Stuart Townend (headmaster)
Encyclopedia
Lt-Col Henry "Stuart" Townend OBE (24 April 1909 – 26 October 2002) was the first headmaster to educate an heir to the British throne. A former gold medallist at the British Empire Games, he founded Hill House School
, in Knightsbridge
, London
in 1951, an institution he continued to actively run until his death in 2002 at aged 93. At that time it was reportedly the world's largest private junior school with over 1100 pupils.
Townend championed a “stripped down to basics” approach to independent education that enabled him to keep his fees among the lowest in the country, despite its location in Knightsbridge, one of the most expensive parts of the capital. Despite limited financial resources, the school excelled academically, consistently helping its boys into top public schools like Eton College
, Harrow School
, Westminster School
and St Paul's School and its girls into Benenden School
, Wycombe Abbey
and Roedean.
Townend famously declared in 1999 that the school’s principles were “back to front”. He explained: “We put safety first – any teacher who leaves a child unsupervised is sacked on the spot – and then the child’s happiness. If a child’s happy and loves coming to school, he or she can do anything. Discipline and good manners come next and, last of all, preparation for the next school.”
Born on 24 April 1909, Townend was the son of a clergyman, attending St Edmund's School
, Canterbury. As a young man Townend excelled at sport and athletics, becoming a schoolboy hockey international. He went up to Brasenose College, Oxford in 1928, where he became president of the Oxford University Athletic Club and winner of six Oxford University blues.
In 1930 he won a gold medal at the British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, in the 4x440 yard relay. After university, he joined the Royal Artillery in 1931, where he served for 16 years, attaining the appointment of Assistant Adjutant-General, World Wide Air Movements at the War Office.
Townend retired from the army in 1947 to become housing chairman of the London Olympics
, organising the accommodation at short notice for the athletes and officials attending the event to be held the following year. There was no time or money to build athletes’ villages, and 3500 of the athletes and sportsmen were put in three camps in Richmond Park, Uxbridge and High Wycombe. The remainder and all the officials were put up in 41 schools and colleges across London. As a reward for his efforts, he was given an OBE in 1949.
Hill House opened its doors in 1951. In 1956 the school got a lift to its reputation when Prince Charles attended the school as pupil. It was the first time an heir to the British throne had been sent to school, as opposed to being educated by private tutors.
Hill House School
Of the many schools named Hill House School, there is one which is a preparatory day school based in Knightsbridge, London. It was founded in September 1951 by Lt-Col Stuart Townend and has several branches located in West London and in Switzerland...
, in Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, 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...
in 1951, an institution he continued to actively run until his death in 2002 at aged 93. At that time it was reportedly the world's largest private junior school with over 1100 pupils.
Townend championed a “stripped down to basics” approach to independent education that enabled him to keep his fees among the lowest in the country, despite its location in Knightsbridge, one of the most expensive parts of the capital. Despite limited financial resources, the school excelled academically, consistently helping its boys into top public schools like Eton College
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 School
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...
, Westminster School
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 St Paul's School and its girls into Benenden School
Benenden School
Benenden School is an independent boarding school for girls in Kent, England. It is located in Benenden in the Kentish countryside, between Cranbrook and Tenterden....
, Wycombe Abbey
Wycombe Abbey
Wycombe Abbey is an independent girls' boarding school situated in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is academically one of the top schools in the United Kingdom, and the top girls' boarding school...
and Roedean.
Townend famously declared in 1999 that the school’s principles were “back to front”. He explained: “We put safety first – any teacher who leaves a child unsupervised is sacked on the spot – and then the child’s happiness. If a child’s happy and loves coming to school, he or she can do anything. Discipline and good manners come next and, last of all, preparation for the next school.”
Born on 24 April 1909, Townend was the son of a clergyman, attending St Edmund's School
St Edmund's School
St Edmund’s School is an independent school in Canterbury, Kent, England, U.K. with over 500 pupils, including both day pupils and boarders.-History:...
, Canterbury. As a young man Townend excelled at sport and athletics, becoming a schoolboy hockey international. He went up to Brasenose College, Oxford in 1928, where he became president of the Oxford University Athletic Club and winner of six Oxford University blues.
In 1930 he won a gold medal at the British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario, in the 4x440 yard relay. After university, he joined the Royal Artillery in 1931, where he served for 16 years, attaining the appointment of Assistant Adjutant-General, World Wide Air Movements at the War Office.
Townend retired from the army in 1947 to become housing chairman of the London Olympics
London Olympics
London has hosted the Olympic Games on two past occasions, in 1908 and 1948, with a third scheduled for 2012. The planned 2012 Olympics will make London the first city to have hosted the modern Games of three Olympiads...
, organising the accommodation at short notice for the athletes and officials attending the event to be held the following year. There was no time or money to build athletes’ villages, and 3500 of the athletes and sportsmen were put in three camps in Richmond Park, Uxbridge and High Wycombe. The remainder and all the officials were put up in 41 schools and colleges across London. As a reward for his efforts, he was given an OBE in 1949.
Hill House opened its doors in 1951. In 1956 the school got a lift to its reputation when Prince Charles attended the school as pupil. It was the first time an heir to the British throne had been sent to school, as opposed to being educated by private tutors.