Lucton School, is an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

, co-educational, day and boarding school in

Lucton Lucton is a village near the town of Leominster in the county of Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to ...

near

Leominster Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England, at the confluence of the River Lugg and its tributary the River Kenwater. The town is north of Hereford and south of Ludlow in Shropshire. With a population of 11,700, Leominster i ...

, Herefordshire, England. It was founded in 1708 as a boys' school and began admitting girls in the 1970s. It currently has 350 pupils on roll, aged from six months to 18 years. The school operates as a registered charity and is a member of the Independent Schools Association, the

Independent Association of Preparatory Schools The Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS, formerly Independent Association of Preparatory Schools) is a schools association, representing around 670 preparatory schools. The majority of IAPS' schools are in the UK, with other locations ...

, the Independent Schools Council Information Service and the Boarding Schools Association. Fees are currently £29,955 for full boarders, £24,750 for weekly boarders and £12,945 for day pupils.

History

The school was founded by John Pierrepont in 1708. Pierrepont had made his fortune as a

vintner A winemaker or vintner is a person engaged in winemaking. They are generally employed by wineries or wine companies, where their work includes: *Cooperating with viticulturists *Monitoring the maturity of grapes to ensure their quality and to dete ...

in London and, being unmarried, elected to use his fortune in good works. He restored the chapel in

village and provided a stipend for a minister. In his will, he also provided bequests to The Royal Hospital of St Bartholomew (of which he was a governor) and

Mile End Hospital Mile End Hospital is a community hospital in the Mile End area of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in England. It is managed by Barts Health NHS Trust. History The hospital was established as the infirmary for the local workhouse in 1859. ...

. His generosity is recorded on a funeral cartouche, originally mounted in the chapel in Lucton but now in the dining hall of the school. By Act of Parliament in 1708, Pierrepont established a free school in Lucton, based on the tithes due him from estates and manors such as those in Yarpole, Bircher, Luston and Eyton. The school was founded as a

Bluecoat school A bluecoat school is a type of charity school in England, the first of which was founded in the 16th century. Most of them have closed; some remain open as schools, often on different sites, and some of the original buildings have been adapted ...

(although the governors provided for pupils at Lucton the cheaper alternative of brown coats) and the building was erected on land purchased from Pierrepont’s friend, Sir Herbert Croft of nearby

Croft Castle Croft Castle is a country house in the village of Croft, Herefordshire, England. Owned by the Croft family since 1085, the castle and estate passed out of their hands in the 18th century, before being repurchased by the family in 1923. In 1957 ...

. Pierrepont himself set out detailed rules for the foundation and running of the School, aided by his parish priest at St. Botolph, Aldgate, Rev'd Dr

White Kennett White Kennett (10 August 166019 December 1728) was an English bishop and antiquarian. He was educated at Westminster School and at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, where, while an undergraduate, he published several translations of Latin works, including ...

(later 16th Bishop of Peterborough.) His school was, he decided, to provide a sound Anglican education, as well as studies in Greek, Latin, reading, writing and arithmetic. The endowment was to provide free education to 50 boys from poorer families, whilst 30 boys from wealthier families would pay up to 10/- per annum. Since 1989, the school has been managed by the Lucton Pierrepont School Educational Trust.

Campus

The school is housed in a listed Queen Anne building, and a range of Victorian and modern buildings set in about of Herefordshire countryside. It comprises a nursery with about 60 infants (aged 6 months to 4 years), a preparatory school with 72 pupils (aged 5 to 10 years), a middle school with 72 pupils (aged 10–13 years), a senior school of 92 pupils (aged 13–16 years) and a

sixth form In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...

of 56 pupils (aged 16–19 years). Queen Anne House is the original school house, with quarters for the headteacher, and two large school rooms, now the ''Queen Anne Dining Room'' and the assembly hall. The top storey, originally ''long room'' style dormitories, has been converted to a sixth form centre, a library and an ICT suite. The building also contains classrooms, the Senior Common Room, offices and sports changing rooms. The Victorian building houses science laboratories, ICT room, classrooms and the ''Upper Hall'', an auditorium with stage, lighting box and green room. ''The Hereford Block'' is a

prefab Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located. The term is u ...

housing the middle school, and a DT classroom and workshop. ''Croft House'' is home to the school's senior boarders, with younger boarders living in ''School Cottage''. The former ''Hall Design School'' has been converted to house the preparatory and nursery schools. Sporting facilities include an indoor swimming pool (opened by British Paralympian swimmers

Sascha Kindred Sascha Kindred, (born 13 December 1977 in Münster, Germany) is a British swimmer who has competed in six Summer Paralympic Games, winning thirteen medals. Early life Born in Germany, Kindred moved to Britain at the age of 3. He began swimm ...

and

Nyree Lewis Nyree Elise Kindred MBE (''née'' Lewis; born 21 September 1980 in Rhondda, Wales) is a Welsh swimmer who has competed in the Paralympic Games on four occasions winning ten medals. Early life Kindred took up swimming at the age of 5, having ...

, and formally named ''The Wessex Pool'' by HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex as part of the school's tercentenary celebrations in 2008) and a large playing field, named ''The Holland'' after its donor. The conversion of the former covered playground known as ''The Acky'' into an up-to-date, weather-proofed sports hall was completed in the summer of 2013. In 2009, the school developed a new

equestrian centre An equestrian facility is created and maintained for the purpose of accommodating, training or competing equids, especially horses. Based on their use, they may be known as a barn, stables, or riding hall and may include commercial operations desc ...

and, in 2015, Lucton purchased an extra to increase the playing field provision.

Curriculum

Class sizes are small with an average of 14 pupils per class and the syllabus broadly follows the English

National Curriculum A national curriculum is a common programme of study in schools that is designed to ensure nationwide uniformity of content and standards in education. It is usually legislated by the national government, possibly in consultation with state or other ...

. In addition to the core curriculum (English language and literature, maths, biology, chemistry and physics) subjects taught include art, business studies, dance, design technology (DT), drama, environmental science, economics, EFL/EAL, ethics, French, geography, German, history, information and communication technology (ICT), Latin, Mandarin, music, psychology, philosophy, Spanish, textiles and theatre studies. All pupils pursue a course of RS to Year 9 and a course in philosophy and

ethics Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concer ...

to GCSE, with the option to continue that course to 'A' level. Pupils also study

PSE PSE may refer to: Companies and organizations Stock exchanges *Pacific Stock Exchange, stock exchange in USA * Pakistan Stock Exchange, stock exchange of Pakistan * Palestine Securities Exchange, stock exchange in Palestine * Philippine Stock ...

up to Year 11, with COPE (Certificate of Personal Effectiveness) available to pupils in the Sixth Form. Pupils are prepared for qualifications at GCSE,

IGCSE The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is an English language based examination similar to GCSE and is recognised in the United Kingdom as being equivalent to the GCSE for the purposes of recognising prior attain ...

and 'A' level.

Extra curricular activities

Sport

The main boys' sports are

Rugby football Rugby football is the collective name for the team sports of rugby union and rugby league. Canadian football and, to a lesser extent, American football were once considered forms of rugby football, but are seldom now referred to as such. The ...

in the autumn term,

Association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

in the spring and

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...

in the summer; the main girls' sports are

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...

in the autumn and spring terms, and

rounders Rounders is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams. Rounders is a striking and fielding team game that involves hitting a small, hard, leather-cased ball with a rounded end wooden, plastic, or metal bat. The players score by running arou ...

in the summer. Other sports offered include

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...

cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open cou ...

hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players p ...

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

and the recently introduced

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...

. The school has promoted aquathlon—a triathlon event without the cycling component—specifically in an open event attended by local primary schools. Primary schools from across the county come together each year to compete for the ''Lucton School Tercentenary Shield'', a cross-country competition for children aged between 7 and 11. Riding lessons are offered for all age groups and for those outside the school, on both the pupils' own mounts and on a community of resident ponies. The centre features an all-weather arena and stabling for 14 horses.

Enrichment

The school operates an ''Enrichment Activities'' programme, where activities on offer include art club, astronomy, board games, bridge club, chess club, conversational English, cookery, debating society, DT club, film club, ICT, knitting and handicrafts, poetry circle, science club and stable management, as well as a range of sporting hobbies. A significant part of these activities is the tutoring and encouragement of younger pupils by their older peers.

CCF

The school has a Combined Cadet Force (CCF) which was first formed by Headmaster Vernon Pitt in 1917 and is attached to

The Rifles The Rifles is an infantry regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of four Regular battalions and three Reserve battalions, plus a number of companies in other Army Reserve battalions. Each battalion of The Rifles was formerl ...

Regiment. The Lucton School CCF currently holds the title of the National CCF First Aid Competition winners. Prep school pupils have the benefit of

Forest Schools Forest school is an outdoor education delivery model in which students visit natural spaces to learn personal, social and technical skills. It has been defined as "an inspirational process that offers children, young people and adults regular o ...

, conducted within the school grounds.

Drama and music

Each section of the school offers a major dramatic production each year. Recently, the senior school has produced "

Daisy Pulls It Off ''Daisy Pulls It Off '' is a comedy play by Denise Deegan. It is an original script. It is a parody of wholesome adventure stories about life in a 1920s girls' English boarding school, in a similar genre to those by Angela Brazil. The original pr ...

", " Teechers" and "

Hi-de-Hi! ''Hi-de-Hi!'' is a BBC television sitcom shown on BBC1 from 1 January 1980 to 30 January 1988. Set in 1959 and 1960 in Maplins, a fictional holiday camp, the show was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, who also wrote '' Dad's Army'' an ...

"; the middle school has offered "

Toad of Toad Hall ''Toad of Toad Hall'' is a play written by A. A. Milne – the first of several dramatisations of Kenneth Grahame's 1908 novel '' The Wind in the Willows'' – with incidental music by Harold Fraser-Simson. It was originally produced by Willi ...

", "

The Phantom Tollbooth ''The Phantom Tollbooth'' is a Juvenile fantasy, children's fantasy adventure novel written by Norton Juster, with illustrations by Jules Feiffer, first published in 1961 in literature, 1961. The story follows a bored young boy named Milo who ...

" and "

Wyrd Sisters ''Wyrd Sisters'' is Terry Pratchett's sixth ''Discworld'' novel, published in 1988. It re-introduces Granny Weatherwax of ''Equal Rites''. Plot ''Wyrd Sisters'' features three witches: Granny Weatherwax; Nanny Ogg, matriarch of a large tri ...

"; prep school productions have included "Cinderella and Rockerfella" and " A Midsummer Night's Dream", whilst the nursery produces a traditional

nativity play A Nativity play or Christmas pageant is a play which recounts the story of the Nativity of Jesus. It is usually performed at Christmas, the feast of the Nativity. Liturgical The term "Nativity Drama" is used by Wellesz in his discussion of the ...

each year. All pupils in years 5 and 6 have free violin or cello lessons, and individual tuition is available on a full range of other instruments, including the harp, guitar, voice and percussion. There is a school orchestra, as well as various instrumental groups and three choirs which perform in concert at the school as well as singing evensong in cathedrals and greater churches. Pupils may study for

LAMDA LaMDA, which stands for Language Model for Dialogue Applications, is a family of conversational neural language models developed by Google. The first generation was announced during the 2021 Google I/O keynote, while the second generation was ...

qualifications in "Speech and Drama", and for music qualifications through the

ABRSM The ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) is an examination board and registered charity based in the United Kingdom. ABRSM is one of five examination boards accredited by Ofqual to award graded exams and diploma qualification ...

Publications and other activities

The School produces an annual magazine, ''The Luctonian'', as well as a weekly newsletter, ''Lucton News''. The operation of the school is supported by an active group of parents, staff and other supporters (''The Friends of Lucton'') and by a growing alumni society, The Old Luctonians' Association.

Allegations of and convictions for child abuse

In 2018 ITV’s ''Exposure'' documentary featured a former pupil who recalled how in 1975, when he was 13, a housemaster, David Panter, had begun abusing him. He had seen other boys abused. The boy had repeatedly reported the abuse to headmaster Keith Vivian, who at first did nothing, but eventually Panter was removed. His teaching career continued in the state sector. Exposure tracked down the headmaster who employed him at his next school – telling the programme he would have received a reference from Lucton School. In 2016, Panter was jailed for nine years for indecent assault and gross indecency against seven Lucton pupils. To avoid a contested trial, he was only convicted for the crimes he admitted. He pleaded not guilty to the allegations made by the pupil appearing on the programme.

Notable alumni

Eustace Jotham Eustace Jotham VC (28 November 1883 – 7 January 1915) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ...

(1883–1915): soldier, awarded the VC * Sir Charles Irving (1924-1995):

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

MP *

Thane Bettany Thane William Howard Hardcastle Christopher Bettany (28 May 1929 – 7 November 2015) was an English actor and dancer. He was the father of film and theatre actor Paul Bettany. Early years Thane Bettany was born in Sarawak, an independent state ...

(1929-2015): Actor and former dancer; father of actor

Paul Bettany Paul Bettany (born 27 May 1971) is an English actor. He is mostly known for his roles as J.A.R.V.I.S. and Vision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently starring in the Disney+ miniseries '' WandaVision'' (2021), for which he was nominate ...

Jan Pieńkowski Jan Michał Pieńkowski (8 August 1936 – 19 February 2022) was a Polish-born British author of children's books—as illustrator, as writer, and as designer of movable books. He is best known for illustrating the ''Meg and Mog'' picture book ...

(1936-2022): Illustrator, writer and designer. * Graham Baker (b. 1952): Businessman; Chairman of Butcher's Pet Care. * William Chase (b. 1965): Businessman; Founder of Tyrrells Crisps and

Chase Vodka Chase Vodka is a single estate potato vodka made in Herefordshire, England, UK by William Chase, who is also known for founding Tyrrells crisps. Chase Vodka was voted ''Best in the world'' in April 2010 at the San Francisco World Spirits Co ...

. *Commander D.B.Vaughan: England Rugby 1949 to 1950. Lions tour Manager 1962.