Monkton Combe School is a public school (English private boarding and day school), located in the village of Monkton Combe near Bath in Somerset, England. It is a member of the Rugby Group of independent boarding schools in the United Kingdom. The senior school in Monkton Combe village admits pupils aged from 13 to 18 (pupil numbers are around 500); the Preparatory School in Combe Down village admits children aged from 7 to 13; and the adjacent Pre-Preparatory has classes in nursery (ages 2–3), kindergarten (3–4), reception (4–5) and years 1 and 2 (5–7). The Senior School and Preparatory School have always admitted boarding pupils although day pupils now (2021) comprise one third of the Senior School and are in the majority in the Preparatory School. Since 1992 when it merged with Clarendon School for Girls the school has been fully co-educational although it first admitted girls in 1971. The Senior School operates three boys' boarding houses and three girls' boarding houses, all in the village of Monkton Combe. History Monkton Combe School was founded in 1868 by the Revd. Francis Pocock, the vicar of Monkton Combe and former chaplain to John Weeks, the Bishop of Sierra Leone. It became known for its evangelical Christian approach to education and attracted many sons of vicars and overseas missionaries as well as those from a broader background. The school retains its strong evangelical Christian heritage. During the mid-20th century Monkton was regarded as one of the UK's strongest rowing schools; one-fifth of the 23-strong men's GB rowing squad at the 1948 Olympics consisted of students: I. M. Lang, M. C. Lapage, A. Mellows, W. G. R. M. Laurie, P. C. Kirkpatrick. The School became progressively co-educational in the late 20th century. In 1971, girls were admitted to the sixth form. In 1989, Nutfield House was built to accommodate them in the village. In 1992, the school became fully co-educational, merging with Clarendon School for Girls, an all-girls' school founded in 1898 that shared a similar Christian ethos to Monkton Combe School. The Junior School The Junior school was established with four pupils in 1888 in Combe Lodge, a private house in Church Road, Combe Down, by Revd. Charles Howard, the son-in-law of the then Senior School Principal, the Revd. R.G. Bryan. The Junior school moved into purpose-built premises in Combe Down in June 1907, which it still occupies. After expanding rapidly, the