The John Fisher School

The John Fisher School is a voluntary-aided Roman Catholic boys secondary school located in Purley, UK. It is maintained by the London Borough of Sutton, but many of its students come from the London Borough of Croydon. Its current headmaster is Mr. M. J. Scully, who joined the school in 2006. Before him, Mr. P.Liddiard (himself a former pupil at the school) took a cover year as Head Master but his true predecessor as headmaster is Robin Gregory, who oversaw a successful application for the school to become a specialist sports college.

History

The John Fisher School was founded by Peter Emmanuel Amigo, Archbishop of Southwark, in 1927, and moved in 1931 to its current premises in Peaks Hill, Purley. It is the only currently-open school, named after Saint John Fisher, which was founded before his canonization in 1935. This is indicated by the absence of `Saint' from the school name. Until 1977 it was a fee-paying boys grammar school, but in that year it became an all-ability school maintained by the London Borough of Sutton. In 1992, following much discussion and a vote by parents, John Fisher was incorporated as a Grant Maintained School. In 1998 the School expanded from four to five forms of entry, and in September 1999, it became a voluntary-aided school once more. In 2004 John Fisher School became a Specialist Sports College and construction began on a 1.2 million pound Sports hall which was opened by Sir Bobby Robson. Today, John Fisher is organized into 6 forms of entry in the lower school, but remains a five form entry school, admitting 150 pupils. The School has an Old Boys Association and two Old Boys sports sections, Purley John Fisher RFC (for Rugby Union based in Old Coulsdon) and John Fisher Old Boys Sports Club ( for Football and Cricket based on Limpsfield Road Warlingham, though both are accessable to Sixth Formers.

Notable alumni

• Michael Corcoran, former London Irish Rugby Union player
• Derry Coughlan, England U19, London Irish and Lansdowne Rugby Union player
• Sean Crowley, record-breaking (with Mike Nestor, below) and solo trans-Atlantic rower
• Sir Bernard 'Barney' Hayhoe, Baron Hayhoe PC, former Conservative MP and Cabinet Minister
• Paul Higgins, DJ and Music Promoter
• Michael Latham, influential documentary (Man Alive, Horizon etc) film-maker
• Ricky Nebbett, England A, Leicester, Leinster and Harlequins Rugby Union prop forward
• Mike Nestor, record-breaking (with Sean Crowley, above) trans-Atlantic rower
• Bill Nighy, actor
• Diarmuid Byron O'Connor, sculptor
• Gilles Peterson, Acid Jazz DJ
• Mike Pointing, Harlequins Academy Rugby Union player
• Tony Purnell, former principal of the Jaguar and Red Bull Formula One teams
• Martyn Rooney, olympic England running team
• Paul Sackey, England and London Wasps Rugby Union player
• Commander Jim Suthers, WWII naval flier, involved in the capture of Engima materials
• Most Rev. Bishop Howard Trip, formerly of the Archdiocese of Southwark
• Matthew Wright, television personality
• Jim Buttress, Chairman Amateur Football Combination (formerly London Old Boys League) and Chairman of the Royal Horticultural Society's Britain in Bloom competition

External links

• School Website
• Sutton Site
• John Fisher Old Boys Association
• John Fisher Old Boys Football & Cricket
• Purley John Fisher RFC - Old Boys rugby club