Great Ballard School: 100 years of education that gives children the freedom to be children

Climbing trees, exploring the woods and feeling a sense of freedom are the things which past pupils remember with fondness.

When the school moved to Eartham House in March 1961, there were no such luxuries as hot running water. The morning would start with a cold bath, meals were basic and the children had to change for games in the dank cellar.

Bug hunting in the vast grounds was a favourite activity and shooting was also a popular pastime, as the school had its own rifle range. Nowadays, though fashions have changed, pupils are still very much encouraged to explore.

The values remain the same, with a focus on creating a family atmosphere and treating children as individuals, with access to a wide range of opportunities so they are able to reach their potential.

Once a traditional boys’ school with just a few girls, Great Ballard now has a more even ratio and the pupils are all given the freedom to be children, going off with their friends and climbing trees.

Great Ballard School was founded in New Milton, Hampshire, in 1924 by Ivor Poole, a choral scholar from King’s College Cambridge. It was relocated to Clayesmore School, Dorset, during the Second World War and then moved again to Stowell Park, Gloucestershire, in 1940, where it remained for seven years, thanks to the generosity of Lord and Lady Vestey.

In 1947, the school moved to Cordwalles, Camberley, Surrey, but due to urban development in 1960, a new location was sought. It was in March 1961, that Great Ballard School settled at Eartham House, where it continues to uphold its founding values.

Famous people associated with the school include author Michael Morpurgo, whose first job was teaching at Great Ballard School. He was between school and university and worked there for a year in a role he describes as 'like a senior prefect'. He was living in Rogate and used to drive every morning over the top of Goodwood.

Actress Honeysuckle Weeks, best known for her role as Sam in the ITV drama Foyle’s War, attended the school and she has described her formative years there as the most important of her life.

Others who have attended include Spitfire pilot Squadron Leader Leonard Dickson and adventure travel author Richard Meredith.

The house itself has its own history, being at the heart of the Eartham estate. It was established by Thomas Hayley in 1743 and then became the home of his son, the poet William Hayley, whose time at Eartham House is recorded on a blue plaque that was installed at the school in March 2013.

In 1780, the building was acquired by Chichester MP William Huskisson, who is known for being the first person to be killed on the railway, having been struck by Stephenson’s Rocket in 1830.

The house redesigned by Sir Edwin Lutyens following its purchase by Sir William Bird in 1905 and it has since been granted Grade II Listed status.