Over a century of outstanding achievement

Solid foundations

Arnold School was founded by Frank Truswell Pennington on 4th May 1896. Known initially as South Shore Collegiate School, the school moved to its present site in Lytham Road when Pennington took over and gradually, expanded the buildings of an earlier Victorian School. He then adopted the former school's name of Arnold House School, named after Dr Thomas Arnold, Headmaster of Rugby School. The name was later amended to Arnold School.

On the 1st June 2008 Arnold joined the United Church School's Trust (UCST) as the Trust's lead school in the region.

Distinguished pupils

By the time of his death in May, 1938, Pennington had given the School to the Old Boys who elected a Governing Council. From its inception, Arnold has attracted pupils of the highest calibre from the Fylde Coast. In return, the school has given Lancashire many of its most distinguished citizens, including Sir William Lyons, the founder of Jaguar Cars and Dr Michael Smith who received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1993, a replica of which is on permanent display in the school entrance hall. Other notable alumni include:

Honours

Sir Walter Clegg (Government Chief Whip, Ex-Officio Controller of the Royal Household); Sir Harold Grime (Director of Reuter’s Agency, Chairman of the Press Association, Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire); Sir Martin Holdgate (Geographical and Zoological); Sir William Lyons (Founder of Jaguar Cars); Sir Ernest Woodhouse Smith, (President of Institute of Fuel).

Academic

Michael Austin, (Professor of Organ and Counterpoint, Royal Academy of Music); Peter Beighton (Professor of Human Genetics); Terence Charleston (Professor of Early Music, Royal Academy of Music); Geoffrey Deamaley (Professor of Physics); Harold Fox (Professor - University of Manchester); Alan Gillies (Professor of Information Management, University of Central Lancashire); Richard Hardman, (President of Geological Society); David Harris (Tutorial Fellow in Priochemistry, University of Oxford); Paul Helm (Professor of History & Philosophy of Religion); Stephen Hold (Professor of Gastroenterology & Medicine, Canada); Ashley Kent, (President of Geographical Society); Geoffrey Marshall, (Provost of the Queen’s College, Oxford); Charles Moseley (Director of Studies, Wolfson College Cambridge); Eric Renshaw (Professor of Statistics, Strathclyde University); Michael Smith (Nobel Prize Winner); Peter Wall (Professor of Priotechnology); John Wilkinson (President, European Haematological Society; Life Councillor, International Haematological Society, Freeman of the City of London); David Wilde (Professor at Hockschule fur Musik und Thectes, Hanover and international concert pianist); Keith Yates (Professor of Chemistry).

Public Life/Commerce

Douglas Bickerstaffe (Chairman of Blackpool Tower Company); Peter Boydell (Leader of the Parliamentary Bar; Chancellor of the Diocese of Truro); His Honour Judge Robert Brown, (Circuit Judge); District Judge Michael Buckley (Northern Court Circuit); Dr Alan Curry, (controller Forensic Science Service, Home Office); Arthur Firth, (Editor of the Daily Express, Sports Editor of the Daily Mail); Keith Gledhill, (Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire, High Sheriff of Lancashire); His Honour Judge Christopher Hilliard (Member of the Central Criminal Court ); Frederick Laws, (Vice-Chairman Commission for Local Administration in England); Alderman Rhodes Marshall (Honorary Freeman of Blackpool and twice Mayor of Blackpool); James Mitchell (Chairman of Stead & Simpson); Keith Oates, (Deputy Chairman and Joint Finance Director of Marks & Spencer); Norman Quick, (Chairman of H & J Quick Group Plc, High Sheriff).

Sport

James Armfield OBE, High Sheriff of Lancashire, (43 caps for England Soccer, 15 as captain); George Eastham OBE, (19 caps for England Soccer); Tom Graveney, (79 tests for England Cricket); Robert Hesford, (10 Caps for England Rugby Union); Barrie-Jon Mather, (3 caps for Great Britain Rugby League, 2 caps for England Rugby League, 1 cap for England Rugby Union); James Mitchell (England Cricket); Malcolm Phillips, (25 caps for England Rugby Union); David Stephenson, (10 caps for Great Britain Rugby League).

Arts/Theatre/TV etc.

Jonas Armstrong, (Theatre and TV actor); David Ball, (Member of pop group “Soft Cell”); Jenna - Louise Coleman (Theatre and TV actress); Christopher Lowe, (One of the “Pet Shop Boys”); Peter Purves (TV Personality); Michelle Walton, (Opera Singer with Scottish Opera).

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