Westonbirt School is a co-educational independent day 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 ...

for boys and girls aged 11 to 18 located near Tetbury in Gloucestershire in South West England. Founded in 1928. The historical

Westonbirt House Westonbirt House is a country house in Gloucestershire, England, about southwest of the town of Tetbury. It belonged to the Holford family from 1665 until 1926. The first house on the site was an Elizabethan manor house. The Holfords r ...

is part of the school. Westonbirt Prep School is located within the 210 acre grounds of Westonbirt School.

History

Westonbirt School was founded by the Martyrs' Memorial and Church of England Trust (now known as the Allied Schools), which had acquired

and converted it into a school. During World War II, the premises were used by the Air Ministry and pupils and staff were evacuated to Wiltshire due to the Blitz. Six old girls died during the war and a memorial scholarship was set in their memory; girls who are daughters of British military personnel are entitled special discounts. In 2002, Westonbirt acquired Querns School to become its preparatory department. Seven years later it absorbed

Rose Hill School Rose Hill School is a co-educational preparatory school in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England. It is a member of the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools The Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS, formerly Independent As ...

to form the prep school Rose Hill Westonbirt. In September 2013 Rose Hill Westonbirt School was renamed Westonbirt Prep School. As of September 2019, Westonbirt became co-educational and welcomed boys into year 7. The school will be welcoming boys in years 7,8,9 and 12 in September 2020.

Houses

Pupils are approximately two-thirds boarders and one-third day girls, all of whom are members of one of the following houses: Dorchester, named after

Dorchester House Dorchester House was a mansion in Park Lane, Westminster, London, which has had many different forms over time. The last version used as a private residence was that built in 1853 by Robert Stayner Holford. It was demolished in 1929 to make way ...

owned by Robert Holford in London, which served as the American Embassy from 1905 and 1912 and was demolished in 1929 to be replaced by

the Dorchester The Dorchester is a five-star luxury hotel on Park Lane and Deanery Street in London, to the east of Hyde Park. It is one of the world's most prestigious and expensive hotels. The Dorchester opened on 18 April 1931, and it still retains its ...

luxury hotel. Dorchester dormitories are located in the old servants' quarters at the top of the house, including the school's central tower, currently part of the Dorchester House Mistress' rooms. Badminton, named after

Badminton House Badminton House is a large country house and Grade I Listed Building in Badminton, Gloucestershire, England, which has been the principal seat of the Dukes of Beaufort since the late 17th century. The house, which has given its name to th ...

with dormitories located in the west wing of the house on the second floor. Beaufort, named after Beaufort Polo Club, located near the school. This house is occupied completely by first and second year girls who are then sorted into one of the other two houses when they enter their third year. The Sixth Form acts as a fourth house. Holford, named after Robert Stayner Holford, owner of

before it was a school. Holford dormitories occupy the most elaborately decorated part of the house and are located around the balcony overlooking the great hall. This is no longer used to house dorms, and the three houses have been merged to form two.

Buildings and grounds

The majority of the classrooms at the school are located in the courtyard, an area that was stables during the buildings' life as a stately home. Half of the sixth form dormitories are built above these classrooms. The new sixth form block was completed in 2008 and is located between the Science Block (opened in 1993 which contains the Art Department, D.T workshops, Science laboratories and the main I.T suite) and the courtyard classrooms. In September 2012 the Marriott Music Centre was opened. Named after former Chairman of Governors this was designed by Bath-based architects DKA and built by Steele Davis between April and August 2012. It contains three learning spaces: The Technology Room, named The Friends’ Room in appreciation of a substantial donation by The Friends of Westonbirt. The Greenwood Scott Studio and the Ensemble Room, known as the Harborne Room, again in recognition of a substantial donation. This new centre complements the Camelia Building, a small practice area for music pupils, originally a greenhouse. The main school building is centred on the reception and the great hall, which has a marble fireplace and large organ overlooked by a balcony. In 2005 a new sports hall was opened by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. It features 25m swimming pool, courts and a gym, which is open to members of the public. The grounds include a lake, amphitheatre, grotto, fountains and a set of Italianate gardens. The school also owns a peacock that lives in the grounds. Many of the fields around the school are rented out to farmers for cattle grazing or are used to keep horses either belonging to the local stables or to the pupils themselves. The school now owns the church, St. Catherine's, which is located within the grounds and which was originally the local parish church; Westonbirt pupils attend the church regularly. The school library, made up of a separate ante-library and larger non-fiction library, was recently renovated using funding from an anonymous donor. The school has a large conservatory known as the Orangery which includes a stage and balcony used for school ceremonies and drama productions. A basement contains the costume wardrobe where dramatic costumes and props are kept, originally the house's bomb shelter during World War II.

Notable former pupils

Maxine Audley Maxine Audley (29 April 1923 – 23 July 1992) was an English theatre and film actress. She made her professional stage debut in July 1940 at the Open Air Theatre. Audley performed with the Old Vic company and the Royal Shakespeare Company many ...

, actress * Georgia Byng, children's author *

Pamela Carruthers Pamela Isabel Jameson Carruthers (née Torrie, 11 August 1916 – 23 September 2009), was a British showjumper, and showjumping course designer, and "had a profound influence on show jumping courses in many parts of the world". Early life She was b ...

(1916–2009), showjumping course designer * Betty Clay (née Baden-Powell), scout and guides leader *

Lady Emily Compton Lady Emily Rose Compton (born 1980) is a British fashion stylist, magazine editor, jewellery designer, and model. Biography Compton was born in 1980 to Spencer Compton, 7th Marquess of Northampton and his third wife, Rosemary Ashley Morritt H ...

, fashion model, stylist, and magazine editor * Sheila Denning, painter. *

Angela Flowers Angela Mary Flowers (; 19 December 1932 – 11 August 2023) was a British gallerist who founded Flowers Gallery, a commercial art gallery that today operates in London, New York City, and Hong Kong. A director of the gallery, she was based betw ...

, art gallerist. * Baroness Garden, politician & Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords * Anne Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster (née Sullivan), race-horse owner, in particular the steeplechaser

Arkle Arkle (19 April 1957 – 31 May 1970) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. A bay gelding by ''Archive'' out of ''Bright Cherry'', he was the grandson of the unbeaten (in 14 races) flat racehorse and prepotent sire Nearco. Arkle was bred by Mar ...

. *

Anna Hornby Anna Hornby, (6 April 1914–1996) was an English painter, calligrapher and member of the New English Art Club.Who's Who in Art (Twenty-Second Edition, Art Trade Press 1986) Life and work Anna Hornby was educated at the independent Westonbirt Sc ...

, artist *

June Jacobs June Ruth Jacobs (June 1930 – 22 July 2018) was a British peace activist and a former President of the International Council of Jewish Women. Life Born in 1930, child of Lilly and Louis Caller, Jacobs was educated in the United States (as a wa ...

, peace activist and campaigner for Soviet Jews. * Diana Lamplugh, Charity founder and campaigner (1936-2011) *

Sylvia Landsberg Sylvia may refer to: People *Sylvia (given name) *Sylvia (singer), American country music and country pop singer and songwriter *Sylvia Robinson, American singer, record producer, and record label executive *Sylvia Vrethammar, Swedish singer credi ...

, historian and garden designer. *

Patricia Llewellyn Patricia Llewellyn (7 February 1962 – 22 October 2017) was a British television producer and managing director of the television production company, Optomen, which in 2010 became part of the All3Media group. Llewellyn was born in Carmarthen, W ...

, television producer, businesswomanWestonbirt School
. www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2012. *

Aileen McCorkell Aileen Allen McCorkell, Lady McCorkell OBE ( Booth; 18 September 1921 – 25 December 2010) was the founder and first President of the British Red Cross branch in Derry. In 1972, she and her husband, Colonel Sir Michael McCorkell, hosted sec ...

, the founder and first President of the British Red Cross branch in Derry. * Mercia MacDermott, historian, writer * Natasha Rufus-Isaacs, socialite, co-founder of

Beulah London Beulah London is a British fashion brand founded by Natasha Rufus Isaacs and Lavinia Brennan. History Beulah London is a luxury fashion brand founded in 2010 by Natasha Rufus Isaacs and Lavinia Brennan, it is a British fashion brand that speci ...

* Honor Salmon (née Pitman) (1912-1943), Air Transport Auxiliary Pilot * (Susan)

Pamela Rose Pamela Rose (29 November 1917 – 17 October 2021) was an actress (as Pamela Gibson) who later worked at Bletchley Park running Naval Hut 4’s indexing section. In later life she was a trustee and chair of charities. Education and personal lif ...

(née Gibson), Bletchley Park translator, actress, teacher & NSPCC vice-president. Sister of Lord Gibson, married to Jim Rose. *

Jane Sinclair Jane Elizabeth Margaret Sinclair (March 1956 – 14 January 2021) was a British Anglican priest. Before her retirement in 2020, she was a Canon of Westminster from 2014, and Rector of St Margaret's Church, Westminster from 2016. She had served ...

, priest. *

Salma Sobhan Salma Sobhan (; 11 August 1937 – 30 December 2003) was a Bangladeshi lawyer, academic and human rights activist. She became the first woman barrister in Pakistan in 1959. A member of the law faculty of the University of Dhaka, she was a co-found ...

, Bangladeshi barrister, human rights activist *

Patsy Toh Patsy Toh (; born 1940) is a Chinese-born pianist living in London, England. She has taught at the Royal Academy of Music since 1975, and became a Fellow in 1995. Early life Toh was born in Shanghai, China, in 1940 of a family from Xiamen, the ...

, Chinese pianist * Pamela, Lady Vestey (née Armstrong), granddaughter of Dame Nellie Melba, mother of Samuel, Lord Vestey * Ruth Watson, hotelier, food critic, broadcaster * Julia Quinn, romance author of Bridgerton series

References

External links