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Bishop Wordsworth's School File:BWS Badge.jpg

Bishop Wordsworth's School is a Church of England boys' day grammar school located in the centre of Salisbury, England. In 2002 there were 789 pupils aged between 11 and 18.

The full name of the school is Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School for Boys, and is abbreviated BWS, it is know affectionately by the boys and the local community as "Bishop's", and the pupils as "Bishop's Boys". The school's motto is Veritas in Caritate, or "Truth Through Caring", and originates from the epitaph of Bishop Wordsworth's father.

Entrance

Entry to the school is by examination (the '11+') at the age of 10 or 11 for entry into the boys' seventh year of education. There are also limited 12+ and 13+ entrances, similarly by examination. At the sixth form level admission is by interview with the Headmaster but largely based on prior academic achievement.

History

The foundations of the school came 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.". His initial desire that working class boys were not to be admitted caused much controversy. Fees were initially set at £1.10.0d. and boarding fees were £9 per term, however, the fees were raised to £2 in 1894 to meet the unexpected costs of the school. The first year was taught in the Bishop's palace of Salisbury Cathedral itself. Bishop Wordsworth personally donated £3000, which was used to purchase a portion of land in the cathedral close, and build the original school buildings. After Bishop Wordsworth's death the school was renamed to Bishop Wordsworth's School, having been previously known as "The Bishop's School".

In 1905 the school became a grammar school with a preparatory department. Until 1928 the school admitted girls, but the founding of a girls' grammar school (South Wilts Grammar School) in 1927 meant the school became boys only the following year. The Sixth Form building, which constitutes No. 11 The Close, is one of a few buildings built during the Cromwellian Commonwealth in the cathedral close following the English Civil War.

In 1931 a hall, science laboratories and a library were built. By the 1930s the school had achieved a reputation for pioneering educational work and in 1936 became a public school, but in 1948 the Governors accepted voluntary controlled status. Boarding at the school in the Bishopgate buildings ended in the 1950s and the buildings were used for teaching thereafter. During the Second World War, pupils from the Priory School in Portsmouth moved to BWS to avoid the bombing of the city.

The school now educates boys aged 11 to 18 with some joint classes in the Sixth Form with South Wilts Grammar School. In 2002, a major re-development of the school's buildings began.

The school hymn and the Founder's Day Processional were both written by former Headmaster, Dr. F.C. Happold and can be found in Hymns mostly written for the use of Bishop Wordsworth’s school, published in 1949.

The school still maintains close links with the Cathedral, holding monthly services as well as annual events.

Houses

There are four (day) Houses, these are named after previous Bishops of the cathedral: Jewell (1560-1571), Martival (1315-1330), Poore (1240-1270) and Osmund (1078-1099). There is some disagreement over the spelling of Bishop Martival's name. Some historical records have the name as Mortival whereas others have the spelling that is used by the school "Martival". The houses take their crests from the heraldry of the Bishops. All boys are attached to a house when they join the school, it is common for brothers to be assigned to the same house. House captains and vice captains lead each house, and are also Senior Prefects. The inter-house rivalrys underwent a revival of sorts over the summer of 2005, and there are many inter-house competitions including rugby, music, football and numerous other sports and activities.

Senior Prefects

The prefect system in the school is effective but slightly complex. All members of the sixth form are prefects and expected to perform duties. A smaller group of about 20 boys are Senior Prefects, selected by a ballot of staff and peers and interviews conducted by senior members of the school. Within this group are the Head Boy and Deputy Head Boy, the Cathedral Prefect, five Patrol Leaders and the Heads of House. Until 2005 there were no positions for Heads of House, and there were instead only four Patrol Leaders, who effectively performed the duties that Heads of House would perform in other schools. These senior prefects are responsible for the day to day running of the prefect system, and also for assisting at school functions such as Founders Day, Speech Day (Prize giving) and the Carol Service which are held in Salisbury Cathedral. Senior Prefects are identifiable by their distinctive ties, which are silver with narrow blue and black stripes, designed by a former art teacher of many years Duncan Davies.

The positions of office are held from the start of the Summer term to the end of the subsequent Easter term, with the announcement of positions, and presentations of ties traditionally being made by the headmaster in the last assembly of term before the Easter holiday.

The Head Boy has a number of archaic privileges which include the right to smoke a pipe, the right to a flat in No.11 The Close, the right to keep a goat on the Headmaster's lawn, and the right to marry in the cathedral. The Senior Prefects enjoy the privilege of being able to use the Sports Hall foyer as a base.

Sport

The school has a very strong sporting tradition, particularly in rugby, athletics and, more recently, football. This is helped by compulsory "games" lessons for all boys in the school, although VI form students have a much greater choice of activities, including table-tennis, badminton and, controversially, golf. Recently the addition of a new Sports Hall complex, including a well equipped gym and aerobics studio has provided even more opportunity for boys to excel. There are regular fixtures (especially in Rugby, Cross-country, Athletics and Football) against schools in the Salisbury area, and others including Canford School, Bryanston School and Dauntseys. The football team in the 2005/06 season made great progress in the English Schools' Football Association Cup (ESFA Cup). They reached the quarter-final stage of the competition, before being knocked out by West London Academy. BWSFC were also defeated by a strong New College (Swindon) after extra-time in the Wiltshire Schools' Cup competition in a match played at Swindon Supermarine FC.

Success in sport is celebrated with Colours. Half colours are commemorated with a certificate, and full colours with the award of a tie which may be worn in place of the lower school or the sixth form tie.

Choir

The school has a 75 boy strong choir, with entrance by audition. The choir is very successful, singing regularly in Salisbury Cathedral, other Cathedrals as well as churches, colleges and at many other functions. The choir practice three times a week in term time, and in the spring there is a biennial trip to France.

Faculty

Sir William Golding, author of the novel Lord of the Flies and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, was a schoolmaster teaching Philosophy and English in 1939 and then English from 1945 to 1962. A plaque was placed at the school to commemorate this in March 2005.

Headmaster Happold, who studied as an undergraduate at the University of Cambridge was awarded an honoury LLD from the University of Melbourne for his pioneering work and publications on education. He wrote a number of books after his time as Headmaster at the school on the subject of religion now popularly used in undergraduate study, which included: This modern age : An introduction to the understanding of our own times, Mysticism: a study and an anthology, Religious faith and twentieth-century man, and The journey inwards: A simple introduction to the practice of contemplative meditation by normal people.

Headmaster Happold was also noted for the foundation of the "Company of Honour and Service". Father Kenelm Foster O.P. wrote " 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).

In the most recent OFSTED inspection of 2001, the committee reported that "This is a highly effective school. Outstanding leadership creates a climate in which students are very keen to learn. Challenging lessons for all students lead to very high standards."

Headmasters

1928-1960 Dr. Frederick Crossfield Happold (Cantab.)

1960-Unk Dr. Sabben-Clare

Unk-Unk Mr. RCR Blackledge (Oxon.)

Unk-1992 (definitely Headmaster from 1979 onwards), Mr. Glyn Evans

1992-2002, Mr. Clive Barnett (Oxon.)

2002-Present, Dr. Stuart Smallwood (Cantab.)

Notable alumni

The "Old Wordsworthian" AGM and lunch is traditionally held after the Cathedral service and Founder's Day celebrations in July. Notable alumni include:

• Lieutenant Colonel Tom Adlam, Victoria Cross recipient
• Mervyn Alexander, Roman Catholic Bishop of Clifton
• Dr. David Atterton, industrialist and central banker.
• Cecil Chubb Esq., Last private owner of Stonehenge
• Prof. Andrew Copp, leading neurobiologist
• David Egerton, England XV rugby international player
• Ralph Fiennes, actor
• Richard Hill, England XV rugby international captain (flanker)
• Richard Hill, England XV rugby international player (scrum half)
• Major Anthony Robert Klitz, artist
• Brigadier Andrew McLaughlin
• Chris Moon MBE
• Marcus Olsen England under-21s XV rugby international
• Otto Plaschkes, movie producer
• Lord of Redlynch, Colin Sharman, Chairman of KPMG International
• John Shaw, England XI hockey captain and Olympian
• Edmund Bolton,appeared as a contestant on Beauty and the Geek (UK TV series)
• Andrew Harvey, BBC Newsreader

References

• Happold, Frederick Crossfield, Bishop Wordsworth's School 1890 – 1950, 1950. (Published privately, no ISBN)
• Happold, Frederick Crossfield, Religious Faith and Twentieth-Century Man, 1964, Pelican Original.
• 'Roman Britain in 1954: I. Sites Explored: II. Inscriptions', The Journal of Roman Studies, Vol. 45, Parts 1 and 2. (1955), pp. 121-149.

External links

• BWS Website
• Statistics on BWS from the BBC
• Information on the school from the Salisbury Cathedral
• William Golding at BWS

• Educational institutions established in the 19th century
• Grammar schools in England
• Schools in Wiltshire