| Epsom College | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Address | |
 | |
College Road ,, KT17 4JQ England | |
| Coordinates | 51°19′31″N00°14′43″W / 51.32528°N 0.24528°W /51.32528; -0.24528 |
| Information | |
| Type | Public school Privateboarding andday school |
| Motto | "Deo Non Fortuna" (Latin for "Not through luck but by God")[1] |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Church of England[2] |
| Established | 1855; 170 years ago (1855) |
| Founder | John Propert[4] |
| Department for Education URN | 125332Tables |
| Head | Mark Lascelles[3] |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrolment | 956(2019/20)[5] |
| Houses | 13 |
| Colour(s) | Blue and white |
| Publication | The Epsomian |
| Former pupils | Old Epsomians |
| Alumni | OEs Connected |
| Website | www |
Epsom College is aco-educational independent school onEpsom Downs,Surrey, England, for pupils aged 11 to 18. It was founded in 1853 as a benevolent institution which provided aboarding school education for sons of poor or deceased members of the medical profession and also accommodation for pensioned doctors. The college soon after foundation opened to pupils from outside the medical profession. Over time the charitable work for medical professionals in hardship moved to a separate charity. By 1996 the school was fully co-educational and now takes day pupils throughout. The headteacher is a member of theHeadmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.
The school was founded in 1853 byJohn Propert as theRoyal Medical Benevolent College, with the aim to provide accommodation for pensioned medical doctors or their widows and to provide a "liberal education" to 100 sons of "duly qualified medical men" for £25 each year.[6]
The establishment of the college was the culmination of a campaign begun in 1844 by the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association, the forerunner of theBritish Medical Association.[8] The scheme saw the medical profession was "in regard to charitable institutions for the aged and infirm, the widow and the orphan, the worst provided of all professions and callings" and took as its aim the alleviating of poverty and debt.[9] Discussions were chaired bySir John Forbes, Physician toPrince Albert and the Royal Household, and followed similar plans establishing schools for theClergy and theRoyal Navy in desiring to raise money to found "schools for the sons of medical men", providing an education which would otherwise be "beyond the means of many parents".[10]
By 1851, the Medical Benevolent Society had limited itself to the foundation of a single Benevolent College and met in Treasurer John Propert's house in New Cavendish Street,Marylebone.[11] The new campaign's fund-raising activities included dinners, which numerous doctors andMembers of Parliament attended, and concerts, for example at one such event, on 4 July 1855, composerHector Berlioz conducted the UK premiere of his symphonic suiteHarold in Italy.[12][13]
The foundation stone was laid on 6 July 1853. Almost two years later, on 25 June 1855, the college was formally opened by Prince Albert and his son, the future KingEdward VII, in front of an unexpectedly large crowd of around 6,000.[14] In March 1855,Queen Victoria consented to become patron, and the school's relationship withBritish monarchs has continued since. King Edward VII became patron after the death of his mother, followed byKing George V in 1936,[15]King George VI in 1937,[16] andQueen Elizabeth II.
In 1980, it was estimated by a history of the college that a third of its 10,000 alumni had entered the medical profession.[19]
It was founded in 1855 to support poor members of the medical profession. Funding for such a bold undertaking proved inadequate, resulting in a reduced number of buildings and insufficient space to support 100 pensioners and 100 boys. In the 1860s, partially due to this, the school was opened up to children of non-medical parents. In subsequent decades, pensioners were supported off-site until there were none on campus by the end of the 19th century. These moves mark the transition towards the college becoming apublic school in the modern sense.
The college continued its charitable activities, alongside its strictly educational role, throughout the 20th century. It was only in 2000 that the Royal Medical Foundation was formed as a separate entity, funding the support of four Foundationers at the college, 27 outside it, and paying 20 pensions and supporting one doctor at a medical home.[20]
In the 1920s, the junior school side was run down, and thereafter the college catered only for 13- to 18-year-olds. In 1976, girls were first allowed into the sixth form. The school became fully co-educational in September 1996.[21]
Its campus is on the outskirts of Epsom, nearEpsom Downs on theNorth Downs, near theracecourse, home to the annualEpsom Derby. Its buildings date from 1853 and are mostly influenced by theGothic revival architecture, described byPrince Albert as the "pointed style of the 14th Century".[22] In 1974, the main building and the College Chapel attained Grade IIlisted status.[7][17]
In 2009, the college announced the foundation of a new school inBandar Enstek, just south ofKuala Lumpur.[23] Epsom College inMalaysia was officially opened in September 2014.[24] The school offers a British educational style for pupils aged three to eighteen years. Students are also offered a wide variety of recreational and competitive sporting opportunities, such as badminton, squash,hockey,tennis, and swimming.[25]
In 2005 the school was one of fifty of the country's leading independent schools which were found guilty of running an illegal price-fixingcartel, exposed byThe Times newspaper, although the schools made clear that they had not realised that the change to the law (which had happened only a few months earlier) about the sharing of information had subsequently made it an offence.[26] Each school was required to pay a nominal penalty of £10,000 and all agreed to make ex-gratia payments totalling three million pounds into a trust designed to benefit pupils who attended the schools during the period in respect of which fee information was shared.[27]
Jean Scott, the then-head of theIndependent Schools Council, said that independent schools had always been exempt from anti-cartel rules applied to business, were following a long-established procedure in sharing the information with each other, and that they were unaware of the change to the law (on which they had not been consulted). She wrote to John Vickers, the OFT director-general, saying, "They are not a group of businessmen meeting behind closed doors to fix the price of their products to the disadvantage of the consumer. They are schools that have quite openly continued to follow a long-established practice because they were unaware that the law had changed".[28]
In 2021, a regulatory compliance inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate found that the college was not meeting its statutory requirements in respect of safeguarding, safeguarding of boarders, behaviour and measures to prevent bullying, and that the standards relating to leadership and management of the school were not met. A short visit the following year after the appointment of a new head (Emma Pattison) focusing on these issues found that they had been rectified and the standards were now met.[29][30]
On 5 February 2023, headteacher Emma Pattison, her husband George, and their seven-year-old daughter Lettie were found dead in their residence, the Head's House, on the school's grounds.[31] Pattison, who was the school's first female head, had been appointed headteacher in September 2022 after six years as head teacher ofCroydon High School.[32]Surrey Police suspect that George Pattisonhad killed his wife and daughter with a firearm,before committing suicide.[33]
Paul Williams was appointed as acting head immediately, withSir Anthony Seldon, former head of Wellington College, announced as interim head on 17 February 2023 in an email to parents. He was due to be headmaster from 1 March 2023-September 2024.[34] From September 2024, he was succeeded by Mark Lascelles,[35]
| House Name | Composition | Colours | Named after | Motto | Founded | Housemaster/Mistress |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carr (C) | Day Boys | Dr. William Carr | Pro Christo et Patria Dulce Periculum | 1883[36] | Rob Young | |
| Crawfurd (Cr) | Boarding Girls | Sir Raymond Crawfurd,[37][38][39][40] member and former chairman of council | Durum Patientia Frango[41] | 1935 as a Day Boys House[42] | Rachel Lee[43] | |
| Fayrer (Fa) | Day Boys | SirJoseph Fayrer | Quo Aequior eo Melior | 1897 as a Junior Boys House[44] | Christopher Telfor-Mason | |
| Forest (F) | Boarding Boys | An early College Benefactor | Semper Forestia | 1883[36] | Jonny Bailey | |
| Granville (G) | Boarding Boys | Earl Granville | Frangas non flectes | 1883 as 'Gilchrist'. Renamed 1884.[36] | Kai Cenat[45] | |
| Hart Smith | Closed 1965 | [46] | Former Headmaster Rev. T.N. Hart-Smith-Pearse | 1931 for Foundationers aged under 13 | n/a | |
| Holman (H) | Boarding Boys | Treasurer Sir Constantine Holman[47] | 1897 as a Junior Boys House[44] | Jonny Tidmarsh[48] | ||
| Propert (P) | Day Boys | Founder John Propert | Dyfalad | 1883 as Boarding Boys House[36] | Alex Buhagiar | |
| Raven (Rv) | Day Girls | Dame Kathleen Raven, member of council | Faith in Adversity | 1999[49] | Rhiannon Johnson[50] | |
| Robinson (Rn) | Day Boys | [46] | Henry Robinson, chairman of council | Virtute non Verbis | 1968[51] | Paul Gillespie |
| Rosebery (R) | Day Girls | The Earl of Rosebery | 1926[52] as a day boys house became girls in 2008 | Beth Elliott Lockhart | ||
| White House (Wh) | Day and 6th form Boarding Girls | Original Building Name | 1976 | Faith Smith | ||
| Wilson (W) | Boarding Girls | SirErasmus Wilson | Expecta Cuncta Superna | 1871, as an independent Boarding Boys House,[53] named 1883[36] & incorporated into the College 1914.[54] | Rebecca Wilson[55] | |
| Murrell (M) | Day Girls[56] | Dr Christine Murrell[56] | Be of Good Courage[56] | 2017[56] | Céline Winmill[56] |
House colours are seen in the stripes in the ties worn by the majority of boys (those not wearing colours or prefects' ties); on a rectangular brooch occasionally worn by the girls; and at the neck of girls' school pullovers. They are also used in house rugby and athletics tops. Each house occupies its own building, and they compete with each other in several inter house competitions throughout the year. Propert is regarded as being the college’s original and premier house, with it being named after the College’s founder Dr John Propert.
In addition to the senior school houses, students in the lower school (years 7 and 8) also have houses that act as their primary classes for both years of their lower school life.[57] These houses are: Wardroper, Hutchinson, Glyn Hughes, Jeffrey and Doudney. Unlike senior school houses, they do not have their own building and do not participate in senior school events.
Association football became the major sport for boys in the Lent Term in 2014. Previously the sport was an option and played at Sixth Form level only. Now it is played across all age groups from Under 12 to U18. The college is currently part of the Southern Independent Schools Lent Term League. The first team won the 23/24 ISFA trophy.
Epsom College has a long history of target rifle shooting, both small-bore and full-bore, and describes itself as the premier rifle shooting school in the UK.[58][59] The college rifle team has won the national schools fullbore championships, theAshburton Shield, 16 times, most recently in 2024, the highest number of wins by a school.[59] The College is currently the top represented school in the England U17 and U18 squad.
Rugby football is a major boys' sport during theMichaelmas term. Rugby sevens is played in the Lent Term. In 2001, the Epsom College U15 team won their age group inDaily Mail Cup, beatingThe John Fisher School by 17–12 atTwickenham in the Final.[60] In 2006, the U16 Epsom sevens team won the 2006Sevens National Championship atRosslyn Park by beatingMillfield 29–19.[61] In 2005 Epsom College U15 Team lost to Bedford 10–5 in the Semi-final of theDaily Mail competition.[62]
The Epsom College Director of Rugby is formerIreland internationalPaul Burke.[63]
 | This sectionpossibly containsoriginal research. Pleaseimprove it byverifying the claims made and addinginline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.(February 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
During the Second World War, in preparation for the possibility of attack from the air, several air raid shelters were built, the outlines of which are still visible in aerial photographs and satellite imagery as a row of negativecropmarks in the grass on the Chapel Triangle. In his 1944 book,Sunday After The War,Henry Miller called these "shelters from aerial bombardment".[64]
At the heart of the school is the Chapel of St Luke. Students attend the Victorian era chapel twice a week, and it is also used for confirmation.
Near Wilson Pitch,[65] there are the remnants of several open-airfives courts, one of which is said to be a doubles court. In the late 1960s, these were functional courts, albeit of odd design.
The school lent its name to the thirty-eighth steamlocomotive (Engine 937) in theSouthern Railway'sClass V, of which there were 40. This class was also known as the Schools Class because all40 of the class were named after prominent English public schools. 'Epsom', as it was called, was built in 1934. The locomotive bearing the school's name was withdrawn in the early 1960s.[74]
 |
|
Religion: Church of England
(built in) 1853. Architect "Mr Clifton". Formerly Royal Medical Benevolent College. Red brick with ashlar dressings. Pitched tile roofs. Grouped brick stacks with cornicing. 2 storeys with 3-storey gables at intervals. 1 long range, asymmetrically organised. Mullion and transom windows with pointed lights and hood-moulds which link up as string-courses. Main entrance under 5-storey tower, with crow-stepped crenellations to parapet, 1 octagonal flanking stair tower (also crenellated), and 1 diagonal buttress. 3-storey ashlar porch also with diagonal buttresses breaking back above ground floor, and canted on 2nd floor, pointed archway on ground floor, mullioned windows above. Single storey rooms break forward to north and south of entrance. Range continues to north, breaking forward only slightly at each subsidiary entrance, which has many-chamfered soffit set between elaborately carved buttresses, and gabled attic storeys above. North and south return sections isolated from remainder of range.
(built in) 1895. By Sir Arthur Blomfield ARA & Sons. Red brick. Ashlar dressings. Pitched slate roof. No aisles or chancel. 8 bays, separated by buttresses with tumbled brick set backs, each with 1 3-light window with Perpendicular tracery. 5-light "E" and "W" windows also with Perpendicular tracery. Moulded eaves cornice, crenellated parapet. Crocketed finials above buttresses. Gargoyles at corners. 2 bay chapels project to "N" and "S", with parapets following gable line. Porch to "N". Canted chapel projection to "S", surmanted by open wooden lantern with octagonal shingled spire. This chapel was built to replace the existing chapel which was too small.
The nave of Epsom College Chapel, which has been rebuilt on an enlarged scale as a memorial to the 140 Old Epsomians who fell in the war, was consecrated by the Bishop of Winchester on February21st (1925)
In 1915 he joined the Council of Epsom College, became its Chairman in 1923 and did service of outstanding worth.
Of all his public work nothing was nearer to Sir Constantine Holman's heart than Epsom College. In 1887 the school had fallen on evil days and reform was urgently called for. He had been a member of the council of the college for some years, when in 1887 he was appointed Treasurer.
Bearn was born in Surrey, the son of an under-secretary in the Ministry of Health. He was educated at Epsom College and Guy's Hospital, qualifying in 1950.
He received many honours – elected president of the American Society of Human Genetics, membership of the American National Academy of Sciences, a Fellowship at Christ's College, Cambridge and, between 1997–2002 he headed the American Philosophical Society. He was awarded the Alfred Benzon Prize in Denmark, the Benjamin Franklin Medal and the David Rockefeller Award.
Born at Witton Park, Durham on 23 February 1892, he was educated at Darlington Grammar School and Epsom College. He was commissioned in the 5th BattalionDLI in 1910 and joined the 2nd Battalion DLI in 1912 as a Second Lieutenant. His career during the Great War was remarkable, rising from Lieutenant in 1914 to Brigadier General in 1917, when at 25 years old he was the youngest General in the British Army. During the War he served with 2 DLI, 7 DLI and commanded the 9th Battalion DLI for over a year. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery at Eaucourt l'Abbaye on 1 October 1916, whilst commanding 9 DLI.
Neville Butler's research into human development over time improved the lives of children and families throughout the UK and around the world. Through his tireless efforts he produced priceless information about the health, development, social wellbeing, education and lifestyles of thousands of British families.
Burke scored 122 points in 21 appearances for Tigers as he added the 2006/07 Guinness Premiership and EDF Energy Cup titles to his lengthy list of achievements.
Nick was born in 1973, Christian in 1974, and both went to public school in Epsom.
His masterworks included the wartime transformation of General Bernard Montgomery from austere martinet to lovable Monty, and contriving to build and sail a replica of the Mayflower from Plymouth, Devon, to Plymouth, Massachusetts... His education, at Epsom College, was abbreviated by his impatience to get to Fleet Street - he had various reporting jobs before enlisting in the army at the beginning of the second world war.
Tyger Drew-Honey, who plays 11-year-old Jake, will also soon be seen as a regular character in Hat Trick's The Armstrong & Miller sketch show on BBC One.
Michael Fallon was appointed Minister for Business and Enterprise in September 2012, in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. [...] Born in Scotland and married with two children, Michael was educated at Epsom College and St Andrews University.
Mr Fernandes says his first thought was to start a long-haul low-cost airline flying between Kuala Lumpur and London – mainly because of his memories of being unhappy at Epsom College, the English private school where he was sent at 12. "You've read all of the Tom Brown's Schooldays stories]. . . it was like it really was true. So I called my mum . . . and I asked, "Can I come home for half term?' And she said, 'No, its just too expensive.' And there in my mind was like, 'I must make airlines cheap for people to fly.'"
Jimmy, as he was known to his friends, left Epsom College after turning his back on a career in medicine and instead enrolled at the Webber-Douglas School of Dramatic Art, London, to tread the boards.
In his first term at Epsom, Hewitt was awarded his house colours for cricket by a school prefect named Stewart, afterwards the film star Stewart Granger.
... he pursued the work of his profession with ardour and distinction. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, and a frequent participant at the meetings of the Medical, Clinical, and Therapeutic Sections. He was the author of a thesis, "Graves's Disease," and of several papers in the medical journals
Keith Irvine was a Scots-born interior designer whose career blossomed in the 1980s as rich Americans demanded the so-called "English country house look".
The actress attended Danes Hill School and regularly goes back there to watch the school plays. She said of her time there: "I loved it, I absolutely loved it." Ciara later went to Epsom College but did not go to university, choosing instead to focus on her acting career. "I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't an actress, probably English or psychology. I've never really given it a thought."
Richard Stanley Leigh Jones (1940– ), activist and parliamentarian, was born at Epsom, Surrey in the UK, son of Edward and Marjorie Jones. He was educated at Downsend School and Epsom College before settling in Australia in 1965. He worked in advertising and publishing and from the late 1960s onward was an activist for environmental, human rights and animal welfare causes.
recommended me for a special scholarship to Epsom College, the large public school on the eastern outskirts of Epsom, and the college headmaster had agreed this.
Lambert made no claims for his books, which he often wrote in five weeks, simply dismissing them as pot-boilers; but in 1988 the veteran American journalistMartha Gellhorn paid tribute in The Daily Telegraph to his intricate plotting and skilful use of factual material. It appealed, she declared, to a universal hunger for "pure unadulterated storytelling", of the sort supplied by storytellers in a bazaar.
Derek Lambert was born in 1929 and educated at Epsom College, Surrey. His childhood and early teens spent during the Second World War were amusingly, at times movingly, described in his 1965 memoir, The Sheltered Days
Lowe was called up to the England U20's squad for the U20 Six Nations, where he was in fine try-scoring form, and continued to represent England U20's throughout the Junior World Championship in summer 2009
Test Pilot Lucas displayed great courage and presence of mind during a test flight and, by his skill and coolness, saved an aircraft from destruction
During the 1980s McCowan also presided in a number of highly publicised IRA trials. He was seen as a first-rate jury judge – thoughtful, rarely intervening and always bang on point. He could be testy if counsel made inappropriate submissions, but he saw problems with great simplicity, could work at great speed and was dependable for the heaviest criminal work.
McGlashan was the son of a general practitioner of Scottish origin who had a passion for the sea; he was drowned during the Second World War when the Domala, on which he was serving as ship's surgeon – after lying about his age – was bombed. Alan was educated at Epsom College before entering the RFC (later the RAF) at a tender age during the First World War, and flying many perilous missions, including two aerial encounters with the "Red Baron", the German ace Baron von Richthofen. McGlashan was awarded the MC and the Croix de Guerre avec Palmes, and was frequently mentioned in dispatches.
Halford John Mackinder was born in the market town of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, on 15 February 1861. The eldest of six children, he was educated at Epsom College and later Christ Church College [sic], Oxford.
Mr Mackrell, while in charge of the elephant transport, heard that a number of refugees were attempting to reachAssam over theChaukan Pass. In appalling weather he led his elephants by forced marches over a route hitherto considered impracticable. At great personal risk and after several vain attempts he took them across the flooded river, the bed of which consisted of shifting boulders
He thus rescued 68sepoys and 33 other persons who were facing starvation. Without medical assistance he fed and doctored them until they were fit to proceed. He fell ill with severe fever but remained behind and was responsible for saving the lives of over 200 persons. Mr Mackrell showed the highest initiative and personal courage, and risked hardships which might easily have proved fatal
Reviewer's comment: covers inter alia his time at the College.
Ojukwu, widely known as Emeka, was born in Zungeru, northern Nigeria. His father was the transport millionaire Sir Louis Ojukwu. Schooled at King's college, Lagos, and Epsom college, Surrey, Emeka studied history at Lincoln College, Oxford. Graduating in 1955, he returned to work in the eastern Nigeria administrative service, and two years later joined the army, one of the first Nigerian graduates to do so. It was a surprising decision for one who had been known in Oxford for his playboy lifestyle, but it reflected a serious commitment to Nigeria, and even a certain farsightedness about the role the military might come to play in politics.
John Egerton Christmas Piper was born 13th December 1903 in Epsom, Surrey, he was the son of a solicitor, He was educated at Epsom College and trained at the Richmond School of Art, followed by the Royal College of Art in London. He turned from abstraction early in his career, concentrating on a more naturalistic but distinctive approach.
Building started on the Queen Elizabeth Conference Hall, opposite Westminster Abbey and next to the neo-classical Methodist Central Hall, in 1975, and was completed – "probably by an oversight", Powell later noted – under Margaret Thatcher. She made no effort to hide her dislike for the modernist scheme when she sat next to Powell at a dinner at the Royal Academy – a meeting he later described as "hair-raising".
The commander of 17th Indian Division, Major-General "Punch" Cowan, had the highest regard for Robertson's abilities. If there was a tough job to be done, he used to say: "Send for Jim."
Robert Scott was born on 22 April 1857 at Whittlesey, near Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. He was the son of Fleet-Surgeon Robert Charles Scott (RN) and Mary Elizabeth Scott. He entered Epsom College in 1870 and joined Granville House. He was an active member of the College Corps. After leaving College in 1871 he went on to join the Cape Mountain Riflemen in 1876. He served in the Frontier Wars of 1877 and the Zulu War of 1878–9.
Air Vice-Marshal G.E. Stacey, MBE, to be Commander British Forces Cyprus and Administrator of the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on 4 November 2010, in succession to Major-General J.H. Gordon, CBE.
AKROTIRI – Any hydrocarbon deposits found with British Bases jurisdiction will be for the benefit of Cypriots, the Commander of the British Forces Cyprus and Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) Administrator Air Vice Marshal G E Stacey said
Graham (Vivian) Sutherland was born on 24 August 1903, in Streatham near London. After an apprenticeship and working as an engineer for the railroad, Graham Sutherland studied art at Goldsmiths' College School of Art in London from 1920 until 1925. His early works consist mainly of landscapes with surrealistic overtones.
The son of a college maths lecturer, he grew up in suburban Surrey where he attended Epsom College and attempted to launch his broadcasting career at 16 by building a pirate-radio transmitter in his bedroom – though he succeeded only in blocking reception to his parents' TV.
I really enjoyed school, but for me it was a lot of messing about. There was a lot of laughter because there were so many situations where you were not allowed to laugh. I probably was a little bit of a class clown – in fact, I definitely was. One of the housemasters at Epsom College, Roy Moody, actually put on my report: "Spends too much time acting the fool. He should realise the way you act is sometimes what you become." As it turns out, he was bang on the money.
Born in Surrey on 6 January 1963, Julian was educated at Epsom College, and went on to study English Literature at Leicester University.
The mathematician Robert Arthur Roseveare was recruited, as soon as he finished school, to work as a cryptographer at the Government Code and Cipher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, north of London. He was one of the early codebreakers who, during the Second World War, after a short period of training, joined a team that deciphered messages encoded by German Enigma machines
The venerable Starmers has 25 years of BBC commentary behind him. He played rugby for Oxford University, Harlequins and England. He taught geography at Epsom College. His is a mature vintage, a deep bouquet, an elegant nose. A man of judgement, discernment, eloquence.
| Towns, villages and hamlets |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks | ||
| Places of worship | ||
| Education | ||
| Transport | ||
| Buildings and structures | ||
| Sport | ||
| People | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
