EDUCATION

First school : Chesham Preparatory School.

Chesham Preparatory school was the first school Fry went to. He went to this school in 1961 until 1965 when he moved to Norfolk.

One of the most substantial events that happened during Fry's time at Chesham Prep was a fall in the playground where he broke his nose, which gave him the distinct nose we know Fry for today.

"A duelling scar may rightly be called distinguished, as might a slightly cleft chin or a glamorously imperceptible limp, but a bent nose is idiotic and unpleasant”

S . Fry

Second school: Cawston  Primary School.

Fry began Cawston primary school in January 1965 (as his family had to moved to Norfolk) and left in March 1965. Fry went to Cawston primary school as a go-between as the term for the prep school his parents wanted to send him to hadn't started yet.
Cawston Primary school is in the village Cawston which is very close to where Fry's house was.

Cawston Primary school logo

Uniform requirement for Cawston Primary school 

It was at Cawston Primary school where Fry has his first relocation of lying. Not just lying but getting away with it with ease and enjoying it.

"It was as if I had discovered my very purpose in life. To put one over, to dupe: to deceive not only without shame, but with pride, with real pride."

S . Fry

Third School : Stouts Hill 

Stouts Hill is the third school Fry attended he first started in April 1965. Stouts Hill was located in the town of Uley which was 218 miles away from Fry's family home.

"The point is that my father went to boarding school, my mother had been to boarding school, all the friends I had in the world went away to boarding school. It was what one did.

If I had not been sent away, I should have wondered what was wrong with me"

S . Fry

Fry's Older brother, Roger also attended the school, but was in an older year. Fry was always getting in to trouble at Stouts Hill, for being cheeky, skipping sports or sneaking out of school to go to the tuck shop for sweets. Fry was known to have taken the most whacks the teachers had ever given.

Tall one on the left is Fry whilst at stouts hill

"I liked to flout school rules. I did not fit in. I'm afraid stealing became second nature to me, and the boys changing room was the place to start. Up and down the pegs I would go, lightly tapping the trousers and blazers until I heard the chink of coins. I spent most of the money on sweets."

S . Fry 

Colour picture of the uniform

In the centre second row to the back wearing top hat = Fry

Above is the school perspective showing all that Stouts Hill offers such as: horse riding, swimming, gardening, sports, fishing etc.

Fry would purposely induce asthma attacks so that he could skip doing sports as he hated it so much. Instead he would roam around the school grounds eating sweets or stealing money to buy sweets or going off school grounds to buy/steal sweets.

When fry pictures himself at Stouts Hill he thinks of  himself walking, sliding, tumbling, den-building, boating, fishing, sliding across thickly iced lake, tobogganing, rolling snowballs, being taught the names of wildflowers and birds, climbing trees and exploring the woods.

Fry listed in the schools monthly magazine

Map showing distance to Stouts hill from Fry's home in Norfolk

Fry published as a leaver in school magazine

Fry took his exams for moving on schools early. Fry had a feeling it was because the school wanted to get rid of him.

"An incident stays with me. I am with headmaster Crombie in his office, charged with yet another misdemeanor. 'Fry,' he said, slapping a cavalry-twilled knee. 'I am going to make a prediction.'

'Sir?' 'You are going to go far.' 'Am I, sir?' 'Believe me, yes. You are going to go very, very far. Whether to the Palace of Westminster or to Wormwood Scrubs, I can't quite tell. Probably both, if I know my Fry.'"

S . Fry

Fourth school : Uppingham School

Fry started Uppingham in 1970, Roger Fry, Stephens older brother, also attended this school. Uppingham was an all boys boarding school. As like a lot of private schools Uppingham is separated into different houses :

Brooklands

Constables

Farleigh

Fircroft - this is the house that Fry belonged to. each house had its own tie colour and building.

The Hall

Highfield

The Lodge

Lorne House

Meadhurst

School House

West Bank

West Dean

Uppingham school badge

Above are Fry's house masters who were in charge of the Fircroft house. It was also the above who caught Fry stealing from the matrons handbag in her room, which consequently ended in Fry getting his first suspension.

Location of Uppingham

Above is Fry's house tie

Above is Fry's house building which consists of dorms, dining area, sports hall etc

Fry continued to be naughty at school he stole, skipped sports class and was cheeky to teachers.

“I regret that I cut such an odious, punchable figure sometimes.”

S . Fry

Whilst Fry was at uppingham he fell in love with a boy named Matthew the first moment he knew he had feelings for the same sex. Matthew was hetrosexual but this didn't matter to Fry he still loved him and marks this moment for the real turmoil of his life to begin.

Fry was expelled AKA 'asked to leave' Uppingham in November 1972 after he was granted permission to leave school for a few days to go to a sherlock Holmes society  in London, but failed to return back to school, instead stayed in london watching films at a cinema, films such as A clock work orange, The god father and Cabaret. Due to the fact he had previously been suspended he was immediately expelled.

Fifth School : Paston College

After getting expelled from Uppingham Fry went to a school closer to home, Paston School in North Walsham which is a town close by to Fry. They told Fry that he was too young to do 'a levels' and said he should re do his O levels. Fry found this offensive and bunked off school so often that once again he was expelled.

Sixth School : NORCAT

The next option for fry was to go to NORCAT, Norfolk College of Art and Technology in Kings Lyn. Fry attended this college in 1973 studying English, French and History of Art. Fry went to the college for two years during his second year he moved out and lived in Kings Lyn. Whilst at the college he took part in drama productions and was in charge of the film society.

Part way through his second year during a term holidays Fry took a turn for the worst feeling very low. He had an argument with his Father and then took an overdose of pills trying to take his life. He was found by his brother and consequently saved, taken to hospital and had his stomach pumped.

After his suicide attempt Fry returned to college but his heart was not in it, he gave up and failed his exams, some of which he didn't even turn up to. Fry left the college with no A-levels and ended up in prison ( I will discuss this in another post).

Seventh School: Norwich City College

After Fry's stint in prison he finally felt ready to settle down and do some real work and get good grades. In 1975 Fry begged his way into Norwich City College by promising to get all A's and sit the entrance paper to Cambridge to study English. He succeeded in this and went on to study at Cambridge.

Eighth school : Queens' College Cambridge

Fry started Cambridge in 1978 where he studied English literature. Fry spent the majority of his time joining drama societies and performing in different shows. He eventually began to also write sketches and dramas too. Fry believes that you learn more from the experience of cambridge then you do the studying, you are free to learn from your peers. Cambridge is where Fry met his comedy partner Hugh Laurie and also Emma Thompson.