The Pilgrims' School
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| The Pilgrims' School, Winchester | |
| School type | Preparatory School, with Pre-prep opening in Sept 2007 |
|---|---|
| Established | Choir School c.900; Pilgrims' School c.1930 |
| Principal | Dr. Brian A. Rees |
| Students | approx. 200 |
| Years | Yrs 3-8 |
| Location | The Close, Winchester, Hants |
| Information | (01962) 854189 |
| Website | http://www.pilgrims-school.co.uk |
The Pilgrims' School, Winchester, is a boys' preparatory school - with a co-ed pre-prep extension due to open in September 2007 - in the Cathedral Close in Winchester, Hampshire - the ancient capital of England. The school is famous for The Pilgrims' Hall, England's oldest wood hammer-beamed building, which used to accommodate the pilgrims travelling to Winchester Cathedral.
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[edit] The Preparatory School
The school is a double choir school and a member of the English Choir Schools Association (CSA).
It educates the Winchester Cathedral Choristers (22 in total) and the Winchester College Chapel Quiristers (16 in total), together with some 170 'Commoners' from Year 3-8. A large proportion of the students are boarders. Many pupils leave the school at the end of the last year and head towards other public schools, such as Winchester College, Tonbridge, Harrow, Charterhouse, Eton, Bryanston, Canford, Radley, Dean Close etc but most of its alumni attend Leatherhead Community College.
The school has what it describes as an enviable awards record. In 2005, fifteen were won including two on roll to Winchester. In 2006, sixteen were won including four on roll to Winchester and one to Eton.
Academic studies, sport and music are claimed to blend easily in the school, and the school asserts that all boys are encouraged to strive for their personal best.
The annual singing auditions for choristerships and quiristerships are held each November. Over the course of the morning, the school assesses the quality and range of the voice and the accuracy of hearing. All aspects of the audition are explained carefully on the day and include simple assessments such as:
- a short solo - something that the candidate knows well and feels happy to sing
- clapping the rhythm of a short phrase played twice
- singing back a short melody played twice on the piano
- candidates are sometimes asked to read aloud
[edit] Campus
The Pilgrims' School was first situated at 8 The Close, Winchester in the 1930s. However, after the First World War, the Cathedral supported the move of Pilgrims' from 8 The Close to its current site, at 3 The Close, next to the Dean's Garden. The first building for Pilgrims is the Main School and administrative building. The dining room is still in its original location. The current location of the middle changing room was the previous location of the changing room. Then gradually, the school accquired buildings, most notably the 'horse sheds', which have no historical importance whatsoever.
As part of the millennium project, the school invested in the development of a new Millennium Building, which would connect the two academic buildings, and the Octagon - really just a conservatory.
The school is now considering the development of a pre-prep building and new technology, IT and music rooms in the current location of the 'puddle' (what Pilgrims call for the small pool), the back lawn and the 'Grid'.
[edit] The Pilgrims' Hall
For further information, see Winchester.
[edit] Boarding Houses
There are two main boarding houses at The Pilgrims' School Winchester.
[edit] Main School
There are seven dormitories. This mainly houses the Winchester Cathedral Choristers and the majority of 'Commoners' - those who are neither Choristers (Cs) or Quiristers (Qs). The shower rooms and dormitories were refurbished in 2001.
[edit] Q School
This is short for 'Quiristers School'. This is the property of Winchester College because the Qs sing in the College Choir. The Qs used to be taught separately in this building when they were a full part of the Winchester College (WinColl) community. However, in the 1960s, it was uneconomical for WinColl to organise a separate school and curriculum from the rest of the boys, who were from Years 9-13, and so The Pilgrims' School welcomed the Qs to be educated with the Cs and Commoners. The deal was that the Qs would continue to sing and rehearse at WinColl, but would be educated at The Pilgrims' School. Staff at Q School are quite uniquely both members of staff of WinColl and Pilgrims'.
Q School is situated on Kingsgate Street in Winchester, a short 3 minute walk from the main school site of Pilgrims'. It mainly houses the Qs.
[edit] The Pilgrims' Pre-preparatory Department
The new pre-prep wing is due to open in September 2007 and forms a key element of the school's 75th Anniversary Project. It accepts both boys and girls who are registered at the school. Students of the pre-prep department will also be able to enjoy the facilities of the main school.
[edit] Previous headmasters of The Pilgrims' School
Humphrey Salwey, Rodney Blake, Martin Briggs, Stephen McWatters, Michael Kefford, The Revd Dr Brian Rees (current)
[edit] See also
- Stephen John McWatters - a former headmaster
- For information about The Pilgrims' Hall - the first hammer-beamed roof in England to be built, go to Winchester.
