Spotlight on St Auybns School, Brighton BN2 7JN...

Name of School: St Auybns School

Address: St Aubyns School, Rottingdean, Brighton, BN2 7JN

Tel no: 01273 302170

Website: www.staubynsschoolbrighton.co.uk

Number of pupils: 189Age group: 3-13Gender: CoedName of person interviewed: Simon Hitchings MA (Oxon)Job title: Headmaster

When were you founded and by whom? 1895 by Mr CEF Stanford. St Aubyns was privately owned by three successive heads until it became a Charitable Trust in 1969.

What would you say the school is most renowned for? Performing Arts, pastoral care and a broad academic curriculum.

Do you have a school motto and, if so, what is it? andrizesqe (Ancient Greek for ‘Be courageous’)

What do you think are the most interesting changes taking place in the education system? Consideration of the exams for which we are preparing our pupils for - Common Entrance, GCSE, A Level and IB; St Aubyns is a great believer in the breadth and challenge of Common Entrance.

Who are your most famous alumni? Jack Kipling (son of Rudyard), 3rd Earl Baldwin, Gus Christie (Executive Chairman of Glyndebourne Opera), Sir George Young MP, Nicholas Soames MP, Noah Cato (Saracens Rugby FC).

And have you got any stars of the future currently attending? Two boys contracted to Portsmouth FC, the main character of a feature film to be released this summer, an outstanding musician aged 12 already Grade 7 Violin and Grade 6 Piano, nine scholarship winners (two academic, two music, two art, two drama and one all-round) so far this year as well as 32 scholarship winners 2008-10.

Tell us the most surprising story about the school? The school chapel was built in 1912 by a maintenance man who was at St Aubyns with Mr Stanford from 1895. It is built of wood in the Carpenters’ Gothic style, contains exquisite stained glass and is solid, warm and used by the school for morning assembly every day!