Rokeby Preparatory School Explained

Rokeby School
Motto:Smart, Skilful and Kind (until 2008 "Aemulus studiorum in et laborum")
Established:1877
Founder:Charles D. Olive, M.A. (Oxon.)
Type:Preparatory school
Head Label:Headmaster
Head:Jason Peck
Address:George Road
City:Kingston upon Thames
County:Greater London
Country:England
Postcode:KT2 7PB
Coordinates:51.4175°N -0.2707°W
Dfeno:314/6005
Urn:102612
Enrolment:400
Staff:c.45
Lower Age:4
Upper Age:13
Houses:Bazelgette, Galsworthy, Moody and Olive
Website:http://www.rokebyschool.co.uk

Rokeby School is an independent all-boys preparatory day school in Kingston upon Thames, London. Its headmaster is Jason Peck. The school offers an education from 4 to 13 years through the integration of a pre-preparatory school and a preparatory school. The pre-prep school was known as Junior Rokeby until 2008 when headmaster Jason Peck unified the schools under one name and uniform, at the same time abolishing the senior school's traditional Latin motto ("Aemulus studiorum et laborum", from Cicero meaning "the rival of pursuits and labours"[1]) in favour of a three word English one.

History

Wimbledon (1877–1966)

The school was founded in Wimbledon on 18 September 1877, originally at "Helmsley" (no. 47, Woodhayes Road), by Charles Olive, an Oxford graduate. The Helmsley site is just across the road from the current location of KCS, Wimbledon, which at the time of Rokeby's founding had yet to move from its central London campus. In the first term, however, not a single pupil appeared. In the second term the first boy enrolled (Charles J. Saunders), who later won a scholarship to Merchant Taylors' and continued onto St John's College, Oxford. By the end of the first year there were 15 boys attending the school. A year later numbers had increased sufficiently to warrant a larger premises, so the school was moved to another house known as "Rokeby" (at no. 17, The Downs) in 1879 – a site now occupied by Hall School Wimbledon.

When the Association of Preparatory Schools was founded in 1892 (a precursor to the current IAPS), Rokeby was one of the first members.

Kingston (1966–present)

In 1965 the then owner of the school stated his intent to close it, and a group of parents decided that it should be rescued. Rokeby Educational Trust Limited, a charity, was set up in 1966 to establish a successor school on its current site in George Road Kingston.[2] The George Road building (formerly known as "Coombe Croft") was one of a number of houses on George Road that had been owned by the Galsworthy family (whose members included John Galsworthy, author of The Forsyte Saga). Although by this date it was no longer residential, the buildings were still largely laid out as a country house. Over the years, significant investments have been made. First, there was major conversion work in the main house, then the building of the hall and science block, and a kitchen. The 1990s saw the rebuilding of the pre-prep accommodation, followed by the art wing and improved music facilities at the beginning of this decade. There has also been a significant refurbishment of the library, dining room and office accommodation, and a major investment in enhancing IT capabilities in recent years.[3] The new Lower School Building comprising 6 classrooms, a performing arts hall and outdoor play space for the junior boys was officially opened by HRH Princess Alexandra on 16 October 2013.

For many years, the school made use of external sports facilities that were hired from year to year. After nearly 10 years of searching, the school bought its own sports fields in Worcester Park in 2003, some 10 minutes from the school, where a new pavilion was built. The motto of the school is "Smart, Skilful and Kind", which was coined by headmaster Jason Peck when he took over in 2007. Peck had been deputy headmaster to Michael Siegel, who authored a textbook, Latin: A Fresh Approach. There are four houses to which students belong: Bazelgette, Galsworthy, Moody and Olive.[3]

A book by Peter Wicker, headmaster 1968–85, charting the history of the school's first 125 years (1877–2002), was published in late 2009: Rokeby: the first 125 years.

Fees

School fees per term for the 2021/22 Academic Year are as follows:[4]

Headmasters of Rokeby

Associated with Rokeby

Governors of Rokeby

Notable Old Rokebeians

Military

Science and Academia

Law

Politics/Government

Education

Literature

Theology

Performing arts/media

Art

Music

Sport

Medicine

Archaeology

City of London

Cultural references

The school at Wimbledon was captured in a drawing named "White Lilies" by the artist Alfred Parsons[12]

Hugo Cole's children's opera The Asses' Ears, was written for the school in 1950.[13]

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Latin quotes & mottos with translations . Inrebus.com . 2007-10-23 . 2016-12-15 . 18 June 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120618125926/http://www.inrebus.com/latinphrases_a.php . dead .
  2. Web site: Rokeby Independent Preparatory School for Boys, Kingston-upon-thames - Home . Rokebyschool.co.uk . 2016-12-15.
  3. Web site: Rokeby Independent Preparatory School for Boys, Kingston-upon-thames - Home . Rokebyschool.co.uk . 2016-12-15.
  4. Web site: School Fees. Rokeby School. 14 December 2020.
  5. Web site: Old Master Moody meets former pupils . Educationtrust-oeclub.org . 2016-12-15.
  6. Web site: Mike Seigel . Latin: A Fresh Approach Book 2 . Anthem Press . 2016-12-15.
  7. Web site: Rokeby Independent Preparatory School for Boys, Kingston-upon-thames - ROBC History . Rokebyschool.co.uk . 2016-12-15.
  8. Book: Goodbye to All That . Robert Graves . 28 September 2000. 9780141184593 . 2016-12-15.
  9. Web site: AI Author Biographies - Gavin Ashenden. 5 February 2016.
  10. Book: Evil Spirits: The Life of Oliver Reed . Cliff Goodwin . 1 . 2011-06-30 . 9780753546185 . 2016-12-15.
  11. Web site: RFU. https://web.archive.org/web/20160503201846/http://www.englandrugby.com/england/england-sevens/squads/harry-glover/. dead. 3 May 2016. www.englandrugby.com. 14 December 2020.
  12. Web site: Landscape-Painter as Landscape-Gardener : The Case of Alfred Parsons R.A. . Etheses.whiterose.ac.uk . 2016-12-15.
  13. Hugo Cole obituary, The Times, 7 March 1995, p. 19

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