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Fettes College

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Fettes College

Fettes College is one of the top independent boarding and day schools in the UK, situated in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is referred to, in the UK, as a public school.

History

Fettes was founded in 1870 as the result of a large bequest by Sir William Fettes, a wealthy Edinburgh merchant, in memoriam of his son, also called William Fettes, who died in 1815. The bequest was for the education of poor children and orphans, during the years after his death the money (approximately £166,000) was very successfully invested. This sum was then used to create the current school which still operates as a charity – it offers generous foundations (scholarships) to a small number of pupils; there is substantial competition for these.

This Edinburgh school is occasionally described as the 'Eton of the North' , some say that this is because the city itself is sometimes described as "The Athens of the North" . But more likely it is because of the fact that it is the most prominent boarding school in Scotland which has always followed the English, rather than the Scottish, public school system. Pupils take GCSEs rather than Scottish Standard Grades and, due to the recent removal of the Scottish Highers examination, students now have the choice between the A Level exam system or the new International Baccalaureate Diploma. The image of Fettes being an English school in Scotland, as stated by George Campbell Hay many decades ago, is thus antiquated and an out of date opinion.

The school was all male until 1970 when girls were first allowed for the final year. Since 1983 it has been fully co-educational, earlier than its rival Loretto nearby. The school admits both daytime-only and boarding pupils but boarders are the majority.

Prospective pupils must pass entrance exams in order to be considered for admission and that fees are charged (around 13 500 GBP per year for a daytime-only senior school pupil). The school offers scholarships to exceptionally talented applicants. These scholarships may in turn be topped up with bursaries if the applicant's financial standing so warrants. The current headmaster is Michael Spens, who has held this position since 1998.

The boarding houses

There are seven boarding houses in Fettes, four boys' and three girls'. The four boys' boarding houses are situated in large period buildings, arranged so as to form a loose "street" of boarding houses along Carrington Road. The girl's houses are in the main building's upper floors ("College") and in a modern building in the Eastern grounds.

Male

Female

  • Arniston House (British Racing Green) – Tony Blair's old house, (when it was a boys' house)
  • College East (Maroon)
  • College West (Red) ... is the western half of what was originally called School House, Foundation scholars were inducted into the school here. The change to a girls house meant that many tales of 'derring do' were lost. One true tale , that was never lost, which occurred in 1956/7 was when a fleet of taxis arrived by the Headmasters House at 2am to take away the 50 or so guests from a late finishing party. There was no party and the sleepy Head ( Crichton-Miller), having had to pay off a large number of cabs, was not too impressed. And, despite his investigations, the instigator of this ruse was never identified ( for obvious reasons, it is most likely that the culprit was at the time from College West). A second true story, and oft repeated, is that late evening use of the School Dining Hall (now the School Library) provided opportunities to impact cold butter onto the high ceiling above the top table - so that, at breakfast the following morning, with heat rising ... the melting butter would drop on those seated below. But, of course, nobody knew anything!

Other

  • Dalmeny House – Was renamed Carrington one year after opening in the 1890s.
  • Inverleith House – The Junior House for those between the ages of 10 and 13. It ceased to exist in 2000 when it became "The Fettes Preparatory School". The roll was increased to encompass more years. It now educates children from the age of 7-13. The "Prep School" houses are now named Arran House and Iona House, after the Scottish Islands.

A new Upper Sixth Form Boarding House is currently being built for those in the final year at Fettes (boys and girls). The house will be completed for September 2007 intake.

Architecture

The college's main building by David Bryce (built 1863-9) blends the design of a Loire château with elements of the 19th century Scottish Baronial style. The combination, and the siting of the building in the midst of its own spacious grounds, makes Fettes an important landmark.

It is sometimes claimed that Edinburgh author JK Rowling based Hogwarts on Fettes, although Rowling herself denies this.[citation needed]

James Bond and Fettes

Whilst expanding on James Bond's backstory, Ian Fleming wrote in You Only Live Twice that the spy had attended Fettes College after having been removed from Eton College due to an incident with a school maid.

While Fleming has never claimed there was any other source for the name of Bond besides James Bond the ornithologist, there was another real life James Bond who actually attended Fettes College. The Fettes alumnus, James Bond, was a frogman with the Special Boat Service, much as the fictional character Bond also has a naval background. The school actually has his Who's Who entry copied and framed in one of its main corridors.

Sean Connery, who was the original actor to portray James Bond in the cinema, worked as a milkman's delivery boy in his youth. One of the places on his route is said to have been Fettes College.[citation needed]

Famous alumni

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