St George's School, Windsor Castle

Last updated

St George's School, Windsor Castle
Armoiries Genes.svg
St George's school, Windsor Castle - geograph.org.uk - 2324034.jpg
Location
St George's School, Windsor Castle

, ,
SL4 1QF

Information
Type Private preparatory school
Choral foundation school
Religious affiliation(s) Church of England
Established1352;672 years ago (1352)
Founder Edward III
Local authority Windsor and Maidenhead
Department for Education URN 110131 Tables
Chairman of the Governors David Conner, Dean of Windsor
HeadmasterWilliam Goldsmith
Staff80 (approx.)
GenderCoeducational
Age3to 13
Enrolment410 (approx.)
HousesGarter, Clarence, Lancaster, Winchester
Website http://www.stgwindsor.co.uk

St George's School, Windsor Castle is a co-educational 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.

Contents

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 Duchess of Edinburgh; the funeral of John Hunt, Baron Hunt; and also the blessing of the wedding of the now King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

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 30 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).

Nearly all pupils over the age of 7 learn an instrument, the majority of girls take part in ballet, tap or jazz dancing and a range of school choirs covers all age-groups.

Although the school is a town centre school, spacious playing fields are situated next door to the school site, within the King's private grounds. Boys play football, rugby and cricket and the girls play netball, hockey and rounders. Swimming takes place in the school's indoor pool.

In 2021, the house names were changed from Revenge, Rodney, Vindictive and Victory, to Garter, Clarence, Lancaster and Winchester. They are now named after the towers at Windsor Castle. The original houses were named after warships.

Headmasters

Notable pupils

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 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. 1 2 3 4 5 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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 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

51°29′08″N0°36′20″W / 51.4855°N 0.6056°W / 51.4855; -0.6056

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walford Davies</span> British composer (1869-1941)

Sir Henry Walford Davies was an English composer, organist, and educator who held the title Master of the King's Music from 1934 until 1941. He served with the Royal Air Force during the First World War, during which he composed the Royal Air Force March Past, and was music adviser to the British Broadcasting Corporation, for whom he gave commended talks on music between 1924 and 1941.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedford School</span> Public school in Bedford, England

Bedford School is a 7–18 boys public school in the county town of Bedford in England. Founded in 1552, it is the oldest of four independent schools in Bedford run by the Harpur Trust. Bedford School is one of the boys' schools in the United Kingdom, and was the winner of the Independent Boys School of the Year Award at the Independent Schools of the Year Awards in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's School, Worcester</span> Public school in Worcester, Worcestershire, England

The King's School, Worcester is an English private day school refounded by Henry VIII in 1541. It occupies a site adjacent to Worcester Cathedral on the banks of the River Severn in the centre of the city of Worcester. It offers mixed-sex mainstream education that follows the UK National Curriculum to around 1,465 pupils aged 2 to 18. At age 11, approximately two thirds of pupils join the senior school from its two prep schools, King's Hawford and King's St Albans, while others come from maintained schools in the city of Worcester and the surrounding areas that include Malvern, Redditch, Kidderminster, Evesham and Pershore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Catherine's School, Bramley</span> Private day and boarding school in Bramley, Guildford, Surrey, England

St Catherine's School is an independent girls' boarding and day school in the village of Bramley, near Guildford, Surrey, England. The school is divided into a senior school, for ages 11–18, and a preparatory school for girls aged 4–11.

Wells Cathedral School is a co-educational independent day and boarding school located in Wells, Somerset, England. The school is one of the five specialist musical schools for school-age children in the United Kingdom, along with Chetham's School of Music, the Yehudi Menuhin School, the Purcell School and St. Mary's Music School, Edinburgh. The Head Master, Alastair Tighe, is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chorister School</span> Preparatory day and boarding school in Durham, County Durham, England

The Chorister School is a co-educational independent school for the 3 to 11 age range. It is part of the Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation, in Durham, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Edmund's School Canterbury</span> Public school in Canterbury, Kent, England

St Edmund's School Canterbury is a private day and boarding school located in Canterbury, Kent, England and established in 1749. The extensive school grounds were acquired in 1855. The school currently caters for girls and boys aged 3–18, including the Choristers of Canterbury Cathedral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean Close School</span> Public school in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England

Dean Close School is a Public school for pupils aged 3–18) in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, South West England, UK. The school is divided into pre-prep, preparatory and senior schools located on separate but adjacent sites outside Cheltenham town centre, occupying the largest single private area of land within the town, at some 50 acres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Pilgrims' School</span> School in Winchester, Hampshire, England

The Pilgrims' School is a 4–13 boys preparatory school and cathedral school in the cathedral city of Winchester, Hampshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Choir of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle</span>

The Choir of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle exists to sing services in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral Grammar School</span> Private, co-educational, primary school

The Cathedral Grammar School is an independent, Anglican preparatory day school in Christchurch, New Zealand. The school is situated on a site covering two blocks in mid-Christchurch next to the Avon River and adjacent to Hagley Park, which it uses for its playing fields. It is in close proximity to Christ's College, the Canterbury Museum, the Christchurch Art Gallery and the Christchurch CBD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Church Cathedral School</span> Private day and boarding school in Oxford, England

Christ Church Cathedral School is an independent preparatory school for boys in Oxford, England. It is one of three choral foundation schools in the city and educates choristers of Christ Church Cathedral, and the Chapels of Worcester College and Pembroke College. It is a member of the IAPS and the Choir Schools Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St John's College School</span> Private preparatory school in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England

St John's College School is a co-educational preparatory school founded in the 17th century for the education of the choristers of the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge, England. The 20 choristers are educated in the school, which comprises 460 boys and girls aged 4–13. The Head Master is Neil Chippington. The school is divided into two halves, Byron house for KG, T1, T2, Form 1 and Form 2 whilst the 2nd part of the school, further up Grange Road, is in charge of Forms 3-6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's College School, Cambridge</span> Private preparatory day and boarding school in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England

King's College School is a coeducational independent preparatory school for children aged 4 to 13 in Cambridge, England, situated on West Road off Grange Road, west of the city centre. It was founded to educate the choristers in the King's College Choir during the 15th century. Although no longer located on College grounds, it remains an integral part of the Chapel's musical tradition and is still governed by and receives some funding from the College. The school is part of the same historic foundation as Eton College. The most recent full integrated Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspection awarded the grade "excellent" in all 9 categories.

The S.F.X. Boys' Choir was a Catholic boys' choir that existed from 1994 to 2007. The choir received nationwide fame when the choir sang on the reworked version of The Farm's 1990 hit "Alltogethernow" and for gaining its place in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1998 for being the first choir to sing in all 49 cathedrals and abbeys in England and Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St James School, Grimsby</span> Private day and boarding school in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, England

St James School is a coeducational private day and boarding school located in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, England. It comprises a Senior School and Sixth Form. The school is associated with the Church of England Grimsby Minster, dedicated to St James.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Truro Cathedral School</span> Independent school in Truro, Cornwall, England

Truro Cathedral School was a Church of England school for boys in Truro, Cornwall. An ancient school refounded in 1549 as the Truro Grammar School, after the establishment of Truro Cathedral in the last quarter of the 19th century it was responsible for educating the cathedral's choristers and became known as the Cathedral School.

James William Webb-Jones (1904–1965) was a Welsh choral conductor, educator, and cricketer.

Peter Stanley Lyons was a choral conductor and a headmaster of Witham Hall School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reigate St Mary's School</span> Private day school in Reigate, Surrey, England

Reigate St Mary's Preparatory and Choir School is a mixed private prep and choir school in Reigate, Surrey, England.