Bishop Wordsworth's School

Bishop Wordsworth's School
Address
The Close Salisbury , Wiltshire , SP1 2EB England
Coordinates	51°03′53″N1°47′51″W / 51.0647°N 1.7975°W / 51.0647; -1.7975
Information
Type	Grammar school; academy
Motto	Veritas in Caritate Truth in Love
Religious affiliation(s)	Church of England
Established	1889
Founder	John Wordsworth
Department for Education URN	136500 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Headmaster	Matthew Morgan [1]
Gender	Boys (mixed sixth form)
Age	11to 18
Enrolment	1184 [1]  (September 2024)
Houses	Jewell, Martival, Osmund, Poore, Ward [2]
Colour(s)	Dark blue and silver/white
Publication	Wordsworth magazine
Former pupils	Old Wordsworthians/BoBs
Website	www.bishopwordsworths.org.uk

Bishop Wordsworth's School is a Church of England boys' grammar school in Salisbury, Wiltshire for boys aged 11 to 18. The school is regularly amongst the top-performing schools in England, and in 2010 was the school with the best results in the English Baccalaureate. ^{[3] [4]} It was granted academy status in March 2011 and is an Additional Member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. It is within the grounds of Salisbury Cathedral, adjacent to the Cathedral School.

Sixth form teaching was in collaboration with South Wilts Grammar School for Girls until June 2020; from September 2020 the school admitted girls direct to its sixth form, with 45 joining Year 12. ^[5]

The school's full name is Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School, shortened to BWS. It is known colloquially as Bishop's, and its students as Bishop's Boys. The school's motto is Veritas in Caritate, taken from the Latin text of Ephesians 4:15: "(Speaking the) truth in love." ^[6]

History

Bishop Wordsworth's School, No. 11 The Close. The cathedral spire is visible in the background.

The school was founded in June 1889, when the bishop of Salisbury, John Wordsworth, announced to his friend Canon Woodall, "I should like to see Salisbury a great educational centre. I should like to found a school which shall be equal to the greatest and best of our public schools."^{[ citation needed ]} His initial desire that working class boys were not to be admitted caused much controversy. Fees were initially set at £1.10s.0d, and boarding fees were £2 per term; however, the fees were raised to £9 in 1894 to meet the unexpected costs of the school. During the first year, classes were taught in the bishop's palace of Salisbury itself. Bishop Wordsworth personally donated £3000, which was used to purchase an area of land in the cathedral close and to build the school's first buildings. After Wordsworth's death, the school was renamed Bishop Wordsworth's School, having been previously known as "The Bishop's School".

In 1905, the school became a grammar school, its buildings consisting of the current Chapel Block and Bishopgate. Between 1905 and 1927 the school also used buildings in the Friary and also on New Street in Salisbury. Until 1928 the school admitted both boys and girls, but from 1927, with the founding of a girls' grammar school in the city called South Wilts Grammar School, the school admitted boys only.

In 1931 a hall, science laboratories and a library were built. By the 1930s, the school had achieved a reputation for pioneering educational work,^{[ citation needed ]} and in 1936 became a public school. During the Second World War, pupils from the Priory School in Portsmouth moved to BWS to avoid the bombing of the city. In 1948 the governors accepted voluntary controlled status, which meant being funded by Wiltshire County Council as local education authority and accepting its supervision. Boarding at the school in the Bishopgate buildings ended in the 1950s, and the buildings were used for teaching thereafter.

The school now educates boys aged 11 to 18 in years 7–13 and girls aged 16 to 18 in years 12–13.

In 2002, a major redevelopment of the school's site and buildings commenced. A new classroom block and drama studio were followed by an extensive sports hall and physical education facilities, and a sixth form block was finished in July 2010. The old sports hall was converted to house the art department, and the design technology block has been expanded. In 2011 a new cookery room was completed with the reception moved from The Close to Exeter Street and in 2017 the new Maths Block was completed.

In 2004 the school was awarded its first specialism in languages. In 2008 the school achieved an additional specialism in science. As part of its specialist work the school has supported all of the city primary schools in Salisbury in languages, and many with science too.^{[ citation needed ]}

The school converted to single academy status in 2011. It has five houses, named after bishops of Salisbury: Poore, Osmund, Jewell, Martival and Ward.

In 2016 the school was criticised for asking parents for money towards their sons' exam costs. One Bishop Wordsworth's School parent said the school was not private and should not be "money grabbing". Headmaster Stuart Smallwood defended the school, saying it did not receive enough government funding and that the payments were entirely optional. ^[7]

In October 2021, it was reported that Wiltshire Police had investigated drugs activity among a small number of pupils. The previous month, a 14-year-old boy had been arrested on suspicion of being involved in the supply of Class A drugs. ^[8]

In March 2023, it was reported that a student in Year 10 had been arrested on suspicion of sending social media messages threatening to perform a mass shooting at the school. ^[9]

In December 2024, the Salisbury Journal reported that headmaster Matthew Morgan had left the school for personal reasons, after three months in the post. ^[10]

Entrance

Entry to the school is regulated by the 11-plus. ^[11] Applicants sit the test in year 6, at the age of 10 or 11. The exams are held in September at the school itself. There are also limited twelve plus and thirteen plus admissions, similarly by examination. Sixth form admission is administered by the head of sixth form, and is granted on the basis of GCSE results. Pupils must achieve more than 48 points (including 5 in maths and English) in their GCSEs to continue their studies in sixth form, as well as a relatively high grade in the options they propose to take. ^{[12] [ obsolete source ]}

Notable staff

Sir William Golding, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, was a schoolmaster teaching philosophy and English in 1939, then English and religious education from 1945 to 1962. Lord of the Flies was Golding's first book, written in 1954, and it is widely believed that its main characters were based on Golding's students.^{[ citation needed ]}

Golding also regularly sang with Bishop Wordsworth's School choir. He was known affectionately as "Scruff" by the pupils due to his sometimes unkempt hair and beard and his carefree dress sense. ^[13] After Golding's death in 1993, the school choir sang at his memorial service in Salisbury Cathedral. In March 2005 a plaque was placed at the school to commemorate Golding's time as a teacher. ^[14] Headmaster Happold was also noted for the foundation of the "Company of Honour and Service". Kenelm Foster wrote:

"[the company is] a sort of modernist Grail (for Boys) or Solidarity which Dr Happold founded in 1935 at Bishop Wordsworth's School, Salisbury. This is his nucleus, his 'order', his new aristocracy, which is to permeate England: a little cohort of leaders, of seers, of doers." (Cited in Happold, 1964, pp. 33).

Alan Harwood was a notable organ scholar and taught music at Bishop Wordsworth's School. After Harwood's death in 2003, composer Sam Hanson (organist/director of music at St Peter's Church, Bournemouth, formerly organ scholar at Jesus College, Cambridge), dedicated a requiem to him.

Former headmaster Clive Barnett (who left the school in 2002) is patron of the charity EdUKaid, a role he shares with Glenys Kinnock.

In 2009 a retired teacher who was being investigated for indecent assault killed himself by inhaling helium. Nicholas Bray was found dead at his home by police officers on 12 June 2009 after failing to attend an appointment at Salisbury Police Station. He had been arrested in 2007 for an assault dating back several years and was also being investigated for possessing indecent images. ^[15]

In August 2024 Stuart Smallwood retired as headmaster after 22 years and was succeeded by Matthew Morgan, formally headmaster at Sir Thomas Rich school in Gloucester. ^[16]

Headmasters

• 1890–1928: Reuben Bracher
• 1928–1960: Frederick Crossfield Happold
• 1960–1964: Ernest Ethrin Sabben-Clare
• 1964–1974: Robert Cabot Rowsell Blackledge ^[17]
• 1974–1992: Glyn Evans
• 1992–2002: Clive Barnett
• 2002–2024: Stuart Smallwood
• 2024-2024: Matthew Morgan

Notable alumni

See also: Category:People educated at Bishop Wordsworth's School

The "Old Wordsworthian" AGM and lunch is traditionally held after the cathedral service and Founder's Day celebrations in July.

Science

• Mark Oxborrow, professor at Imperial College London, ^[18] co-discoverer of the room-temperature solid-state maser ^[19]

• Professor Patrick Eyers, Johnston Professor of Biochemistry at University of LIverpool, ^[20] who co-discovered the gatekeeper residue in protein kinases in 1998 ^[21] and studies the roles of kinases and pseudoenzymes in human biology. ^[22] He has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers in the field of kinase regulation and been cited over 11,000 times ^[23]

Military

• Walter Edward Maxfield, lieutenant colonel 1st Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles, CEF (The Bishop's School: 1890–1892) ^{[24] [25]}
• William Sholto Thesigerwst Douglass, colonel, Royal Engineers ^{[26] [27] [28]}
• Tom Adlam, lieutenant colonel, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment, Victoria Cross recipient ^{[29] [30] [31]}
• George Woolnough, lieutenant colonel, The Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's) ^[32]
• Chris Moon, captain, Royal Anglian Regiment ^{[14] [33]}
• Richard Crisp, lieutenant, Special Air Service Regiment, executed by enemy forces during SAS/SOE Operation Bulbasket ^{[26] [34]}
• F N Robertson, flight sergeant, No 261 Sqn, Hurricane fighter ace with 11th most kills of any Commonwealth pilot ^[35] in World War II ^[26]
• Dudley Cockle, flight sergeant, Royal Air Force airman; recipient of the British Empire Medal
• Percy Morfill, squadron leader, a flying ace of the Royal Air Force during World War II

Sports

• Dudley Cockle, cricketer
• David Egerton, England rugby international player ^[14]
• Richard Anthony Hill, former Saracens and England international rugby union flanker, player/captain/winner RWC 2003 ^[14]
• Richard John Hill, coach and former Bath and England international rugby union scrum half, player/captain ^[14]
• John Shaw, England XI hockey captain and Olympian ^[14]
• Tom Heathcote, Bath Rugby fly-half ^[36]
• John Coundley, racing driver ^[37]
• Jonathan Copp, (BWS: 1969–1977) England and Great Britain Olympic hockey squad coach ^[14]
• James McIntosh, English Channel swimmer ^[38]

Business

• Colin Sharman, Baron Sharman, chairman of Aviva Group and former chairman of KPMG International, Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy to Morocco ^[39]

Arts

• Ralph Fiennes, actor ^[40]
• Joseph Fiennes, actor ^[41]
• Tim Hampton, film producer ^[42]
• Anthony Robert Klitz, major, Middlesex Regiment, artist ^[43]
• Hamish Milne, concert pianist and professor of piano at the Royal Academy of Music
• David Oakes, actor ^[44]
• Otto Plaschkes, movie producer ^{[45] [46] [47]}
• Andy Sheppard, jazz musician ^[48]
• Nigel Shore, principal oboist with the Komische Oper Berlin ^[49]
• Peter Thursby, sculptor ^[50]
• David Bates, conductor ^[51]
• Barney Norris, novelist and playwright
• James Marriott, musician

Education

• Basil Chubb, professor of Irish history at Trinity College Dublin, author, and interned during the Second World War in Stalag Luft III
• Andrew Copp, neurobiologist ^[52]
• Andrew Tym Hattersley, ^[53] head of the Exeter Diabetes Genetics Centre, ^[54] professor of molecular medicine, Peninsula Medical School, University of Exeter, ^{[55] [56]} consultant physician, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, great-grandson of John Wordsworth, the bishop of Salisbury, who founded BWS. ^[57]
• Prof. Chris Sangwin, mathematician, University of Edinburgh ^[58]

Legal

• Ken Macdonald, warden of Wadham College, Oxford, director of public prosecutions (DPP), head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) from 2003 to 2008 ^[59]

Politics

• David Munro, Conservative police and crime commissioner for Surrey 2016–2020
• Tom Copley, Labour Party London Assembly member

Religion

• Mervyn Alexander, the 8th bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clifton, from 1974 to 2001
• Wilfred Frank Curtis, major, Royal Artillery, ^[60] Anglican priest ^[61]

Journalism

• Andrew Harvey, BBC newsreader ^[14]
• Anthony Hayward, journalist and author

Other

• Cecil Chubb, last private owner of Stonehenge
• Mark Labbett (born 1965), quizzer ^[62]
• Frank Noyce, member of the Governor-General of India's Executive Council from 1932 to 1937, ^{[63] [64]} and member of the Indian Public Schools' Society (IPSS)
• Sir Graham Smith, HM chief inspector of probation from 1992 to 2001 ^[65]
• Ralph Whitlock farmer, broadcaster, conservationist, journalist and author

Sources

• Happold, Frederick Crossfield, Bishop Wordsworth's School 1890 – 1950. Privately printed for Bishop Wordsworth's School, 1950, 124pp.
• Happold, Frederick Crossfield, Religious Faith and Twentieth-Century Man. Pelican Original, 1964.
• 'Roman Britain in 1954: I. Sites Explored: II. Inscriptions', The Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 45, Parts 1 and 2. (1955), pp. 121–149.
• United Kingdom Census 1901
• British Army Medals & Honour Rolls 1914–1920

References

1. "Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School". GOV.UK: Schools. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
2. "The House System At BWS". School website. Archived from the original on 26 August 2013.
3. "Performance tables 2010". Department for Education.
4. "Performance tables 2011". Department for Education.
5. "City's grammar schools end single sex tradition". Your Valley News. 26 April 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
6. "Chapel and Cathedral Services". Bishop Wordsworth's School. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
7. Riddle, Joe (6 May 2016). "School asks parents to pay for pupils' exams". Salisbury Journal. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
8. Draper, Mike (23 October 2021). "Boy, 14, arrested after alleged drug supply at Salisbury school". Greatest Hits Radio (Salisbury). Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
9. "Bishop's boy banned from school while police investigate online threats". Salisbury Journal. March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
10. Holliday, Isabella (10 December 2024). "Bishops Wordsworth's School headmaster resigns with immediate effect". Bishops Wordsworth's School headmaster resigns with immediate effect. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
11. "Admissions Overview". BWS website. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020.
12. "Admissions – Sixth Form Entry". BWS website. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020.
13. Ramtuhul, Claire (13 March 2012). "Preview: The Dreams of William Golding". Cultural Capital. New Statesman. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
14. "Famous Wordsworthians". School Website. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014.
15. "Former teacher overdosed on helium". Salisbury Journal. 19 October 2009. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
16. "Well-known Head Master given send off to remember to mark retirement". Salisbury Journal. 10 July 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
17. "Alumni Publications – The Record 2007" (PDF). Keble College, Oxford . p. 48.
18. "Dr Mark Oxborrow". www.imperial.ac.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
19. Oxborrow, Mark; Breeze, Jonathan D.; Alford, Neil M. (2012). "Room-temperature solid-state maser". Nature. 488 (7411): 353–356. Bibcode:2012Natur.488..353O. doi:10.1038/nature11339. hdl: 10044/1/13785 .
20. "Professor Pat Eyers". www.liverpool.ac.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
21. {{cite journal | url=https://www.cell.com/cell-chemical-biology/fulltext/S1074-5521(98)90170-3%7C title=Conversion of SB 203580-insensitive MAP kinase family members to drug-sensitive forms by a single amino-acid substitution| date=1998| last1=Eyers| first1=Patrick A.| last2=Cohen| first2=Philip| last3=Goedert| first3=Michel| journal=Cell Chemical Biology| volume=5| issue=6| pages=321–328|
22. {{cite journal|url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scisignal.aat9797%7C title=Emerging concepts in pseudoenzyme classification, evolution, and signaling| date=2019| last1=Ribeiro| first1=Antonio| last2=Murphy| first2=James M| last3=Eyers| first3=Patrick A.| doi=10.1126/scisignal.aat9797|journal=Science Signaling| volume=12|594:eaat9797|
23. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=fpfMPH0AAAAJ&hl=en
24. "Memorable Manitobans: Walter Edward Maxfield (1877–1964)". The Manitoba Historical Society. 18 June 2011.
25. "Canadian Mounted Rifles – 'Pop'".
26. "Old Wordsworthians killed in the Second World War 1939–1945" (PDF). School Website. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011.
27. "Taukkyan War Cemetery". Roll-of-honour.org.uk.
28. Reading Room Manchester (24 July 1945). "Casualty Details". Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
29. "Tom Edwin Adlam's family dedication". 27 September 2003. Archived from the original on 20 April 2005.
30. "Tom Edwin Adlam's burial location". The Victoria Cross. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012.
31. "Old Wordsworthians killed in the First World War 1914–1918" (PDF). School Website. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011.
32. "Lieutenant-Colonel George Woolnough obituary". The Daily Telegraph . 26 February 2012.
33. "Administration: Students To Celebrate Success At Degree Congregations". University of Leicester. 21–23 July 1999.
34. "ROM Communal Cemetery (Deux Sevres France)". In Memory by Pierre Vandervelden.
35. Thomas, Andrew (2003). Hurricane Aces 1941–1945. Osprey Publishing. p. 83. ISBN   978-1-84-176610-2.
36. "Tom Heathcote". Bath Rugby official website. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012.
37. "John Coundley, racing driver – obituary". The Telegraph. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
38. "Channel Swimming Association".
39. "New Trade Envoys and Business Investment to Boost Trade Links". The National Archives. 12 November 2012. Archived from the original on 3 March 2013.
40. Berens, Jessica (26 April 2003). "Down to a Fiennes art". The Sydney Morning Herald . Sydney.
41. "Notable People". Inside Wiltshire.
42. Blake, Morwenna (21 March 2013). "Film producer dies at 65". Salisbury Journal. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
43. "Tony". Klitz Family History. Archived from the original on 18 March 2013.
44. "Canon's son acts evil" (PDF). Salisbury Cathedral website. November 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 March 2013.
45. Robinson, David (16 February 2005). "Otto Plaschkes obituary". The Guardian . London.
46. Hassan, Mamoun (5 March 2005). "Old-school film producer". The Independent . London.
47. Bones, James (7 March 2005). "Film producer whose 'Georgy Girl' helped to set the tone for Sixties Swinging London". The Times .
48. "Andy returns to his roots". Salisbury Journal . 30 April 2009.
49. "Nigel Shore Bio". naxos.com. Berlin.
50. Light, Vivienne (20 February 2011). "Peter Thursby obituary". The Guardian .
51. Nice, David (20 December 2016). "Crowe, La Nuova Musica, Bates, St John's Smith Square". TheArtsDesk.
52. "Staff List – Prof. Andrew Copp". UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. London. Archived from the original on 19 April 2005.
53. "Professor Andrew Tym Hattersley FRS". The Royal Society.
54. "Head of The Exeter Diabetes Genetics Centre". University of Exeter Peninsula Medical School. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
55. "Staff Profiles". University of Exeter – Medical School.
56. "Contact Us". Diabetes Research dept. and the Centre for Molecular Genetics at the Peninsula Medical School and Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.
57. Vallis, David (19 April 2007). "Scientist helps find 'fat' gene". Salisbury Journal .
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59. Vallis, David (4 January 2007). "New Years Honours For Local People". Salisbury Journal .
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62. Trim, Liam (22 October 2021). "Who is Mark Labbett? The Chase star's journey from Salisbury school pupil to TV star".
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64. Streat, Sir Raymond; Dupree, Marguerite (1987). Lancashire and Whitehall: The Diary of Sir Raymond Streat. Manchester University Press. p. 263. ISBN   0-719023-90-4.
65. McNeal, Peter (14 August 2002). "Sir Graham Smith obituary". The Guardian . London.

External links

• Official website
• Old Wordsworthians' Association
• Statistics from the Department for Education