Epsom College

Foundation

The school was founded in 1853 by Dr. John Propert as The Royal Medical Benevolent College, the aims of which were to provide accommodation for pensioned medical doctors or their widows in the first instance, and to provide a "liberal education" to 100 sons of "duly qualified medical men" for £25 each year.

The establishment of the College was the culmination of a campaign begun in 1844 by the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association, the forerunner of the British Medical Association. The scheme saw the medical profession was "in regard to charitable institutions for the aged and infirm, the widow and the orphan, the worst provided of all professions and callings" and took as its aim the alleviating of poverty and debt. Discussions were chaired by Sir John Forbes, Physician to Prince Albert and the Royal Household, and followed similar plans establishing schools for the Clergy and the Royal Navy in desiring to raise money to found "schools for the sons of medical men", providing an education which would otherwise be "beyond the means of many parents".

By 1851, the Medical Benevolent Society had limited itself to the foundation of a single Benevolent College, and met in Treasurer John Propert's house in New Cavendish Street, Marylebone. The new campaign's fund-raising activities included dinners, which were attended by numerous doctors and Members of Parliament, and concerts, for example at one such event, on 4 July 1855, composer Hector Berlioz conducted the UK premier of his symphonic suite Harold in Italy.

The foundation stone was laid on 6 July 1853, and almost two years later, on 25 June 1855, the College was formally opened by Prince Albert and his son, the future King Edward VII in front of an unexpectedly large crowd of around 6,000. In March 1855, Queen Victoria had consented to become patron, which relationship with British monarchs has continued ever since; King Edward VII after the death of his mother, King George V, King Edward VIII in 1936, King George VI from 1937, and then the current Queen until the present.

Its long-standing association with medicine was estimated in 1980 as having helped almost a third of its 10,000 alumni enter that profession.

Development and charity

It was founded in 1855 to provide support for poor members of the medical profession. Funding for such a bold undertaking proved inadequate to the task, resulting in a reduced number of buildings and therefore insufficient space to support 100 pensioners and 100 boys. In the 1860s, partially as a result of this, the school was opened up to children of non-medical parents. In subsequent decades, pensioners were supported off-site, until there were none on campus by the end of the 19th century. These moves mark the transition towards the College becoming a public school in the modern sense.

The college continued its charitable activities, alongside its strictly educational role, throughout the 20th century. It was only in 2000 that the Royal Medical Foundation was formed as a separate entity, funding the support of four Foundationers at the College, 27 outside it; and paying 20 pensions and supporting one doctor at a medical home.

In the 1920s the junior school side of the college was run down and thereafter it catered only for 13- to 18-year-olds. In 1976, girls were first allowed into the sixth-form. Twenty years later, the school became fully co-educational.

Its campus is on the outskirts of Epsom, near Epsom Downs on the North Downs, near the racecourse, home to the annual Epsom Derby. Its buildings date from 1853 and are mostly influenced by the Gothic revival architecture, described by Prince Albert as the "pointed style of the 14th Century". In 1974, the main building and the College Chapel attained Grade II listed status.

Epsom College in Malaysia

In 2009 it was announced that the College is to open a new school in Bandar Enstek, just south of Kuala Lumpur scheduled to open in 2013. The new school will eventually cater for some 900 pupils aged 11 to 18, who will follow a British curriculum and another 150 pupils in a preparatory wing. The co-educational school will be built on a 50-acre (200,000 m²) site as part of a development which will include a university, colleges and a medical hub.

The new school has been made possible through the joint funding and support of Kuala Lumpur Education City (KLEC) and the college's network of high-profile Old Epsomians living and working in Malaysia, and will offer opportunities for exchanges of both pupils and teaching staff between the two schools.

OFT Inquiry

In 2005 the school was one of fifty of the country's leading independent schools which were found guilty of running an illegal price-fixing cartel, exposed by The Times newspaper, although the schools made clear that they had not realised that the change to the law (which had happened only a few months earlier) about the sharing of information had subsequently made it an offence. Each school was required to pay a nominal penalty of £10,000 and all agreed to make ex-gratia payments totalling three million pounds into a trust designed to benefit pupils who attended the schools during the period in respect of which fee information was shared. However, Mrs Jean Scott, the then-head of the Independent Schools Council, said that independent schools had always been exempt from anti-cartel rules applied to business, were following a long-established procedure in sharing the information with each other, and that they were unaware of the change to the law (on which they had not been consulted). She wrote to John Vickers, the OFT director-general, saying, "They are not a group of businessmen meeting behind closed doors to fix the price of their products to the disadvantage of the consumer. They are schools that have quite openly continued to follow a long-established practice because they were unaware that the law had changed".

Houses

House colours are seen in the stripes in the ties worn by the majority of boys (those not wearing colours or prefects' ties); on a rectangular brooch worn by the girls; and at the neck of school pullovers. They are also used in house rugby and athletics tops.

Hockey

Hockey, previously a minor (optional) sport, became a major sport after the opening of the (then) new pitches behind the maths block. While the pitches were completed for September 1966, the autumn term was devoted to stone picking parties, and the hockey season started in January 1967. Hockey had been played previously on the Chudleigh rugby and cricket pitches. Now modern Hockey for girls (in Michelmas Term) and boys (in Lent Term) is played on recently installed 'Astro' Pitches, one of the Colleges recent upgrades. They are situated by the esteemed Chapel Building (Chapel Astro) and Fayrer House (Crosby Astro).

Rugby

Rugby, for the male pupils of Epsom College Rugby is the main, prominent sport of the Michelmas (winter) Term. Rugby (Opters) commences in the Lent Term for the few pupils who wish to continue the sport throughout the school year. In 2001, the Epsom College U15 team won their age group in Daily Mail Cup, beating The John Fisher School by 17-12 at Twickenham in the Final. In 2006, the U16 Epsom sevens team won the 2006 Sevens National Championship at Rosslyn Park by beating Millfield 29-19. In 2005 Epsom College U15 Team lost to Bedford 10-5 in the Semi final of the Daily Mail competition.

Rifle shooting

The college has one of the best rifle teams in the country. They have won the Ashburton Shield, the premiere event at the annual Schools' Rifle Championships more often than any other school, recording a record-breaking 15th Ashburton win in 2011 (the 150th year of the competition).

Swimming

Swimming is more of a minor sport at Epsom College, as it is often chosen as an alternative to the more popular team sports, such as Rugby. In the 5th form, choice is given to all pupils not included in 1st teams. Practice and occasional galas take place in the College's 25-metre swimming pool. Training is supervised by teachers at the school and external coaches.

Badminton

Badminton is a fairly recent team sport at Epsom College, acting as a popular choice for foreign pupils who board. Weekly matches take place at the school and as with most other sports, training takes place in the afternoons on Tuesdays and Thursdays in either of the large, well equipped sports halls. It is open to both male and female pupils of all ages.

The Athletics Term

Until the winter of 1965, Epsom College was unusual in holding athletics in the coldest months of the year, between January and April. This meant that the long jump pit was often frozen. The track surrounded the First XV pitch, and was either frozen or waterlogged.

Air raid shelters

During the Second World War, in preparation for the possibility of attack from the air, several air raid shelters were built, the outlines of which are still visible in aerial photographs and satellite imagery as a row of negative cropmarks in the grass on the Chapel Triangle. In his 1944 book, Sunday After The War, Henry Miller called these "shelters from aerial bombardment".

The fives courts

Near Wilson Pitch, there are the remnants of several open air fives courts, one of which is said to be a doubles court. In the late 1960s these were functional courts, albeit of odd design.

Principal feeder prep schools

Headmasters

Sundry items of interest

Southern Railway Schools Class

The School lent its name to the thirtyeighth steam locomotive (Engine 937) in the Southern Railway's Class V of which there were 40. This Class was also known as the Schools Class because all 40 of the class were named after prominent English public schools. 'Epsom', as it was called, was built in 1934.The locomotive bearing the School's name was withdrawn in the early 1960s.

Notable pupils

Usually this section will reflect past pupils, known as "Old Epsomians" (OEs). Where a current pupil is notable outside the school environment, such a pupil is listed in this section.

A to D

E to K

L to R

S to Z

Notable staff