# Rockport School

54°39′54″N 5°46′23″W﻿ / ﻿54.665°N 5.773°W﻿ / 54.665; -5.773
Rockport School is an independent day and boarding school for boys and girls from 2.5 years to 18 years in the British Public School tradition. It is situated in 25 acres (10 ha) of woodland on the shore of Belfast Lough in Craigavad, near Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland, between Belfast and Bangor.

## History

The school was founded in 1906 by Geoffrey Bing of Rossall School and Keble College, Oxford, with the original aim to "prepare boys for the Public Schools and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth". Bing was 29 and had taught previously in St George's, Broadstairs and at St Andrew's School, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells. Rockport began with only four boys, an assistant master and a matron but quickly grew in size. The school now has around 300 pupils and accepts both boys and girls from the age of 3 until 18 (A Level) as day or boarding pupils. The school celebrated its centenary year in 2006 by building a new arts centre.
The Headmaster is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), and the school is represented by the Independent Schools Council (ISC). In January 2014, the school became the first school in Ireland, north or south, to be granted regional membership of the international conference of Round Square Schools. Global membership of Round Square was conferred upon the school in March 2016. In September 2016 Rockport established the first school-based Golf Academy in Ireland.

## Notable alumni
### Arts and media

* Dudi Appleton, journalist and film director
* Lady Caroline Blackwood, journalist and novelist
* Turlough Convery, actor
* Shaun Davey, composer
* Daniel Edelstyn, filmmaker, screenwriter and actor
* Howard Ferguson (composer)
* Gary Lightbody, musician Snow Patrol
* William MacQuitty, film producer
* Flora Montgomery, actress
* Jonny Quinn, musician (Snow Patrol)
* James Quinn (film administrator), one of the longest-serving Directors of the British Film Institute
* Jessica Reynolds, actress
* Willoughby Weaving, poet of the Great War

### Politics

* Geoffrey Bing, Labour MP for Hornchurch and first Attorney General of Ghana
* Gordon Campbell, Baron Campbell of Croy, Conservative politician and Secretary of State for Scotland from 1970 to 1974
* Nigel Casey, Diplomat, former British High Commissioner to South Africa
* Natalie Evans, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, former Leader of the House of Lords
* Robin Glendinning, playwright and former politician instrumental in founding the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
* Will Glendinning, Alliance politician
* Sir John Gorman, soldier, Unionist politician
* Charles Johnston, Baron Johnston of Rockport, Conservative politician, businessman
* Alan McFarland, Unionist politician
* Rafton Pounder, Unionist politician
* John Robb, surgeon; Irish Senator and founder of the New Ireland Group
* John Turnley, Irish nationalist activist

### Business

* John Crosslé, founder of the Crosslé Car Company
* Sir Peter Gadsden, 652nd Lord Mayor of London

### Military

* Sir Michael McCorkell, soldier, public servant and Lord Lieutenant of County Londonderry for 25 years
* Sir John Morrison Forbes, Vice-Admiral. Royal Navy officer who became Naval Secretary.

### Sports

* Ronnie Adams, car racer
* Fred Covington, cricketer
* Ben Reynolds, athlete
* Paddy Wallace, Irish international rugby player
* John Watson, Formula 1 racing driver and commentator