School History

Alleyn Court was founded in 1904 by Theodore Wilcox and this was only possible because of the charity shown by a family relative. Theo’s father died while Theo and his siblings were still very young so his father’s cousin, Lewis Carroll, stepped in and offered to pay for the children’s education. Theo was subsequently educated at King’s College, Canterbury and Selwyn College, Cambridge. He then became a schoolmaster and Alleyn Court is the fruit of his ambition to run his own school.

Alleyn Court was owned and run by the Wilcox family for 111 years until the family gifted the school company to a charitable trust in 2015. Originally, the school was based  in Westcliff but moved to its current 15 acre site in Thorpe Bay in 1993. The Westcliff Pre-Prep is housed in one of the school’s original buildings in Imperial Avenue.

Non progredi est regredi” - Not to go forwards is to go backwards.

A large number of former pupils have made outstanding contributions to local and national life in many different fields. Some of the school’s most famous former pupils such as the cricketer, Trevor Bailey  and the novelist, John Fowles, were only able to attend the school because their parents were helped with fees. Charity, first demonstrated by Lewis Carroll, has therefore been woven into the life and history of the school and is something of which we are very proud.

Having started with just 4 pupils in 1904,Theo and his wife, Ruth, might not recognise today’s school with more than 300 pupils. However, he would know the uniform still in its original colours of navy blue with pink edging, he would appreciate the outstanding successes of the school academically, in sport and in the arts during its 118 year existence, he would recognise the continued ethos of courtesy and respect for others, hard work and enjoyment, and he would be delighted at the fulfilment of his school motto.