Heatherdown Prep: the exclusive school that taught David Cameron his ambition

By Heidi Blake and Murray Wardrop Published: 8:00AM GMT twenty-seven February 2010

David Cameron, 11, at Heatherdown

So discerning was the destiny Conservative leaders climb by the tutorial ranks at his disdainful Berkshire basic propagandize that he entered the tip tutorial category roughly dual years early.

Now former pupils and teachers have damaged their overpower about the rarely in isolation investiture to urge Mr Cameron opposite claims, finished progressing this week, that he was a "dunce" who had languished at the bottom of his category in 1978.

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A propagandize inform emerged on Thursday display Mr Cameron ranked last in the chosen sixth form at Heatherdown Preparatory School one of the good tributary schools to Eton until it sealed in 1982 following bad formula in Latin, maths, embankment and French.

But James Edwards, the former head teacher, told The Daily that usually the brightest boys were authorised to come in the chosen form, with majority withdrawal the propagandize in the fifth year.

Mr Cameron was as majority as dual years younger than the boys opposite whom he was competing, after teachers noted him out as "very bright" and promoted him up the school.

"There was zero thick about David, zero wrong with him at all," pronounced Mr Edwards, right away in his eighties.

"The total thing was formed on merit, so if a child was splendid and a high achiever, he would go up, in any case of age.

"The actuality that David was in the sixth form at the age of eleven is an denote of how crafty he was. If a student finished the sixth form at any age, it meant he had finished well."

Rhidian Llewellyn, a former clergyman at Heatherdown, pronounced he remembered Mr Cameron as a "charming and bright" student with a "cheeky grin".

"To indicate he was a blockhead is rather astray since you would design a younger child to be at the back of chaps who had already sat their grant exams to Eton," pronounced the 52-year-old, who right away runs an tutorial consultancy firm.

The Dailyhas additionally tracked down the twelve "exceptionally clever" boys who ranked on tip of the destiny Conservative personality in the 1978 class.

Edward Mallinckrodt, who came tip of the form, went on to investigate at Eton with Mr Cameron.

Now an businessman who has founded a raft of successful businesses, together with the web consultancy Oyster Partners, he was declared a Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in 2001. He right away lives in west London with his mother and 3 children.

Viscount Giles Goschen, who ranked closer to Mr Cameron in 9th place, went on to turn a ride apportion in John Majors supervision at the age of twenty-nine and became the youngest patrimonial counterpart inaugurated to sojourn in the House of Lords by any celebration at only 34 in 1999.

The settlement of stepping in to positions of name at a immature age was determined early, when he became the 4th Viscount of Goschen at only 11-years-old following the genocide of his father during his time at Heatherdown.

Viscount Goschen, who right away lives in Sussex with his mother and 3 children, paints a regretful design of his days at the disdainful propagandize of around 80 pupils.

"It was a desirable small school. We were all friends and we had poetic drift with a tiny steam railway we could ride, and where small boys in blue suits and Wellington boots outlayed a lot of time construction dens in the woods," he said.

"I recollect the poetic sports days and the fathers day competition where lots of beetroot-faced colonels took part".

Three apart lavatories were supposing on sports days at the school: one for ladies, one for gentlemen and one for chauffeurs.

Among others higher up the category ratings than the man anticipating to turn Britain"s subsequent Prime Minister was the Honourable Charles Bruce, son of the late 4th Baron Aberdare, who came 4th.

Simon Andreae, hermit of the cartoonist Purple Ronnie, came sixth and is right away a multi award-winning radio producer. The Old Etonian lives in California with his mother and 4 children.

John Drummond, the 9th Earl of Perth, was additionally in the class.

Other old boys at the disdainful boarding propagandize embody the Duke of York; James Ogilvy, son of the Queen"s cousin Princess Alexandra of Kent; and George Windsor, son of the Duke and Duchess of Kent.

Peter Romilly, who ranked only on tip of Mr Cameron in the second to last place, is right away Chief Operating Office for Pan Index Ltd, a monetary widespread betting organisation in Dublin.

He remembers the Conservative personality warmly. "There are no skeletons anywhere. He was a entirely decent chap, and he wasnt the majority smart in the class, but he was still really clever. There are no abhorrence stories," he said. "Looking back, it was a conspicuous place with conspicuous people at a conspicuous time."