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Wicked!
''Wicked! A Tale of Two Schools'' is a 2006 novel by English writer Jilly Cooper. It is the eighth book in the Rutshire Chronicles series. The novel is based on the interactions of staff and pupils of two schools in the fictional county of Larkshire, the private school Bagley Hall and the state-run Larkminster Comprehensive. Students include "Feral" Jackson, a Larkminster pupil whose mother is a drug addict, and Paris Alvaston, who lives in care. Rupert Campbell-Black also features as a pupil, when he takes a bet that he cannot pass GCSE English. Cooper undertook extensive research in preparation for the book, visiting both state and independent schools, including: Dean Close School, St Paul's, Bryanston School, St Mary's, Calne, Barnwood Park School and Brighton College. The novel received positive reviews, with Mary McCarthy stating that "a solid dose of low brow, high quality, vintage Cooper is just what a girl needs". Plot The novel is based on the interactions of staf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
GCSE
The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. However, private schools in Scotland often choose to follow the English GCSE system. Each GCSE qualification is offered as a specific school subject, with the most commonly awarded ones being English literature, English language, mathematics, science (combined & triple), history, geography, art, design and technology (D&T), business studies, economics, music, and modern foreign languages (e.g., Spanish, French, German) (MFL). The Department for Education has drawn up a list of core subjects known as the English Baccalaureate for England based on the results in eight GCSEs, which includes both English language and English literature, mathematics, science (physics, chem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jilly Cooper
Dame Jilly Cooper, (born Jill Sallitt; 21 February 1937) is an English author. She began her career as a journalist and wrote numerous works of non-fiction before writing several romance novels, the first of which appeared in 1975. Cooper is most famous for writing the '' Rutshire Chronicles''. Early life Jill Sallitt was born in Hornchurch, Essex, England on 21 February 1937, to Mary Elaine (née Whincup) and Brigadier W. B. Sallitt, OBE. She grew up in Ilkley and Surrey, and was educated at the Moorfield School in Ilkley and Godolphin School in Salisbury. Journalism and non-fiction After unsuccessfully trying to begin a career in the British national press, Cooper became a junior reporter for ''The Middlesex Independent'', based in Brentford. She worked for the paper from 1957 to 1959. Subsequently, she worked as an account executive, copywriter, publisher's reader and receptionist. Her break came with a chance meeting at a dinner party. The editor of '' The Sunday T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
St Mary's School, Calne
St Mary's School is a private day and boarding school in Calne, Wiltshire, England, for girls aged 11 to 18. The school is a registered charity. In 2023, the school's A Level results ranked third in the UK and joint second in the south-west of England. History St Mary's was founded in 1873 by Canon John Duncan, Vicar of Calne, who worked for over thirty years to establish it as an 'outstanding' girls' school. Research for her 2006 novel '' Wicked!'' led author Jilly Cooper to interview former pupils. Performance In the 2017 ISI report, the school received a double 'excellent' – the highest possible grade. In figures published in January 2017 by the Department for Education (DfE) regarding 2016 A Level results, St Mary's Calne got the top score for its 'value added' – that is, how much progress students who studied A Levels made between the end of Key Stage 4 and the end of their A Level studies, compared to similar students across England. St Mary's Calne scored 'well ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bonkbuster
''Bonkbuster'' (a play on " blockbuster" and the verb " to bonk") is a term coined in 1989 by British writer Sue Limb to describe a subgenre of commercial romance novels in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as their subsequent miniseries adaptations. In 2016 Jilly Cooper suggested that the term ought to be updated to "shagbusters" as "bonk" felt out-of-date. Genre history Although the term has been used generally to describe " bodice-rippers" such as '' Forever Amber'' (1944) by Kathleen Winsor, as well as '' Valley of the Dolls'' (1966) and the novels of Jacqueline Susann and Harold Robbins, it is specifically associated with the novels of Judith Krantz, Jackie Collins, Shirley Conran and Jilly Cooper, known for their glamorous, financially independent female protagonists and salacious storylines. Many of these novels were adapted in the 1980s into glossy, big-budget miniseries, reminiscent of primetime soaps of the time, such as ''Dallas'', '' Knots Landing'' and ''Dynasty ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paolo Hewitt
Paolo Hewitt is a music journalist and writer from Woking in Surrey. Biography Hewitt was placed in care at a very early age, and went to live with a foster family. Following years of abuse he was sent to Burbank children's home in Woking at the age of ten. He has written about this period of his life in ''But We All Shine On''. As part of research for her 2006 novel '' Wicked!'' author Jilly Cooper read ''The Looked After Kid.'' Early career and journalism Hewitt's first published work was a biography of The Jam entitled ''The Jam: A Beat Concerto'' which was published following their split in 1983. He has written on various subjects for ''The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...''. Books Titles References External links *Paolo Hewitt Official Site ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dennis Silk
Dennis Raoul Whitehall Silk (8 October 193119 June 2019) was an English first-class cricketer and a public school headmaster, as Warden of Radley College, from 1968 to 1991. He was a close friend of the poet Siegfried Sassoon, of whom he spoke and wrote extensively. In the 1990s he chaired the Test and County Cricket Board. Early life and cricket Silk was born in Eureka, California. His father was a medical missionary on a Native American reservation in the Sierra Nevada desert. Silk's mother, who was Spanish, died when he was five, and the family returned to Britain. Silk was educated at Christ's Hospital and Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where he gained an MA in history and represented Cambridge University at cricket and at rugby. A useful opener or middle-order batsman, he scored centuries in matches against Oxford University in 1953 and 1954, and captained Cambridge University in 1955. He went on to play first-class cricket for Somerset as an amateur during the scho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bonkbuster
''Bonkbuster'' (a play on " blockbuster" and the verb " to bonk") is a term coined in 1989 by British writer Sue Limb to describe a subgenre of commercial romance novels in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as their subsequent miniseries adaptations. In 2016 Jilly Cooper suggested that the term ought to be updated to "shagbusters" as "bonk" felt out-of-date. Genre history Although the term has been used generally to describe " bodice-rippers" such as '' Forever Amber'' (1944) by Kathleen Winsor, as well as '' Valley of the Dolls'' (1966) and the novels of Jacqueline Susann and Harold Robbins, it is specifically associated with the novels of Judith Krantz, Jackie Collins, Shirley Conran and Jilly Cooper, known for their glamorous, financially independent female protagonists and salacious storylines. Many of these novels were adapted in the 1980s into glossy, big-budget miniseries, reminiscent of primetime soaps of the time, such as ''Dallas'', '' Knots Landing'' and ''Dynasty ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brighton College
Brighton College is a fee-charging, co-educational, boarding and day public school for boys and girls aged 3 to 18 in Brighton and Hove, England. The school has three sites: Brighton College (the senior school, ages 11 to 18), Brighton College Preparatory School (children aged 8 to 13, located next to the senior school) and the Pre-Prep School (children aged 3 to 8). Brighton College was named England's Independent School of the Year in 2019 by ''The Sunday Times''. In 2018 it was ranked fifth in the country for average A-level results, with 99% of grades being A*–B. In 2023, the school saw 80% of its A-level candidates score A*/A. Brighton College has been listed in The Schools Index since 2021 as one of the world's leading 150 private schools and one of the top 30 in the UK senior schools category. In 2011, Brighton College opened its first international campus in Abu Dhabi. Brighton College International (BCI) has subsequently opened campuses in Al Ain, Bangkok, Du ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barnwood Park School
Barnwood Park School is a coeducational secondary school located in the Barnwood area of Gloucester in the English county of Gloucestershire. It was originally known as Barnwood Park High School for Girls, but was then awarded specialist status as an Arts College the school was renamed Barnwood Park Arts College. The school achieved the Artsmark Gold from the Arts Council of England in 2009. From September 2018 the school became coeducational and was renamed Barnwood Park School. Today it is a foundation school administered by Gloucestershire County Council. Barnwood Park School offers GCSEs and BTECs as programmes of study for pupils. In January 2025, Barnwood Park joined Greenshaw Learning Trust. Research for her 2006 novel '' Wicked!'' led author Jilly Cooper Dame Jilly Cooper, (born Jill Sallitt; 21 February 1937) is an English author. She began her career as a journalist and wrote numerous works of non-fiction before writing several romance novels, the first ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martin Stephen
George Martin Stephen (born 1949) is the former High Master of St Paul's School in London until 1 January 2011. He is an author and has been described as "one of Britain's highest profile heads". Education Stephen was educated at Uppingham School, the University of Leeds in West Yorkshire, where he obtained his BA degree, and the University of Sheffield (in South Yorkshire), where he obtained a distinction for his PhD while also working full-time at Haileybury College. Career After working in remand homes while still a teenager, Stephen returned briefly to Uppingham as a teacher of English. For ten years at Haileybury College he also taught English, and became a housemaster. He moved for four years to be second master of Sedbergh School, then became headmaster of The Perse School, an independent school in Cambridge, then High Master of Manchester Grammar School, an independent school in Manchester. He served as chairman of The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, a gr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bryanston School
Bryanston School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, private boarding school, boarding and day school for pupils aged 13–18) located next to the village of Bryanston, and near the town of Blandford Forum, in Dorset in South West England. It was founded in 1928. It occupies a English country house, country house designed and built in 1889–94 by Richard Norman Shaw for Viscount Portman, the owner of large tracts in the West End of London, in the early version of neo-Georgian style that Sir Edwin Lutyens called "Edwardian Baroque architecture, Wrenaissance", to replace an earlier house, and is set in . Bryanston is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and the Eton Group. It has a reputation as a liberal and artistic school using some ideas of the Dalton Plan. History Founding ethos Bryanston was founded in 1928 by a young schoolmaster from Australia named J. G. Jeffreys. He gained financial s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jump! (novel)
''Jump!'' is a 2010 novel by English author Jilly Cooper. It is the ninth novel in the Rutshire Chronicles series. The plot follows the racing career of a one-eyed horse called Mrs Wilkinson, who is rescued by widow and grandmother Etta Bancroft. She forms a syndicate to race Mrs Wilkinson with others from her village and the novel follows them to major National Hunt races at Aintree, Cheltenham and the Grand National. Despite extensive research, Cooper struggled to write the novel, due to her husband's and her own ill health. The book received positive reviews, with some reservations. Reviewer Olivia Laing praised Cooper's "near-magical ability to conjure up a world", but criticised the underage, non-consensual sex as well as some of the novel's multiple side plots. Plot Widow and grandmother Etta Bancroft rescues a horse that she finds abandoned near her home in Rutshire. Known as Mrs Wilkinson, the one-eyed racehorse turns out to have impeccable bloodlines and the village, inc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
