Hurstpierpoint College

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Coordinates: 50°56′35″N 0°09′54″W / 50.94306°N 0.16500°W / 50.94306; -0.16500
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Hurstpierpoint College
Latin: "Beati Mundo Corde"
(Blessed are the pure in heart)
Religious affiliation(s)Church of England
Established1849; 175 years ago (1849)
FounderCanon Nathaniel Woodard
Local authorityWest Sussex
Chairman of GovernorsTony Jarvis[2]
PrincipalTim Manly[1]
GenderMixed
Age4 to 18
Enrolmentc.1,337
Houses13
Colour(s)Red and White   
Former pupilsOld Johnians
Alumni Websitewww.theojclub.com
AffiliationWoodard Corporation
Websitehttp://www.hppc.co.uk/

Hurstpierpoint College is a public school (English private boarding and day school), located just north of the village of Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex. The College was founded in 1849 by Canon Nathaniel Woodard and is a member of the Woodard Corporation.[3]

History and overview

The school was established in 1849 as St John's Middle School, based in

Mansion House in Hurstpierpoint and then, thanks to the local benefactors the Campion family, on 21 June 1853 made its move to the present site. Intended to resemble the collegiate system at Oxford and Cambridge, Nathaniel Woodard designed the College to have adjoining Inner and Outer quads and the chapel
and dining hall adjacent to each other.

The school was inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in 2019[4] and in January 2024.

Houses

Close set flint walls

In the early 70s, the senior school comprised just seven houses, named: Eagle, Martlet, Shield, Red Cross, Chevron, Fleur de Lys and Star. Each house had a housemaster and house tutor who were also teachers within the school.

Since then, the number of senior school houses has grown in size alongside the school's expansion. It now consists of 13 houses. 6 boys' houses (Star, Chevron, Crescent, Eagle, Red Cross and Woodard) and 6 girls' houses (Fleur de Lys, Wolf, Phoenix, Shield, Martlet and Pelican), with the 13th house being the co-educational day and boarding 'hall of residence', St John's House - which all students in their last year (Upper Sixth) join, whilst retaining affiliation to their former houses.

Traditions

Inner quad
College Lane entrance
The college as viewed from the south

The school preserves ceremonies, such as the 'Boar's Head Procession' and the 'Wolstonbury Service' which for the most part were taken from other schools such as Winchester College, in order to give the school a feeling of tradition back in its early Victorian days.

"Hurst" has performed a

Shakespeare play every year since 1854, beginning with Richard III after the first headmaster, Dr Lowe inspired the first players onto stage. Hurstpierpoint College boasts the oldest Shakespeare society in existence,[5] older even than that of the Royal Shakespeare Company which was not formed until 1875.[6]

The Hurst Johnian, the school magazine, founded in May 1858 is a source for the School's history. Its policy has been to maintain the annals of the school, and it continues to publish current reports and articles on the past. Evidence from the national archives suggests that it is the oldest school magazine in the country.[7]

Notable Masters

Notable Old Johnians

Main article: List of people educated at Hurstpierpoint College

Past students of Hurstpierpoint College are referred to as 'Old Johnians'.

See also: Category:People educated at Hurstpierpoint College

Headmasters

William Awdry was headmaster from 1873 to 1879
  • Edward Clarke Lowe (1849–1872)
  • William Awdry (1873–1879)
  • Charles Cooper (1880–1902)
  • Arthur Coombes (1902–1923)
  • Henry Bernard Tower (1924–1937)
  • Walter Dingwall (1937–1945)
  • Ronald Howard (1945–1964)
  • Roger Griffiths (1964–1986)
  • Simon Watson (1986–1995)
  • Stephen Meek (1995–2004)
  • Tim Manly (2005–2023)
  • Dominic Mott (2023-present)

Southern Railway Schools Class

The school lent its name to the nineteenth steam

Public Schools. 'Hurstpierpoint', as it was called, was built in 1934 and was withdrawn in 1961.[8]
Its nameplate is now housed in the school's science block.

Coat of arms

Coat of arms of Hurstpierpoint College
Notes
Granted 1 June 1931.[9]
Escutcheon
Per pale Argent and Ermine, dexter on a bend cottised Sable a cross couped between two martlets of the first, on a chief Gules an eagle, round the head a crown of glory, Or, sinister two wolves passant counterpassant also Gules; all within a bordure engrailed Azure.
Motto
'Beati mundo corde'

References

  1. ^ "Hurstpierpoint College | About Hurst - Staff".
  2. ^ "Hurstpierpoint College | About Hurst - Governors".
  3. ^ "Woodard Schools - Independent, State Maintained, Academies". Independent, Academy and Maintained Education - Woodard Schools. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  4. ^ "Hurstpierpoint College :: Independent Schools Inspectorate". Isi.net. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  5. ^ "The Hurst Johnian Club - Old Boys & Girls of Hurstpierpoint College- Shakespeare Society". Archived from the original on 10 December 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  6. ^ "History of the RSC | A timeline | Royal Shakespeare Company". Rsc.org.uk. 13 November 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  7. ^ "S. John's College, Hurstpierpoint Archive" (PDF). Nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Southern Railway Schools Class". Retrieved 29 June 2008.
  9. ^ "Hurstpierpoint College". Heraldry of the World. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hurstpierpoint College.

50°56′35″N 0°09′54″W / 50.94306°N 0.16500°W / 50.94306; -0.16500

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