Ravenscroft School, Somerset
Ravenscroft School | |
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Special | |
Motto | Audi et Aude (Learn and dare!) |
Established | 1930s |
Closed | 1996 |
Gender | Boys, from 1964 co-educational |
Houses | Scots and Picts |
Colour(s) | Black, brown and green |
Ravenscroft School (founded 1931 at
History
Ravenscroft was founded by Mr Henry F. Bailey as a
In the course of its existence, it had at least three different homes.Its first home was a house at Yelverton called Ravenscroft House, on the edge of Yelverton Common, with views over
In 1945, with his wife Mary, H. F. Bailey re-established his own school, at
About 1961, Bailey sold the school to a Mr Grantham Hill, and in January 1963 it was taken over by Mr and Mrs J. F. R. Gillam. By May of that year they had announced that they had opened a Kindergarten, as well as preparing older boys for the Common Entrance Examination.[8]
In February 1966, a major fire began in the Castle's boiler room and parts of the interior were destroyed.[9] The school closed for a week, then continued to operate in its outbuildings while the extensive damage was made good.
An old boy, Olympic rower Hugh Wardell-Yerburgh, visited the school in 1968, and Edward Henderson, Bishop of Bath and Wells, spoke warmly of it as guest speaker at its prize day in June of that year.[10]
In 1970, growing numbers of pupils led to a move to a larger country house called Farleigh House, near the village of Farleigh Hungerford. It had previously been owned by Earl Cairns and members of the Hely-Hutchinson family, a branch of the Earls of Donoughmore.
In the late 1960s, while still at
During the 1980s, the age range of children taught changed. As a
By the year 1995, the school's age range was from eleven to seventeen. The number of pupils was then sixty-six, of whom eleven were girls, and expenditure per pupil was £21,609, with a pupil:teacher ratio of 3.4 to one. All children were boarders, and lived either at the main school or at Houlton Hall, or two houses owned by the school in the neighbouring town of
In July 1996, Ravenscroft School was closed, and most of its pupils and staff transferred to a new educational institution on the same site called
Heads of Ravenscroft
Headmasters
- 1931–1960: Mr Henry F. Bailey
- 1960–1962: Mr B. W. Grantham-Hill
- 1963–1988: Mr J. F. R. Gillam, M.A. (Dublin) (previously a master at Hawtreys School)[12]
Head Teachers
- 1988–1994: Mrs Anne-Marie Gillam, M.A., BEd
- 1994–1996: Mr S. Bradshaw, BEd[11]
School Badge
The badge (which until the 1970s was worn on the school's blazers and caps) was a black raven facing to the left.
School Motto
The Latin motto 'Audi et aude' means 'Learn and dare'.
Notable former pupils
Notable Ravenscroft students, known as Old Ravens include:
- Guy Hands, financier and investor[14]
- Christopher Newbury, Council of Europe[15]
- Hugh Wardell-Yerburgh, Olympic rower[10]
References
- ^ The Journal of Education, 1937, p. 611
- ^ The Public and Preparatory Schools Year Book 1954, p. 666
- ^ Hayesleigh, now Ravenscroft House at Yelverton, Devon, England: in the late 1890s to early 1900s
- ^ RAF HARROWBEER YELVERTON Miscellaneous Information
- ^ The Magpie Magazines, Monkton Combe School
- ^ 'Births' column of The Times, Friday, 2 January 1942, p. 1
- ^ "Rector of Wanstrow Leaving", Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer Friday 05 April 1957 p. 14
- ^ "RAVENSCROFT SCHOOL Beckington Castle NEAR BATH Recently taken over by new headmaster", Somerset Standard Friday 24 May 1963, p. 2
- ^ History Archived 18 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine at Beckington.org, accessed 30 June 2019
- ^ a b Somerset Standard, Friday 28 June 1968, p. 21
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84905-351-8. p. 16
- ^ ISBN 0-7102-0036-6) p. 161at books.google.co.uk
- ^ "Newbury Manor School Frome".
- ^ Siobhan Kennedy, Business big shot: Guy Hands from The Times, July 30, 2007
- ^ Christopher Newbury at westwilts-communityweb.com Retrieved 11/06/2021
External links
- Portrait of Anne-Marie Gillam by Juliet Wood, julietwoodportraits.co.uk
- Ravenscroft School Ofsted Report 1995
- Beckington Businesses