Fettes College facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fettes College |
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Coat of arms of Fettes College
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| Address | |
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Carrington Road
, EH4 1QX
Scotland
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| Coordinates | 55°57′49″N 03°13′34″W / 55.96361°N 3.22611°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public school Private day and boarding school |
| Motto | Industria |
| Established | 1870 |
| Founder | Sir William Fettes |
| Local authority | City of Edinburgh |
| Headmistress | Helen Harrison |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Age | 7 to 18 |
| Houses | Carrington Glencorse Kimmerghame Moredun Arniston College East College West Dalmeny Craigleith |
| Colour(s) | Chocolate and magenta |
| Mascot | Bee |
| Publication | The Fettesian The Hive The Gargolye |
| Alumni | Old Fettesians (OFs) |
Fettes College is a private school in Edinburgh, Scotland. It's a boarding and day school, meaning most students live there. The school first opened in 1870 and was only for boys. In 1983, it became a mixed school, welcoming both boys and girls.
Fettes College is known for its large, green campus. It used to have a golf course and an ice-skating rink! The school was founded by Sir William Fettes. It follows the English education system, not the Scottish one. The main building, called the Bryce Building, is famous for its unique design. Fettes is considered one of the best private schools in the world.
Contents
A Glimpse into Fettes College History
Fettes College was founded because of a kind act. Sir William Fettes, a rich merchant and former leader of Edinburgh, wanted to honor his son, William, who had passed away. He left a very large sum of money, £166,000, to help educate poor children and orphans.
After Sir William's death, this money grew. It was used to buy 350 acres of land and build the school. Fettes College opened its doors in 1870 with 53 students. Most of these students were "Foundation Scholars," meaning they were supported by the school's founding gift. Over the years, new buildings were added, like a cricket pavilion in 1906.
Fettes During World Wars
In 1914, when the First World War began, the school's summer camp had to close. Many former students, called "Old Fettesians," joined the armed forces. Sadly, 246 of them died during the war. In 1921, a war memorial was put up in the school grounds to remember them. It has the words "carry on" carved into it.
During the Second World War, in 1939, a German plane flew low over the school. One of the school's houses, Kimmerghame, was even used by the navy for research. Another 118 former students died in this war. Interestingly, in the 1940s, famous actor Sean Connery used to deliver milk to the school!
Modern Changes and Achievements
In 1955, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Fettes College. The school continued to grow and change. In the 1960s, some land was sold for new colleges and police headquarters. A new dining hall opened in 1966, and a new library in 1970. The Queen Mother also opened a new science school in 1970.
Fettes College started admitting girls for their final year in 1970. By 1983, it became fully co-educational, meaning boys and girls studied together from all age groups. The school has also done very well academically. In 1998, it was ranked fourth in a national newspaper's list of schools. In 2001, it was named "Scottish School of the year."
In 2009, the Fettes rugby team won the Scottish Schools U18 Rugby Cup for the first time. Also in 2009, a report by education inspectors called the school "excellent" in many areas. Some people have even called Fettes "the Eton of the North," comparing it to the famous Eton College. But a former headmaster joked that "Eton College was the Fettes of the South!"
Learning and Activities at Fettes
Fettes College follows the English way of teaching. This means students take English GCSEs and can choose between A Levels or the International Baccalaureate Diploma. They do not take Scottish exams.
Life at Fettes is very active! Students enjoy many sports like rugby, hockey, cricket, golf, tennis, and basketball. There are also lots of clubs and societies in the evenings. These include shooting, fencing, debating, drama, chess, music, robotics, and more. Fettes is one of only three schools in Scotland that offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma.
Exploring the Boarding Houses
Fettes College has nine "houses" where students live and study. Four houses are for boys, four are for girls, and one is for both boys and girls in their final year. Each house is named after old estates. The boys' houses are large, historic buildings. Some girls' houses are in the main College building, while others are in newer buildings on the campus.
Boys' Houses
- Carrington (since 1872)
- Glencorse (since 1873)
- Kimmerghame (since 1920)
- Moredun (since 1870)
Girls' Houses
- Arniston (since 1982)
- College East (since 1984)
- College West (since 1984)
- Dalmeny (since 2012)
Mixed House
- Craigleith (since 2007) - This house is for both boys and girls in their last year at Fettes.
The Unique Architecture of Fettes
The main building of Fettes College was designed by David Bryce and built between 1863 and 1869. It looks like a mix of a French Loire château (a grand castle) and a 19th-century Scottish castle style. Experts say it's "undeniably one of Scotland's greatest buildings" because of its unique design and location.
The war memorial, which remembers students who died in wars, is a bronze statue. It shows a fallen officer telling his men to "carry on." This statue was made by William Birnie Rhind in 1919.
The Fettes College Coat of Arms
The school's crest, or symbol, features a bee. This is because a bee was on Sir William Fettes's own family crest and seal. When the school got its own coat of arms, it used Sir William's design but with different colors. The bee is also the reason for the school's motto, Industria, which means "hard work" or "diligence."
You can see the bee symbol all around the school. Beehives are above old doorways, and stone bees watch over different buildings. There's even an original lead bee in the Headmaster's Lodge.
The Fettes Tartan
In 1996, the school created its own tartan. A tartan is a patterned cloth, usually associated with Scottish clans. The Fettes tartan combines traditional kilt colors like green, blue, and black with the school's own colors: chocolate and magenta. White stripes add brightness.
Boys wear the Fettes tartan as a kilt, and girls wear it as a kilt skirt if they don't have their own family tartan. The tartan was first shown during a school sports tour to Australia and Japan in 1998.
Fettes in Famous Stories
Fettes College has appeared in several books and comics!
James Bond's School Days
The famous spy James Bond from Ian Fleming's novels supposedly went to Fettes College. In the book You Only Live Twice, it's mentioned that Bond attended Fettes after leaving Eton College. His father, Andrew Bond, was also said to have gone there.
The books describe Fettes as having a strict but good atmosphere, where Bond made strong friendships and even started the first judo class at a British public school. Ian Fleming based parts of Bond's character on a real former Fettes student, Sir Alexander Glen, who was important during the Second World War. There was even a real-life Commander James Bond who attended Fettes!
Captain Britain's Origin Story
Captain Britain, a superhero from Marvel Comics, also attended Fettes College in his backstory. Brian Braddock, who later becomes Captain Britain, was a very smart student at Fettes. After a difficult accident, he was given a choice to become a superhero. He chose the Amulet of Right, which transformed him into Captain Britain, the protector of the British Isles.
Leaders of Fettes College
Since it was founded in 1870, Fettes College has had only 11 heads. The current head is Helen Harrison, who started in 2019.
- 1870 – 1889 Alexander Potts
- 1890 – 1919 William Heard
- 1919 – 1945 Alec Ashcroft
- 1945 – 1958 Donald Crichton-Miller
- 1958 – 1971 Ian McIntosh
- 1971 – 1979 Anthony Chenevix-Trench
- 1979 – 1988 Cameron Cochrane
- 1988 – 1998 Malcolm Thyne
- 1998 – 2017 Michael Spens
- 2017 – 2019 Geoffrey Stanford
- 2019 – Helen Harrison
Notable Former Students (Old Fettesians)
Fettes College has educated many famous people. These include judges, lawyers, diplomats, military officers, and politicians. Many have also become successful in sports, especially rugby. Four former students have won the Victoria Cross, a very brave award for military service.
A Nobel Prize winner, economist Sir Angus Deaton, is an Old Fettesian. So is former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
See also
- Fettesian-Lorettonian Club
