West Buckland School
| West Buckland School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
| , | |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent school |
| Motto | Read and Reap |
| Established | 1858 |
| Founder | Joseph Lloyd Brereton |
| Headmaster | John Vick |
| Number of students | 700 (approx.) |
| Website | www.westbuckland.devon.sch.uk |
West Buckland School is an English independent school located on the outskirts of the village of West Buckland on the edge of Exmoor, 8 miles east of Barnstaple, Devon. A member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, it comprises a senior school, preparatory school and nursery. There are approximately 700 pupils, of whom around 100 board; 40% of boarders are from abroad. The day pupils are drawn from a wide area of North Devon and many use the large and complex school bussing operation.
History
West Buckland School was founded as the Devon County School in 1858 by Rev. J.L. Brereton to provide a public school education for sons of farmers and the middle class. The foundation stone of the Gothic-style buildings was laid in October 1860 by Earl Fortescue, who had provided land and other support for the school.
Under the first headmaster, J.H. Thompson, numbers rose to 150 by 1876 and then declined as a consequence of agricultural depression and competition from other schools.
In the winter of 1912/13 the school was renamed West Buckland School.
During the 1950s it received increasing support from the Devon County Educational authority and became a direct grant school. In 1976, when direct grants were abolished, it finally became a fully independent school.
Houses
The four houses of West Buckland School are:
- Brereton
- Courtenay
- Fortescue
- Grenville
Boarding
There are three main boarding houses at West Buckland:
- Bamfylde - situated on the preparatory school site, and catering for girls aged 5 to 16
- Boyer House - for boys aged 5-18
- The Gables - for sixth form girls aged 16 to 18
Each of the boarding houses has its own warden or matron. Prefect duties, which include care of younger students, are awarded to senior pupils within each house.
Langholme
Langholme is West Buckland's preparatory school, providing for 5 to 11 year olds. There is also a nursery on site. Accommodation for Langholme pupils is provided in the Bamfylde boarding house.
Alumni
The Old West Buckland Association provides regular newsletters to former pupils. It also organises sports matches between current school teams and teams of 'old boys' and 'old girls', as well as organising a number of social events.
Notable alumni include:
- Brian Aldiss, author of science fiction and general fiction.
- Jonathan Edwards, triple jump world record holder, Olympic Games gold medalist and former world champion.
- R. F. Delderfield, playwright and novelist. His book and television series To Serve Them All My Days was closely based on West Buckland School.
- Victor Ubogu, former England rugby player.
- Stephen Ojomoh, former Bath and England rugby player.
- John Ashworth, former Director of London School of Economics.
- Jonathan Downes, Director of the Centre for Fortean Zoology.
Speech Day
On the third Saturday in September each year, the school holds its Speech Day and prize-giving ceremony. Pupils who have achieved excellence in academic, sporting and other fields are rewarded for their efforts and for their contribution to the school's success. Successful former pupils are often invited to make speeches, alongside a customary speech by the serving headmaster of the school.
Headmaster
The current headmaster of West Buckland School is John Vick, who has been in post since September 1997.
The proposed new Sports Hall
Construction has begun on a new sports hall which is due to be completed in 2008. There was a brief turf-cutting ceremony with Jonathan Edwards on the 1st March 2007 [1].
Weather Station
Since January 2004 the school has run an automatic weather station. This stations records principal meteorological parameters and these are displayed on the West Buckland School web site. Additionally archive data is also available. [2]
External links
- West Buckland School website
- Old West Buckland Association
- Independent Schools Inspectorate report, 2004
References
- Coates, Berwick: West Buckland School: The Millennium Book (Halsgrove, 2000)
- Edmunds, Jon.: A history of West Buckland School (Aycliffe Press, 1983)
- Honey, J.R. de S.: Tom Brown’s Universe, The Development of the Victorian Public School (pp 47-103) (Millington, 1977)