Mowden Hall School is a co-educational day and boarding preparatory school in the parish of

Bywell Bywell is a village and civil parish in Northumberland, England. It is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne opposite Stocksfield, between Hexham and Newcastle. The parish has a population of around 380 and Newton is now its most populo ...

, in

Stocksfield Stocksfield is a small, yet sprawling commuter village situated close to the River Tyne, about west of Newcastle upon Tyne in the southern part of Northumberland, England. There are several smaller communities within the parish of Stocksfie ...

, Northumberland, England approximately west of

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

. It has been part of the Prep Schools Trust since 2007 and is a member 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 ...

(IAPS) and

Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools The Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools (AGBIS) is the supporting and advisory organisation for governing bodies of independent schools in the UK, and is a member of the Independent Schools Council. History The Association of Go ...

(AGBIS).

History

Mowden Hall School was founded in the eponymous Mowden Hall in Mowden, near Darlington, by Frank Marchbank in 1935. The School was evacuated to Fallbarrow, Windermere, at the start of World War II, before acquiring its present site at Newton Hall, near Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1945; the former building was home to the

Department for Education The Department for Education (DfE) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for child protection, child services, education (compulsory, further and higher education), apprenticeships and wider skills in England. A Department ...

and its predecessor agencies for almost fifty years. Mowden has welcomed girls since 1982, and opened a Pre-Prep Department in 1993. Much work was done in the School's early years at Newton to convert the former home of the Joicey family -- built in 1835 by architect John Dobson -- into a fully functioning prep school. Mowden Hall School

Boarding

Children can be day pupils, flexi boarders, weekly boarders or full boarders. Full, weekly and flexible boarding are available to pupils in the main prep school (aged 8 and above). Boarders are not allowed to use mobile phones or other electronic devices, but are allowed and communicate with their parents through letters and payphones. Over three-quarters of the children in the prep school board in some capacity, though there is no official compulsion to board to attend.

Sport

A wide range of activities are available at the school: these include rugby, football, hockey, netball, tennis, cricket, athletics, badminton, cross-country, swimming. The school contains sporting fields, an indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, and a multi-use astroturf pitch. Internally, the school has sporting competitions between Houses, as well as swimming galas, cross-country running and a full summer Sports Day.

Former pupils

Alexander Armstrong Alexander Henry Fenwick Armstrong (born 2 March 1970) is an English actor, comedian, radio personality, television presenter and singer. He is the host of the BBC One game show '' Pointless'', as well as the morning show on Classic FM. He is ...

– actor, comedian and presenterSpeech Day 2011
*

Julian Bicknell Julian Bicknell (MA Dip Arch RIBA FRSA AWG) is a British architect. Early life Julian Bicknell was born in Cambridge on 23 February 1945, while his father Wing Commander Nigel Bicknell DSO DFC was in hospital at RAF Wroughton after a serious c ...

– architect * Pete Graves – television presenter and sports correspondent *

Michael Jopling, Baron Jopling Thomas Michael Jopling, Baron Jopling, PC, DL (born 10 December 1930) is a politician in the United Kingdom, and sits in the House of Lords as a member of the Conservative Party. Life and career Jopling is the son of Mark Bellerby Jopling ( ...

– former Conservative government minister *

Jeremy Mallinson Jeremy John Crosby Mallinson (16 March 1937 – 2 February 2021) was an English conservationist and author associated with the Durrell Wildlife Park and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, where he was director emeritus. Biography Born in Ilk ...

– conservationist *

Peter Martell Pietro Martellanza (30 September 1938 – 1 February 2010), best known as Peter Martell, was an Italian film actor who had numerous bigger roles in Spaghetti westerns. Sometimes he was credited as Pete Martell or Peter Martel. Born in Bolzano, h ...

– journalist * Richard Smyth – cricketer

References

5. https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/18176479.new-headteacher-chosen-mowden-hall/

External links

School websiteProfile
on the

ISC #REDIRECT ISC {{redirect category shell, {{R from other capitalisation{{R from ambiguous page ...

website
Profile
on the ''

Good Schools Guide ''The Good Schools Guide'' is a guide to British schools, both state and independent. Overview The guide is compiled by a team of editors which, according to the official website, "''comprises some 50 editors, writers, researchers and contri ...

'' * Ofsted Boarding Inspectio
ReportsSchool Information
{{authority control Boarding schools in Northumberland Preparatory schools in Northumberland Educational institutions established in 1935 Church of England independent schools in the Diocese of Newcastle 1935 establishments in England Bywell