Moreton Hall School

Ellen Augusta Crawley Lloyd-Williams{{cite journal |url=http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/CGN/Nancwnlle/HanesNantcwnlle |title=Byr Hanes am Blwyf Nantcwnlle |trans-title=A Short History of the Parish of Nantcwnlle |first=Evan |last=Edwardes |journal=Cambrian News |location=Aberystwyth |year=1930 |access-date=22 April 2016}} was left with a family of two sons and nine daughters to care for on the death of her husband, John Jordan Lloyd-Williams, who had been headmaster of Oswestry School.{{cite web |url=http://www.oswestryschool.org.uk |title=An Independent Day and Boarding School in Shropshire for Girls and Boys from 0–18 |work=Oswestry School |date=14 February 2011 |access-date=18 February 2011}} She had already addressed the problem of educating her family by setting up a small school in 1913, in Lloran house, which was once a boarding house for Oswestry School. Among the boarders were her three youngest daughters, some of their cousins and friends. There were also two boys on the rolls. Elder sisters Grace and Mary joined the teaching staff. Ellen bought Moreton Hall in 1919.

Ellen died in 1940. She was succeeded by her daughter, Mary, a musician. Mary died in 1945 at a relatively young age and was commemorated by a bronze sculpture by Karel Vogel{{cite web |url=http://www.ilovefiguresculpture.com/masters/british/british.htm |title=British sculpture |publisher=Ilovefiguresculpture.com |access-date=18 February 2011}} depicting three pupils playing musical instruments. Her sister Bronwyn Lloyd-Williams had trained at the Bedford College of Physical Training and was a freelance journalist in London. She had frequently visited Moreton Hall, choreographing dance productions, teaching lacrosse (she had captained Wales) and cricket and leading rambles in the surrounding countryside. She left her career to take on the headship and continued in this role until her resignation, soon followed by her death in 1973. This ended the "family" period of the school which continued its development as an educational trust.{{cite web|url=http://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/ltd/moreton-hall-educational-trust |title=Moreton Hall Educational Trust Limited of SY11 3EW in Weston Rhyn Oswestry |publisher=Companiesintheuk.co.uk |access-date=18 February 2011}} Roger Goolden (1933–2014), appointed by Bronwen Lloyd-Williams in 1963, held the position of Clerk of Works until 1993. He oversaw a significant extension of the school buildings, including a boarding block and swimming pool.

The school, a private limited company,{{cite web |title=Moreton Hall |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/14232201 |access-date=18 October 2022 |work=Companies House}} is set in {{cvt|100|acre}} of parkland on the Shropshire/North Wales border, four miles from the market town of Oswestry and an hour from Manchester Airport and Birmingham Airport, West Midlands. The school is made up of two parts: Moreton Hall Prep (the Junior School){{cite web|url=https://moretonhall.org/moreton-life/moreton-hall-prep |title=Welcome to Moreton Hall Prep |work=Moreton Hall School |access-date=18 February 2011}} for boys and girls aged 3–11 and the senior school for girls aged 11 and over and boys up to the age of 13. First Steps Nursery opened in 2007 for 1- to 3-year-olds.{{cite web|url=http://www.moretonhallschool.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67&Itemid=88 |title=First Steps Nursery at Moreton Hall School Shropshire |work=Moreton Hall School |access-date=18 February 2011}} The Principal is Micheal Brewer {{cite web|url=https://moretonhall.org/about/principals-welcome|title=Principal's Welcome|last=|first=|date=|work=Moreton Hall School|archive-url=|archive-date=}} and the Head of Moreton Hall Prep, John Bond.{{cite web|url=http://moretonhall.org/staff-list |title=Staff List |work=Moreton Hall School |access-date=18 February 2011}} Michael Brewer has been appointed the new Principal of Moreton Hall as of September 2023.

File:Shropshire-countryside.jpg

Moreton Hall offers a range of subjects at both GCSE and A Level.

The Midyis{{cite web |author=CEM Centre |url=http://www.midyisproject.org/renderpage.asp?linkID=11418001 |title=BaselineTest Contents |publisher=Midyisproject.org |access-date=18 February 2011}} Value Added League Table produced by Durham University in 2010 and again in 2011 ranks Moreton Hall as the top school nationally in value added ratings.

Moreton Hall has a music department offering a wide range of musical activities to GCSE and A Level. The school has a range of musical groups and ensembles for all ages and abilities.

Lacrosse and hockey are the principal winter sports; regularly girls are selected from the senior teams to represent the Junior Midlands Lacrosse team at the national territorial tournament. The school 2nd team are the current Welsh Lacrosse Association Rally champions. The School's first team recently became national lacrosse champions in 2024.

Hockey is also played, with at least one team every year representing Shropshire at the Midland Regional Hockey Association Finals.

Cross-country is another key winter sport, with many junior and senior girls being selected to represent the county and in 2010 the Junior team qualified for the English Schools' Cross Country National Finals.{{cite web|url=http://www.esaa.net/2010/xccup/xccup10finalinfo.html |title=ESAA English Schools Cross Country Cup Final 2010 |work=English Schools' Athletic Association |access-date=18 February 2011}} Fourteen outdoor courts and one county-size indoor court are available for tennis. Athletics continues to grow as a major sport at Moreton during the summer term. Students have the opportunity to train at a track in Wrexham.

Performing arts activities include music, drama, verse speaking, public speaking and debating. The Senior and Middle School put on two major plays/musicals every year and the Junior School put on plays throughout the year. Students regularly take part in speaking and debating competitions such as the Business and Professional Women's Public Speaking Competition,{{cite web |url=http://www.bpwuk.co.uk/docs/publicspeaking/publicpseaking.html |title=Womens organisations – women working for women |work=Business and Professional Women UK |date=31 August 2010 |access-date=18 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513073938/http://www.bpwuk.co.uk/docs/publicspeaking/publicpseaking.html |archive-date=13 May 2011 |url-status=dead }} the Shropshire Festival of Verse and Prose and Thomas Cranmer Awards.{{cite web| author=4B Media |url=https://www.pbs.org.uk/society/awards.php |title=Awards |work=The Prayer Book Society |access-date=18 February 2011}}

Moreton Enterprises{{cite web|url=http://www.moretonhallschool.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=123&Itemid=116 |title=Introducing Moreton Enterprises |work=Moreton Hall School |access-date=18 February 2011}} is a business venture which was established at the school 25 years ago.

There are seven retail businesses and two service based businesses (Events Management and Environmental Services). The businesses are all managed by the Lower Sixth (Year 12) girls.{{cite web |url=http://www.shropshiremagazine.com/2009/03/moreton%E2%80%99s-misses-are-a-surefire-hit/ |title=Moreton's misses are a surefire hit |work=Shropshire Magazine |date=March 2009 |access-date=18 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728061943/http://www.shropshiremagazine.com/2009/03/moreton%E2%80%99s-misses-are-a-surefire-hit/ |archive-date=28 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}

An early Enterprise was the re-opening of nearby Gobowen railway station, headed by geography teacher David Lloyd and pupils at the school. David Lloyd is remembered by having a locomotive of the Wrexham & Shropshire Railway company named after him.

{{see also|Category:People educated at Moreton Hall School}}

• Lois Baxter - actress
• Zanny Minton Beddoes – editor of The Economist
• Dame Linda Dobbs{{cite web|url=http://www.isi.net/schools/6711/|title=Moreton Hall School |work=Independent Schools Inspectorate |access-date=22 April 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://www.100greatblackbritons.com/linda_dobbs.html |title=Dame Linda Dobbs |work=100 Great Black Britons |access-date=22 April 2016}} – high court judge
• Sas Metcalfe – President, Global Creative, of Kobalt Music
• Thea Musgrave{{cite web|url=http://www.theamusgrave.com |title=Thea Musgrave, composer |publisher=Theamusgrave.com |access-date=18 February 2011}} – composer and musician
• Sheila Reid{{cite web|url=http://www.moretonhallschool.com/Centenary-Old-Moretonian-Reunion|title=Centenary Old Moretonian Reunion|work=Moreton Hall School|date=16 June 2014|access-date=23 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131113511/http://www.moretonhallschool.com/Centenary-Old-Moretonian-Reunion|archive-date=31 January 2016|url-status=dead}} – actress
• Kyffin Williams – landscape painter
• Amanda Milling - Conservative politician
• Jugnu Mohsin – Pakistani journalist

• Listed buildings in Weston Rhyn

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.moretonhallschool.com Moreton Hall School]
• [http://www.isc.co.uk/schools/england/shropshire/oswestry/moreton-hall Profile] on the ISC website
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20111114005928/http://www.mydaughter.co.uk/schools-directory/moreton-hall/ Profile] on MyDaughter

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Category:Educational institutions established in 1913

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Category:Member schools of the Girls' Schools Association