Oakham School
This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2012) |
Oakham School | |
---|---|
Robert Johnson | |
Department for Education URN | 120322 Tables |
Chairman of trustees | Professor Neil Gorman |
Headmaster | Henry Price |
Chaplain | Timothy Tregunno |
Staff | 160 |
Gender | Coeducational |
Age | 10 to 18 |
Enrolment | 1,082 |
Houses | 16 day and boarding houses |
Colour(s) | Red and black |
Former pupils | Old Oakhamians |
Website | http://www.oakham.rutland.sch.uk/ |
Oakham School is a public school (English fee-charging boarding and day school) in Oakham, Rutland, England.
The school was founded in 1584 by Archdeacon
Under headmaster John Buchanan, in 1971 Oakham was the first boys' independent secondary school in Britain to accept both male and female pupils throughout the whole school and not just in the sixth form.[2] In 1995, it was the first public school to go on-line.[3]
Leicestershire County Cricket Club occasionally plays games on the school grounds.[4]
History
Oakham School was founded in 1584 by Robert Johnson,
According to Johnson's statutes for the school, "the schoolmaster shall teach all those grammar scholars that are brought up in Oakham, freely without pay, if their parents be poor and not able to pay, and keep them constantly to school."
The original school building was restored in the eighteenth century and remained the sole classroom for 300 years. In 1749 a case involving payment of rates recorded that "the school of Uppingham is not nor hath been of equal repute with that of Oakham."
All classes were still taught in the one room - the original old school, which still exists next to the
The 125 of Hodge's time was a temporary peak - by 1905 numbers had fallen back to 66. Sargant's response to the obvious financial difficulties which accompanied this decline (there were just 80 boys in the school when he commenced his headmastership) was to apply in 1910 for
The Memorial Chapel was dedicated on 29 October 1925; it was built as a memorial to the 68 old boys and masters who were killed in the
John David Buchanan took over from Talbot Griffith in 1958, and played himself in quietly until the
In 1981, the school was the subject of an action brought by
In 1984 the quatercentenary of the school was celebrated by a visit from Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
In 2005 Oakham School was one of fifty independent schools found guilty of running an
Lower school
The current school set-up comprises three distinct "levels" of education. The lower school, for children aged 10–13, is also known as "Jerwoods" after the benefactor Old Oakhamian John Jerwood. The buildings that comprise it mostly date back to the early 1970s, when the four houses that comprise the area were established, but the main building, now part of the boys' boarding site known as 'Hodges', was the old vicarage, which was bought by the school in 1870.[12] The girls' boarding site, formally Lincoln house, is in a round building to the west. The four Houses have both day and boarding students, Sargants and Peterborogh for boys and Ancaster and Lincoln for girls, are found on different floors of the main eastern building, which also houses all seven classrooms. During their time in the lower school, pupils study all of the core subjects (mathematics, English, science, history and geography) as well as French and either German or Spanish, religious education, Latin, Design & Technology and ICT. There is also a carousel system of creative and performing arts courses, which include textiles, 2D art and sculpture, and a separate carousel for drama and dance, and pupils take part in a physical education scheme of swimming and general ball skills.
Middle school
All pupils study English (language and literature), mathematics, a dual-award science course, and a foreign language (French, German or Spanish) to GCSE, as well as at least two of history, geography and RP (Religion & Philosophy). Pupils then choose two subjects from a selection, including a second foreign language, drama and theatre studies, Textiles, Painting, Sculpture, Design & Technology, sports science and a combined Greek and Latin course.
There are ten houses in the middle school, six boarding and four day houses, split evenly between boys and girls. The day houses are located at the north end of campus, in the grounds of the former Oakham Workhouse, later Catmose Vale Hospital. The main building houses the two girls' houses, Gunthorpe and Hambleton, while the boys' houses, Barrow and Clipsham, are in a newer house alongside. The Girls Full-boarding houses, Rushbrokes and Buchanans, are just south of the Schanschieff day site. The Girls transitional boarding house, Stevens, is located alongside the boys counterpart, Wharflands, in the center of the campus. The boys full-boarding houses Chapmans and Haywoods are on Kilburn road ( the western-most part of the campus)
Upper school
Oakham offers both the International Baccalaureate (IB) and AS/A2 levels.
AS/A2 levels
Most students take four subjects at AS Level and continue to A2 level in at least three of those subjects.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
In the upper school, all students take six subjects. Usually, students take a literature course in their own language, another modern or classical language, a science and a mathematics course, a humanities and an arts course. These are at standard or higher level. In addition, all students complete an extended essay, take a course in theory of knowledge and complete a programme of creativity, action and service (CAS).
In recent years[when?] the GCSE pass rate has been just short of 100%, with an average of over 10 passes above C (with most at A / A*) per pupil; the A level / IB pass rate similarly has been just under 100%, with over 80% at A / A* or IB equivalent.[citation needed]
In 2019, 49.34% of pupils scored A*-A for their A-Levels examination, whereas 51.88% scored A*-A for their GCSEs. The average IB score for students in 2019 was 36.7.[13]
Houses
Oakham School has a total of 16 houses; 2 in the upper school (1 for boys and 1 for girls), 10 in the middle school (5 boys houses, 5 girls; 4 full boarding, 2 flexi-boarding, 4 day) and 4 in the lower school (Jerwoods) (2 boys, 2 girls).
Upper school
There are two houses for the seventh form, School House for boys and Round House for girls. Both are in Chapel Close.[citation needed] The seventh form houses allows for day and boarding students to fully integrate outside the classroom.
Sport
Oakham offers a range of sports to its pupils; main sports for boys are rugby (Daily Mail champions twice), hockey, cricket and athletics, and for girls are hockey, netball, tennis and athletics. The school has won the Ashburton Shield in shooting on three occasions. OO RSF Shouler won the Queens Prize at the imperial meeting in 2021 Sovereign's Prize.
The school offers, on a voluntary basis, both the
Oakham have won the National Schools cup final in rugby three times, 2002, 2003, and 2023.
Old Oakhamians
For a list of notable alumni, see List of Old Oakhamians.
See also
- W. L. Sargant, The Book of Oakham School (1928)
- J. L. Barber, The Story of Oakham School (1984) (ISBN 0 905837 185)
- J. D. Buchanan, Operation Oakham (1984) ISBN 0-905837-14-2)
- Brian Needham, Oakham School - The Continuing Story - unpublished, available for researchers only
- Brian Needham, various internal booklets (Notable Old Oakhamians, Old Oakhamian Obituaries, Old Oakhamian Military War Service, History of OTC / JTC / CCF at Oakham, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award at Oakham, Overseas Expeditions, Scouting and Guiding at Oakham, Cricket / Rugby / Hockey / Netball Statistical Histories, Oakham School and the Boer War, Oakham School and the Great War, Oakham School and the Second World War)
References
- ^ a b c d "Thomas Haywood". London: Daily Telegraph. 7 April 2003. Archived from the original on 1 November 2010. Retrieved 2 November 2008.
- ^ John Clare (19 December 2001). "Tradition with an eye on the future". London: Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 November 2008.
- ^ "BBC - Leicester - Around Leicester - History". BBC. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
- ESPN Cricinfo.
- ^ see J. L. Barber: The Story of Oakham School pp18-24
- ^ "A History of Oakham School". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 2 November 2008.
- ^ W. L. Sargant, The Book of Oakham School, p31
- ^ J. L. Barber: The Story of Oakham School pp85-89
- ^ "School Music Copies Illegal, Rules Court" The Glasgow Herald, 18 February 1981
- ^ Halpin, Tony (10 November 2005). "Independent schools face huge fines over cartel to fix fees". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
- ^ "The Office of Fair Trading: OFT names further trustees as part of the independent schools settlement". Archived from the original on 10 June 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ Oakham School Chronology.pdf - A timeline of events published by the Oakham School Foundation
- ^ "Oakham School Guide: Reviews Rankings, Fees and More". Britannia StudyLink Malaysia: UK Study Expert. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2021.