Bristol Cathedral Choir School

Infobox UK school
name = Bristol Cathedral Choir School


latitude = 51.4508
longitude = -2.6029
phone = 0117 929 1872
fax =
established = 1140
type = Academy
head = Mr Hugh Monro
street = College Square
city = Bristol
country = England
enrollment = c.470
lower_age = 11
upper_age = 18
website = http://www.bccs.bristol.sch.uk
website_name = Bristol Cathedral Choir School Website

Bristol Cathedral Choir School (gbmapping|ST582726) is an Academy in Bristol, England. It is situated next to the Cathedral itself, just outside the centre of the city.

History

Originally founded in 1140 as part of what was then Bristol Abbey, it was refounded by Henry VIII in 1542 after he had dissolved the monastery. It began accepting girls into the sixth form in 1982 and became fully co-educational in 2005. The school site in undergoing a period of development: currently a new block is being constructed. The choristers at Bristol Cathedral are all educated at the school, which has a strong musical tradition. The school is a day school and has no boarders, though it nevertheless has a house system made up of four houses - Abbots, Canons, Deans and Priors. In April 2007, the school appointed a new headmaster, Mr Hugh Monro. In July of that year, the school moved towards ending a 30 year period as an independent, fee-paying institution, by applying to change its status to a publicly funded city academy with specialities in music and maths - the first choir school in the country to make such a move. The formal agreement clearing the way for the school to become an Academy in September 2008 was signed on Monday 3 March 2008. The school also changed its name to Bristol Cathedral Choir School. [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article2155270.ece Cathedral school to convert to an academy] "The Times", July 28, 2007]

Future

In January 2009 Bristol Cathedral Choir School will have a new principal Mr Blundell who will take over from Mr Hugh Monro when he retires. It is likely that he will oversee the school’s £3.5 million new building in College Square – the first stage in an expansion of the School’s facilities that will enable pupil numbers to grow from 400 to over 700.

Buildings

The main school building is part of St Augustine's Abbey, which was founded in 1140. This contains the refectory and a 13th century right-hand archway, with upper walls from the early 16th century. It was extensively altered and partly refaced in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II* listed building. [cite web | title=Cathedral School | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=379306 | accessdate=2007-03-14] The Abbey House, [cite web | title=Abbey House, Cathedral School | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=379307 | accessdate=2007-03-14] and Deanery [cite web | title=The Old Deanery, Cathedral School | work=Images of England | url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id= 379308 | accessdate=2007-03-14] are also II* listed.

Notable Old Cathedralians

*Lieutenant-General Sir William Draper (1721–1787), army officer
*Russ Conway (1925–2000), pianist and composer
*John Fortune (born 1939), comic and writer
*Dan Jones (born 1969), composer
*William Tuckett (born c.1968), dancer and choreographer
*James Averis (born 1974), cricketer
*Sophie Anderton (born 1977), lingerie model and reality television personality
*Gareth Morris - Flautist

It has been alleged that the influential pseudonymous graffiti artist Banksy, whose identity is a closely guarded secret, is, in fact, a former pupil of Bristol Cathedral School named Robin Gunningham [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7504132.stm BBC News online Paper 'reveals Banksy's identity'] ] . Banksy himself has declined to either confirm or deny the allegation.

Former teachers

*David Jewell headmaster
*Alastair Hignell history & sport

References

ee also

*List of the oldest schools in the world

External links

* [http://www.bccs.bristol.sch.uk/ Official school website]
* [http://www.cathedralians.com/ Old Boys website]
* [http://www.bristol-cathedral.co.uk/ Bristol Cathedral website]