Sexey's School
 | |
 | |
| Established | 1891 |
|---|---|
| Type |
Academy Day and boarding school |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Head Master | Irfan H Latif JP |
| Location |
Cole Road Bruton Somerset BA10 0DF England Coordinates: 51°06′19″N 2°27′48″W / 51.1053°N 2.4632°W |
| DfE URN | 137313 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports Pre-academy reports |
| Capacity | 602 |
| Students | 551 pupils (as of 2013)[1] |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Colours | |
| Website |
www |
Sexey's School is a state boarding school in Bruton, Somerset, England that also takes some day pupils from the surrounding area. Sexey's School is named after Hugh Sexey who, in 1599, was appointed as a Royal auditor to Elizabeth I and later as a Royal auditor to James I. Sexey's Hospital was established in 1619 from the proceeds of his will, and the school was founded in 1889. State boarding schools are most unusual in England and Wales. The school became an academy in August 2011. As of 2013 it has 551 pupils including 238 in the sixth form.[1]
History
Sexey's School dates back to a trade school which was designed by Norwich-based architect George Skipper[2] and was established on 6 April 1891 with 15 boys. The Head Master and the boys moved into temporary premises in a house known as 'The Glen' on Quaperlake Street in Bruton. At the end of its first year there were 40 boys at the school learning basic subjects including practical mechanics, land measuring and elementary science. The school was moved to its current site and re-founded in 1898. The first Head Master was William Albert Knight.[3]
Sexey's was a grammar school until the Education Act 1944, after which it became a Voluntary Controlled school. In 1991 it adopted Grant Maintained status and in September 1999 it became a Voluntary Aided school.[4]
It remained an all-boys school until 1977 when it became fully co-educational. Boarding facilities were expanded in the 1980s with the building of two new boarding houses — Lisbury House and Coombe House, making Sexey's one of the largest schools of its type in the country.[4] The school has continued expansion with the introduction of a policy in 2003 to take day pupils from a local catchment area of 1.5 miles. Prior to this the last day pupil was admitted in 1983. In 2001 the school had 394 pupils.[5] In 2007 there were 512 pupils.[6]
On 24 November 2013 the incumbent Secretary of State for Education, the Rt. Hon Michael Gove MP, described Sexey's as "One of the most outstanding schools in the country," during an interview on the Andrew Marr Show on BBC1.
Sexey's has complex funding arrangements being a school that has both state (government funded) and independent (charity funded) income.[7]
Boarding
In 2007 the school had around 300 boarders. Around two thirds of the school, and one third of sixth form are boarders. There are four boarding houses:
- Walwin House (formerly Junior House) was two houses built in the late 1930s. Walwin House used to accommodate year 7 boarders and had the capacity for 49 children - 30 boys and 19 girls. It has recently been converted to become the Headmaster's house.
- Cliff House, a Grade II listed building built by Thomas Hannam in 1820 and opened as a boarding house in 1892.[8] Cliff takes boarders in all year groups.
- Coombe House, opened 1983. Coombe has capacity for around 100 boarders in all year groups.
- Lisbury House, opened 1983, has around 85 boarders in all years. The majority of sixth form boarders live in Lisbury.
- MacMillan House, Opened 2011, is a new £3.5 m installation replacing Walwin House. Its name is a tribute to Douglas MacMillan who was an old boy of the school (Old Sexeian) and founded MacMillan Cancer Support.
Head Masters
- William Albert Knight (1891–1927)
- Wallace E. Page (1927–1955)
- William R. Towns (1955–1965)
- Norman S. Roberts (1965–1970)
- David Curtis (1970–1980)
- John Lello (1980–1989)
- David Charman (1989–1995)
- Stephen G. Burgoyne (1995–2007)
- Raymond McGovern (2008–2013)
- Jean Hopegood (Acting Head) 2013-
- Irfan H. Latif (2013-
School song
The school song is a devotional chorus which is mentioned in the first school magazine in 1897.[9][10]
Hear mighty Lord,
Thy Sexeian's humble cry:
Hear, mighty Lord.
Inspire with motives high
For work and School.
For students here and past
Grant thankfulness,
And endless rest at last.
2002 calendar
In 2001, a group of pupils produced a glossy calendar as part of a Young Enterprise business project, sold for charity, called "Sexey's Hot Twelve", that featured 12 pictures of boys and girls in seductive poses. Child protection groups criticised the calendar for its potential attraction to adults who prey on vulnerable young people. The school reported that they had received no complaints, and that most of the 500 copies were bought immediately after going on sale.[11][12][13]
Notable alumni
- Craig Alcock, professional football with Peterborough United and formerly Yeovil Town.[14]
- L. J. F. Brimble, botanist and editor of Nature magazine[15]
- Frederick Tom Brooks FRS, botanist, Professor of Botany, Cambridge University, attended 1895-1898[16]
- Gilbert Gabriel, musician and member of The Dream Academy[17]
- Douglas Macmillan, founder of Macmillan Cancer Support.[18]
- Professor Sir David John Read FRS, biologist, Vice President and Biological Secretary of the Royal Society[19]
- Sir Harold Richard Scott, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, 1945–1953[20]
- Ned Sherrin, broadcaster, author and stage director, 1931–2007[21]
- Alex Tew, creator of Million Dollar Homepage[22]
- Arthur Willis, botanist and editor[23]
References
- 1 2 "Sexey's School" (PDF). Ofsted. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
- ↑ George Skipper biography Retrieved 5 February 2014
- ↑ Sexey's School (February 1897). "Early history". Sexey's School magazine — Issue 1 - February 1897. Archived from the original on 8 October 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2008.
- 1 2 Sexey's School. "Sexey's School — A Brief History". Archived from the original on 7 July 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ↑ Ofsted (2001). "Inspection Report: Sexey's School" (PDF). Retrieved 2 October 2007.
- ↑ Ofsted (2007). "Inspection Report: Sexey's School". Retrieved 9 October 2010.
- ↑ "Admission arrangements for Bruton Sexey's School". Somerset County Council. 2002. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
- ↑ English Heritage. "Images of England". Retrieved 14 February 2009.
- ↑ Sexey's School. "The trip to Stourton". Sexey's School magazine — Issue 1 - February 1897. Archived from the original on 8 October 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2008.
- ↑ R J T Waller (2007). "The AOS Magazine 2007, Issue 4" (PDF). Retrieved 20 January 2008.
- ↑ Savill, Richard (14 December 2001). "Schoolgirl calendar 'too sexy'". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 June 2007.
- ↑ Allison, Rebecca (15 December 2001). "Sixth formers' topless calendar criticised". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 January 2008.
- ↑ Coles, John. "We're so Sexey's". The Sun. Retrieved 1 June 2007.
- ↑ "Football". Sexey's School. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
- ↑ "Obituary Notices" (PDF). British Medical Journal 2 (5474): 1375. 4 December 1965. PMC 1846778.
- ↑ W. C. Moore. "Frederick Tom Brooks. 1882-1952. Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society, Vol. 8, No. 22 (Nov., 1953)". pp. 340–354. Retrieved 20 January 2008.
- ↑ "Gilbert Gabriel". Sexey's School. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
- ↑ "New boarding house at Sexey's". Blackmore Vale Magazine. 28 October 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
- ↑ "How did I get here?". University of Sheffield. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
- ↑ "Scott, Sir Harold Richard". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
- ↑ Graham, Natalie (19 December 2004). "Radio host lives ‘entirely for pleasure’". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- ↑ "Alex Tew". Sexey's School. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
- ↑ Lewis, David (15 July 2006). "Obituary — Professor Arthur Willis". The Independent. Retrieved 1 July 2007.
- Parsons, David (2001). Gleam Flying Onward: A Century of Bruton School for Girls. Ex Libris Press. ISBN 978-1-903341-69-8.