- City of Oxford High School for Boys
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City of Oxford High School for Boys 
Established 1881 Closed 1966 Type Grammar school Location George Street
Oxford
Oxfordshire
EnglandLocal authority City of Oxford Gender Boys Ages 11–18 Website COS Coordinates: 51°45′12″N 1°15′41″W / 51.7533°N 1.2614°W
The City of Oxford High School for Boys (a.k.a. Oxford High School for Boys and City of Oxford School) was founded in 1881 by Thomas Hill Green to provide Oxford boys with an education which would enable them to prepare for University.
Contents
History
It was administered by the City of Oxford Education Committee, with around 400 boys enrolled. The school finally closed in 1966, when it was combined with what was then Southfield Grammar School to form a Grammar school (the present Oxford Spires Academy).
The building
The Victorian stone building, bearing the arms of both the City and University, was designed by Sir Thomas Jackson in Oxford, England, and still stands at the corner of George Street and New Inn Hall Street. Additional classrooms were later added in the playground, a space that was contained on the south side by an extensive length of the city's mediaeval wall. The school remained here until 1966, when it moved to the Southfield Grammar School site (now occupied by Oxford Spires Academy) in Glanville Road off Cowley Road. The George Street building for some years housed the Classics Department of Oxford University, but was transferred to the History Faculty in the summer of 2007.
The school's playing fields were in North Oxford, along and beside Marston Ferry Road and which later housed the Old Boy's Rugby Club.
Inscription
The George Street building has the following inscription on it:
- Thomas Hill Green (1832–82). Educationalist, Fellow of Balliol, White's Professor of Moral Philosophy, elected (1876) first University Member of Oxford City Council to help found and establish the High School for Boys (1881–1966), thereby completing the city's 'ladder of learning' from elementary school to university—
- A project dearest to his heart.
- Thus were united town and gown in common cause.
The staff
During the late 1940s, the headmaster was F. C. ("Fred") Lay; he was succeeded by Mr R.W. Bodey in the 1960s. Other teachers included a Mr F. Rowland, Mr B. Vaughn, Mr E. J. Wright, Mr K G Rook, Mr C W Busby, Mr Coleman, Mr Lee, Mr M.J. Soulsby, Mr F.W. Sutton, Mr B.A. Field, Mr I.H.Taylor, G. Wright, B.C. Atkin, Len Bielby and Mr R. Atkinson. Mr Eddie Swire
Headmasters
- 1881-8 Arthur Pollard
- 1888-1925 Arthur Cave
- 1925-32 Wilfrid Parkinson
School traditions
The school motto "Labor Vincit Omnia" ('tis work that conquers all) was carved above the prefects' door, and became the basis for the school song that every boy knew by heart:
- In tranquil days of long ago
- Under good Victoria's rule
- Their faith in Oxford's youth to show
- Our grandsires built a school.
- "Labor Vincit Omnia"
- Tis work that conquers all.
- This gem of ancient Roman lore
- Was carved above the prefects' door.
- "Nemo Repente Sapit", too,
- Was there beside it in full view,
- Reminding those of slower pace
- That perseverance wins the race.
- Labor Vincit Omnia
- Labor Vincit Omnia
Each November the School Speech Day took place in Oxford Town Hall. First there was a church service in St. Mary's church in the morning, then the main event in the afternoon started with a procession of staff in Academic robes and hoods. In December there was a school carol service in the University Church.
The boy's blazers were chocolate brown, as were the caps. In later years Sixth formers wore blue blazers. The striped tie was brown with red and blue diagonal piping. On entry to the school, every boy became a member of one of the four school houses: Lawrence, Jolliffe, Kerry or Salter.
Legacy
The former pupils of the City of Oxford High School now have their own Old Boys Association, called the City of Oxford School Association (COSA).
Still based at the Glanville Road site, Oxford Community School gained Business and Enterprise Status and in January 2011 became the Oxford Spires Academy.
Alumni
Memorial to Lawrence of Arabia in Oxford Boys' High School
- John Adams, Editor from 1958-73 of Country Life
- Comedian Ronnie Barker
- Philip Bee, one of the town planners of Hemel Hempstead
- Prof Rupert E. Billingham, Professor of Cell Biology from 1971-86 at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, did important early work with Sir Peter Medawar on organ transplantation, and President from 1974-6 of the Transplantation Society
- Sir John Carter, Chief Executive from 1994-8 of Commercial Union plc (became CGU plc in 1998), and Chairman from 1995-7 of the Association of British Insurers
- Stephen Coppock, mathematician and designer of anti-tank shells (armour-piercing discarding sabot shot - APDS) at Fort Halstead for the Army in the Second World War which proved devastating to German Tiger II and Panther tanks after D-Day
- the poet John Drinkwater
- Philip Hunt, Baron Hunt of Kings Heath OBE, Labour peer and former Minister in DEFRA and the DECC, and President from 1998-9 of the Family Planning Association
- Anthony Jarvis, Headmaster since 1994 of St Olave's Grammar School
- Professor John Krebs (now Lord Krebs), Principal since 2005 of Jesus College, Oxford and President from 1993-4 of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
- Prof A.W. Lawrence, Laurence Professor of Classical Archaeology from 1944-51 at the University of Cambridge
- Thomas Edward Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, and his youngest brother Arnold Walter Lawrence, Professor of Archaeology at Cambridge University
- scientist Heinz Wolff[1]
- Kenneth Ray OBE, President from 1985-6 of the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
- Prof Thomas Thacker, Professor of Semitic Philology from 1951-77 and Professor of Hebrew and Oriental Languages from 1945-51 at Durham University
- Rt Rev Russell Berridge White, Bishop of Tonbridge from 1959-68
- Peter Williams, Chief Executive from 2002-9 of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, and President from 2005-8 of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA)
Lawrence gave his name to one of the four school houses. Large photographs of Lawrence and Drinkwater were displayed to the right and left of the main hall, to inspire pupils during morning assembly — Lawrence is now above the main staircase.
References
External links
Categories:- Boys' schools in Oxfordshire
- Educational institutions established in 1881
- Educational institutions disestablished in 1966
- Schools in Oxford
- History of Oxford
- Defunct grammar schools in England
- Defunct schools in Oxfordshire
- 1881 establishments in England
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