St Benedict's School
Encyclopedia
St Benedict's School is a co-educational independent
Roman Catholic
school situated in Ealing
, West London. The school is part of Ealing Abbey
and is governed by the Abbot
and monk
s of Ealing. As the only day school
of the English Houses of the English Benedictine Congregation
, the school does not take boarding pupils. Although a Catholic Benedictine establishment, the school accepts pupils of other Christian denominations and, in the Senior School, other faiths.
in Ealing
in 1897 to found the first Benedictine Abbey in London since the Reformation. Under the leadership of Dom Sebastian Cave, Ealing Priory School, as the School was known, (becoming St Benedict's School in 1948) opened on 2 October 1902, with three boys enrolled.
were purchased to provide a sports grounds. By the 1920s Orchard Dene was used for boarders and the school was located in two houses on Eaton Rise. A purpose built school building linking these houses was in use by 1936. During the Second World War pupils were evacuated - boarding ceased - and the Abbey church was badly damaged by a bomb on 7 October 1940.
which has been planted with trees. Each year a whole school (Junior and Senior) charity day takes place at the end of March to support the Abbey’s Lenten Appeal.
of 2007 the Junior School has been fully co-educational. The Senior School became fully co-educational in Michaelmas 2008.
of, St Benedict's School; it was reported in October 2011 that he had failed to answer bail and was being sought by the police.
In August 2010 the Abbot commissioned an enquiry into the claims of sexual abuse at the school, to be conducted by Lord Carlile of Berriew; its report was published in November 2011 and detailed 21 separate abuse cases since 1970 and concluded "that the form of governance of St Benedict's School is wholly outdated and demonstrably unacceptable." It recommended that two trusts be formed to remove control by the abbey, but maintaining a Benedictine connection for the parents.. In October 2011 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
ordered its own enquiry into the same matters, to be conducted by Bishop John Arnold
.
.
There are three academic terms in the year:
permeates the community in a palpable way as a sense of shared purpose in growing towards ‘discernment’ in life. Qualities such as tolerance, forgiveness, mutual support and hospitality characterize the school community. Pupils’ excellent spiritual development is fostered by the sense of stability generated by the daily practice of adherence to the Benedictine way. The spiritual development of individuals manifests itself most obviously in the way in which they relate to each other, both students and teachers. In appreciating the worth of others, pupils learn respect for themselves and how to live out the gospel values that they have learned. Collective acts of worship in assemblies or in the Abbey Church are respectful and prayerful and evoke a high level of pupil participation.
The Abbey Church
provides the awe-inspiring backdrop for worship. Registration sessions are accompanied by prayer, in which pupils happily participate and which they sometimes lead. Mass is celebrated weekly in the school chapel for those staff and pupils who wish to attend. Retreats organized for each year group give valuable time for reflection and for spiritual growth. Trips are organized, for instance to Rome on a study pilgrimage and to Lourdes, where pupils develop their understanding or are able to express their commitment to service. Most of all the pupils assimilate the pattern for a whole way of life, as part of which the school encourages former pupils to feel that they remain part of the Benedictine community which has shaped them.
The Independent Schools Inspectorate
notes that pupils develop a strong personal morality at St Benedict's. The qualities of character from which moral and responsible behaviour proceed are acquired cumulatively through the good quality relationships which pupils form. Staff and older pupils act as excellent rôle models and their example of care, respect and tolerance for others plays a strong part in developing the moral code of younger pupils. The school rules, which emphasize consideration for others, make sense to the pupils and they respect them. They behave well towards each other and towards all they meet, and clearly exhibit a strong sense of right and wrong.
martyrs St Ambrose Barlow
, Blessed George Gervase, Blessed Thomas Pickering
and St John Roberts. From the Upper 4th (Year 9) onwards House Captains are appointed in each division, while in Form 3 and Lower 4th (Years 7 and 8) there are house representatives. In addition House Colours are awarded from the Upper 4th for outstanding overall contribution to the life of the School.
, winning the national Under 15 Daily Mail Cup
competition in the 2004/5 season, and reaching the semi-final of the Cup in 2007. As finalist again at Twickenham
in the Under 18 Daily Mail Cup
in 2008, St Benedict's is one of only two teams in the history of the national competition to have played in both Under 15 and Under 18 Daily Mail Cup finals as one year group (the other being Wellington College
). The School XV were undefeated in 2008 in 21 of 22 league matches, finishing top of the Canterbury Rankings ahead of Wellington College, Millfield School and Sedbergh School
. The same team was selected by the Rugby Football Union
to represent England in the Sanix World Rugby Youth Invitational Tournament, losing only to the eventual winner. The school is the current holder of the Middlesex Cup at both U14 and U16 level and retained the Cronk-Cunis National U21 XVs Rugby Festival title in August 2010.
The main sports for girls are netball, hockey and rounders. The school also offers other sports including cricket, fencing, tennis and swimming.
and participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme , as well as producing consistently accomplished art, music and drama.The Junior School runs a daily programme of after class Hobbies including Mandarin, ballet, chess, cross stitch, fencing - St Benedict’s currently holds the Under 11 Girls Foil British School Team Champions Title - computing and swimming. Both Senior and Junior School pupils contribute to the Priorian, the School magazine.
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...
Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
school situated in Ealing
Ealing
Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
, West London. The school is part of Ealing Abbey
Ealing Abbey
Ealing Abbey is a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastic foundation in West London, England, and part of the English Benedictine Congregation.-History:...
and is governed by the Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
and monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s of Ealing. As the only day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
of the English Houses of the English Benedictine Congregation
English Benedictine Congregation
The English Benedictine Congregation comprises autonomous Roman Catholic Benedictine communities of monks and nuns and is technically the oldest of the 21 congregations that are affiliated in the Benedictine Confederation....
, the school does not take boarding pupils. Although a Catholic Benedictine establishment, the school accepts pupils of other Christian denominations and, in the Senior School, other faiths.
Foundation
St Benedict’s School, Ealing was established following the arrival of Benedictine monks from Downside AbbeyDownside Abbey
The Basilica of St Gregory the Great at Downside, commonly known as Downside Abbey, is a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery and the Senior House of the English Benedictine Congregation. One of its main apostolates is a school for children aged nine to eighteen...
in Ealing
Ealing
Ealing is a suburban area of west London, England and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Ealing. It is located west of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically a rural village...
in 1897 to found the first Benedictine Abbey in London since the Reformation. Under the leadership of Dom Sebastian Cave, Ealing Priory School, as the School was known, (becoming St Benedict's School in 1948) opened on 2 October 1902, with three boys enrolled.
Location
The school has occupied various premises at various times in its history, firstly in Blakesley Avenue, then taking rooms in the priory in 1904 before moving across to Orchard Dene (which currently houses the Junior School) in Montpelier Avenue. In 1906 15 acres (60,702.9 m²), about a mile from the main school grounds, in PerivalePerivale
Perivale is a small suburb in the London Borough of Ealing, west of Charing Cross, central London. Landmarks in the suburb include the A40, a large road that connects Central London with the M40 motorway, and the large Art Deco Hoover Building, as well as St Mary's Church , the River Brent and...
were purchased to provide a sports grounds. By the 1920s Orchard Dene was used for boarders and the school was located in two houses on Eaton Rise. A purpose built school building linking these houses was in use by 1936. During the Second World War pupils were evacuated - boarding ceased - and the Abbey church was badly damaged by a bomb on 7 October 1940.
The Junior School
The Junior School was 'spun off' as a separate entity with its own headmaster in 1946. The Junior School's first lay headmaster, Dennis McSweeny, was appointed in 2000. The present headmaster, appointed in 2005, is Mr Robert Simmons, himself a former pupil of St Benedict's School. Visits to many places of interest in London, and further afield, extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the world around them. In Year 5, pupils visit Normandy. The school has worthwhile links with the local and wider community. The pupils demonstrate concern for others less fortunate than themselves by supporting local and international charities. Concern for the environment is encouraged and the school has an effective school travel plan. Support of the Healthy Planet project has resulted in the purchase of a piece of land in Central AmericaCentral America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
which has been planted with trees. Each year a whole school (Junior and Senior) charity day takes place at the end of March to support the Abbey’s Lenten Appeal.
Move to co-education
Although St Benedict's was originally founded as a boys' school, girls have been admitted to the Sixth Form of the Senior School since the 1970s and to the nursery since it was founded in 2002. In June 2006 the Monastic Chapter voted to extend co-education across the whole school and since the Michaelmas termMichaelmas term
Michaelmas term is the first academic term of the academic years of the following British and Irish universities:*University of Cambridge*University of Oxford*University of St...
of 2007 the Junior School has been fully co-educational. The Senior School became fully co-educational in Michaelmas 2008.
Sex abuse scandal
In October 2009, Dom David Pearce, a monk of Ealing Abbey and former headmaster of the Junior School, was jailed for eight years, subsequently reduced to five years, for sexual abuse offences at the school in the period from 1972 - 1992 and for one further offence in 2007 after he had ceased to work in the school. In March 2011 Dom Laurence Soper, the Abbot of Ealing Abbey during the 1990s, was arrested on child abuse charges relating to the period when he was a teacher at, and the bursarBursar
A bursar is a senior professional financial administrator in a school or university.Billing of student tuition accounts are the responsibility of the Office of the Bursar. This involves sending bills and making payment plans with the ultimate goal of getting the student accounts paid off...
of, St Benedict's School; it was reported in October 2011 that he had failed to answer bail and was being sought by the police.
In August 2010 the Abbot commissioned an enquiry into the claims of sexual abuse at the school, to be conducted by Lord Carlile of Berriew; its report was published in November 2011 and detailed 21 separate abuse cases since 1970 and concluded "that the form of governance of St Benedict's School is wholly outdated and demonstrably unacceptable." It recommended that two trusts be formed to remove control by the abbey, but maintaining a Benedictine connection for the parents.. In October 2011 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
ordered its own enquiry into the same matters, to be conducted by Bishop John Arnold
John Arnold (bishop)
John Stanley Kenneth Arnold is an auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster. He holds the titular see of Lindisfarne and is a Chaplain to the Papal Household and chairman of the Oxford and Cambridge Catholic Education Board.Arnold was born in Sheffield and attended...
.
School life
Since its earliest days, members of the monastic community at Ealing Abbey have taught at, and provided pastoral, spiritual and educational leadership, within the School. Until the Senior School's first lay headmaster, Dr A.J. Dachs, was appointed in 1987, all headmasters were monks of the Abbey. The present Senior School headmaster, Mr Christopher Cleugh, joined the school in 2001 and so, as were his predecessors since 1951, is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' ConferenceHeadmasters' 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...
.
There are three academic terms in the year:
- Michaelmas termMichaelmas termMichaelmas term is the first academic term of the academic years of the following British and Irish universities:*University of Cambridge*University of Oxford*University of St...
, from early September to mid December. - Lent termLent termLent term is the name of the spring academic term at the following British universities:*University of Cambridge*Kings College London*London School of Economics and Political Science*Exeter University*University of Lancaster...
, from early January to late March. - Trinity termTrinity termTrinity term is the name of the third and final term of Oxford University's and the University of Dublin's academic year. It runs from about mid April to about the end of June and is named after Trinity Sunday, which falls eight weeks after Easter, in May or June.At the University of Sydney, it was...
, from late April to early July.
Ethos
The Rule of St BenedictRule of St Benedict
The Rule of Saint Benedict is a book of precepts written by St. Benedict of Nursia for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. Since about the 7th century it has also been adopted by communities of women...
permeates the community in a palpable way as a sense of shared purpose in growing towards ‘discernment’ in life. Qualities such as tolerance, forgiveness, mutual support and hospitality characterize the school community. Pupils’ excellent spiritual development is fostered by the sense of stability generated by the daily practice of adherence to the Benedictine way. The spiritual development of individuals manifests itself most obviously in the way in which they relate to each other, both students and teachers. In appreciating the worth of others, pupils learn respect for themselves and how to live out the gospel values that they have learned. Collective acts of worship in assemblies or in the Abbey Church are respectful and prayerful and evoke a high level of pupil participation.
The Abbey Church
Ealing Abbey
Ealing Abbey is a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastic foundation in West London, England, and part of the English Benedictine Congregation.-History:...
provides the awe-inspiring backdrop for worship. Registration sessions are accompanied by prayer, in which pupils happily participate and which they sometimes lead. Mass is celebrated weekly in the school chapel for those staff and pupils who wish to attend. Retreats organized for each year group give valuable time for reflection and for spiritual growth. Trips are organized, for instance to Rome on a study pilgrimage and to Lourdes, where pupils develop their understanding or are able to express their commitment to service. Most of all the pupils assimilate the pattern for a whole way of life, as part of which the school encourages former pupils to feel that they remain part of the Benedictine community which has shaped them.
The Independent Schools Inspectorate
Independent Schools Inspectorate
The Independent Schools Inspectorate is an organisation responsible for the inspection of independent schools in England which are affiliated to the Independent Schools Council . The Inspectorate is a separate company, owned by the Independent Schools Council and has its work monitored by the...
notes that pupils develop a strong personal morality at St Benedict's. The qualities of character from which moral and responsible behaviour proceed are acquired cumulatively through the good quality relationships which pupils form. Staff and older pupils act as excellent rôle models and their example of care, respect and tolerance for others plays a strong part in developing the moral code of younger pupils. The school rules, which emphasize consideration for others, make sense to the pupils and they respect them. They behave well towards each other and towards all they meet, and clearly exhibit a strong sense of right and wrong.
House system
On entry to the School, each pupil is assigned to a house - Barlow (partnered with More House in the Junior School), Gervase (partnered with Gregory), Pickering (partnered with Bede) or Roberts (partnered with Fisher). These houses are named after the BenedictineBenedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
martyrs St Ambrose Barlow
St Ambrose Barlow
St Ambrose Barlow is a Roman Catholic technology college in Swinton, Greater Manchester, England. In an Ofsted inspection in 2008, the school was awarded Outstanding in many areas...
, Blessed George Gervase, Blessed Thomas Pickering
Blessed Thomas Pickering
Blessed Thomas Pickering was a Benedictine lay brother who served in England during the time of recusancy. He was martyred as a result of the fraudulent claims of Titus Oates that he was part of a plot to murder King Charles II....
and St John Roberts. From the Upper 4th (Year 9) onwards House Captains are appointed in each division, while in Form 3 and Lower 4th (Years 7 and 8) there are house representatives. In addition House Colours are awarded from the Upper 4th for outstanding overall contribution to the life of the School.
Sport
The Senior School has a strong record in rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, winning the national Under 15 Daily Mail Cup
Daily Mail Cup
The Daily Mail RBS Cup is the annual English schools' rugby union cup competition. The semi-finals are now held at Broadstreet Rugby Club. The final is held at Twickenham Stadium. Competitions are held at the U18 and U15 age group levels...
competition in the 2004/5 season, and reaching the semi-final of the Cup in 2007. As finalist again at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
in the Under 18 Daily Mail Cup
Daily Mail Cup
The Daily Mail RBS Cup is the annual English schools' rugby union cup competition. The semi-finals are now held at Broadstreet Rugby Club. The final is held at Twickenham Stadium. Competitions are held at the U18 and U15 age group levels...
in 2008, St Benedict's is one of only two teams in the history of the national competition to have played in both Under 15 and Under 18 Daily Mail Cup finals as one year group (the other being Wellington College
Wellington 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...
). The School XV were undefeated in 2008 in 21 of 22 league matches, finishing top of the Canterbury Rankings ahead of Wellington College, Millfield School and Sedbergh School
Sedbergh School
Sedbergh School is a boarding school in Sedbergh, Cumbria, for boys and girls aged 13 to 18. Nestled in the Howgill Fells, it is known for sporting sides, such as its Rugby Union 1st XV.-Background:...
. The same team was selected by the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
to represent England in the Sanix World Rugby Youth Invitational Tournament, losing only to the eventual winner. The school is the current holder of the Middlesex Cup at both U14 and U16 level and retained the Cronk-Cunis National U21 XVs Rugby Festival title in August 2010.
The main sports for girls are netball, hockey and rounders. The school also offers other sports including cricket, fencing, tennis and swimming.
Other activities
In the Senior School there are over 70 clubs and societies. Pupils run a debating society, staff a Combined Cadet ForceCombined 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,...
and participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme , as well as producing consistently accomplished art, music and drama.The Junior School runs a daily programme of after class Hobbies including Mandarin, ballet, chess, cross stitch, fencing - St Benedict’s currently holds the Under 11 Girls Foil British School Team Champions Title - computing and swimming. Both Senior and Junior School pupils contribute to the Priorian, the School magazine.
Notable alumni
Alumni of the school are known as Old Priorians and include:- Peter AckroydPeter AckroydPeter Ackroyd CBE is an English biographer, novelist and critic with a particular interest in the history and culture of London. For his novels about English history and culture and his biographies of, among others, Charles Dickens, T. S. Eliot and Sir Thomas More he won the Somerset Maugham Award...
- Patrick BatyPatrick BatyPatrick Baty, is a British historian of paint and colour, who works as a consultant in the decoration of historic buildings.-Early years:...
- David Bermingham
- Paul BradleyPaul Bradley (actor)Paul Bradley is an English actor. He is best known for playing Nigel Bates in the BBC1 soap opera EastEnders from 1992 to 1998 and Elliot Hope in the BBC medical drama series Holby City since 2005....
- Christopher CaudwellChristopher CaudwellChristopher Caudwell is the pseudonym of Christopher St. John Sprigg , a British Marxist writer, thinker and poet.He was born into a Catholic family living at 53 Montserrat Road, Putney district, south-west London...
- Julian ClaryJulian ClaryJulian Peter McDonald Clary is an English comedian and novelist, known for his deliberately stereotypical camp style, with a heavy reliance on innuendo and double entendre.-Early life and education:...
- Vinny CodringtonVinny CodringtonVincent Codrington is a cricket administrator and former rugby union player.Vinny Codrington was educated at St. Benedict's School, Ealing. He played rugby union as a fly half for Richmond and also served as its Director of Rugby, during its transition from amateur to professional rugby...
- Declan DonnellanDeclan DonnellanDeclan Donnellan is a British theatre director and writer. He is co-founder of Cheek by Jowl theatre company. In 1992 he received an honoris causa degree from the University of Warwick and in 2004 he was made a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his work in France...
- Arthur EllisArthur Ellis (rugby player)Arthur Ellis is a rugby union player. He plays at hooker. His father played for Wales Schools, Neath and was an Oxford Blue. Ellis attended St. Benedict's School, Ealing....
- Hugo EllisHugo EllisHugo Ellis born 4 February 1988 in Isleworth, London, England is a rugby union player for Newport Gwent Dragons in the RaboDirect Pro12. He plays as a back-row. He is a former pupil of St Benedict's School, Ealing,. Hugo's father played for Wales Schools, Neath and was an Oxford Blue...
- Laurence FreemanLaurence FreemanLaurence Freeman OSB is a Benedictine monk and Catholic priest of the Benedictine Congregation of Monte Oliveto. He is the Director of the World Community for Christian Meditation, a global network of Christian meditation groups that practice the way of Christian meditation, and of its Benedictine...
- Howard FrenchHoward French (UK journalist)Howard French was a British newspaper editor.-Biography:Born in Southgate, French grew up as a Roman Catholic and studied at Ealing Priory School. He joined the Sunday Dispatch as a reporter in 1936, and soon discovered that the environmentalist Grey Owl, supposedly a Native American, had been...
- Reginald C. FullerReginald C. FullerReginald Cuthbert Fuller was ordained as a priest in 1931 by Cardinal Bourne, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, and appointed Canon of Westminster Cathedral by Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor in 2001...
- Jonathan GlanceyJonathan GlanceyJonathan Glancey is an architectural critic and writer who is the architecture and design editor at The Guardian, a position he has held since 1997. He previously held the same post at The Independent. He also has been involved with the architecture magazines Building Design, Architectural Review,...
- Peter HennessyPeter HennessyPeter John Hennessy, Baron Hennessy of Nympsfield, FBA is an English historian of government. Since 1992, he has been Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History at Queen Mary, University of London.-Early life:...
- John HooperJohn Hooper (journalist)John Edward Francis Hooper is a British journalist, author and broadcaster. He is currently the Rome correspondent of The Economist and The Guardian.- Early life :...
- Damian HopleyDamian HopleyDamian Hopley born 12 April 1970 in London, is a former rugby union player for London Wasps and England.Hopley's position of choice was on the wing or in the centres....
- Colin MacCabeColin MacCabeColin MacCabe is a British writer and film producer. He is distinguished professor of English and film at the University of Pittsburgh, professor of English and humanities at Birkbeck, University of London, and a visiting professor at the University of Exeter....
- Denis MacShaneDenis MacShaneDenis MacShane is a British politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Rotherham since the 1994 by-election and served as the Minister for Europe from 2002 until 2005, as well as being a current Policy Council member for Labour Friends of Israel.On 14 October 2010, it was announced...
- Douglas MurrayDouglas Murray (author)Douglas Murray is a British writer and commentator who was the director of the Centre for Social Cohesion from 2007 until 2011 and is currently an associate director of the Henry Jackson Society. Murray appears regularly in the British broadcast media, commentating on issues from a conservative...
- Denis O'ReganDenis O'ReganDenis O'Regan is a renowned English rock photographer. His imagery is particularly associated with the punk movement, Queen, David Bowie, and Duran Duran, and O'Regan has photographed everyone from AC/DC to ZZ Top, documenting Punk, New Romanticism, Grunge, and Heavy Metal along the way...
- Bernard OrchardBernard OrchardDom Bernard Orchard OSB MA was an English Roman Catholic Benedictine monk, headmaster and biblical scholar.-Early life and education:John Archibald Henslowe Orchard, the son of a farmer, was born in Bromley, Kent...
- Chris PattenChris PattenChristopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, CH, PC , is the last Governor of British Hong Kong, a former British Conservative politician, and the current chairman of the BBC Trust....
, also mentioned below - John SauvenJohn SauvenJohn Sauven, is a trained economist and environmentalist and executive director of Greenpeace UK, a post he has held since 2008. Before that he was the director responsible for Greenpeace communications and specialized on solutions and working with business...
- Andy SerkisAndy SerkisAndrew Clement G. "Andy" Serkis is an English actor, director and author. He is popularly known for playing Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, for which he earned several award nominations, including the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Two Towers...
- Labi SiffreLabi SiffreLabi Siffre is a British poet, songwriter, musician and singer most widely known as the writer and singer of " So Strong", "It Must Be Love" and "I Got The", the sampled rhythm track which provides the basis for a number of well-known hip hop tracks such as Eminem’s breakthrough hit single, "My...
- Joe SimpsonJoe Simpson (rugby player born 1988)Joe Simpson is a rugby union player who plays scrum half for London Wasps and the England national rugby union team.- Biography :Simpson was born in Australia to a New Zealand mother and English father, both rugby enthusiasts...
- Iain SoftleyIain SoftleyIain Softley is an English film director. He was educated at St Benedict's School, Ealing, where he played the part of Thomas Becket in its 1975 production of T. S...
- Keith TomlinsKeith TomlinsKeith Patrick Tomlins was a first class cricketer.Tomlins was born on 23 October 1957 in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey. After education at St Benedict's School he made his debut for Middlesex as a right-handed middle order batsman in 1977, but, despite a decade on the staff, did not establish his...
- Chris PattenChris PattenChristopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, CH, PC , is the last Governor of British Hong Kong, a former British Conservative politician, and the current chairman of the BBC Trust....
(now Lord Patten of Barnes) serves as an Advisory Governor to the school.
Headmasters
- Dom Sebastian Cave 1902-1916
- Dom Wulstan Pearson 1916-1917
- Dom Dennis Goolden 1917
- Dom Roger Huddleston 1917
- Dom Edward Green 1917-1919
- Dom Dominic Young 1919-1936
- Dom Austin Corney 1936-1938
- Dom Adrian Morey 1938-1939
- Dom Rupert Hall 1939-1945
- Dom Bernard OrchardBernard OrchardDom Bernard Orchard OSB MA was an English Roman Catholic Benedictine monk, headmaster and biblical scholar.-Early life and education:John Archibald Henslowe Orchard, the son of a farmer, was born in Bromley, Kent...
1945-1960 - Dom Gerard Hayes 1960
- Dom George Brown 1961-1965
- Dom Bernard Orchard 1965-1969
- Dom George Brown 1969-1978
- Dom Anthony Gee 1978-1987
- Dr Tony Dachs 1987-2001
- Mr Christopher Cleugh 2001- incumbent