Rossall School: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|Public school in Rossall near Fleetwood, Lancashire, England}}

{{Infobox School2

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}

| name = Rossall School

{{Use British English|date=August 2013}}

[[Image:Rossall_Crest.jpg]]

{{Infobox school

| motto = ''Mens Agitat Molem'' (money moves Matter)

| name = Rossall School

| established = [[1844]]

| logo = Rossall Logo.jpg

| type = [[Public school]]

| alt = Rossall School logo

| head_name = Headmaster

| logo_size = 125px

| head = Mr. Timothy V.E.R.S.O.R Wilbur

| image = RossallPanorama.jpg

| city = [[Fleetwood]]

| image_size = 250px

| state = [[Lancashire]]

| caption = Rossall as seen from the playing fields

| country = [[England]]

| coordinates = {{coord|53.8957|-3.0424|type:edu_region:GB_dim:100|format=dec|display=inline,title}}

| pupils = 600 (approx.)

| motto = ''Mens Agitat Molem''<br /> 'Mind Over Matter'

| website = [http://www.rossall.co.uk/ www.rossall.co.uk]}}

| established = {{start date and age|df=yes|1844}}

'''Rossall School''' is a British co-educational independent day- and boarding school in [[Fleetwood]], [[Lancashire]]. It was founded in [[1844]] (As a sister school to [[Marlborough College]] which had been founded the previous year) by The Rev. [[St Vincent Beechey]] "with the object of giving to the sons of [[clergymen]] and others an education similar to that of the great [[public school]]s, but without the great cost of [[Eton College|Eton]] or [[Harrow School|Harrow]], and embracing also a more general course of instruction in [[modern literature]] and [[science]]."

| closed =

| type = Private [[Day school|day]] and [[Boarding school|boarding]]

| religious_affiliation = [[Church of England]]

| president = [[Edward Stanley, 19th Earl of Derby]]

| head_label = Headmaster

| head = Jeremy Quartermain

| chaplain_label =

| chaplain =

| chair_label = Chairman of Governors

| chair = Chris Holt

| founder = [[St. Vincent Beechey|Revd. Canon St Vincent Beechey]]

| specialist =

| address =

| city = [[Rossall]], [[Fleetwood]]

| county = [[Lancashire]]

| country = England

| postcode = FY7 8JW

| local_authority =

| ofsted =

| dfeno = 888/6044

| staff = 300

| enrolment = 920

| gender = [[Coeducational]]

| lower_age = 0

| upper_age = 18

| houses = [[#Houses|9]]

| colours = Red, grey and navy blue {{color box|#ee2842}} {{color box|#9d9fa2}} {{color box|#000034}}

| free_label_1 = Former pupils

| free_1 = [[List of Old Rossallians|Old Rossallians]]

| free_label_2 =

| free_2 =

| free_label_3 =

| free_3 =

| website = {{URL|http://www.rossall.org.uk}}

| pushpin_map = United Kingdom Fleetwood#United Kingdom Borough of Wyre

| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Fleetwood##Location in Wyre Borough

}}

'''Rossall School''' is a private [[Day school|day]] and [[boarding school|boarding]] school in the United Kingdom for 0–18 year olds, between [[Cleveleys]] and [[Fleetwood]], [[Lancashire]]. Rossall was founded in 1844 by [[St. Vincent Beechey|St Vincent Beechey]] as a sister school to [[Marlborough College]] which had been founded the previous year. Its establishment was "to provide, at a moderate cost, for the sons of Clergymen and others, a classical, mathematical and general education of the highest class, and to do all things necessary, incidental, or conducive to the attainment of the above objects."<ref name="trr">''The Rossall Register 1844–1894'' – Anguline Research Archives – p.44</ref>

Along with [[Cheltenham College|Cheltenham]], [[Lancing College|Lancing]] and [[Marlborough College|Marlborough]], Rossall was part of a flurry of expansion in [[Public school (United Kingdom)|public school]] education during the early [[Victorian period]].

Set in a {{convert|161|acre|km2|adj=on}} estate next to Rossall Beach, and now with about 900 students, Rossall is a member of the [[Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference]] and was granted a [[royal charter]] on 21 October 1890.<ref name="trr" /> It is an 'all-through' school with a [[Preschool|nursery]], 'pre-prep', [[preparatory school (UK)|preparatory]] and senior school. Rossall's campus has a large array of facilities for extracurricular activities and the school is home to the Lawrence House Space Science and Astronomy Centre, the only facility of its type in the UK. Over the years, Rossall has adapted itself to changing attitudes in education, and was the first school in the UK to have a [[Combined Cadet Force]] and one of the first to introduce the [[International Baccalaureate]] and host a dedicated international study centre on campus.<ref>[http://www.boardingschools.hobsons.com/advice.jsp?id=advice_overseas_choosing_school_international UK Boarding Schools – private schools, public schools and boarding schools in the UK<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070807002243/http://www.boardingschools.hobsons.com/advice.jsp?id=advice_overseas_choosing_school_international |date=7 August 2007 }}</ref>

It is a member of the [[Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference]].

==History==

It offers both A-Levels and the controversial IB Diploma to its 6th Form Students.

===Foundation===

[[File:Big School, Rossal School.jpg|thumb|right|230px|The interior of Big School as viewed from the balcony]]

[[File:SumnerLibrary.jpg|thumb|right|230px|Rossall Sumner Library (Formerly the school chapel)]]

[[File:RossallISC.jpg|thumb|right|230px|Rossall International Study Centre, formerly the largest Headmaster's House in the UK]]

[[File:Rossallfromtheair.jpg|thumb|right|230px|An aerial view of the Rossall estate pre 2008]]

[[File:RossallFromTheAir2.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Another aerial view of Rossall]]

[[File:InsideSumnerlibrary.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Inside the Sumner Library]]

The idea of founding a boarding school on the Fylde coast originates with a [[Corsican people|Corsican]] man named Zenon Vantini. As the owner of the [[North Euston Hotel]] in [[Fleetwood]],<ref name="GalePolden4">{{cite book|title=The Centenary History of Rossall School, William Furness|author=Gale|author2=Polden|name-list-style=amp|date=1944|page=4}}</ref> Vantini opened his hotel expecting many visitors but few people arrived. To boost the number of visitors to Fleetwood and help his hotel and the local economy, Vantini opened two schools in the vicinity of Fleetwood, one for boys and another for girls, totalling 1,000 students.<ref name="GalePolden4" /> The early Victorian period was marked by high child mortality rates, and Vantini expected that in the long term, the schools could be funded by a form of [[tontine]] insurance scheme, whereby the cost to educate children who reached their teenage years was offset by those who had died in infancy.<ref name="GalePolden4" />

== VERSOR ==

Vantini called a meeting at the North Euston Hotel to discuss the foundation of the schools with local businessmen and clergy.<ref name="GalePolden4" /> It was decided that any school that was to be founded would be directly affiliated to the [[Church of England]]. This was to be the first major Church of England school in the north of England and a sister school to [[Marlborough College]] which had opened the previous year. It was soon established that there was little hope of founding the girls' school and this idea was abandoned, with the boys' school pupil numbers reduced to 200.<ref name="GalePolden5">{{cite book|title=The Centenary History of Rossall School, William Furness|author=Gale|author2=Polden|name-list-style=amp|date=1944|page=5}}</ref> Consequently, Vantini's involvement with the scheme steadily dissipated, [[St. Vincent Beechey|Rev. St. Vincent Beechey]], the parish priest of Fleetwood, took over.

VERSOR is a sort of active student union with parent and teacher support. It aims to better the school, and fights for student freedoms, equality and quality of education and facilities.

Beechey set about finding the funds required to set up such a school. Beechey got the financial support of [[Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood]], [[Edward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby|The Earl of Derby]] as patron, the [[William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire|Duke of Devonshire]] as vice-president and [[John Bird Sumner]], then [[Bishop of Chester]] and later [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], as visitor.<ref name="GalePolden5" /> As a result of [[Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood]]'s financial problems from over-investing in the development of Fleetwood, he agreed to lease his ancestral home of Rossall Hall to the school for 21 years, with the option of buying it for £7,000 after ten years.<ref name="GalePolden5" /> The Northern Church of England Boarding School, renamed Rossall College under the reign of William Osborne, opened on 22 August 1844,

==School=1844 Lifeto 1914===

Initial problems were not unusual for boarding schools of the time, though Rossall nearly shut down in its infancy because of huge outbreaks of [[scarlet fever]]. The foundation stone to the school chapel, now the Sumner Library, was laid in 1848 by the first ever [[Bishop of Manchester]], [[James Prince Lee]] – the diocese having only been created that same year. Rossall's swift and successful development can be seen by its inclusion in the book ''The Great Schools of England'' (1865).<ref>{{cite book|last=Staunton|first=Howard |url=https://archive.org/details/greatschoolseng01staugoog|title=The Great Schools of England|publisher=Sampson Low, Son, and Marston|date=1865}}</ref>

The current chapel was constructed in the 1860s and the school underwent further development from the 1880s to 1900 to accommodate more students and to create further facilities such as the gym which still stands. In 1874 Rossall became the first [[Church of England]] school to play a [[Catholic school]] in an inter-school sports fixture, at cricket, leading Protestant newspapers to warn against such activities and advise Rossall parents to be wary of encroaching papism (the school in question was [[Stonyhurst College]]).<ref>{{cite book |title=Athleticism in the Victorian and Edwardian Public School |last=Mangan|first=J.A.|date=2000|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-7146-8043-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=irW3lfgplM4C&q=stonyhurst+rossall+&pg=PA61|page=61}}</ref>

The daily timetable consists of 6 one hour schools (periods) a day: with a break between schools 2 & 3 and lunch after school 3. Tea is also offered to boarders.

Every year the school allows students in the [[sixth form]] to apply to be school monitors.

The school is very active in encouraging excellence in all areas, the school being particularly strong in the arts.

Two decades later, roughly one hundred O.R.s served in the Boer War, nearly half of them winning distinctions or [[mentions in despatches]]. Seventeen old boys died in active service, all of whom are now commemorated in the stalls of the school chapel.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Centenary History of Rossall School, William Furness|author=Gale|author2=Polden|name-list-style=amp|date=1944|page=63}}</ref>

==The CCF==

Rossall was widely considered to be in top 30 public schools in the UK by the end of [[Queen Victoria]]'s reign also earning itself a place in the [[independent school (UK)#Public Schools Yearbook|Public Schools Yearbook]] and the Public School News section of the [[Cambridge Review]].<ref>{{cite journal|author=William Whyte|date=6 November 2003|title=Building a public school community 1860–1910|doi=10.1080/0046760032000151492|journal=History of Education|volume=32|pages=601–626|issue=6|s2cid=144912648|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Despite some financial difficulties as a result of fund embezzling by a bursar, by the end of the 1920s Rossall's academic results were amongst the best in the country with record numbers achieving scholarships to [[Oxbridge]] and attaining distinctions in the Higher Certificate examinations.<ref name="GalePolden96">{{cite book|title=The Centenary History of Rossall School, William Furness|author=Gale|author2=Polden|name-list-style=amp|date=1944|page=96}}</ref>

Rossall is noted for being the first school in the United Kingdom to form a [[Combined Cadet Force]] (CCF), being founded in [[1859]] with the threat of a French/Irish Catholic invasion at its height. The institution is still present in the school today with around 100 [[cadet]]s currently enlisted.

==The=1914 Carmento 1945===

During the world wars large numbers of Old Rossallians lost their lives in combat, 297 in World War I alone<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite book|title=The Centenary History of Rossall School, William Furness|author=Gale|author2=Polden|name-list-style=amp|date=1944|page=126}}</ref> – the majority of whom are now commemorated in the extension memorial chapel. Rossall has a memorial plaque at St Georges Chapel by the [[Menin Gate]] in honour of its fallen, alongside schools such as [[Rugby School|Rugby]], [[Eton College|Eton]] and [[Harrow School|Harrow]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/2007/11/12/1041286.html |title=This Is Lancashire – Memorial for Great War pupils |publisher=Archive.thisislancashire.co.uk |date=12 November 2007 |access-date=16 April 2009 }}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> 1,617 ORs fought in World War I,<ref>'The Tide Flows On' – Derek Winterbottom (2006, Manx Press), p.51</ref> 300 of whom received war honours.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

{| class="wikitable" border="1" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto"

The Carmen, The Rossall School Song, was composed by Dr.C.H.Lloyd, later organist at Gloucester Cathedral and [[Christ Church College]] and then Director of Music at Eton. It is sung at most major school events, from Old Rossallian dinners to end of term assemblies and chapel. Tradition has it that when singing it one must stand up on a bench/chair and belt it out with appropriate gusto. Usually only the first verse is sung, however there are 3 full verses.

|+Rossall's World War I war honours (with bar)

The full lyrics:

! [[Victoria Cross|V.C.]]

! [[Order of St Michael and St George|G.C.M.G.]]

! [[Order of the Bath|C.B.]]

! [[Order of the Indian Empire|C.I.E.]]

! [[Order of St Michael and St George|C.M.G.]]

! [[Distinguished Service Order|D.S.O.]]

! [[Order of the British Empire|C.B.E.]]

! [[Order of the British Empire|O.B.E.]]

! [[Order of the British Empire|M.B.E.]]

! [[Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)|D.S.C.]]

! [[Military Cross|M.C.]]

! [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)|D.F.C.]]

! [[Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)|A.F.C.]]

! [[Distinguished Conduct Medal|D.C.M.]]

! [[Military Medal|M.M.]]

|-

| align="center"|2

| align="center"|1

| align="center"|4

| align="center"|2

| align="center"|16

| align="center"|54 (9)

| align="center"|9

| align="center"|37

| align="center"|9

| align="center"|2

| align="center"|154 (13)

| align="center"|4

| align="center"|3

| align="center"|2

| align="center"|2

|}

<br />

Before the outbreak of the [[Second World War]] Rossall had made plans to accommodate [[Westminster School]]<ref name="cent">''A Centenary History of Rossall School'' – William Furness – (Gale and Polden, 1944) p.170</ref> however these plans were scrapped when the government requisitioned the campus for several departments of the [[Office of Works]], the [[Board of Education (United Kingdom)|Board of Education]] and the [[Ministry of Pensions]]. As a result, the school moved to [[Naworth Castle]].<ref name="cent" /> The government departments put up prefabricated buildings and found other premises close by as soon as possible, and left in 1940. The school returned and took in a school from the south-east, as the Westminster School had found an alternative solution. The eventual choice was that of [[Alleyn's School|Alleyn's]] who had to be evacuated from London as a result of the risk of bombing.<ref name="cent" /> Another side effect of the war was that there was only one centenary dinner celebrating the 100th year of Rossall. It was conducted by Old Rossallians imprisoned in [[Changi Prison]], a notorious [[Prisoner of war|POW]] camp in Singapore during the [[Japanese occupation of Singapore|Japanese occupation]].<ref name="rossallianclub">{{cite web|url=http://www.rossallianclub.co.uk/about/|title=About the Rossallian Club|access-date=15 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007162633/http://www.rossallianclub.co.uk/about/|archive-date=7 October 2011|url-status = dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

===1945 to present===

Concinamus admirantes

[[Benjamin Britten]] gave a concert in Big School in 1954. In the 1970s, in a bid to ensure the highest standards during a period of declining boarding, girls were allowed to enrol. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the school pushed on with a development programme and had royal visits including from the Queen in 1994 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its foundation. The school went through great financial difficulty at the turn of the millennium.

<br />Propter fluctus asstuantes

<br />Stantem te, Rossallia!

<br />Alma mater, be tibamus,

<br />Tui calices proscamus!

<br />Hanc sententium decamus,

<br />Floreat Rossallia!

[[Image:RossallSquare.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Rossall School Main Square. Big School (Far Left), Rose House Under Refurbisment, Archway (Centre), Common Room (Grey Building on right), Sumner Library (Far Right)]]

<br />Adsint chroro gratulanti,

<br />Adsint choro Di pricanti!

<br />Te juvent, Rossallia!

<br />Auferamus post labores

<br />E honores!

<br />Tui manent hinc amores

<br />Latius, Rossallia!

Rossall has since had more investment than previously, with the boarding houses including Maltese Cross having undergone varying degrees of refurbishment. The middle school now runs from years 7 to 9, one year longer than traditionally. As a part of the modernising of the school the [[International Baccalaureate|IB]] was introduced as an alternative to [[Advanced Level (UK)|A-Levels]] in 1998, being only the 3rd school in the UK to do so, and there is now an international boarding contingent.

<br />Ornet inconcussa virtus,

<br />Rara Fides, honor certus;

<br />Te colant, Rossallia!

<br />Hinc per saecla saeculorum

<br />Fama crescat; vox tuorum

<br />Una surgat filiorum,

<br />Floreat Rossallia!

Rossall promotes relatively affordable private education in relation to the rest of the UK – 80% of those who attend the school are the first in their family to attend an independent school and a large number of [[scholarships]] and [[bursaries]] are available.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rossallianclub.co.uk/uploads/pubdownloads/newsletter12-04.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=27 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927121524/http://www.rossallianclub.co.uk/uploads/pubdownloads/newsletter12-04.pdf |archive-date=27 September 2007 |url-status = dead|df=dmy-all }}</ref> 2007 saw the return of the Rossall Summer School – developed to give children from outside the UK the opportunity to develop their English speaking skills as well as being a chance for those thinking of going to a boarding school to consider whether they are suited to the lifestyle.

==Houses==

On 23 March 2022, a plane was forced to make an [[emergency landing]] on the school's field as a shortage of fuel meant the pilot was unable to complete the flight. Nobody was injured, and no students were at the school at the time.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/plane-makes-emergency-landing-fleetwood-23482958 |title=News article|date=23 March 2022 }}</ref>

As with many public schools Rossall adopted a house system from early on, with each pupil belonging to a house. It forms an integral part of life at the school and there are frequent inter-house events in sports as well as the arts.

The current houses are:

* Stag's Head (Middle School - Mixed - Day)

* Falcon (Middle School - Mixed - Day)

* Dragon Crescent (Middle School - Mixed - Day)

* Anchor (Middle School - Mixed - Boarding)

* Dolphin (Senior School - Girls - Day)

* Lugard Boys (Senior School - Boys - Boarding - New International Students)

* Lugard Girls (Senior School - Girls - Boarding - New International Students)

* Maltese Cross (Senior School - Boys - Boarding and Day)

* Mitre Fleur-de-Lys (Senior School - Boys - Boarding and Day)

* Pelican (Senior School - Boys - Boarding and Day)

* Rose (Senior School - Girls - Boarding)

* Spread Eagle (Senior School - Boys - Boarding and Day)

==Campus==

==Some Rossallian Jargon==

[[File:RossallArchway2.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Rossall School Archway]]

[[File:Rossall School chapel.jpg|thumb|right|The Interior of the School Chapel]]

[[File:RossallDiningHall1.jpg|thumb|right|The South End of the Dining Hall]]

===Architecture===

* Big School - The Main Assembly Hall

* Moni's Lawn - The elevated area of grass next to the dining hall on which only school monitors can walk

* Nagger - The nickname for the Matron's office where laundry is cleaned etc.

* Ross Hockey - A game unique to Rossall - a cross between Rugby and Hockey played on the beach in the harshest winter months.

* VERSOR - A student organisation, a sort of active student union. It stands for student rights and equality. It aims to better the school.

====The Archway====

==Notable Old Rossallians==

The archway was erected in 1867, under the reign of William Osborne, with the foundation stone being laid by [[William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire]].<ref>''The Rossall Register 1844–1894'' – Anguline Research Archives – p.28</ref> It is believed to have been designed by [[Edward Graham Paley]]. It is clearly modelled on the entrance gates of the [[Oxbridge]] colleges and originally had large wooden doors which were locked at night; these have since been removed for improvements in access.<ref name="TourRossall5">''A Tour of Rossall'' – Peter Bennett – (Rossall Archives) p.5</ref>

====The Chapel====

'''Sport'''

In the 1860s a new school chapel was built to cope with the increasing number of students, the old chapel serving, as it does today, as the school library. The new chapel was designed by [[Edward Graham Paley]],<ref name="TourRossall2">''A Tour of Rossall'' – Peter Bennett – (Rossall Archives) p.2</ref> extended by [[Robert Lorimer]] and includes carvings by [[Eric Gill]].<ref name="TourRossall3">''A Tour of Rossall'' – Peter Bennett – (Rossall Archives) p.3</ref> The chapel organ was designed by [[Harrison & Harrison]].<ref name="TourRossall3" /> Rossall celebrated the chapel's 150th Anniversary on 1 April 2012.

* Rex Crummack - 1920 Olympic Gold Medal Winning British hockey player [http://www.manchester2002-uk.com/celebs/sport-champs3.html]

* [[Liam Botham]] - rugby player

* [[Walter Clopton Wingfield]] - The 'Inventor of [[Lawn Tennis]]'

* Robert Coar - Chairman of [[Blackburn Rovers]] and Current Member of the English FA Governing Body

* [[Paul Dalglish]] - Football player

* [[Michael Dickinson]] - World Record Holding [[National Hunt]] trainer

* [[Nigel Howard]] - Fleeting England Cricket Captain

[[Image:PrepSchool.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Rossall Prep School]]

* [[Ham Lambert]] - Irish International cricketer, rugby player and referee

* [[Brian Redman]] - Formula 1 racing driver and Formula 3000 World Champion

* A.B.Rowley - First President of [[Lancashire County Cricket Club]]

* E.B.Rowley - First Captain of [[Lancashire County Cricket Club]]

* [[Vernon Royle]] - England Test Cricketer

* [[Peter Winterbottom]] - Former England Rugby Union Captain. He also played for the Lions.

==Politics==The andDining MilitaryHall====

The original school dining hall burnt down in the 1920s. The replacement, the current dining hall, was designed by [[Thomas Worthington (architect)#Legacy|Sir Hubert Worthington]].<ref name="TourRossall6">''A Tour of Rossall'' – Peter Bennett – (Rossall Archives) p.6</ref> The design was not without fault however – it was constructed from bricks encased in a weatherable coating that would dissolve away to leave it looking in the same condition as the rest of the square{{clarify|date=December 2018}}. The largest section of wood panelling behind the headmaster's table in the dining hall is made from an oak tree that grew in the back garden of [[George Mallory]].<ref name="GalePolden147">{{cite book|title=The Centenary History of Rossall School, William Furness|author=Gale|author2=Polden|name-list-style=amp|date=1944|page=147}}</ref> It was claimed in 1944 that it was the largest school dining hall in the country,<ref name="GalePolden146">{{cite book|title=The Centenary History of Rossall School, William Furness|author=Gale|author2=Polden|name-list-style=amp|date=1944|page=146}}</ref> and was described by F. A. M. Webster in his book ''Our Great Public Schools'' as, "one of the most splendid in the country."<ref name="WardLockCo239">"Our Great Public Schools, Their Traditions, Customs and Games" – F. A. M. Webster – (Ward, Lock and Co., London, 1937) p.239</ref>

There are four coats of arms attached to the exterior of the dining hall to commemorate the various families associated with Rossall over the years: [[William Allen (cardinal)|the Allen Family]] for the medieval and Renaissance owners of the site; [[Baron Hesketh|the Hesketh Family]] for the [[Church of England|Anglican]] family who acquired the sequestered property of the [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] Allens during the [[English Reformation]]; [[Fleetwood baronets|the Fleetwood family]] who intermarried with the Heskeths and became the most recent owners of the site prior to the original loan of Rossall Hall for the opening of the school by their last representative, Sir [[Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood]]; and the Beechey Family for the founder of the school, [[St. Vincent Beechey]].<ref name="TourRossall6-7">{{cite book|title=A Tour of Rossall|author=Peter Bennett|pages=6 + 7}}</ref>

* [[Arthur John Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham]] Private Secretary to Queen Victoria (1895-1901) and to George V (1910-1931)

* Sir [[Alexander Carmichael Bruce]] - Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis

* Sir [[Charles Noble Arden-Clarke]] - [[Governor#United Kingdom overseas territories|Colonial Governor]], Last Governor of the [[Gold Coast (British colony)|Gold Coast]]

* [[George Clarke, 1st Baron Sydenham of Combe]] - Governor of [[Bombay]] and [[Victoria]]

* Field Marshal Sir Charles Comyn Egerton - member of the Council of the India, Commander of the [[Somaliland]] Field Force [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/32986?docPos=3]

[[Image:Rossall.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Rossall School]]

* Captain G.S.Henderson [[V.C.]]

* General Sir [[Thomas Hutton]] M.C. O.I.E.

* [[Frederick Lugard]] - governor of Hong Kong and Nigeria and founder of the [[University of Hong Kong]].

* John Moss M.C.([[Military Cross]]) [http://www.nmbva.co.uk/colonel_john_moss.htm]

* [[William Rolleston]] [http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/R/RollestonWilliam/RollestonWilliam/en]

* Captain G.R.P.Roupell [[V.C.]]

* [[Derek Colclough Walker-Smith]] - Notable conservative politician

* Robert Armstrong Yerburgh - Politician [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/52367]

During the summer of 2020 the Dining Hall was undergoing major renovations, for the first time after Queen Elizabeth II visited the school in 1994. The project was funded through the Rossall School Foundation. Renovations included a new colour scheme, which is now light blue and white.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rossall School Assembly – Monday 29th June 2020 |website=YouTube |publisher=Rossall School }}</ref>

==Academic==

====Canberra Grammar School====

* John Standish Fforde - Economist, historian and Chief Cashier at the [[Bank of England]] - as such his signature would have appeared on sterling banknotes for a period

Stone from Rossall can be found in the cloisters of [[Canberra Grammar School]] along with stones from Eton, Westminster, St Paul's, Charterhouse, Uppingham, Clifton, Tonbridge, Shrewsbury, Sherborne, Wellington, Cheltenham, Repton and Radley.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cgs.act.edu.au/history.html|title=Canberra Grammar School – History|access-date=15 May 2008|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704122547/http://www.cgs.act.edu.au/history.html|archive-date=4 July 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

* Frank Fletcher - First person to be knighted for services to education

* Sir [[Henry Stuart Jones]] - Classical scholar and lexicographer

* Charles Lethbridge Kingsford - Historian

* [[Geoffrey Kirk]] - professor of Greek [http://portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2003%2F03%2F13%2Fdb1302.xml]

* Sir Herbert Isambard Owen - Nephew of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. First Vice Chancellor of Bristol University and founder of University of Wales

* [[Niall Shanks]] - Philosopher

* Frederick Arthur Simpson- Historian and eccentric

==LiteraryRossall today==

The school offers both [[Advanced Level (UK)|A-levels]] and the International Baccalaureate [[IB Diploma Programme]] for [[Sixth form]] students.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rossall.co.uk/sixth_form/114|publisher=Rossall School|title=Sixth Form Curriculum|access-date=15 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416000938/http://www.rossall.co.uk/sixth_form/114|archive-date=16 April 2008|url-status = live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Senior School students follow the British curriculum, whilst the Junior School has its own curriculum.

===Extra-curricular activities===

* [[J. R. Ackerley]] - author, editor, and memoirist

* [[Leslie Charteris]] - creator of [[Simon Templar|The Saint]]

* [[J.G. Farrell]] - novelist and winner of the Booker Prize

* [[F. W. Harvey]] - Poet

====Sports====

'''Science, Medicine and Engineering'''

[[File:RossHockey.jpg|thumb|right|Ross hockey]]

* Sir [[William de Wiveleslie Abney]] - Astronomer, Chemist and Photographer

[[File:MuseumTheatre.jpg|thumb|right|The Museum Theatre]]

* [[John Fleetwood Baker]] - Civil engineer

* William Blair-Bell - Co-Founder of The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

* [[David Brown]] - Engineer, entrepreneur and one-time owner of Aston Martin; his initials are still given to the finest models of Aston Martin cars

* Sir Frederick Brundrett - Chief Scientific adviser to the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] 1954-1960 [http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk/db/node.xsp?id=EAD%2FGBR%2F0014%2FBRUN]

* Ivan de Burgh Daly - Physiologist

* Professor Sir [[William Boyd Dawkins]] - geologist and archaeologist and fellow of [[The Royal Society]]

* Wilfred Fletcher C.B.E - Designer of the first Severn Bridge

* [[Francis Graham-Smith]] - Astronomer Royal

* [[Dikran Tahta]] - Maths teacher who inspired Stephen Hawking

There are 64 clubs and societies in operation at Rossall including the traditional [[rugby union]], [[Association football|football]], [[fives]] and [[field hockey|hockey]]. There is a [[Croquet|Croquet Club]]. As well as competing in sporting competitions around the country, Rossall plays host to inter-school tournaments. These have included hockey, preparatory school rugby union and basketball. The fives competition in 2005 included [[Lancing College]], [[Malvern College]], [[Uppingham School]] and [[Shrewsbury School]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Redmond|first=Dominique|date=19 January 2006|url=http://etonfives.co.uk/tournaments/reports.and.results/2005-2006/rossall.schools.2006.html|work=Eton Fives Association Tournament Reports|title=Rossall Schools International 2005–2006: Youth Fives Handball Championship Played at Blackpool Sunday 9th October 2005|access-date=15 May 2008|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907235850/http://www.etonfives.co.uk/tournaments/reports.and.results/2005-2006/rossall.schools.2006.html|archive-date=7 September 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Religious==

Since 2016, Rossall School offers the "Elite Football Programme", a co-corricular program for boys and girls. The program was run in partnership with [[Fleetwood Town F.C.]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Fleetwood Town and Rossall School launch new Elite Girls' Football Programme |url=https://www.fleetwoodtownfc.com/news/2020/november/millie-bright-england-lioness-becomes-ambassador-for-new-elite-girls-football-programme/ |website=Fleetwood Town |access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=FTIFA FOOTBALL STUDIES PROGRAMME |url=https://www.ftifa.co.uk/football-studies/ |website=Fleetwood Town International Football Academy |access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref> Following the end of the relationship of the schools partnership with Fleetwood Town in 2024 the School and the new partnership Club, [[Manchester City F.C.]], announced their collaboration going forward in running the "Elite Football Programme".<ref>{{cite web |title= CITY AND ROSSALL UNVEIL NEW PARTNERSHIP TO LAUNCH FOOTBALL PROGRAMME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS AGED 11-19 |url= https://www.mancity.com/news/club/manchester-city-rossall-unveil-partnership-63846431 |website=Manchester City F.C. |access-date=19 March 2024}}</ref>

* Father [[Thomas Byles|Thomas R.D. Byles]] - Catholic priest who refused to leave the [[Titanic]] so he could help fellow passengers. He perished as it sank.

* William Henry Temple Gairdner - Missionary

* Revd. John Pym - Chaplain to George V

* John Hugh Smyth [[formerly Smyth-Pigott]] - [[Agapemonite]] leader

* [[Alwyn Williams]] - Bishop of Oxford,Durham and Winchester. Chaplain to George V.Prelate of the Most Noble Order of the Garter

====Combined Cadet Force====

==Music==

Rossall was the first school in the United Kingdom to form a Cadet Corps.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archivist.f2s.com/bsu/cadets/victorian.htm|title=Victorian Cadets|access-date=15 May 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070502081839/http://www.archivist.f2s.com/bsu/cadets/victorian.htm |archive-date = 2 May 2007}}</ref> It was founded in February 1860 when the threat of a French/Irish Catholic invasion was at its height.<ref name="WardLockCo240">"Our Great Public Schools, Their Traditions, Customs and Games" – F. A. M. Webster – (Ward, Lock and Co., London, 1937) p.240</ref> Although [[Rugby School]] claims to have raised a company of Volunteer Riflemen in 1804<ref name="WardLockCo240" /> Rossall's is the oldest contingent continuously in existence and the one from which many other schools drew the inspiration of founding theirs. Other schools such as [[Eton College]] formed their corps a few months after Rossall. From 1890 to 1908 the corps was affiliated to the [[1st Lancashire Engineers|1st Lancashire Engineer Volunteers]].<ref>''Monthly Army List''.</ref><ref>R.A. Westlake, ''Royal Engineers (Volunteers) 1859–1908'', Wembley: R.A. Westlake, 1983, {{ISBN|0-9508530-0-3}}.</ref> The institution is still present in the school today with around 100 [[cadet]]s currently enlisted. In recent years the shooting team has excelled with notable victories in the Home Guard Cup and Loyal's Regimental Cup.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.privateschoolnews.co.uk/?p=681|publisher=Private School News|title=School's High Calibre Hot Sots|date=8 March 2007|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112074202/http://www.privateschoolnews.co.uk/?p=681|archive-date=12 January 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The CCF at Rossall received the Queens colours on Tuesday 29 June 2010, to celebrate its 150th anniversary and to acknowledge its status as the oldest cadet corps in the UK.{{fact|date=October 2024}}

Through the Cadet Vocational Qualifications Organisation ([[Cadet Vocational Qualification Organisation (CVQO)|CVQO]]) the School [[Combined Cadet Force|CCF]] offers cadets (aged 16–19) and above the opportunity to gain internationally recognised [[BTEC First Diploma]] qualifications in Public Services and Music. Each BTEC First Diploma is the equivalent of 4 GCSEs, grade C – A*.

* [[Bill Ashton]] - Founder of the [[National Youth Jazz Orchestra]]

* [[Sir Thomas Beecham]] - Conductor and founder of numerous orchestras including the [[London Philharmonic]]

* Anthony Besch - opera director [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,60-527359,00.html]

==School terms==

==Media and Television==

[[File:RossallGazebo.jpg|thumb|right|upright|The Gazebo]]

[[File:RossallSchoolChapel1.jpg|thumb|right|The Chapel of St. John the Baptist, Rossall School]]

[[File:RossallPavillion.jpg|thumb|right|The "Dick Pavilion"]]

* Rossall fives – Rossall's unique version of [[fives]]<ref name="WardLockCo240" /> – an amalgamation of Rugby, Winchester and Eton fives – though it resembles [[Rugby fives]] more than the other two.

* [[Michael Barratt]] - former BBC TV 'Nationwide' anchorman

* [[Rossall hockey]] – A relatively famous<ref name="WardLockCo240" /><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/200010090007|publisher=New Statesman|title=Schools that teach children to lie|date=9 October 2000|access-date=29 April 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930205740/http://www.newstatesman.com/200010090007|archive-date=30 September 2007|url-status = live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> game unique to Rossall – a cross between rugby and hockey, originally derived from the [[Eton field game]], played on the beach in the harshest winter months.

* [[Patrick Campbell]] - 3rd Baron Glenavy

* Henry Curwen - Journalist and author

[[Image:RossallGazebo.jpg|thumb|right|180px|The Gazebo]]

* [[Sonny Flood]] - Actor in [[Hollyoaks]]

* Edmund Garrett - Journalist and newspaper editor [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/33336]

* [[Davinia Taylor]] - Actress and [[It Girl]]

==MiscOld Rossallians==

{{main|List of Old Rossallians}}

[[File:PrepSchool.jpg|thumb|right|Rossall Prep School]]

[[File:O.R.Tie.jpg|thumb|right|upright|The Old Rossallian Tie]]

Many notable people have studied at Rossall over the years.

* John Reginald Birchall - "Swamp of Death" Murderer, hanged in 1890

* [[J. R. Ackerley]] – openly gay author, diarist and memoirist.

* Robert Pickering Ashe

* [[Bill Ashton (jazz musician)|Bill Ashton]] – founder of the [[National Youth Jazz Orchestra]].

* [[Michael Barratt (television presenter)|Michael Barratt]] – BBC television presenter<ref name="Douglas">{{cite news|last=Douglas|first=Torin|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/jul/10/michael-barratt-obituary|title=Michael Barratt obituary|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=10 July 2022|access-date=12 July 2022}}</ref>

* [[Sir Thomas Beecham]] – conductor and founder of numerous orchestras including the [[London Philharmonic]] and [[Royal Philharmonic]].

* [[Arthur Bigge, 1st Baron Stamfordham]] – Private Secretary to [[Queen Victoria]] and [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]]. Responsible for the change in the name of the royal household from [[Saxe-Coburg-Gotha]] to [[House of Windsor|Windsor]] in 1917.

* [[Little Boots]] – singer/songwriter, winner of the BBC's Sound of 2009.

* [[David Brown (entrepreneur)|David Brown]] – owner of both [[Aston Martin]] and [[Lagonda]] car companies from 1947 to 1972. Aston Martin models designated "DB" are named after him.

* Father [[Thomas Byles|Thomas R.D. Byles]] – Catholic priest who refused to leave the Titanic in order to help fellow passengers evacuate. He perished as it sank.

* [[Patrick Campbell, 3rd Baron Glenavy|Patrick Campbell]] – Irish journalist, humorist and television personality.

* [[Leslie Charteris]] – author and creator of ''[[The Saint (Simon Templar)|The Saint]]'' books; a character later portrayed on [[The Saint (TV series)|television]] by [[Roger Moore]] in the 1960s and [[Ian Ogilvy]] in ''[[Return of the Saint]]'' in the 1970s.

* [[Michael Dickinson (horseman)|Michael Dickinson]] – World Record Holding [[National Hunt]] trainer.

* [[James Donald]] – [[Scottish people|Scottish]] character actor (''[[The Bridge on the River Kwai]]'', ''[[The Great Escape (film)|The Great Escape]]'').

* [[J. G. Farrell]] – [[Booker Prize]]-winning novelist.

* [[Lewin Fitzhamon]] – filmmaker<ref name="auto">Obituary in ''[[The Times]]'', ''MR LEWIN FITZHAMON'', ''EARLY BRITISH FILMS'', 11 October 1961, p.15</ref>

* [[George Malcolm Fox]] – inspector of Gymnasia and sword designer

* [[F. W. Harvey]] – First World War poet.

* [[Pedro Pablo Kuczynski]] – 59th President of the Republic of [[Peru]].

* [[Hugh Trevor Lambrick]] – archaeologist, historian and administrator.

* Sir [[Frederick Lugard]] – 1st Governor-General of [[Nigeria]] and Governor of [[Hong Kong]]; also founder of the [[University of Hong Kong]].

* [[John Nixon (British general)|Lieutenant General Sir John Nixon]] – senior officer in the [[Mesopotamian Campaign]] of [[World War I]], who was ultimately responsible for the surrender of the British [[6th Indian Division]] at [[Kut]].

* [[Peter Lyons (musician)|Peter Stanley Lyons]] – musician; Director of Music, [[Royal Naval College, Greenwich]], Master of Choristers and Director of Music, [[Wells Cathedral]] and [[Wells Cathedral School]], Headmaster, [[Witham Hall]] School.<ref>Obituary for Lyons, Peter Stanley, ''Rutland and Stamford Mercury'', Friday, 20 April 2007.</ref>

* [[Charles Kay Ogden]] – linguist, psychologist, philosopher and author, inventor of [[Basic English]].

* [[Clive Phillipps-Wolley]] – author and big game hunter, knighted in 1914.

* [[Brian Redman]] – 3 times [[Formula 5000]] World Champion. (Drove for [[Porsche]], [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]], [[Aston Martin]], [[Shadow Racing Cars|Shadow]], [[McLaren]], [[Cooper Car Company|Cooper BRM]], and [[Chevron Cars Ltd|Chevron]]).

* [[John Shipley Rowlinson]] – scientist and historian of science.

* [[Geoffrey Thompson (businessman)|Geoffrey Thompson]] – managing director and owner of [[Blackpool Pleasure Beach]].

* [[Walter Clopton Wingfield]] – inventor and founder of modern [[Lawn Tennis]].

* [[Peter Winterbottom]] – former [[England national rugby union team|England Rugby Union]] captain. He also played for the [[British and Irish Lions|Lions]].

* [[Arthur Joseph Wrigley]] – obstetrician and gynaecologist

*[[Tom Gregory (singer)|Tom Gregory]] – singer and actor

* The fictional 'Pilot of the Future' [[Dan Dare]] was a former pupil, according to biographical details published in the weekly comic [[Eagle]].

===The Rossallian Club===

==Notable Old Masters and Old Council Members==

The school alumni society is called the Rossallian Club. The Rossallian Club has gatherings every year all over the UK and, with the advent of a large international boarding contingent in recent years, all over the world – the first ‘OR’ (Old Rossalian) meal in Germany took place in 2006.

The school also has its own [[masonic lodge]], founded in 1928, that meets three times a year at [[United Grand Lodge of England|Freemasons' Hall in London]]. It is part of the Public School Lodges Council and is open to any Old Rossallian who wishes to join.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rossallianclub.co.uk/about/default.asp |title=About the Rossallian Club |publisher=Rossallian Club |date=8 October 1928 |access-date=16 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090618142049/http://www.rossallianclub.co.uk/about/default.asp |archive-date=18 June 2009 |url-status = dead|df=dmy-all }}</ref>

* [[John Ambrose Fleming]] - Inventor

* [[Owen Seaman]] - Poet + Journalist

Rossall alumni are among just nine schools to have won [[The Halford Hewitt]] golf tournament more than twice. These schools are (in order of victories): Charterhouse (16), Harrow (11), Eton (10), Tonbridge (6), Rugby (5), Watson's (4), Rossall (3), Shrewsbury (3), Merchiston (3). Rossall is also positioned 8th overall in the Anderson Scale of past performances in the competition.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.halfordhewitt.com/ |title=Halford Hewitt Golf Tournament 2007 |publisher=Halfordhewitt.com |access-date=16 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090511041638/http://www.halfordhewitt.com/ |archive-date=11 May 2009 |url-status = live|df=dmy-all }}</ref>

* [[Edward Henry Stanley]] - 15th Earl of Derby and [[Foreign Secretary]] (Son of [[Edward Smith-Stanley]], 14th Earl of Derby and Prime Minister. Brother of Frederick Arthur Stanley - notable for donating the [[Stanley Cup]])

* [[John Eldon Gorst]] - Politician

==Headmasters of Rossall==

{{unreferenced section|date=November 2012}}

{| class="wikitable" border="1"

|-

! First year at Rossall

! Final year at Rossall

! Name

! Education

! Other notes

|-

| 1844

| 1849

| [[John Woolley (educator)|John Woolley]]

| [[University of London]] & [[University College, Oxford]]

| First Principal of the [[University of Sydney]].

|-

| 1849

| 1869

| Rev. William Alexander Osborne

| [[St Paul's School (London)|St Paul's]] & [[Trinity College, Cambridge]]

| Retired from education after Rossall

|-

| 1870

| 1875

| Rev. Robert Henniker

| [[Charterhouse School|Charterhouse]] & [[Trinity College, Oxford]]

| Retired from education after Rossall

|-

| 1875

| 1886

| [[Herbert Armitage James]]

| [[King Henry VIII Grammar School|Abergavenny Grammar School]], [[Jesus College, Oxford|Jesus College]] & [[Lincoln College, Oxford|Lincoln College]], [[University of Oxford|Oxford]]

| Headmaster of [[Cheltenham College|Cheltenham]] and [[Rugby School|Rugby]]. President of [[St. John's College, Oxford]].

|-

| 1886

| 1896

| Rev. Charles Coverdale Tancock

| [[Sherborne School|Sherborne]] & [[Exeter College, Oxford]]

| Headmaster of [[Tonbridge School|Tonbridge]]

|-

| 1896

| 1908

| Rev. Dr. John Pearce Way

| Bath College & [[Brasenose College|Brasenose College, Oxford]]

| Retired from education after Rossall

|-

| 1908

| 1932

| Rev. Canon Edward John Walford Houghton

| [[Sherborne School|Sherborne]] & [[Christ Church, Oxford]]

| Retired from education after Rossall

|-

| 1932

| 1937

| [[Michael Clarke (priest)|Harold George Michael Clarke]]

| [[St Paul's School (London)|St Paul's]] & [[Trinity College, Cambridge]]

| Headmaster of [[Repton School|Repton]]

|-

| 1937

| 1957

| Rev. Charles Edgar Young

| [[Charterhouse School|Charterhouse]] & [[Exeter College, Oxford]]

| Retired from education after Rossall

|-

| 1957

| 1967

| Geoffrey Sale

| [[Berkhamsted Collegiate School|Berkhamstead]] & [[Lincoln College, Oxford]]

| Director of Studies, Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst

|-

| 1967

| 1972

| [[Roger Ellis (schoolmaster)|Roger Wykeham Ellis]]

| [[Winchester College|Winchester]] & [[Trinity College, Oxford]]

| Headmaster of [[Marlborough College|Marlborough]] and Head of the [[Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference|HMC]]

|-

| 1973

| 1987

| John Sharp

| [[Keighley| Keighley Grammar]] & [[Brasenose College, Oxford]]

| Retired from education after Rossall

|-

| 1987

| 2001

| [[Richard Rhodes (police commissioner)|Richard David Walton Rhodes]]

| [[Rossall]] & [[St John's College, Durham]]

| Retired from education after Rossall

|-

| 2001

| 2008

| Timothy Wilbur

| [[University of Kent|Kent]] & [[Loughborough University|Loughborough]]

| Headmaster of [[Wanganui Collegiate School]]

|-

| 2008

| 2013

| Stephen Charles Winkley

| [[St Edward's School, Oxford|St Edward's]] and [[Brasenose College, Oxford]]

| Previously Head of [[Uppingham School]]

|-

| 2013

| 2018

| Elaine Purves

| [[University of Durham]]

| Head of [[St. John's International School (Belgium)|St John's International School, Brussels]]

|-

|2018

|Present

|Jeremy Quartermain

|[[Peterhouse, Cambridge]], [[Trinity College Dublin|Trinity College, Dublin]] and [[University of East Anglia]]

|Previously Deputy Head Academic of [[Brentwood School, Essex|Brentwood School]]

|}

==Lawrence House Astronomy and Space Science Centre==

[[File:RossallObservatory.jpg|thumb|left|The refurbished Rossall Observatory. (Inset – the observatory before restoration)]]

Rossall is also home to the Lawrence House Astronomy and Space Science Centre – the only centre dedicated solely to the teaching of [[astronomy]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rossall.co.uk/astronomy/ | title=School website: Astronomy | access-date=20 April 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070531063829/http://www.rossall.co.uk/astronomy/ | archive-date=31 May 2007 |url-status = live| df=dmy-all }}</ref> The project consists of the telescope in Rossall's Assheton Observatory as well as a building of its own containing a lecture theatre, classrooms and a portable planetarium. The telescope is of particular note – being {{convert|12|ft|m}} long, 18&nbsp;inches wide and dating from 1870.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Lancashire Evening Telegraph|url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/archive/2003/12/5/517430.html/|title=Space is the star at school centre|date=5 December 2003}}</ref> The objective diameter of the telescope is 6.5&nbsp;inches and it has a focal length of f/13.5.<ref name="AAG: News 10-2000">{{cite web |url=http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/products/journals/aag/aag_October00/aag504.htm |title=AAG: News 10-2000 |publisher=Blackwellpublishing.com |access-date=16 April 2009 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518003200/http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/products/journals/aag/aag_October00/aag504.htm |archive-date=18 May 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

The project has been funded by the [[Lawrence House Trust]] and predominantly run by Nick Lister, originally the head of design and technology at the school and now Astronomer in Residence. Lister is a fellow of the [[Royal Astronomical Society]] and was appointed as vice-president of the [[Association for Astronomy Education]], where he succeeded Dr Robert Massey, who became president of the organisation.<ref name="astronomy169">{{cite web |url=http://www.rossall.co.uk/astronomy/169 |title=Rossall School Astronomy – About Dr Nick Lister |publisher=Rossall.co.uk |access-date=16 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101021192222/http://www.rossall.co.uk/astronomy/169 |archive-date=21 October 2010 |url-status = live|df=dmy-all }}</ref>

When initial assessments were being made for the feasibility of restoring the observatory, both the telescope and observatory were in a poor condition as a result of years of neglect and an arson attempt by some local children. The telescope is made predominantly from [[brass]] and thus suffered minimal corrosion and damage. Most importantly the lens of the telescope survived unscathed allowing for restoration.<ref name="AAG: News 10-2000"/> This was carried out at first by several dedicated parents and governors of the school, amongst them [[Syd Little]]. Soon after the basic restoration ideas were raised for a larger project allowing the teaching of astronomy on a larger scale. After getting clearance from the original owners of the telescope to go ahead with the project, Rossall was given funds from the Lawrence House Trust, an educational charity, to go forward with their plans. The centre had an official opening on 26 September 2006 with Old Rossallian and former Astronomer Royal [[Francis Graham Smith|Sir Francis Graham Smith]] in attendance.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blackpoolcitizen.co.uk/display.var.937403.0.starring_role_for_top_astronomer.php |title=Starring Role For Top Astronomer (from Blackpool Citizen) |publisher=Blackpoolcitizen.co.uk |date=26 September 2006 |access-date=16 April 2009 }}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Arms==

{{Infobox COA wide

|image = Rossall School Achievement.png

|escutcheon = Argent on a pale Gules between four roses of the last a mitre Or between two open books Proper.

|motto = Mens Agitat Molem<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/wiki/Rossall_School |title=Rossall School |publisher=Heraldry of the World |accessdate=14 November 2021}}</ref>}}

==References==

{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==

*'Rossall School, Its Rise and Progress' – Canon St Vincent Beechy (1894)

*'History of Rossall School' – John Frederick Rowbotham (First ed. 1895, John Heywood)

*'The Centenary History of Rossall School' – W Furness (1945, [[Gale and Polden]])

*'A Very Desolate Position' – Peter Bennett (1977, Rossall Archives)

*'Rossall Will be What You Make it' – Peter Bennett (1992, Rossall Archives)

*'The Tide Flows On' – Derek Winterbottom (2006, Manx Press)

*'A Short History of the Rossall School Corps.' – Lt.-Col. L. H. Trist (1960, pp.&nbsp;27. Fleetwood Chronicle: Fleetwood)

*'Alleyn's and Rossall schools : the Second World War, experience and status'- Donald Leinster_Mackay (1990, Leeds : Museum of the History of Education, University of Leeds.)

*'Hymns for use in the chapel of Rossall School' – Herbert A. James. (1880, R. Clay, Sons, & Taylor: London)

*'Rossall. An Ode, by O. Seaman ... for the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of the School' – Charles Harford Lloyd (1894, London & New York : Novello, Ewer and Co)

==External links==

{{Commons category-inline|Rossall School}}

* [http://www.rossallschool.org.uk/ Official site]

* [http://www.isc.co.uk/schools/england/lancashire/fleetwood/rossall-school Profile] on the [[Independent Schools Council]] website

* [http://www.rossallianclub.co.uk/ Rossallian Club Website]

* [http://www.rossallfoundation.co.uk/ Rossall Foundation Website]

* [http://www.rossall.co.uk/astronomy/ Lawrence House Astronomy and Space Science Centre Website]

* [http://www.rossallsummerschool.org.uk/ Rossall Summer School Website]

* [http://www.oldrossallianlodge.co.uk/ Old Rossallian Lodge]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111007214126/http://www.privateschoolnews.co.uk/index.php?s=rossall Rossall School in the Press]

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080511233452/http://www.rossallbeach.co.uk/rossallschoolp.htm A Pictorial History of Rossall]

{{LancashireSchools}}

* http://www.rossall.co.uk/

{{Borough of Wyre buildings}}

* http://www.rossall-isc.org.uk/

{{Borough of Wyre culture}}

* http://www.rossallbeach.co.uk/rossallschoolp.htm

{{Public schools in England}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rossall School| ]]

[[Category:Astronomy education]]

[[Category:Boarding schools in Lancashire]]

[[Category:Church of England private schools in the Diocese of Blackburn]]

[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1844]]

[[Category:PublicGrade schoolsII listed buildings in Lancashire]]

[[Category:SchoolsPrivate schools in WyreLancashire]]

[[Category:International Baccalaureate schools in England]]

[[Category:MembersMember schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference]]

[[Category:Schools in the Borough of Wyre]]

[[Category:Grade II listed educational buildings]]

[[Category:Astronomical observatories in England]]

[[Category:1844 establishments in England]]

[[Category:E. G. Paley buildings]]

[[Category:Schools with a royal charter]]