Sevenoaks School
The Sevenoaks School is an English mixed and independent boarding school, located in the center of Sevenoaks, Kent, UK.
Description
Founded in 1432, it is the oldest school of general education in England. It is visited by nearly 1,000 day and boarding pupils aged 11-18 years, of which about one-third boarder. The students come from over 35 countries.
The school campus is a 40468.5 m² area, adjacent to the Knole Park, and about a half an hour away from London. The number of girls and boys is balanced. The current headmistress is Katy Ricks.
As a visionary and innovative institution, it also enjoys an excellent international reputation. She is a leader in education and was a pioneer of international students since the 1960s. Sevenoaks encourages its students to perceive all the opportunities that it provides. Despite the emphasis on internationality and innovative, it maintains its strong ties to the local community and some of their historical traditions such as the Sevenoaks Festival and concerts at lunchtime. These traditions date back to the 1960s.
In 1999, she made headlines because it was the first important school in England, the Ground surrounded almost entirely by the final A- Level for the International Baccalaureate (IB ). She is a member of the G20 School group.
History
1432 William donated Sevenoke the school as part of his last will and testament. It was provided a classical education for boys from the city, free of religious institutions.
The school consisted of small buildings around the city ( in the 1730s, even outside the city ) until a permanent school building was built in 1730 according to the plans of Lord Burlington, a friend of the former headmaster Elijah Fenton, built.
In 1884, James Birkett was appointed as headmaster. Birketts vision was to make a first-class Sevenoaks School. He started his innovations by reducing the number of seats for students from the city and expanded the boarding school. When he went in the 1890s in retirement, the school had about 100 boys. His model was continued by George Heslop, which fixed the former maximum number of 134 boys. After him came G. A. Garrod. In 1919, Ms. Garrod, the wife of the head teacher, a new school for younger boys.
In 1924, James Higgs -Walker new headmaster. Higgs -Walker led an all-day schools, extended school sports and extracurricular activities, and created the enormous expansion of the school with the help of the best benefactor since the founder, Charles Plumptre Johnson, his as a governor from 1913-1923 and President from 1923 until death in 1938 was used. Together with his brother Edward, he made the school a lot of gifts:
- The flagpole (1924 )
- House Thornhill (1924 ) (now Johnson 's House )
- Johnson 's Hall ( 1936) ( now Johnson 's Library )
- Sanatorium (1938 )
- Grange Park and the surrounding property (1946 )
Higgs -Walker led the school until 1956 replaced him LC Taylor.
Academic Achievements
The school achieved excellent results especially in the academic field. Thanks to the reassessment of the International Baccalaureate of UCAS, Sevenoaks consistently ranks at the top of the nationwide school table. According to the table of Times they reached the 1st place in 2007 in the UK A-level and IB schools with an average of 618.9 UCAS points per pupil. The Independent also put the Sevenoaks School in 2004 based on UCAS points on the first place. The Financial Times placed them in their table with an FT score of 1.18 on the 2nd place. 2008, nine students achieved the maximum score of 45 in the IB. Overall, only 72 reached the world of 35,000 students this note.
Facilities
The facilities are mostly modern and only three buildings have been built before the 20th century - the " Old School House" ( in the early 18th century and supposedly designed by Lord Burlington ), the " Old School " and "cottage blocks" ( both late 19th century).
In addition, the school has an extensive library ( The Johnson Library) with over 25,000 books in the " Old Assembly Hall " from the 1930s, an athletics track, an indoor tennis center, an auditorium (The Aisher Hall ) and a theater ( Sackville Theatre ).
On 10 March 2005 was £ 9 million ( " Sennocke Centre " ) base (approximately 9.8 million euros ) expensive sports center, three tennis courts, squash courts, a large sports hall, a swimming pool, a dance studio, a fitness center and includes a climbing wall.
The main campus is located close to the center of Sevenoaks, bridged by the Tonbridge Road.
Houses
There are a total of seven residential buildings:
- School House ( 1432 ), Young House
- Johnson (1924 ), Young House
- Grange Park (1946 ), girls home
- International Centre ( 1964), Young House
- Girls' International House (1983 ), girls home
- Sennocke (1985 ), girls home
- Lambards, Boys and Girls Home
Knole Run
Every January, the school organizes the annual Knole Run, a cross-country race over 9.5 km in the Park of the boarding school. School teams from all over England compete in this run, which is often performed despite the mud and rain. The record holder is Ollie Freeman, an English triathlete who attended Tonbridge School until 2004.
The run was known as the unofficial school competition for off-road racing. Participating schools come from across the country, Scotland, and occasionally from abroad, such as from Parma (Italy). There is also a Knole Run For younger students, which usually takes place in early December.
Other recreational activities
In sailing circles the school is also very well known. You heard constantly among the best teams in the world at the school level, but also defeated often university teams. A sailing team of school recently won the " Rondar Shield for International Schools Team Racing " and the English club competition.
The main sports for boys are rugby, football and cricket, further also cross-country, hockey, athletics, tennis, swimming, golf and water polo are offered.
There are also ways to get involved in a theater group to take lessons in many instruments or to participate in art lessons (film, photography, sculpture ) for the students.
Known students and graduates
Former pupils are known as Old Sennockians.
- William Caxton ( maybe), printers
- John Frith, martyr and translator of the New Testament
- George Grote, historian
- Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge, field marshal and statesman
- Oliver Taplin, Professor
- Jonathan Bate, Professor
- Ian Walker, Olympic sailors
- Chris Tavaré, English cricketer (now an English teacher at the school)
- Paul Downton, English cricket player
- Mathew Peat, conductor
- Emma Johnson International Konzertklarinettistin
- Glen Inanga, international concert pianist
- Plum Sykes, author
- Emma Hope, shoe designer
- Charlie Higson, comedian and author
- Robbie Swift, windsurfers
- Thomas Heatherwick, designer
- Paul Greengrass, director and filmmaker
- Andy Gill and Jon King, musician
- Tom Greenhalgh, Kevin Lycett and Mark White, musician ( Mekons )
- Timothy Laurence, vice-admiral and husband of Princess Anne
- Ben Summerskill, lobbyist
- Jonael Schickler, philosopher
- Daniel Day -Lewis, actor
- Amedeo of Belgium, grandson of the Belgian King Albert II
- Simon Starling, winner of the 2005 Turner Prize
- Mihir Bajoria, Philanthropist and art collector
- Nigel Warburton, writer and teacher in philosophy
- Oliver Stephan, musicians stimulator