Sunningdale School

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Private preparatory school in Sunningdale, Berkshire, England

Sunningdale School

Address

Dry Arch Road

Sunningdale

Berkshire

SL5 9PY

England

Coordinates| 51°23′38″N 0°38′28″W﻿ / ﻿51.394°N 0.641°W﻿ / 51.394; -0.641
Information
Type| Private preparatory school
Day and boarding school
Religious affiliation(s)| Church of England
Established| 1874
Founder| William Girdlestone
Local authority| Windsor and Maidenhead
Proprietor| He
Headmaster| Tom Dawson
Gender| Boys
Age| 7 to 13
Enrolment| 100~
Colour(s)|  (school)
Publication| Sunningdale E-Newsletter
Website| http://www.sunningdaleschool.co.uk

Sunningdale School is a family-run boys' preparatory independent boarding school of around 100 pupils, situated in Sunningdale in Berkshire, close to London, England.

## Introduction

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Sunningdale School is a small school that seeks to educate its pupils in a range of subjects and disciplines, and to encourage them to take the Common Entrance Examination for entry to senior independent boarding schools. Many pupils go on to some of Britain's best independent schools, including Eton College, Harrow School, Radley College, Winchester College, and Charterhouse.

Founded in 1874 by William Girdlestone, it stands in 25 acres (10 ha) of gardens and grounds. He was later joined by his son, Theophilus Girdlestone, who helped run the school for the next quarter of a century until an unfortunate period for the family with Girdlestone dying on 22 February 1897 and Theophilus quickly following on 25 June 1899. This would lead to the school being sold in 1900 to the next headmaster, F. L. Crabtree (1900–33), the pupils numbered 27. Since its foundation, the school has had only seven heads.

The school was the subject of a BBC television documentary, Britain's Youngest Boarders, first broadcast in September 2010.[1]

## Background

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The school has its own chapel, and a house in Normandy, France to which each boy goes for a week three times during his time at Sunningdale. The school's major sports are football, rugby union and cricket in the Michaelmas, Lent and summer terms respectively. Boys also play tennis, squash, Eton Fives, basketball, field hockey, golf and table tennis against other independent boarding schools. Fives has been played at Sunningdale since at least 1892 and the school has 3 courts on site. They also compete in athletics, cross-country, fencing, judo and air rifle shooting. There is a heated indoor swimming pool which means that the boys can swim all year round. The sports hall includes two full-length cricket nets and an air rifle range. There is also a 7-hole golf course in the grounds. Boys can also ride and do clay pigeon shooting and in their last term they do an outward bound course on Dartmoor. Indoor activities include chess, model railway, cooking, bridge, snooker, Scottish dancing, drama, model making and board games.

## Former pupils

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Former pupils of Sunningdale School include:

* Henry Blofeld, BBC cricket commentator
* Michael Bowes-Lyon, 18th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
* Sir Henry Cecil, horse racing trainer
* Guy Clark, Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire
* John Crichton, Viscount Crichton, property consultant
* Henry Field, US anthropologist who documented Iraq's Marsh Arabs
* Francis Fulford, Devon landowner, reality star of The F***ing Fulfords
* Bamber Gascoigne, British television presenter and author
* Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, the former richest aristocrat in the UK
* Carey Harrison, novelist and dramatist
* Frederick Hervey, 8th Marquess of Bristol
* Bernard Heywood, Church of England bishop
* Nick Hurd, Government Minister
* Prince Michael of Kent, cousin of the Queen and member of the Royal Family
* Lord Frederick Windsor, British Royal and financial analyst
* William Kinghan, unionist politician, High Sheriff of Down, 1924
* Humphrey Lyttelton, jazz musician and BBC radio presenter
* Ferdinand Mount, writer and novelist
* Ian Ogilvy, actor
* Stephen Powys, 6th Baron Lilford
* Hugh van Cutsem, landowner, banker, businessman, and horse-breeder
* Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, former Thai prince[2]
* Chakriwat Vivacharawongse, former Thai prince

## References

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1. ^ "Britain's Youngest Boarders - BBC Two".
2. ^ "ท่านอ้น: สายใยไม่เคยจางหาย ย้อนอดีต "วัชเรศร วิวัชรวงศ์" ในวันหวนคืนแผ่นดินไทย". BBC News ไทย (in Thai). 9 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.

## External links

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* Sunningdale School website

* v
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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
* Hemdean House 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
* 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.
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