WHAT WE NEED TO
KNOW..
PUBLIC SCHOOL ATHLETICISM
AND STAGE (1790 TO 1828 – BULLYING AND
BRUTALITY)
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
CHARACTERISTICS OF ‘CLARENDON’ SCHOOLS
EFFECTS OF CHARACTERISTICS E.G.
BOARDING AND TIME AVAILABLE
INTRODUCTION TO TOM BROWN’S
SCHOOLDAYS – THE FOOTBALL MATCH.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 We
are going to look at the
development of sport, through
the public schools, and to see
how they developed into
regulated rationalised activities.
We are going to clarify the
changing nature and aims of
public school sport throughout
the nineteenth century.
THE CHANGE IN ATTITUDETO SPORTS
AND GAMES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
DURING THE NINTEENTH CENTURY IS
BEST VIEWED AS A THREE-STAGE
PROGRESSION:
 THE BARBARIAN PHASE, 1790-1830
 THE ARNOLDIAN/ATHLETICISM
PHASE
 THE GAMES CULT

THE CLARENDON SCHOOLS:
WINCHESTER – 1382
 ETON – 1440
 ST PAUL’S - 1509
 SHREWSBURY - 1552
 WESTMIMNSTER - 1560
 MERCHANT TAYLOR’S - 1561
 RUGBY - 1567
 HARROW - 1571
 CHARTERHOUSE – 1611

WHY CLARENDON? 


These were investigated by the Earl of Clarendon and
his team of commissioners in 1864. Queen Victoria
appointed the commission to examine all aspects of
public school life. The result was two huge volumes,
which included criticisms of many aspects of school
life and both general and specific advice for each
school.
In order to help us understand what it was like in
these schools we will be looking at extracts from
Tom Brown’s Schooldays. – Written by Thomas
Hughes in 1857. It reflected the life at Rugby School
under Dr Thomas Arnold. ( the reforming headmaster
of Rugby School-1828 – 1842. he was a Doctor of
Divinity and an ordained clergyman.
 THIS
WAS A TIME OF
‘INSTITUTIONALISED POPULAR
RECREATION’ WITH ACTIVITIES
RANGING FROM THE CHILDLIKE TO
THE BARBARIC
TASK……
 WHAT
WERE THE CHARACTERISTICS
OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS AT THIS TIME?
 DESCRIBE WHAT WENT ON IN
THESE SCHOOLS AT STAGE 1
CHARACTERISTICS OF PUBLIC
SCHOOLS INCLUDE:
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CHARACTERISTICS OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS INCLUDE:
BOARDING
EXPANDING AS A RESULT OF INCREASE IN NUMBERS
NON-LOCAL – REGIONAL GAMES WERE ADOPTED AND ADAPTED BY
INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS
SPARTAN – HARSH TREATMENT AND LIVING CONDITIONS
CONTROLLED BY TRUSTEES – TRUSTEES WERE INFLUENTIAL
PEOPLE KEEN TO PROMOTE THE SCHOOL AND THEREFORE
INVESTED INTO SPORTING SUCCESS
ENDOWED – THEY RECEIVED LARGE GIFTS OF MONEY, THERFORE
COULD AFFORD RESOURCES, FACILITIES ETC.
FEE-PAYING
GENTRY- INFLUENCED THE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES THAT DEVELOPED
BOYS – CHANELLED ENERGY INTO GAMES


WRITE A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF WHAT EARLY
PULIC SCHOOLS WERE REALLY LIKE AND HOW DID
THEY REFLECT SOCIETY AT THIS TIME?
(DETAILED MIND MAP)
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PLEASE INCLUDE:
BULLYING AND BRUTALITY
A REFLECTION OF SOCIETY
INSTITUTIONALISED POPULAR RECREATION
ACTIVITIES ORGANISED BY, AND FOR, THE BOYS
THEMSELVES.
RANGED FROM THE CHILDLIKE TO THE BARBARIC
NO MASTER INVOLVEMENT OUTSIDE THE
CLASSROOM
SIMPLE, NATURALLY OCCURRING FACILITIES USED.
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EXTRA INFORMATION FROM TEXT
PUBLIC SCHOOL HAS BEEN DEFINED AS: AN
ENDOWED PLACE OF EDUCATION OF OLD STANDING
TO WHICH THE SONS OF GENTLEMEN RESORT IN
LARGE NUMBERS AND WHERE THEY CONTIUE TO
RESIDE FROM EIGHT OR NINE TO EIGHTEEN YEARS
OF AGE.
THE SCHOOLS WERE TERMED ‘PUBLIC’ BECAUSE
THEY WERE NOT CONFINED BY LOCALALITY: PUPILS
TRAVELLED TO THEM FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
ALSO, TUITION FEES HAD TO BE PAID.
LESSONS WERE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ‘CLASSICAL’
LIFE WAS BRUTAL AND TOUGH
PUBLIC SCHOOLS WERE UNRULY PLACES, AND THERE
WAS A CONSTANT BATTLE BETWEEN STAFF AND
PUPILS FOR CONTROL
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ANIMAL SPORTS WERE ALSO POPULAR – EITHER HUNTING
OR BAITING/FIGHTING SPORTS. MANY SCHOOLS OWNED
PACKS OF HUNTING DOGS AND BOYS WERE ALLOWED TO
BRING TO SCHOOL FIGHTING COCKS AND DOGS.
DRINKING WAS ANOTHER VICE BOYS WOULD PARTAKE IN
IF ALLOWED, ALONG WITH SPORTS, THIS WAS FROWNED
UPON AND AGAIN WOULD CAUSE CONFLICT
CRICKET WAS ONE OF THE FEW ACCEPTABLE GAMES IN
THE FIRST PHASE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL SPORT
DEVELOPMENT
FLOGGING, BULLYING AND FAGGING WERE COMMON
(FAGGING – SMALLER BOYS HAD TO LOOK AFTER THE
WANTS OF SENIOR BOYS)
SCHOOLS OFTEN UNDERSTAFFED – 1800 EATON HAD ONLY
EIGHT MEMBERS OF STAFF TO 550 BOYS!
HEADMASTERS WERE AGAINST SPORT AND SPENT MUCH
TIME OF THEIR ENERGY BANNING THE PURSUIT OF SUCH
RECREATIONS.
THEY THOUGHT…….
 THEY
FELT THAT SPORT WAS
FOR ‘FLANNELLED FOOLS AND
MUDDIED OAFS’, AND THAT
EDUCATION WAS ALL ABOUT
GODLINESS AND GOOD
LEARNING.
BE AWARE…….
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ALSO:
REGENCY PERIOD – A TIME OF HIGH FASHION
ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRINCE REGENT AT THE
TURN OF THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH
CENTURIES
MELTING POT – MARBLE GAME!
HOUSE SYSTEM – CENTRE OF SOCIAL AND SPORTING
LIFE
HARE AND HOUNDS – AN ADAPTATION OF FOX
HUNTING WHEREBY ONE BOY RAN AHEAD OF THE
PACK AND DROPPED PAPER WHICH ACTED AS THE
SCENT.
ALL RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES WERE ORGANISED
BY THE BOYS FOR PURE ENJOYMENT AND TO
RELIEVE BOREDOM OF ACADEMIC WORK.
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MASTERS HAD NO INFLUENCE OUTSIDE THE
CLASSROOM
IN BOTH SOCIETY AT LARGE AND IN PUBLIC
SCHOOLS, CONTROL WAS LOST AND TYRANNY AND
CHAOS RESULTED.
GAMES AND SPORTS WOULD ULTIMATELY PROVIDE
THE MEDIUM FOR SOCIAL CONTROL, BUT SEVERE,
IMPOSED DISCIPLINE BY MASTERS AND RESENTFUL
REBELLION AND HOOLIGAN BEHAVIOUR BY BOYS
SHAPED THE NORM AT THIS EARLY STAGE.
CRICKET, THE RURAL GAME ALREADY ORGANISED
AND PLAYED BY BOTH CLASSES, WAS IMMEDIATELY
ADOPTED BY THE SCHOOLS.
 HOME
WORK
 DO WORK SHEETS.