Public Schools in England question

Zelenka · Jan 23, 2009

Is there any specific term used in English public (ie fee paying) schools for the end of the students' time there? Something like a graduation ceremony? I have this feeling that I know but just can't remember for the life of me.

It's for a story set in the 1880s.

Thanks in advance

Carmy · Jan 23, 2009

Not sure if this will help, Jess. I believe Tom Brown's Schooldays was set around that time. You might find a reference in there.

IceCreamEmpress · Jan 23, 2009

Exeat? Leavers' Ceremony? Speech Day?

firedrake · Jan 23, 2009

I think they probably would hold an Assembly where prizes would be given out for best student, essay, etc. I seem to recall that from Tom Brown's School Days, as Carmy mentioned.

Aschenbach · Jan 23, 2009

Matriculation. Matriculation is the process where someone stops being a public school pupil and transits to registering as a university student (contingent upon meeting the uni entrance requirements, of course). I don't know if that's the term you want. It is more precise than just "the final year" at school.

waylander · Jan 23, 2009

Not at my public school. There was a leavers' dinner, but no ceremony in front of the whole school.

I think it would vary from school to school, many older schools have their own idiosyncratic ceremonies
Is this a real school or a made-up one?
Incidentally Tom Brown's Schooldays is set nearly 50 years earlier

qwerty · Jan 24, 2009

Given the era, I think you'd be safe to have a Speech Day where pupils are recognised for their achievements and prizes are awarded.

I think Matriculation is probably a more modern term.

Exeat is the name for a mid-term break when pupils are given an opportunity to go home from boarding school. Exeat weekend.

MarkEsq · Jan 24, 2009

IceCreamEmpress said:
Exeat? Leavers' Ceremony? Speech Day?

At my public (private) school, exeat was being allowed out for a few hours on the weekend, in the evening.

I think we called it Leaving Day, very original. Matriculation may the right technical term but it's not what the pupils themselves would call it. Speech Day is also right, but applies to everyone, not just the leavers.

pdr · Jan 24, 2009

Tricky!

As most public schools had an assembly every morning, prayer, hymn, bible reading, and Speech day was an annual event held in the first term of the new school year for everyone, I can't see those terms being useful.

As Mark says an exeat was a period of short leave.

I think Jesse, in the1880s, it would have been, as it was at my school and my school said it had always been like that, that on the last day of term there was a longer assembly and leaving students were wished God Speed, but it was not a big to-do. English schools don't do graduation ceremonies etc for school students, it's regarded as naff! Graduation from education doesn't occur until after your first University degree.

I'd like to know, for my own work, if matriculation existed as a term used in the1880s. I understood it to be a 20thC term.

Carmy · Jan 24, 2009

I agree, Pdr. Matriculation is a modern term and one I never heard when I lived in the UK.

Jess, out of curiosity I ran a Google on UK Public School Graduation. Only US schools turned up.

Smiling Ted · Jan 24, 2009

If you're interested in "public school" lingo of the 1880s, you might try Kipling - Stalky & Co.

Zelenka · Jan 25, 2009

Thanks everyone. I'm thinking of using 'Leavers' Day'.

Waylander - it's a made up school but I'm trying to get it sounding as authentic as possible.

pdr - I knew it wouldn't be 'graduation', I was just trying to give a sense of what I was talking about here

- actually a few Scottish schools are starting to edge towards having 'graduations' now as well, but it's not official or anything and not such a big deal as in the US. When I left school, I don't remember much fuss at all, just signing a form really.

Regarding 'matriculation', I've only ever associated that with my university, with the process of enrolling each year.

Smiling Ted - Thanks for the link, I shall have a look!

waylander · Jan 25, 2009

It is completely plausible for your made-up school to have a made-up ceremony that is unique to that school. Many long-established schools do things that are unique to them. My old school plays its own primitive version of football, has an entire vocabulary that is unique to it, and has a couple of ceremonies that no other school has.
PM me for details

Smiling Ted · Jan 25, 2009

Gosh...one more source I'd forgotten.
PG Wodehouse, famous for Jeeves & Bertie, also wrote "school stories" early in his career. There's a book of them called, IIRC, "The Pothunters." With his love of Edwardian slang, there might be something in it that you could use. And you can get it free as an e-text from Project Gutenberg.

Or...you could always place a call to the Administration at Eton, Rugby, Harrow....

JimmyB27 · Jan 26, 2009

You know fee paying schools over here are referred to as private schools, right? Public are the state run ones (ie, open to the public).

Mr Flibble · Jan 26, 2009

JimmyB27 said:
You know fee paying schools over here are referred to as private schools, right? Public are the state run ones (ie, open to the public).

Actually, no. In the UK, public schools are private, fee paying secondary schools, usually boarders ( confusing isn't it) and state schools are the freebies. Private schools are the smaller fee paying schools, usually pre-secondary or non-boarding.

ETA: oooh just noticed where you are

*blush* Stoopid language changes due to location.

JimmyB27 · Jan 26, 2009

IdiotsRUs said:
Actually, no. In the UK, public schools are private, fee paying secondary schools, usually boarders ( confusing isn't it) and state schools are the freebies. Private schools are the smaller fee paying schools, usually pre-secondary or non-boarding.

ETA: oooh just noticed where you are *blush* Stoopid language changes due to location.

I'm confused. I'm actually English, so I was talking as an Englishman. I don't know what made me say that. It is all *very* confusing....

Mr Flibble · Jan 26, 2009

Ah nuts, now I'm confused too!

Mind you, it doesn't take much

qwerty · Jan 26, 2009

No worries, Jim. Private schools are fee-paying. Public schools are upper crust type paying schools - like the ones the aristos put their sons' names down for before they're even born. That's like in Harrow, Eton etc.

It is bloody confusing, innit?

Zelenka · Jan 26, 2009

It is confusing when you think about it, especially trying to keep track of what applies to England and not getting it confused with the terms / situations here in Scotland, which can be totally different.

Waylander - actually I've ended up taking your advice here - I discovered I'd used a 'made-up but hopefully public-school-ish sounding' term later on that would fit, and hopefully still gives the right idea of what the character's talking about, so I've gone with that. Thanks again for giving me the nudge that way, and I might just take you up on your offer. Sounds intriguing and I do have a part of the book coming up centred almost exclusively on that same school, so it could be very helpful, thank you.

Smiling Ted - I was only really aware of the Bertie Wooster books as I've not read all that much Wodehouse, but I'll certainly look into those! Thanks for the tip once again!

Public Schools in England question

Zelenka

Going home!

Carmy

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

firedrake

practical experience, FTW

Aschenbach

Moral Marjorie

waylander

Who's going for a beer?

qwerty

exiled Brit

MarkEsq

Clever title pending.

pdr

Carmy

Smiling Ted

Ah-HA!

Zelenka

Going home!

waylander

Who's going for a beer?

Smiling Ted

Ah-HA!

JimmyB27

Hoopy frood

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

JimmyB27

Hoopy frood

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

qwerty

exiled Brit

Zelenka

Going home!