Abberley Hall School
| Abberley Hall School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
| , , WR6 6DD England | |
| Coordinates | 52°17′44″N 2°22′32″W / 52.2956°N 2.3756°WCoordinates: 52°17′44″N 2°22′32″W / 52.2956°N 2.3756°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent school Preparatory school Day and boarding |
| Established | 1878 |
| Founder | Gilbert Ashton |
| Department for Education URN | 117011 Tables |
| Chair of governors | Carey Leonard |
| Headmaster | Jonnie Besley |
| Staff | 38 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Age | 2 to 13 |
| Enrolment | c. 160 |
| Houses | Owls, Pewits, Wood Pigeons and Cuckoos |
| Website | www |
Abberley Hall School is a coeducational preparatory day and boarding school with about 160 pupils. It is located between Worcester and Tenbury, near the village of Abberley, Worcestershire, England.
History[]
The school began in 1878 as the Dame School in Blackheath, Kent. In 1896, it became a private school and was named Lindisfarne. The school was moved to Abberley in 1916, and the property was purchased in 1921 by Gilbert Ashton, a former pupil of Lindisfarne, who took over as headmaster and renamed it Abberley Hall.[1][2] The school became a trust in 1958, and is now managed by a board of governors, as a registered charity.[1] Pupils come from a variety of backgrounds, including families and service personnel living and working abroad, professionals from the Birmingham and Worcester areas, and traditional farming families. The pre-prep and nursery serve a more local area.[1]
Campus[]
The campus comprises Abberley Hall, a Grade II* listed building[3] and its gardens and grounds, which are also listed as Grade II[4] on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.[5] The grounds also contain the Grade II* listed[6] Abberley Clock Tower which can be seen as far away as Clent hill, and which was the setting for the children's book by Gene Kemp, The Clock Tower Ghost.[7]
Curriculum[]
Pupils follow a curriculum that prepares them for entrance into public schools (independent schools), taking Common Entrance, Winchester Entrance or Scholarship exams. Class sizes are small, averaging 11 pupils. Most subjects have their own dedicated classrooms and there are two science laboratories and specialist facilities for computing, DT, music and PE. The majority of pupils continue their education at Malvern College, Shrewsbury School, Kings Worcester, Cheltenham College, Rugby School and Malvern St James.[1] The school also provides for individual pupils with special needs including dyslexia or specific learning difficulties (SpLD), and moderate learning difficulties (MLD).[8]
All pupils take part in the major sports, an Astroturf pitch provides opportunities for hockey, golf, croquet, riding, fishing, archery, shooting, Ricochet and climbing. The school has an indoor swimming pool.[2]
International activities[]
The school runs regular trips to France where the pupils spend time whilst at Abberley, totally immersed into the French language and culture.
Notable former pupils[]
- Lord Howe of Aberavon, former Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary, Leader of the House of Commons, and Deputy Prime Minister
- Timothy Eggar, former Conservative Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and Minister for Trade and Industry
- Adam Fleming, billionaire businessman[9]
- Owen Paterson, sitting Conservative Member of Parliament for North Shropshire, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2012–14)
- Philip Dunne, sitting Conservative Member of Parliament for Ludlow
- Sir Anthony Quayle, actor
- Viscount Portman
- Antony Beevor, author
- Stephen Beattie VC, naval officer, captain of HMS Campbeltown at the commando raid on the docks at St Nazaire in 1942 (the St. Nazaire Raid).
Headmasters[]
- Gilbert Ashton (1921–1961)
- Ronnie Yates (1961–1974)
- Michael Haggard (1974–1996)
- John Walker (1996–2014)
- Will Lockett (2014–2020)
- Jonnie Besley (2020–present)
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Independent Schools Inspectorate report 2005 Archived December 7, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 29 July 2009
- ^ Jump up to: a b Abberley Hall School Retrieved 29 July 2009
- ^ Historic England. "Abberley Hall (Grade II*) (1155526)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- ^ Historic England. "Abberley Hall gardens (Grade II) (1001392)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- ^ Parks and Gardens Register Archived October 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Historic England. "Abberley Clock Tower (Grade II*) (1082707)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- ^ Kemp, Gene (1981) The Clock Tower Ghost Faber & Faber ISBN 978-0-571-21272-9
- ^ ISBI Retrieved 29 July 2009
- ^ Creamer, Martin (18 October 2013). "Adam Fleming". Mining Weekly. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
External links[]
- Profile on the ISC website
- Profile on the Good Schools Guide
- Brief details of garden
- Preparatory schools in Worcestershire
- Boarding schools in Worcestershire
- Educational institutions established in 1878
- 1878 establishments in England
- Grade II* listed buildings in Worcestershire
- Schools in England