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Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire is the largest private Catholic boarding school in the UK, and it is often referred to as the "Catholic Eton". It first opened in 1802 and is run by the Benedictine monks of Ampleforth Abbey.
As a result of the school's association with the monks, religion is central to the life of the school. All pupils are expected to take religious education at GCSE level, and also at A or AS level. Mass is attended by all pupils twice a week, once on a weekday (in the house) and once on Sunday in the Abbey Church.
The school also has an excellent choir (the Schola Cantorum) which sings at mass on Sunday and also at Vespers on a Friday night. The choir has made various recordings and tours throughout the world.
Though originally only a boys' school, over the recent past years the school has progressed from accepting just day girls in the sixth form to the present situation with girl boarders of all ages.
The school is arranged into houses, with boys (and now girls) living in the separate houses, eating together as a house and playing sport together as a house in inter-house competitions. There are currently ten houses, each named after a saint.
Sport is a large part of school life, with pupils able to participate in a wide variety of sports including, rugby, shooting, tennis, cricket and football.
The college is also known as "SHAC", standing for "Senior House Ampleforth College" and also referring to the shack which stood on the site when the school was founded. School monitors play an important role in the smooth running of the school and are known as "shaccies" to all in the college.
The school is situated in a picturesque valley, which has many sports pitches, forest and lakes.
Notable alumni
- Thomas Burgess (1791–1854), Roman Catholic Bishop of Clifton, 1851–1854
- John Polidori (1795–1821), physician and writer
- Athansius Allanson (1804–1876), Benedictine monk, and Abbot of Glastonbury, 1874–1876
- Leonard Calderbank (1809–1864), Roman Catholic priest
- Francis Salvin (1817–1904), falconer
- Cuthbert Hedley (1837–1915), Roman Catholic Bishop of Newport, 1881–1915
- Joseph Turner (1853–1897), composer and organist
- Herbert Railton (1857–1910), illustrator
- Roderic O'Conor (1860–1940), artist
- Major-General Sir Freddie de Guingand (1900–1979), Chief of Staff to Field Marshal Montgomery, 1942–1945
- Harman Grisewood (1906–1997), Chief Assistant to the Director-General of the BBC, 1955–1964
- Gabriel Turville-Petre (1908–1978), Professor of Ancient Icelandic Literature and Antiquities, University of Oxford, 1953–1975
- Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat (1911–1995), commando officer
- Colonel Sir David Stirling (1915–1990), founder of the SAS
- Sir Hugh Fraser (1918–1984), Secretary of State for Air, 1962–1964
- Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg (born 1921), Grand Duke of Luxembourg, 1964–2000
- Auberon Herbert (1922–1974), campaigner for Eastern European causes
- Basil Cardinal Hume (1922–1999), Abbot of Ampleforth Abbey, 1963–1975, and Archbishop of Westminster, 1975–1999
- Neville Braybrooke (1923–2001), writer and editor
- John Crichton-Stuart, 6th Marquess of Bute (1933–1993), Chairman, Historic Buildings Council for Scotland, 1983–1988, and National Museums of Scotland, 1985–1993
- Hugo Young (1938–2003), journalist
- Michael Ancram (born 1945), Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party, 2001–
- Philip Lawrence (1947–1995), Headmaster, St Joseph's School, Maida Vale, 1993–1995, and murder victim
- Captain Robert Nairac (1948–1977), George Cross, intelligence officer murdered by the IRA
- Julian Fellowes (born 1949), actor and writer
- Antony Gormley (born 1950), sculptor
- Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk (born 1956)
- Rupert Everett (born 1959), actor
- Lawrence Dallaglio (born 1972), England rugby player
- Simon Easterby (born 1975), Ireland rugby player
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