Figure 1.--The Secret Seven were school chums. Many of the adventures were set at school. This "Look Out Secret Seven" cover is illustrated by Derek Lucas. Knight Books, first published 1973. Only in the 1970s did the childrn in the Blyton books begin to commonly wear long pants in an effort to update the look of the books. I'm not sure of the name of the school that they attended. |
Some series were based more on the school than the boy, such as Priory School--of course a public school. Most authors of school stories had specific names for the schools they wrote about. Usually they would use the same school name for several books. As several authors wrote numerous school books, some of these fictional schools became vey familar to British children, often better known than actual schools. C. Serjeant for example wrote about St. Basil. Several other schools will be very familar to the readers of these stories. Almost always these were public schools--exclusive private secondary schools. There may have been a few about grammar schools--selective secondary schools. There were also a few books about prep schools, but these were mostly written after World War I.Several authors in publications like the Boy's Own Paper wrote numerous stories about the same fictious school. We have very little information about the fictious schools tht were commonly addressed in the periodicl publications including annuals. Later several authos wrote series of books with school settings. Enid Blytons "Famous Five" and "Secret Seven" often had school settings. The "Jennings" series ws set at a prep school. The Billy Bunter series was set at Greyfriars School--a public school. Here we are just beginning to collect information.
Here are some of the individual schools that we know about from English school books. Hopefully HBC readers will add to our list with some information about the schools.
The The Choir School of St. Bede's. was written by Frederick Harrison. It is one of the few English school stories set in a choir school.
The Greyfriar's school was made famous in the many Billy Bunter stories.
Of course Harry Potter's Hogwarts School of Wizardary has replaced Lindbury Court as the most famous school in English literature.
The Jennings books are set a a artchtypical British preparatory boarding school, Linbury Court Boys Prepartatory School in Dunhambury, Sussex. (Unlike the Our William books which are set at home.) John Christopher Timothy Jennings, better known as Jennings, is an 11 year old English prep schoolboy when we fitst meet him about 1948. He first appears in the author's imagination as stories he told his students at the Ramsgate prep school where he taught. Jennings of course also attends a boy's boarding school--Linbury Court Boys Preparatory School. There are may references to the school in the book There were about 70 boarders, small for a modern prep school, but before the 1970s there were more smaller prep schools. Many have since closed. The building was rather old. Few prep schools were purpose-built schools, but rather took over a country estate whose owner could no longer afford it. While the building was not new, it might kindly be described as having character. The school had a park, gardens and playground. Other buildings were added specifically by the school. There are dormitories for the boarders, class rooms, common rooms for leisure time, and a dining hall--all the basic prep school facilities. Many of the Jennings stories take place in these facilities, but the scene sometimes shifts to locactions like the attics, terraces, boiler room, garages, as well as other places.
Redshaw School, a public school, is the site at which Jefferson Junior unfolds
Eric in Eric Little by Little attended Roslyn. The book is reportedly to some extent autobiographical. Dr. Farrar drew from his own experience as a boy at King William's College and while teaching at Harrow and Marlborough. .
This was the public school that C. Serjeant wrote about. We do not yet know much about these books or the author. St. Basil's looks to be a boys' public school.
This was an unusual novel about boys boarding school life is School in the Skies by R.S. Lyons. It was written in the 1950's but was reprinted about 1967. It is a dream not only of schoolboys but teachers who love to travel and like to take their year groups on educational visits to see castles and other interesting places first hand. It would be a great adventure to take the next step and equip a jet plane to be a flying school. It would be separated into common rooms, class rooms and sleeping quarters. The headmaster would be the pilot and with him at the controls, fly off to distant lands. This is just what R.S. Lyons book is all about. The school's headmaster is Jerry Hamilton. He is an ex-R.A.F ace and under his command his students fly off around the world. The children are aged from about 11 to 15. They are dressed in their school uniform. Cap, Red blazer, grey trousers on the journey. The traditional school wear for boarding schools at that time. While the boys have lessons exciting and new scenery can be seen from the aeroplane's windows. The boys meet new experiences and adventure throughout their world tour. There is the rescue of the Sarah Perkins and a soccer
match against America is an adventure and a sports match not to be missed. 'Right boys get your sports kit our next match is against the American National Youth Soccer Team. Soccer practice in the cargo hold 3pm sharp!' All is not plane flying there is a mishap over the Pacific and the plane has to make a forced landing. (Sounds rather like Lord of the Flies.) The boys get an education they would never have experienced in their ordinary land based boarding school in the English countryside. A story of dreams and if only it could be!
The The Boys of Wynport College: A Story of School Life is a classic school story set in a public school. It was written by Frederick Harrison and published by Blackie and Son Limited. There is no date but in the book's opening pages, it's dedicated to 'Tully', 1922. The author also wrote The Choir School of St. Bede's.
This very inteesting website has a list of the boys schools in the English school stories. There is also a page on girls' schools. Surprisingly there seem to be more girls schools than boys schools.
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