St George's School, Windsor Castle

St George's School, Windsor Castle is a coeducational independent preparatory school in Windsor, near London, England. Founded to provide choirboys for the Choir of St George's Chapel, it now educates over 400 boys and girls.

St George's School, Windsor Castle
Location
Windsor Castle

Windsor
,
Berkshire
,
SL4 1QF

England
Information
TypeIndependent preparatory school
Choral foundation school
Religious affiliation(s)Church of England
Established1352
FounderEdward III
Local authorityWindsor and Maidenhead
Department for Education URN110131 Tables
Chairman of the GovernorsThe Rt Rev David Conner, Dean of Windsor
HeadmasterRoger Jones LVO
Staff80 (approx.)
GenderCoeducational
Age3 to 13
Enrolment410 (approx.)
HousesVictory, Rodney, Vindictive and Revenge
Websitehttp://www.stgwindsor.co.uk

History

The school was established to provide six choristers for the Choir of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, which sings in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, which is the official country residence of the British Royal Family. St George's is one of the oldest schools in the country, and has provided an unbroken line of boy choristers to sing daily services in St George's Chapel since 1352.

As late as 1942 the school was reported by its headmaster as being "for the sons of Gentlemen only".[1]

The school's choristers have sung at events such as the wedding of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones, now the Countess of Wessex; the funeral of John Hunt, Baron Hunt; and also the Blessing of the Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

Present day

The seventeen full choristers live at the school, with about seven 'probationers' who are mostly day pupils. The choristers attend lessons at the school with the other children and rehearse each day before and after school in the Song School by the Chapel, where they also sing seven services each week during term time. Their school fees are partly met by grants from the Dean and Canons of Windsor.

The school has a boarding community of thirty children, many of whom board on weekly or flexible arrangements. Most pupils have experienced some level of boarding before they leave at 13.

The school buildings are situated just below the north wall of Windsor Castle, with the school being divided into three distinct sections – the Pre-Prep (Nursery to Year 2) the Middle School (Years 3, 4 and 5) and the Senior School (Years 6, 7 and 8).

The school has strong reputations in music, the performing arts and in sport. Nearly all pupils over the age of 7 learn an instrument, the vast majority of girls take part in ballet, tap or jazz dancing and there is a wide range of school choirs covering all age-groups.

Although the school is a town centre school, spacious playing fields are situated next door to the school site, within the Queen's private grounds. Boys play football, rugby and cricket and the girls play netball, hockey, and rounders. Swimming in the school's indoor pool is an important activity – in recent years the school has featured prominently in a number of National Prep School sporting competitions.

Headmasters
  • 1893–95: A. Bickerseth[2]
  • 1885–1904: H. F. W. Deane, MA[3]
  • 1904–34: G. S. Fowler, MA[1][2][4]
  • 1934–42: James William Webb-Jones[2][5]
  • 1942–45: P. H. C. Cavanaugh (Acting Headmaster)[2]
  • 1946–71: W. P. O. Cleave[2]
  • 1971–83: Richard Russell CVO[6]
  • 1983–92: George Hill LVO[7]
  • 1992–93: Bernard Biggs[7]
  • 1993: Anthony Brailsford (Acting Headmaster)[7]
  • 1993–95: Alan Mould[7]
  • 1995–99: Revd Roger Marsh[7]
  • 1999: Alan Mould (Interregnum; Autumn Term)[7]
  • 2000–11: Roger Jones LVO[8]
  • 2011–12: Andrew Salmond-Smith
  • 2012-17: Chris McDade
  • 2017-2018: Roger Jones LVO
  • 2019-date William Goldsmith

Notable pupils

See also
  • List of the oldest schools in the world
  • St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle

Notes
  1. The Spectator, vol. 168 (1942), pp. 266 & 298: "St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle — The Choir School is a first-class Preparatory School for the Public Schools, for the sons of Gentlemen only... G. S. Fowler, MA, St George's School, Windsor Castle"
  2. Wridgway, Neville (1980). The Choristers of St George's Chapel. Chas. Luff & Co. p. 132.
  3. The Journal of Education, vol. 54 (W. Stewart & Company, 1922), p. 90: "Mr. HFW Deane, Chairman of the Year Book Press, Ltd., whose death was reported late in December last, was well known in educational circles. He was educated at Repton and Trinity College, Cambridge. For fourteen years he was a master at St. Ninian's School, Moffat, and in 1885 became head master of St. George's School, Windsor. He retired from this post in 1904, being appointed Chapter Clerk and Librarian to the Dean and Canons of St. George's Chapel, Windsor. Later he established, with his sons, the publishing firm now known as The Year Book Press."
  4. Joseph Whitaker, ed., An almanack for the year of our Lord 1913: Volume 45 (London, Joseph Whitaker, 1913), p. 908:"ST. GEORGE'S SCHOOL, WINDSOR CASTLE Headmaster - G. S. FOWLER, MA A Preparatory School for the Public Schools and the Choir School for St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. A good musical education can be given to all boys..."
  5. "WEBB-JONES, James William (1904 - 1965)". Who's Who, Oxford Index. Oxford University Press.
  6. Headmaster, R. H. E. Russell (Creed & Co, Dorset, 1986)
  7. In High Remembrance, Ed. R. H. E. Russell & P. A. F. Thomas (2007)
  8. The Church of England year book, vol. 116 (Church of England National Assembly, 2000) p. 244: "Headmaster, St George's School: Mr Roger Jones, St George's School, Windsor"
  9. Hugh Chisholm, ed. The Encyclopædia Britannica: The New Volumes, Volume 1 (1922): "After a preliminary private education he became a chorister at St. George's chapel, Windsor, in 1882..."
  10. ‘CHANCE, Michael Edward Ferguson’ in Who's Who 2012 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012); online edition (subscription site) by Oxford University Press, December 2011, accessed 22 April 2012

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