Oundle School - History

History

The original school was known as Laxton Grammar School, and founded by Sir William Laxton. Laxton had been a member of the Worshipful Company of Grocers and was honoured with the role of Lord Mayor of London in 1544, during the reign of Henry VIII. Laxton used the prosperity which his life in London had granted him to establish a school for the local boys of Oundle in his will, which was to be maintained by the Worshipful Company of Grocers. There had in fact been a school on the site since at least as early as 1485, at which Laxton himself was educated. Sir William Laxton founded his school known as Laxton Grammar School in 1556 (the late Queen Mother having attended the school's fourth centenary celebrations in 1956 held at the original school building situated in the churchyard of St. Peter's Church, North Street, Oundle).

The size and reputation of Laxton Grammar School rose gradually in the following centuries such that by the mid-nineteenth century, many of the school's pupils had been sent from all around the country to receive their formal education in Oundle. In 1876 the decision was made by the Grocers to divide the school into two different establishments, Oundle School and Laxton Grammar School. Laxton Grammar School was to continue to educate boys from Oundle and its surrounding villages while Oundle School was to accept only the sons of gentlemen from further afield.

It is during this period of the school's history that Oundle rose to real prominence as an English Public School, a feat which can be largely attributed to the successes of F. W. Sanderson in his role as headmaster from 1892 until his death in 1922. When Sanderson joined Oundle he found a minor country boarding school, by the time of his death the school had become the leading establishment for science and engineering education. The success of Sanderson can be attributed to his educational ethos, he believed in teaching students what they wanted to learn and as a result helped to introduce subjects such as science, modern languages, and engineering to the English independent school system.

The major development in the recent history of the school came about in 1990, when Oundle opened its doors to girls for the first time. In the year 2000 the decision was made by the school's governing body to re-unite Oundle School and Laxton School as a single educational establishment under the common name Oundle School, with Laxton House becoming the day house.