History

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Since 1869…
   

There has been a school on the site of St Neot’s since 1869 when the Reverend Richard Powles, a childhood friend of Charles Kingsley, leased the newly built Wixenford House and opened it as a boys’ boarding school. Wixenford School remained in Eversley until 1887 when Mr Ernest Arnold, headmaster at the time, had a disagreement with his landlord and moved his school to Wokingham. In 1888 Eversley became the new home of St Neot’s when Mr C Locke took over the lease of the building.

 

Mr Locke’s first student body c.1880.

  • 1869

    Augustus Stapleton, owner of Warbrook House in Eversley, builds Wixenford House and leases it to the Reverend Richard Powles who opens it as a boy’s boarding school.

  • 1886

    Cyril Calliphronas opens his school, St Neot’s in Sunningdale, Berkshire. He has approximately 15 to 20 boys on his register. After years of misspelling and mispronunciation Cyril changes his surname to Locke. Matters are brought to a head when a footman introduces Cyril and his wife as ‘Mr and Mrs Carnivorous’!

  • 1888

    After a dispute with their landlord, Wixenford School moves to Wokingham and St Neot’s moves to its new home in Eversley.

  • 1904

    Cyril Locke, now a widower, retires and moves into a property in Eversley with his daughter Lilah and son Ivo. Arthur Delme-Radcliffe becomes St Neot’s new Headmaster and runs the school with his business partner Mr William Ellis. Before coming to St Neot’s Arthur enjoyed a brief career as a first class cricketer for Hampshire.

  • 1918

    Numbers at the school continue to grow steadily but sadly by the time of the Armistice in November the school has lost over 33 of its old boys in the Great War.

  • 1929

    Arthur Delme-Radcliffe steps down after 25 years and retires to his family home in Dorset. The number of boys on the register now stands between 35 and 40. The Reverend Aubrey William Hooper now takes on the care of the school and begins a family association with the school that will last 60 years.

  • 1945

    Like his predecessor Aubrey Hooper has steered his school through yet another World War and now has the unhappy task of adding another 23 names to the schools memorial board. The school continues to go from strength to strength. New buildings are added and as numbers grow, a waiting list is occasionally brought into use.

  • 1955

    After 26 years Mr Hooper decides that the time is right to hand the care of the school over to his son Christopher, who becomes St Neot’s fourth Headmaster. During his tenure the school continues to prosper. It becomes a Charitable Trust in 1955, new classrooms are added and the Simmons Hall is built.

  • 1989

    Christopher Hooper, St Neot’s longest serving Head, retires bringing to an end 60 years of the Hooper families care. He hands the reins over to Richard Thorp, who will see the school safely through the next 22 years. These years will see many new additions, including a new boarding house, dining room and nursery building. The sight of the Headmaster, resplendent in his gilet, setting off on his quad bike across the pitches is a familiar one.

  • 2011

    St Neot’s says goodbye to its fifth Headmaster with a spectacular outdoor concert in the school grounds. Jerry Gear now takes on the leadership of the school. Though his tenure is a short one, work begins on the new Forest School and the climbing wall becomes a popular feature on the outside of the Performing Arts Centre. 2013 – Maria Lloyd and Peter Withers are appointed as joint Heads and during their 2 year tenure continue to develop the outdoor learning provision, with the introduction of challenge stations in the woods, as well as outdoor learning lessons in rotation for children in Years 3 – 8.

  • 2015

    Deborah Henderson joins the school as the new Head and a skills based approach to learning is introduced, adopting the principles of the PSB (Pre Senior Baccalaureate). The school sees the development of extensive modern sports facilities and Outdoor Learning becomes a bespoke subject. Swimming becomes a bespoke subject for children from age 3 upwards and tennis lessons are introduced from age 2. Boarding ceases at the school and the picturesque building becomes home to the ‘Arts Centre’, with DT and Art studios, Sibelius suite and music practice rooms. The development of the ‘Health Hub’ provides a central focus for pastoral care at the school.

  • 2021

    A final act in Deborah Hendserson’s tenure, St Neot’s joins a formal partnership with nearby Lord Wandsworth College. The School’s 9th Head, Jonathan Slot takes leadership in September growing the school by 25% in his first year.