 Throughout its history two men drove the school's philosophy, founder John Howard Whitehouse and 19th-century art critic and writer John Ruskin.The school's development, particularly during the early years, was visibly shaped by their ideas and even in later years the school never let go of their principles.The school's history spans seven decades and the boys and girls who attended the school seldom fail in later life to retain a sense of the school, or of the philosophy behind it.