Pocklington School

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 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.

• Richard Annand, V.C., attended 1925–32, awarded the Victoria Cross in 1940 during the Battle of France. His final visit to the school was in 2002 to unveil a copy of his citation. This can be seen in the Senior School Reception entrance. The new CCF Centre, opened in 2009, is named after him.
• Prof. Mark Child, FRS, attended 1947–1955, Coulson Professor of Theoretical Chemistry, Oxford.
• Sir Edward Clay, K.C.M.G., attended 1955–63, Diplomat, High Commissioner to Kenya.
• Sir James Cobban, attended 1920–29, educationalist, headmaster of Abingdon School, 1947–70.
• Martin Crimp, attended 1968–74, playwright.
• Alexandra Dariescu, attended 2002–2003, Piano soloist.[5]
• Arthur Stuart Duncan-Jones, attended 1890–1897, Dean of Chichester for 25 years, speaker on foreign affairs and on Christian attitudes to war.
• Adrian Edmondson, attended 1969–75, co-writer/actor in Bottom and The Young Ones.
• Kyle Edmund, attended 2002–2006, tennis player.
• Stewart Eldon C.M.G., O.B.E., attended 1966–71, British Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, Dublin.
• Christopher Elliott C.B. M.B.E., attended 1960–65, Major General, commanded the 6th Armoured Brigade, Director of Military Operations and Director General of Army Training and Recruiting.
• Andrew Farquhar C.B.E., DL, attended 1966–72, Major General, General Officer Commanding 5th Division, awarded the Legion of Merit by the U.S.A. in 2005.
• Mark Fisher O.B.E., M.V.O., attended 1958–65, architect and designer of rock concerts. Chief designer of the opening and closing ceremonies for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
• Sebastian Horsley, artist and writer.[6]
• John How (bishop), attended 1894–1899, Bishop of Glasgow and Primus of the Church of Scotland. In the 1930s, he was Chaplain to George V, Edward VIII and later George VI.
• Ralph Ineson, actor and voice-over artist
• Richard Leonard, attended 1973–80, former leader of the Scottish Labour Party.[7]
• Lord Moran, M.C., attended 1894–99, personal physician to Winston Churchill, author of The Anatomy of Courage and The Struggle for Survival, his personal accounts of looking after Churchill.[8]
• Eillie Norwood, attended 1875–1879, actor.
• Xavier Pick, attended 1982–1990, artist.
• K. A. Pyefinch FRSE, attended 1911-1979, zoologist and expert on brown trout
• Robin Skelton, attended 1937–43, poet and literary scholar.
• Frank Smailes, attended 1924–27, Yorkshire and England cricketer.
• Sir Tom Stoppard, O.M., C.B.E., attended 1950–54, playwright. His portrait, presented to the school by Peter Stoppard (1949–53), hangs in the senior school reception entrance.
• Peter Walker, C.B., C.B.E., attended 1959–68, Air Marshal, director, Joint Warfare Centre, Europe.
• Rob Webber, attended 1994–2004, England international rugby union player (hooker).
• William Wilberforce, attended 1771–1776, politician, philanthropist, and a leader of the movement to stop the slave trade.
• Sir Dawson Williams, CBE, MD, HonLLd, DLitt, DSc, FRCP, attended 1867–1872, consultant physician and longest-serving editor of BMJ (British Medical Journal).

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pocklington School.

• Pocklington School
• Old Pocklingtonians
• Composer Jason Carr's website