Wrekin College

Public school in Shropshire, England

Wrekin College and Old Hall School

Address

Sutherland Road

Wellington

Shropshire

TF1 3BH

England

Coordinates| 52°42′09″N 2°30′36″W﻿ / ﻿52.7024°N 2.5100°W﻿ / 52.7024; -2.5100
Information
Type| Public School
Private day and boarding school
Motto| WREKIN COLLEGE: Latin: Aut vincere aut mori

(Either to conquer or to die) OLD HALL SCHOOL: Latin: "Utor non abutor"

(I use, I do not abuse)
Religious affiliation(s)| Church of England
Established| 1880 (Wrekin College); 1835 The Old Hall School
Founder| Sir John Bayley (Wrekin College); Dr J Edward. Cranage (Old Hall School)
Chairman of Governing Body| Richard Pearson
Headmaster| Toby Spence (Wrekin College); Anna Karacan (The Old Hall School)
Gender| Co-educational
Age| 11 (Wrekin College); 4 (Old Hall School) to 18 (Wrekin College; 11 (Old Hall School)
Number of students| 560 (Wrekin College); 229 (Old Hall School)
Houses|  Bayley,  Clarkson,
Lancaster,  Roslyn,
Tudor,  York.
Former houses:
Hanover,  Norman,
Eastfield,  Saxon. Windsor,
Old Hall houses:
Ercall,  Leighton,
Wenlock,  Cressage
Colour(s)|
Wrekin College:

The Old Hall School:

Publication| The Wrekinian "Old Hall Reflections"

Wrekin College is a private co-educational boarding and day school located in Wellington, Shropshire, England. It was founded by Sir John Bayley in 1880. It is now co-located with a preparatory school, The Old Hall School, founded by 1835. The two schools merged their governance and formed one trust in 2007.[1]

Part of the Allied Schools, it is also a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.

## Histories of the two schools of the combined trust

[edit]

Main entrance to Wrekin College

### Wrekin College

[edit]

The school was founded in 1880 as Wellington College by Sir John Bayley.[citation needed]

In 1915 less than 100 acres (0.40 km2) of the Lilleshall Hall estate were purchased from the Duke of Sutherland, who retained the Hall and 50 acres (200,000 m2).[citation needed]

In 1920, it was sold to the Revd Percy Warrington,[citation needed] a Church of England clergyman and renamed Wrekin College. The Rev. Canon Guy Pentreath was a notable headmaster from 1943 to 1952.

Girls were introduced to the sixth form by headmaster Geoffrey Hadden in 1975. It became fully co-educational in the year 1983. There are currently approximately 560 pupils including a number of international boarders. The school admits pupils from the age of eleven.[citation needed]

The high medieval or C16th building which was the original site of the Old Hall School between 1845 and 2007

## Merger of the Old Hall and Wrekin trusts.

[edit]

In 2006, the trust was merged with that of The Old Hall Preparatory School (founded 1845), which moved from its original site on Limekiln Lane to the site of Wrekin College.[2]

The resulting trust is called The Wrekin Old Hall Trust.[3]

## Headteachers

[edit]

### Wrekin College

[edit]

* 2023- : Toby Spence[4]
* 2016-2023: Tim Firth[5]
* 1998-2011: Stephen Drew[6]
* Pre 1998 John Arkell}}

### The Old Hall School

[edit]

* 2022- : Anna Karacan[7]
* 2007-2022: Martin Stott
* Ronald Ward [clarification needed]
* Peter Worthington[clarification needed]
* Pre-1980s[clarification needed]

## Notable staff

[edit]

* Patrick Cormack, Baron Cormack (1939-2024) Conservative MP 1979 to 2010 - assistant house master at Wrekin College 1967-1969[8]
* Rev Canon Guy Pentreath (1902-1985) - headmaster of Wrekin College 1943-1952, later headmaster of Cheltenham College.

## Sports

[edit]

In 2023 Wrekin was named as one of The Cricketer’s Top 100 cricketing schools in the country and in 2022 both the Under 16 and Under 13 rugby teams were named county champions.[9]

## Cocurricular

[edit]

A music school was opened in 2020 costing over £2m.[10]

## Flags

[edit]

Wrekin college has a blue flag with a rampant lion and "Wrekin" written on it.[11] It is unclear if the Old Hall has a its own flag.[clarification needed]

## Coats of arms

[edit]

Wrekin college has been granted a coat of arms.[12] The Old Hall School also has a coat of arms.[clarification needed]

## Royal visit

[edit]

Queen Elizabeth II visited Wrekin on Friday 17 March 1967, having opened Shire Hall in Shrewsbury earlier that day. The Headmaster, Robert Dahl (Headmaster. 1952-71), greeted the Queen, and in his study presented a specially bound copy of B.C.W Johnson’s A Brief History of Wrekin College, whilst Head of School, David Franklin (W. 1961-67) was given the honour of presenting a cricket bat for her sons[citation needed].

## Old Wrekinian Association

[edit]

In 1907 the Old Wrekinian Association (OWA) was created by 14 past pupils, it now has almost 6000 members. The purpose of the OWA is to help past students keep in touch with one another and the school. The OWA Record magazine is published twice a year.[citation needed]

## Notable alumni

[edit]

See also: Category:People educated at Wrekin College

* William Dyas MBE (1872-1940), first-class cricketer
* Sir Albert Howard CIE (1873-1947), English botanist and pioneer of organic agriculture
* Rupert Croft-Cooke MBE (1904–79), novelist and autobiographer
* Harry Andrews CBE (1911–1989), British stage and film actor
* James Forbes Blythe TD (1917-2018) Circuit Judge
* William R. P. George CBE (1912–2006), Welsh poet
* Sir Peter Gadsden GBE, AC (1929–2006), former Lord Mayor of London (1979), businessman
* Brian Epstein (1934–1967), music entrepreneur and manager of The Beatles
* Peter Inge, Baron Inge KG, GCB, PC, DL (1935–2022), former Chief of Defence Staff
* Guy N. Smith (1939-2020), writer mainly of horror and science fiction
* Malcolm Bruce, Baron Bruce (1944- ), former Liberal Democrat MP
* Bob Warman MBE (1948 – ), television presenter
* Ian Blair, Baron Blair QPM (1953 – ), Metropolitan Police Commissioner (2005–2008)
* Brothers Barry (1955- ) and Bryan Jones (1961- ), cricketers
* Peter Chelsom (1956- ), film director
* John Charles Price, Circuit Judge
* Christopher Blagden (1971- ), former British alpine skier who competed at the Albertville Winter Olympic Games, 1992

## Footnotes

[edit]

1. ^ "Wrekin College". UK Education Guide. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
2. ^ "Welcome aboard, Wrekin College and The Old Hall School | Holroyd Howe". 22 February 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
3. ^ "THE WREKIN OLD HALL TRUST LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
4. ^ Austin, Sue (15 February 2023). "Independent school names new head as it looks forward to development and growth". www.shropshirestar.com. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
5. ^ Editor, FE News (15 February 2023). "New headteacher announced for leading Shropshire independent school Wrekin College". FE News. Retrieved 25 June 2023. `{{cite web}}`: `|last=` has generic name (help)
6. ^ "Headteacher leaving for Africa role". www.shropshirestar.com. 21 May 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
7. ^ Bentley, Charlotte (6 January 2022). "Shropshire school appoints first female headteacher in 150 years". www.shropshirestar.com. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
8. ^ "Cormack, Baron, (Patrick Thomas Cormack) (born 18 May 1939)". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u11910. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
9. ^ "Sport". Wrekin. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
10. ^ "Sport". Wrekin. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
11. ^ "International Admissions". Wrekin. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
12. ^ "Lt Ed Heraldry Society - School Coat Of Arms - Wrekin College | #1774051673". Worthpoint. Retrieved 25 June 2023.

1\. ^ Manwaring, Randle (2002). From Controversy to Co-Existence: Evangelicals in the Church of England 1914–1980. Cambridge: CUP. p. 57\.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Bayley's Children: A History of Wrekin College 1880–2005
* UK Boarding Schools Guide Profile
* The Good Schools Guide

* v
* t
* e

Schools in Shropshire (including Telford and Wrekin)

Secondary|

* Belvidere School
* Bishop's Castle Community College
* Bridgnorth Endowed School
* Burton Borough School
* Charlton School
* Church Stretton School
* The Corbet School
* Ercall Wood Academy
* Grove School
* Haberdashers' Abraham Darby
* Hadley Learning Community
* Holy Trinity Academy
* Idsall School
* Lacon Childe School
* Lakelands Academy
* Ludlow Church of England School
* Madeley Academy
* The Marches School
* Mary Webb School
* Meole Brace School
* Oldbury Wells School
* The Priory School
* St Martin's School
* Sir John Talbot's School
* Shrewsbury Academy
* Telford Park School
* Telford Priory School
* The Telford Langley School
* Thomas Adams School
* Thomas Telford School
* William Brookes School

Grammar|

* Haberdashers' Adams
* Newport Girls' High School

Independent (preparatory)|

* Castle House School
* Moor Park School
* Packwood Haugh School
* Prestfelde School

Independent (senior)|

* Adcote School
* Concord College
* Ellesmere College
* Moreton Hall School
* Oswestry School
* Shrewsbury High School
* Shrewsbury School
* Wrekin College

Sixth form colleges|

* Ludlow College
* Shrewsbury Sixth Form College
* Telford College

Further education colleges|

* Shrewsbury College
* Telford College
* North Shropshire College

Universities|

* Harper Adams University
* University of Wolverhampton
* University Centre Shrewsbury

Defunct|

* Wakeman School

* v
* t
* e

Shropshire County Cricket Club

* Shropshire County Cricket Club
* Shropshire Women

Players|

* List A players
* Category:Shropshire cricketers

Grounds|

| Current grounds|

* Cricket Meadow, Bridgnorth
* Heath Road, Whitchurch
* Morda Road, Oswestry
* Priorslee Road, Shifnal

|

Previous grounds|

* Grove Ground, Market Drayton
* London Road, Shrewsbury
* Audley Avenue, Newport
* St George's Cricket Ground, Telford
* High Town, Bridgnorth
* Perkins Cricket Club Ground, Shrewsbury
* Orleton Park, Wellington
* Ellesmere College Ground, Ellesmere
* The Avenue, Uppington
* The Burway, Ludlow
* Sir John Moore Barracks Ground, Shrewsbury
* Wrekin College Ground, Wrekin
* Heath Road, Whitchurch
* The Kynaston Ground, Wem
* (Full list of grounds)

Captains|

* List of Shropshire County Cricket Club captains

Records|

* Shropshire List A cricket records

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States

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