Talk:St Albans School (Hertfordshire)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WikiProject Schools This article is related to WikiProject Schools, an attempt to write quality articles about schools around the world. If you would like to participate, you can edit the article attached to this page, or visit the project page.
Start This article has been rated as Start-Class on the assessment scale.
Schools Portal
Mid This article has been rated as mid-Importance within Schools.
This article has been marked as needing an infobox.

Contents

[edit] March 2007 V2

Hello all, and thank you for contributing to this school site. I'm part of the Wikipedia:WikiProject_Schools/Assessment team, and, as it has recently been editted, then I'm reviewing this page. I'm currently giving it a grade of start on the Wikipedia 1.0 Assessment Scale and an importance of Mid on this importance scale.

My reasoning is as follows: This article is more than a good start, but it lacks references. This is a very old school so Mid Victuallers 20:58, 10 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Notable Students

While I'm sure all students of St Albans School are notable, some will be more notable than others. I suggest that in order for someone to be listed in this section, there must be a separate page dedicated to them elsewhere in Wikipedia. In which case, the two most recent additions, Anthony Williams, musician and Chris Bhantoa, actor, while undoubtedly talented, would not yet qualify, and I propose to remove them for the time being. Any objections? Alf Boggis (talk) 11:35, 4 October 2005 (UTC)

Sensible suggestion. In the meantime has anybody any information about the latest addition (Bursack)- unknown to me? Presumably a 'spoof'; a current pupil is of that name, and should therefore be removed? It's a bit infantile and demeans the site and the value of Wikipedia. More names to follow!

Not sure how long ago the above was, but Bursack's not a current pupil. The new additions today (apart from 'joke' addition of Brennan?) should remain; they're all relatively well-known. Just because no-one on Wikipedia has got round to chronicling their success doesn't mean they should disappear! -crafty.

"However, over time the houses have lost their distinctions, and due to significant variation in the quality of the "housemasters" (the teacher in charge of each house) competition between the houses is now taken much less seriously." Doesn't strike me as very NPOV. Supergrunch 22:12, 28 February 2006 (UTC)

I agree. And BTW - why is Alistair Jolly notable outside the school? Does he have a particular claim to fame? Unless there are any objections I propose to remove his name. 195.217.52.130 20:02, 10 March 2006 (UTC)
Alistair Jolly's name has been removed: I have no quibbles. However, Marsh was for a long time headmaster (until the mid 1960s). I am currently researching his dates. As he has a House named after him, he must, by definition, be notable. I have therefore reinstated him.195.217.52.130 14:22, 13 March 2006 (UTC)
In the same list, "Bruce Balden", although perhaps worthy of note for his appearance on "Seven-up", is a member of staff, and was never a pupil. Also, unless anyone disagrees, I'll change the change the sentence that I thought wasn't NPOV. Supergrunch 17:24, 13 March 2006 (UTC)
Yes, please amend the sentence you thought wasn't NPOV (2 weeks have elapsed). However, re Bruce Balden - he's not the only person on the list who wasn't a pupil (eg, Olympic athlete Tommy Hampson was a teacher). It may be better to amend the heading from "Notable students" to "Notable persons" or even "Notable persons connected with the school". Any objections from anyone?195.217.52.130 16:11, 14 March 2006 (UTC)
Second thoughts - how's about a separate "Notable members of staff" page? We can then move Balden, Hampson and Marsh with impunity.195.217.52.130 14:06, 17 March 2006 (UTC)
Sounds good, and btw I've changed that sentence.Supergrunch 19:03, 19 March 2006 (UTC)

Can anyone shed any light on who "Alistair Kieth Jolly" is (allegedly, "basically a legend"!!)? Some legend that doesn't appear on the School's own website; in any guise! Obviously it's pleasing when a teacher makes an impression on a pupil to such an extent that they want to see his name on Wikipedia. It seems a shame that his influence as an English teacher doesn't seem to stretch to the correct spelling of his name (I have grave doubts over its accuracy) or indeed the use of grammar ("English teacher with unique opinions, philosophical and political views. An astound comedian and entertainer."). I propose to delete his name if no objections are received.195.217.52.130 17:33, 12 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Woollam playing fields

Are you quite, quite sure it's "Woollams Playing Fields"? I think it should be Woollam (as in Woollam Crescent), and sundry references to it on the Internet (not a good source, I know!) as Woollam Playing Fields in planning applications etc. At the very least, if it must have an "s", it should be Woollam's Playing Fields: after all, it was named after "Charles Woollam OA, who in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was a local philanthropist, a benefactor of both the School and the City of St Albans". See also "Miscellany" in St Albans. 195.217.52.130 21:53, 20 March 2006 (UTC)

Well I changed it to Woollams because that's what everyone refers to it as; whether or not there should be an apostrophe I don't know.Supergrunch 17:29, 21 March 2006 (UTC)
Well, I've changed it back to the Woollam Playing Fields because that's what it is called - in letters a foot high on signs on both sides of the entrance from Harpenden Road. This is an encylopedia, after all. 195.217.52.130 13:24, 3 April 2006 (UTC)
Fair enough; I can't argue with that. Supergrunch 13:23, 4 April 2006 (UTC)
Didn't there used to be a school swimming pool and some pitches off Belmont Hill, as well? Just zis Guy you know? 20:15, 13 May 2006 (UTC)
I don't think they're used any more. Supergrunch 20:39, 18 May 2006 (UTC)
The open air swimming pool and playing fields were sold off in the 1980s for a housing development: De Tany Court.

[edit] House System

The new house system was introduced in September 1996, not 1994. The suggestion that "these Houses were supposed to excel in the same areas as their namesakes" is a manifest nonsense. Were those allocated to Hawking House supposed to excel in astrophysics or artificial voice production? Those allocated to Renfrew showed no special skill in Archaeology. Pupils were allocated randomly from the outset. It just happened that, for the first few years, Hampson won most of the sporting competitions, which probably had more to do with the personality of the then Housemaster than the innate talents of the pupils. I've made the changes. proviseur 09.55, 6 September 2006 (UTC)
I agree with the above. It is hard for me to believe that pupils were allocated to a house, presumably at age 11, and then expected to excel in its designated field throughout their time at the school. For that reason I have adjusted JzG's contribution to remove this statement. Alf Boggis 11:24, 6 September 2006 (UTC)
Thanks Alf. Nice to have corroboration. However,it appears to be my corrected contribution you have adjusted, in the process of which you have uncorrected one of my corrections. The new House System was introduced in September 1996. Trust me on this one. I was there. I have changed it back again. Otherwise, I'm not unhappy with your pared-down para. proviseur 15.31, 6 September 2006.(UTC)
Are we sure the current house system dates from 1996? I have an email from Jane Galloway, Headmaster's PA, dated 13 Mar 2006 in response to an enquiry from me, which reads:
> The current House system came into use in September 1994. Previous House
> names were Abbey, Breakespeare, Debenham, Pemberton, Shirley and School
> House, which being the Boarding House, finished around 1955 when those boys
> in Boarding House were integrated into other Houses.
Surely this is cast-iron evidence for 1994?? And 1 year after Andrew Grant became HM (new broom and all that!), rather than 3 years. Also, my recollection is that there were only SIX houses, not seven. Anyone else with a better memory than me?195.217.52.130 13:09, 15 March 2007 (UTC)

In the period 1966 to 1973 there were six houses : Abbey, Breakespeare, Debenham, Pemberton, Shirley and Woollams. My elder brother who left in 1965 has no memory of Woollams so perhaps the change dates from then. All Harpenden boys were allocated to Shirley. Abbey was light blue, Breakspeare dark blue, Debenham red, Pemberton yellow, Shirley green and Woollams purple Daventryman 19:31, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] School motto

"Non nobis natis" literally means "Not for ourselves born":

- NON = not

- NOBIS (dative case, plural) = for us

- NATI (past participle, nominative plural of the deponent verb NASCOR) = born.

In passing, Geoffrey de Gorham's motto presumably derives from Cicero's: "Non nobis solum nati sumus" ("We are not born for ourselves alone"). I have changed the translation back to what I originally put, since "We do not live for ourselves" doesn't mean quite the same as "Born not for ourselves". 195.217.52.130 21:20, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

"Moderation is stable" or "Moderate things are stable" was what I was told while at the school. Daventryman 19:38, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Fair use rationale for Image:St albans school crest.gif

Image:St albans school crest.gif is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot 18:47, 24 October 2007 (UTC)