Celebrating 400 Years of Virtue, Learning and Manners

This year we are celebrating 400 years of the School values: Virtue, Learning and Manners.

The School statutes, signed in 1622 by John Donne, Dean of St Paul’s and one of England’s finest poets, made it clear that pupils should be instructed in “Virtue, learning and manners”, values which permeate our entire history and can be found in the School prayer.

Some of the earliest teachers at the School understood that education was important for several reasons – the personal growth of each individual pupil, the development of an understanding of the world and our place in it, and to ensure the good of the nation.

William Payne, a priest and former pupil at Brentwood School, explained this at length in a 45 minute sermon before the first Old Brentwoods’ dinner in 1682 in which he said:

Those things which are most beneficial to the world which really conduce to the comfort and welfare and happiness of mankind, are best carried on with the help of the truest learning.

As we reflect on our School values, we see that the same principles of academic achievement within a caring Christian ethos remain a cornerstone of the School’s philosophy today.

We continue to provide traditional values in a modern setting and ensure that each individual pupil is safe and valued in an inclusive community.

Our ambitious long-term strategy for our School considers how Virtue, Learning and Manners can help us achieve our goals. These values permeate the School from the time of its foundation, and we use them regularly to reflect on and explore subjects that are of importance to all of us.

I hope that current pupils will maintain these traditional values, and use them to provide a framework for both their time at School, and in years to come.

Michael Bond, Headmaster

The children of today will play an important role in shaping our world and a key part of our role at Brentwood School is to help our students understand how they can do good in the world, not just well in their exams.

We challenge students to develop strong moral purpose and take principled action in the School, local and international community.

We provide a range of opportunities designed to enable every pupil to further their potential, enjoy their learning and achieve the best possible academic outcomes.

We inspire students to emerge as intellectually curious and resilient young people with leadership skills, who work well with and care for others.

That’s who we are. We are Brentwood.