Rockport School is an independent day and boarding school for boys and girls from 2.5 years to 18 years in the British Public School tradition. It is situated in of woodland on the shore of

Belfast Lough Belfast Lough is a large, intertidal sea inlet on the east coast of Northern Ireland. At its head is the city and port of Belfast, which sits at the mouth of the River Lagan. The lough opens into the North Channel and connects Belfast to ...

Craigavad Craigavad () is a townland in County Down, Northern Ireland, lying within the civil parish of Holywood and the historic barony of Castlereagh Lower. Suburban and residential in character, Craigavad lies between the centre of Holywood and Bang ...

, near

Holywood Holy Wood or Holywood may refer to: Places * Holywood, County Down, a town and townland in Northern Ireland ** Holywood, County Down (civil parish), a civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland ** Holywood railway station (Northern Ireland) * ...

, County Down,

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

, between

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

and Bangor.

History

The school was founded in 1906 by Geoffrey Bing of Rossall School and Keble College, Oxford, with the original aim to "prepare boys for the Public Schools and the

Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ci ...

". Bing was 29 and had taught previously in St George's, Broadstairs and at St Andrew's School, Southborough,

Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in Kent, England, southeast of central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the High Weald, whose sandstone geology is exemplified by the rock formation High Rocks. T ...

. Rockport began with only four boys, an assistant master and a matron but quickly grew in size. The school now has around 200 pupils and accepts both boys and girls from the age of 3 until 18 (A Level) as day or boarding pupils. The school celebrated its centenary year in 2006 by building a new arts centre. The headmaster is a member of the 16 Group of 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 ...

and the school is represented by the

Independent Schools Council The Independent Schools Council (ISC) is a non-profit lobby group that represents over 1,300 schools in the United Kingdom's independent education sector. The organisation comprises seven independent school associations and promotes the bus ...

(ISC). In January 2014 the school became the first school in Ireland, north or south, to be granted regional membership of the international conference of

Round Square Round Square is an international network of schools, based on the educational concepts of Kurt Hahn, and named after a distinctive building at Gordonstoun. Founded by a group of seven schools in the late 1960s, by 1996 it had grown to 20 member ...

Schools. Global membership of Round Square was conferred upon the school in March 2016. In September 2016 Rockport established the first school-based Golf Academy in Ireland.

Notable alumni

Arts and media

Dudi Appleton David Jeremy Nicholas Appleton (born 1969) is a journalist and film director. Appleton attended Rockport School in Holywood, County Down, and then Campbell College in Belfast before attending Jesus College, Oxford, where he read English. Dudi, ...

, journalist and film director * Lady Caroline Blackwood, journalist and novelist *

Turlough Convery Turlough Convery (born 18 March 1991) is a Northern Irish actor. He is best known for his television roles in series 3 of the BBC America series '' Killing Eve'' and in the ITV series ''Sanditon''. He has appeared in films such as ''Ready Player ...

, actor *

Shaun Davey Shaun Davey (born 18 January 1948) is an Irish composer. Early years Shaun Davey was born in Belfast in 1948 and attended Rockport School in County Down. He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin in the history of Art in 1971. He then took a ...

, composer * Daniel Edelstyn, filmmaker, screenwriter and actor *

Howard Ferguson (composer) Howard Ferguson (21 October 1908 – 31 October 1999) was an Irish composer and musicologist from Belfast. He composed instrumental, chamber, orchestral and choral works. While his music is not widely known today, his Piano Sonata in F minor, ...

Gary Lightbody Gareth John Lightbody (born 15 June 1976) is a Northern Irish singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Snow Patrol. He has also founded the musical supergroups The ...

, musician Snow Patrol *

Flora Montgomery Flora Anne Selina Montgomery (born 4 January 1974) is a Northern Irish actress. Early life and family Montgomery was born at her family's ancestral home in Greyabbey, County Down, the daughter of William Howard Clive Montgomery, OBE, of Rosem ...

, actress *

Jonny Quinn Jonathan Graham Quinn (born 26 February 1972) is a Northern Irish musician, best known as the drummer for alternative rock band Snow Patrol, and was previously a member of bands like The Mighty Fall, The New Brontes and Disraeli Gears. As drumm ...

, musician ( Snow Patrol) *

James Quinn (film administrator) James Charles Frederick Quinn (23 August 1919 – 11 February 2008), was a British film administrator, producer and exhibitor. During World War II he was a Major in the Intelligence Unit of the Irish Guards in North Africa. He was educated at ...

, one of the longest-serving Directors of the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...

Willoughby Weaving Harry Willoughby Weaving (1885–1976) was a British writer and poet of the First World War era. Early life and education Willoughby Weaving was the son of Harry Walker Weaving, brewer and farmer, of Pewet House, Wootton, Abingdon. He entered A ...

, poet of the Great War

Politics

Geoffrey Bing Geoffrey Henry Cecil Bing CMG QC (24 July 1909 – 24 April 1977) was a British barrister and politician who served as the Labour Member of Parliament for Hornchurch from 1945 to 1955. He was also Attorney General of Ghana. Education and car ...

, Labour MP for Hornchurch and first

Attorney General of Ghana The Attorney General of Ghana is the chief legal advisor to the Ghanaian government. The attorney general is also responsible for the Ministry of Justice. The Attorney General also serves as a member of the General Legal Council which regulates l ...

* Gordon Campbell, Baron Campbell of Croy, Conservative politician and Secretary of State for Scotland from 1970 to 1974 * Nigel Casey, Diplomat, British High Commissioner to South Africa *

Natalie Evans, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park Natalie Jessica Evans, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, (born 29 November 1975), is a British politician and member of the House of Lords. A member of the Conservative Party, she was made a life peer in 2014 and from 2016 to 2022 was Leader of th ...

Leader of the House of Lords The leader of the House of Lords is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Lords. The post is also the leader of the majority party in the House of Lords who acts as ...

* Robin Glendinning, playwright and former politician instrumental in founding the

Alliance Party of Northern Ireland The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI), or simply Alliance, is a liberal and centrist political party in Northern Ireland. As of the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election, it is the third-largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembl ...

* Sir John Gorman, soldier, Unionist politician *

Charles Johnston, Baron Johnston of Rockport Charles Collier Johnston, Baron Johnston of Rockport, TD (4 March 1915 – 30 April 2002) was a British Conservative politician and businessman. The son of Charles Moore Johnston and Muriel Florence Mellon was educated at Rockport Schoo ...

, Conservative politician, businessman *

Alan McFarland Major Robert Alan McFarland (born 9 August 1949 in Plumbridge, County Tyrone) is an Independent Unionist politician in Northern Ireland, who was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for North Down from 1998 to 2011. He attended Rockport ...

, Unionist politician *

Rafton Pounder Rafton John Pounder (13 May 1933 — 16 April 1991) was a Pro-Assembly Unionist and Conservative Party Westminster MP from Northern Ireland. Born at Ballynahatty, Shaw's Bridge, Belfast, the son of Cuthbert C. Pounder, Rafton Pounder was educa ...

, Unionist politician * John Robb, surgeon; Irish Senator and founder of the

New Ireland Group The New Ireland Group (now known as New Ireland Vision) was formed in 1982, seeking political and social reconciliation in Ireland, and the formation of an Ireland accommodating both the Gaelic Irish and Unionist traditions. The group predominantly ...

John Turnley John Turnley (1935 – 5 June 1980) was an Irish politician and activist. Originally from a Unionism in Ireland, unionist background, he was gradually drawn to Irish nationalism and became a Irish republicanism, republican activist. He was assa ...

, Irish nationalist activist

Business

* John Crosslé, founder of the

Crosslé Car Company The Crosslé Car Company Ltd. is a racing car manufacturer based in Holywood, Northern Ireland. Crosslé was founded in 1957 by John Crosslé. Crosslé is the oldest surviving specialist racing car manufacturer in the United Kingdom. Crosslé is ...

* Sir Peter Gadsden, 652nd

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional pow ...

Military

* Sir

Michael McCorkell Colonel Sir Michael William McCorkell (3 May 1925 – 13 November 2006) was an Irish born soldier and British public servant, serving as Lord Lieutenant of County Londonderry for 25 years. Early life McCorkell was the son of Capt. B. F. McCorke ...

, soldier, public servant and

Lord Lieutenant of County Londonderry This is a list of people to have been Lord Lieutenant of County Londonderry. There were lieutenants of counties in Ireland until the reign of James II, when they were renamed governors. The office of Lord Lieutenant was recreated on 23 August 18 ...

for 25 years * Sir John Morrison Forbes, Vice-Admiral. Royal Navy officer who became

Naval Secretary The Naval Secretary is the Royal Navy officer who advises the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff on naval officer appointing (and General Officers). Their counterpart in the British Army is the Military Secretary. The Royal Air Force equi ...

Sports

* Ronnie Adams, car racer * Fred Covington, cricketer * Ben Reynolds, athlete * Paddy Wallace, rugby player * John Watson, Formula 1 racing driver and commentator

References

External links

Rockport School websiteGood Schools Guide Review
{{authority control Round Square schools Independent schools in Northern Ireland Primary schools in County Down Boarding schools in Northern Ireland Boarding schools in Ireland Educational institutions established in 1906 Grade B1 listed buildings Preparatory schools in Northern Ireland 1906 establishments in Ireland