St Benedict's School, usually referred to asSt Benedict's, is a British co-educational,independentCatholicday school for pupils aged 3-18 situated inEaling, West London. ABenedictine school, it accepts and educates pupils of all faiths.[2]
St Benedict's School, Ealing was established following the arrival of Benedictine monks fromDownside Abbey intoEaling in 1897 to found the firstBenedictine Abbey in London since the Reformation. Under the leadership of Sebastian Cave, Ealing Priory School opened on 2 October 1902 with three boys enrolled, following a foundational £5 donation which later featured in the school’s first Priorian magazine. Originally aboys’ school, it was renamed St Benedict’s School in 1948, and ultimately became fullyco-educational in 2008.
The school has occupied various premises at various times in its history, firstly in Blakesley Avenue, then taking rooms in the priory in 1904 before moving across to Orchard Dene (which currently houses the junior school) in Montpelier Avenue. In 1906 15 acres (61,000 m2), about a mile from the main school grounds, inPerivale were purchased to provide a sports ground. By the 1920s Orchard Dene was used for boarders and the school was located in two houses on Eaton Rise. A purpose built school building linking these houses was in use by 1936. During the Second World War pupils were evacuated into the now junior school – boarding ceased – and the abbey church was badly damaged by a bomb on 7 October 1940.[3]
In October 2009, David Pearce, a monk ofEaling Abbey and former headmaster of the junior school, was jailed for eight years, subsequently reduced to five years, for sexual abuse offences at the school in the period from 1972 to 1992 and for one further offence in 2007 after he had ceased to work in the school.[4][5]
In March 2011, Laurence Soper, the abbot of Ealing Abbey during the 1990s, was arrested on child abuse charges relating to the period when he was a teacher at, and thebursar of, St Benedict's School; it was reported in October 2011 that he had failed to answer bail and was being sought by the police.[6] In 2016, he was arrested in Kosovo and extradited to the UK to face trial.[7] In early December 2017, following a 10-week trial at the Old Bailey in central London, Andrew Soper (as he is now known) was found guilty on 19 counts ofchild sexual abuse including buggery, indecency with a child and indecent assault.[8] He was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment.[9]
Children suffered severe corporal punishment which was often used as a means to initiate sexual abuse or for sexual gratification.[10] It was claimed that there were daily queues of boys outside the headmaster's study waiting to be caned. A stated that aged 11 he got into trouble in class. The teacher made him kneel in front of the class and continued the whole of the lesson standing on the boy's hands. Jurors at the trial were told about Soper's victims getting sadistic beatings. One survivor said in court, "I have tried countless times to take my own life as I just cannot cope any more."[11]
Following these incidents, and other alleged offences, the Abbot commissioned a report to be prepared byAlex Carlile, Baron Carlile of Berriew with a view to making recommendations on the school's governance.[12] As a result of the changes made theIndependent Schools Inspectorate said in its 2013 inspection report that the pastoral care at St Benedict's was excellent.[13]
In 2016, Peter Allott, deputy head, and former localConservative Party councillor who had worked at the school since 2004 was jailed for 33 months for possession of child abuse images, as well as possession of a class A substance.[14][15] However, it was made clear by theCPS that there was no evidence that Allott had abused his position of trust within the school, and no offensive material was found there.[16][17]
In 2018–19, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) commissioned by the UK Government was investigating any institutional failures to protect children from sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, and the handling of complaints about Catholic schools and specifically relating to investigations atEaling Abbey and St Benedict's school. The pope's representative in Britain, archbishop Edward Adams, refused to co-operate with the inquiry.[18]
The school was described as a "grim and beastly place" by the Independent Inquiry Into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), and that "a culture of cover-up and denial of sexual abuse operated at Ealing Abbey."[10] By October 2019, the IICSA had received 18 further allegations against 8 monks and staff, and believed that the true scale of the abuse is "likely to be much higher", than those convicted the report found.[citation needed]
Since its foundation members of the monastic community at Ealing Abbey have taught at, and provided pastoral, spiritual and educational leadership, within the school. Until the senior school's firstlay headmaster, A.J. Dachs, was appointed in 1987, all headmasters were monks of the abbey. Since 1951 the senior school headmaster has been a member of theHeadmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.
Following the recommendations of theCarlile report (see above) the school, which had been under the trusteeship of the monks of Ealing since its foundation in 1902, became an independent charity in the form of a company limited by guarantee, independent of the Abbey Trust. New governance arrangements, with a lay chairman, came into effect from September 2012.[12]
TheIndependent Schools Inspectorate (ISI)[19] recommended the school consider enhancing internal student representation prompting the formation by the school of a school council with its formal powers outlined in itsconstitution.
Students may run in elections throughout the school,[20] from the third form to the upper fifth with two representatives elected from each year. Sixth form students can run for the offices of student president and chair of the sixth form common room.
The structure of the school council consists of the student president and the student president's chapter. Members are appointed to the chapter by the newly elected student president to represent students in matters regarding food and health, estates and buildings, pastoral and equality, finance and investment, sixth form, upper and middle schools, and the vice president's office. The first codified school council constitution was signed in January 2016 by the student heads of school, student president, school chaplain, headmaster, chair of the sixth form common room, leader of the upper and middle school council and the chair of the school governing body.[12]
The school promotesCatholic Benedictine values through its mission of"Teaching a way of living", based on theRule of St Benedict. Registration sessions are accompanied by prayer, in which pupils participate and sometimes lead. Mass is celebrated weekly in the school chapel or in theEaling Abbey, for those staff and pupils who wish to attend. Retreats organized for each year group give time for reflection and for spiritual growth. Trips are organized, for instance to Rome on a study pilgrimage and to Lourdes, where pupils develop their understanding or are able to express their commitment to service.[13]
TheIndependent Schools Inspectorate noted in its 2013 report that, at all ages, pupils' personal development is excellent. In line with the Benedictine mission, pupils show respect for themselves, for others and for the world around them, in 'learning how to live'. They enjoy relationships with peers and adults alike and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding.[13]
The main sports for boys are rugby and cricket and for girls netball and hockey. The school is notably good at fencing, producing national and international fencers. Fencing is a main sport for both boys and girls. The school also offers other sports including dance, tennis, swimming, badminton, basketball, volleyball, cross country running, weight-lifting, athletics and boys' hockey.[21] The school, under new headmaster Joe Smith, introduced football as a main sport for boys and co-curricular girls for the beginning of the 2024/2025 academic year.[22]
In rugby the school was runner-up in theNatWest Schools Cup at under 18 level in 2008; at under 15 level it was winner in 2005 and runner-up in 1993.[23] The school's 1st XV was undefeated in 2008 in 21 of 22 league matches, finishing top of the Canterbury Rankings, and was selected by theRugby Football Union to represent England in theSanix World Rugby Youth Invitational Tournament, losing only to the eventual winner. The under 13 side won the 2012 junior champions of theRosslyn ParkNational Schools Sevens, the world's largest rugby tournament.[24] The St Benedict’s 1st XV finished 3rd in the 2021 SOCS Daily Mail Schools Trophy – a national competition played under a merit table system by more than 100 teams, going undefeated in the process.[25]
In the senior school there are over 100 clubs and societies. Pupils run adebating society, staff aCombined Cadet Force and participate in theDuke of Edinburgh Award Scheme,[26] as well as producing art, music and drama.[27] The school further encourages co-curricular activities by offering scholarships in art, drama, music and sport alongside academic scholarships.[28] Every year the school produces and holds art shows, whole school drama productions, music and sport festivals.
Gary Prado Salmón,[38] Bolivian military officer, government minister, diplomat and ambassador, who was head of the special forces unit which captured Marxist revolutionaryChe Guevara in 1967[39][40][41]
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