November 2020 sees Oakham School celebrate the 40th birthday of girl’s boarding house, Rushebrookes. This is the third house this year, along with Buchanans and Wharflands, which is celebrating a milestone birthday.
The land on which Rushebrookes now sits was purchased in 1977 under headmaster Richard Bull. On the site, the third purpose built boarding house for girls (after Round House and Lincoln House) was constructed and opened in the spring term of 1980.[1] The house was officially opened on the 22nd November 1980 by Mrs G. N. Corah.[2]
Two photographs of Rushebrookes House.
The name of the house was dedicated to the school’s very first headmaster in 1584.[3]
It is speculated that Rushebrookes was created as a result of the longer term plans of trustees for co-education. Unlike most other fee paying schools at the time, Oakham School decided to not just recruit girls for the sixth form. This meant that a larger provision for girls was required to accommodate pupils for all seven forms. Therefore a boarding house such as Rushebrookes was necessary.[4]
Girls in Rushbrookes house.
The house was used as accommodation in the mid-1980s for participants in the Oakham School Activity Holidays.
Since then, Rushebrookes has been a middle school girl’s boarding house with few structural changes to the building.
Photographs of Rushebrookes house today.
Housemasters and Housemistresses
1980 – 1990
Peter (P.J.) Tyler
1990 – 2003
Dave (D.) Smith
2003 – 2008
Pat (P.G.) Evans
2008 – 2018
Tessa (T.M.) Drummond
2018 – present
Kim (K.M.) Hegarty
From top left to bottom right: Dave Smith, Peter Tyler, Pat Evans, and Tessa Drummonds.
First girls
House Prefects/ Form 6
· Sara Somerville-Jacklin
· Tessa Gunn
· Clare Ballantyne
· Joanna Birkett
· Louise Davies
· Heidi Dunnill
· Tania Hackett
· Alison Ingoldby
· Emma Jordan
· Alexandra Lee
· Jane Money
· Janet Oldham
Form 5
· Gillian Anderson
· Nicola Bell
· Jacqueline Bishop
· Clare Cavanagh
· Jennifer Denning
· Alice Done
· Jacqueline Everard
· Kate Harding
· Caroline Done
· Sarah Joynson
· Rosalind Marzano
· Caroline Ruddle
· Deborah Sanderson
· Jane Swallow
· Daniela Szmigielski
· Joanne Tideswell
· Anna Tonkin
· Nicola Watson
· Annabel Whiteway
Form 4
· Margot Anderson
· Sarah Counter
· Frances Davies
· Hilary Eadon
· Sara FitzHerbert
· Tamzin Freeman
· Jane Hobbs
· Bridget Holder
· Fiona Keys
· Caroline Mawer
· Minouche Murdoch
· Anne O’Brian
· Lucinda Sallitt
· Kim Simon
· Mary-Clare Sowerby
· Rachel Stables
· Leonora Thomson
· Celia Turner
Form 3
· Penelope Ackers
· Claire Austin
· Helen Bayliss
· Lucy Buxton
· Peggy Crossman
· Jane Drapkin
· Susan Dunlop
· Gillian England
· Sarah Fisher
· Ines Foley
· Hadia Ghandour
· Juliet Greer
· Philippa Harrison
· Tuesday Hodgson
· Vanessa Jones
· Sarah Popple
· Claire Preston
· Sara Tideswell
[1] Old Oakhamian Magazine, volume 42, 1980, p. 9.
[2] Oakhamian Magazine, Winter and Spring Term, vol. 111, 1980 – 1981, p. 2.
[3] Old Oakhamian Magazine, volume 42, 1980, p. 9.
[4] Oakhamian Magazine, Summer term, vol. 110, 1980, p. 11.
