7 and 8 on Mondays and for years 9 and above on Fridays. The school is home for the Chadacre Badminton club, one of the top clubs in the county at senior level. [21]

Swimming and Water Polo

Swimming was first brought in as an organised activity in 1883, using private facilities in Peckham and then Kennington, as no public baths were available in Camberwell until 1892. Masters of this early era include Mr M. Holbein, a channel swimmer, and Mr Cavill, credited by many of being the first to bring the front crawl to Britain from Australia.[2]

However, it was not until the establishment of the new premises in Sutton, which included a half-Olympic sized swimming pool, that the school gained a national reputation for watersports. This was largely due to the keen involvement of the coach of a local club, who fed budding Wilson's water polo players through to develop their skills at Sutton and Cheam, a local club.[22] By 1976, the school was competing internationally in swimming and provided half of Sutton's team for a gala in Berlin for that year and the next. Four boys were representing the country and the school came second in the 1977 English School Swimming Association Trials.[2]

During this time, several water polo internationals were produced, including members of Welsh and English teams. More recently, the under 14 side came third in the National Schools Competition at Grantham in 1999. In 2000 the under-15 side won the London League. In 2001 Wilson's took a bronze medal at the under-14 national competition. Pupil Kieran Bayles has represented England Schools under-16s and toured with the English under-19s in Malta, despite being two years under age. He played in the European Championship Qualifiers in Portugal.[23]

Water Polo continues to be played despite the conversion of the school swimming pool to a sports hall in 2005. The school now trains at Whitgift School in Croydon.

[24]

Table Tennis

This is taught by Mr Henderson, an external table tennis coach, regarded as one of the top table tennis coaches in the south of England. He is the Chairman of the Surrey Schools and was county player himself.

The under-19s are ranked fourth nationally, having won the Surrey Cup, the National Schools Area Tournament and were runners up in the National Regional Tournament.[25]

Rugby Union

Rugby was first introduced to the school in 1886, although it has not been continuously played since then. It was revived in 1921, in the 1960s, 1980s[2] and has continued since a further revival in the mid-1990s. This reflects its status as a secondary game in the school; indeed, the existence of the 1st XV and other teams has not always been well known in the school.[26]

Combined Cadet Force

File:Wilsonsfoundationbuilding.jpg
The Foundation Building, with Sixth Form Centre to right

Wilson's School CCF was established in 1910 as an Army Officer Training Corps on the original Camberwell site by a teacher, Captain Edmonds. It continued to flourish after the school's move to Wallington under the leadership of Lt. Col. K. B. Daynes, and is now a Combined Cadet Force with Army and RAF sections, the latter introduced in 1964. The Officer team of the CCF is currently headed by Captain C. Burton. The corps is inspected every two years, goes on annual army and RAF camps, and is regularly appraised at a standard well above the average for school CCFs.[27]

Eco-School

Wilson's is seeking Eco-Schools status.[28] and has established an Action Plan[29] to do so. An action team has been established in Year 9 (now in Year 10) to discuss ideas and implement change.

The goal is for project to grow[30] within the school and involve all students with representatives from every year group.

Old Boys

Class lists from 1615 to 1843 have been lost, making it impossible to record with absolute certainty those who rose to fame in that period. However, "A Short History"[2] notes that James Tyrrell, grandson of Archbishop Usher and author of "A General History of England" and other works, is known to have been a pupil in the middle of the seventeenth century.

Noted Old Boys include:

Entertainment and Sport

  • Sir Michael Caine (Maurice Joseph Micklewhite), actor1. Caine wrote of his dislike of his time at Wilson's, which was still in Camberwell during that period, in his autobiography "What's It All About?". However, he also states that his English teacher, Eric Watson "took the trouble to guide my rebellious mind into the area of literature."
  • Simon Furman, comic book writer
  • Stephen Jenkins, stage name Stephen Beckett, actor with regular roles in Coronation Street and The Bill [31]
  • Andrew Kazamia, actor with a regular role in London's Burning, playwright and film-maker[32]

Arts and Humanities

Military

  • Capt. Harold Auten, VC, DSC, RD, "Q-Ship" commander in the First World War1, author of ""Q" Boat Adventures" and later executive Vice-President of the Rank Organisation1
  • Sir Alan Cobham, KBE, AFC, pioneer aviator (first flight from Britain to Australia in 1926 and pioneer of air-to-air refuelling)1. Curiously, his flight to Australia was from Croydon Airport, the site of which is the present location of the School.[33]
  • H. E. Funnell, DSO, Merito de Guerra2
  • H. Harbord, DSO2
  • Major-General H. A. J. Sturge, CB, former Vice-Chairman of the Governors1

Science

Law

Industry and Government

Church

1: Photographs printed in "A Short History of Wilson's School" pp 227-234.

2: "A Short History of Wilson's School" p 259.

Notable Governors

An exhaustive list is to be found in Appendix A of "A Short History of Wilson's School"[2]. The following are particular highlights from this. Dates are of their governorships.

References

  1. ^ a b Wilson's OFSTED Report, 2007
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Allport, D.H.; Friskney, N.J. (1987), A Short History of Wilson's School, Wilson's School Charitable Trust
  3. ^ BBC: The best GCSE-level results
  4. ^ BBC: Top A-level results
  5. ^ Wilson's School - Greencoat
  6. ^ Wilson's School - Home
  7. ^ Wilson's School - Home
  8. ^ Wilson's School - Facilities for Hire
  9. ^ Wilson's School - Home
  10. ^ Wilson's School - The House System
  11. ^ Parents’ Handbook - Rules: Uniform and Appearance
  12. ^ Wilson's School - Drama
  13. ^ Wilson's School - Music
  14. ^ Shock Tactics - Wilson's School Drama Productions
  15. ^ Shock Tactics: ’Tis Pity She's A Whore - 'Tis Pity She's A Whore
  16. ^ Shock Tactics: Ghetto - Ghetto
  17. ^ Shock Tactics - Dick Whittington
  18. ^ Shock Tactics - Aladdin
  19. ^ Wilson's School - Cricket
  20. ^ Wilson's School - Athletics
  21. ^ Wilson's School - Badminton
  22. ^ Wilson's School - Water Polo
  23. ^ Wilson's School - Water Polo
  24. ^ Wilson's School - Water Polo
  25. ^ Wilson's School - Table Tennis
  26. ^ Wilson's School - Rugby
  27. ^ Wilson's School - CCF
  28. ^ Wilson's School - Eco-Schools
  29. ^ http://www.wilsonsschool.sutton.sch.uk/news/ecoschools/files/page41_3.pdf
  30. ^ http://www.wilsonsschool.sutton.sch.uk/news/ecoschools/files/page41_4.pdf
  31. ^ Stephen Beckett
  32. ^ Andrew Kazamia
  33. ^ Alan Cobham
  34. ^ http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0080-4606(195611)2%3C100%3ALLF1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-7
  35. ^ thePeerage.com - Person Page 20974
  36. ^ Anglican Communion:The Church of England - Bishop of Tonbridge
  37. ^ http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/articles/40/75/acns4092.cfm (Photograph)
  38. ^ Sevenoaks School - About Sevenoaks School
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