Prior Park Preparatory School
Encyclopedia
Prior Park Preparatory School is located in Cricklade
, Wiltshire
. In 1946 a preparatory school was needed for Prior Park College
, the independent Catholic senior school in Bath that was run by the Congregation of Christian Brothers
. Nothing suitable being available in Bath the Brothers obtained the Cotswold stone 'manor house', largely rebuilt in the 19th century, known as The Hermitage, at Calcutt Street in Cricklade
. It was said to have been built on the site of a medieval hermitage. The land comprised about 31 acres including vegetable gardens, greenhouses, an orchard and land suitable for playing fields. The house would take 62 boys and it was intended to build an extension so that a total of 100 could be accommodated.
The Christian Brothers took over the house on 26 August and opened the school on 18 September 1946. There was a headmaster and four teaching brothers and these were later supplemented by Brother Novices, who spent two years at the school to gain experience before moving to teacher training college, and lay staff, for subjects that were not specialisms of the available brothers. The drawing room of the original house was converted to a chapel (now the school library) and blessed by the Bishop of Clifton when he opened the school. In 1947 more classrooms, a refectory and recreation rooms were built. New dormitories were built in 1962 and in the mid 1960s there were 100 boarders. A new chapel and hall were added in 1967. In the 1970s day boys were taken.
Unexpectedly on 7 March 1980 the Christian Brothers told the lay members of staff that they would be leaving Cricklade and Bath immediately. The school was sold and from 1981 was under lay management under the Headship of John Bogie. Day girls were later admitted and it then became a fully co-educational boarding and day preparatory school. Gerard Hobern took up the Headship in 1994 and under his leadership opened an ICT suite, fully equipped sports hall in 2000 and astro-turf pitch in 2008. In 2009 the school opened its own Pre-Prep department in the walled garden. Mr Mark Pearce became Head in January 2011 and the school now has around 180 pupils from age 3 – 13.
The senior school, Prior Park College
, is located in Bath under the headmaster Mr James Murphy O'Connor nephew of Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster
.
Cricklade
Cricklade is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in north Wiltshire in England, midway between Swindon and Cirencester.On 25 September 2011 Cricklade was awarded The Royal Horticultural Society's 'Champion of Champions' award in the Britain in Bloom competition.Cricklade is twinned with...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. In 1946 a preparatory school was needed for Prior Park College
Prior Park College
Prior Park College is a Roman Catholic co-educational independent school for both day and boarding pupils.It is situated on a hill overlooking the city of Bath, in Somerset, in south-west England...
, the independent Catholic senior school in Bath that was run by the Congregation of Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
. Nothing suitable being available in Bath the Brothers obtained the Cotswold stone 'manor house', largely rebuilt in the 19th century, known as The Hermitage, at Calcutt Street in Cricklade
Cricklade
Cricklade is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in north Wiltshire in England, midway between Swindon and Cirencester.On 25 September 2011 Cricklade was awarded The Royal Horticultural Society's 'Champion of Champions' award in the Britain in Bloom competition.Cricklade is twinned with...
. It was said to have been built on the site of a medieval hermitage. The land comprised about 31 acres including vegetable gardens, greenhouses, an orchard and land suitable for playing fields. The house would take 62 boys and it was intended to build an extension so that a total of 100 could be accommodated.
The Christian Brothers took over the house on 26 August and opened the school on 18 September 1946. There was a headmaster and four teaching brothers and these were later supplemented by Brother Novices, who spent two years at the school to gain experience before moving to teacher training college, and lay staff, for subjects that were not specialisms of the available brothers. The drawing room of the original house was converted to a chapel (now the school library) and blessed by the Bishop of Clifton when he opened the school. In 1947 more classrooms, a refectory and recreation rooms were built. New dormitories were built in 1962 and in the mid 1960s there were 100 boarders. A new chapel and hall were added in 1967. In the 1970s day boys were taken.
Unexpectedly on 7 March 1980 the Christian Brothers told the lay members of staff that they would be leaving Cricklade and Bath immediately. The school was sold and from 1981 was under lay management under the Headship of John Bogie. Day girls were later admitted and it then became a fully co-educational boarding and day preparatory school. Gerard Hobern took up the Headship in 1994 and under his leadership opened an ICT suite, fully equipped sports hall in 2000 and astro-turf pitch in 2008. In 2009 the school opened its own Pre-Prep department in the walled garden. Mr Mark Pearce became Head in January 2011 and the school now has around 180 pupils from age 3 – 13.
The senior school, Prior Park College
Prior Park College
Prior Park College is a Roman Catholic co-educational independent school for both day and boarding pupils.It is situated on a hill overlooking the city of Bath, in Somerset, in south-west England...
, is located in Bath under the headmaster Mr James Murphy O'Connor nephew of Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster
Archbishop of Westminster
The Archbishop of Westminster heads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster, in England. The incumbent is the Metropolitan of the Province of Westminster and, as a matter of custom, is elected President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, and therefore de facto spokesman...
.