Lancing College
| Lancing College (formerly College of St Mary and St Nicholas) | |
|---|---|
| File:Lancing logo.jpg | |
| Location | |
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| Information | |
| Type | Private coeducational boarding |
| Motto | Beati Mundo Corde |
| Established | 1848 |
| Head teacher | Richard Biggs (acting), Jonathan Gillespie from Sept. 2006 |
| Grades | 13-18 |
| Campus | Rural; 550 acres |
| Website | www.lancingcollege.co.uk |
Lancing College is a leading, prestigious and internationally known co-educational English Public School (fee-paying independent school) founded in 1848 by the Rev. Nathaniel Woodard.
The college is based in 550 acres of countryside in West Sussex near the small town of Lancing, west of the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The College is situated on a hill which is part of the South Downs and the campus looms over the local landscape. The school is one of the most academically successful and is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. Girls were first admitted in 1971. The school is dominated by a huge Gothic revival chapel, and follows a high church Anglican tradition. The College of St Mary and St Nicholas (as it was originally known) was intended for the sons of upper middle classes, professional men; in time this became Lancing College, moving to its present site in 1857.
The new school buildings were designed by the architect Richard Cromwell Carpenter.
Lancing College boards boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 18 at a cost of about £24,000 a year. A small number of the pupils attend Lancing on academic and musical scholarships provided by the school; of the other pupils, others may receive some kind of bursary.
The College has many notable past pupils. Former pupils are referred to as 'OL's'.
School Life
The School day begins with 'callover' early in the morning, ending around 6pm with sports during the afternoons of alternate days. At 7pm there are two hours of 'evening school' where pupils can make use of the new libraries, the music and art schools and technology facilities.
Whilst the College has many well resourced and excellent academic departments, the school has a particularly strong Classics department; with a large number of pupils studying Latin, Greek and Classical Civilisation. The school also has an outstanding mathematics faculty with the examination results indicating national exellence.
The College is divided up into houses, each house resident to around 70 pupils.
There are six boys' houses:
Day houses
- Head's Housemaster: A.D.B. Arnold
Boarding houses
- Second's Housemaster: D.S. Connolly
- School Housemaster: A.J. Betts
- Gibbs' Housemaster: M.J.H. Smith
- Teme Housemaster: S.R. Norris
- Sankey's Housemaster: A.M. Chappel (Until 2006/7)
And three girls' houses: Boarding houses
- Handford Housemistress: C.E. Palmer
- Manor Housemistress: A. Stone
- Field's Housemistress: H.R. Dugdale
From the 2006/07 academic year Sankeys house will become a girl day house; housemistress: N.C. Dragonetti
Each house has a distinctive set of 'colours' which are awarded to students for merit and commitment in representing the house in house matches. This allows the student to wear the house tie.
Besides academic study pupils are involved in activities that include: football, rugby, tennis, squash, badminton, lacrosse, basketball, fives, hockey, running, debating, farming, riding, clay pigeon shooting, Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme, sailing, CCF. Current sporting success lies within the Football and Squash teams.
The school has a 200 strong Combined Cadet Force with Army and Royal Airforce sections.
Music and drama play very important roles in school life. Besides boasting two theatres (one open-air) and regular productions, Lancing has a strong tradition of choral and orchestral development. Large numbers of pupils receive instrumental tuition and house music competitions help to foster this part of college life.
The College Farm
Lancing College Farm Project provides for students wishing to develop their agricultural, veterinary and conservation interests. The daily working farm of sheep, rabbits, poultry, goats and pigs gives students practical experience as well as teaching farm administration.
The Chapel
The foundation stone of the college chapel was laid in 1868, but the chapel itself was not finished in Woodard's lifetime. In fact, the chapel remains unfinished. It stands at about 175 feet (with foundations going down 70 feet into the ground), but the original plans called for a tower at the West end which would raise the height to 350 feet. The only reason that the chapel ended up as high as it did was that Woodard, cunning to the last, insisted that it be built to its full height at one end first, so that even if he died the height could not be cut down to save money. The chapel is built in the English gothic style of the 14th century, with 13th century French influences. It was designed by R. H. Carpenter and William Slater, and is built of Sussex sandstone from Scaynes Hill.
The chapel was dedicated to St Mary and St Nicholas in 1911, although the college used the finished crypt (which now houses the art school) from 1875. Inside can be found, amongst other things, the tomb of the founder, two organs and a huge rose window designed by Stephen Dykes Bower. The chapel is open to the public every day, Monday to Saturday from 10.00 till 16.00, and Sunday from 12.00 till 16.00. Full school services are held every Wednesday morning during term time at 8.35am, and on certain Sundays throughout the year. There is also a Eucharist every morning at 7.40am, and Benediction on a Friday evening.
The Campus
Most school buildings and boarding houses are nestled around the central quads with the vast chapel dominating the local landscape. The school has an operational farm, river access, squash courts, fives courts, swimming pool, a multigym, weightroom, two all weather astro-turfs, 28 Tennis courts, theatres, extensive classrooms and libraries to name but some facilities.
The school is the only one in the county to have Eton fives courts.
The current Acting Head Master is Richard Biggs, preliminary succeeding Peter Tinniswood. For the academic year 2006/07 Jonathan Gillespie will become new headmaster. Jonathan Gillespie is currently a housemaster at Fettes College and studied Languages at Cambridge University
- Senior Master: Christopher Doidge
- Senior Mistress: Hilary Dugdale
Modern Day
Lancing College is one of the elite public schools in Britain, and its examination results show that it continues to perform well. It was ranked 17th in the Times school league table of A level results in 2005 and 1st in Sussex.
When the rules of Association Football were created in 1863, elements of the Lancing game were adopted, along with the rules established at Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Westminster and Winchester and Charterhouse.
Unusually for a Public School, the Boy's preferred Winter Sport is Football.
With the only Eton Fives courts in the county, Lancing is a member of the Eton Fives association.
Fees and Charitable Status
Like all English public schools, Lancing's excellent facilities come at the price of substantial fees, though a number of scholarships are available. Like most public schools, Lancing is recognised as a charity, and as such receives substantial tax breaks. It was calculated by David Jewell, master of Haileybury, that in 1992 that these savings represent an investment from general taxation of about £1,945 per pupil per year - some £200 a year more than the state invested in the education of a child at primary school [2]. This subsidy has declined after the 2001 abolition of State-funded scholarships (formerly known as "assisted places") to public school by the Labour government. The benefits that Lancing College provides to the local community free of charge (use of its facilities and outreach etc.) have a higher value than the tax breaks it receives as a result of its charitable status. It is estimated that the UK's 1,300 [3] public schools continue to benefit from over £100M in State tax breaks.
Developments
Despite the Victorian austerity on which the school was founded (none of the college buildings make use of the spectacularly beautiful surrounding views), Lancing has recently completed a number of innovative developments that include a state of the art Design Centre. Due to for completion in early 2008, a new Art School is to be built - it will feature a grass roof and face out to the Sussex downs and coastline.
In memory of one its most distinguished OL's, Trevor Huddleston, a new stain glass window is being commissioned.
Lancing terminology and Jargon
Much of Lancing slang is the same as other public school slang. However, there are numerous Lancing-specific phrases, including:
- Alleys - Wooden cubicles with desk etc., workplaces for Third Formers
- Callover - Registration in Houses
- Classifications - Three-weekly assessment of work
- College Extra Duties - Sanction involving manual work, Monday and Friday afternoons. Formerly Hard Labour
- College Sergeant - Mr Woodger, in charge of security. Runs College Extra Duties. To be found in the CCF offices near the Sports Hall.
- Congers (Congo) - Congregational (hymn) Practice, Tuesday mornings, in Chapel
- Daily Yellow Sheet - Daily information sheet, distributed at lunch time
- Distinctions - Award for excellent work; pupil sees the Head Master
- Evening School - 7pm - 9pm (or later for older students) homework session
- Head Man's Assembly (Head Man's) - Friday morning assembly, in Chapel
- House Tutor - A teacher who supervises a House on some nights during the week and has a number of tutees from the house
- Long Weekend - Boarders can leave on Saturday afternoon and return on Sunday evening
- Yellow/Orange/Green/Light Blue/Red Book - Homework diary, also for recording grades etc.
- Blue Book - Diary of events
- Pitts - Bedrooms
- Short weekend - All boarders stay in; disco on Saturday, Chapel Service on Sunday. Usually first weekend after holidays
- The Grubber - Tuck shop
- The Cavity - Tuck shop in Gibbs house
Notable Alumni: Old Lancing (OL's)
Notable alumni include
- Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ghana
- Michael Ball, suffragan Bishop of Jarrow and later Bishop of Truro
- Peter Ball, brother of Michael Ball, monk, suffragan bishop of Lewes and later Bishop of Gloucester
- Dr Peter BallUrologist and vice chairman of Norm-UK
- Greg Barker, Conservative MP for Bexhill and Battle
- Lord Browne-Wilkinson, Senior Law Lord (1998-2000)
- Sir Roy Calne, Former Professor of Surgery at the University of Cambridge.
- Tom Driberg Communist, Labour MP, and scandal monger
- Christopher Hampton, Playwright
- Alex Horne, comedian
- Henry Hardy, editor and composer
- Basil Handford Later Headmaster and author
- David Hare, Playwright
- Trevor Huddleston, Archbishop of Tanzania and President of the Anti-Apartheid Association
- Sir Christopher Meyer, Chairman of the Press Complaints Commission and former British Ambassador to the United States (1997-2003)
- Jan Morris, author and noted Transsexual
- Henry Nettleship, Classics scholar
- Peter Pears, Tenor and life-long partner of the composer Benjamin Britten
- Jeffrey Quill, Spitfire test pilot [1].
- Tim Rice, Lyricist
- Sir Neil Ritchie, Second World War general who was replaced by Montgomery as head of the Eighth Army
- John Sankey, 1st Viscount Sankey, former Lord Chancellor
- Roger Dancey Headmaster of King Edwards School
- Tom Sharpe Anti-apartheid satirical novelist, banned from South Africa
- Christopher SilvesterJournalist and Author. Reporter for Private Eye
- Jamie Theakston, TV and radio presenter, actor
- Evelyn Waugh Novelist, author of the Sword of Honour trilogy.
Notable staff members include
- Sir William Gladstone, former Head Master and Chief Scout of the United Kingdom
- G.O. Smith, sportsman rated the greatest footballer of the nineteenth century
Hoe Court
The college owns a number of properties based along the College Drive and all the properties in Hoe Court, a road extending from the rear of the College towards Lancing.
Head Boys
2004/5 Micheal Johnson 2005/6 Aaron Patison
Head Girls
2004/5: Ros Worstecer 2005/6: Polly Graham
Lancing College Preparatory School at Mowden
Lancing College, in 2002, purchased Mowden Preparatory School. The school had been for many years a principal feeder school for the College. The current headmaster is Alan Laurent.
Headmasters of Lancing College
- The Rev Henry Jacobs (Aug - Dec 1848)
- The Rev Charles Edward Moberly (1849 - 1851)
- The Rev John Branthwaite (1851 - 1859)
- The Rev Henry Walford (1859 - 1861)
- The Rev Robert Edward Sanderson (1862 - 1889)
- The Rev Harry Ward McKenzie (1889 - 1894)
- The Rev Ambrose John Wilson (1895 - 1901)
- Bernard Henry Tower (1901 - 1909)
- The Rev Canon Henry Thomas Bowlby (1909 - 1925)
- Cuthbert Harold Blakiston (1925 - 1934)
- Frank Cecil Doherty (1935 - 1953)
- John Christopher Dancy (1953 - 1961)
- Sir Erskine William Gladstone (1961 - 1969)
- Ian David Stafford Beer (1969 - 1981)
- James Stephen Woodhouse (1981 - 1993)
- Christopher John Saunders (1993 - 1998)
- Peter M. Tinniswood (1998 - 2005)
- Richard Biggs (acting) (2005 - 2006)
- Jonathan Gillespie (Sept 2006 - )
See also
- Lancing College Chapel, Lancing The Largest School Chapel in the United Kingdom
- Lancing Old Boys, OL's Lancing Old Boy's.
- Nathaniel Woodard The Founder of Lancing College