Sutton Valence School
Sutton Valence School | |
---|---|
Location | |
, , ME17 3HL England | |
Information | |
Type | Independent school |
Motto | My trust is in God alone |
Religious affiliation(s) | Anglican |
Established | 1576 |
Founder | William Lambe |
Chair | Fiona O'Hanrahan |
Headmaster | Bruce Grindlay |
Visitor | Archbishop of Canterbury |
Gender | Coeducational |
Age | 11 to 18 |
Houses | 4 boarding houses |
Colour(s) | Blue, black and silver |
Publication | Big* Sutton Views Suttonian Young Suttonian Old Suttonian |
Expired Motto | Floreat Suttona Latin: Let Sutton flourish |
Former pupils | Old Suttonians |
Website | http://www.svs.org.uk/ |
Sutton Valence School (SVS) is an independent school near Maidstone in southeast England. It has 520 pupils. It is a co-educational school with a boarding option (approximately 1/3 of its pupils board). The three boarding houses are Westminster, St Margaret's and Sutton and, for those in the first and second form, Beresford.
History
The school was founded in 1576 as the Free Grammar School of William Lambe in Sutton Valence, by William Lambe, Master of the Clothworkers and a member of the Chapel Royal of Henry VIII. It remained under the control of the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers until 1910 when it was taken under the control of United Westminster Schools, a charitable trust which also incorporates Emanuel School and Westminster City School in London.
In 1983, the school became co-educational and in 1995 it incorporated Underhill Preparatory School. It is now a co-educational day and boarding school catering for pupils from three to eighteen years of age. It has strong local roots, but also welcomes a number of overseas pupils. The school limits numbers of pupils in order to remain small enough to cater for each pupil’s needs.
The school has gone through renovation and expansion, building a new maths block, theatre, indoor swimming pool, second astro pitch and an all-weather track and field facility. The sports hall is dedicated to Sydney Wooderson, a former pupil and Olympic athlete who held the world record for the mile.
Boarding houses
On 21 July 1911, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Randall Davidson, opened the new buildings, comprising the Main School and the St Margaret’s, or Headmaster’s Wing. The Westminster Wing was still under construction. The site had previously been leased to the school by the Filmer family as a playing field before the acquisition of the ‘Upper’ and subsequently used as the village recreation ground. It has been purchased outright by a Master of the Clothworkers’, W. E. Horne, and presented to the new governing body.[1]
Upper School houses derive their names from the City of Westminster Schools Association. Leslie Bridges, the first housemaster of Westminster lent his name to the nickname of "Ponts". St Margaret’s is named after the Westminster Parish Church, dedicated to St Margaret of Antioch.
House name | House colour | Colours |
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Westminster | Black and silver | |
St Margarets | Black and maroon | |
Sutton | Black and gold |
CCF
The CCF and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme (DofE) exposing all pupils in Year 9 and large numbers above to opportunities to develop their self-reliance, perseverance, leadership skills and sense of service. CCF courses are supplemented by termly field days offering overnight camps, exercises and adventure training. DofE members undertake service in the community and expeditions. Pupils in Year 10 and Year 11 can opt out of this provision and study for a creative subject in GCSE. The CCF meets on a Wednesday afternoon. Each afternoon is started by a Contingent parade outside the School's Cornwallis Building. The CCF train on Field Days at military bases. Sutton Valence School CCF is affiliated to the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. [2]
St Peter's Chapel
In accordance with the school’s Christian foundation, the chapel sits at the entrance to the school. Dedicated by the Archbishop of Canterbury in July 1929 and extended in the 1960s, services are conducted twice weekly for the school community by the chaplain, the Revd Paul Kish. During term there are other services including Eucharist, Evensong and other traditional events in the Christian Calendar. [3]
Coat of Arms
School uses coat of arms of the founder William Lambe and the motto of the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers.
- Coat of arms blazoned: Sable, on a fess Or, between three pierced cinquefoil ermine, two mullets sable.
- Motto: My Trust is in God Alone
Buildings
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School
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Centre block
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School Chapel inside
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The Lambe's building
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Design and Technology Centre
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Baron Cornwallis building
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Sydney WoodersonSport Centre
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Swimming pool
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Maths and ICT block
Notable alumni
- Ajahn Amaro (Jeremy Horner), Abbot, Amaravati Buddhist Monastery
- Ali Bongo, magician
- Ashley Jackson, GB Olympic hockey player[citation needed]
- Ben Brown, BBC journalist
- Sir Charles Groves, CBE conductor
- Paul Anderson, OBE, GB Olympic Sailor
- Gordon Apps, DFC, World War I flying ace[4]
- John Howard Churchill, Dean of Carlisle (1973–1987)
- Mark Benson, England Cricket, Kent County Cricket Club Captain and ICC Elite Umpire
- Peter Fairley, TV science journalist
- Robbie Joseph, Kent cricket player
- Robert Fisk, journalist[citation needed]
- Sydney Wooderson, Olympic athlete and world record holder
- Terence Cuneo CVO, OBE, RGI, FGRA painter
- Tim Doust, ex-professional football player; Advertising Executive at Inferno Ltd.
References
External links