Brambletye School is a coeducational day and boarding preparatory school in
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town in West Sussex, England, near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders, south of London, northeast of Brighton, and northeast of the county town of Chichester. Situated in the extreme northeast of the county, the civ ...
, West Sussex. It was founded as a small boys' boarding school in Kent between the world wars. The school moved to West Sussex and has since become coeducational.
History
Brambletye was founded at Sidcup Place,
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
in 1919. It moved to its present location in the
Sussex countryside on the southern outskirts of
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town in West Sussex, England, near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders, south of London, northeast of Brighton, and northeast of the county town of Chichester. Situated in the extreme northeast of the county, the civ ...
in 1933. The main school building, which is in its own wooded estate of 140 acres, overlooks the
Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest is an ancient area of open heathland occupying the highest sandy ridge-top of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is situated some south of London in the county of East Sussex, England. Rising to an elevation
of ...
and
Weir Wood Reservoir
Weir Wood Reservoir is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Forest Row in East Sussex. It is in High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and an area of is a Local Nature Reserve which is owned by Southern Water and ...
. Brambletye was built in 1896 by
Donald Larnach
Donald Larnach (17 July 1817 – 12 May 1896) was a banker, financier and High Sheriff of Sussex
in 1882.
Larnach was the son of the late William Larnach, of Newton, Caithness, Scotland, and was born in Scotland. It was also the year in which th ...
, former director of the
Bank of New South Wales
The Bank of New South Wales (BNSW), also known commonly as The Wales, was the first bank in Australia, being established in Sydney in 1817 and situated on Broadway. During the 19th century, the bank opened branches throughout Australia and N ...
, as his country retreat. The school became a charitable trust in 1969
with a board of governors. In September 1986, the first girl was admitted and the school is now completely coeducational.
Recent building developments have included a seven-classroom block,
a purpose-built arts centre including a 270-seat theatre, a sports hall, a pre-prep building and the redevelopment of the science laboratories. The Blencowe Centre won the Downland Prize for Architecture, Education, (joint winner) in 2010.
The Brambletye School Trust, a registered charity,
created legal precedent in the UK with a
value-added tax
A value-added tax (VAT), known in some countries as a goods and services tax (GST), is a type of tax that is assessed incrementally. It is levied on the price of a product or service at each stage of production, distribution, or sale to the en ...
ruling.
Boarding
Brambletye pupils have the choice of being a day pupil, a day boarder (flexy boarding) or being a full boarder.
Notable alumni
*
Nigel Broackes
Sir Nigel Broackes (21 July 1934 – 29 September 1999) was an English businessman and the founder of Trafalgar House, one of the United Kingdom's largest contracting businesses.
Career
Born in Wakefield, Broackes was the son of solicitor Don ...
, founder of Trafalgar House
*
Benedict Cumberbatch
Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch (born 19 July 1976) is an English actor. Known for his work on screen and stage, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Benedict Cumberbatch, various accolades, including a British Aca ...
, actor
*
Jeremy Moore
Major General Sir John Jeremy Moore, (5 July 1928 – 15 September 2007) was a British senior Royal Marine officer who served as the commander of the British land forces during the Falklands War in 1982. Moore received the surrender of the ...
, commander of the British land forces during the Falklands War in 1982.
*
Nigel Morritt Wace
Nigel Morritt Wace (10 January 1929 India – 4 February 2005 Canberra, Australia) was an authority on the plant life of the four Tristan da Cunha Islands, islands he first visited in 1955 when he visited Gough Island. He was educated at Bramblet ...
, leading authority on the plant life of the four Tristan da Cunha Islands
* Sgt David Kennedy Raikes, WW2 pilot and war poet
*
Sir Christopher Nugee, British Court of Appeal Judge
*
Lt General Richard Nugee, Climate Change Lead for the Ministry of Defence
References
External links
School WebsiteProfileon the
ISC #REDIRECT ISC #REDIRECT ISC
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