Draft:The Beacon School, Amersham

Introduction
The Beacon is an independent prep school for boys aged 3-13 in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.

In 2024, there were 510 boys at the school, making it the largest single-sex prep school in the UK. The current Headmaster is Nick Baker.

An ISI inspection report, dated February 2022, found the school to be ‘Excellent in all areas.’

History
The Beacon was founded in 1933 by its first Headmaster, Stanley Fieldhouse. It started with just five boys, the origin of the five-pointed star on the school’s crest, and classes were taught in the original School House building on Amersham Road.

The school’s 17th century farmhouse and timbered barn buildings were acquired by Pip Masters, who became Headmaster in 1953. The buildings had been used for a soldiers' camp during the Second World War, and the sign for the Sergeants' Mess can still be seen engraved on one of the wooden beams in the school's dining room today. When Pip retired in 1972, his son-in-law, Hugh Davies Jones, succeeded him and The Beacon Educational Trust was formed.

In 2012, under Headmaster Michael Spinney, The Beacon became one of the founding schools of the Pre-Senior Baccalaureate (PSB).

Facilities
The Beacon’s facilities include 16 acres of playing fields, a Sports Hall, AstroTurf, and covered heated swimming pool. There is also a 220-seat theatre, Drama Studio, and Mac-technology Music Suite for Performing Arts.

Notable Alumni
Notable alumni include:


 * Tom Blomfield, entrepreneur and co-founder of Monzo bank
 * Ross Brewer, Commonwealth double-gold gymnast
 * Hugh Coles, actor
 * David Eldon CBE, former chairman of HSBC
 * Philip Franks, actor and director
 * David Honigmann, journalist
 * Joe Lister, Luxemburg International Rugby player
 * Fitz Harding, English Rugby Union player
 * Lieutenant General Sir Mark Mans, KCB, CBE, DL
 * Ben Merrick, British civil servant
 * Hugh Padgham, Grammy award winning record-producer
 * Adam Thorpe, poet and novelist
 * Mark Watson-Gandy CStJ KSG OBE, lawyer, educationalist and Founder KidsMBA