Lambrook

Lambrook is an independent preparatory school in Winkfield Row, in the village of Winkfield in Berkshire, for day and weekly and flexi boarding pupils between the ages of 3 and 13.

The school was founded in 1860 by Robert Burnside,[2] in a large country house built in 1853 by William Budd.[3] Burnside initially employed only one master, and by 1879 there were twenty one boys, including two grandsons of Queen Victoria, Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein.[4] Run as a traditional boys' boarding school, Lambrook accepted only male pupils between the ages of 7 and 13 until 1993.[5]

In 1883 Edward Mansfield took over as headmaster, with 46 boys, and made substantial additions to the property, almost doubling its size. Mansfield's expansion saw Lambrook gain a reputation as an efficiently run and forward looking school, although this came at significant financial cost, which placed the school's finances under considerable pressure.[5] It was around this time that there was a 'row',[6] which saw almost all of the pupils leave.

Upon the accession of Francis Browne in 1904 there were only 35 pupils and seven teaching staff, but by 1935 the school had expanded again to 59 boys.[citation needed ] The current chapel was built under Francis Browne's tenure, in 1905.[citation needed ] By 1945 there were 90 boys and a nearby residence, Westfield, was purchased to accommodate 30 pupils.[citation needed ] When Archie Forbes took over in 1952 the school finances were at crisis point, and only improved by the time Philip Brownless, Archie Forbes' son-in-law, was appointed in 1956.[citation needed ] However, substantial death duty liabilities hit Lambrook when Archie Forbes died in the same year, and the financial ruin that the school then faced[citation needed ] was only averted in 1967, when Lambrook became a Charitable Trust.[7]

By 1971 there were 120 boys, increasing to 140 by 1997. Major expansions of the premises took place between 1978 and 1984 during the headmastership of Tom Clough, including a new teaching block, a squash court and an all-weather pitch. During this period the school gained an outstanding reputation for the high calibre of teaching and the academic and sporting achievements of its pupils.[5] Lambrook declined under the tenure of Michael Bickersteth (1989–92), with numbers dropping considerably, a trend not significantly changed by his successor Robin Badham Thornhill, who resigned in 1997 to take up the Headship of Summerfields, Oxford.[citation needed ]

In 1993 a pre-prep department was opened with four children, increasing to 69 by 1997. In that year the Governors approved a merger with Haileybury Junior School in Windsor which was beset by the limitations of its site, and John Hare, headmaster of Haileybury was appointed to the new combined school, called Lambrook-Haileybury, with 200 children, now of both sexes, both boarders and day pupils.[2] Robert Deighton's tenure as Head saw the school flourish with numbers growing to over 450.[5] In July 2009, the school ceased links with Haileybury[why? ], and returned to the original name of Lambrook.[2][8]

The school has 52 acres (210,000 m2) of grounds and playing fields, which includes a 25m indoor swimming pool, cricket squares, squash and tennis courts, Astroturf, netball courts, large and currently getting bigger Dining Hall (2021) and a 9-hole golf course. Lambrook caters for both day pupils and flexible boarding pupils.

Pupils at Lambrooks have the option of flexi-boarding. Each night, the heads of the Boarding Houses will choose an activity for the children to take part in, such as swimming, gymnastics and even slip 'n' slide in the summer.

Lambrook offers a wide range of activities, ranging from Skiing , Water polo, Computer-aided design, and even Mini MasterChef. The school call these sessions enrichment sessions and take every chance to enjoy the opportunities that Lambrook offer. The Year 5 pupils currently (2021) are taking part in the Shakespeare Schools Festival at Southhill Park Theater, Bracknell.