Soon after the foundation of the school in 1880 at John and Emily Bayley’s home at 33 Albert Road (next door, number 35 was rented), the premises was full to capacity. John Bayley needed more space to house the growing number for pupils so he decided to rent another house at the top of the road, Gladtheim, now known as Highfield.

John Bayley used this until about 1905 while the original Old School was being built alongside when he relinquished it. By 1919 the numbers had increased and Gladtheim was then purchased and used as a dormitory building for up to twenty-four boys. It was known as ‘the Annexe’.
In 1921 the Sanatorium was moved into the Annexe from its original position in what is now the Development Office to allow that building to become the Bursary and Staff Common Room.

In 1927 the Sanatorium was moved to Roslyn Road into a house known as Eastfield which the school had purchased and enlarged. During the 1930s Highfield became the Bursar’s house and both J.F Robinson and W.B Bannister lived there.

In 1946 when Urwin Thornburn became Housemaster of Tudor, the first to be a married man, Highfield became the residence of the Tudor Housemaster and continued as such until 1988. From then until 2016 it was the residence of a succession of married members of staff.
It has once again become the Sanatorium, though now names the Medical Centre.

Mervyn Joyner