Commemorating 481 Years Of Dauntsey’s

Published by Dauntsey's on Monday 20th of March 2023

Today, our school community came together to celebrate 481 years of Dauntsey’s.  Founded back in 1542, during the reign of King Henry VIII and the time of the Reformation, Dauntsey’s is around the 150th oldest school in the world.

Dauntsey’s originated from one man’s desire to provide education, giving the money for one school house and one school master.  Today, the desire to provide excellent education remains; we may no longer be one school building, with just one school master but we are one united community, with a constant and fundamental ethos - be kind, be adventurous, fulfil your potential and honour God.

We joined together today and celebrated the founding of our school and its rich history, but we also celebrated the future of the school and each and every one of the students we have.

The first 350 years of Dauntsey’s history is a little hazy – school life was influenced greatly by the seasons and the demands of the farming community and history books were not kept. However, the Victorian Education Reform saw a renewed Dauntsey’s Agricultural School open it’s imposing green doors in 1895 under the headship of F W Long. From Long to Lascelles there have been 8 Head Masters.  The school roll has risen from 70 students to the 870.  We have moved from being a single-sex school to a fully co-educational school with a 50/50 split between boys and girls.  We have gained buildings and boats, and moved from one boarding house to five (with an additional seven day houses), accommodating pupils from all across the country and around the world. We have welcomed pupils back as parents, grandparents and teachers. 

As we mark our 481st anniversary, we are thankful for our evolution, grateful for where we are today and excited for all that lies ahead.