St Aiden the Great School

> Festina Lente
>
> STAGS Motto, *Make Haste Slowly*

An exclusive boarding school in Northumberland, St Aiden the Great School, colloquially known as STAGS, is the oldest school in England.

## History

Founded in the 7th century by Saint Aiden the Great, the school was originally constructed to spread Christianity to his pupils. He was a normal monk but to gain his Saint status, he had to perform a miracle ; Aidan's miracle was he turned a stag invisible in order to save it from a hunt. There on the stag became his emblem.

Its noted STAGS has a chapel that was built in 683. This includes frescoes and an old stained-glass window depicting St Aiden holding up one finger in front of the face of the stag, almost shushing it.

## Uniform

* Black Tudor coat (down to knees with gilt buttons down the front)
* Scarlet "colour of arterial blood" stockings (unless you are a Medieval, in which case you may wear knee-high stockings of a design of your choosing)
* Narrow brown deer-leather belt
* Plain white wing-collar shirt
* White clerical tie
* Black knee breeches
* Black deer-leather lace-up shoes
* Regulation black PE kit with STAGS crest

## Holidays

Michaelmas (Autumn Term): 30th September to 13th December

Michaelmas Justitium: 25th October to 29th October

Hilary(Spring Term): 20th January to 13 March

Hilary Justitium: 14th February to 18th February

Trinity(Summer Term): Monday 27th April to Friday 26th June

Trinity Justitium: Friday 29th May to Tuesday 2nd June

## Houses

For the first 1000 years or so there were just 4 houses, until they began admitting girls, where they added Lightfoot.

HOUSES AT S.T.A.G.S.

### HONORIUS

Honorius was Archbishop of Canterbury in the seventh century. His is the oldest and grandest house at STAGS. The White Quad, dating from the twelfth century, features at its centre the Jerusalem Tree, a cedar tree grown from a seed brought home from the Crusades by Conrad de Warlencourt. Honorius house colours: a white stag’s head on a ground of red and gold with a cedar tree as a charge.

* Henry de Warlencourt
* Shafeen Jadeja

### BEDE

The Venerable Bede was an English Benedictine monk who wrote Th e Ecclesiastical History of the English People, a draft of which survives in the Scriptorium at STAGS. Bede house incorporates the extensive playing fields known as Bede’s Piece. Bede house colours: a white stag’s head on a ground of red and blue, with a book as a charge.

### OSWALD

Oswald was king of Northumbria from 634, uniting the kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira to become the most powerful ruler in Britain. Oswald did much to promote the spread of Christianity in the north, and fi ttingly the school chapel can be found in his house. Oswald house colours: a white stag’s head on a ground of red and green with a crown as a charge.

### PAULINUS

Paulinus was a Roman missionary and the fi rst Bishop of York. Th e Paulinus Well, built during the bishop’s mission to Northumbria in the seventh century, stands in the middle of Paulinus quad. Th e waters at its depths were said, upon drinking, to turn a sinful man to God. Paulinus house colours: a white stag’s head on a ground of red and purple with a well as a charge.

### LIGHTFOOT

Lightfoot is the girls’ house at STAGS, and is the newest of all the houses, built originally as a dwelling for masters in 1550. It is a handsome Tudor building with its own Garden Quad, and it was first named Aidan’s House. Th e name was changed when Bishop Joseph Lightfoot of Durham successfully lobbied for the admission of girls in 1880. Since then, Lightfoot House has borne his name. Lightfoot house colours: a white stag’s head on a ground of red and silver, with a bishop’s mitre as a charge.

Inc. Diamond paned windows, spiral chimneys. Dorms past an imense oak door is modern - chipboard furniture, office blue carpets

* Greer Macdonald : 3rd floor, end of a paneled tudor passageway.
* Becca (Greer's roomate, nicknames "Jesus")

## Medievals

The STAGS Prefects are known as Medievals. There are up to 6 Medievals at one time and they are always chosen from the 2nd year of sixth form. There is no election by the student body or appointment by the Friars – the Medievals are chosen by their predecessors in the year above, to ensure continuity of leadership and a smooth handover. It is the Abbot’s belief that the friendship bonds between the outgoing and incoming Medievals ensure shared aims and objectives, and that consequently the Medievals are always possessed of the high moral character that the school demands.

Everyone knew the Medievals, as it was they who really ran STAGS.

### Notable Medievals:

* Henry De Warlencourt
* Henry Cookson
* Esme Dawson
* Charlotte Lachlan-Young
* Piers Holland
* Lara Petrova

* Greer Macdonald
* Shafeen Jadeja
* Chanel Ashton

The Medievals were custom to wearing the colour stocking of their choosing. Upon Greer, Chanel and Shafeen’ s anointment, they chose silver tights with clipboards, designer pink channel and tiger print respectively. Many idolised them in hopes they would be chosen as the next Medieval, once the ruling 6 leave.

Paulinus Quad seems to be a classified area for the Medievals.

## Locations

> " A beautiful, vast medieval manor house...it didn't look at all like the headquarter of a disturbing cult"
>
> Greer, at the entrance of STAGS

### Paulinus Quad

On multiple occasions, we see the trio have intimate conversations at the Quad, particularly around Paulinus Well: an ancient stone well in the middle of the quad, a quadrangle of beautiful medieval buildings, mulllioned windows and climbing ivy. Even the Henry’s possy gathered there to talk, read and secretly smoke. Across manicured green lawn , Greer notes the well looked pretty, but in its depths it was gross : just as were the Medievals.

### Bede's Place

The playing fields but are not used for anything standard (i.e. athletics) but for sports e.g. rugby ("ruggers"), lacrosse. Beyond the playing fields there are tudor wooden courts.

### De Warlencourt Playhouse

STAGS own theatre, no fancy lighting or sets but instead a Jacobean replica playhouse lit by candles.

### the Crypt

An underground burial chamber below the chapel. Gloomy and candlelit, it had a few hard dark wood pews to sit. Crossribs and an oldstone smell.

### Friars

* Teacher are called Friars
* A lot of Friars are ex-pupils
* Guessed to be in their 60s (Greer)
* Wear monk gowns over their suits

Mentioned Friars (in relation to Greer):

1. Friar Whiteread (Mr) : form master
2. Friar Petrie (Miss) : housemistress
3. Abbot

### Sports

* Fives
* Real Tennis
* Rugby
* Lacrosse