Millfield is an independent school in Street, Somerset, England. It is the largest co-educational boarding school, and the largest co-educational independent school in the country, catering for 1260 pupils, of which 910 are boarders [1]. It is well known for its sporting excellence. The pupil-teacher ratio is 7.5:1 and the average class size is 12. Over 200 students go on to University each year, over a quarter of whom go to one of the top ten institutions as listed in The Sunday Times University League Table. It is one of the most prestigious and expensive schools in the country, but many pupils receive subsidised tuition in the form of scholarships and bursaries. The school motto is Molire Molendo. Millfield School has its own Preparatory School, situated in Glastonbury, Somerset.
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History
Millfield was founded in 1935 by RJO Meyer (always affectionately referred to just as "Boss") in the house originally owned by the Clark family, who owned and ran the major shoe manufacturer Clarks. Over the years the school acquired land and houses around the locale and a result there were many boarding houses within a 10 mile (16 km) radius of the original site. In recent years, several new boarding houses have been built on the school campus, replacing those situated off-campus.
Sports
Millfield is famous for its sporting achievements. A large purpose-built campus houses a wide range of high quality facilities and 130 staff sports coaches oversee the vast array of sports on offer. Each year, 25 or more of Millfield's students win international honours across a broad spectrum of games. In recent years, Millfield teams have won national championships in basketball, golf, hockey (indoor and outdoor), girls' athletics, fencing, modern pentathlon, triathlon, rugby union sevens, boys' and girls' squash, cricket, orienteering, and boys' and girls' tennis. Recent famous sporting products have been rugby players Anthony Allen and Olly Morgan and cricketers Rory Hamilton-Brown, Simon Jones and James Hildreth. Unusually amongst British schools, over the years a number of pupils have competed at the Olympics whilst still enrolled at the school.
The sports facilities of the school include:
- 3 Olympic-quality water-based astroturfs
- 2 18-hole golf courses and a driving range
- A running track, with track and field facilities
- 2 multi-purpose sports halls
- A large equestrian centre (including an indoor riding school)
- An indoor tennis centre with numerous courts
- A 50 metre indoor swimming pool
- A large gym and a free weights room
- A fencing salle
- A judo dojo
- A full sized cricket pitch with practice facilities
- Large multi use playing fields for rugby and football pitches
- Many tennis courts, darts centres, squash and netball courts.
Boarding houses
In past years many boarding houses were located in surrounding villages - meaning the pupils had to be bused in and out of school every day. However the school has now brought all but three on or near the school campus. Several large new boarding houses have recently been constructed within school grounds. The houses include: Boarding:
- Abbey (Girls)
- Acacia (Girls)
- Butleigh (Boys)
- Etonhurst (Boys)
- Holmcroft (Boys) (was girls)
- Joan's Kitchen (Boys)
- Keen's Elm (Boys)
- Kernick (Boys' house until 1975 - when it became a girls' house)
- Kingweston (Boys)
- Martins (Girls)
- Millfield (6th form Boys)
- Orchards (Boys)
- Portway (6th form Girls)
- St Anne's (Boys)
- Shapwick (Boys)
- Southfield (Girls)
- Walton (Boys)
- Warner (Girls)
Day:
- Bullock (Boys)
- Cookson (Boys)
- Skinner (Boys)
- Witt (Girls)
- Kightley (Girls)
Millfield Governors
- Adrian E. White Founder and Chairman of Biwater plc. BBC Governor since 1995
- Bishop Paul Barber, Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Bath and Wells
- Ray Burton, Educated at Haberdashers' Aske's and Birmingham University, and then qualified as a chartered accountant
- Mrs Clare Cripps, Educated at University College London, senior manager at West Sussex County Council
- Mrs Judith Derbyshire, solicitor working in private practice in Bristol
- Jonty Driver, Master of Wellington College from 1989-2000
- Gareth Edwards, Wales and British Lions rugby player
- Colin Humphrey, A member of the legal profession for 42 years retiring as Senior Partner of a local firm of solicitors in 2000
- Richard Mawditt OBE, director of the International Centre of Higher Education Management, University of Bath
- Atul Patel, Fiji Islander and Old Millfieldian with background in international merchant and investment banking
- Brian Rigby CBE, former Deputy Chief Executive of the Office of Government Commerce
- David Rosser, former Deputy Head of Millfield School and former England Rugby international
- Mrs Anabel Sexton, former European Brand Communications Director at TaylorMade Adidas Golf
- Roger Trafford, Former Prep Headmaster at King's, Taunton, Clifton and the Dragon School, Oxford
- Robert Clark
Notable Old Millfieldians
- Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia
- Anthony Allen, Gloucester and England rugby player
- Lily Allen, Singer-Songwriter
- Prince Asem bin Al Nayef
- Mary Bignall-Rand, Long Jump Gold Medallist in 1964 Olympics
- Tony Blackburn, Radio DJ
- Alan Brooke, 3rd Viscount Brookeborough, lord in waiting to H.M. the Queen
- Michael Brougham, 5th Baron Brougham and Vaux, politician
- Julian Cayo-Evans, Welsh political activist and leader of the Free Wales Army
- Russell Chambers, Financier and adviser to Tony Blair
- Jason Connery, Actor
- Stewart Copeland, Musician
- Sophie Dahl, model
- Peter Denning, Somerset cricketer
- Dominic Dromgoole Theatre director and critic
- Wes Durston, Somerset cricketer
- Gareth Edwards, British Lions and Welsh Rugby International
- Jeremy Edwards, British Actor ( Hollyoaks & Celebrity Big Brother )
- Mark Foster, World record holder 25 m and 50 m Freestyle, Commonwealth, European and World champion 50 m Freestyle
- Helen Fox, Novelist
- Morris Gould, the real name of Mixmaster Morris, ambient musician and DJ
- Eseosa Gbinigie, rugby footballer
- Duncan Goodhew, 1980 Olympic Gold Medallist in 100 m Breaststroke
- Abi Griffiths, television presenter
- Rory Hamilton-Brown, Surrey and England U19 cricketer
- David Heath, politician
- James Hewitt, Army Officer and lover of Diana, Princess of Wales
- James Hildreth Somerset Cricketer & International
- Ben Hollioake, Late England and Surrey cricketer, 1977-2002
- Simon Jones, England and Glamorgan Cricketer
- Sharif Khan, Squash player from Pakistan
- Robin Lett, cricketer
- Ian Liddell-Grainger, politician
- Simon Mawer, author
- Olly Morgan, Gloucester and England rugby player
- Maha Vajiralongkorn, Crown Prince and heir to the throne of Thailand.
- Simon Mantell, England International and Olympic Hockey Player
- Will Matthews, rugby player
- Bradley Middleton, Cardiff City FC football player
- Matt Perry, British Lions and English Rugby International
- Alex Pettyfer, Teen Actor, played 'Alex Rider' in Stormbreaker
- Reuben Reid, footballer, currently playing for Plymouth Argyle
- Michael Ridpath, Novelist
- Roland Rudd, Public Relations Executive and advisor to Tony Blair
- John Sergeant, journalist and broadcaster
- Nicollette Sheridan, British Actress (Knots Landing & Desperate Housewives)
- Karan Shah, Hotelier
- John Skeffington, 14th Viscount Massereene
- John Standing, actor
- Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates
- JPR Williams, British Lions and Welsh Rugby International
- Harry Williamson, musician
- Lawrie Wilson, Colchester United FC football player
- Rob Skipper, Lead singer of The Holloways
Notable parents
Millfield has been the alma mater for the children of many rich and famous people including:
- Pierce Brosnan
- John Cleese
- Sean Connery
- Hashim Khan
- Adnan Khashoggi
- Henry Mancini
- Oliver Reed
- Omar Sharif
- Boris Yeltsin (grandparent)
- John Stonehouse
- David Myers
- James Goldsmith
- John Aspinall (zoo owner)
- Ian Woosnam
- Nigel Mansell
- John Hughes
- Tim Martin
- Anjelica Huston
- Robert Clark
- Mark Knopfler
- Terry Pratchett
- Jerry John Rawlings
- Jon Anderson
- Tony Adams
- Howard Jones
- Keith Allen
- Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand
- Duncan Goodhew
- Michael Parkinson
- Jimmy Hill
- Elizabeth Taylor
- Charles Dance
- Kenneth Kaunda (grandparent)
