St Michael's Prep School, Otford

{{Short description|Preparatory school in Otford, Kent, England}}

{{Infobox school

| name = St Michael's Prep School

| image = St_Michael's_Prep_School_Logo.png

| image_size = 175px

| motto = Perseverantia, Sapientia, Gratia

| established = 1872

| closed =

| type = Preparatory school (United Kingdom)

| religious_affiliation =

| president =

| head_label = Head

| head = Nik Pears

| r_head_label =

| r_head =

| chair_label = Chair of Governors

| chair = Rashid Chinchanwala

| founder = Arthur Tooth

| address = Otford Court

| city = Otford

| county = Kent

| country = England

| postcode = TN14 5RY

| local_authority =

| dfeno =

| urn =

| ofsted = no

| enrolment =

| gender = Mixed

| lower_age = 2

| upper_age = 13

| houses = Dover, Leeds, Rochester, Windsor

| colours =

| publication =

| free_label_1 =

| free_1 =

| free_label_2 =

| free_2 =

| free_label_3 =

| free_3 =

| website = http://www.stmichaels.kent.sch.uk

}}

St Michael's Prep School is a coeducational preparatory school in Otford, located in a {{convert|100|acre|m2|adj=on}} site in the North Downs, Kent, England.

History

St Michael's was founded at Hatcham in 1872 by the Reverend Arthur Tooth as a school and home for the sons of the clergy, naval and military officers as well as professionals who had suffered bereavement or fallen on hard times. The school now has more than 460 pupils.

==Historic abuse allegations==

In 2005, actor John Hurt stated in an interview with the Independent on Sunday that when he was a pupil at the school he was abused by Donald Cormack, then Senior Master of the school; he later became Head Teacher until his retirement in 1981.[http://www.stmichaels.kent.sch.uk/school-visitors/12/history-of-the-school History of St Michael's School, accessed 21 March 2010. (Confirming details of Cormack's career.)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101101190621/http://www.stmichaels.kent.sch.uk/school-visitors/12/history-of-the-school |date=1 November 2010 }} Hurt said that the experience affected him "hugely". According to the interviewer, he and Hurt had a mutual friend who had earlier made the same allegations to him.{{Cite web|last=Byrnes|first=Sholto|date=2005-10-16|title=John Hurt: I was abused, too|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/john-hurt-i-was-abused-too-320009.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/john-hurt-i-was-abused-too-320009.html |archive-date=24 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=2020-09-21|website=The Independent|language=en}}

Notable alumni

{{See also|Category:People educated at St Michael's Preparatory School, Otford}}

=Teachers=

Roy Martin Haines

=Pupils=

Hubert Chesshyre, Clarenceux King of Arms, Secretary of the Order of the Garter,{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/mar/30/sex-offender-retains-queen-honour-reform |title=Honours system under scrutiny after sex abuser kept title for years |newspaper=The Observer |date= 30 March 2019|author=Jamie Doward |access-date= 1 April 2019}}
John Hurt, actor{{Cite web|last=Parkinson|first=David|date=22 January 2019|title=John Hurt: 10 essential films|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/john-hurt-10-essential-films|access-date=2020-09-21|website=British Film Institute|language=en}}
Roy Martin Haines, historian
Tom Bosworth - represented his country in race walking in the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Lizzy Yarnold - silver medallist in the 2011 Bob Skeleton Junior World Championships,{{cite web |url=http://www.fibt.com/index.php?id=63&event=26351&L=0 |title=Upcoming Events |website=www.fibt.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225013425/http://www.fibt.com/index.php?id=63&event=26351&L=0 |archive-date=2014-02-25}} 2014 winter Olympic gold medalist, 2018 winter Olympic gold medalist