Heatherdown School

Former school in Berkshire, England

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Heatherdown School" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (April 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Heatherdown School, formally called Heatherdown Preparatory School, was an independent preparatory school for boys, near Ascot, in the English county of Berkshire. Set in 30 acres (12 ha) of grounds, it typically taught between eighty and ninety boys between the ages of seven and thirteen and closed in 1982.

The school was a leading "feeder school" for Eton College.[1]

## Heatherlea

[edit]

During their first year at the school, boys attended classes in the main school building but at night returned to Heatherlea, a small house set back from the London Road near the Royal Foresters Hotel. Heatherlea typically had around eight boys and two matrons.

## Railway

[edit]

The school had its own miniature steam railway that ran around a substantial area of the grounds. It was set up by Henry May, who ran a garage in Ascot. The railway was used by enthusiasts from outside the school, although boys were regularly recruited as passengers and spectators. The railway had one station, a halt, a tunnel and a turntable.

## Notable former pupils

[edit]

See also: Category:People educated at Heatherdown School

The school's pupils included:

* Prince Andrew, Duke of York[1]
* Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh
* Andrew Russell, 15th Duke of Bedford
* Alexander Cameron, barrister
* David Cameron, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
* David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley
* Alexander Cockburn, writer
* Sir Edward Fielden, pilot and Second World War hero
* Giles Goschen, 4th Viscount Goschen[1]
* Bryan Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne
* Victor Hely-Hutchinson
* George Mountbatten, 4th Marquess of Milford Haven
* Lord Ivar Mountbatten
* David Niven, actor
* William Legge, 10th Earl of Dartmouth
* Angus Ogilvy
* James Ogilvy[1]
* John Eric Drummond, 9th Earl of Perth[1]
* Oliver Shepard
* David Carnegie, 4th Duke of Fife
* George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews[1]
* King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, 4th King of Bhutan

According to Francis Elliot and James Hanning's biography of David Cameron, the school was renowned for its academic and sporting excellence.

## Closure

[edit]

The last Headmaster of the School was James V. Edwards. After closing in 1982 for financial difficulty, the buildings were bought by the Licensed Victuallers, in order to set up a junior school. The buildings were eventually demolished in 1989 at which point the site was redeveloped to house both the LVS junior school and the senior school, which moved to Ascot from its previous location in Slough.

## See also

[edit]

* List of boys' schools in the United Kingdom
* Licensed Victuallers' School, now on the school site

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f Heidi Blake & Murray Wardrop, Heatherdown Prep: the exclusive school that taught David Cameron his ambition Archived 2017-05-29 at the Wayback Machine from The Daily Telegraph dated 27 February 2010 at telegraph.co.uk, accessed 20 June 2012

* v
* t
* e

Schools in Berkshire, England1

Primary|

* Caversham Primary School
* Langley Hall Primary Academy
* Lynch Hill School Primary Academy
* Redlands Primary School
* Wescott Infant School

Secondary (non-selective)|

* Altwood CE School
* Baylis Court School
* Beechwood School
* Blessed Hugh Faringdon RC School
* The Brakenhale School
* The Bulmershe School
* Charters School
* Churchmead School
* Cox Green School
* Denefield School
* Desborough College
* The Downs School
* Edgbarrow School
* The Emmbrook School
* The Forest School
* Furze Platt Senior School
* Garth Hill College
* Highdown School
* Holyport College
* The Holt School
* John Madejski Academy
* John O'Gaunt School
* Kennet School
* King's Academy Easthampstead Park
* King's Academy Prospect
* The Langley Academy
* Little Heath School
* Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy
* Maiden Erlegh School
* Newlands Girls' School
* Oakbank School
* Park House School
* The Piggott School
* Ranelagh School
* Reading Girls' School
* St Bartholomew's School
* St Crispin's School
* St Joseph's RC High School
* Sandhurst School
* Slough and Eton CE Business and Enterprise College
* Theale Green School
* Trinity School
* UTC Reading
* Waingels College
* Westgate School
* Wexham School
* The Willink School
* Windsor Girls' School
* The Windsor Boys' School

Grammar|

* Herschel Grammar School
* Kendrick School
* Langley Grammar School
* Reading School
* St Bernard's RC Grammar School
* Upton Court Grammar School

Independent (preparatory)|

* Brockhurst and Marlston House School
* Eagle House School
* Elstree School
* Lambrook
* Ludgrove School
* Newbold School
* Papplewick School
* St Andrew's School
* St George's School, Windsor Castle
* St John's Beaumont School
* St Piran's
* Sunningdale School

Independent (senior)|

* Bradfield College
* Downe House School
* Eton College
* Heathfield School
* Leighton Park School
* Luckley House School
* Padworth College
* Pangbourne College
* Queen Anne's School
* Reading Blue Coat School
* St George's School, Ascot
* St Mary's School
* Wellington College

Independent (allthrough)|

* The Abbey School
* Claires Court School
* Licensed Victuallers' School
* Long Close School
* The Marist School
* Reddam House
* St Joseph's College
* St Gabriel's School

Special|

* Hamilton School
* Manor Green School
* Mary Hare School

Defunct|

* Amersham Hall
* Beaumont College
* Clewer House School
* Douai School
* Elvian School
* Heatherdown School
* Hemdean House School
* The Highlands School
* Imperial Service College
* Queensmead School Windsor
* Reading Abbey Girls' School
* Stubbington House School
* Wixenford School

1includes schools in Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor & Maidenhead and Wokingham.

51°24′45″N 0°42′12″W﻿ / ﻿51.4126°N 0.7033°W﻿ / 51.4126; -0.7033
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template