The School shield, shown here, is proudly displayed on the Saint Ronan’s sweatshirt. It owes its roots to various other coats of arms: those of Pembroke College, Cambridge and the Crick family crest (Rev. Crick was the founder of Saint Ronan’s in 1883).

The various elements and colours of the shield also have individual meaning and symbolism.

In the chief (top) part of the shield, there are two gold stars. The colour represents generosity and elevation of mind, while the stars themselves are a symbol of honour and achievement. Also in the chief area is a lion rampant, representing a willingness to serve king and country (the yellow lion rampant being one of the royal pennants). The background colour of this region is blue, which is chosen to represent truth and loyalty.

Lower in the shield we see a vert bend running from base sinister to chief dexter. The green colour is used to represent hope, joy and loyalty in love. On the bend itself there are three cinquefoils which also represent hope and joy. These and the body of the shield are white, a colour which represents peace and serenity.

The remaining symbols are two Cornish choughs (their legs and beaks are gules or red in early versions of the crest). These choughs represent a feeling of loyalty to friends and the quality of a strategist in battle, an appropriate mark for sporting colours, and are borrowed from the crest of Pembroke. On the Pembroke shield they are found in red, standing for warrior strength and magnanimity, but on our crest they are black, a colour that stands for constancy.

Finally the school motto, Floreat St Ronan’s. This is based on the Eton College motto, and means, of course, Let Saint Ronan’s Flourish.