St Dunstan's College
Motto |
Albam Exorna ("Adorn the white") |
---|---|
Established |
15th century Refounded in 1888 |
Type | Independent day school |
Headmaster | Nicholas Hewlett |
Chairman of Governors | Sir Paul Judge |
Founder | King Henry VI |
Location |
London SE6 4TY England 51°28′30″N 0°01′40″W / 51.4749°N 0.0277°WCoordinates: 51°28′30″N 0°01′40″W / 51.4749°N 0.0277°W |
Local authority | Lewisham |
Staff | 90 |
Students | 880 |
Gender | Co-educational |
Ages | 3–18 |
Houses | 4 |
Colours |
Maroon & Royal Blue |
Former pupils | Old Dunstonians |
Website | St Dunstan's College |
St Dunstan's College (SDC) is a co-educational independent school in Catford, London, England. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, and was an all-boys establishment until 1994. Located on an urban site in Lewisham, many additions have been made to the original Victorian building complex, including a large glass-walled dining hall utilising a hyperbolic paraboloid roof requiring no internal supports,[1] the prototype for a similar structure in the city of Calgary in Alberta in Western Canada. Sports facilities include an onsite sports hall complex, swimming pool, netball courts, five's courts and extensive playing fields for such an urban location. The pre-prep and prep schools are in separate buildings on the same site. The pre-prep school used to be the residence of a previous Headmaster.
The school consistently achieves above average examination results at all levels.[2]
A wide range of subjects are offered, with drama and economics indicated as being strong in the most recent Independent Schools Inspectorate report. A large number of sports and games are played, and some pupils have played at an international level. The Forder programme (co curricular activities) is wide ranging and covers areas such as sports, CCF, music, drama, community service and many others. The college offers over 100 activities.
Houses
The first house system was introduced in 1914 to help improve the school's moral and organize sport teams. The houses were named after places near to the school (e.g. Catford, Forest Hill, Hither Green) and pupils were allocated to them based on where they lived.[3] However, after the first World War, where hundreds of boys from the school had lost their lives, the houses were renamed after some of the most decorated pupils that served in the war. The new house names were as follows: Bennett (pink), Goosey (dark blue), Griffiths (green), Johnson (purple), Lane (black), Ross (yellow), Thomas (red) and Wilson (light blue).
Currently, the houses are named after the first four headmasters of the college. They are called Usherwood (Yellow), Forder (Red), Stuart (Blue) and Hecker (Green).[4]
School Song
The school song was written in 1903 with words by A.R. Leese and music by T. Alford-Smith. The original lyrics were:
A thousand names ring through our land,
the chosen ones of Fame,
and Time a captain gave the band
when sainted Dunstan came;
fair Glastonbury's sacred walls
re-echo with this strain,
so everywhere that duty calls
upraise the grand refrain.
One heart, one hand for realm and king,
Dunstonians near and far,
come, make St. Dunstan's praises ring
wherever Britons are. [5]
History
SDC was founded in 1446 in the Parish of St Dunstan-in-the-East, now part of the Tower Ward in the City of London.[6]
In 1446 King Henry VI declared the parish school to be one of the efficient schools of the city.[7] The school was re-founded in 1888 on a green field site in Catford in the Parish of Lewisham but still maintains strong links with the City of London and the Parish of St Dunstan-in-the-East.
Old Dunstonian Association
Old Dunstonian Association (ODA) is the alumni organisation for St Dunstan's College.[8] It was founded in 1897 by H.M. Webb and Y. Kirkpatrick.[9]
The association sponsors a number of events for its members and several sports clubs which members can join. The Association and its constituent clubs are run by voluntary, unpaid Boards and Committees. The sports clubs each have their own separate membership and subscription arrangements. The ODA welcomes all former members of the St. Dunstan’s community to join us
The Old Dunstonian Clubhouse and Ground is located in Park Langley mid-way between Beckenham and West Wickham in North West Kent. The Clubhouse and its cottage are set in several acres of Green Belt with facilities for rugby, cricket, football, archery, croquet and hardcourt tennis.
Notable Old Dunstonians
- Matt Allen, Rugby player for Bedford, Cardiff, Northampton, Barbarians and England A.
- Matthew d'Ancona, former editor of The Spectator and columnist for the Sunday Telegraph
- Edward Neville da Costa Andrade FRS, physicist, poet and writer, Andrade was also a broadcaster, coming to fame during the Second World War on BBC radio's The Brains Trust.
- William Boon FRS, chemist
- Brian Brolly, showbusiness entrepreneur, and co-founder of the radio stations Jazz FM and Classic FM
- Sir William Castell LVO, Chairman of the Wellcome Trust and a Director of General Electric and BP
- The Rt Hon The Lord Drayson, PC, businessman, entrepreneur and former Defence Minister for Procurement
- Martin Evans, Nobel Prize winner for his work in the field of genetics
- Michael Grade, CBE, Baron Grade of Yarmouth, Executive Chairman of ITV
- Hubert Gregg, broadcaster, writer, stage actor
- The Very Revd John Hall, Dean of Westminster
- Walter Hamilton, Former headmaster of Westminster School, Rugby School and Magdalen College, Cambridge
- The Rt Revd Dr David Jenkins, former Bishop of Durham
- Frederick Henry Johnson, VC, recipient of the Victoria Cross in the First World War
- Sir Paul Judge, business man[10]
- Sir Stephen Laws KCB, QC, former First Parliamentary Counsel
- The Very Revd Ivan Neill, Chaplain General of the British Army and Provost of Sheffield
- Steve Nieve (né Steve Nason), musician, Elvis Costello and the Attractions
- Matt Salter, former captain of Bristol Rugby
- Robert Stanford Tuck, DSO, DFC, fighter pilot and test pilot
- Chuka Umunna, Labour MP for Streatham
- Clifford Wilcock, OBE, engineer and politician
- Dave Gelly, OBE, musician, journalist, critic and author
References
- ↑ Cherry,B and Pevsner,N "London 2: South: The Buildings of England",Yale University,1983,pp418
- ↑ "BBC News, School league tables 2004, St Dunstan's College". BBC News. 2004-11-02. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
- ↑ Watson, Nigel. St. Dunstan's College A Centenary History 1888-1988. London: St. Dunstan's Education Fund. p. 67. ISBN 0951409506.
- ↑ "St. Dunstan's College House System". St. Dunstan's College. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
- ↑ Watson, Nigel. St. Dunstan's College A Centenary History 1888-1988. London: St. Dunstan's College Educational Fund. p. 58. ISBN 0951409506.
- ↑ Watson, Nigel. St. Dunstan's College A Centenary History 1888-1988. London: St. Dunstan's College Educational Fund. p. 3. ISBN 0951409506.
- ↑ St Dunstan's College - About Us - Aims & History
- ↑ St Dunstan's College - Alumni - Old Dunstonian Association
- ↑ St Dunstan's College - Alumni - History
- ↑ ‘JUDGE, Sir Paul (Rupert)’, in Who's Who 2012 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012), online page (subscription required), accessed 5 June 2012
External links
- - St Dunstan's College
- Independent Schools Inspectorate report
- Profile on the ISC website