Archbishops College

Archbishops College Overview

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Archbishops College Overview for the Archbishops College Series Stories

History

Archbishops College is an independent boarding school for boys. It’s grounds are located in a semi rural area near Broad Riddle of 150 acres (61ha). The college was founded in 1701 by Archbishop Armistead Godolphin and is a full boarding school, where pupils live at the school seven days a week.

Governance and Leadership

The Governing Body of Archbishops College is known as ‘The Board of Governors’. It consists of a Governor General and six other Governor’s.

The Statutes of the college provide that the Archbishop, for the time being, shall appoint the Governor General.

Appointment of the remaining six members of the Board of Governors, when a vacancy occurs, is filled by the vote of the Board of Governors and is subject to the Archbishops approval. Tenure is at the Archbishops pleasure but by convention appointments are usually for life or until voluntarily relinquished.

The Board of Governors appoint the Headmaster and other senior leadership staff. The senior leadership of the college consists of the:

Headmaster
Deputy Headmaster - Senior School
Deputy Headmaster - Preparatory School
Assistant Headmaster - Pastoral and Child Protection
Assistant Headmaster - Academic
Assistant Headmaster - Co-Curricular
Director - Health and Well-being
Director- Buildings & Facilities, responsible for the maintenance and construction of buildings as well as management of Grounds, Security, Occupational Health and Safety, IT Infrastructure, Laundry, Cleaning and on behalf of the Governor General and Board of Governors has joint responsibility with the Bursar for the Colleges investment properties.
Bursar - responsible for the financial, administrative and support functions of the college.
Matron - Has delegated authority from the Head Master to liaise with the House Keepers for the day-to-day management of the college boarding houses.

Current Senior Executive Staff

Headmaster:
Doctor Claude Aurelius Elliott Lyttelton
Deputy Headmaster - Senior School
Archdeacon, The Venerable Doctor Christopher Carey Sumner
Deputy Headmaster - Preparatory School
Reverend Doctor Shore Drysdale

House System & Pastoral Care

The essence of the college’s pastoral care, lies in the House system, where small Houses of no more than 49 boys in each, divided into dormitories of six boys and a prefect, enable the House Master and the House Keeper to get to know boys very well and to tailor their support to meet boys’ individual needs.

During their time at college, boys come to rely very heavily upon the support, guidance and direction they find in their House. Each boy also has an individual Tutor who oversees his academic progress and who is readily available to advise and encourage boys throughout their time at the college.

The physical health of the boys is overseen by two school doctors who are supported by five fully qualified nurses located at the Health & Well-being Centre. The centre also has a dentist and dental nurse and also provides professional psychological support, through their team of three counsellors.

Immediate and routine medical matters are handled within each House by the respective House Keeper. Boys are however able to discuss medical or other concerns with the medical centre at any time.

The college also has a specialised Learning Support Centre for boys who need extra academic support and assistance.

College Terms

Archbishops College operates a three Trimester (term) school year, each trimester is divided in half by a nine day half trimester justitium (holiday) which includes two weekends. Between the Autumnus, Hiems and Ver trimesters, there is a longer justitium (holiday) that lasts about two weeks.

The Autumnus Trimester, is from early September to mid-December. Half trimester justitium falls in late October.
The Hiems Trimester, is from mid-January to late March. Half trimester justitium falls in mid February.
The Ver Trimester, is from mid April to late June. Half trimester justitium falls in mid May.
The Feriae Aestivae (Summer Holiday), is taken from July to late August (two months).

College Structure

The college is divided into Senior and Preparatory schools.

Senior school years or grades are designated using Greek letters as follows:

Alpha 17 -18 years olds
Beta 16-17 years olds
Gamma 15-16 years olds
Delta 14-15 years olds
Epsilon 13-14 years olds

Preparatory school years or grades are:

Zeta 12-13 years olds
Eta 11-12 years olds
Theta 10-11 year’s olds
Lota 9-10 years olds
Kappa 8-9 years olds

The college is devided into senior and preparatory houses of no more than 49 boys. The house is then subdivided into dormitories of no more than six boys and a prefect. Each house is administrated by a House Master assisted by a House Keeper. There are currently 21 houses ( 10 Senior plus 1 special senior house called ‘home’ and 10 Preparatory). The house master and their family along with the house keeper and their family reside in premises attached to the house.

Within the dormitory the six boys from the years Kappa to Theta have open space semi private bed/study spaces with shared bathroom facilities, whilst boys from years Eta and Zeta have seperate private study/bedroom spaces with shared bathroom facilities. Each prefect of a preparatory school dorm has a private study/ bedroom with private en-suite bathroom which is identical to the study/ bedroom with private en-suite bathroom senior boys from years Epsilon to Alpha are provided.

There are 71 prefects in the senior school appointed from Alpha and Beta years and 71 in the Preparatory school appointed from Zeta and Eta years.

The position of House Prefect (the senior prefect of a house) was abolished in 1974, however the position of Head Prefect of the Senior and Preparatory schools has been maintained.

The Head Prefect of the senior school is in charge of a special house attached to the residence of the deputy headmaster (senior school) called ‘Head House’ which has up to six special quarters with seperate lounge, study and bedroom with en-suite bathroom, which are occupied by the Head Prefect of the senior school and any boy from years Alpha to Epsilon who had been the Head Prefect of the preparatory school.

The Head Prefect of the Preparatory School has special quarters consisting of a seperate lounge, study and bedroom with en-suite bathroom, which is attached to the residence of the Deputy Headmaster (preparatory school).

College Uniform

Preparatory School

The Preparatory boys uniform consisted of a black school blazer which was trimmed in thin gold braid and had the school crest embroidered in gold on the pocket, short grey trousers, which come in two lengths. The longer leg shorts were worn by Zeta and Eta prep boys, these came to within a few inches of the knee. The shorter leg shorts were worn by the three junior prep years. These shorts came to about half way down the upper leg between the knee and the groin. Black lace up shoes and grey belt with gold buckle, grey waistcoat, grey long sleeve shirt, grey knee socks with the school colour bands of black and gold on the turnover tops, the school tie with it repeat pattern of black and gold stripes, a grey cap with the school crest embroidered in gold on it and the regulation white briefs and singlet.

Preparatory School Prefects

Preparatory school prefects wear the black school blazer but trimmed with much thicker gold braid, long grey trousers with grey belt with gold buckle, black waistcoat, white long sleeve shirt, grey short socks, the special prefects tie which is all black and has the school crest embroidered in gold, centred in the lower half of the tie. The regulation underwear for prefects is white boxer briefs and a white t-shirt.

Prefects in the Preparatory school are exempted from wearing a cap except when formally representing the school in public, where they then wear a black cap with the school crest embroidered in gold on it.

The only Preparatory school prefect who wears a slightly different uniform is the Head Prefect of the Preparatory School, who wears the standard prefects uniform but with a white stripe single breasted waistcoat in lieu of the standard black prefects waistcoat.

Senior School

The senior school boys uniform consists of a black morning suit with a small enamel and gold badge of the school crest on the left lapel of the coat. Black lace up shoes, black short socks, black waistcoat, white tunic shirt with stiff detachable collar and a white "tie" which is a narrow strip of cloth folded over the joint of the collar to hide the collar stud. The regulation white briefs and singlet are worn as underwear.

Hats are not worn except when formally representing the school in public, where a straw boater hat with a black and gold stripped headband is worn.

Senior School Prefects

Senior school prefects wear the black morning suit with the small enamel and gold badge of the school crest on the left lapel of the coat. Black lace up shoes, black short socks, a black and white houndstooth checked single-breasted waistcoat with black buttons, white tunic shirt with a starched stick-up collar and black bow-tie, Prefects wear the regulation white boxer briefs and a white t-shirt as underwear.

The Head Prefect of Archbishops College wears a slightly different prefects uniform, consisting of the standard senior school prefects uniform but with a white stripe single breasted waistcoat with white buttons and a white bow tie.

Special Uniform Exemptions

A boy upon entering the Senior School who was a Preparatory School Prefect is allowed to wear a mottled grey waistcoat in place of the regulation black waistcoat and can remain wearing the regulation white prefects underwear.

The Head Prefect of the Preparatory School upon entering the Senior School is allowed to remain wearing his white stripe single breasted waistcoat and regulation prefects underwear.

‘Little Boys’ & ‘Big Boys’

From its founding in 1701 till 1813 boys entering the senior school, were presumed to still be ‘little boys’ if they were less than 5 feet 4 inches tall and were thus made to wear a shorter black lounge jacket and special black knee length knickerbockers with black stockings while the ‘big boys’ over 5 feet 4 inches tall wore the full senior school uniform with the longer morning coat that was waist length in front with tails behind.

The system based on height was found to be unsatisfactory as it meant that shorter boys might have to wear the ‘little boy’ uniform even at 16 or 17 years of age if they where naturally short in height.

Therefore in 1814 the Board of Governors abolished the wearing of the ‘little boy’ uniform based on height and instituted instead, that senior school boys who were yet to grow pubic hair would wear the ‘little boy’ uniform and that all other senior school boys regardless of their age or height who had started to grow pubic hairs would wear the full senior boys uniform.

At the same time the Board of Governors formalised that all Preparatory College boys were deemed to be ‘little boys’ and so were not be allowed to grow pubic hair unless they held the office of prefect, as prefects were deemed not to be ‘little boys’!

In 1927 the Board of Governors revised the ‘little boy’ uniform to bring it up to twentieth century dress standards by abolishing the wearing of the black stockings and black knickerbocker shorts, replacing them with black knee socks with two bands of gold on the turnover tops and black longer leg shorts which came to within a few inches of the knee in the same design as the grey shorts worn by Zeta and Eta prep boys.

At that time in 1927, the Board of Governors also ruled that any boy in Alpha or Beta years were to be considered ‘big boys’ regardless of weather they were yet to grow pubic hair.

Swimming

Boys who were not prefects and deemed to be ‘little boys’ were required to swim naked in the college pool for swimming sessions after classes finished.

The weekly swimming roster had
Alpha and Beta boys swim after classes on Mondays. Gamma and Delta boys on Tuesdays. Epsilon and Zeta boys on Wednesdays. Eta and Theta boys on Thursdays and Lota and Kappa boys on Fridays.

At swimming, Preparatory College prefects and Senior College ‘big boys’ were permitted to maintain their modesty by wearing black swimming briefs. Senior College prefects from Alpha and Beta years were allowed the privilege of wearing longer black swimming trunks instead of the black swimming briefs.

The head prefect of the senior school was allowed the added privilege of wearing special black swimming trunks with a white waist band. The head prefect of the preparatory college was allowed the added privilege of wearing special black swimming briefs with a white waist band during his time as head prefect and onwards during his remaining years at Archbishops College, provided he was qualified to wear them in the Senior College under the pubic hair rule.

If a boy who had been a prefect in the preparatory college, upon entering the senior college, still had no pubic hair, then regardless of his prior rank and status as a prefect, was required to be naked again during swimming like all the other senior college ‘little boys’ who were yet to grow pubic hairs!

The board of Governors had rejected over the years a number of requests to allow former preparatory college prefects the privilege of continuing to wear the black swim briefs, regardless of wether they had or did not have, pubic hair.

The Governors had ruled that since 1814, pubic hair has been the absolute determiner of a boys status and need for modesty at Archbishops College. By tradition, boys with no pubic hair were considered ‘little boys’ and ‘little boys’ had no need for modesty!

The Governors had consistently ruled that Preparatory College prefects were allowed to cover up by wearing the senior college swimming briefs as they were deemed not to be ‘little boys’ whilst holding prefectorial office. Once they relinquished that office however, the traditional Archbishops College pubic hair rules would again apply.

House Names

Senior (11 houses)
Coburg, Denmark, Hanover, Head, Lancaster, Orange, Plantagenet, Stuart, Tudor, Windsor, York.

Preparatory (10 houses)
Alpin, Angevin, Balliol, Blois, Bruce, Canmore, Dunkeld, Mercia, Norman, Wessex.

Enrolment

A maximum of 490 boys in Preparatory College
A maximum of 490 boys in Senior College
A maximum of 98 boys in a year.

7 Dormitories per house
7 Prefects per house
10 houses x 7 prefects plus head prefect
equals = 71 prefects in Preparatory and 71 prefects in Senior.

Alpha - 52+1= 53 prefects
Beta - 18 prefects
Zeta - 52+1= 53 prefects
Eta - 18 prefects

In Alpha & Zeta years 45 boys are not prefects.
In Beta & Eta years 80 boys not prefects.

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