St George's School, Windsor Castle

St George's School, Windsor Castle
St George's School, Windsor Castle
Location
	Wikimedia \| © OpenStreetMap
	Windsor Castle; Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 1QF; England
Information
Type	Independent preparatory school; Choral foundation school
Religious affiliation(s)	Church of England
Established	1352; 669 years ago
Founder	Edward III
Local authority	Windsor and Maidenhead
Department for Education URN	110131 Tables
Chairman of the Governors	David Conner, Dean of Windsor
Headmaster	William Goldsmith
Staff	80 (approx.)
Gender	Coeducational
Age	3 to 13
Enrolment	410 (approx.)
Houses	Victory, Rodney, Vindictive and Revenge
Website	http://www.stgwindsor.co.uk

St George's School, Windsor Castle is a coeducational independent preparatory school in Windsor, near London, England. Founded to provide choirboys for the Choir of St George's Chapel, it now educates over 400 boys and girls.

History[]

The school was established to provide six choristers for the Choir of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, which sings in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, which is the official country residence of the British Royal Family. St George's is one of the oldest schools in the country, and has provided an unbroken line of boy choristers to sing daily services in St George's Chapel since 1352.

As late as 1942 the school was reported by its headmaster as being "for the sons of Gentlemen only".^[1]

The school's choristers have sung at events such as the wedding of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones, now the Countess of Wessex; the funeral of John Hunt, Baron Hunt; and also the Blessing of the Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

Present day[]

The seventeen full choristers live at the school, with about seven 'probationers' who are mostly day pupils. The choristers attend lessons at the school with the other children and rehearse each day before and after school in the Song School by the Chapel, where they also sing seven services each week during term time. Their school fees are partly met by grants from the Dean and Canons of Windsor.

The school has a boarding community of thirty children, many of whom board on weekly or flexible arrangements. Most pupils have experienced some level of boarding before they leave at 13.

The school buildings are situated just below the north wall of Windsor Castle, with the school being divided into three distinct sections – the Pre-Prep (Nursery to Year 2) the Middle School (Years 3, 4 and 5) and the Senior School (Years 6, 7 and 8).

The school has strong reputations in music, the performing arts and in sport. Nearly all pupils over the age of 7 learn an instrument, the vast majority of girls take part in ballet, tap or jazz dancing and there is a wide range of school choirs covering all age-groups.

Although the school is a town centre school, spacious playing fields are situated next door to the school site, within the Queen's private grounds. Boys play football, rugby and cricket and the girls play netball, hockey, and rounders. Swimming in the school's indoor pool is an important activity – in recent years the school has featured prominently in a number of National Prep School sporting competitions.^{[citation needed]}

Headmasters[]

1893–95: A. Bickerseth^[2]
1885–1904: H. F. W. Deane^[3]
1904–34: G. S. Fowler^[1]^[2]^[4]
1934–42: James William Webb-Jones^[2]^[5]
1942–45: P. H. C. Cavanaugh (acting headmaster)^[2]
1946–71: W. P. O. Cleave^[2]
1971–83: Richard Russell^[6]
1983–92: George Hill^[7]
1992–93: Bernard Biggs^[7]
1993: Anthony Brailsford (acting headmaster)^[7]
1993–95: Alan Mould^[7]
1995–99: Roger Marsh^[7]
1999: Alan Mould (interregnum; autumnterm)^[7]
2000–11: Roger Jones^[8]
2011–12: Andrew Salmond-Smith
2012-17: Chris McDade
2017-2018: Roger Jones
2019– William Goldsmith

Notable pupils[]

Princess Eugenie of York (born 1990), daughter of The Duke of York and granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II
Lady Louise Windsor (born 2003), daughter of The Earl of Wessex and granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II
Sir Walford Davies (1869–1941), composer.^[9]
Timothy Bavin (born 1935), Anglican bishop
Michael Chance (born 1955), countertenor^[10]
John Denison (1911–2006), music administrator
David Fanshawe (1942–2010), classical composer
John David Morley (born 1948), writer and novelist
Francis Grier (born 1955), classical composer
Miles Jupp (born 1979), comedian
John Lubbock (born 1979), conductor

Notes[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b The Spectator, vol. 168 (1942), pp. 266 & 298: "St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle — The Choir School is a first-class Preparatory School for the Public Schools, for the sons of Gentlemen only... G. S. Fowler, MA, St George's School, Windsor Castle"
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Wridgway, Neville (1980). The Choristers of St George's Chapel. Chas. Luff & Co. p. 132.
^ The Journal of Education, vol. 54 (W. Stewart & Company, 1922), p. 90: "Mr. HFW Deane, Chairman of the Year Book Press, Ltd., whose death was reported late in December last, was well known in educational circles. He was educated at Repton and Trinity College, Cambridge. For fourteen years he was a master at St. Ninian's School, Moffat, and in 1885 became head master of St. George's School, Windsor. He retired from this post in 1904, being appointed Chapter Clerk and Librarian to the Dean and Canons of St. George's Chapel, Windsor. Later he established, with his sons, the publishing firm now known as The Year Book Press."
^ Joseph Whitaker, ed., An almanack for the year of our Lord 1913: Volume 45 (London, Joseph Whitaker, 1913), p. 908:"ST. GEORGE'S SCHOOL, WINDSOR CASTLE Headmaster - G. S. FOWLER, MA A Preparatory School for the Public Schools and the Choir School for St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. A good musical education can be given to all boys..."
^ "WEBB-JONES, James William (1904 - 1965)". Who's Who, Oxford Index. Oxford University Press.
^ Headmaster, R. H. E. Russell (Creed & Co, Dorset, 1986)
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f In High Remembrance, Ed. R. H. E. Russell & P. A. F. Thomas (2007)
^ The Church of England year book, vol. 116 (Church of England National Assembly, 2000) p. 244: "Headmaster, St George's School: Mr Roger Jones, St George's School, Windsor"
^ Hugh Chisholm, ed. The Encyclopædia Britannica: The New Volumes, Volume 1 (1922): "After a preliminary private education he became a chorister at St. George's chapel, Windsor, in 1882..."
^ ‘CHANCE, Michael Edward Ferguson’ in Who's Who 2012 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012); online edition (subscription site) by Oxford University Press, December 2011, accessed 22 April 2012

External links[]

School website
ISI Inspection Reports
Ofsted boarding report 2007^{[permanent dead link]}
History of the Choristers at St George's Chapel
Choir Schools Association

Coordinates: 51°29′08″N 0°36′20″W / 51.4855°N 0.6056°W / 51.4855; -0.6056

[spectator1942-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b The Spectator, vol. 168 (1942), pp. 266 & 298: "St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle — The Choir School is a first-class Preparatory School for the Public Schools, for the sons of Gentlemen only... G. S. Fowler, MA, St George's School, Windsor Castle"

[wridgway-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Wridgway, Neville (1980). The Choristers of St George's Chapel. Chas. Luff & Co. p. 132.

[3] The Journal of Education, vol. 54 (W. Stewart & Company, 1922), p. 90: "Mr. HFW Deane, Chairman of the Year Book Press, Ltd., whose death was reported late in December last, was well known in educational circles. He was educated at Repton and Trinity College, Cambridge. For fourteen years he was a master at St. Ninian's School, Moffat, and in 1885 became head master of St. George's School, Windsor. He retired from this post in 1904, being appointed Chapter Clerk and Librarian to the Dean and Canons of St. George's Chapel, Windsor. Later he established, with his sons, the publishing firm now known as The Year Book Press."

[4] Joseph Whitaker, ed., An almanack for the year of our Lord 1913: Volume 45 (London, Joseph Whitaker, 1913), p. 908:"ST. GEORGE'S SCHOOL, WINDSOR CASTLE Headmaster - G. S. FOWLER, MA A Preparatory School for the Public Schools and the Choir School for St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. A good musical education can be given to all boys..."

[Webb-Jones_WhosWho-5] "WEBB-JONES, James William (1904 - 1965)". Who's Who, Oxford Index. Oxford University Press.

[6] Headmaster, R. H. E. Russell (Creed & Co, Dorset, 1986)

[remembrance-7] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f In High Remembrance, Ed. R. H. E. Russell & P. A. F. Thomas (2007)

[8] The Church of England year book, vol. 116 (Church of England National Assembly, 2000) p. 244: "Headmaster, St George's School: Mr Roger Jones, St George's School, Windsor"

[9] Hugh Chisholm, ed. The Encyclopædia Britannica: The New Volumes, Volume 1 (1922): "After a preliminary private education he became a chorister at St. George's chapel, Windsor, in 1882..."

[10] ‘CHANCE, Michael Edward Ferguson’ in Who's Who 2012 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012); online edition (subscription site) by Oxford University Press, December 2011, accessed 22 April 2012

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