Lucton School, is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

, co-educational,

day A day is the time period of a full rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun. On average, this is 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds. In everyday life, the word "day" often refers to a solar day, which is the length between two so ...

and

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...

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, 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 'free school in Lucton' was founded by John Pierrepont by

indenture An indenture is a legal contract that reflects or covers a debt or purchase obligation. It specifically refers to two types of practices: in historical usage, an indentured servant status, and in modern usage, it is an instrument used for commercia ...

dated 7th December 1708. Pierrepont had made his fortune as a vintner 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. 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 __NOTOC__ Yarpole is a village in the Croft and Yarpole civil parish, Herefordshire, England, about north-west of Leominster. The village is near the county boundary with Shropshire and about south-west of Ludlow. The hamlet of Bicton is to ...

, 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 (later 16th Bishop of Peterborough.) His school was, he decided, to provide a sound

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

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 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 swimming ...

and Nyree Lewis, and formally named ''The Wessex Pool'' by HRH

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibl ...

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 descr ...

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. 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 Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

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, concerns m ...

GCSE The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...

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

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 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), competiti ...

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 coun ...

, hockey,

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

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 pe ...

, swimming,

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 extensively ...

. The school has promoted

aquathlon An aquathlon is a multisport race consisting of continuous run and swim elements. Competitors complete a swim immediately followed by a run over various distances. Athletes compete for fastest overall course completion, including the time trans ...

—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.

CCF

The school has a

Combined Cadet Force The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is a youth organisation in the United Kingdom, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), which operates in schools, and normally includes Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force sections. Its aim is to "provide a ...

(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 formerly ...

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 {{more citations needed, date=July 2011 Teechers is a play by John Godber, written in 1984 and was published in 1985. It was first performed by the Hull Truck Theatre , Hull Truck Theatre Company at the 1987 Edinburgh Festival starring Martin Ba ...

" and " Hi-de-Hi!"; 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 Willia ...

", "

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

" and " Wyrd Sisters"; prep school productions have included "Cinderella and Rockerfella" and "

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

", whilst the nursery produces a traditional nativity play 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 a ...

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

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

* William Procter (1801–1884): Industrialist; Co-Founder of the

Procter & Gamble Company The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer hea ...

. *

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 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 *

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.