Public School (UK)
Encyclopedia
A public school, in common British usage, is a school that is neither administered nor financed by the state (that is, central or local government) or from taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of endowments, tuition fees and charitable contributions, usually existing as a non profit-making charitable trust. (For the US usage of the term, see Publicly Funded Schools.) In British usage, a government-run school (which would be called a 'public school' in other areas, such as the United States
) is known as a 'State School'.
Whether the term public school can be applied to all of the several thousand independent school
s in the UK is a matter for debate. Whilst some schools describe themselves as public schools (possibly to attract international students), many others are now known as independent schools, to both avoid any confusion with government-run schools, and to differentiate themselves in the UK from the very small number of for-profit private schools which lack charitable status.
The term 'public' was adopted from the Public Schools Act 1868 and refers to the fact that the school is open to the paying public from anywhere in the country, as opposed to, for example, a local school only open for local residents, or a religious school open only to those part of a certain church, or private education at home (usually only practical for the very wealthy, such as the nobility, who could afford tutors).
Prior to the Clarendon Commission
, a Royal Commission that investigated the public school system in England between 1861 and 1864, there was no clear definition of a public school. The commission investigated nine of the more established schools: the day schools St Paul's and the Merchant Taylors'
, and seven boarding schools: Charterhouse
, Eton
, Harrow
, Rugby
, Shrewsbury
, Westminster
and Winchester
. A report published by the commission formed the basis of the Public Schools Act 1868.
The Public Schools Yearbook, published in 1889, named the following 25 boarding schools:
day schools.
The head teachers of British independent schools usually belong to the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC)
as distinct from the Association of School and College Leaders
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) is known as a 'State School'.
Whether the term public school can be applied to all of the several thousand independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
s in the UK is a matter for debate. Whilst some schools describe themselves as public schools (possibly to attract international students), many others are now known as independent schools, to both avoid any confusion with government-run schools, and to differentiate themselves in the UK from the very small number of for-profit private schools which lack charitable status.
The term 'public' was adopted from the Public Schools Act 1868 and refers to the fact that the school is open to the paying public from anywhere in the country, as opposed to, for example, a local school only open for local residents, or a religious school open only to those part of a certain church, or private education at home (usually only practical for the very wealthy, such as the nobility, who could afford tutors).
Prior to the Clarendon Commission
Clarendon Commission
Following complaints about the finances, buildings and management of Eton College the Clarendon Commission, a Royal Commission, was set up in 1861 to investigate the state of nine leading schools in England at the time. The Clarendon Report was published in 1864 with general recommendations on the...
, a Royal Commission that investigated the public school system in England between 1861 and 1864, there was no clear definition of a public school. The commission investigated nine of the more established schools: the day schools St Paul's and the Merchant Taylors'
Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
Merchant Taylors' School is a British independent day school for boys, originally located in the City of London. Since 1933 it has been located at Sandy Lodge in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire ....
, and seven boarding schools: Charterhouse
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
, Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, Harrow
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
, Rugby
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
, Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...
, Westminster
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and Winchester
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
. A report published by the commission formed the basis of the Public Schools Act 1868.
The Public Schools Yearbook, published in 1889, named the following 25 boarding schools:
- Bedford SchoolBedford SchoolBedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, TexasBedford School is an HMC independent school for boys located in the town of Bedford, England, United Kingdom...
- Bradfield CollegeBradfield CollegeBradfield College is a coeducational independent school located in the small village of Bradfield in the English county of Berkshire.The college was founded in 1850 by Thomas Stevens, Rector and Lord of the Manor of Bradfield...
- Brighton CollegeBrighton CollegeBrighton College is an institution divided between a Senior School known simply as Brighton College, the Prep School and the Pre-Prep School. All of these schools are co-educational independent schools in Brighton, England, sited immediately next to each another. The Senior School caters for...
- CharterhouseCharterhouse SchoolCharterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
- Cheltenham School
- Clifton CollegeClifton CollegeClifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
- Dover CollegeDover CollegeDover College is a co-educational independent school in Dover in southeast England. It was founded in 1871, and takes both day pupils and boarders....
- Dulwich CollegeDulwich CollegeDulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
- EtonEton CollegeEton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
- Haileybury
- HarrowHarrow SchoolHarrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
- Lancing CollegeLancing CollegeLancing College is a co-educational English independent school in the British public school tradition, founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard. Woodard's aim was to provide education "based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith." Lancing was the first of a...
- Malvern CollegeMalvern CollegeMalvern College is a coeducational independent school located on a 250 acre campus near the town centre of Malvern, Worcestershire in England. Founded on 25 January 1865, until 1992, the College was a secondary school for boys aged 13 to 18...
- MarlboroughMarlborough CollegeMarlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
- RadleyRadley CollegeRadley College , founded in 1847, is a British independent school for boys on the edge of the English village of Radley, near to the market town of Abingdon in Oxfordshire, and has become a well-established boarding school...
- ReptonRepton SchoolRepton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition, located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England...
- Rossall SchoolRossall SchoolRossall School is a British, co-educational, independent school, between Cleveleys and Fleetwood, Lancashire. Rossall was founded in 1844 by St. Vincent Beechey as a sister school to Marlborough College which had been founded the previous year...
- RugbyRugby SchoolRugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
- SherborneSherborne SchoolSherborne School is a British independent school for boys, located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. It is one of the original member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
- ShrewsburyShrewsbury SchoolShrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...
- TonbridgeTonbridge SchoolTonbridge School is a British boys' independent school for both boarding and day pupils in Tonbridge, Kent, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judd . It is a member of the Eton Group, and has close links with the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the oldest London livery companies...
- UppinghamUppingham SchoolUppingham School is a co-educational independent school of the English public school tradition, situated in the small town of Uppingham in Rutland, England...
- WestminsterWestminster SchoolThe Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
- WellingtonWellington College, Berkshire-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
- WinchesterWinchester CollegeWinchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
Merchant Taylors' School is a British independent day school for boys, originally located in the City of London. Since 1933 it has been located at Sandy Lodge in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire ....
day schools.
The head teachers of British independent schools usually belong to the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC)
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference is an association of the headmasters or headmistressess of 243 leading day and boarding independent schools in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland...
as distinct from the Association of School and College Leaders
Association of School and College Leaders
The Association of School and College Leaders , formerly the Secondary Heads Association , is the British professional association for leaders of secondary schools and colleges.-History:...
.
Slang peculiar to or originating from public schools
The following list includes some commonly used slang terms used at public schools in the UK:- ABROAD (Winchester): Out of the sick room.
- BAD EGG, a nasty and unpleasant person.
- BEDDER (also used in Cambridge): A bedmaker and cleaner.
- BRUSHING (Christ's Hospital), flogging.
- EXECUTION (Eton): Flogging by the Head Master with a birchrod.
- FAG, a servant for a prefect.
- GOD (Eton), a prefect.
- GOOD EGG, a trustworthy or reliable person (later inversion of bad egg).
- MAJOR, such as Smith Major, the elder brother.
- MINOR, such as Smith Minor, the younger brother.
- NEWBIE, new boy (now a general term).
- RUSTICATION, suspension.
- TITCHING (Christ's Hospital), caning.