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Portrait of
a Parish - Page 12
Monkton Combe School
The School was founded in 1868 by the then vicar of the
parish, the Reverend Francis Pocock, when six boys arrived for
the Lenten Term to be taught in his home. Most of his early
pupils were sons of missionaries who came largely to be trained
to follow the same vocation, thus from its beginning, the school
had a strong Christian ethos. The boys attended the village
church on Sundays until the school chapel was opened in 1927 and
the year 2000 has seen a major extension and refurbishment with
a complete rebuilding of the organ. The first girl joined in
1971. As it has grown and developed, many buildings have been
acquired or purpose built, most of them fitting sympathetically
into the character and style of the original village
architecture. From its humble beginnings, the school is now a
superbly equipped centre for education, embracing a wide
curriculum and a range of musical, dramatic and sporting
activities. Villagers are often invited to school events, some
sing with the choral group and enjoy the use of the outdoor pool
in summer vacations.
How has the school changed since 1900? More pupils, nearly
half of them are girls, better food, better facilities, more
subjects .... but Latin and Greek are still on the curriculum.
chapel is still compulsory and cricket, rugby, hockey and
rowing, along with the combined cadet force, are as important as
they ever were. In 2000, about 40 people living in the village
are employed by the Senior School. Ancillary staff drive in
every day and several retired employees still live in the
village: a former pupil of the school is landlord of the
Wheelwrights Arms as is the Angel Fish proprietor at the canal
centre. There are 320 pupils, three quarters of them boarders,
with many coming from overseas, Asia, Africa and other
countries.
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