[citation needed] The school grew from five students at its opening in 1919, to an enrolment of 264 by the time of Whitehouse's death.

The school was founded based on the teachings of John Ruskin, and had a large collection of art, books and memorabilia relating to him,[citation needed] including many notable manuscripts.

[1] Whitehouse, known as the Warden, had left Parliament at the height of his career and was thus able to attract pupils from a number of influential parents.

Early visitors to the school included John Masefield, Walter de la Mare,[2] Henry Nevinson and Isaac Foot.

[1] As the school grew, it expanded from its base in Old House, beginning in 1920 with the building of Culver Cottage, and continuing with the Gymnasium (later known as The Little Theatre) in 1924.

When war broke out, each school-house was equipped with an air-raid shelter, and the school beach was laid with barbed wire.

In summer 1940, the school was relocated, with all its contents, to the Lake District, to Ruskin's former home of Brantwood, previously purchased by Whitehouse, and the nearby Waterhead Hotel.

The students returned to Bembridge in the Christmas term, though annual excursions to Brantwood continued into peacetime.

A committee was established, chaired by Dr Peter Randall, to investigate ways to save the school.

It was originally a large family home called Southcliffe, and was acquired by the school in 1958 as accommodation for 20 boys under the first Housemaster, Henry Warren.

It was renamed to Nansen in 1961, in honour of the explorer who had links to the school, and subsequently underwent a number of extensions.

[citation needed] Upon Inge's death the position was given to economist and social reformer William Beveridge, who had known the Warden from their time in Government together and had similar political views.

Notable Old Bembridgians include Dingle Foot MP (former Solicitor General), John Foot (parliamentarian), John Brandon-Jones (architect), Robin Day (broadcaster), Michael Relph (film maker), Barry Field (former MP for the Isle of Wight), Peter Whiteley (former Royal Marine and Governor of Jersey), John Heath-Stubbs (poet), Patrick Gosling (soap star), Richard Parsons (ambassador and novelist), Laurence Broderick (sculptor) and Andrew Morris (conductor and organist).