St. Anthony’s School lies in the heart of Hampstead, located in two buildings. The Junior House occupies 90 Fitzjohn’s Avenue, a former nursing home, while the Senior House is found at 1 Arkwright Road, a large Victorian villa, formally an ambassador’s residence.
The school opened its doors in Hampstead in 1952 with just a handful of boys as one of the few Catholic prep schools in North London. Today, nearly 300 boys, aged between four and thirteen, receive their education here before moving on to places in many of London’s senior independent schools.
The founder of the Hampstead school was Richard Patton, a former naval commander who had served on the Arctic convoys during the second world war. But it was his son, Tim, who took over the headship, after the death of his father in 1963, who established the School’s reputation in his own highly idiosyncratic way. For most of the boys who went through the School during Tim’s leadership, St. Anthony’s proved to be one of the most formative experiences of their lives. While the quirky and informal way Tim led the School would be unthinkable today, he instilled the values that are central to the School.
It highlights the School’s history and traditions, tells the stories of achievement for some of the many who attended, outlines the characteristics of the contemporary modern School, and focuses on its ethos of embracing intellectual excellence, spiritual awareness, sporting achievement and service to the community.
The book should prove fascinating reading and a great trip down memory lane for our alumni. It is available to purchase using the following link:
The History of St. Anthony’s School
We always want to hear from old Antonians, both stories of your school days and what you are up to now.
Please do sign up to our new Alumni website: Sign up here.
