History of the School

Boundary Oak School was founded in about 1918 by Miss Napier. Originally sited in Waterlooville it soon moved to Portsdown Lodge in Widley. The Commissioner for Powder of Portsmouth, Sir Francis Austen, who was also Jane Austen’s brother, had previously owned this house. Portsdown Lodge lay on the Parish Boundary of Portsmouth and around its perimeter there was a line of oak trees. One of these fine old trees was a staging post for the annual Portsmouth “beating of the bounds” ceremony, and it is from this tree that the school took its name.

The Headmaster owned the original school, a plan of which can be seen in the Secretary’s Office. There was a flagpole outside the school building and it was customary the have a flag flying every day. Each time a boy passed the flagpole he had to raise his cap and the Headmaster’s study was conveniently placed to ensure this happened. Christ Church was opposite this old site and the incumbent vicar played a considerable role in the life of the school. Arthur Champion was the Vicar of Christ Church from 1916 to 1923 and Francis Flynn from 1923 to 1927, with two of the school houses being named after them.

The school thrived in the 1930’s with Mr Miller, who owned the school for over 20 years, as Headmaster. After his death in the mid 1950s the school was in the care of the Vicar of Christ Church for a short time before being sold to David Foster. He revitalised the school and decided to look for a larger site. The old site was sold for residential development and there is evidence of the school in the present street names, Oak Tree Close, The Dell and Boundary Crescent.

The school moved to Roche Court in 1961. Roche Court dates back to 1280 and evidence of its age can be seen in the very thick walls to a number of rooms including the Headmaster’s Study. Just 3 families had owned the site from 1280 to 1936, when it was split up. The land was sold to the Southwick Estate and the house was used for ‘refugees’. During the war a battalion of Canadians were billeted in the house and moved out, on D-Day plus one, to go over to France. After the war it was then used as a vehicle repair station (in what is now the Art and DT building), and a victualling supply base until 1960.

The historic Manor buildings were refurbished to accommodate boys rather than stores. One of the first tasks was to convert the pony & trap store and hayloft to the Dining Room and Hastings Dormitory respectively. The Science block (originally called the ‘New Block’) was originally the main classroom block, with shutters pulled back for ‘prep’. Science was taught in what is now the maintenance shed and Geography was taught in the present Laundry. The old vehicle repair station was converted into the lower gym, and pantomimes were regularly performed there. The Deputy Headmaster’s flat was originally the School Hall; assemblies and hymn practices were held in there as was the solemn reading of the ‘Quarterly Orders’.

In 1961 David Foster, the then Headmaster, changed the school to an Educational Trust and a Governing Body was formed. Mr Wadham, Housemaster of Franklin House, Canford School had been a prisoner of war with David Foster and was asked to be one of the original governors. This link still remains today with the present Housemaster of Franklin being a member of the Board of Governors.

David Foster resigned through ill-health in 1967 and Howard Limon became Headmaster.
Under his leadership there were a number of developments at the school including the School Hall (1971), the Jubilee block (1977) and the Music Block (1980).

Roger Bliss took over as Headmaster in 1985 from Howard Limon. Over the next 18 years the number of pupils at the school rose with the development of the Junior Department buildings. The Nursery was opened in 1987, originally in the rather cramped conditions of the foyer area of the School Hall. In 1992 the school became co-educational with the first girls in the Reception class.

In recent years the lower gym (the old vehicle repair station) next to the Lodge has been converted into a fine Art and Design & Technology block; and a purpose-built green oak Nursery was constructed on the area to the east of the main building. The old cricket pavilion was demolished and replaced with one built entirely with money raised by the Boundary Oak School Society. It provides a fantastic venue for match teas for cricket matches and a first aid post for rugby tournaments.

Our new Headmaster, Stephen Symonds joined Boundary Oak in September 2008.