Chigwell School - Wikipedia
Jump to content
Coordinates
51°37′30″N
0°04′52″E
 / 
51.6250°N 0.0810°E
 /
51.6250; 0.0810
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Public school in Essex, England
Chigwell School
Location
Chigwell
Essex
IG7 6QF
England
Coordinates
51°37′30″N
0°04′52″E
 / 
51.6250°N 0.0810°E
 /
51.6250; 0.0810
Information
Type
Private
day and boarding
Motto
aut viam inveniam aut faciam
(Find a way, or make a way)
Religious affiliation
Church of England
Established
1629
; 397 years ago
1629
Founder
Samuel Harsnett
Department for Education
URN
115392
Tables
Headmaster
Damian King (2022)
Age
4 to 18
Enrolment
1040
Houses
(Senior School)
Caswalls'
Lambourne
Penn's
Swallow's
(Junior School)
Windsors
Stuarts, Tudors, Hanovers.
Alumni
Old Chigwellians
Website
www
.chigwell-school
.org
Chigwell School
Chigwell School
is a co-educational independent
boarding
and
day school
. It is a
private school
in
Chigwell
, in the
Epping Forest
district of
Essex
. It consists of a Pre Prep (ages 4–7), Prep School (ages 7–11), Senior School (ages 11–16) and
Sixth Form
. A pre-preparatory department for children aged 4–7 was constructed starting for the 2013–14 academic year.
The school is situated in 100 acres (40 hectares) of land between Epping Forest and Hainault Forest, ten miles (sixteen kilometres) from
London
. It is a member of the
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
(HMC) and the Junior School is a member of the
Independent Association of Prep Schools
(IAPS).
The school motto is
aut viam inveniam aut faciam
, a Latin phrase which translates literally as “I shall either find a way or make one”.
History
edit
Chigwell School in 1904
Chigwell School dates back to 1619 when a schoolhouse was erected on the site. The first headmaster Peter Mease was appointed in 1623. It was formally founded in 1629 by
Samuel Harsnett
Archbishop of York
and
Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University
, and began with 16 "poor, clever" scholars.
In 1868, the school was split into two sections. The English section for local children studying arithmetic, reading and writing was housed in a building behind the King's Head
public house
, which was mentioned in
Charles Dickens
' novel
Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty
. The Latin section (for Latin scholars only) remained in the original building. Rather unusually for a boys' school at that time, in 1873, it started a bursary programme for girls to attend other schools.
Bernard Williams
, philosopher, who attended the school, said that "It should have been a
direct grant grammar school
, but it had a boarding element so that in 1944 when the
Education Act
came in, the then headmaster – a very unintellectual man whom I very much disliked – made a characteristically wrong decision and turned it into a very minor public school".
Following a trend set by many HMC schools (which were mainly all-boys), the Sixth Form section became coeducational and its first girls were admitted in the summer term of 1974. In 1997 coeducation was extended to the rest of the school.
better source needed
Chapel
edit
Chigwell School Chapel -Pilgrim's Progress
The War Memorial Chapel was dedicated by the Bishop of Chelmsford on 10 October 1924 to the 78 Old Boys and one Master who had lain down their lives in the Great War and on each side of the altar, plaques record the names of the dead. There were only a total of 80 boys attending the school in 1914.
Reginald Hallward
took the theme of the
Pilgrim's Progress
for the windows of the chapel.
He depicted schoolboys as Christian's companions on his pilgrimage.
Notable alumni
edit
See also:
Category:People educated at Chigwell School
This list of alumni
may not follow Wikipedia's
verifiability
policy
Please help
improve it
by adding
reliable sources
for existing names which prove they are alumni. Unsourced names may be challenged and removed.
April 2021
Learn how and when to remove this message
Peter Beckingham
, Ambassador to the
Philippines
from 2005 till 2009
Prof Sir
John Boardman
classical archaeologist
Ken Campbell
, actor
Edward Caswall
, classical scholar and writer of hymns, music master at Chigwell.
Peter Collecott
CMG,
Ambassador to Brazil
from 2004-8
Tim Collins
, Conservative politician, MP for
Westmorland and Lonsdale
from 1997–2005
William Cotton
, Governor of the Bank of England
Sir
Richard Dales
KCVO, CMG, former
Ambassador to Norway
from 1998–2002
Paul S Farmer
(1961–68), former Headmaster of London comprehensive schools; developed use of pop music in schools, including the first CSE examination in pop music
Vice-Adm
Sir
Robert Gerken
KCB CBE,
Captain of the Fleet
from 1978–81
Sir Arthur Grimble
, colonial governor
Sir Austin Bradford Hill
, pioneering medical researcher who discovered the link between smoking and cancer
Steriker Hare
, cricketer
Ian Holm
, actor
Anthony Hossack
(1882–1886)
England
footballer of the 1890s.
George Kenneth McKee
, orthopaedist and one of the pioneers of hip replacement surgery
William Penn
, Quaker leader and founder of the state of
Pennsylvania
in the
United States of America
Sir
David Pepper
, Director of
GCHQ
from 2003-8
Eddie Piller
, DJ, Music Producer, Radio Broadcaster and Founder,
Acid Jazz Records
10
Ben Shephard
, television presenter
Horace Smith
, poet
Jordan Spence
, footballer, Ipswich Town 2017
Rt Rev
Tim Stevens
Bishop of Leicester
from 1991 until 1999
Col
Bob Stewart
MP DSO
Sir Edward Albert Stone
, Chief Justice of Western Australia, 1901–06
Michael Thomas
, former
Attorney General
of
Hong Kong
Sir
Colin Thornton-Kemsley
, MP for
Kincardine and Western Aberdeenshire
from 1939–50 and
North Angus and Mearns
from 1950–64
Barney Walsh
11
12
actor and television presenter
Bernard Williams
, philosopher and Provost of
King's College, Cambridge
Prof
Nicholas Williams
, scholar of the
Irish
and
Cornish
languages.
Alan Winnington
, British communist, journalist, anthropologist, war correspondent
Headmasters
edit
This list is
incomplete
; you can help by
adding missing items
June 2024
Anthony Little
(1989–1996)
David Gibbs (1996–2007)
Michael Punt (2007–2022)
Damian King (2022–present)
13
Notable masters
edit
Robert James
, headmaster 1939–1946, later High Master of
St Paul's School
and headmaster of
Harrow School
Anthony Little
, headmaster 1989–1996, later headmaster of
Eton College
from 2002–2015.
William Henry Monk
, music master, and author of the music to
Abide With Me
References
edit
"A prep school for Chigwell"
. Archived from
the original
on 2 May 2014
. Retrieved
13 September
2012
Jeffries, Stuart (30 November 2002).
"The quest for truth"
the Guardian
. Retrieved
18 March
2025
"School History"
. Archived from
the original
on 6 November 2012
. Retrieved
13 September
2012
Photographs and notes on Memorial Chapel Chigwell School courtesy School Archivist M.F. Delfgou.
Bentley, James and Nikolaus Pevsner. (2007).
The Buildings of England – Essex.
Yale University Press. pp. 228–229.
ISBN
978 0 300 11614 4
"Teams Steriker Hare played for"
. CricketArchive
. Retrieved
27 October
2011
Billington, Michael; Gilbey, Ryan (19 June 2020).
"Sir Ian Holm obituary"
the Guardian
. Retrieved
18 March
2025
Sydenham, Barrie (2003).
The Chigwell Register
. p. 15.
"HM Letter to Parents April 2016 by Chigwell School - Issuu"
issuu.com
. 18 April 2016
. Retrieved
30 August
2023
Piller, Eddie (6 April 2023).
Clean Living Under Difficult Circumstances: A Life In Mod – From the Revival to Acid Jazz
. Octopus.
ISBN
978-1-80096-061-9
"Chigwell School pupils compete in IAPS National Swimming Finals"
Guardian Series
. 17 May 2011
. Retrieved
30 January
2025
"News from Chigwell Autumn 2016"
issuu.com
. Autumn 2016
. Retrieved
30 January
2025
Bryan (2 August 2023).
"Chigwell School: Reviews, Rankings, And More"
Britannia UK
. Retrieved
2 October
2023
External links
edit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Chigwell School
Chigwell School website
Old Chigwellians website
Archive mentioning tunnel
Profile
on the
ISC
website
Schools in Essex
Primary
Helena Romanes School
St Thomas of Canterbury CE Primary School
Secondary
Alec Hunter Academy
Anglo European School
The Appleton School
Basildon Academies
Beauchamps High School
Becket Keys CE School
The Billericay School
BMAT STEM Academy
The Boswells School
Brentwood County High School
Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School
The Bromfords School
Burnt Mill Academy
Castle View School
Chelmer Valley High School
Clacton Coastal Academy
Clacton County High School
Colchester Academy
The Colne Community School
Cornelius Vermuyden School
Davenant Foundation School
De La Salle School
The Deanes
Debden Park High School
Epping St John's School
FitzWimarc School
Forest Hall School
The Gilberd School
Great Baddow High School
Greensward Academy
Harwich and Dovercourt High School
Hedingham School
Helena Romanes School
Honywood Community Science School
Hylands School
James Hornsby School
Joyce Frankland Academy
King Edmund School
King Harold Academy
The King John School
Maltings Academy
Manningtree High School
Mark Hall Academy
Mayflower High School
Moulsham High School
New Rickstones Academy
Notley High School
The Ongar Academy
Ormiston Rivers Academy
Passmores Academy
Philip Morant School
Plume School
The Ramsey Academy
Roding Valley High School
Saffron Walden County High School
St Benedict's RC College
St Helena School
St John Payne RC School
St Mark's West Essex RC School
St Martin's School
The Sandon School
Shenfield High School
The Stanway School
Stewards Academy
The Sweyne Park School
Tabor Academy
Tendring Technology College
Thomas Lord Audley School
Thurstable School
West Hatch High School
William de Ferrers School
Woodlands School
Grammar
Chelmsford County High School for Girls
Colchester County High School for Girls
Colchester Royal Grammar School
King Edward VI Grammar School
Independent
Braeside School
Brentwood School
Chigwell School
The Christian School
Colchester High School
Elm Green Preparatory School
Felsted School
Gosfield School
New Hall School
St John's School
St Mary's School
St Nicholas School
Special
The Edith Borthwick School
St John's RC School
The Yellow House School
Sixth form & FE colleges
Braintree College
Braintree Sixth Form
Chelmsford College
Colchester Institute
Colchester Sixth Form College
Debden House
Epping Forest College
Harlow College
USP (Seevic) College
Masters Performing Arts College
Defunct
Alderman Blaxill School
Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College
Barstable School
Bishops Park College
Brays Grove Community School
Buckhurst Hill County High School
Chalvedon School
Donyland Lodge
Downham School
Earls Colne Grammar School
Friends' School
Fryerns Comprehensive School
Furtherwick Park School
Laindon High Road School
St Peter's College
Saffron Walden Grammar School
Sawyers Hall College
Tendring Enterprise Studio School
Trinity School
Authority control databases
ISNI
Retrieved from "
Categories
Buildings and structures in Chigwell
1629 establishments in England
Educational institutions established in the 1620s
Boarding schools in Essex
Private schools in Essex
Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
People educated at Chigwell School
Grade II* listed buildings in Essex
Hidden categories:
Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas
Articles with short description
Short description is different from Wikidata
Use dmy dates from September 2016
Use British English from February 2023
All Wikipedia articles written in British English
Pages using infobox mapframe without shape links in Wikidata
Pages using infobox school with a linked country
Coordinates on Wikidata
All articles lacking reliable references
Articles lacking reliable references from March 2025
Articles needing cleanup from April 2021
All pages needing cleanup
Incomplete lists from June 2024
Commons category link is on Wikidata
Pages using the Kartographer extension
Chigwell School
Add topic