Saint Felix School is a 2–18 mixed, private, day and boarding school in Reydon, Southwold, Suffolk, England. The school was founded in 1897 as a school for girls but is now co-educational.

Saint Felix School
Address
Map
Halesworth Road, Reydon

, ,
IP18 6SD

England
Coordinates52°20′05″N 1°39′18″E / 52.33473°N 1.65489°E / 52.33473; 1.65489
Information
TypePrivate, day and boarding school
MottoLatin: Felix Quia Fortis
(Happiness Through Strength)
Established1897; 127 years ago (1897)
FounderMargaret Isabella Gardiner
Local authoritySuffolk County Council
Department for Education URN124868 Tables
HeadmasterMatthew Oakman
GenderMixed
Age range2–18
Enrolment301 (2018)[1]
Capacity319[1]
Houses
  • Kay
  • Pemberton
  • Rowell
  • Edmond
[2]
Colour(s)  Green

  Blue

  Gold
AlumniOld Felicians
Websitewww.stfelix.co.uk

History edit

The school was founded in 1897 as a girls' school by Margaret Isabella Gardiner.[citation needed]

By September 1902, the present site of the school had been purchased and the first four boarding houses and teaching block completed.[3] In 1909 Lucy Mary Silcox took over as headmistress from the founding head.[4] The student roll grew and in 1910, the Gardiner Assembly Hall and a Library were built and Clough House followed in 1914.[5]

 
Miss Silcox by Lady Ottoline Morrell in 1925

Silcox was able to bring leading thinkers and artists to the school and money was found to buy sculpture[6] and paintings. The modernist paintings inspired pupils like the artist Gwyneth Johnstone who remembered seeing work by Chistopher Wood at the school.[7] Silcox directed the girls in ancient Greek plays. The students knew she was President of the local National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies as she gave talks in surrounding villages in support of women gaining the vote.[6] The school continued during the 1914-18 war and during the 1916-1917 school year there was an outpost of the school at Penmaenmawr as some parents were worried about their students' safety.[8] The whole school was evacuated three times and the school took in some Serbian refugees.[9]

Today edit

The school accommodates babies and toddlers in the St Felix Nursery, and children up to the age of 18 in the Sixth Form. The school offers boarding throughout the term, weekly, or 'flexi' boarding.[10] The current head is Mrs Annie Hardcastle

Notable former pupils edit

Notable staff edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Saint Felix School". Get information about schools. Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  2. ^ "The House System". Saint Felix School. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  3. ^ "History". St Felix School. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Silcox, Lucy Mary (1862–1947), headmistress and feminist". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/53822. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  5. ^ "St. Felix School Historical Notes". www.blythburgh.net. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Silcox, Lucy Mary (1862–1947), headmistress and feminist". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/53822. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  7. ^ Harrod, Tanya (6 January 2011). "Gwyneth Johnstone obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  8. ^ "PENMAENMAWR" (PDF). Old Felicians: 32. January 2020.
  9. ^ Ryan, George. "Southwold boarding school to offer places to Syrian refugees". Lowestoft Journal. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  10. ^ Saint Felix School
  11. ^ Natalie Caine, The Guardian, 2009-02-17. Retrieved 2013-01-05.
  12. ^ Elaine Kaye, Coltman, Constance Mary (1889–1969), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004.
  13. ^ Baroness David, The Daily Telegraph, 2009-12-07. Retrieved 2013-01-05.
  14. ^ Toolis, Kevin (20 May 2000). "Race to the right". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  15. ^ HAGGARD, Lilias Margitson Rider, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 accessed 5 Jan 2013
  16. ^ Sidebottom, Eric (January 2011). "Heatley, Norman George (1911–2004)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  17. ^ Sister Janet, Mother Maribel of Wantage Published by SPCK, London (1973) ISBN 0281027285 pg 10
  18. ^ ‘RUSSELL, Anna’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2007; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007 accessed 5 Jan 2013
  19. ^ Jonathan Bradbury, ‘Smith, Dame Enid Mary Russell Russell- (1903–1989)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 5 Jan 2013
  20. ^ Anna Leendertz Ford, Tipper, Constance Fligg (1894–1995), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 5 Jan 2013
  21. ^ Anne MustoeThe Daily Telegraph obituary, 11 December 2009.
  22. ^ 'Ivey Dickson', obituary in The Daily Telegraph, 20 November 2014, p. 33

External links edit