Donhead Preparatory School facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Donhead School
Front of school
Address
33 Edge HIll Merton , London , SW19 4NP United Kingdom
Coordinates	51°25′05″N 0°13′20″W / 51.4180°N 0.2223°W / 51.4180; -0.2223
Information
Type	Private, preparatory, day school
Motto	Semper Magis (Latin) (Always More)
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic (Jesuit)
Established	1933; 92 years ago (1933)
Headteacher	Ms Catherine Hitchcock
Gender	Boys
Age	4 to 11
Number of students	280
Houses	3      Xavier (Francis Xavier')      Loyola (Ignatius')      Campion (Edmund Campion)
Colour(s)	Royal blue and white
Archdiocese	Southwark

Donhead is a private day school for boys. It is located in Wimbledon, in the London Borough of Merton. The school is a preparatory school. This means it gets boys ready for secondary education.

The school is run by the Jesuits. This is a Catholic religious group. Ignatius of Loyola founded the Jesuits in 1540. Donhead teaches boys from age 4 to 11. After Donhead, many students go on to other independent schools. Some also attend Catholic public schools like The Oratory School.

History of Donhead School

Side of school

The name Donhead might come from old English words. "Don" means hill and "head" means top. So, it could mean "the top of the hill." A lawyer named Mr. Oliver Haynes first lived there.

From 1880, Mary Arnold owned the building. She used it as a school for ladies until 1902. In 1932, the owner Henry Small left the building to the Jesuits. This happened after his wife passed away. The first headmaster of Donhead was Father Miller.

Donhead opened on September 5, 1933. It started with about 67 boys. They were in three classes: Elements, Preparatory, and Lower Preparatory.

In the late 1980s, the Merton London Borough Council decided to close middle schools. This meant students would go from Donhead to Wimbledon College at age 11 instead of 13. Because of this change, Donhead started accepting younger pupils. This allowed boys to stay at Donhead for the same number of years.

Recent School News

In 2011, Donhead's Under 11A Rugby Union team became national champions. They won against Blundell's in the final game.

In September 2018, the school finished a big development plan. This plan cost £8 million over ten years. A new chapel was built. It can hold 50 pupils. The school has more than doubled in size between 2006 and 2016.

School Traditions

The school year at Donhead has three terms: Michaelmas, Lent, and Trinity. Following Jesuit teaching, students are expected to use Latin phrases. They write AMDG (Ad maiorem Dei gloriam) before their work. This means For the greater glory of God. They write LDS (Laus Deo Semper) after their work. This means Praise God Always.

Each year group has a special name. These names come from the Jesuit Ratio Studiorum.

• Year 3 is called Lower Prep 1.
• Year 4 is called Lower Prep 2.
• Year 5 is called Prep.
• Year 6 is called Elements.

The school's 1st XV rugby kit has a special design. It has an extra red hoop. This makes the jersey tri-colour: red, blue, and white.             

Old Wimbledonians Association

The Old Wimbledonians Association (OWA) started in 1905. It was founded by former students of Wimbledon College. Members of the OWA can be old boys from either Wimbledon College or Donhead Preparatory School.

Notable Alumni

• Peter Milward (1925–2017) – Jesuit scholar of literature
• Michael Quinlan (1930–2009) – senior civil servant
• Nicholas Hudson (b. 1959) – Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster
• Danny Cipriani (b. 1987) – English rugby union player
• Tom Holland (b. 1996) – actor and dancer
• Donal Donat Conor Bradley, physicist
• Michael Kenny – political scientist

Headteachers of Donhead

See also

• List of Jesuit sites in the United Kingdom
• List of Jesuit schools