Kimbolton School

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Kimbolton School
Motto Spes Durat Avorum (Latin: "Let the hopes of our forefathers endure")
Established 1600
Type Public School
Religious affiliation Inter-denominational
Head Master Jonathan Belbin
Deputy Head Master Mark Eddon and Sue Hutchinson
Founder Henry Balye and William Dawson
Location
Gender Mixed
Ages 4 to 18
Houses 4 in prep school, 5 in senior school(Ingrams for the first two years then split up into 4 different houses from the 3rd year)
School colours Purple, White and Black

              

Former pupils Old Kimboltonians/OKs
Website http://www.kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk/

Kimbolton School is a mixed independent school for children aged from 4 to 18 in the village of Kimbolton, in rural Cambridgeshire.

Contents

[edit] History

The East Portico,  Kimbolton School
The East Portico, Kimbolton School

The senior school is based in the grounds of Kimbolton Castle, and its preparatory school is based at the other end of the village but is connected to the senior school via 'The Duchess Walk', a tree-lined pathway. The grounds total over 160 acres. The school is the successor to the village grammar school, which existed in 1600 (the precise date of its founding is not known, but 1600 was adopted as a convenient figure for celebrating anniversaries). The School motto is spes durat avorum (the hope of our ancestors endures).

The school is rich in history. Although there are references to a school at Kimbolton as early as 1531 the generally accepted date for the foundation is 1600. In 1949 it was renamed from Kimbolton Grammar School to Kimbolton School and the following year it bought the Castle from the Duke of Manchester.

The school has a tradition of Headmasters staying for a long time. William Ingram (whom the junior house is now named after) 1913-47, Cyril Lewis (who oversaw the movement of the school to the Castle and has the theatre named after him) 1947-73, David Donaldson (whom the Science block is named after and first admitted girls to the school) 1973-87, Roger Peel (whom the sports hall is named after) 1987-2002 and the current headmaster Jonathan Belbin.

[edit] List of Headmasters

  • 1603-1607 Henry Peacham
  • 1607-1611 James Johnson
  • 1611-1635 John Anderson
  • 1635-1653 William Rugby
  • 1653-1664 Samuel Bird
  • 1664-1678 Samuel Taylor
  • 1678-1681 William Wildgoose
  • 1681-1686 John Gardiner
  • 1686-1701 Mr Trott
  • 1701-1703 Valentine Paul
  • 1703-1739 Nathaniel Cronkshaw
  • 1739-1740 Rev. Master William Wheeler
  • 1740-1778 Rev. Dr. John Owen
  • 1778-1826 Rev. John Thompson
  • 1826-1842 Rev. John Bligh
  • 1842-1847 Rev. James Taylor
  • 1847-1854 Rev. John Thornton
  • 1854-1865 Rev. Robert Lancaster Watson
  • 1865-1874 Rev. William Ager
  • 1875-1876 School closed for rebuilding
  • 1877-1884 Rev. Robert Kater Vinter
  • 1884-1891 Rev. Edward Ulyat
  • 1891-1913 Rev. Arther Gosset Bibby
  • 1913-1947 William Ingram
  • 1947-1973 Cyril Lewis MBE
  • 1973-1987 David Donaldson
  • 1987-2002 Roger Peel
  • 2002-Present Jonathan Belbin

[edit] Present

There are around 600 male and female students in the senior school (ages 11 to 18), in four Houses, named after the two founders and two previous teachers at the school: Balyes, Dawsons (which includes the 60 boarders), Gibbards, and Owens. A second house for boarders, Ingrams, was merged with Dawsons in the 1980s, and is now a separate house for all 1st and 2nd form pupils. These move into the senior houses at the start of the 3rd form. Ingrams compete in a separate house competition between classes, although they have many of the same events as the senior house competition. There are around 320 pupils in the preparatory school (ages 4 to 11), in four houses named after the families that owned the castle, Fitzpiers, Montagu, Stafford and Wingfield.

The castle is, mostly, used for 4th, 5th and 6th form teaching, as well as social and public events. It is also often used for weddings and other functions and is used as a TV/film location from time to time. Teaching and other activities take place in outlying buildings, including the castle's mews block and newer buildings. The boarders live in two houses in the High Street, Kimbolton House and White House.

[edit] See also


[edit] References

Stratford, John: From Churchyard to Castle. 2000. ISBN-10: 0953775305