School News 42
The Elizabethan Newsletter
TENDER SHOOTS IN THE WOOD OF OUR STATE Westminster School celebrated an historic moment when twelve new Scholars were elected to the College of St Peter, including, for the first time, four Sixth Form girls. In a charter of 1560 Elizabeth I established the Collegiate Church of St Peter in Westminster, consolidating her father’s plans for two Masters and forty Scholars: ‘… the youth which is growing to manhood, as tender shoots in the wood of our state, shall be liberally instructed in good books to the greater honour of the state’. On the historic election of the first female Queen’s Scholars, HRH Elizabeth II wrote to the Head Master, Patrick Derham, to send her good wishes. Following election, the girls soon set to their duties, one of which is to guard the steps to School (the school hall) during Latin Prayers. This traditional role, that of the ‘Mon. Os.’ and now also that of the ‘Monitrix Ostii’, was to provide a security presence deterring passers-by who might be interested to explore what was happening up School. The pupil was also required to inform the Head Master of the time throughout the day. As a source states: “[T]he day passed rather slowly with the Monos. He could, indeed, play rackets by himself, or with
any boy who might come out of school for a few minutes – that was all. Still, in the eyes of most boys, the ‘studiorum remissio’ – ‘the forgiveness of lessons’ was a sufficient recompense for the monotony.” Gladly, there is no need to miss lessons today! At the beginning of October we were delighted to welcome back Michael Jarvis, Captain of Queen’s Scholars 1968-9, who met with Hein Mante, Captain 2017-8 to discuss how the role has changed – and remained the same – over fifty years.
CHINA SCHOOLS Westminster School is thrilled to announce its involvement in founding six schools in China. The income from this international partnership will help Westminster to fund bursaries for those pupils who need financial support. The schools are being created in collaboration with a Hong Kong education firm, with the first to open in Chengdu in 2020. The new Chinese schools will teach China's national curriculum, “augmented by aspects of a Westminster curriculum.” The Head Master said the partnership with China would deepen a ‘cultural collaboration’ and that it would be a step towards being able to ‘provide a Westminster education for all who might benefit from it, irrespective of means.”
