Rokeby Preparatory School

Rokeby School is an independent all male preparatory day school in Kingston upon Thames, London. Its headmaster is Jason Peck. The school offers an education from 4 to 13 years through the integration of a pre-preparatory school and a preparatory school. The pre-prep school was known as Junior Rokeby until 2008 when headmaster Jason Peck unified the schools under one name and uniform, at the same time abolishing the senior school's traditional Latin motto ("Aemulus studiorum et laborum", from Cicero meaning "the rival of pursuits and labours"[1]) in favour of a three word English one.

Rokeby School
Address
George Road

Kingston upon Thames
,
Greater London
,
KT2 7PB

England
Coordinates51.4175°N 0.27068°W / 51.4175; -0.27068
Information
TypePreparatory school
MottoSmart, Skilful and Kind (until 2008 "Aemulus studiorum et laborum")
Established1877
FounderCharles D. Olive, M.A. (Oxon.)
Department for Education URN102612 Tables
HeadmasterJason Peck
Staffc.45
Age4 to 13
Enrolment400
HousesBazelgette, Galsworthy, Moody and Olive
Websitehttp://www.rokebyschool.co.uk

History

Wimbledon (1877–1966)
"Helmsley", Wimbledon – the site where the school first stood (1877–79)

The school was founded in Wimbledon on 18 September 1877 originally at "Helmsley" (no. 47, Woodhayes Road) by Charles Olive, an Oxford graduate. The Helmsley site is just across the road from the current location of KCS, Wimbledon, which at the time of Rokeby's founding had yet to move from its central London campus. In the first term, however, not a single pupil appeared. In the second term the first boy enrolled (Charles J. Saunders), who later won a scholarship to Merchant Taylors' and continued onto St John's, Oxford. By the end of the first year there were 15 boys attending the school. A year later numbers had increased sufficiently to warrant a larger premises, so the school was moved to another house known as "Rokeby" (at no. 17, The Downs) in 1879 – a site now occupied by Hall School Wimbledon.

"Rokeby", No. 17 The Downs, Wimbledon (1879–1966)

When the Association of Preparatory Schools was founded in 1892 (a precursor to the current IAPS), Rokeby was one of the first members.

Kingston (1966–present)
"Rokeby", Kingston: the school's current site (1966–present)
Rokeby, Kingston: the school's current site (1966–present)

In 1965 the then owner of the school stated his intent to close it, and a group of parents decided that it should be rescued. Rokeby Educational Trust Limited, a charity, was set up in 1966 to establish a successor school on its current site in George Road Kingston.[2] The George Road building (formerly known as "Coombe Croft") was one of a number of houses on George Road that had been owned by the Galsworthy family (whose members included John Galsworthy, author of The Forsyte Saga). Although by this date it was no longer residential, the buildings were still largely laid out as a country house. Over the years, significant investments have been made. First, there was major conversion work in the main house, then the building of the hall and science block, and a kitchen. The 1990s saw the rebuilding of the pre-prep accommodation, followed by the art wing and improved music facilities at the beginning of this decade. There has also been a significant refurbishment of the library, dining room and office accommodation, and a major investment in enhancing IT capabilities in recent years.[3] The new Lower School Building comprising 6 classrooms, a performing arts hall and outdoor play space for the junior boys was officially opened by HRH Princess Alexandra on 16 October 2013.

For many years, the school made use of external sports facilities that were hired from year to year. After nearly 10 years of searching, the school bought its own sports fields in Worcester Park in 2003, some 10 minutes from the school, where a new pavilion was built. The motto of the school is "Smart, Skilful and Kind", which was coined by headmaster Jason Peck when he took over in 2007. Peck had been deputy headmaster to Michael Siegel, who authored a textbook, Latin: A Fresh Approach. There are four houses to which students belong: Bazelgette, Galsworthy, Moody and Olive.[3]

A book by Peter Wicker, headmaster 1968–85, charting the history of the school's first 125 years (1877–2002), was published in late 2009: Rokeby: the first 125 years.

Uniform

The uniform of Junior Rokeby (itself started in 1970), until the unification of the junior and senior schools, was a grey pair of shorts above the knees, a grey woollen blazer with the Junior Rokeby wheel crest and a red and black schoolboy cap. A white, short-sleeved shirt with a red and black striped tie was worn. The senior school wore grey trousers with a grey woollen blazer, distinguishable from the Junior Rokeby blazer by its red and blue piping on the lapels. The tie carries grey, black and red stripes. In 2009, Headmaster Jason Peck revamped the uniform by replacing the black in the official school colours with blue in an attempt to bring the school more in line with his views on progressive education. He also scrapped the separate junior school uniform.

School song

To mark the occasion of the Rokeby Centenary, in 1977, Ian Gregory (who taught Latin at the time) composed the Rokeby School song, based loosely on the Carmen Saeculare of Horace, and put to music by Paul Sherrell, then Head of Music. A version of the song follows first in Latin and then in English:

Latin

In urbe iuxta fluvium
Qui nomen habet Tamesis,
Illustri fama praedita
Clara schola Rokebeia stat.
Per saecula discipuli
Honores magnos ceperunt.
Una voce omnes clamant
Rokebeia floreat!

O di, si vestrum est opus,
Schola, quae olim in clivo
Parviis initiis orta,
Centum abhinc annos stabat,
Iuventu docili probos
Mores date, benevoli,
Ut omnes etiam clament
Rokebeia floreat!

Nunc fidem, pacem, honorem,
Virtutem priscam, pudorem,
Praebeant omnes pueri,
Qui iam in schola studere,
Rem Rokebeiam in alterum
Lustrum proroget saeculum.
Una voce omnes clament:
Rokebeia floreat!

English translation

In a city by a river
Which is called the Thames,
The renowned school of Rokeby stands,
With its distinguished reputation.
For many years the pupils
Have obtained great honours.
With one voice they all proclaim:
May Rokeby flourish!

O gods, if the school is your work,
Which rose one hundred ago
From small beginnings,
Standing on a hillside,
Give to our kindly and receptive
Children worthy qualities,
So that all may proclaim:
May Rokeby flourish!

May all the boys who now study
In the school show loyalty,
Grace, honour, modesty
And old-fashioned virtues,
And continue in the Rokeby manner
For many years to come.
Let everyone with one voice proclaim:
May Rokeby flourish!

Fees

School fees per term for the 2019/20 Academic Year are as follows:[4]

  • Reception - Year 2: £4,869
  • Years 3 and 4: £5,700
  • Years 5-8: £6,063

Headmasters of Rokeby
  • Charles Daniel Olive, M.A. (Oxon.), founder and first headmaster (1877–1909)
  • Gabriel F. Olive, M.A. & Geoffrey R. Batterbury, M.A. (1909–39)
  • John Aldrich Olive, M.A. (1939–1941, 1945–1953) & H.V. Fisher (1943–66)
  • C.P. Kingdon (1966–68)
  • Peter F. S. Wicker (1968–85)
  • Roy M. Moody, Cantab. (1985–99) – former housemaster of Holman House, Epsom College[5]
  • Michael K. Seigel, Oxon. (1999–2007) – former head of classics, Colet Court (1976–1987) and author of Latin: A fresh approach[6]
  • Jason R. Peck (2007–present)

Associated with Rokeby

Governors of Rokeby

Notable Old Rokebeians

Military

Science and Academia
  • Prof. George Coulouris, computer scientist; son of actor George Coulouris
  • Prof. Ben Pimlott, British historian and political biographer
  • Prof. Brad Blitz, Professor of International Politics and Deputy Dean of Middlesex University Law School

Law
  • Sir Nigel George Davidson, CBE (1873–1961), Judge of the High Court, Sudan; also Deputy Chairman of Governing Body of Charterhouse School

Politics/Government

Education
  • Sir Claude Aurelius Elliott, Headmaster of Eton College, 1933–1949; only child of Sir Charles Alfred Elliott, Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal
  • Herbert Lionel Rogers, (1871-1950), Headmaster of King's College School, Wimbledon, 1910–1934 and author of Roman home life and religion; a reader (Oxford, The Clarendon Press, 1923) amongst other books.[7]
  • Tim Gardam, Principal of St Anne's College, Oxford, 2004–2016 [8]

Literature

Theology
  • The Reverend Canon Dr Gavin Ashenden, theologian, author, broadcaster and columnist. Former Chaplain to HM The Queen[10]

Performing arts/media

Art

Music
  • Inglis Gundry, English composer, novelist, musicologist, music pedagogue and writer

Sport

Medicine
  • Prof. Digby Tantam, British psychiatrist and professor of psychotherapy

Archaeology
  • Sir Max Mallowan (1904–78), archaeologist and husband of Dame Agatha Christie. He said of Rokeby in his memoirs, "I do not think that I received a better education anywhere and spent at least two years marking time at my public school thereafter."

City of London
  • Geoffrey Mark Powell, Master of Haberdashers' Company
  • Sir Harry Twyford, Lord Mayor of London (1937–38)

Cultural references

The school at Wimbledon was captured in a drawing named "White Lilies" by the famous artist Alfred Parsons[15]

gollark: One time I downloaded wikipedia.
gollark: Or, well, I can't really because it's quite slow, but it's the principle of the thing.
gollark: My internet connection at home is unlimited. I can shove terabytes up and down and they don't care.
gollark: Quota?
gollark: Oh dear, doemokria ceased to exist?

References
  1. "Latin quotes & mottos with translations". Inrebus.com. 23 October 2007. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  2. "Rokeby Independent Preparatory School for Boys, Kingston-upon-thames - Home". Rokebyschool.co.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  3. "Rokeby Independent Preparatory School for Boys, Kingston-upon-thames - Home". Rokebyschool.co.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  4. https://www.rokebyschool.co.uk/admissions/school-fees/
  5. "Old Master Moody meets former pupils". Educationtrust-oeclub.org. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  6. Mike Seigel. "Latin: A Fresh Approach Book 2". Anthem Press. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  7. "Results for author:"Rogers, Herbert Lionel, 1871-"". Catalog.hathitrust.org. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  8. "Rokeby Independent Preparatory School for Boys, Kingston-upon-thames - ROBC History". Rokebyschool.co.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  9. Robert Graves. Goodbye to All That. Books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  10. http://www.anglican.ink/article/ai-author-biographies-gavin-ashenden
  11. Cliff Goodwin (30 June 2011). Evil Spirits: The Life of Oliver Reed. Books.google.co.uk. p. 1. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  12. Archived 2016-05-03 at the Wayback Machine
  13. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1481021/Buzzer-Hadingham.html
  14. http://www.tennisarchives.com/player.php?playerid=2546
  15. "Landscape-Painter as Landscape-Gardener : The Case of Alfred Parsons R.A." (PDF). Etheses.whiterose.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2016.

Further reading
  • Wicker, Peter (2009). Rokeby: the first 125 years. Kingston: Rokeby Educational Trust. ISBN 9780956413901.
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