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| St Edmund's College, Ware | |
|---|---|
| Name | St Edmund's College, Ware |
| Established | 1568 (refounded 1793) |
| Type | Roman Catholic public school |
| Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Old Hall Green, Ware, Hertfordshire |
| Country | England |
St Edmund's College, Ware is a historic Roman Catholic boarding and day school for boys and girls located at Old Hall Green near Ware, Hertfordshire, England. Founded originally in exile during the Elizabethan era and refounded on its current site in the late 18th century, the school has links to the Catholic Reformation, the English Reformation, and the survival of recusant institutions associated with the Plantagenet and Tudor periods. The college retains connections to ecclesiastical institutions such as the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, the Dominicans, and the Jesuits through its education traditions.
The college traces its antecedents to the English Catholic seminaries established after the Act of Supremacy and the Elizabethan Religious Settlement, which led to institutions operating in exile in places like Douai, Padua, and Rome. During the 18th century, figures associated with the Catholic Emancipation movement and families such as the Fitzalan-Howard and the Arundell patrons facilitated a return to England, culminating in the founding at Old Hall Green in 1793 amid the aftermath of the French Revolution and shifting European politics involving the Holy Roman Empire and the Napoleonic Wars. The 19th century saw expansion under clergy influenced by the Oxford Movement and interactions with the Papal States and the Vatican; the college navigated legal changes including the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 and social developments tied to the Industrial Revolution and the rise of Victorian philanthropy. The 20th century involved adaptation to wartime exigencies during the First World War and the Second World War, and postwar reforms prompted engagement with bodies like the Education Act 1944 and the European Convention on Human Rights, while maintaining links to orders such as the Franciscans and the Benedictines.
The campus at Old Hall Green encompasses historic buildings and landscaping influenced by architects and patrons from the Georgian era and the Victorian era, with stylistic references comparable to works by designers associated with Horace Walpole and Sir Christopher Wren traditions. Architectural elements evoke manor-house planning seen in estates like Haddon Hall and Chatsworth House, while chapels and cloisters reflect liturgical design parallel to Westminster Cathedral and parish churches rebuilt after the Reformation. The college grounds include sports fields, boarding houses, and chaplaincy facilities that have hosted visitors from institutions such as the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, and have been the site of events involving representatives from the Archdiocese of Westminster and dioceses across England and Wales.
Academic life at the college aligns with curricula comparable to standards set by examination boards used by schools feeding into universities like University College London, the London School of Economics, King's College London, and the University of Edinburgh. Admissions historically reflected networks among recusant families including the Howards, Cliffords, and Treshams, and modern intake draws pupils connected to Catholic parishes such as St Alban and St Edmund Campion communities. The institution prepares pupils for qualifications recognized by agencies interacting with bodies like the Office for Standards in Education and pathways leading to professional institutions including the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Student life preserves Catholic rites and customs observed in chapels similarly oriented to practices in communities like the Dominican Order and the Society of Jesus, with feast days commemorating saints such as St Edmund, St Thomas More, and St John Fisher. Traditions incorporate processions, liturgies, and musical settings inspired by repertoires used in venues like Westminster Abbey and the Royal Albert Hall, alongside house systems recalling English public school models associated with Eton College and Rugby School. Community activities have involved outreach linked to charities such as CAFOD and service projects coordinated with agencies like the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development.
Sporting life features fixtures and training comparable to teams from institutions such as Harrow School, Charterhouse School, and local clubs affiliated with the Hertfordshire County Football Association and the Rugby Football Union. Pupils engage in rowing, cricket, rugby, and athletics with competitive exchanges reminiscent of matches between Old Etonians and other traditional sides, while arts and societies maintain dramatic and musical programs modeled on productions seen at the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Extracurricular offerings include debating, Model United Nations, and cadet formations linked historically to volunteer movements such as the Officer Training Corps.
Alumni and staff have included clerics, politicians, jurists, artists, and academics who intersected with figures and institutions like the Roman Curia, House of Lords, House of Commons, Royal Society, and the British Museum. Former pupils have served in roles connected to the European Parliament, the Civil Service, and the Commonwealth Secretariat, and have been contemporaries of personalities associated with the Bloomsbury Group and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. The college's educators have collaborated with faculties at the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, and international seminaries in Rome and Douai.
Category:Schools in Hertfordshire Category:Catholic schools in England