) , established = 1694

Royal Charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but s ...

1712

Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...

1933

Holbrook Holbrook may refer to: Places England *Holbrook, Derbyshire, a village * Holbrook, Somerset, a hamlet in Charlton Musgrove * Holbrook, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, a former mining village in Mosborough ward, now known as Halfway *Holbrook, Suffolk, ...

, type = Public School

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 ...

day and boarding School
Royal Foundation , founders = William III and Mary II , head = Simon Lockyer , head_label =

Headmaster A head master, head instructor, bureaucrat, headmistress, head, chancellor, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school. In som ...

, r_head_label = Chaplain , r_head = J. W. P. McConnell , religious_affiliation = Christian , city =

, county = Suffolk , country = England, United Kingdom , postcode = IP9 2RX , website = http://www.royalhospitalschool.org , local_authority = Suffolk , ofsted = , urn = 124889 , dfeno = 935/6056 , staff = 72 , enrolment = c. 700 , gender =

Coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

, lower_age = 11 , upper_age = 18 , houses = 11 Junior Houses: Blake (Junior House) Senior Houses: Anson (F)
Collingwood (M)
Hawke (M)
Hood (F)
Howe (F)
St. Vincent (M)
Raleigh (Day House)
Cornwallis (Day house) Drake (Day House) Upper Sixth House: Nelson , colours = School Scarf , publication = "The Magazine" or "LOBS" , free_label_2 = Charitable Association , free_2 = Greenwich Hospital The Royal Hospital School (usually shortened as "RHS" and historically nicknamed "The Cradle of the Navy") is a British

co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

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 ...

day and boarding school with naval traditions. The school admits pupils from age 11 to 18 (Years 7 to 13) through

Common Entrance Common Entrance Examinations (commonly known as CE) are taken by independent school pupils in the UK as part of the selective admissions process at age 13, though ten independent schools do select at 11 using different test papers. They are set ...

or the school's own exam. The school is regulated by

Acts of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of parliament be ...

. The school is located in the village of

, near

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line ...

, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom. The school's campus is of Queen Anne style and set in of countryside overlooking the River Stour on the Shotley Peninsula in an area known as Constable Country. The Royal Hospital School was established by a

in 1712. It was originally located at Greenwich Hospital in

. The school moved in 1933 to East Anglia. The school is the only UK independent boarding school to have ever been continuously granted the Queen's Banner and it flies its own Admiralty-approved Royal Hospital School Blue Ensign. It is one of only two UK schools whose students have the privilege of wearing

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

uniforms, the other being

Pangbourne College Pangbourne College is a co-educational independent day and boarding school located in the civil parish of Pangbourne, in the English county of Berkshire. It is set in 230 acres, on a hill south-west of the village, in an Area of Outstanding Nat ...

in Berkshire. The school is affiliated to the

Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) is an association of the head teachers of 361 independent schools (both boarding schools and day schools), some traditionally described as public schools. 298 Members are based in the Unite ...

(HMC).

Bernard de Neumann Frederick Bernard de Neumann (known in Austria and Germany as ''Bernhard von Neumann''; (15 December 1943 – 18 April 2018) was a British mathematician, computer scientist, inventor, and naval historian. He was educated at the Royal Hospital ...

notes the school's significance and impact in British history: "Just as, according to the

Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish people, Anglo-Irish soldier and Tories (British political party), Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of Uni ...

, the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armie ...

was won on the playing fields of

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

, it may justifiably be claimed, that the establishment of... the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

, was charted and plotted in the classroom of... the Royal Hospital School."

Overview

Seafaring Seamanship is the Art (skill), art, knowledge and Competence (human resources), competence of operating a ship, boat or other craft on water. The'' Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford Dictionary'' states that seamanship is "The skill, techniques ...

traditions are important and integral elements of school life, and Royal Navy uniforms ( sailor suits) are issued to all pupils and used for ceremonial and formal events. The school is owned by the Crown naval charity, Greenwich Hospital and as a result provides a number of means-tested

bursaries A bursary is a monetary award made by any educational institution or funding authority to individuals or groups. It is usually awarded to enable a student to attend school, university or college when they might not be able to, otherwise. Some aw ...

for families with a seafaring background. Leadership development is another distinctive feature of the Royal Hospital School derived from the naval background. Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Royal Marines Combined Cadet Force along with the

Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (commonly abbreviated DofE) is a youth awards programme founded in the United Kingdom in 1956 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, that has since expanded to 144 nations. The awards recognise adolescents and young ...

are the most popular extracurricular activities at the Royal Hospital School. The Combined Cadet Force also includes a Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Section.

HMS Illustrious There have been five ships in the Royal Navy to bear the name HMS ''Illustrious''. The ship's motto is "Vox Non Incerta" which translates as "No Uncertain Sound". * was a 74-gun third rate, and launched at Buckler's Hard in 1789. She had two eng ...

is affiliated with the Royal Navy CCF. The Army Section is affiliated with

Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps: * Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army * Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941) * United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...

The Royal Hospital School has a partnership with America's second-oldest institution of higher education and "sister institution",

The College of William and Mary ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. The Royal Hospital School is a boarding and day school with options to; weekly board; three night board; and 'flexi' or ad hoc boarding.

Pupils

There are a little over 750 pupils at the school; of those, 330 are day pupils and 420 board on a full-time, weekly or 3-night basis. It is one of the largest boarding schools in East Anglia. Boys and girls entering the school in year 7 (11+ years) join a Junior House, Blake, for one year. This provides a period of settling in and bridge from primary to senior school. There are three boys' (Collingwood, Hawke and St Vincent) and three girls' (Anson, Hood and Howe) senior boarding houses, two co-educational day houses (Raleigh and Drake) and a boys' flexi-boarding and day house (Cornwallis). In the final year (Year 13) boys and girls join Nelson House where more independent living provides a stepping stone to university or other life beyond school. There are around 100 international students from about 30 countries. The school has specialist staff for international students and provides English as an Additional Language.

Academics

The school uses the National Curriculum Key Stages 3 (Years 7–9), 4 (Years 10–11), and 5 (Years 12–13), and provides a large choice of subjects for study. These include English, French, Spanish, Mandarin, German, physics, chemistry, biology, Latin, geography, history, mathematics, design technology, art, music, music technology, computing, physical education, media studies, business studies, psychology, sociology, drama and theatre, art history, government and politics, textiles, enterprise and entrepreneurship and religious studies.

History

The school was originally located at Greenwich Hospital, and was based in what is now the

National Maritime Museum The National Maritime Museum (NMM) is a maritime museum in Greenwich, London. It is part of Royal Museums Greenwich, a network of museums in the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. Like other publicly funded national museums in the Unite ...

in Greenwich, London. The Hospital was founded in 1694, and the school in 1712, both by

. The original purpose of the school was to provide assistance and education to the orphans of seafarers in the

Royal 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 ...

and Merchant Navies, and it was once the largest school for navigation and seamanship in the country. The school has been located in Holbrook since 1933. The Holbrook campus was designed by the

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

-based arts and crafts architect

Herbert Tudor Buckland Herbert Tudor Buckland (20 November 1869 – 1951) was a British architect, best known for his seminal Arts and Crafts houses (several of which, including his own at Edgbaston, Birmingham, are Grade I listed), the Elan Valley model village, e ...

and built by J. Gerrard & Sons Ltd of Swinton. Most of the buildings are now Grade II

listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...

with the main range and chapel being Grade II*. Until relatively recently, entry to the school was limited to the children or grandchildren of seafarers. Until the 1950s, boys of the school were also required to join the Royal or Merchant Navies, and as such the education was focused on maritime matters. Although this requirement has not been in force for some decades, the school has retained certain naval traditions such as naval uniform, divisions (a formal parade and march past as practised in the armed forces) and an element of

marching Marching refers to the organized, uniformed, steady walking forward in either rhythmic or route-step time; and, typically, it refers to overland movements on foot of military troops and units under field orders. Marching is often performed t ...

. In 1991 the school became

coeducational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

, with the girls first being introduced into Hood house, followed by Cornwallis, Howe and Blake (now co-educational) and Anson. Girls initially had a different naval uniform from boys, but this was changed to match the boys' uniform, and subsequently followed the changes in dress as seen in the Royal Navy. The first female Head of School was appointed in 1992 to work alongside the male Head of School. In 1994 the entire school was bussed to Greenwich Hospital to parade in front of Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

, in celebration of the

tercentenary An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints. ...

of the Hospital. The parade took place on the parade ground in front of the

Queen's House Queen's House is a former royal residence built between 1616 and 1635 near Greenwich Palace, a few miles down-river from the City of London and now in the London Borough of Greenwich. It presently forms a central focus of what is now the Old Ro ...

. In 2012 the school marked three hundred years since its foundation with the opening of a Heritage Centre, publication of a commemorative book and a formal dinner in the Painted Hall at Greenwich. In 2005 RHS was one of 50 of the country's leading independent schools which were found guilty of running an illegal price-fixing cartel which had allowed them to drive up fees for thousands of parents. Each school was required to pay a nominal penalty of £10,000 and all agreed to make ex-gratia payments totalling three million pounds into a trust designed to benefit pupils who attended the schools during the period in respect of which fee information was shared.

Greenwich Hospital

The school was founded by Royal Charter, and is maintained by Greenwich Hospital. The hospital provides bursaries to a number of pupils. The school also awards academic, sports, music and sailing scholarships, as well as bursaries and discounts to the children of

seafarers A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. The profession of the s ...

in the

, Royal Marines or Merchant Navy.

Traditions

Many of the modern-day Royal Hospital School traditions are associated with the Royal Navy or seafaring. For example, key naval events are celebrated, the school has provision for sailing, and has a ceremonial guard and marching band.

Naval uniforms

As well as standard school uniform, both boys and girls wear Naval uniforms for ceremonial occasions such as "Divisions", a ceremony in which each house forms into two squads, Junior and Senior, and perform a march past on the parade square, with music played by the marching band and the Guard of Honour holding a key role. All house

petty officer A petty officer (PO) is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotation OR-5 or OR-6. In many nations, they are typically equal to a sergeant in comparison to other military branches. Often they may be super ...

s (POs) wear a chevron on their left arm. The school chiefs, approximately 20 Upper 6th Formers, wear chief petty officer ranks and uniform, including canes. The deputy heads of school (two boy and two girl

prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...

s) carry the rank of

warrant officer Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mos ...

(second class). The heads of school (one boy and one girl prefect) carry the rank of warrant officer (first class).

Music

The Royal Hospital School has a distinctive musical tradition, with all pupils required to attend weekly congregation practice. The £3.6 million Reade Music School opened in 2008. The Royal Hospital School

marching band A marching band is a group of musical instrument, instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass instrument, brass, woodwind instrument, woodwind, and percus ...

is a perennial part of school life. The band is managed by a former member of the

Royal Marines Band Service The Royal Marines Band Service is the musical wing of the Royal Navy and an independent element of the Royal Marines. It currently consists of five bands plus a training wing – the Royal Marines School of Music at HMS ''Nelson'' – and its ...

, and the band's style is modelled on the Royal Marines. When the school forms up in divisions on the parade square, the band forms a separate division, larger than the others. It has travelled abroad for tours including to Sri Lanka and the USA. Some of the marches played include

Heart of Oak "Heart of Oak" is the official march of the Royal Navy. It is also the official march of several Commonwealth navies, including the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy. It was also the official march of the Royal Australian Navy ...

A Life on the Ocean Wave "A Life on the Ocean Wave" is a poem-turned-song by Epes Sargent published in 1838 and set to music by Henry Russell. It is the iconic Regimental March of His Majesty's Royal Marines. Origin of the poem and song One day Sargent was walking on T ...

and "Holbrook March". Band members were part of the orchestra for the premier performance of

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

's ''

Noye's Fludde ''Noye's Fludde'' is a one-act opera by the British composer Benjamin Britten, intended primarily for amateur performers, particularly children. First performed on 18 June 1958 at that year's Aldeburgh Festival, it is based on the 15th-century ...

'' on 18 June 1958 in Orford Church, Suffolk, as part of the

Aldeburgh Festival The Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music. It takes place each June in the Aldeburgh area of Suffolk, centred on Snape Maltings Concert Hall. History of the Aldeburgh Festival Th ...

, with the

English Opera Group The English Opera Group was a small company of British musicians formed in 1947 by the composer Benjamin Britten (along with John Piper, Eric Crozier and Anne Wood) for the purpose of presenting his and other, primarily British, composers' operat ...

and a local cast. The grand organ, a four-manual instrument, by William Hill & Son & Norman & Beard Ltd. was installed in the chapel in 1933.

School songs

*"Go Forth With God" by

Martin Shaw Martin Shaw (born 21 January 1945) is an English actor. He came to national recognition as Doyle in ITV crime-action television drama series '' The Professionals'' (1977–1983). Further notable television parts include the title roles in '' ...

to the tune of Toc H. *"

Eternal Father, Strong to Save "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" is a British hymn traditionally associated with seafarers, particularly in the maritime armed services. Written in 1860, its author, William Whiting, was inspired by the dangers of the sea described in Psal ...

" *"Holbrook" composed for the school by lifelong supporter

*”Holbrook March” composed for the school by former Principal Director of Music Royal Marines, Lt Col Sir Vivian Dunn KCVO OBE FRSA Royal Marines *"

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

Events

*Burns Night *House Shout *Drama Festival *School Plays and Musicals *Music Recitals and Concerts *Christmas Dinner *Alumni Reunion including Sporting Events *Trafalgar Dinner *Speech Day *

Remembrance Sunday Remembrance Sunday is held in the United Kingdom as a day to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts. It is held on the second Sunday in Nov ...

*Snow Ball *Leavers Ball

Chapel

The chapel programme is central to the RHS education. It is compulsory for pupils to attend a short service every morning before lessons from Tuesdays until Thursdays. Congregational practice is also held within the chapel every Saturday. A service is held every Sunday, also compulsory, with the exception of leave-out weekends. The mosaics in the apse are by Eric Newton, later to become art critic to ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

''. The chapel is a Grade II* listed building.

Royal foundation

The Royal Hospital School has connections with the British Royal Family. These connections are principally The Royal Charter, School Visitor, and King's & Queen's Banners. The school's political breadth is shown by both its acknowledgement of its royal connections and its honouring the great republican hero,

Robert Blake (admiral) General at Sea Robert Blake (27 September 1598 – 17 August 1657) was an English naval officer who served as the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports from 1656 to 1657. Blake is recognised as the chief founder of England's naval supremacy, a ...

, after whom a House is named. Many members of the Royal Family have involved themselves with the development of the school. Mary II's involvement with the Royal Hospital School is noted as "the darling object of her life". * William III and Mary II – First Benefactors. * Queen Anne – Donated confiscated properties of

Captain Kidd William Kidd, also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd ( – 23 May 1701), was a Scottish sea captain who was commissioned as a privateer and had experience as a pirate. He was tried and executed in London in 1701 for murder a ...

. *

George II George II or 2 may refer to: People * George II of Antioch (seventh century AD) * George II of Armenia (late ninth century) * George II of Abkhazia (916–960) * Patriarch George II of Alexandria (1021–1051) * George II of Georgia (1072–1089) ...

– presented assets from confiscated properties of the

Earl of Derwentwater Earl of Derwentwater (pronounced "Durwentwater") was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1688 for Sir Francis Radclyffe, 3rd Baronet. He was made Baron Tyndale, of Tyndale in the County of Northumberland, and Viscount Radclyffe ...

. *

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of I ...

– Laid the foundation stone at Holbrook on 26 October 1928 (as the Duke of York). * Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother – presented the Royal Banner to the Royal Hospital School.

Houses

All 11 Houses at the Royal Hospital School are named in honour of a famous seafarer. * St Vincent – boys' boarding Years 8–12, sky blue * Hawke – boys' boarding Years 8–12, white and navy * Collingwood – boys' boarding Years 8–12, green and navy *

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

– co-educational day Year 8–12, green *

Howe Howe may refer to: People and fictional characters * Howe (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters * Howe Browne, 2nd Marquess of Sligo (1788–1845), Irish peer and colonial governor Titles * Earl Howe, two titles, an ext ...

– girls' boarding Years 8–12, yellow *

Anson Anson may refer to: People * Anson (name), a give name and surname ** Anson family, a British aristocratic family with the surname Place names ;United States * Anson, Indiana * Anson, Kansas * Anson, Maine ** Anson (CDP), Maine * Anson, Missour ...

– girls' boarding Years 8–12, light blue and navy *

Hood Hood may refer to: Covering Apparel * Hood (headgear), type of head covering ** Article of academic dress ** Bondage hood, sex toy * Hoodie, hooded sweatshirt Anatomy * Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitoris * Hood, a flap of ...

– girls' boarding Years 8–12, yellow and navy *

Blake Blake is a surname which originated from Old English. Its derivation is uncertain; it could come from "blac", a nickname for someone who had dark hair or skin, or from "blaac", a nickname for someone with pale hair or skin. Another theory, presuma ...

– co-educational boarding and day Year 7, red *

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

– co-educational day Years 8–12, navy *

Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...

– boys' day with ad hoc boarding Years 8–12, red and navy *

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

– co-educational boarding and day Year 13

Sports

The school has inter-house sporting events and there are opportunities to enter inter-school competitions. Some school alumni have also gone on to be professional athletes. The main sports at the school are as follows: *Michaelmas Term: ''Boys'' – rugby union and sailing, ''Girls'' – hockey and sailing *Lent Term: ''Boys'' – hockey, cross country, rugby 7s and sailing, ''Girls'' – netball, cross country and sailing *Summer Term: ''Boys'' – cricket, athletics, tennis and sailing, ''Girls'' – cricket, tennis, athletics and sailing The school has 96 acres of sports fields, an all-weather pitch, tennis and netball courts, squash courts, a sports hall, fitness suite, strength and conditioning room, martial arts studio, climbing wall, indoor pool, golf course, nearby equestrian facilities (Bylam Livery Stables) and the majority of the sailing programme is delivered at Alton Water that neighbours the school. Sailing is available to students all year round and the school takes pride in its rank as one of the best sailing schools in the country, with many students representing their nations at world sailing events. As well as the possibility to sail in school, a biennial sailing trip is offered to the school's sailors – the most recent trip having been Australia in 2017 and Greece in 2015.

Royal Hospital School Association

The Royal Hospital School Association is an association of former students and staff of the school. Founded as the ''Greenwich Royal Hospital School Old Boys Association'' in 1925, it changed its name to the ''Royal Hospital School Association'' (RHSA) in 1992 in order to accommodate female ex-pupils. The Association publishes an irregular newsletter called Otia Tuta keeping members abreast of current events. The Association holds an annual reunion at the school in June.

Notable former pupils

*Sir

Gilbert Thomas Carter Sir Gilbert Thomas Carter (Sir Thomas Gilbert-Carter) (14 January 1848 – 18 January 1927) was an administrative officer in the Royal Navy and a colonial official for the British Empire. Starting as a Collector of Customs for the Gold ...

(1848–1927), Administrator and

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

in Africa and the Caribbean * Malcolm Cooper (1947–2001) – British marksman who won Olympic gold medals at Los Angeles and Seoul and beat or equalled 15 world records * Professor

(1943–2018) – Mathematician * John Deane (1800–1884) and Charles Deane – inventors of the diving helmet, and discoverers of the wreck of the ''Mary Rose'' in 1839, whilst clearing the wreck of the ''Royal George''. * Admiral Sir

Philip King Enright Admiral Sir Philip King Enright (4 August 1894 – 29 September 1960) was a Royal Navy officer who saw active service during the Second World War. He was the first person to reach the rank of full admiral from the lower deck in the history o ...

, KBE, CB (1894–1960) *

Ernest Joyce Ernest Edward Mills Joyce AM ( – 2 May 1940) was a Royal Naval seaman and explorer who participated in four Antarctic expeditions during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, in the early 20th century. He served under both Robert Falcon ...

, AM (1875–1940) – Antarctic Explorer, hero of the Ross Sea Party of Shackleton's ill-fated

Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1917 is considered to be the last major expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Conceived by Sir Ernest Shackleton, the expedition was an attempt to make the first land crossing ...

. * Rear-Admiral Stanley McArdle, GM (1922–2007) * Admiral Arthur Phillip (1738–1814) – founder of Sydney, Australia and the Governor of the first European colony on the continent (NSW) * Commander Harry Pursey MP (1891–1980) – Member of Parliament for Kingston upon Hull East 1945–70 * Peter Richards (1978–) -Rugby, England, Gloucester and London Irish. *

Duncan Scott-Ford Duncan Alexander Croall Scott-Ford (4 September 1921 – 3 November 1942) was a British merchant seaman who was hanged for treachery after giving information to an enemy agent during the Second World War. Early life Scott-Ford was born i ...

(1921–1942) attended 1933–37. Youngest person to be executed under the Treachery Act 1940. * Captain

Thomas Henry Tizard Thomas Henry Tizard (1839 – 17 February 1924) was an English oceanographer, hydrographic surveyor, and navigator. He was born in Weymouth, Dorset and educated at the Royal Hospital School, Greenwich, at that time noted for its advanced mathe ...

(1839–1924) – Oceanographer, Hydrographic surveyor and Navigator *

Don Topley Thomas Donald Topley (born 25 February 1964), known as Don Topley, is an English former professional cricketer. Initially employed as an MCC Young Professional at Lord's in 1984, he was selling scorecards one minute, and then the next fieldin ...

(1964–)- Essex CCC and coach of Zimbabwe. * Reece Topley (1994–), England cricketer * Admiral Sir

Henry Felix Woods Sir Henry Felix Woods Pasha (1843–1929), KCVO, also known as Woods Pasha, was a British- Ottoman admiral and a pasha in Imperial Ottoman Naval Service. A British naval officer, Woods was born in Jersey in 1843 and educated at the Upper Sc ...

, Pasha, (1843–1929) – Admiral in the Turkish Navy * Hannah Stodel, (1985–), Paralympian

Notable staff

* Edward Riddle, FRAS (1786–1854), astronomer, mathematician and teacher of navigation. Highly esteemed teacher; senior mathematics master in the Upper School (1821–1840); headmaster of the Upper School (1840–1841); and then of the Nautical School (1841–1851). Author of an authoritative and important book: "Treatise on Navigation and Nautical Astronomy", that was used throughout the world and ran to eight editions. st edition 1821 * The Revd George Fisher, FRS, FRAS (1794–1873) Astronomer, Arctic explorer. Chaplain (1834–1863); Headmaster of the Upper School (1834–1840); Principal of the schools (1860–1863). Noted for his pioneering work in numerical educational attainment assessment. * T/Sub-Lieut. John Herbert Babington, GC, OBE, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. Awarded George Cross for bomb disposal work 27 December 1940. Headmaster 1951–1955., Jj * Andrew Doyle, Comedian and contributor to

GB News GB News is a British free-to-air television and radio news channel. The channel is available on Freeview, Freesat, Sky, YouView, Virgin Media and via the internet. Since 4 January 2022, an audio simulcast of the station is available on DAB+ ...

. English teacher and tutor in Collingwood House *

Simon Warr Simon Roderick Warr (9 September 1953 – 22 February 2020) was a British radio broadcaster, television personality, author and teacher. Warr was acquitted of allegations of historical child abuse and wrote a book about his experiences. Early l ...

, television and radio presenter. French and Latin master, also managed the school plays and Football and Rugby teams

References

External links

Official School Website

Site for former pupils, parents etc

The Royal Hospital School Association

Profile
on 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 ...

website
Greenwich Hospital site

Holbrook Music Society site

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