Hill House School
Hill House International Junior School is an independent preparatory day school primarily in the Knightsbridge district of London. It was founded in September 1949 by athlete and Liberal Party politician Lt-Col Stuart Townend with his wife, Beatrice, initially in Switzerland, but has since also established branches in South West London. It is the largest preparatory school in London and was originally a boys-exclusive school, turning fully coeducational in 1981.[2][3] The school is known for its distinct uniform, which includes thick mustard cable-knit jumpers, rust corduroy knickerbockers, knitted hats, and bags in British racing green.
| Hill House International Junior School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
, London , SW1X 0EP England | |
| Coordinates | 51°29′51″N 0°09′37″W |
| Information | |
| Type | Preparatory school |
| Motto | Latin: Semper vigilans (Always vigilant) English: "A child's mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled." |
| Established | 1949 (Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland) 1951 (Knightsbridge, London), United Kingdom) |
| Founder | Lieutenant-Colonel H. Stuart Townend |
| Department for Education URN | 100518 Tables |
| Head Master | Richard Townend |
| Staff | 110 (approx.) |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Age | 4 to 13 |
| Enrolment | 690 As of January 2018[1] |
| Houses | Grammont, Midi, Naye, and Rosa |
| Colour(s) | Old gold, rust & tan |
| Former pupils | Old Hill Housers |
| Website | http://www.hillhouseschool.co.uk/ |
History
The school was founded in Switzerland in 1949 and in London in 1951 by Lieutenant-Colonel Townend and his wife, Beatrice. Townend chose his pupils solely on the basis of his approval of their mothers, and women teachers were preferentially chosen according to the height of their skirt's hemline.[4][5] His son, Richard Townend, is the school's current Headmaster. The school remains a family concern.[6][4]
Prince Charles went to Hill House, following advice from Harold Macmillan, Prime Minister at the time.[7] It was his first school and was the first time that an heir to the British throne had been to a civilian school, as princes were educated either by tutors or at a military or naval academy such as Osborne.
As of 2018 there are 690 pupils at the school from the ages of 4 to 13.[1]
Media coverage
The school was featured in the 1989 documentary episode "Knickerbockers in Knightsbridge", part of the ninth season of the BBC series 40 Minutes, in which school life under Headmaster Stuart "The Colonel" Townend is narrated.[8]
The school was outlined on page 74, chapter 3.1 ("Learning to be Sloane: Sloane Education"), of Peter York's and Ann Barr's 1982 guide book The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook[9] as an appropriate calibre of school on the "third rung of the ladder" of a "Sloane boy's" education: describing it, amongst other things, as "Prince Charles's old school. Outdoorsy, musical, for energetic extroverts."
Notable alumni
- Lily Allen, singer-songwriter
- Charles III, King of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms
- Rupert Degas, actor
- Sofia Ellar, singer-songwriter
- Ian Macpherson, 3rd Baron Strathcarron, Conservative Peer
- Yasmine Naghdi, Principal ballerina of The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London
- Jacob Rees-Mogg,[10] Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), former Leader of the House of Commons
- Anya Taylor-Joy, actress
- Nick Watt, BBC Newsnight political editor
- Mark-Francis Vandelli, television personality most known for his role in Made in Chelsea
References
- "Ofsted Report 2018". Ofsted. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- "Hill House International Junior School profile, reviews and inspection reports | London's Top Schools". Londonpreprep.com. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
- "About the School | Hill House". Hillhouseschool.co.uk. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
- Obituary: Lieutenant-Colonel Townend, Daily Telegraph, 2002.
- Obituary: Lieutenant-Colonel Townend, The Independent, 2002.
- BBC Television Program "Knickerbockers in Knightsbridge", 1989.
- "Prince Charles's prep school fights back after damning inspection". Telegraph. 5 December 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
- "Knickerbockers in Knightsbridge". IMDb.
- Sloane Ranger#The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook
- Jacob's Ladder: The Unauthorised Biography of Jacob Rees-Mogg. Biteback Publishing. 10 September 2019. ISBN 9781785905315. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
