Christ's College Finchley
Encyclopedia
Christ's College is a state comprehensive
secondary school
in East Finchley
, London
, United Kingdom. It falls under the London Borough of Barnet
Local Education Authority
. It is a boys' school up to and including Year 11, and the sixth form
is mixed, admitting up to 25% girls. The school presently has 967 students. The school is specialized in Maths and IT.
and a finch
over an oak tree, the old unofficial arms of the Urban District of Finchley. The Motto, since March 1906, is Usque Proficiens meaning "advance all the way".
In 1931, the school opened a secondary wing and was renamed Alder School, after a chairman of Finchley’s Education committee. It was organised into three school houses, Rangers, Archers, and Foresters. In 1944 it became a mixed Secondary Modern School, and an all-boys school in 1958. It was organised into four school houses, Rangers (Yellow), Archers (Red), Foresters (Green) & Rovers (Blue).
The school was seen as providing a necessary education for skilled workers in the light engineering works of Finchley, such as Simms Motor Units, Hendon and Barnet, and was well thought of. It was also host to Bob Cobbing, the Concrete Sound poet and Jeff Nuttall author of the best seller, 'Bomb Culture' during the 1960s. It was merged with Christ's College in 1978, and the buildings at Long Lane were demolished.
In 1857 the Revd. Thomas Reader White, Rector of St Mary’s Finchley opened Finchley Hall School, in Hendon Lane (on the site of Church End Library) in what had been a local inn, The Queen's Head. The following year he had the stable block, and the village "cage", removed and a new school built, to designs by Anthony Salvin
. The school was an Anglican School, intended to provide a public school education at a reasonable rate.
The school became popular, and a new building was constructed across the road in 1860, with money provided by White's brother who was a rich London merchant, and it was renamed Christ's College. The designs were by the architect Edward Roberts, and its main feature was a 120-foot tower. The school flourished as a private school during the 1860s and 1870s, when its Headmaster was the Rev T C Whitehead. It was under Whitehead that the school was first divided into four houses: North, South, East, and West.
With the loss of its founder, then the self-styled Warden, to a disorder of the brain in 1877, the school went into decline. In 1902, the school was taken over by Middlesex County Council
, as the first Middlesex County grammar school, but under John Tindal Phillipson, headmaster since 1895, attempts that were made to rename the school and change its character were resisted, and on the whole the transition was a smooth one. A rifle club was formed in 1904, which soon became a cadet corps. Until 1906 the school playing fields were directly behind St Mary’s church, but in 1906 new fields were acquired further down the hill, near to Dollis Brook.
In 1927, the school increased in size with new buildings, and ceased to be an Anglican institution. In 1972, a new annexe for design and technology was built on land in East Finchley. As a county grammar the school had a strong academic reputation, particularly in the sciences, with many pupils continuing their education at Oxford and Cambridge.
Christ's College has become a specialist Mathematics and Computing College
, which means the school receives additional funds for investment in its Mathematics and Computing departments. The school's current headmaster is Mr Gary Tucker.
activity at Christ's College was in 1864, when a Cadet Corps attached to the 14th (Highgate) Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps was formed at the school. This was disbanded in 1867, and few records remain.
The present Cadet Unit was founded in 1904 with the formation of a Rifle Club. Although mainly a rifle club, its members carried military ranks and took part in regular training days. The transformation to a true Cadet Unit took place in 1911 when No.2 Company, 1st Cadet Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (as it was officially called) was started at the school. In 1938 the unit was temporarily badged Royal Artillery
as 'C' (Cadet) Battery of the 61st (Finsbury) Anti-aircraft Brigade. By 1942 the Unit had rejoined the 1st Cadet Battalion wearing the badges of the Middlesex Regiment. When the 1st Cadet Battalion was disbanded in 1948, The Unit became Christ's College Contingent, Combined Cadet Force, a self-administering unit, which it remains today.
In 1952, the Unit was presented with its own Colours, in memory of those members of the Contingent who fell in battle during the Second World War. The school's Combined Cadet Force
(CCF) is among the tiny handful in the country to carry colours. The last major change was in 1969 when the affiliation to the Middlesex Regiment ceased and permission was given for the Contingent to wear the badges of the Parachute Regiment.
was invented at the school and first worn by the school's 1st XV. Three alumni went on to make notable contributions to the sport:
from 1983-97
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in East Finchley
East Finchley
East Finchley is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, in north London, and situated north-west of Charing Cross. Geographically it is somewhat separate from the rest of Finchley, with North Finchley and West Finchley to the north, and Finchley Central to the west.- History :The land on which...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom. It falls under the London Borough of Barnet
London Borough of Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet is a London borough in North London and forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 331,500 and covers . It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs: Harrow and Brent to the west, Camden and Haringey to the south-east and Enfield to the...
Local Education Authority
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
. It is a boys' school up to and including Year 11, and the sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
is mixed, admitting up to 25% girls. The school presently has 967 students. The school is specialized in Maths and IT.
Motto and Badge
The school badge since 1906 has been a combination of the three scimitars of the old county of MiddlesexMiddlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
and a finch
Finch
The true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to the Northern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily – monotypic at genus level – is found...
over an oak tree, the old unofficial arms of the Urban District of Finchley. The Motto, since March 1906, is Usque Proficiens meaning "advance all the way".
History
The history of the contemporary Christ’s College has its roots in two different schools:- Chapel Street School, founded by Rev Watson in 1842, later Alder School
- Finchley Hall School, founded by Rev Thomas Reader White in 1857, later Christ’s College.
Alder School, Long Lane
A British School in Chapel Street East Finchley was opened by local Congregationalists in 1842, but in 1876 fire destroyed the original building, and the new building became Finchley’s first Board School in 1881. East Finchley grew rapidly in the 1880s, and the Finchley School Board decided to build a new building in Long Lane which was opened in 1884, with the staff and pupils moving to the new premises at the end of that year.In 1931, the school opened a secondary wing and was renamed Alder School, after a chairman of Finchley’s Education committee. It was organised into three school houses, Rangers, Archers, and Foresters. In 1944 it became a mixed Secondary Modern School, and an all-boys school in 1958. It was organised into four school houses, Rangers (Yellow), Archers (Red), Foresters (Green) & Rovers (Blue).
The school was seen as providing a necessary education for skilled workers in the light engineering works of Finchley, such as Simms Motor Units, Hendon and Barnet, and was well thought of. It was also host to Bob Cobbing, the Concrete Sound poet and Jeff Nuttall author of the best seller, 'Bomb Culture' during the 1960s. It was merged with Christ's College in 1978, and the buildings at Long Lane were demolished.
Christ's College, Hendon Lane
Anthony Salvin
Anthony Salvin was an English architect. He gained a reputation as an expert on medieval buildings and applied this expertise to his new buildings and his restorations...
. The school was an Anglican School, intended to provide a public school education at a reasonable rate.
The school became popular, and a new building was constructed across the road in 1860, with money provided by White's brother who was a rich London merchant, and it was renamed Christ's College. The designs were by the architect Edward Roberts, and its main feature was a 120-foot tower. The school flourished as a private school during the 1860s and 1870s, when its Headmaster was the Rev T C Whitehead. It was under Whitehead that the school was first divided into four houses: North, South, East, and West.
With the loss of its founder, then the self-styled Warden, to a disorder of the brain in 1877, the school went into decline. In 1902, the school was taken over by Middlesex County Council
Middlesex County Council
Middlesex County Council was the principal local government body in the administrative county of Middlesex from 1889 to 1965.The county council was created by the Local Government Act 1888, which also removed the most populous part of the county to constitute the County of London...
, as the first Middlesex County grammar school, but under John Tindal Phillipson, headmaster since 1895, attempts that were made to rename the school and change its character were resisted, and on the whole the transition was a smooth one. A rifle club was formed in 1904, which soon became a cadet corps. Until 1906 the school playing fields were directly behind St Mary’s church, but in 1906 new fields were acquired further down the hill, near to Dollis Brook.
In 1927, the school increased in size with new buildings, and ceased to be an Anglican institution. In 1972, a new annexe for design and technology was built on land in East Finchley. As a county grammar the school had a strong academic reputation, particularly in the sciences, with many pupils continuing their education at Oxford and Cambridge.
Christ's College, East End Road
With the foundation of the present school in 1978, the school was split into Upper school, which used the Hendon Lane site, and the Lower. The whole school moved to the new site in 1991, under the Headmastership of Brian Fletcher. In 2002, Mr O'Shea expanded the sixth form, with the first intake of girls.Christ's College has become a specialist Mathematics and Computing College
Mathematics and Computing College
Mathematics and Computing Colleges were introduced in England in 2002 as part of the Government's Specialist Schools Programme which was designed to raise standards in secondary education. Specialist schools focus specifically on their chosen specialism but must also meet the requirements of the...
, which means the school receives additional funds for investment in its Mathematics and Computing departments. The school's current headmaster is Mr Gary Tucker.
Combined Cadet Force
The first instance of cadetCadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
activity at Christ's College was in 1864, when a Cadet Corps attached to the 14th (Highgate) Middlesex Rifle Volunteer Corps was formed at the school. This was disbanded in 1867, and few records remain.
The present Cadet Unit was founded in 1904 with the formation of a Rifle Club. Although mainly a rifle club, its members carried military ranks and took part in regular training days. The transformation to a true Cadet Unit took place in 1911 when No.2 Company, 1st Cadet Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (as it was officially called) was started at the school. In 1938 the unit was temporarily badged Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
as 'C' (Cadet) Battery of the 61st (Finsbury) Anti-aircraft Brigade. By 1942 the Unit had rejoined the 1st Cadet Battalion wearing the badges of the Middlesex Regiment. When the 1st Cadet Battalion was disbanded in 1948, The Unit became Christ's College Contingent, Combined Cadet Force, a self-administering unit, which it remains today.
In 1952, the Unit was presented with its own Colours, in memory of those members of the Contingent who fell in battle during the Second World War. The school's Combined Cadet Force
Combined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance,...
(CCF) is among the tiny handful in the country to carry colours. The last major change was in 1969 when the affiliation to the Middlesex Regiment ceased and permission was given for the Contingent to wear the badges of the Parachute Regiment.
Rugby union
The school has made major contributions to the sport of rugby union. The scrum capScrum cap
The Scrum cap is a form of headgear used by rugby players to protect the ears in the scrum, which can otherwise suffer injuries leading to the condition commonly known as cauliflower ears....
was invented at the school and first worn by the school's 1st XV. Three alumni went on to make notable contributions to the sport:
- C. J. MonroCharles John MonroCharles John Monro is credited with bringing Rugby union to New Zealand. Charles was the 4th son of New Zealand politician Sir David Monro and his wife Dinah....
(at Christ’s College 1867–69), introduced rugby to New Zealand - R. W. Shepstone Giddy (at Christ’s College 1871–74) and later Solicitor General, Cape Colony, was one of the men who introduced rugby to South Africa
- W. P. CarpmaelWilliam Percy CarpmaelWilliam Percy Carpmael was the founder and first president of the rugby union Barbarian Football Club. Carpmael was born the eldest of eight in Briscobel, Stretham in England.-Education and early career:...
, who was at the school from 1876 to 1883, founded the Barbarian Football ClubBarbarian F.C.The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
, the team that by tradition plays the last match in a tour of the UK by Australia, New Zealand or South Africa.
Christ's College
- Sir Arnold BurgenArnold BurgenSir Arnold Stanley Vincent Burgen FRS was Master of Darwin College, Cambridge 1982-89 , Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Cambridge University, 1985–89, and founding President of the Academia Europæa....
, President of the International Union of Basic and Clinical PharmacologyInternational Union of Basic and Clinical PharmacologyThe International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology is a voluntary, non-profit association representing the interests of scientists in pharmacology-related fields to facilitate Better Medicines through Global Education and Research around the world.-History:Established in 1959 as a section...
from 1972-5 and of Academia EuropaeaAcademia EuropaeaAcademia Europæa is a European non-governmental scientific academy founded in 1988. Its members are scientists and scholars who collectively aim to promote learning, education and research. It publishes European Review through Cambridge Journals....
from 1988-94 - Leslie BurginLeslie BurginEdward Leslie Burgin was a British Liberal and later Liberal National politician in the 1930s.Burgin trained as a solicitor specialising in international law and served as principal and director of legal studies to the Law Society...
, Liberal MP for LutonLuton (UK Parliament constituency)Luton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Luton in Bedfordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system....
from 1929-31 - Richard DesmondRichard DesmondRichard Clive Desmond is an English publisher and businessman. He is the owner of Express Newspapers and founder in 1974 of Northern & Shell, which publishes various celebrity magazines, such as OK! and New!, and British national newspapers Daily Star and Daily Express...
founder of Asian Babes and proprietor of the Daily Express - Frank "Lofty" EnglandLofty EnglandFrank Raymond Wilton "Lofty" England was an engineer and motor company manager from England. He rose to fame as the manager of the Jaguar Cars sports car racing team in the 1950s, during which time Jaguar cars won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race on five occasions...
, Jaguar Cars' Le Mans24 Hours of Le MansThe 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
-winning team manager and later company CEO. - Peter Goldfield, Considered to be the Godfather of independent photography in Britain
- Stanley Kalms, Baron KalmsStanley Kalms, Baron KalmsHarold Stanley Kalms, Baron Kalms, Kt, is the life president and former chairman of DSG International plc . DSG owns Dixons.com, Currys, The Link and PC World outlets...
- Sir John KingmanJohn KingmanSir John Frank Charles Kingman, born on 28 August 1939 in Beckenham, Kent, is a British mathematician.He was N. M. Rothschild and Sons Professor of Mathematical Sciences and Director of the Isaac Newton Institute at the University of Cambridge from 2001 until 2006, when he was succeeded by Sir...
, Vice-Chancellor of the University of BristolUniversity of BristolThe University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
from 1985-2001 - Sir Peter LachmannPeter LachmannProfessor Sir Peter Julius Lachmann, ScD, FRS, FMedSci is a British immunologist, specifically a complementologist. He is emeritus Sheila Joan Smith Professor of Immunology at Cambridge University, a fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge and honorary fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge and of...
, Sheila Joan Smith Professor of Immunology at the University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
from 1977-99 - Roger LyonsRoger LyonsRoger Lyons was the General Secretary of the MSF trade union from 1992 and re-elected leader of the union in 1997. When the union merged with the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union to form Amicus in 2002 he subsequently became one of the Joint General Secretaries of Amicus.Lyons studied...
, General Secretary of AmicusAmicusAmicus was the United Kingdom's second-largest trade union, and the largest private sector union, formed by the merger of Manufacturing Science and Finance, the AEEU agreed in 2001, and two smaller unions, UNIFI and the GPMU...
from 2002-4, and of MSFManufacturing, Science and FinanceManufacturing, Science and Finance was a trade union in Britain...
from 1992-2002 - Parry Mitchell, Baron MitchellParry Mitchell, Baron MitchellParry Andrew Mitchell, Baron Mitchell is a British politician .Parry Andrew Mitchell, Baron Mitchell is a British politician .-Life:...
- Stanley MitchellStanley MitchellStanley Mitchell was a British translator, academic, and author, noted for his English verse translation of Alexander Pushkin's Russian verse novel Eugene Onegin.-Life and works:...
, UK academic and Russian scholar. - Edward Warner MoeranEdward Warner MoeranEdward Warner Moeran was a British Common Wealth Party politician who later joined the later Labour Party. He stood as a Parliamentary candidate on five occasions, but won only once....
, Labour MP for South BedfordshireSouth Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)South Bedfordshire was a county constituency in Bedfordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system....
from 1950-1 - Charles John MonroCharles John MonroCharles John Monro is credited with bringing Rugby union to New Zealand. Charles was the 4th son of New Zealand politician Sir David Monro and his wife Dinah....
, introduced Rugby Union to New Zealand - Steve RichardsSteve RichardsSteve Richards is a British TV presenter and chief political columnist for The Independent newspaper.-Early life:Richards was educated at Christ's College, formerly a state grammar school, in Finchley, North London, and graduated in History at the University of York in 1981 before securing a place...
, political correspondent and GMTV presenter - Charles SaatchiCharles SaatchiCharles Saatchi is the co-founder with his brother Maurice of the global advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, and led that business - the world's largest advertising agency in the 1980s - until they were forced out in 1995. In the same year the Saatchi brothers formed a new agency called M&C...
, advertising executive and art collector - Lord Jonathan SacksJonathan SacksJonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks, Kt is the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. His Hebrew name is Yaakov Zvi...
, Chief Rabbi of Great Britain - Will SelfWill SelfWilliam Woodard "Will" Self is an English novelist and short story writer. His fictional style is known for being satirical, grotesque, and fantastical. He is a prolific commentator on contemporary British life, with regular appearances on Newsnight and Question Time...
, novelist, journalist, broadcaster - Jon Sopel, presenter of The Politics Show
- Michael Stern, Conservative MP for Bristol North West
- David Bernstein, FA Chairman
- Ivor Dembina, comedian, political activist
from 1983-97
- Sir Peter StrawsonP. F. StrawsonSir Peter Frederick Strawson FBA was an English philosopher. He was the Waynflete Professor of Metaphysical Philosophy at the University of Oxford from 1968 to 1987. Before that he was appointed as a college lecturer at University College, Oxford in 1947 and became a tutorial fellow the...
, philosopher - William TrittonWilliam TrittonSir William Ashbee Tritton, M.I.Mech.E., J.P. was an expert in agricultural machinery, and was directly involved, together with Major Walter Gordon Wilson, in the development of the tank...
, co-invented the tank - Eric WilliamsEric Williams (writer)Eric Williams was an English writer and former Second World War RAF pilot and POW who wrote several books dealing with his escapes from prisoner-of-war camps, most famously in his 1949 novel The Wooden Horse, made into a 1950 movie of the same name.-Capture:RAF Flight Lieutenant Eric Williams was...
, writer - David Young, Baron Young of GraffhamDavid Young, Baron Young of GraffhamDavid Ivor Young, Baron Young of Graffham, PC DL is a British Conservative politician and businessman.-Early life:Young is the elder son of a businessman who imported flour and later set up as a manufacturer of coats for children...
Further reading
- League table entry for this school, BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
website. - Ofsted data for this school, OfstedOfstedThe Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
website. - School Website
- School VLE
- School Blog
- Cadet Website
- The Old Finchleians (Old Boy's Club) Founded in 1904.
- The Old Cadets Association (C.R.A.)
- Edubase