Pocklington School

Pocklington School is an independent school in Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1514 by John Dolman. The school is situated in 50 acres (20 ha) of land, on the outskirts of the small market town, 12 miles (19 km) from York and 26 miles (42 km) from Hull. It is the 67th oldest school in the United Kingdom and celebrated its 500th birthday in 2014.

Pocklington School
Address
West Green

, ,
YO42 2NJ

Coordinates53.929040°N 0.782430°W / 53.929040; -0.782430
Information
TypeIndependent School
MottoVirtute et Veritate
Established1514 (1514)
HeadmasterToby Seth
Age3 to 18
Websitehttps://www.pocklingtonschool.com/

Introduction

Pocklington School seeks to admit candidates who will benefit from what the school has to offer and whom it will be able to support. The most common entry points are at Reception, and school Year 3 at Pocklington Prep School and the First Year (Year 7), Third Year (Year 9) or the Sixth Form in Pocklington School. Pupils can however be accepted for all school years subject to vacancy. Offers of places at Pocklington School and at Pocklington Prep are subject to vacancy and to a satisfactory entry assessment and school report. All pupils are interviewed as part of the admissions process. Academic scholarships and exhibitions are offered to candidates for Pocklington Prep and to candidates for the First Year, Third Year and Sixth Form of Pocklington School. The aim of the awards is to recognise and promote academic excellence. A limited number of Sixth Form Bursaries, worth up to 100% of the day fee are available to Sixth Form applicants.

The current Headmaster is Mr Toby Seth, appointed in January 2019. He was previously Deputy Head (Development) at King's School in Macclesfield and Assistant Head at Godolphin and Latymer School. Toby is a Cambridge University Modern and Medieval Languages graduate and has also served as Head of Department at both Wellington College and Dulwich College. Pocklington School, has a number of traditions, such as the year group naming convention (first year, second year, etc.). Its motto Virtute et Veritate is Latin for By truth and virtue.

There are four houses: Dolman (named after the school's founder John Dolman), Gruggen and Hutton (named after former headmasters Rev. Gruggen and Rev. Hutton) and Wilberforce (named after the 18th/19th century anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce who attended the school). Each pupil from a new family is entered into a house; all following siblings enter the same house.

The school has an armed forces centre, located on the edge of campus in the Annand VC Cadet Centre.[1] The Combined Cadet Force takes part in various competitions each year and cadets can attend camps around the country.

The school sports hall is housed in the train shed of the former Pocklington railway station, designed by George Townsend Andrews.[2]

William Wilberforce

William Wilberforce was the school's most notable pupil. He attended Pocklington School from 1771–76 and is famous as the parliamentary campaigner who brought about the abolition of the slave trade and the emancipation of slaves.[3] A statue of a freed slave sculpted by Peter Tatham (1983–93) is in the centre of the St Nicholas Quadrangle. A bronze statue of Wilberforce as a boy, by York sculptress Sally Arnup, stands near the school foyer. Erected in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of slave emancipation, Dr John Sentamu unveiled the new statue in autumn 2007.[4] Pocklington School appeared in a television programme entitled In Search of Wilberforce, made by former BBC news presenter Moira Stuart, and first shown on BBC 2 on 16 March 2007.

Notable former pupils

References

  1. "New centre for cadets at Pocklington School". This is Hull and East Riding. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  2. Bairstow, Martin (1990). Railways In East Yorkshire. Martin Bairstow. ISBN 1-871944-03-1.
  3. "Pocklington History – William Wilberforce". www.pocklingtonhistory.com. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
  4. "Statue unveiled – Pocklington Post". Pocklington Post. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
  5. Beale, Robert (18 March 2014). "RNCM's award-winning graduate Alexandra Dariescu returns to Manchester". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  6. "Obituary". The Daily Telegraph. London. 18 June 2010. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  7. "Old Pocklingtonian is new leader of Scottish Labour Party". Old Pocklingtonians. Pocklington School. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  8. "'Bitesize' Project Archive 1514 – Lord Moran" (PDF). Pocklington 500. Pocklington School. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
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