A BRIEF HISTORY OF DEAN CLOSE SCHOOL
1884
Foundation Stone laid on 11th November 1884.
1886
The School, named after Francis Close, incumbent of Cheltenham 1826 to 1881, officially opened on 7th May with 9 boarders.
1891
The Old Decanian Society formed.
1924
The House system starts.
1925
A Junior House opened at Fortfield.
1937
The Open Air Theatre, now Tuckwell Theatre, completed and opened.
1938
Day Boys admitted to the Junior School.
1939
DCS evacuated to Monkton Combe School, Bath (until 1940).
Junior School evacuated to Glyngarth, Christchurch Road, Cheltenham.
1949
Junior School opened with its own headmaster.
1957
Field House, a separate Day boys’ House, opened.
1969
Co-education started properly. Mead House (first girls’ House – for Day girls)
1973
First girls’ boarding accommodation opened at Fawley Lodge.
Dale House (second day boy House) formed.
1975
Shelburne House (second girls’ boarding House) opened.
1988
First astro–turf pitch laid.
1991
New Theatre opened.
1992
Pre-Prep opened as a department of DCJS.
1993
New Art and Design Centre built.
1997
New Music School (DCS) opened by Prince Michael of Kent.
1998
The New Theatre renamed the Bacon Theatre.
2000
DCS Brook Court boys’ boarding house opened by the Earl and Countess of Wessex, replacing Brook and Court Houses.
2003
New Shelburne House officially opened.
2004
DCPPS new School building officially opened.
Close Up Theatre first performs at the Edinburgh Fringe.
2006
Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum transfer from the Abbey School, which closes, to DCPS, the latter now becoming a Choir School.
New Sports Centre opens. (Officially opened the following year).
2009
U18 Boys Hockey XI become National Champions.
DCPS (TASC) Laurence Kilsby wins BBC2 National Chorister of the Year.
Influenza hits DCS in early November. The senior school just avoids closing with a peak number of 207 cases.
2010
School Pavilion completed (after it was burnt down in 2006).
2011
Carducci Quartet become the first Quartet in Residence.
Hatherley House, second day House for girls, opens in DCS.
2012
U16 Boys National Hockey Champions.
National Schools Equestrian Cross Country Champions.
National Schools’ Equestrian Two Day Event Champions
U16 Girls National Netball Finalists
‘The Quad’ wins ‘Best Feature Article’ in Shine School Media Awards
2013
U18 Girls’ Hockey National Champions
U18 Girls’ Indoor Hockey National Runners-up
U18 Boys’ Indoor Hockey National Finalists
West of England Finalists at all other levels for both Boys and Girls.
In Tennis, the girls won the Midland Schools’ Girls’ Tennis Tournament for the first time ever in the competition’s 102 year history.
First DCS qualifying event held for the National Show Jumping Championships.
The new Prep-School Building, replacing the Langhorne Hall, opened.
2014
New Chapel Organ built.
Turner House becomes a stand-alone boarding house for 6th form girls.
Dean Close marks the Centenary of the outbreak of WW1 to honour those that fought.
