ST PETER'S SCHOOL, YORK

Founded in the English City of York by St Paulinus of York in 627, 'St Peter's School' is one of the oldest schools in the UK.
An early headmaster Alcuin (Flaccus Albinus Alcuinus), went on to be Chancellor to the Emperor Charlemagne, and founded several of the earliest schools in mainland Europe. It is the third oldest independent school in England.
St Peter's is a co-educational independent boarding and day school located just a few minutes from York City Centre, on the banks of the River Ouse. The school is close to the city centre but offers excellent facilities including extensive playing fields situated immediately adjacent to the school buildings.
St Peter’s School offers a continuity of education from the Pre-prep, Clifton Pre-preparatory School (ages 3-8), to the Junior School, St Olave’s School (ages 8-13) and through to St Peter’s School (ages 13-18) where there is a successful Sixth Form.

Contents

Academic Results

Sport and Extra Curricular Actvities

Headmasters

The Houses at St Peter's

Notable Old Peterites

OP Club

Friends of St Peter's

York Minster

External links

Academic Results

A Level Pupils at St Peter’s School York are flying high with 81% of entries achieving A - B grades and 56% Grade A in 2006 - over two and half times last years national average.
Over a third of pupils gained 3 or more Grade As in 2006. 74 % of those taking Maths also achieved Grade As.
‘Our pupils recognise the need for consistent hard work to achieve these grades and they have all done exceptionally well ’, said Headmaster Richard Smyth
St Peter’s continues to focus on traditional A levels believing this allows pupils to study subjects in depth. St Peter’s is particularly strong in the Sciences, with buoyant numbers continuing to choose scientific subjects at University.
‘A levels are still the best solution ‘ says Headmaster Richard Smyth ‘The new A/AS system offers pupils much greater flexibility than it used to so pupils can mix Sciences, Humanities and Arts and keep their options open until later. This allows pupils to study a mix of subjects they enjoy and that inevitably will give better results’.
‘St Peter’s prides itself in offering pupils opportunities to excel in Sport and a wide range of extra curricular activities in addition to a strong academic ethos as borne out by these results’, added Richard Smyth.

Sport and Extra Curricular Actvities

A wide range of activities are available at the school in order to encourage enjoyment of physical activity. These include Rugby Football, Hockey, Netball, Tennis, Cricket, Rowing, Athletics, Basketball, Badminton, Cross-Country, Climbing, Fencing, Shooting, Squash, Swimming, Weight training, Trampolining and Aerobics
The School has excellent sports facilities including 2 sports centres, gymnasium, indoor swimming pool, extensive playing fields, boathouse and tennis courts.
The School employs professional coaches in all sports.
In 2002 the school's U15 rugby team won the national Daily Mail Cup competition and the U18 team were narrowly beaten in 2005 in the final against Exeter College, Exeter
Many activities outside the normal timetabled classes are indicated in the departmental descriptions of curriculum by subject areas but additional extra curricular activities offered to senior school pupils include Amnesty International, Art, Chess, Cultural Visits & Holidays, Field Trips, Backgammon, Climbing Wall, Combined Cadet Force, Community Service, Computing, Debating Society, Design, Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme, Electronics, Literary Society, Mountaineering, Barbershop Quartets, Brass Group, Chamber Choir, Chamber Groups, Chapel Choir, Choral Society, Close Harmony Group, Pop Music, School Choir, String, Orchestras, String Quartets, Swing Band/Traditional Jazz, Symphony Orchestra, Senior Wind Band, Woodwind, Quartet/Quintet, Outdoor Club, Photography, Plays, Politics, Reading, Poetry, Rowing, Satellite Recording Service, Science Society, Sixth Form Concert and Revues, Sixth Form Discussion Group and Tennis Club.

Headmasters

The current Headmaster is Richard Smyth, who replaced Andrew Trotman in September 2004.

The Houses at St Peter's

The school has 9 day and boarding houses:
Girls Boarding Houses:

★ Dronfield

★ Rise
Boys Boarding Houses:

★ Linton

★ Manor
Day Houses:

★ Clifton

★ Grove

★ Queens

★ Temple

★ School

Notable Old Peterites

Alumni of the school are known as Old Peterites.

★ Guy Fawkes, and some of the other Gunpowder Plot conspirators

★ John Healey, politician and currently Financial Secretary to the Treasury

★ Robert William Bilton Hornby, local antiquarian, priest and Lord of the Heworth Manor

★ John Barry, composer of film themes including various James Bond themes

★ Greg Wise, actor

★ Sir John Rodgers, 1st Baronet, politician

★ Frank Pick

★ Justin Hill, Author

★ Laurence Eusden, Poet
They never burn a 'guy' on their bonfire on the 5th of November, as it is considered bad form to burn old boys.

OP Club

The 'Old Peterite' Club was established in December 1886, with broadly similar objectives to those which exist today. These are to provide a forum through which Old Peterites can keep in touch, to arrange O.P. sports teams, to enable O.P.s to assist the School and to give additional publicity to the School.
The Club encourages O.P.s of all ages to meet at Regional Dinners (Newcastle, Manchester, West Riding, East Riding, Peterborough and London). The major event is linked to the School Commemoration Service and Prize Giving - this weekend comprises the A.G.M. of the Club, the Annual Dinner at the School, and sometimes sporting events against the School.
News of Old Peterites and of the School is disseminated each year in the Club magazine, "The Old Peterite News".

Friends of St Peter's

Membership of this association is open to all staff, parents and guardians, past and present, former “Friends” and Old Peterites. The committee consists of representatives from the Houses and four members of staff, elections take place in the Summer term. The Headmaster is the President.
The Friends run a variety of social and fund-raising events for the benefit of members and the school.

York Minster

York Minster has a long connection with the school as the founder was an Archbishop of York and at the end of every year there is a commemoration service in the Minster.

External links

★ St Peter's website

★ St Olave's website

★ Clifton Pre-prep website

★ Old Peterite Club