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A History of Excellence
A History of Excellence
For as much as God ' s glory , his honour , and the wealth public , is advanced and maintained by no means more than by virtuous education and bringing up of Youth under such as be learned and virtuous Schoolmasters , whose good examples may as well instruct them to live well as their doctrine and learning may furnish their minds with knowledge and cunning , [ I ] have thought it good , not only to erect the said Free Grammar School , and to provide a reasonable and competent Stypend for the Schoolmaster of the same , and that in respect of the zeal that I have to God ' s glory , and for the love that I bear to my native country ...
Extract : Sir John Deane , Statutes , 1557
Sir John Deane ’ s has a long and proud history that dates back 460 years . A local clergyman , Sir John Deane rose through the church ranks and later became a rector at St Bartholomew the Great in London .
Never forgetting his roots , and keen to provide the inhabitants of his native area with the means of self-improvement through education , he set up a charitable trust and gifted the land on which the first school was built in 1557 .
In 1907 , the school , then a boys ’ grammar , moved to its current riverside site thanks to the generosity of another local benefactor , Sir John Brunner . Brunner , alongside Ludwig Mond , developed the wealthiest British chemical company of the late nineteenth century , which became the biggest employer in the area for decades after .
Brunner ’ s kind donation , which marked the 350th anniversary of the school , laid the foundations for the next 100 years , and inspired a new generation of young learners .
The environment has since advanced with a £ 28 million regeneration of the site , however , the College campus is still firmly rooted in its proud history and heritage , which is evident in our flourishing boat club , distinctive crest and historic buildings .
A portrait of Sir John Brunner hangs in the Brunner Hall , looking over new generations of students and reminding us all of the importance our history plays in underpinning the success of our future and our core principles of ambition , excellence , resilience and loyalty .