St. Bees School
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

St Bees School is a
co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
fee-charging school, located in the West Cumbrian village of
St Bees St Bees is a coastal village, civil parish and electoral ward in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England, on the Irish Sea. Within the parish is St Bees Head which is the only Heritage Coast between Wales and Scotland and a Site of Spec ...
, England. In 1583, it was founded by
Edmund Grindal Edmund Grindal ( 15196 July 1583) was Bishop of London, Archbishop of York, and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reign of Elizabeth I. Though born far from the centres of political and religious power, he had risen rapidly in the church durin ...
, the
Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...
, as a free
grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a Latin school, school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented Se ...
for boys. The school remained small, with fewer than 40 pupils, until the expansions of the
Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...
. Paid for by mineral revenues and helped by the arrival of railway, by the First World War there were 300 pupils. The 1930s saw a large decrease in numbers due to the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. However, the numbers rose again during World War II, and this was followed by an era of further expansion. In 1978, the school became
co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
. On 13 March 2015, it was announced by the school governors that due to falling pupil numbers the school would close in summer 2015. In a partnership with Full Circle Education Group, the school reopened on 6 September 2018. Numbers at the school have continued to increase, and as of 2024, there are over 100 students.


Grounds and buildings

The school grounds occupy approximately , and the oldest buildings date from the late 16th century. The buildings around the main quadrangle in the Foundation block are
Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
. This includes the original schoolroom on the lower northern side of the quadrangle. The main campus is now concentrated around Wood Lane, adjacent to the Foundation block.


History

The school was founded in 1583 by
Edmund Grindal Edmund Grindal ( 15196 July 1583) was Bishop of London, Archbishop of York, and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reign of Elizabeth I. Though born far from the centres of political and religious power, he had risen rapidly in the church durin ...
,
Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...
, who was born in
St Bees St Bees is a coastal village, civil parish and electoral ward in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England, on the Irish Sea. Within the parish is St Bees Head which is the only Heritage Coast between Wales and Scotland and a Site of Spec ...
, at Cross Hill House. The oldest part of the school, known as Foundation was built in 1587, opposite the Priory Church. Thanks to an agreement with Queen's College Oxford and the purchase of local tithes, the school prospered both financially and academically. Although specifically incorporated for the education of boys from
Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is an area of North West England which was historically a county. The county was bordered by Northumberland to the north-east, County Durham to the east, Westmorland to the south-east, Lancashire to the south, and the Scottish ...
and
Westmorland Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland''R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref>) is an area of North West England which was Historic counties of England, historically a county. People of the area ...
, in 1604, pupils from outside those counties were also being educated at St Bees. However, the school only grew gradually. The school enjoyed financial security for many years, but this was threatened from 1742 onwards when Sir James Lowther fraudulently obtained an 867-year lease of the extensive
mineral rights Mineral rights are property rights to exploit an area for the minerals it harbors. Mineral rights can be separate from property ownership (see Split estate). Mineral rights can refer to sedentary minerals that do not move below the Earth's surfa ...
for a minimal amount on which much of the prosperity of the Lowthers was built. As a result of this fraud being exposed in 1812, the case eventually went to
Court of Chancery The Court of Chancery was a court of equity in England and Wales that followed a set of loose rules to avoid a slow pace of change and possible harshness (or "inequity") of the Common law#History, common law. The Chancery had jurisdiction over ...
. In 1842, compensation was paid by the Lowthers which was used to build the present open quadrangle, which includes the original schoolhouse. Further expansion was facilitated by more equitable mineral revenues. The Royal Hotel was bought and converted into the Grindal house, while the construction of the School House and the headmaster's residence was done on Wood Lane. By 1900, the school's chapel, additional classrooms, library, swimming baths, Gymnasium, science labs, and lecture theater had been built. By the beginning of the First World War, the school had reached three hundred pupils. During the First World War, old boys of the school were awarded the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
. (See St. Bees V.C. winners for more details). Old boy
Alfred Critchley Air Commodore Alfred Cecil Critchley, (23 February 1890 – 9 February 1963) was a military commander, entrepreneur and politician in the United Kingdom. He served as a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) from 1934 to 1935. Early life and ...
became one of the youngest Brigadier-Generals, at the age of 27. One hundred and eighty boys and staff died during the war, and a memorial was built overlooking the sports fields where so many had previously played. After the war, in common with many other schools, the numbers decreased, especially in the 1930s. The situation became so critical that the governors attempted to have the school
nationalized Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization contrasts with priv ...
. In the end, the old boys put together a rescue package and the school remained independent. Help was at hand, but during the Second World War,
Mill Hill School Mill Hill School is a 13–18 co-educational Private schools in the United Kingdom, private, Day school, day and boarding school in Mill Hill, London, England that was established in 1807. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' ...
was evacuated to St Bees after their buildings were occupied by the government. Under-used facilities could now be put to good use, to the financial benefit of St Bees School. The two schools were run independently, and sports teams from each school would frequently play against each other. The cadet corps of the two schools combined with village volunteers to form the St Bees
Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting ...
.


Post-war expansion

Seventy-two boys died during the Second World War, and the Memorial Hall was established in their memory. During the 1950s, a new science block was built, formally opened by
Barnes Wallis Sir Barnes Neville Wallis (26 September 1887 – 30 October 1979) was an English engineer and inventor. He is best known for inventing the bouncing bomb used by the Royal Air Force in Operation Chastise (the "Dambusters" raid) to attack ...
in 1959, and in the 1970s the school became
co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
. New boarding houses were purchased off-campus for both girls and boys, Bega House and Abbot's Court respectively. To celebrate the school's quatercentenary in 1983, an appeal was launched which would give the school a new sports hall, opened in 1988. In the 1990s the Whitelaw Building was inaugurated by Prince Charles. It was a multi-function business centre and teaching area, which was named after the then chairman of the board of Governors,
William Whitelaw William Stephen Ian Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw (28 June 1918 – 1 July 1999) was a British Conservative Party politician who served in a wide number of Cabinet positions, most notably as Home Secretary from 1979 to 1983 and as '' de fac ...
, sometime
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The deputy prime minister of the United Kingdom is an honorific title given to a minister of the Crown and a member of the British Cabinet, normally to signify a very senior minister, the deputy leader of the governing party, or a key political ...
. In 2000, Barony House was refurbished entirely and renamed the Fox Music Centre in memory of old St Beghin Bill Fox. To mark the
millennium A millennium () is a period of one thousand years, one hundred decades, or ten centuries, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...
, a
time capsule A time capsule is a historic treasure trove, cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate method of communication with future people, and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians. The preservation of holy ...
was buried in the northeast corner of the Quadrangle. In September 2008, a Preparatory Department was launched, catering for pupils from the age of 8 until they joined the main school. At this time, a nearby independent school with a prep department, Harecroft Hall, had just closed. The school again expanded in September 2010 to include pupils from age four.


Closure and reopening

On 13 March 2015, it was announced without prior warning by the school governors that due to falling pupil numbers the school would close in summer 2015. In response, a four-point rescue plan was proposed on 23 March by a "rescue team" made up of interested parties."Rescue St Bees School" website – retrieved 23 March However, on 17 April 2015, it was confirmed by the governors that the school would shut down. A formal statement said that the governors were also trustees of the St Bees Foundation and that they are committed to it having a future in education in west Cumbria and "to the use of the site as support both for the future activities of the foundation and the village of St Bees." On 20 March 2017, it was announced that the school would re-open in partnership with Full Circle Education Group after refurbishment. The school re-opened on 6 September 2018.


Academic performance

The school's most recent
Ofsted The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament. Ofsted's role is to make sure that organisations providing education, training ...
inspection was in 2018, six months after the school reopened with 10 pupils. Following this inspection, Ofsted inspectors rated the school 'good' on their quality scale. One of the aims of St Bees is to provide an opportunity for pupils to appreciate the arts as well as to experience the benefit of time on stage and behind the scenes. Music is also featured strongly in the curriculum.


Old St. Beghians

Former pupils of St Bees School are styled 'Old St. Beghians.' An Old St. Beghians' Club was founded in 1908 by master J. W. Aldous. Today, it is known as the 'Old St. Beghians' Society' and provides a link between the students and the school. Among other things, it organizes "Old St Beghians Day" once a year, publishes a magazine called the ''Old St. Beghian'' twice a year, and both holds and participates in many golfing tournaments. There are several regional branches of the society which traditionally hold annual meals and reunions. Notable Old St. Beghains include two
Vice-Chancellors of the University of Cambridge A vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a British or Commonwealth university (also used in some American universities) Vice-chancellor may also refer to: *Vice-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church, a former papal office *Chancellor of the High C ...
, a number of professors, and three
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
recipients. The comedian and actor
Rowan Atkinson Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born 6 January 1955) is an English actor, comedian and writer. He played the title roles in the sitcoms ''Blackadder'' (1983–1989) and '' Mr. Bean'' (1990–1995), and in the film series '' Johnny English'' (2003– ...
also attended the school as a pupil.


See also

* List of headmasters of St. Bees School * List of Old St. Beghians *
List of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom This list of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom contains extant schools in the United Kingdom established prior to 1800. The dates refer to the foundation or the earliest documented contemporary reference to the school. In many cases the date ...
*
List of the oldest schools in the world This is a list of wiktionary:extant, extant schools, excluding universities and higher education establishments, that have been in continuous operation since founded. The dates refer to the foundation or the earliest documented contemporaneous ref ...
* Listed buildings in St Bees


Citations


Reference list

* * *


External links


St Bees School Website
* ISI Inspectio
Reports
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Bees School 1583 establishments in England 2015 disestablishments in England Boarding schools in Cumbria Educational institutions established in the 1580s Educational institutions disestablished in 2015 Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference St Bees Private schools in Cumberland (unitary authority)