Our Rich History
Sutton Valence School has been educating pupils since 1576. There is a strong royal connection running through the history of the School.
Our founder: William Lambe
William Lambe, was a pupil of the great English musician and composer Thomas Tallis, and is reputed to have sung at the celebrations at The Field of the Cloth of Gold for Henry VIII of England – a meeting of great pageantry and ceremony between Henry VIII and Francis I of France. William Lambe was ‘a gentleman of the Chapel Royal’ as a chorister – and music remains a rich part of our curriculum and history
Following a charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1576, Sutton Valence School was founded by William Lambe to provide a good education for the boys of Sutton Valence village in Kent, ‘the Garden of England’, where he was born. It remained in the original School buildings (now known as Lambe’s) until 1912 when it expanded into new buildings on a ridge overlooking the Weald of Kent.
The Worshipful Company of Clothworkers
William Lambe was Master of the Clothworkers’ Company of London, which is one of the twelve great livery companies of London, the leading guilds or fraternities of the merchants of the capital city of England.
The Clothworkers’ Company was founded through a series of Royal Charters, initially, the Fullers’ Company was founded by Edward V in 1480, and the Shearmen’s Company by Henry VII in 1508, and then they were amalgamated in 1528 to form the Clothworkers’ Company. The Company Coat of Arms was granted by royal warrant in 1530. The Company’s crest was granted by the Clarenceaux King of Arms in 1587. The Clothworkers’ Company became custodians of the School and administered William Lambe’s legacy with care. The School retains strong links with the Clothworkers’ Company, indeed one of our competition Houses is named after the Company.
The Westminster Foundation
Control of Sutton Valence School remained under the Clothworkers’ Company for centuries until 1910, when it was taken over by the United Westminster Schools Foundation.United Westminster Schools’ Foundation springs from the union in 1873 of four ancient foundations: Emanuel Hospital, founded in 1594 by Lady Dacre; St. Margaret’s Hospital founded in 1633 by King Charles 1; Palmer’s School, founded by the Reverend James Palmer in 1650; and Hill’s Grammar School, founded by Emery Hill in 1708. By 1980 it had become a day and boarding school, for boys and girls, and it has grown to include Sutton Valence Preparatory School, with nearly 900 students altogether. The School has received royal visitors over the years, including a visit from Princess Alexandra in 1980 and students sing at the Abbey and other venues in London. As a result, the School has very close ties with Westminster Abbey.
Generations of Traditions
The traditions and history of the School are rich – customs and rituals established over the centuries still thrive. For
example, the Headmaster still receives the annual rent of one English rose given by the village for use of the village green, and the Baton Race is still run through the School’s grounds and playing fields. There is a quiet confidence about Sutton Valence School that offers your child a community built on, literally, centuries of experience of educating and understanding young people.