All Saints' School or Bloxham School
Location
Bloxham Banbury , Oxfordshire , OX15 4PE England
Coordinates	52°01′21″N 1°22′24″W / 52.0225°N 1.3733°W / 52.0225; -1.3733
Information
Type	Public school Private School Boarding school
Motto	Justorum semita lux splendens (The path of the just is a shining light)
Religious affiliation(s)	Church of England
Established	1853 (original foundation) 1860 (present foundation)
Founder	Philip Reginald Egerton
Department for Education URN	123275 Tables
Headmaster	Paul Sanderson
Chaplain	Alex Ladds
Gender	Coeducational
Age	11 to 18
Houses	Seven senior boarding houses, one senior day house, one junior house
Colour(s)	Black & White
Publication	The Bloxhamist
Former pupils	Old Bloxhamists
Affiliation	Woodard Corporation HMC
School Hymn	For All the Saints A Shining Light
Website	http://www.bloxhamschool.com/

Bloxham School, also called All Saints' School, is a private co-educational day and boarding school of the British public school tradition, located in the village of Bloxham, three miles (5 km) from the town of Banbury in Oxfordshire, England. The present school was founded in 1860 by Philip Reginald Egerton and has since become a member of the Woodard Corporation. The current headmaster is Paul Sanderson, who took over from Mark Allbrook in 2013. The school has approximately 515 pupils.^[1]

Founded as a school of the Oxford Movement, Bloxham is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.

History

Egerton's school

G. E. Street's plans for Bloxham School.

The School from the front, circa 1890, before the construction of the Memorial Arch.

In 1859, Hewett's dilapidated school buildings were bought for £1,615 by Philip Reginald Egerton, a Church of England curate working in Deddington.^[4] Like Hewett, he was strongly influenced by the Oxford Movement and sought to establish a new school to teach its values.^[5] Egerton adopted the previous foundation's name of All Saints' School, and its motto, but based the school's ethos on that of his alma mater, Winchester College. He sought the backing of several notable academics and clergymen, including Wilberforce, Woodard and Henry Liddon.^[5] The project was initially funded by Egerton's wealthy wife, Harriet, and received its first pupil on 31 January 1860. Under the personal leadership of Egerton, Bloxham initially provided education for middle class boys in the public school tradition, although classics was originally not widely taught. In 1861 there were 29 pupils and by 1863 there were 60. Thanks to Wilberforce's continued support, Street drew up new plans for expanding the neo-Gothic school buildings, and additional money was provided by John Hubbard, 1st Baron Addington and John Spencer-Churchill, 7th Duke of Marlborough.^[3] The new buildings were unveiled in 1864 in the presence of Thomas Parker, 6th Earl of Macclesfield and Benjamin Disraeli.^[5] The Chapel Wing, the last of Street's buildings, was opened on 21 February 1873.

The school quickly grew, rising to two hundred pupils in twenty years.^[4] Despite Egerton's plans for the school to provide for local farmers and tradesmen, a report in 1870 found that most of the boys were from professional, ecclesiastical and military families. An 1879 plan by Egerton and Liddon to affiliate the school with Keble College, Oxford never came to fruition, and Egerton was forced to look elsewhere to ensure the school's long-term viability. The Bloxham School Trust was established in 1884, and in 1897 the school was admitted into the Woodard Corporation.^[5] Frederick Scobell Boissier, father of Harrow headmaster Arthur Boissier, taught at Bloxham from 1878 to 1898 and was headmaster from 1886. Education at the school focused on the notions of religious and civic duty, and the Anglo-Catholic nature of the foundation of the school remained a defining feature. Proposals to secularise the school by renaming it 'Bloxham College' were rejected in 1911 and 1951. Bloxham's first headmaster to not be a priest was only appointed in 1925.^[6]

During the 1890s, Bloxham shrank in size as the local provision of state education improved. The Education Act 1902 worsened the situation, as did a growing prejudice against high church practices in schools.^[7] The school's impressive academic record and high Oxbridge entrant rates in the 1900s helped it to survive. By the 1910s, a prefect system, house rivalries, corporal punishment and fagging confirmed Bloxham's identity as a conforming public school, although the latter two practices were abolished in the 1970s. Like many public schools, Bloxham suffered disproportionately high casualties during the First World War, in which over 400 current and former pupils served and 79 were killed.^[8] The school survived the subsequent economic depression, and embarked upon a series of ambitious educational and building reforms led by the school's first lay headmaster, Valentine Armitage. During the 1960s the school pioneered a tutoring system in which boys of multiple year groups shared a tutor. This system has since been imitated by many other boarding schools. Girls started to be admitted into the sixth form in small numbers in the early 1970s and the school became fully co-educational in 1998. The Lower School, for pupils aged 11–13, was opened in 1994.

Buildings and facilities

A view over Main Field, with the cricket pavilion to the left and the school chapel in the background.

The 'Pig Sty' playing fields beneath Hobb Hill, Bloxham.

Bloxham School has grounds which cover approximately 60 acres (240,000 m²) in the village of Bloxham. The Neo-Gothic complex of buildings designed by George Edmund Street, called Main School, dominates the school and the north end of the village.^[3] It contains two boarding houses, Crake and Wilson, the dining hall, the Masters' Dining Room, the Headmaster's office, the chapel, the 1894 Egerton Library and a number of classrooms. Palmer House, built in 1874 in the Neo-Gothic style, is the school hospital. Egerton House, on the edge of the school campus, was built in 1876 as the Headmaster's House, and was enlarged in 1886. The school's Great Hall was completed in 1937 and was built in the traditional Cotswold style.^[3] The Victorian-era Wesley Theatre, a former Methodist chapel, is the school theatre. The Science Block was built between 1959 and 1966. Wilberforce House was built in the late 1960s and Raymond House was opened in 1971 by Margaret Thatcher. Recent building developments include the Raymond Technology Centre, the expansion of the Lower School building and the Vallance Library which was opened by Colin Dexter in April 2006. New squash courts have also been built next to the Dewey Sports Centre, and the art school has been increased in size. The extension to the 1901 music school was completed in the summer of 2007, and officially opened by Aled Jones in November 2008.^[9] The Lower School is located in a modernised building called The White Lion, a former public house on the edge of the school campus.

Bloxham has a Church of England chapel which can accommodate approximately two hundred people. It was built at first-floor level with classrooms beneath, giving it an elevated position.^[3] At its west end is a balcony and organ loft, with an octagonal turret containing the bell tower rising above Main School. At the east end of the chapel is a large Te Deum window made by Clayton and Bell in memory of Wilberforce. The chapel also contains a rood screen, windows in memory of Egerton and the Boer Wars, and monuments to the school's war dead. The reredos was designed by Bucknall in 1912. The smaller Liddon Chapel, adjacent to the main chapel, is used as a classroom.

Bloxham School has four large playing fields, three of which are used for cricket in the summer term. It has two AstroTurf all-weather pitches, which are used for hockey and tennis, as well as additional hard tennis courts. The Dewey Sports Centre, opened by Anne, Princess Royal in 1986, has an indoor sports hall, a well-equipped gym and a climbing wall. Along with the swimming pool, which was extensively refurbished in 2014, it is available for public use. Bloxham also has Fives courts.

Deer Park is where the bursary is situated, as well as some of the buildings used by the CCF, including the armoury and shooting range. Woollen Hale, the house of Bloxham headmasters since 1986, is located on the top of Hobb Hill, overlooking playing fields and the Main School.

Houses

Wilson House and the Dining Hall, completed in 1869, as viewed from Bloxham High Street.

Like most traditional public schools, houses form the basis of school organisation and are incorporated into the boarding system. There are seven boarding houses within the senior school, as well as one day house (Merton). The boarding houses are Crake, Egerton, Raymond, Seymour, Stonehill, Wilberforce and Wilson, with Raymond, Stonehill and Wilberforce being the girls' houses. There is also a junior boarding house, Park Close, for the first form (Year 7) and second form (Year 8) weekly boarders, but all junior pupils are members of Exham House. The school operates a house based tutor system, in which pupils of several year groups share a tutor within one house. All houses are made up of both boarders and day pupils, who are called 'day boarders'. House captains are appointed each year and make up part of the school's prefect body. The two oldest houses are Crake and Wilson, previously called School House, with all the other houses constituted later. The newest boarding house to be built was Seymour, which was finished in 1982. Although Stonehill and Merton, in the current establishment were the last to be constituted but in older buildings than Seymour. Houses provide a focal point for social and sporting activity, with keen rivalries existing between different houses.

Religion

Chapel

A view over the Headmaster's Lawn, with the Headmaster's Study to the left, the Masters' Dining Room in the centre and the Egerton Library to the right.

The founder of Bloxham, P. R. Egerton, envisaged Bloxham as a school which would take in the sons of local families and turn out young men ‘well educated in the Christian faith.’ Religion still plays a major role in the life of the school and this is focussed on the Chapel of All Saints. One Eucharistic service is held each week for the pupils in the chapel. For larger school occasions such as Founderstide (the founder's day) and Christmas, the school uses St Mary's Church, Bloxham. The chaplain plays an important part in school life and is helped by a team of chapel prefects. Special arrangements are made for non-Anglicans to attend their own places of worship if required.

The school has hosted the Bloxham Festival of Faith and Literature since October 2011.^[10]

Sport

Bloxham's 1st XI cricket team plays Marylebone Cricket Club in 2010.

Sport plays a significant role in Bloxham life, with afternoons on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays being allocated to games' practices and matches for pupils in years 9–13. Every pupil in the school is involved in sport, with the aim being that each pupil will represent the school in at least one team during their time at Bloxham. The major sports are rugby, hockey and cricket for boys, and hockey, netball and tennis for girls. Other sports played at Bloxham include squash, athletics, swimming, golf, riding, polo, target shooting, clay pigeon shooting, fives, sailing, cross-country and badminton.^[13]

The school's main sporting rivals include Stowe School, St Edward's School, Oxford, Warwick School, Rugby School and Magdalen College School, Oxford. Bloxham participates annually in the NatWest Schools Cup for rugby union. Bloxham has recently won national titles in shooting, polo and riding, and regional titles in rugby, hockey and sailing.

Societies and pastimes

Bloxham has several societies, some of which are pupil-run. Notable school societies include the Scholars Society, the Debating Society and the Common Room Society. The Choral Society, or Chapel Choir, sing twice a week during the school's chapel services. Clubs include a Photography Club, a Wildlife Club and a Model Railway Club. Bloxham School was host of the British Youth Go Tournament in 2011. Pupils can take part in other activities, such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, drama, community service, dance, adventure training, horse riding and management and horticulture.^[13]

Bloxham runs a Combined Cadet Force (CCF) for pupils in third form (Year 9) and above. This was founded in 1910 as the school's Officers' Training Corps.^[14] Bloxham is one of the few schools in the country to have been granted its own cap badge and many former members have served with distinction in the British armed forces. Most terms there is a CCF over-night expedition and a range day. The CCF was formerly affiliated with the Royal Green Jackets and is now affiliated with its successor regiment, The Rifles.

The school has a music department which offers professional tuition in brass, guitar, keyboard, organ, percussion, singing, strings and woodwind.

The school magazine is called The Bloxhamist and is published at the beginning of every Michaelmas term.

Prefects

The school’s prefect system was introduced in its current form by Armitage in the late 1920s.^[15] Prefects were solemnly initiated in chapel, and once in office they were responsible for much of the daily administration of the school. Prefects were in charge of most discipline and a prefectural code was introduced; school prefects could give up to six strokes with a cane, and house prefects three.^[15]

Today the school has various grades of prefect, all drawn from the Upper Sixth, each with different responsibilities and privileges:

• School captains: One boy and, since coeducation, one girl. They lead the body of school prefects and meet daily with the headmaster. They are called the Head Boy and the Head Girl.
• School prefects: Their duties include keeping order, supervising the wellbeing of pupils and representing the school at events. They have numerous privileges. They wear gold trim on their jackets and a black tie with the school crest.
• House captains: The senior pupil in each of the boarding houses. They lead the house prefects in their house and represent the house at events. They usually have a larger study in the boarding house, and are usually also school prefects.
• School Sacristan: Two prefects, who aid the school’s chaplain in day-to-day running of the chapel and promotion of the Christian ethos in the school. Leads the pastoral prefects and wears a blue tie with the school crest and cross, and a gold cross badge. Are also school prefects.
• House prefects: A group of six to eight senior pupils in each of the boarding houses. Have duties within the house, including supervising prep, the dormitories and helping to keep order. They wear a black tie with multiple school crests on it, each in the house colour.
• Pastoral Prefects: A group of twelve prefects who help to keep order in chapel and promote the Christian ethos in the school. They wear a gold cross badge.

Motto and arms

The motto of Bloxham School is taken from Hewitt's 1853 school. A quotation from the Book of Proverbs, it is Justorum Semita Lux Splendens (Latin), which translates as "The path of the just is a shining light". Until 2009, the school arms was that of the Egerton family, although this usage was never registered with the College of Arms. It is now a stylised version of the original coat-of-arms.

Fees

The termly school fees as of November 2023 for a senior (13+) full boarding pupil (including overseas boarders) are £13,390 per term (£40,170 per annum), £10,270 for day boarders per term (£30,810 per annum), £6,990 for day house pupils (£20,970 per annum). Despite now overseas boarders paying the same as English boarders, overall fees have increased.

The termly school fees as of November 2023 for a junior (11+) pupils are £8,990 for weekly boarders (£26,970 per annum), £8,190 for day boarders (£24,570 per annum), £6,990 for day house pupils (£20,970 per annum). There is no option for full boarding in junior school. ^[16]

Notable alumni

Current members of the school are known as 'Bloxhamists' with alumni referred to as 'Old Bloxhamists', or OBs for short. Notable OBs include:

Military

• Colonel Sir Thomas Boswall Beach CMG CBE
• Brigadier-General Sir William Henry Beach CB CMG DSO
• Air Vice-Marshal Thomas Bowler CB CBE^[17][18]
• General Sir Adrian Bradshaw KCB OBE,^[19] Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe
• General Sir Edward Burgess, NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander
• Garrison Sergeant Major Vivian Davenport MBE MC DCM & Bar
• Major General Richard Roderick Davis CB CBE
• Lieutenant David Eastwood CBE MC
• Brigadier-General Wilfred Ellershaw, Aide-de-Camp to Lord Kitchener
• Squadron Leader Dave Glaser DFC AE
• Colonel L. A. Grimston CIE OBE VD
• Major-General Reginald Hewer CB CBE MC
• Air Marshal Sir Francis John Linnell KBE CB
• Captain Harry Godfrey Massy-Miles MC
• Colonel Sir Henry Allan Roughton May CB
• Air Commodore Sir Dennis Mitchell KBE CVO DFC AFC
• Squadron Leader C. T. N. Moore MBE
• Admiral of the Fleet Sir Gerard Noel GCB KCMG, Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet
• Lieutenant-General Dudley Sheridan Skelton CB DSO MC, Honorary Surgeon to HM King George V
• Major-General Bruce M. Skinner CMG CBE MVO, Surgeon-General to the British Armed Forces
• Major Derrick le Poer Trench DSO MC
• Lieutenant St John Graham Young GC
• Brigadier Dimitry Dimitrievitch Zvegintzov CBE OStJ

Government and politics

• Peter J P Barwell MBE, Lord Mayor of Birmingham 1992-3
• Sir Peter H. Clutterbuck CIE CBE VD,^[20] colonial civil servant in British India
• Alexander Granville CMG CBE, colonial administrator in Egypt
• Sir Gerald Howarth, Conservative politician and Member of Parliament
• Eustace Maude, 7th Viscount Hawarden, peer and colonial provincial governor in Sudan
• E. H. D. Nicolls CMG OBE, British colonial official
• Denis Norman, former Government Minister in Zimbabwe
• Frederic Urquhart, colonial administrator in Australia

Religion

• Fr Sergei Hackel, senior priest in Britain of the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Sourozh.^[21]
• George Hand, Anglican bishop
• Victor White, theologian and psychotherapist

The arts

• George S Elgood, painter
• Ross Nichols, academic, poet, artist and historian^[22]
• Stephen Reynolds, writer
• Tom Sharpe, novelist
• Peter Snow, painter, theatre designer and teacher.^[23]
• Albert Chevallier Tayler, painter
• Leonard Shuffrey, the notable architect and architectural designer attended Bloxham between 1856 and 1867.^[24]
• Henry Tonks FRCS, artist
• Pip Torrens, actor
• Joseph Vernon Whitaker, Editor, The Bookseller

Other

• Alfie Barbeary, rugby union player
• Will Bratt, Formula Three racing driver^[25]
• Sheraz Daya, British Ophthalmologist
• Saskia Jones, victim of the November 2019 London Bridge terrorist attack
• G. Kenneth Jenkins, Keeper of the Coins at the British Museum
• Thomas Sanderson-Wells MBE
• John Sergeant, journalist
• Ward Thomas CBE DFC CdeG, Television Executive^[26]
• John Vesey-Brown, first-class cricketer

Headmasters

The Founder, Philip Egerton.

The first five headmasters at Bloxham were ordained Anglican priests, with the first lay headmaster being appointed in 1925. The portraits of former headmasters hang in the school dining hall.

• Philip Egerton (1860–1886)
• F. S. Boissier (1886–1898)
• G. H. Ward (1899–1914)
• Alexander Grier (1914–1919)
• F. H. George (1919–1925)
• Valentine Armitage (1925–1940)
• K. T. Dewey (1940–1952)
• R. S. Thompson (1952–1965)
• D. R. G. Seymour (1965–1982)
• M. W. Vallance (1982–1991)
• D. K. Exham (1991–2002)
• Mark Allbrook (2002–2013)
• P. Sanderson (2013–present)

Notable masters

• Mark Allbrook, former Headmaster
• Frederick Scobell Boissier, former Headmaster, father of Arthur Boissier
• Cedric Boyns, Housemaster
• Philip Reginald Egerton, founder
• Felix Francis, crime writer, Bloxham Head of Science 1984-1991
• Cyril Frost, artist and silversmith^[28]
• David Hatch, student teacher
• Kenneth Spring OBE, former Commander of the CCF, housemaster and art master

References

External links

• Official website
• Profile at the Independent Schools Council website