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St George's School, Windsor Castle | |
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Location | |
, , SL4 1QF | |
Information | |
Type | Private preparatory school Choral foundation school |
Religious affiliation(s) | Church of England |
Established | 1352 |
Founder | Edward III |
Local authority | Windsor and Maidenhead |
Department for Education URN | 110131 Tables |
Chairman of the Governors | David Conner, Dean of Windsor |
Headmaster | William Goldsmith |
Staff | 80 (approx.) |
Gender | Coeducational |
Age | 3to 13 |
Enrolment | 410 (approx.) |
Houses | Garter, Clarence, Lancaster, Winchester |
Website | http://www.stgwindsor.co.uk |
St George's School, Windsor Castle is a co-educational private 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.
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.
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.
At the beginning of the 2024/25 school year, St George’s will welcome their first ever female headmistress, Emma Károlyi.
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.
Lancing College is a public school for pupils aged 13–18 in southern England, UK. The school is located in West Sussex, east of Worthing near the village of Lancing, on the south coast of England. Lancing was founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard and educates c. 600 pupils between the ages of 13 and 18; the co-educational ratio is c. 60:40 boys to girls. Girls were admitted beginning in 1971. The first co-ed, Saints’ House, was established in September 2018, bringing the total number of Houses to 10. There are 5 male houses and 4 female houses.
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The Choir of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle exists to sing services in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
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