Public Schools Act 1868

The Royal College of St. Peter at Westminster, commonly referred to as Westminster School, is an ancient English public school, located by Westminster Abbey in Westminster, central London, with a history stretching back to the 12th century. Its A-level results in 2004 and 2005 were the highest in the country. The school traditionally aims in particular to foster independent and original thinking.The Head Master is Dr. Stephen Spurr. Westminster School - History. The School originally became a public ...

Including:

• Westminster School - History
• Westminster School - Location
• Westminster School - Notable buildings
• Westminster School - Customs
• Westminster School - Entry
• Westminster School - Westminster jargon
• Westminster School - Year names
• Westminster School - Other jargon
• Westminster School - Houses
• Westminster School - Sport Station
• Westminster School - Former pupils

Read more here: » Westminster School: Encyclopedia - Westminster School

Public school in the British Isles is a label applied to leading fee-paying independent schools in England and Wales. In Scotland and Ireland it is not commonly used in this sense for schools in those countries (and indeed in Scotland and Northern Ireland the phrase has long been an alternative name for council schools in the state sector). A public school (in the independent sense) usually teaches children from the ages of 11 (for girls) or 13 (for boys) to 18, and was traditionally a single-sex boarding school, although many now acc ...

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Independent school UK, Independent school UK - Independent schools in the UK, Independent school UK - Preparatory school, Independent school UK - Public school, Independent school UK - History and terminology, Independent school UK - Origins of public schools, Independent school UK - The ruling class, Independent school UK - Differing definitions, Independent school UK - English public school language, Independent school UK - Lists of independent schools in the UK, Independent school UK - Criticisms, Independent school UK - Notes

Read more here: » Independent school UK: Encyclopedia II - Independent school UK - Public school

Westminster School - Year names. Westminster has an unusual system for naming the school years, which can cause confusion to those not familiar with the system. For this reason the Under School changed to the nationally standard year names in September 1997. Under School (no longer in use) Year 3: Year not in existence until after names were dropped Year 4: Petty B Year 5: Petty A Year 6: Form 1 Year 7: Form 2 Year 8: Remove See also:

Westminster School, Westminster School - History, Westminster School - Location, Westminster School - Notable buildings, Westminster School - Customs, Westminster School - Entry, Westminster School - Westminster jargon, Westminster School - Year names, Westminster School - Other jargon, Westminster School - Houses, Westminster School - Sport Station, Westminster School - Former pupils

Read more here: » Westminster School: Encyclopedia II - Westminster School - Westminster jargon

Westminster School - Year names. Westminster has an unusual system for naming the school years, which can cause confusion to those not familiar with the system. For this reason the Under School changed to the nationally standard year names in September 1997. Under School (no longer in use) Year 3: Year not in existence until after names were dropped Year 4: Petty B Year 5: Petty A Year 6: Form 1 Year 7: Form 2 Year 8: Remove See also:

Westminster School, Westminster School - History, Westminster School - Location, Westminster School - Notable buildings, Westminster School - Customs, Westminster School - Entry, Westminster School - Westminster jargon, Westminster School - Year names, Westminster School - Other jargon and Slang, Westminster School - Houses, Westminster School - Sport Station, Westminster School - Former pupils

Read more here: » Westminster School: Encyclopedia II - Westminster School - Westminster jargon

The School is located primarily in the former grounds of the long-defunct monastery at Westminster Abbey, its main buildings surrounding its private square Little Dean's Yard (known as 'Yard'), off Dean's Yard, where Church House, the headquarters of the Anglican Church, is sited, along with some of the Houses, the Common Room, the new humanities building Weston's, and College Hall. The humanities are also taught in Sutcliff's (named after the sweet shop that used to occupy the ground floor of the building in the 19th century) on the ...

See also:

Westminster School, Westminster School - History, Westminster School - Location, Westminster School - Notable buildings, Westminster School - Customs, Westminster School - Entry, Westminster School - Westminster jargon, Westminster School - Year names, Westminster School - Other jargon and Slang, Westminster School - Houses, Westminster School - Sport Station, Westminster School - Former pupils

Read more here: » Westminster School: Encyclopedia II - Westminster School - Location

The School is split into 11 Houses, some of which are 'day Houses' (and only admit day-pupils; those who go home after school), the others having a mix of day-pupils and boarders. The Houses are named after people connected to the house or school in various ways - mainly prominent Old Westminsters but also former Head Masters and House Masters. Grant's is the oldest house, not only of Westminster but of any public school. Houses are a focus for pastoral care and social and sporting activities, as well as accommodation for boarders. All the day houses are mixed-sex, and all houses admit day girls, however only Busby's and Purcel ...

See also:

Westminster School, Westminster School - History, Westminster School - Location, Westminster School - Notable buildings, Westminster School - Customs, Westminster School - Entry, Westminster School - Westminster jargon, Westminster School - Year names, Westminster School - Other jargon and Slang, Westminster School - Houses, Westminster School - Sport Station, Westminster School - Former pupils

Read more here: » Westminster School: Encyclopedia II - Westminster School - Houses

The School originally became a Public School (and so available to all members of the public, provided that they could pay for tuition costs) in 1179, as the educational part of the Roman Catholic Abbey at Westminster, the Benedictine monks being required to provide a small charity school by decree of Pope Alexander III. Parts of the School's buildings date back to the eleventh century, and it is quite likely that the first schoolb ...

See also:

Westminster School, Westminster School - History, Westminster School - Location, Westminster School - Notable buildings, Westminster School - Customs, Westminster School - Entry, Westminster School - Westminster jargon, Westminster School - Year names, Westminster School - Other jargon and Slang, Westminster School - Houses, Westminster School - Sport Station, Westminster School - Former pupils

Read more here: » Westminster School: Encyclopedia II - Westminster School - History

The 14th century Abbot's state dining hall, now named 'College Hall', may be one of the oldest and finest examples of medieval refectory in existence. The School uses it for its original purpose every day in term-time, whilst during the holidays it reverts to the Dean, as the Abbot's successor. Elizabeth Woodville took sanctuary here in 1483 with 5 daughters and her son Richard, but failed to save him from his fate as one of the Princes in the Tower. In the 1560s Queen Elizabeth I several times came to see her scholars act their Latin Plays on a stage in front of the attractive Elizabethan gallery, which ...

See also:

Westminster School, Westminster School - History, Westminster School - Location, Westminster School - Notable buildings, Westminster School - Customs, Westminster School - Entry, Westminster School - Westminster jargon, Westminster School - Year names, Westminster School - Other jargon and Slang, Westminster School - Houses, Westminster School - Sport Station, Westminster School - Former pupils

Read more here: » Westminster School: Encyclopedia II - Westminster School - Notable buildings

On Shrove Tuesdays since 1753 the 'Greaze' takes place "up School", in which the head cook is required to throw a horsehair pancake over the bar that used to separate the parts of the schoolroom, for which elected members of the school fight for one minute whilst being watched over by the Dean of Westminster Abbey and the Head Master; the pupil with the largest piece after the minute is up being the winner, and awarded a sovereign. Were the cook to fail to get the 'pancake' over the bar within 3 tries, he or she would have been booked, or pe ...

See also:

Westminster School, Westminster School - History, Westminster School - Location, Westminster School - Notable buildings, Westminster School - Customs, Westminster School - Entry, Westminster School - Westminster jargon, Westminster School - Year names, Westminster School - Other jargon and Slang, Westminster School - Houses, Westminster School - Sport Station, Westminster School - Former pupils

Read more here: » Westminster School: Encyclopedia II - Westminster School - Customs

While, under the best circumstances, independent schools generally and public schools in particular were superb examples of education, historically the reliance on corporal punishment and the prefect system could also make them a cruel and hostile environment. The classics-based curriculum was also criticised for not providing skills in sciences or engineering. It was Martin Wiener's opposition to this tendency which inspired his 1981 polemic "English Culture and the Decline of the Industrial Spirit: 1850-1980". It became a huge influence on the Thatcher govern ...

See also:

Independent school UK, Independent school UK - Independent schools in the UK, Independent school UK - Preparatory school, Independent school UK - Public school, Independent school UK - History and terminology, Independent school UK - Origins of public schools, Independent school UK - The ruling class, Independent school UK - Differing definitions, Independent school UK - English public school language, Independent school UK - Lists of independent schools in the UK, Independent school UK - Criticisms, Independent school UK - Notes

Read more here: » Independent school UK: Encyclopedia II - Independent school UK - Criticisms

There are 4 main points of entry for prospective pupils: For the Under School, at ages 7 and 11, judged by a combination of internal exam and interview. For the Lower School, at age 13, judged by either Common Entrance, a standardised, national set of exams for entrance to independent schools, for standard entry, or the Challenge, an internal set of exams, for scholarship entry, as well as interview. For the Upper School, at age 16, judged by subject-specific exams and interviews and conditional upon GCSE results. This is the only point of en ...

See also:

Westminster School, Westminster School - History, Westminster School - Location, Westminster School - Notable buildings, Westminster School - Customs, Westminster School - Entry, Westminster School - Westminster jargon, Westminster School - Year names, Westminster School - Other jargon and Slang, Westminster School - Houses, Westminster School - Sport Station, Westminster School - Former pupils

Read more here: » Westminster School: Encyclopedia II - Westminster School - Entry

In England and Wales a preparatory school, or prep school in current usage, is an independent school designed to prepare a pupil for fee-paying, secondary independent school. The age range is normally eight to eleven or thirteen, although it may include younger pupils as well. An independent school which only caters for under eights is a "pre-prep" and the junior departments of prep schools which cover the first years of schooling are also called "pre-preps". The Incorporated Association of Preparatory SchoolsSee also:

Independent school UK, Independent school UK - Independent schools in the UK, Independent school UK - Preparatory school, Independent school UK - Public school, Independent school UK - History and terminology, Independent school UK - Origins of public schools, Independent school UK - The ruling class, Independent school UK - Differing definitions, Independent school UK - English public school language, Independent school UK - Lists of independent schools in the UK, Independent school UK - Criticisms, Independent school UK - Notes

Read more here: » Independent school UK: Encyclopedia II - Independent school UK - Preparatory school

The 14th century Abbot's state dining hall, now named 'College Hall', may be one of the oldest and finest examples of medieval refectory in existence. The School uses it for its original purpose every day in term-time, whilst during the holidays it reverts to the Dean, as the Abbot's successor. Elizabeth Woodville took sanctuary here in 1483 with 5 daughters and her son Richard, but failed to save him from his fate as one of the Princes in the Tower. In the 1560s Queen Elizabeth I several times came to see her scholars act their Latin Plays on a stage in front of the attractive Elizabethan gallery, which ...

See also:

Westminster School, Westminster School - History, Westminster School - Location, Westminster School - Notable buildings, Westminster School - Customs, Westminster School - Entry, Westminster School - Westminster jargon, Westminster School - Year names, Westminster School - Other jargon, Westminster School - Houses, Westminster School - Sport Station, Westminster School - Former pupils

Read more here: » Westminster School: Encyclopedia II - Westminster School - Notable buildings

The School is located primarily in the former grounds of the long-defunct monastery at Westminster Abbey, its main buildings surrounding its private square Little Dean's Yard (known as 'Yard'), off Dean's Yard, where Church House, the headquarters of the Anglican Church, is sited, along with some of the Houses, the Common Room, the new humanities building Weston's, and College Hall. The humanities are also taught in Sutcliff's (named after the sweet shop that used to occupy the ground floor of the building in the 19th century) on the ...

See also:

Westminster School, Westminster School - History, Westminster School - Location, Westminster School - Notable buildings, Westminster School - Customs, Westminster School - Entry, Westminster School - Westminster jargon, Westminster School - Year names, Westminster School - Other jargon, Westminster School - Houses, Westminster School - Sport Station, Westminster School - Former pupils

Read more here: » Westminster School: Encyclopedia II - Westminster School - Location

On Shrove Tuesdays since 1753 the 'Greaze' takes place "up School", in which the head cook is required to throw a horsehair pancake over the bar that used to separate the parts of the schoolroom, for which elected members of the school fight for one minute whilst being watched over by the Dean of Westminster Abbey and the Head Master; the pupil with the largest piece after the minute is up being the winner, and awarded a sovereign. Were the cook to fail to get the 'pancake' over the bar within 3 tries, he or she would have been booked, or pe ...

See also:

Westminster School, Westminster School - History, Westminster School - Location, Westminster School - Notable buildings, Westminster School - Customs, Westminster School - Entry, Westminster School - Westminster jargon, Westminster School - Year names, Westminster School - Other jargon, Westminster School - Houses, Westminster School - Sport Station, Westminster School - Former pupils

Read more here: » Westminster School: Encyclopedia II - Westminster School - Customs

There are 4 main points of entry for prospective pupils: For the Under School, at ages 7 and 11, judged by a combination of internal exam and interview. For the Lower School, at age 13, judged by either Common Entrance, a standardised, national set of exams for entrance to independent schools, for standard entry, or the Challenge, an internal set of exams, for scholarship entry, as well as interview. For the Upper School, at age 16, judged by subject-specific exams and interviews and conditional upon GCSE results. This is the only point of en ...

See also:

Westminster School, Westminster School - History, Westminster School - Location, Westminster School - Notable buildings, Westminster School - Customs, Westminster School - Entry, Westminster School - Westminster jargon, Westminster School - Year names, Westminster School - Other jargon, Westminster School - Houses, Westminster School - Sport Station, Westminster School - Former pupils

Read more here: » Westminster School: Encyclopedia II - Westminster School - Entry

Independent Schools in the UK are fee-paying and frequently boarding schools, as contrasted with the free state-funded schools. The Independent Schools Council (ISC) through seven affiliated organisations represents 1,276 schools that together educate over 80% of the pupils in the UK independent sector. Those schools in England which are members of the affiliated organisations of the ISC are inspected under a framework agreed between ISC, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted). Indep ...

See also:

Independent school UK, Independent school UK - Independent schools in the UK, Independent school UK - Preparatory school, Independent school UK - Public school, Independent school UK - History and terminology, Independent school UK - Origins of public schools, Independent school UK - The ruling class, Independent school UK - Differing definitions, Independent school UK - English public school language, Independent school UK - Lists of independent schools in the UK, Independent school UK - Criticisms, Independent school UK - Notes

Read more here: » Independent school UK: Encyclopedia II - Independent school UK - Independent schools in the UK

The School is split into 11 Houses, some of which are 'day Houses' (and only admit day-pupils; those who go home after school), the others having a mix of day-pupils and boarders. The Houses are named after people connected to the house or school in various ways - mainly prominent Old Westminsters but also former Head Masters and House Masters. Grant's is the oldest house, not only of Westminster but of any public school. Houses are a focus for pastoral care and social and sporting activities, as well as accommodation for boarders. All the day houses are mixed-sex, and all houses admit day girls, however only Busby's and Purcel ...

See also:

Westminster School, Westminster School - History, Westminster School - Location, Westminster School - Notable buildings, Westminster School - Customs, Westminster School - Entry, Westminster School - Westminster jargon, Westminster School - Year names, Westminster School - Other jargon, Westminster School - Houses, Westminster School - Sport Station, Westminster School - Former pupils

Read more here: » Westminster School: Encyclopedia II - Westminster School - Houses

The School originally became a public school (and so available to all members of the public, provided that they could pay for tuition costs) in 1179, as the educational part of the Roman Catholic Abbey at Westminster, the Benedictine monks being required to provide a small charity school by decree of Pope Alexander III. Parts of the School's buildings date back to the eleventh century, and it is quite likely that the first schoolb ...

See also:

Westminster School, Westminster School - History, Westminster School - Location, Westminster School - Notable buildings, Westminster School - Customs, Westminster School - Entry, Westminster School - Westminster jargon, Westminster School - Year names, Westminster School - Other jargon, Westminster School - Houses, Westminster School - Sport Station, Westminster School - Former pupils

Read more here: » Westminster School: Encyclopedia II - Westminster School - History