Figure 1.--Here is a school portrait of the Queen Elizabeth's Hospital School in Bristol, circa 1980. At that time boarders wore the traditional charity dress whilst dayboys were conventionally clothed - an interesting contrast. |
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The Queen Elizabeth Hospital School in Bristol is a thriving independent school for boys aged 11 to 18. It was founded over 400 years. John Carr, a Bristol merchant whant who died in 1586, provided in his will for the establishment in Bristol of a bluecoat school on the lines of Christ's Hospital, already flourishing in London. The School's charter was granted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1590 and specifically charged it with "the education of poor children and orphans". This special and continuing responsibility is still maintained by the School's emphasis on pastoral care and by the use of its endowment income to provide a large number of day and boarding assisted places for those whose parents' means are limited. The School opened in 1590 and for years was know locally as the City school. It continued through various vicissitudes as a boarding school until 1920 when day boys were first admitted. In 1945 it became a two-form entry grammar school on the direct grant list of the then Ministry of Education. The Government decided in 1975 to end the direct grant, and the School is now fully independent, with 470 day boys and 70 boarders. In 1984 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II graciously agreed to become the School's Patron, a fitting prelude to the commemoration in 1990 of its 400th anniversary.
Some of England's most well known schools are the hospital schools. Many are also known as the blue coat schools because of the blue tunics many of these schools as an early school uniforms. Early school uniforms in Enhland were first and inicator of poverty rather than a bage of attending an exclusive private school. They are some of the earliest English schools still operating. Unlike the name suggests these schools had nothing to do with medicine. The term hospital in the 13th century was used to mean a charitable institution for the needy. Hospital schools were charity schools for boys whose parents could not afford to educate them. There are several different hospital schools in England. The Lincoln Christ's Hospital School traces its origins to the 11th century. The Royal Hospital School in East Anglia is one of the newest hospital schools. It was founded nearly 300 years ago as part of the Crown charity, Greenwich Hospital, to educate the sons of seafarers.
Bristol is one of England's major port cities. Many major English ci\ties trace their history back to Roman times. This does not appear to have been the case of Bristol, perhaps because it was an Atllantic port. Bristol does trace its history back to Anglo-Saxon times. Brigstowe (meaning a place of settlement by the bridge) developed between the Rivers Avon and Frome. The diversion of the River Frome (13th century) provided space for additional quayside. This significant increased the city's potential as a port. Trade was conducted both with Europe as well as other English and Welsh coastal towns. This was the beginning of Bristol's development as England's second largest city and one of the most economically and culturally vibrant cities in Europe. Bristol not only developed as a major port and manufacturing city. Key to Bristol's development was the Americas which significantly increased the importance of Atlantic ports.
John Cabot's exploration in the Matthew and his landfall on mainland America (1497) was apparently predated by Bristol fishing boats less well documented sailing to Newfoundland's Grand Banks. Other European fishermen visited the Grand Banks and may have landed on the mainland as well as made contact with Native Americans. Bristol was thus benefitting from the Atlantic trade with America well before Columbus' voyage. None of this, however, appears to have entered the European consciousness like the voyages of Columbus, Cabot, and the others who led the European voyages of exploration. King Henry VII granted increasigly prosperous Bristol d city status (1542). Henrry also disolved Catholic monastaries and the church St Augustine's Abbey became Bristol's cathedral. Bristol's maritime industry boomed. It is at this time that the Hospital School was established in Briustol.
The city benenefitted greatly from its location. It was the best situated to participate in the trade with the English colonies along the coast of North America and the Caribbean sugar islands (17th-18th centuries). An important part of that trade was the slave trade. Bristol continued to grow with the Industrial Revolution (18th-19th centuries). The railways increased commerce through the port. Bristol developed as an important engineering, manufacturing, commerce, and communication center.
The School was founded over 400 years ago. Britol at the time was a booming port city with a prosperous merchant class. City mercent John Carr died in and provided in his will for the establishment in Bristol of a bluecoat school (1586). He wanted a school along the lines of Christ's Hospital School, already flourishing in London. The School's charter was granted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1590 and specifically charged it with "the education of poor children and orphans". This special and continuing responsibility is still maintained by the School's emphasis on pastoral care and by the use of its endowment income to provide a large number of day and boarding assisted places for those whose parents' means are limited. The School opened in 1590 and for years was know locally as the City school. It continued through various vicissitudes as a boarding school. The directors decided
to admit day boys (1920). After World War II, England began major educatiional reforms to expand secondary education. The School became a two-form entry grammar school on the direct grant list of the then Ministry of Education (1945). The Government decided to end the Direct Grant Program (1975). The School thus became fully independent, with 470 day boys and 70 boarders. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II graciously agreed to become the School's Patron (1984). This was accirding to the School, "a fitting prelude to the commemoration in 1990 of its 400th anniversary."
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital School in Bristol is now a thriving independent school for boys aged 11 to 18. It is divided into a Junior, Senior, and 6th Form secction. The Sixth Vorm in British education is prepsaraion for university entrance. The school currently has 550 Senior and 80 Junior day pupils. The school is academically selective but points out that this does not mean socially exclusive. The school points out, "There's a good mix of people at QEH. With a curriculum specifically tailored to meet boys' needs, examination results for boys at QEH are second to none in Bristol."
The School was founded as charity school for boys of modest means. As it developed into a private school, it attempted to remain true to its founding ethos by offering places for academically capable boys of modest meanss by participating in the Direct Grant system. The British Government for ideological reasons decided to end the Direct Grant program (1975), limiting the ability of private schools to offer places to children of limited means. The QEH Junior School was opened (2007). The Junior School is essentially a prep school to help stabilize the annual intake of new boys. Like other prep schools operated by senior schools, the children make the transition at asge 11. The children do not wear the traditional blue cpoat uniform in the Junior School.
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