Handcross Park School
| Motto | Be Trewe |
|---|---|
| Established | 1887 |
| Type | Independent preparatory |
| Head Master | Graeme Owton |
| Location |
London Road Haywards Heath West Sussex RH17 6HF England |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Houses | 4 |
| Colours | Blue & Gold |
| Website |
www |
Handcross Park School is an independent co-educational preparatory school in Handcross, between Crawley, Horsham and Haywards Heath in West Sussex, England. The school provides private co-education from the Nursery aged 2, through Pre-Prep and into Prep until aged 13, with a mix of day pupils and weekly and full boarders. The school traces its origins back to 1887, and moved to its current site in 1968. It is situated on a 50-acre (200,000 m2) estate, and facilities include a large sports hall, a music school, extensive playing fields, a purpose built light and spacious Nursery and a recently built swimming pool. As of 2014, the school had 323 pupils.
The current Headmaster, Graeme Owton, joined the school in March 2011, taking over the reins from Warren J Hilton who became Head in 1993.
In June 2011 a merger with Brighton College was announced.[1]
The formal rooms and parkland are available for weddings and functions.
Earlier history
Motto and badge
The school's earlier history shows that its badge and motto (shown on the school's website) have a lineage which stems from the time when it was first at Seafield Park and later at Newells (see the article 'Newells Preparatory School', among the 'former' of the Schools in West Sussex). The three heraldic beasts at the top of the shield are for three of the houses: Britons, Normans and Saxons. The fourth house, Vikings, was created after the school had removed to Newells at Lower Beeding. The Middle English spelling for the motto 'Be Trewe' evidently signifies the idealised Age of Chivalry, gently mocked in 1066 and All That, but earlier promoted in works such as 'Little Arthur's History of England' by Maria, Lady Callcott, and represented in the 'sculpture of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in Anglo-Saxon Dress' (see Room 21 of the National Portrait Gallery, London and for image of the marble original see ), which was made at about the time of the early years of Brighton College and has latterly been prominently exhibited at the Gallery.
The information given by the descriptive label beside the copy in the National Portrait Gallery is pertinent to the period in which Newells (at Seafield Park) and Brighton College were founded. It reads:
- 'Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in Anglo-Saxon Dress. Apparently prompted by a suggestion of Victoria, the Crown Princess of Prussia' ( Victoria, Princess Royal ) 'this sculpture is thought to symbolise the ties between the German and English peoples from Anglo-Saxon times to the marriage of the Royal couple. By William Theed (1804-91). Plaster cast from the marble executed 1863-7. Lent by H.M. The Queen.'
Lettering and historical context
On the marble plinth of Theed's original in the Royal Collection[2] is a single line (without attribution) from the poem 'The Deserted Village' by Oliver Goldsmith. Its stylised lettering is the same as (or similar to) the lettering of the school's 'Be Trewe' motto, originating at Seafield Park, continued at Newells and retained after the school moved to its present location at Handcross Park. The historical context of the period when the sculpture was commissioned and executed is mentioned in a note in the article for J. W. Burrow on his books A Liberal Descent: Victorian historians and the English past and The Crisis of Reason: European Thought, 1848-1914.
Newells
The removal from Newells happened after the destruction by fire in 1968 of the building which had accommodated the school from 1946. The house had been built c.1869 as a private residence to the designs of a notable architect, Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt (1820–1877), who from 1855 to 1859 had been honorary secretary of the Royal Institute of British Architects, and in 1866 received the Royal Gold Medal. Photographic images of the exterior and interior of the house when occupied by the prep. school can be seen at an external link given in the article 'Newells Preparatory School'.[3]
Like Brighton College, Newells had been built in the mid-Victorian period, and the architect for the College had been another notable architect: Sir George Gilbert Scott (1811–1878), who had been awarded the Royal Gold Medal in 1859.
Houses
| House | Colours |
|---|---|
| Britons | Red |
| Normans | Green |
| Saxons | Yellow |
| Vikings | Blue |
Academics
Apart from Brighton College (which they are merged with), Handcross leavers get a wide range of offers at elite Public boarding schools such as Worth, Wellington, Charterhouse, Epsom, Harrow, Sevenoaks, Winchester and Shrewsbury amongst others. [5]
External links
- Official website
- Independent Schools Inspectorate - Inspection Report (2011)
- Ofsted - Inspection report for early years provision (2006)
- - Social Care Inspection Report (2008)
References
- ↑ "Handcross Park School to become part of Brighton College (From The Argus)". The Argus (Brighton). 30 June 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
- ↑ Queen Victoria and Prince Albert by William Theed at the Royal Collection.
- ↑ Newells photo album
- ↑ School houses
- ↑ Senior school admissions
Coordinates: 51°3′43.61″N 0°11′48.36″W / 51.0621139°N 0.1967667°W