The School was founded by H.B.Jeffery and G.A. Nettleton in 1903 in Earl’s Avenue Folkstone. It then moved around the corner to ‘Stoneleigh’, a more suitable house in Shorncliffe Road in 1909.

 

1917 the School moved to Riseholme in Cobham mainly because of the bombs in the First World War. Nettleton who suffered from a heart complaint dropped out of the partnership and it was not until the following year that it moved to its present location, the neo-Gothic building erected as a private house 1870.

 

In 1926 H.B.J. retired and handed over the reins to J.H.Percy and A. Ross Slater. Also in that year during H.B.J.’s last term, a certain Anthony C Wilson arrived at the School aged 9 when Ralph Hammond Innes was Head Boy.

 

In 1927 Mr Slater married the matron, Miss Sackett at St Andew’s church on the 27th December and they built themselves a house ‘Calvi’ over the road. The house, after being out the School’s ownership for several years, was bought back later for staff accommodation and is now our Pre-pre, ‘Calvi House’.

 

In 1931 the Percy-Slater partnership was dissolved, Percy leaving to take over another school in Suffolk leaving Slater as Headmaster. He continued until 1936, the year in which he saw the completion of the Junior House, when he then retired due to ill health.

 

K.T. Leighton took over mid term having been released from Bansted Hall, Mrs Slater stayed on for a while to show him the ropes. In 1938 Keith took on a partner, Bill Grundy. Also that year there were the rumblings of war and when Neville Chamberlain announced that we really were at war, the School was moved one hundred and twenty miles away to North Perrott Manor in Somerset which K.T.L. has surveyed and earmarked just in case. The Cobham buildings were leased to the shipping firm of Houlder Brothers.

 

Paradoxically, whilst the Cobham buildings remained relatively unscathed, North Perrott had a string of bombs dropped right across it in 1940. Luckily this happened during the school holidays, no one was hurt and thanks to the gallant assistance of the villagers term started on time!

 

Feltonfleet returned to Cobham in 1946 but Mr and Mrs Grundy decided to stay on at North Perrott and start of school of their own which is of course flourishing today and with whom we have an excellent working relationship. Keith Leighton ran the School in Cobham as a boys boarding school with 82 boys, a number that hardly ever changed. In 1966 he formed the school into a Charitable Trust and on his retirement in 1970 the Governors appointed the David Rutherford as the Headmaster.

 

David and his wife Anne and his board of Governors made many changes and the School thrived. Apart from a necessary increase in numbers many building changes were made including the addition of the Keith Memorial hall, the Squash Courts, the Music Block, the Five-a-Side Courts and others. David and Anne retired to the coast in 1991 and David Cherry became the new Headmaster.

 

David together with his wife Elizabeth steered the School through the very difficult period of the early 90’s recession and in spite of everything was able to open ‘Calvi House Nursery and Pre-Prep’ in 1994. The Main School then became co-educational in 1995 and in his last term in 1999 the new Sports Centre, ‘The Bourne Hall’ was opened.

 

The present Headmaster, Philip Ward took over the mantle and together with his wife Sue are driving Feltonfleet to ever greater heights. Elsewhere on the web site you will find details of the astonishing variety of activities that children can experience today.

 

Written by:

Mr Peter Colborne-Baber