Magdalen College School, Brackley
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Magdalen College School, Brackley is one of three "ancient" Magdalen College Schools, the others being its sister colleges in Oxford and Wainfleet, Lincolnshire. Located in Brackley, South Northamptonshire, the school is on two sites (see history section): the former Secondary Modern site accommodates secondary schooling to Year Eleven, after which students transfer to the St John's site (the old MCS) for most of their lessons during the Sixth Form. Today the school has approximately 1,500 students, and averages 59% A*–C at GCSE. The current head teacher is Mr I.H. Colling, who took the position in 2006 after Mrs. Elaine Witherspoon retired.
The school is "voluntary controlled" by the governing body and has a specialism in mathematics and computing. The St John's site is still owned by Magdalen College, and they are represented on the governing body.
Notable former pupils include:
- Allan Leighton, chairman of the Royal Mail
- Sir John Coles, Head of the Diplomatic Service 1994-8
- Denis Judd, historian
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[edit] History
The site now occupied by the school was originally the Hospital of St. James and St. John, founded around 1150 by Robert le Bossu, Earl of Leicester. In 1484 it was given to Magdalen College, Oxford. By 1548 there was a school at the site.
The school's initial purpose was to allow pupils of the college in Oxford to escape the plague affecting Oxford at the time.
In 1972 MCS merged with the Girls Grammar School (Brackley High) and Brackley Secondary Modern School to form a new comprehensive school on two sites, while the girls' school was converted into the new Southfields Primary school.
[edit] Chapel
Formally a chapel for the hospital of St. James and St. John, the earliest datable parts are late-12th Century, although many parts are 13th century. The chapel underwent a major restoration between 1869-1870 by Buckeridge
It is consustructed of stone rubble and is one of the largest and most beautiful school chapels in England.
[edit] Statistics
In 2000, an OFSTED report stated that the school had 1341 pupils, making the school larger than the average for secondary schools. Three pupils were of Chinese ethnic background, one was Caribbean and ten were of other black heritage. There were 86.8 full-time teachers active at the time.
In January 2006, OFSTED reported 1475 pupils on the roll.
