Clapham College Nightingale Lane Clapham Common London SW4

Chronology of Clapham College





1846 Xaverian Brothers come to England from Belgium.
c. l880 Xaverian School opened in St. Phillip's Square, Battersea.
1896 19th March: Xaverian Brothers buy Broadoak, Nightingale Hall, Nightingale Lane, Clapham Common (built c.1877).
  Chapel, dormitories and classrooms built.
1897 25th August: Chapel dedicated.
  15th September: School opened for fee-paying day boys and boarders: 30 pupils in first entry.
  Br. Gabriel, Headmaster: Patron Saint, St. Joseph: named 'Clapham College'.
1905 Br. Cuthbert, Headmaster: Chemistry laboratory built: playing fields at Norbury acquired.
1919 Br. Vincent, Headmaster: Hollywood bought (built c. 1783).
1922 Br. Bernardine, Headmaster: 276 on roll.
1924 Vacant possession of Hollywood obtained. A Preparatory department is opened therein.
1927 The Clapham Old Xaverians' Association was established.
1932 Boarders are no longer taken: 200 day boys on roll.
1937 230 boys on roll.
1939 Evacuation to East Grinstead.
1940 Br. Nicholas, Headmaster.
1944 Evacuation to Taunton.
1945 April - Return to Clapham. School becomes a voluntary Grammar School under the 1944 Education Act. Fees now paid by the Local Authority. The Preparatory School comes to an end.
1947 The Golden Jubilee of the School is celebrated: plans for a new building are published.
1949 Br. Joseph, Headmaster.
1950 338 boys on roll.
1953 Br. Peter, Headmaster.
1960 School magazine The Clapham Xaverian' begins publication.
1970 Mr. C. Pocock, Headmaster.
1975 St. Gerard's School, Clapham Common, South Side, is merged with Clapham College.
  Mr. M. Gleeson, Headmaster of St. Gerard's becomes Headmaster of combined schools.
1976 New school buildings are opened in the grounds of Clapham College, Broadoak is given up and Hollywood used as a temporary 6th form block.
1977 Hollywood is given up and the Chapel and Old School building are re-conditioned and re-opened, 1,000 boys on roll.
1983 July - Mr. C. Pocock, Deputy Headmaster, retires.
1984 December - Mr. M. Gleeson retires.
1985 January - Mr. R. Sparks, Headmaster.
  July - Clapham College closes on the Clapham site to re-open in September on the site of Notre Dame Girls School, Battersea.
  September - St. Francis Xavier College opens. Mr. B. Snalune, Principal.
1986 The Notre Dame Convent is sold. Pupils move into the I.L.E.A. building in Raywood Street, Battersea.
1988 October - Remaining school, boys and staff, spend a week in Italy to mark forthcoming closure.
1989 July - Final closure of Clapham College.
1993 April - St. Francis Xavier becomes part of further education sector.
1994 April - Mr. B. Borland, Principal of St. Francis Xavier


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