Rokeby Preparatory School

Rokeby School
Motto Smart, Skilful and Kind (until 2008 "Aemulus studiorum et laborum")
Established 1877
Type Preparatory school
Headmaster Jason Peck
Founder Charles D. Olive, M.A. (Oxon.)
Location George Road
Kingston upon Thames
Greater London
KT2 7PB
England
Coordinates: 51°25′03″N 0°16′14″W / 51.4175°N 0.27068°W / 51.4175; -0.27068
DfE number 314/6005
DfE URN 102612 Tables
Staff c.45
Students 400
Ages 4–13
Houses Bazelgette, Galsworthy, Moody and Olive
Website www.rokebyschool.co.uk

Rokeby School is an independent all male preparatory day school in Kingston upon Thames, London. Its headmaster is Jason Peck. The school offers an education from 4–13 years through the integration of a pre-preparatory school and a preparatory school. The pre-prep school was known as Junior Rokeby until 2008 when headmaster Jason Peck unified the schools under one name and uniform, also abolishing the senior school's traditional Latin motto ("Aemulus studiorum et laborum", from Cicero meaning "the rival of pursuits and labours"[1]) in favour of a three word English one.

History

Wimbledon (1877-1966)

Helmsley, Wimbledon - the site where the school first stood (1877-79)

The school was founded in Wimbledon on 18 September 1877 originally at "Helmsley" (no. 47, Woodhayes Road) by Charles Olive, an Oxford graduate. The Helmsley site is just across the road from the current location of KCS, Wimbledon, which at the time of Rokeby's founding had yet to move from its central London campus. In the first term, however, not a single pupil appeared. In the second term the first boy enrolled (Charles J. Saunders), who later won a scholarship to Merchant Taylors' and continued onto St John's, Oxford. By the end of the first year there were 15 boys attending the school. A year later numbers had increased sufficiently to warrant a larger premises, so the school was moved to another house known as "Rokeby" (at no. 17, The Downs) in 1879 - a site that is now occupied by Hall School Wimbledon.

Rokeby, No. 17 The Downs, Wimbledon (1879-1966)

When the Association of Preparatory Schools was founded in 1892 (a precursor to the current IAPS), Rokeby was one of the first members.

Kingston (1966 - present)

Rokeby, Kingston: the school's current site (1966-present)
Rokeby, Kingston: the school's current site (1966-present)

In 1965 the then owner of the school stated his intent to close it, and a group of parents decided that it must be rescued. Rokeby Educational Trust Limited, a charity, was set up in 1966 to establish a successor school on its current site in George Road Kingston.[2] The George Road building (formerly known as "Coombe Croft") was one of a number of houses on George Road that had been owned by the Galsworthy family (John Galsworthy wrote The Forsyte Saga). Although it was no longer residential when Rokeby arrived, the buildings were still largely laid out as a country house. Over the years, significant investments have been made. First, there was major conversion work in the main house, then the building of the hall and science block, and a kitchen. The nineties saw the rebuilding of the pre-prep accommodation, followed by the art wing and improved music facilities at the beginning of this decade. There has also been a significant refurbishment of the library, dining room and office accommodation, and a major investment in enhancing IT capabilities in recent years.[3] The new Lower School Building comprising 6 classrooms, a performing arts hall and outdoor play space for the junior boys was officially opened by HRH Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy on 16 October 2013.

For many years, the school made use of external sports facilities that were hired from year to year. After nearly 10 years of searching, the school bought its own sports fields in Worcester Park in 2003, some 10 minutes from the school, where a new pavilion was built. The motto of the school is "Smart, Skilful and Kind", which was coined by headmaster Jason Peck when he took over in 2007. Peck had been deputy headmaster to Michael Siegel, who authored a textbook, Latin: A Fresh Approach. There are four houses to which students belong: Bazelgette, Galsworthy, Moody and Olive.[4]

A book by Peter Wicker, school headmaster (1968–85), charting the history of the school's first 125 years was published in late 2009: Rokeby: Its First 125 years 1877-2002.

Uniform

The uniform of Junior Rokeby (itself started in 1970), up until the unification of the junior and senior schools, was a grey pair of shorts above the knees, a grey woolen blazer with the Junior Rokeby wheel crest and a red and black schoolboy cap. A white, short-sleeved shirt with a red and black striped tie was worn. The senior school wore grey trousers with a grey woolen blazer, distinguishable from the Junior Rokeby blazer by its red and black piping on the lapels. The tie carries grey, black and red stripes. In 2009, headmaster Jason Peck revamped the uniform by replacing the black in the official school colours with purple in an attempt to bring the school more in line with his views on progressive education. At this time he also scrapped the separate junior school uiform.

School song

To mark the occasion of the Rokeby Centenary, in 1977, Ian Gregory (who taught Latin at the time) composed a Rokeby School song, based loosely on the Carmen Saeculare of Q Horatius Flaccus and put to music by Paul Sherrell, who was then the Head of Music. A version of the song follows first in Latin and then in English:

Latin

In urbe iuxta fluvium Qui nomen habet Tamesis, Illustri fama praedita Clara schola Rokebeia stat. Per saecula discipuli Honores magnos ceperunt. Una voce omnes clamant Rokebeia floreat!

O di, si vestrum est opus, Schola, quae olim in clivo Parviis initiis orta, Centum abhinc annos stabat, Iuventu docili probos Mores date, benevoli, Ut omnes etiam clament Rokebeia floreat!

Nunc fidem, pacem, honorem, Virtutem priscam, pudorem, Praebeant omnes pueri, Qui iam in schola studere, Rem Rokebeiam in alterum Lustrum proroget saeculum. Una voce omnes clament: Rokebeia floreat!

English translation

In a city by a river Which is called the Thames, The renowned school of Rokeby stands, With its distinguished reputation. For many years the pupils Have obtained great honours. With one voice they all proclaim: May Rokeby flourish!

O gods, if the school is your work, Which rose one hundred ago From small beginnings, Standing on a hillside, Give to our kindly and receptive Children worthy qualities, So that all may proclaim: May Rokeby flourish!

May all the boys who now study In the school show loyalty, Grace, honour, modesty And old-fashioned virtues, And continue in the Rokeby manner For many years to come. Let everyone with one voice proclaim: May Rokeby flourish!

Recent leavers' destinations

Year 8 Boys' destination schools between 2004-2014:[5]

Fees

School fees per term for the 2015/2016 Academic Year are as follows:

Headmasters of Rokeby

Associated with Rokeby

Governors of Rokeby

Parents of Rokeby boys

Notable Old Rokebeians

Military

Science and Academia

Law

Politics/Government

Education

Literature

Theology

Performing arts/media

Art

Music

Sport

Medicine

Archaeology

City of London

Cultural references

The school at Wimbledon was captured in a drawing named "White Lilies" by the famous artist Alfred Parsons [13]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.inrebus.com/latinphrases_a.php
  2. ↑ http://www.rokebyschool.co.uk
  3. ↑ http://www.rokebyschool.co.uk
  4. ↑ http://www.rokebyschool.co.uk
  5. ↑ http://www.rokebyschool.co.uk/docs/Destination_Schools_for_Year_8_Leavers.pdf
  6. ↑ http://www.educationtrust-oeclub.org/news/old-master-moody-meets-former-pupils
  7. ↑ http://www.anthempress.com/latin-a-fresh-approach-book-2
  8. ↑ http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Search/Home?lookfor=%22Rogers,%20Herbert%20Lionel,%201871-%22&type=author&inst=
  9. ↑ http://www.rokebyschool.co.uk/robc/reunions.php
  10. ↑ https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Xi66fGN3FdkC&oi=fnd&pg=PT3&dq=robert+graves+rokeby&ots=8Ho8LlfX3r&sig=LUkl1RX_VdqpBjapV4_X9VdJl-k&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%20rokeby&f=false
  11. ↑ https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=gbsy3pLIlAIC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=oliver+reed+rokeby&ots=PiLIX0jgtC&sig=RyVwB8GcCp1mjrUZcwLu6NsYccA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=rokeby&f=false
  12. ↑ http://www.englandrugby.com/england/england-sevens/squads/harry-glover/#
  13. ↑ http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/2530/2/DX198776_2.pdf

External links

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