Everything about The Prebendal School totally explained
The
Prebendal School is a private
Preparatory school in
Chichester, situated opposite
Chichester Cathedral. It is a
boarding and day school with roughly 150 pupils including the choristers of the Cathedral choir.
History
Children have been educated on the present site since the fifteenth century. The Prebendal is the oldest school in
Sussex and probably dates back to the foundation of
Chichester Cathedral in the eleventh century when it was a 'song school', teaching and housing the choristers. Later it admitted other boys from the city and neighbouring areas, becoming a
grammar school. It was refounded in 1497 by Bishop
Edward Story who attached it to the
Prebend of Highleigh in
Chichester Cathedral hence the name.
The thirteenth century school house with its narrow tower still stands in West Street. Long
Dormitory, on the top floor, contains three-hundred year old panelling. Two adjoining eighteenth-century houses have been added, while the addition in 1966 of the east wing of the
Bishop's Palace, which is next door to the main school buildings, provides considerable extra
accommodation.
Further extensions have provided an
assembly hall, new
classrooms and an
Art,
Design and
Technology Room. There is a modern
science laboratory and an
I.C.T. room.
Girls were introduced into the school in 1972 and a Pre-Prep in 1996.
The school is now a
co-educational, day and
boarding preparatory school for children between 3 and 13 years of age.
The Curriculum
Pupils cover the ground for the
Common Entrance and
Scholarship Examinations to senior
independent schools.
The
curriculum is constantly reviewed and there are regular information evenings for parents.
Timetabled subjects
These include
English,
Mathematics,
Science,
French,
History,
Geography,
Religious Studies,
Latin (from the age of 9),
Art,
Design &
Technology,
Music and
Drama.
Reporting progress
Parents receive a full written report with grades at the end of the
Michaelmas Term and at the end of the Summer Term. They receive a report card containing
effort and attainment grades each half-term and at the end of the
Lent Term.
School
examinations take place once a year during the Summer Term.
Parents' Day
Each form has one parents' day during the year giving parents an opportunity to meet the teachers and discuss their child's work.
Music
As a
Choir School educating the
Cathedral Choristers, the school has a strong
music department. The
Director of
Music is assisted by the
Assistant Organist in the
Cathedral and there are many visiting
music staff. A wide variety of
instruments are taught.
There are three
choirs, three
orchestras and many groups and
ensembles.
The highlight of the
musical year is the school
music concert, which takes place in the
Cathedral during the
Lent Term. The school has a high reputation for
music and each year both boys and girls win
music awards to
independent schools.
Drama, Art and Technology
Drama
All forms from Year 3 to Year 8 have one period of
drama per week. There is one major
school production during the year, which takes place during the
Michaelmas Term. This runs for four nights and involves many children, not only
acting but helping
backstage with the set,
lighting,
costumes,
make-up and
music.
The
Chichester Festival Theatre is nearby and children attend performances there. Occasionally, they've taken part with
famous actors and
actresses in
productions.
Art and Technology
Forms One and Six have a double period of
art,
design and
technology per week and Years Four, Five, Six and Seven have three periods per week.
Each term there's opportunity for children to pursue their interest in these subjects as
extra-curricular activities at
Art Club and
Design and
Technology Club.
Children also visit
galleries and
exhibitions locally and in
London.
Sport
The children have games sessions every afternoon and many
matches are played against other
schools.
The playing fields are close to the
school, on the
south side of the
Cathedral.
There are four
football pitches, two
hockey fields,
cricket nets, and two
tennis courts. Pupils do
sports for one hour at the end of every day.
The major sports played are
soccer,
hockey and
netball in the winter terms and
cricket,
athletics,
tennis and
swimming in the summer term.
Swimming is taught in the school's own
heated outdoor
swimming pool.
Extra-curricular Activities
The period between 4.30 and 6.00 pm is known as club time. There are many clubs and out-of-school
activities organised by members of
staff. These are open to all children, whether boarders or day
pupils.
They vary from term to term depending on the interests and enthusiasm of staff and pupils. Some of the most popular include
fencing,
art,
design and
technology,
general knowledge,
chess,
science, and
photography.
In the two winter
terms there's
gym club for those interested in
gymnastics and in the summer
term there are
outdoor clubs, including
swimming,
athletics,
tennis and
cricket.
Houses
- Neville (Green)
- Luffa (Red)
- Sherbourne (Yellow)
- Seffrid (Blue)
Each house is named after former
Bishops of
Chichester, They are:
Ralph Neville
Ralph Luffa
Robert Sherbourne
Seffrid I &
Seffrid II
Housemasters
Every child who enters the
Prebendal School is placed in one of the four houses; Luffa, Neville, Seffrid or Sherborne .
Housemasters are responsible for the overall
pastoral welfare of the children in their house.
Form Teachers
A child usually enters the
school at the age of seven, into one of the year three
classrooms. The year three
teachers are responsible for the
academic and general welfare of the
children in their form. They are responsible for helping the children settle into the
school.
Form teachers, from year 4 upwards, are responsible for taking
afternoon registration, for weekly form
periods and for keeping an eye on
relationships within the forms and the
behaviour of the form as a whole. The weekly form period is a time when any problems concerning class or school life such as work,
relationships,
behaviour, school
rules etc., can be discussed.
The Pre-Prep Department
The
Pre-Prep is for children between the ages of three and seven. It is located in
Northgate House, a large
Tudor house in the centre of
Chichester and in
Highleigh Hall, a specially designed building in the Prebendal grounds. Classes are small. There are close links to the Prep, some of whose specialist staff also teach in the Pre-Prep.
Throughout the Pre-Prep
music is taught by a specialist and all children take part in
concerts and
performances during the year. Individual instrumental
lessons may be arranged to take place in school. The Pre-Prep has a bank of
computers and
software.
French is taught from three years of age. In addition there's a variety of after-school clubs.
The Pre-Prep children have the use of the Prebendal School’s facilities including the
I.C.T. suite, sports fields and swimming pool. The older pupils join in weekly assemblies in Chichester Cathedral.
Lunches are cooked on the school premises and eaten communally.
The Pre-Prep Department has its own
Headmistress.
Boarding
There are seven
dormitories and accommodation for up to 46 boarders. Each
dorm has a name;
Long (which is called that because it's the longest dorm in the boarding house),
Tarring (which is named after
Tarring),
Bell (which is named after
George Bell),
St. Edmund's (which is named after
St. Edmund),
Juxon (which is named after
William Juxon),
St. Wilfred's (which is named after
St. Wilfred) &
St. Richard's (which is named after
St. Richard)
Matrons are responsible for the
health,
medical records,
hygiene,
clothing and
laundry of the boarders. The School
Doctor's
surgery is close at hand and he visits the
school when required.
Many children join the school as day pupils and enter as boarders towards the end of their time at Prebendal. The majority of those boarding are weekly boarders, so there's frequent contact with
parents and
home.
Increasingly
popular with parents and children, if space permits, are sleep-overs and short term boarding.
The Choristers
The school educates the
Chichester Cathedral choristers who enter the
school on a
choral scholarship. There are
twelve choristers and
six probationers all of whom are full boarders. The choristers are under the leadership of the
Cathedral Organist who is also
Master of the Choristers.
During term time they sing
Evensong in the
Cathedral each day of the week, except Wednesday, and at the main services each Sunday.
Apart from fulfilling its Cathedral duties, the
Choir takes part in
services and
concerts outside the
Cathedral. It travels abroad and makes regular
recordings and
broadcasts.
All choristers learn at least two
instruments.
Piano tuition is provided free of charge. In spite of their busy life in connection with the
Cathedral, the choristers play a full part in all aspects of school life. The school timetable is so arranged that they miss as little
academic work as possible.
Games also are considered an important part of school life and the choristers, together with all other
children, participate in
games each afternoon, and many in the past have played a valuable part in the sporting life of the
school.
Voice Trials
This is an opportunity for boys of age six or seven to demonstrate choral potential and become choristers at the Prebendal.
Voice Trials take place once a year, usually on a Saturday in January. Candidates sit an academic assessment test in the school during the morning and attend a voice trial in the afternoon at the Organist's house.
References and Resources
N. Ollerenshaw, A History of the Prebendal School (Phillimore, 1984)
Further Information
Get more info on 'Prebendal School'.
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