Historic schools in Surrey

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Chris Pearsall Chris Pearsall Photography © Chris Pearsall Photography

ACS Egham International School

London Road Egham, Surrey, TW20 0HS

The Heywood Estate with its 128 acres made a perfect campus location for ACS Cobham, when it opened in 1975 (the first site in Hampstead was founded in 1967 as the Overseas School of London).

The earliest mention of the manor of Heywood dates from 1206 when it was owned by the Heiwude family. King Henry III introduced rabbits to the county of Surrey, with early documents referring to ‘the excellent rabbit warren on Heiwude land’. A thriving rabbit population still resides on the estate today.

The splendid stately house of Heywood Manor, an exquisite example of Palladian-Georgian architecture, has entertained royalty, such as Queen Victoria, in addition to noblemen and financiers.

Previous owners of the home include the Bridges family, including Anne Bridges and Arthur Onslow, Speaker of the House of Commons, in 1712, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg (later to become King Leopold I of Belgium and owner of nearby Claremont) in 1820 and The Honourable Henry Lorton Bourke in 1886.

When the latter acquired the property, the right-wing of the house was extended and the columns were placed further apart, among other architectural developments.

In addition to the main building, there is a wealth of other impressive structures in the extensive grounds.

The Gate Lodge, for instance, was built for the gatekeeper and his family at the same time as the main house. The original wrought-iron gate has been restored, however many other gates were melted down to make equipment in World War II.

An air-raid shelter – which can still be seen today – was constructed during the war, when the house was contracted to the Fairmile Marine Company, manufacturer of torpedo boats.

Today, ACS Cobham enrols 1,300 students aged two to 18 from over 60 countries. Its fascinating past provides a unique backdrop for learning, with students offered both the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma and an American curriculum, including Advanced Placement.

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Claremont Fan Court School

Clairemont Drive, Esher, KT10 9LY

(01372) 473624

Website

The Claremont estate, comprised of the magnificent mansion and its splendid landscaped grounds, is home to Claremont Fan Court School, a co-educational independent school in Esher.

The first house here was built in 1708 by Sir John Vanbrugh, the Restoration playwright and architect of Blenheim and Castle Howard.

Vanbrugh later sold it to the Duke of Newcastle, who twice served as Prime Minister. He changed the name to Claremont after inheriting the title Earl of Clare.

Two great wings and a turret were added to the house from which society guests could admire the sweeping views of the Surrey countryside, and the gardens were developed into formally arranged terraces and geometric parterres with a grand amphitheatre.

Newcastle commissioned the renowned landscape architect William Kent to create a more fashionable and naturalistic style of gardening, but by 1768, the house was considered to be damp and out of fashion and thus demolished. Only the White Cottage and the striking Belvedere Tower survive to this day.

After Newcastle’s death, the estate was sold to Robert Clive, the first British Governor of the Bengal Presidency. The present-day Palladian mansion was built for Clive in 1774 by the celebrated landscape architect Lancelot “Capability” Brown, with interiors designed by Henry Holland.

The dimensions of the Great Room are said to have been designed specifically to accommodate a large opulent carpet – now lost – which Clive brought back from India.

Despite spending over £100,000 on the building and remodelling the grounds, Clive never lived there – he committed suicide in 1774, the year the house was finished.

In 1816, Claremont became a royal residence when bought as a wedding present for George IV’s daughter and future heir to the throne Princess Charlotte and her husband Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg.

The following year, Charlotte died in childbirth, an event that altered the succession of the British crown. Charlotte’s bedroom is now used as a senior school history classroom. Leopold retained ownership of Claremont until his death in 1865 but left England to become the first King of the Belgians in 1831.

Queen Victoria was a frequent visitor to Claremont as a child.

She lived a secluded and suffocating life at Kensington Palace, so staying with her Uncle Leopold at “dear old Claremont” was a rare opportunity to enjoy some freedom.

She continued to come for extended stays as an adult – in 1840, she and Prince Albert set out from here for the Epsom Derby. After her uncle’s death in 1865, Parliament granted Claremont to her for her lifetime.

It passed to Queen Victoria’s grandson, Charles who as a German general in World War I, was disinherited of the mansion.

The estate was sold to shipping magnate Sir William Corry and later German financier Eugen Spier. When the latter was declared bankrupt, the estate was broken up and sold.

In 1931, Claremont established itself as a school for girls from Christian Science families, incorporating Fan Court School for boys in 1978.

Notable alumni include OBE English actress, comedian and singer Joyce Grenfell, television presenter Michaela Strachan and screenwriter and producer Miles Millar.

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Notre Dame Senior School

Burwood House Convent Ln, Surrey, KT11 1HA

01932 869990

Website

Notre Dame School, an independent girls preparatory and senior day school in Cobham was founded at Burwood House in Convent Lane in 1937.

It opened with just seven students under the guidance of nuns belonging to the Company of Mary Our Lady, founded in Bordeaux in 1607 by Jeanne de Lestonnac.

Conscious of the vital role of women in the church and society and the urgent need for their education, the Company became the first religious order of female teachers approved by the church.

By 1640, the sisters had established 30 convents throughout France and quickly expanded to other parts of Europe, North and South America, and later Africa and Asia. The sisters’ mission ‘to serve in a way that is always new’, continues to be the guiding light of today’s school.

Surviving many changes since its founding, including a devastating fire in 1970, the school is now managed by a charitable trust, several of whom are sisters from the religious institute.

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MATTHEWS, S

Reed's School

Reed's School Sandy Ln, Cobham, KT11 2ES

01932 869044

Website

Reed’s School was founded in 1813 by the Reverend Dr Andrew Reed as the London Orphan Asylum in Shoreditch, with financial support from the City of London and the royal family.

Appalled by the conditions he witnessed in orphanages and workhouses, Reed’s philanthropic mission was to provide each child with a sound education to thrive and reach their potential.

His 1815 address set out the aims of the institution, stating that ‘the present day is the period of benevolence and philanthropy’ and ‘the widow and orphan have an undisputed claim to our benevolence’.

Since its founding, the school has been honoured with Royal Patronage, continuing to this day with Her Majesty the Queen personally sponsoring a pupil annually through the Royal Bursary, established in 1947 to commemorate her marriage to Prince Philip.

It was renamed Reed’s School in 1939. After the war, the boys took up residency at their current home in Sandy Lane, Oxshott, an outstanding example of Arts and Crafts architecture which had been purpose built in 1895 to house Sandroyd School. The new 40-acre site boasted a nine-hole golf course, indoor pool and two squash courts.

Until 1958, Reed’s was a full-boarding Foundation School where bursaries funded all pupils. Now an independent school for boys, with girls in the Sixth Form, the founding principles continue: 10% of students are Foundation pupils, whose places are supported because they have lost one or both parents to bereavement or family breakdown.

Famous Old Reedonians include tennis player Tim Henman, actor Tom Hardy and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid Ra’ad of Jordan.

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