Winchester College facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Winchester College
The school seen from Winchester Cathedral
Address
College Street Winchester, Hampshire , SO23 9NA England
Coordinates	51°03′29″N 01°18′46″W / 51.05806°N 1.31278°W / 51.05806; -1.31278
Information
Type	Public school Private co-educational boarding school
Motto	Manners makyth man
Religious affiliation(s)	Church of England
Established	1382; 643 years ago (1382)
Founder	William of Wykeham
Department for Education URN	116532 Tables
Warden	Richard Stagg
Headmaster	Elizabeth Stone
Staff	c. 350
Gender	Male (Female at 16-18)
Age	13 to 18
Enrolment	c. 740
Houses	11 (10 Commoner or Old Tutor Houses plus College): College A. Chernocke House (Furley's) B. Moberly's (Toye's) C. Du Boulay's (Cook's) D. Fearon's (Kenny's) E. Morshead's (Freddie's) F. Hawkins' (Chawker's) G. Sergeant's (Phil's) H. Bramston's (Trant's) I. Turner's (Hopper's) K. Kingsgate House (Beloe's)
Colour(s)	Blue, brown & red
Publication	The Wykehamist, Quelle, The Spirit Lamp, The Trusty Servant
Former pupils	Old Wykehamists
School song	Domum

Winchester College is a famous school in Winchester, England. It's a boarding school, meaning students live there, but some also attend just for the day.

It was started by William of Wykeham in 1382. He wanted it to be a school that prepared students for New College, Oxford, which he also founded. Winchester College is one of the oldest schools in England.

For over 600 years, it was a school only for boys. But starting in September 2022, it began accepting both boys and girls as day students in the older grades.

The school was first built to teach 70 scholars. Over time, more students joined, including 16 choirboys called "quiristers" and paying students known as "commoners." In the 1860s, ten new boarding houses were added, making the school much bigger.

The scholars still live in the school's old medieval buildings. These include two courtyards, a chapel, and cloisters (covered walkways). A classroom building called "School," designed in the style of Christopher Wren, was added in the 1600s. Later, an art school, science school, and music school were built. A special memorial called the Winchester College War Cloister was built in 1924.

Winchester College has many unique traditions. These include its mascot, the Trusty Servant, a special language called "notions," and a school song called Domum. Famous headmasters have led the school, like William Waynflete and George Ridding. Students who used to go to Winchester College are called Old Wykehamists.

School History

How Winchester College Started

King Richard II's founding charter for Winchester College, 1382

Winchester College was founded in 1382 by William of Wykeham. He was the Bishop of Winchester and an important advisor to two kings, Edward III and Richard II. He started the school partly because there weren't enough trained priests after the Black Death.

Winchester College was meant to prepare students for New College, Oxford, which Wykeham also founded. The school's official Latin name means "St Mary's College, near Winchester." The first 70 "poor scholars" started school in 1394. These scholars came from families with very low incomes.

Winchester College was special because it used older students, called prefects, to help with discipline. The rules were also meant to be less harsh than in other medieval schools. It was also unusual for a school to teach boys aged 12-18, as universities usually accepted students in this age range.

These ideas, like having two linked schools (Winchester and New College) and the way discipline was handled, became a model for Eton College about 50 years later. Eton and Winchester became close partners. At first, only a few students who weren't scholars were allowed. By the 1400s, the school had about 100 students in total. This included the 70 scholars, 16 choirboys (quiristers), and the rest were "commoners" (paying students). More and more commoners wanted to join over time.

Early Modern Times

Because Winchester College was a religious school, it was almost closed during the reign of King Henry VIII. A law was even written in 1545 to close it, but the king died before it could happen. King Edward VI quickly changed this. He made sure that worship and Bible readings were done in English, not Latin.

During the time of Henry, Edward, Elizabeth, and James, kings and queens would visit the school. Students would perform Latin and some Greek poems for them. Queen Elizabeth also allowed Winchester and Eton to continue their religious services in Latin. This helped students improve their language skills.

From Victorian Era to Today

In the 1860s, ten new boarding houses were added. Each house could hold up to sixty students. This greatly increased the number of students the school could teach. By 2020, there were 690 students. In 2022, Winchester College started accepting girls into the Sixth Form (Year 12) as day students. Girls will be able to board at the school starting in 2024.

School Buildings

Winchester College has many buildings, from medieval times to today. There are 94 buildings that are officially protected because of their history. The school is set on about 250 acres of land. This includes water meadows, playing fields, and formal gardens. St Catherine's Hill is also part of the school grounds.

The oldest buildings are from when the school opened in 1394. These include the Outer Gate, Outer Court, Chamber Court, the chapel, and the Cloisters. They are built with flint, limestone, and slate roofs. The chapel has its original wooden ceiling, designed by Hugh Herland. Not much of the original stained glass remains, but some pieces are in special chapels within the school.

The "School" building was built between 1683 and 1687 in the Christopher Wren style. It has a statue of the founder, William of Wykeham, above the door. The school grew a lot in the 1800s with the addition of boarding houses for "commoners." These were paying students, different from the scholars who lived in the medieval College buildings.

Around 1900, a Music School, an "Museum" (art school), and a Science School were added. A large new hall, New Hall, opened in 1961. It holds the old oak panels that were removed from the Chapel. In 1924, a War Cloister was built. It is a memorial to students who died in the two World Wars. Visitors can tour parts of the school, like Chamber Court and the Chapel, for a fee.

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  Medieval architecture: Chamber Court, 1394, looking through Middle Gate to Outer Court and Outer Gate

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  Hall and Chapel, 1394

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  School in Wren style, 1683–1687

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  Sergeant's House by G. E. Street, 1869

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  Science School by Henry Hill, 1904

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  War Cloister by Herbert Baker, 1924

Student Accommodation

College Life

The seventy scholars live in the oldest buildings, known as "College." These scholars are called "Collegemen." The teacher in charge of them is called the Master in College. Collegemen wear black gowns, keeping with the school's old traditions. They also have special privileges, like having open fires and being allowed to walk across Meads. Meads is a walled sports field outside the "School" building.

Boarding Houses

Every student at Winchester, except for the scholars, lives in a boarding house. Students choose or are given a house when they apply to the school. This is where they study, eat, and sleep. Each house has a housemaster, who is also a teacher, and house tutors who help out. The houses compete against each other in school sports.

Each house has an official name, usually from the first housemaster's family name. This name is mostly used for mail. Each house also has a less formal name, often based on an early housemaster's nickname. They also have a letter, given in the order they were founded, used for things like laundry tags. A student from a house is described by adding "-ite" to the informal name, like "a Furleyite." College doesn't have an informal name, but "Coll" is sometimes used.

Academic Life

How to Get In

Winchester College is known as one of the most respected schools in the world. It has its own special entrance exam. It does not use the "Common Entrance" exam that other big public schools use.

Students who want to join a Commoner House usually arrange to take a test and an interview with the housemaster about two years before the main exam. Students applying to College take a different, harder exam called "Election." Successful students might get a scholarship or a special nomination to join a Commoner House.

In the past, getting into College meant lower fees. Now, the school offers financial help, called bursaries, based on what families can afford. These bursaries can cover from 5% to 100% of the school fee. Starting in 2022, Winchester began accepting girls into the 6th form (Year 12) as day students. Girls will be able to board from 2024. For the 2023/24 school year, the fee for boarding students is £49,152 per year, and for day students, it's £36,369 per year.

What Students Study

Besides regular lessons, all students must attend a class called Division (or "Div"). This class explores history, literature, and politics that are not part of external exams. Its goal is to give students a wide and broad education.

From Year 9, students study for at least nine GCSE and IGCSE exams. Every student studies English, mathematics, Latin, French or German, and at least two sciences. They also take "Div." After that, students study three A-levels, "Div," and an Extended Project Qualification.

Academic Results

Winchester College is well-known for its strong academics.

In 2023, for A-Level exams, 77.9% of student results were graded A*-A. For GCSE exams, 88.1% of results were graded 9-7. More specifically, 80.3% of GCSEs were graded 8 or 9 (which is like an A*), and 91.2% were graded 7, 8, or 9 (like an A* or A).

Between 2010 and 2018, about 33% of students who left Winchester College went on to study at Oxford or Cambridge universities.

Activities and Sports

School Sports

Winchester College football: a "hot" between OTH (brown and white) and Commoners (red and white) on Meads in 2023

Winchester College has its own unique game called Winchester College football. It's also known as "Win: Co: Fo:" or "Winkies." This game is only played at Winchester. It's played in the spring term, with different houses competing against each other. The students themselves largely manage the game.

The school also has a special version of fives, which is a bit like Rugby fives. It has a unique wall feature that makes the ball bounce in unexpected ways.

Winchester College Boat Club, on the River Itchen

The school has an active rowing club called the Winchester College Boat Club. It is located on the River Itchen. The club is part of British Rowing and has won the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup twice at the Henley Royal Regatta.

There has been a friendly rivalry, especially in sports, between Winchester and Eton for hundreds of years.

Combined Cadet Force

Students in their second year at Winchester College are currently required to join the school's Combined Cadet Force (CCF).

The CCF started in 1860 as "The Winchester College Rifle Volunteer Corps." It was created by older students who felt there was a threat from Napoleon III. It was run by the students themselves until 1868. In 1908, it became the Officer Training Corps. By 1914, almost every student was involved to help with the war effort, though it wasn't strictly required.

During the Second World War, it was called "The Junior Training Corps." Its purpose was still to prepare boys to become officers. In 1948, it became the "Combined Cadet Force" (CCF), adding RAF and RN sections. In 1963, "Alternative Service Activities" were offered for students who didn't want to join the CCF. Students could choose to leave the CCF after their second year, which is still the rule today.

School Traditions

The Trusty Servant: School Mascot

The Trusty Servant: 19th-century print

The Trusty Servant is a famous painting at Winchester College. It is the school's unofficial mascot and also the name of its alumni magazine. The painting and its accompanying poem were created by the poet John Hoskins in 1579. They hang outside the college kitchen. The current painting was done in 1809.

The painting shows a mythical creature. It has the body of a man, a pig's head with a padlock on its snout, the ears of a donkey, and the feet of a deer. It holds tools in its left hand. The poem describes the good qualities that students at the college were expected to have. The school's coat of arms is in the background of the painting.

Notions: School Language

A notion is a special word or phrase used only at Winchester College. The word "notion" also describes unique traditions of the school. For example, "toytime" means homework. This comes from the word "toys," which are wooden cubicles where students work in a shared room. These rooms are called "mugging hall" in Commoner Houses or a "chamber" in College.

Manners Makyth Man: School Motto

Arms of school and founder

Since it was founded, Winchester College has had many phrases linked to it, including its motto, graces, and a prayer. A grace (a short prayer) is read before and after every lunch and formal meal in College Hall. Two different graces are sung during "Election," the scholarship process.

Manners makyth man is the motto of Winchester College. It is also the motto of New College, Oxford, and of their founder, William of Wykeham.

The Latin grace said before meals in College is:

The Latin grace said after meals in College is:

Domum: School Song

It is said that the pupil who wrote "Domum" threw himself into the River Itchen, which runs through the school grounds.

The school song is called "Domum." It is sung at the end of the summer term, which is known as Cloister Time. No one knows exactly when the song started. It was described as "an old tradition" in a book from 1773. The traditional music was composed by John Reading. A new tune was officially adopted by the school around 2007.

According to a legend, the words were written in the 1600s by a student who was kept at school for misbehaving during the Whitsun holidays. Some say he carved the words on a tree, which was then called "Domum Tree." The legend also says he then jumped into the Logie, which is the river that runs through the school grounds. There is still a "Domum Cottage" in that area.

A "Domum Dinner" is held at the end of the summer term for students who are leaving. In the past, only former scholars of Winchester who were also scholars of New College, and special guests, could attend. These celebrations used to happen around Whitsun, which is why the song mentions early summer, like "See the year, the meadow, smiling."

School's Influence

Winchester College's way of teaching influenced many schools that came after it. It was unusual in the medieval period because it taught boys aged 12–18. Universities would also accept students in this age range. The age range, the link with New College, Oxford, and the way discipline was handled, all became a model for Eton College and King's College, Cambridge, about 50 years later.

Students from Winchester College have appeared in many stories. The school itself appears less often. Sir Humphrey Appleby from the TV show Yes Minister is one of the most famous fictional former students.

Like other well-known public schools, a train from the Southern Railway V Class was named after Winchester College. This train, No. 901 Winchester, was built nearby in 1930.

Headmasters of Winchester College

The headmasters of Winchester College from the 14th century onwards are:

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  William Waynflete as bishop, c. 1470

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  George Moberly, 1870

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  George Ridding, 1879,
  by Walter William Ouless

Former Pupils

Students currently at Winchester College are called Wykehamists. This name remembers the school's founder, William of Wykeham. Students who have left the school are known as Old Wykehamists, or sometimes "Old Woks" among themselves.

Fictional Old Wykehamists have appeared in over 50 novels. The first was in Tobias Smollett's book Peregrine Pickle in 1751.

See also

In Spanish: Winchester College para niños