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Ludgrove School
Ludgrove School is an English independent boys' preparatory boarding school. Ludgrove was founded in 1892 at Ludgrove Hall in Middlesex by the Old Etonian sportsman Arthur Dunn. Dunn had been employed as a master at Elstree School, which sent boys mainly to Harrow, and intended to nurture a school that focused on preparing boys to enter Eton. His educational philosophy was atypical by the standards of the time: discipline was applied with a lighter touch, and masters were neither discouraged from mixing with pupils outside the classroom, nor from being on familiar terms with the headmaster.
Growing quickly thanks to the circle of friends Dunn had gathered in the course of his football and cricket career, Ludgrove soon became associated with families from the British aristocracy and landed gentry. Successfully navigating the challenging economic circumstances of the 1930s, since 1937 it has been based at a site near Wokingham in Berkshire, having taken over the former buildings of Wixenford School.
Ludgrove School was established in 1892 at Ludgrove Hall by former footballer Arthur Dunn. Dunn believed the atmosphere of a prep school should be pleasant rather than repressive, which largely contrasted with the nature of other prep schools of the time. A sport enthusiast, Dunn tended to recruit teachers who were scholar-athletes like himself. Dying prematurely of a heart attack in 1902, he was succeeded by two joint headmasters, G.O. Smith and William Oakley, both former captains of the England national football team, who ran the school as a partnership until Smith retired in 1922.
On the prevalence of bullying at Ludgrove in the first decades of its existence, recollections of old boys differed. Alistair Horne described it as "rampant", while Roland Pym and Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire claimed not to recall any. The 1930s were a difficult period for Ludgrove and the school struggled to remain solvent. Apart from the effects of the Great Depression, the previous two decades had seen a declining birth rate, which now led prep schools to compete for fewer potential pupils at a time when parents were already trying to save money. During this period many schools either closed or amalgamated. Meanwhile, the location of Ludgrove School could no longer be described as rural due to the ongoing spread of London. Not wishing to be a "suburban establishment", headmaster Frank Henley purchased the site of Wixenford School, a fast declining institution which then closed. Henley immediately retired after the move was completed, and the leadership passed to Alan Barber and Tim Shaw.
With the outbreak of war, Ludgrove nearly relocated to McGill University in Canada, but this was abandoned at the last minute due to transport and finance problems. Instead, Ludgrove stayed put and school life was relatively untouched, bar an unsurprising shortage of teachers and a restricted menu. Under the Barber-Shaw regime there was a strong emphasis on the games field and the winning of scholarships was never a central aim, though boys reliably passed Common Entrance, with most entering Eton. Corporal punishment was present, but discipline "not invariably enforced" by the cane.
Although Ludgrove had never refused entry to any boy whose parents could pay their way, an "aura of wealth and privilege" surrounded the school during the middle decades of the 20th century. This image of Ludgrove as a fashionable school had taken root from its earliest days, with many titled families sending their sons, who would grow up to send their sons in turn. Of the boys at the school in 1900, no fewer than ten had descendants there in 2003.
In 1968 Shaw retired, leaving Barber in charge, who stepped down himself in 1973; his son Gerald and Nichol Marston succeeding him.
By the start of the 1973–1974 academic year there was a record number of boys in the school, 128 in total, yet a sense of decline was apparent. Buildings were decaying, facilities were increasingly regarded as outdated and the school was in deficit, with many accounts overdue or unpaid. The "forward order book" of future entrants was also noticeably thinner than earlier years. On top of these issues, Eton and other public schools were growing critical of Ludgrove over its modest academic achievements. In response, Barber and Marston had the structure of the school repaired and began placing greater emphasis on academic performance. While sport continued to play a part in the culture of the school, the "centre of gravity" shifted from field to classroom. It was no longer taken for granted that boys would pass into their preferred school, and more was asked of both staff and students.
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Ludgrove School
Ludgrove School is an English independent boys' preparatory boarding school. Ludgrove was founded in 1892 at Ludgrove Hall in Middlesex by the Old Etonian sportsman Arthur Dunn. Dunn had been employed as a master at Elstree School, which sent boys mainly to Harrow, and intended to nurture a school that focused on preparing boys to enter Eton. His educational philosophy was atypical by the standards of the time: discipline was applied with a lighter touch, and masters were neither discouraged from mixing with pupils outside the classroom, nor from being on familiar terms with the headmaster.
Growing quickly thanks to the circle of friends Dunn had gathered in the course of his football and cricket career, Ludgrove soon became associated with families from the British aristocracy and landed gentry. Successfully navigating the challenging economic circumstances of the 1930s, since 1937 it has been based at a site near Wokingham in Berkshire, having taken over the former buildings of Wixenford School.
Ludgrove School was established in 1892 at Ludgrove Hall by former footballer Arthur Dunn. Dunn believed the atmosphere of a prep school should be pleasant rather than repressive, which largely contrasted with the nature of other prep schools of the time. A sport enthusiast, Dunn tended to recruit teachers who were scholar-athletes like himself. Dying prematurely of a heart attack in 1902, he was succeeded by two joint headmasters, G.O. Smith and William Oakley, both former captains of the England national football team, who ran the school as a partnership until Smith retired in 1922.
On the prevalence of bullying at Ludgrove in the first decades of its existence, recollections of old boys differed. Alistair Horne described it as "rampant", while Roland Pym and Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire claimed not to recall any. The 1930s were a difficult period for Ludgrove and the school struggled to remain solvent. Apart from the effects of the Great Depression, the previous two decades had seen a declining birth rate, which now led prep schools to compete for fewer potential pupils at a time when parents were already trying to save money. During this period many schools either closed or amalgamated. Meanwhile, the location of Ludgrove School could no longer be described as rural due to the ongoing spread of London. Not wishing to be a "suburban establishment", headmaster Frank Henley purchased the site of Wixenford School, a fast declining institution which then closed. Henley immediately retired after the move was completed, and the leadership passed to Alan Barber and Tim Shaw.
With the outbreak of war, Ludgrove nearly relocated to McGill University in Canada, but this was abandoned at the last minute due to transport and finance problems. Instead, Ludgrove stayed put and school life was relatively untouched, bar an unsurprising shortage of teachers and a restricted menu. Under the Barber-Shaw regime there was a strong emphasis on the games field and the winning of scholarships was never a central aim, though boys reliably passed Common Entrance, with most entering Eton. Corporal punishment was present, but discipline "not invariably enforced" by the cane.
Although Ludgrove had never refused entry to any boy whose parents could pay their way, an "aura of wealth and privilege" surrounded the school during the middle decades of the 20th century. This image of Ludgrove as a fashionable school had taken root from its earliest days, with many titled families sending their sons, who would grow up to send their sons in turn. Of the boys at the school in 1900, no fewer than ten had descendants there in 2003.
In 1968 Shaw retired, leaving Barber in charge, who stepped down himself in 1973; his son Gerald and Nichol Marston succeeding him.
By the start of the 1973–1974 academic year there was a record number of boys in the school, 128 in total, yet a sense of decline was apparent. Buildings were decaying, facilities were increasingly regarded as outdated and the school was in deficit, with many accounts overdue or unpaid. The "forward order book" of future entrants was also noticeably thinner than earlier years. On top of these issues, Eton and other public schools were growing critical of Ludgrove over its modest academic achievements. In response, Barber and Marston had the structure of the school repaired and began placing greater emphasis on academic performance. While sport continued to play a part in the culture of the school, the "centre of gravity" shifted from field to classroom. It was no longer taken for granted that boys would pass into their preferred school, and more was asked of both staff and students.