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Schools related to the United Reformed Church
1 Representatives of the schools met in London for the annual business meeting in July 2002, and a group of sixth‑formers, staff, and governors from the schools met in Torre Pellice for a week‑end in October 2002.
2 The fellowship and stimulus of the occasion was immense. The schools are indebted for this to the generous hospitality provided by Principal Elio Canale of the Collegio Valdese, to the co‑ordination undertaken by the Headmaster and Chaplain of Caterham School, and to the careful continuity provided by Mr A J Earl.
Caterham School
Caterham has had another successful year of consolidation, particularly enjoying the completion of the Boarding refurbishment programme.
The number of pupils who are United Reformed Church Ministers’ children is slowly growing. We feel this is a key area of our Foundation, which is at the heart of the School.
Examination results continue to improve with the best ever at GCSE and A level and a 92% rate of University candidates getting to the University of their first choice.
The new Director of Music and Head of Drama have had a significant impact on our Performing Arts provision.
In sport, two girls have just been selected to represent England in the U19 World Cup in Baltimore, USA.
On the European front some thirty pupils, staff and governors from our schools, spent an excellent four days in October as the guests of the Collegio Valdese, where the theme of ‘Building Bridges’ encompassed links with Corrymeela in Ireland, Taizé in France, and Agape, nearby in the Alps, as well as examining the roots of the Waldensian Church. Future linkages between individual schools and Torre Pellice are envisaged.
A new school strategic plan has been prepared and the School hope to have a building master plan in place in the immediate future. Eltham College
‘Christian principles’ are the first two words in Eltham’s ‘mission statement’, and I am pleased to be able to report that pupils, staff, and governors remain committed to supporting the Christian ethos.
2003 sees the centenary of the construction and dedication of the College Chapel, and in July a service is planned to celebrate the 100 years of worship within this building. Contractors have been working carefully around the school activities to complete interior refurbishments, particularly to all the wood panels and pews. The PTA have generously contributed to the provision of soft furnishings, while we hope that the Congregational and General Charitable Trust will be able to help with a grant towards the upgrading of the electricity supply. The Chapel remains a potent symbol of our heritage, and while there are fewer missionaries who seek education for their children in England, it is important that the current pupils are made aware of the principles which impelled many of the school’s earliest parents to send their sons to SSM and Eltham College.
The Community Service Programme now involves all students throughout their Lower Sixth year, helping at various venues and with different groups within the local community, and many maintain these contacts into the Upper Sixth and beyond. The Charities Committee are equally active raising funds for national charities like Children‑in‑Need, and local ones like the Sharks Swimming Club for the Disabled, who use the Eric Liddell Sports Centre at Eltham in the evenings.
We are reaching a critical moment in the future of boarding provision at Eltham. Rather like Walthamstow Hall before us, we have found it almost impossible to maintain a regular supply of boarders on such a small scale. The boarding house’s raison d’etre, missionaries’ sons, has almost dried up, and at home there has been little interest, even in weekly boarding. Interest now only comes from Asia where students are attracted to a location near London, and a chance to improve their English: this is not a recipe for a contented and homogeneous community. Our Governors will have to consider the future of boarding as a matter of urgency.
On a different note, the Seven Schools Conference, ‘Building Bridges’, at Torre Pellice was a most positive and thought provoking event, enjoyed by Headmaster, Chaplain and two of our Sixth Formers. Our link with Collegio Valdese is strong, and we hope that we shall be able to explore the possibility of trips in both directions by staff and pupils from all our schools in the future.
Silcoates School
With just over 700 pupils we have reached the numerical target set during the transition to full co‑education.
The A level statistics of greatest importance are that our Sixth Formers achieved the highest ever average grade per subject and that all but one of them (ie all who chose to) have proceeded into Higher Education. The GCSE candidates did very well and we have an unprecedentedly large number of students in this year’s Lower Sixth. In the public examinations Silcoates bucked the national trend in two respects. At GCSE the boys outshone the girls – only just, but they did. At A level the subject with the greatest number of candidates was mathematics, nine of the sixteen students achieving grade A.
The extra‑curricular life of the school continues to be rich and varied – and not only during term time. Take last Easter Holidays: only two and a half weeks including Easter itself. Nevertheless, Silcoates was out and about and busy. The 1st XV went to Rome for a week – played three, won three, watched the Italy v England international, flew back on the same plane as the England squad, reunion with Martin Johnson, lots of autographs. The Eternal City was also visited by the Sixth Form Historians – special subject Mussolini. The U12 A and B teams played in the North of England tournament in Blackpool, A beating B at an intermediate stage and losing to the eventual winners. There were Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions and cabin‑cruising on the Norfolk Broads. Members of staff spent some days building the ingenious set for Little Shop of Horrors and rehearsing the cast. Prospective parents taken round on Monday 8 April were impressed to see a GCSE Art class in progress.
Our two feeder schools, Sunny Hill House and St Hilda’s, are flourishing. The Early Years extension at Sunny Hill House, completed on time and within budget, is a splendid addition, much admired and enjoyed. The Gateway nursery at St Hilda’s, opened in the spring, is also very attractive and a great asset to that school.
Walthamstow Hall
The year 2002 was a significant turning point in the life of Walthamstow Hall, with the retirement of Mrs Jackie Lang, after nearly nineteen years’ service, and the closure of boarding in the summer term. Mrs Lang’s retirement was marked by a number of splendid events to celebrate the contribution she had made to the life of the school as headmistress and pupil, and as GSA president in 1997.
The end of boarding was received with some sadness, but also a determination to preserve the Christian values and strong sense of community that have always characterised the school.
Mrs Jill Milner, an Oxford English graduate, joined the school in September 2002 from her post as Acting Deputy Head at Tonbridge Girls’ Grammar School. Mrs Milner is a practising Christian with three children of her own and wide experience in the maintained sector and GSA day and boarding schools.
In August the school was pleased to maintain its tradition of high academic achievement, with news of excellent public examination results, despite what the media came to label the ‘Advanced Level fiasco’.
Advanced Level candidates in 2002 achieved 60.8% passes at grades A and B, with the average number of subjects per candidate reaching 3.5, not including General Studies. This represents a steady increase in the number of subjects examined at A2, from under 3 in 1998, and reflects the breadth of education encouraged at Walthamstow Hall.
At GCSE 60% of candidates achieved passes at grades A and A*, a school record, with candidates taking at least 10 subjects, and the majority taking 12.
Beyond the academic curriculum, girls distinguished themselves in the fields of Music and Sport, as well as excelling in business as winners of the Young Enterprise area final competition.
In March, senior girls gave a memorable performance of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible in the Ship Theatre, a joint production with Tonbridge and Judd boys’ schools. In the summer term, the Junior School mounted an equally polished production of Twelfth Night featuring twin sisters.
The summer term also saw an acclaimed concert of music, including Mozart’s piano concerto number 23, as well as various choral and orchestral pieces. As usual the school acted as host to the Sevenoaks Festival in the summer term, continuing the tradition of cultural pursuits.
In September twenty of our lacrosse players were selected to play in Kent teams and the school’s ski team was chosen to represent Kent at the National Championships of the Schools’ Ski Association.
All these achievements and the continuing of links with schools in Rheinbach, Pointose and Torre Pellice show the importance that the school attaches to education beyond the classroom.
The school raised several thousand pounds for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, Breast Cancer Awareness and Water Aid, as well as continuing to support the Peckham Settlement through fundraising and the annual ‘Peckham Party’.
The Friends and Parents’ Association organised a superb Fireworks party and a highly successful Christmas Fair, which raised a record sum.
In the summer holidays work began on the redevelopment of the old boarding area to create the new Erasmus Centre, providing state‑of‑the‑art teaching rooms and facilities for Languages and Humanities departments. In the autumn term, the new music centre at the Junior School (formerly the old stable block) came into use to expand opportunities for music making. These symbolise the school’s ability to evolve and embrace innovation in the context of the traditional, for they use redeveloped buildings to house new thinking.
This ability to adapt to meet future challenges, whilst holding firm to the Christian principles on which the school is founded, will equip us for the latest exciting phase in our 165 year history.
Wentworth College
The school was inspected by the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate in October 2002 and we have now received their report. We are very pleased with what the Inspectors have written about us – and we agree with them that Wentworth is a ‘happy and successful school where all pupils enjoy an education of very good quality based on very good teaching’. The report concludes that the high standard of education offered ensures that ‘in all subjects pupils’ standards of attainment exceed national levels in relation to their age, prior achievement and perceived capabilities’. The ‘quality of teaching and learning is very good, pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to work are excellent and the atmosphere in the school is warm and caring. Pupils respond well to the ethos of the school and are committed in their work and enthusiastic in their sport and leisure activities. Pupils are well care for, receive effective pastoral support, guidance and welfare and enjoy their life in the school’. The Summary Report, prospectus and current newsletter may be obtained from the School Office and further information about the school is available on our website, www.wentworthcollege.org.uk.
The Advent Service last term was held at Richmond Hill United Reformed Church, led by the Revd Jane Weedon and the Minister, the Revd Dr Donald Norwood. As always, it was well supported by Governors, parents and the congregation. The Revd Jane Weedon has taken over the Chaplaincy at Wentworth College, following the move by the Revd Frank Cochrane to his new pastorate in Southampton.
Taunton School
On the academic front we were delighted with our A Level results: a 97% pass rate, of which 68% were A/B, was significantly up on last year’s performance and the best we have ever achieved. Nineteen pupils achieved 3A grades or more – a record number for the School. The GCSE results, 93% pass rate, were on a par with previous years.
However schools such as Taunton are very much about the all‑round personal development of the pupils, as the following highlights from our extensive extra‑curricular programme indicate.
The School Equestrian team followed on from their success last year in winning the National Schools’ Show Jumping at Hickstead by coming second in the National Schools’ One Day event at Ardingly. They were only just beaten into second place by Millfield.
The girls’ U15 Hockey team reached the final 16 of the English Hockey Association Cup but unfortunately lost to Norton HC, Worcester, 4‑2.
All three Ten Tors Teams (35, 45 and 55 miles) completed the expedition. Matthew Llewellyn‑Jones (F4), who suffers from cerebral palsy, participated in the Jubilee Challenge. He was the first walker home on his 13.5km route.
Kate Pengelly (F5) represented the England U17 Rounders Team.
Emma Patterson (flute), Rachel Marsh (clarinet), Matthew Bray (clarinet) and Jess Tratt (saxophone) – all F4 – were offered places with the Somerset County Band. Emily Duggan (violin – F3) was offered a place with the Somerset County Youth Orchestra.
The boys had a highly successful hockey tour to South Africa. Their record was: P14 W4 D1 L9 top sides. Goals: For 32 Against 36 – an indication of how close matches were. The players visited Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, East London, Cape Town and Robben Island as well as doing some whale watching and bungy jumping.
Wesley Hosie (F3) won the British Open U15 Wake Boarding Title and also the National U15 Title.
Charlotte King (F50) was selected for Bristol City Ladies Football Team. She is likely to be our first former pupil to become a professional footballer.
It has thus been a year of continued success, in which the number of pupils in the School passed the 1,000 mark. The last time we were at that level was in 1991 – and that was when we passed through it the other way.
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