Schools Related to the United Reformed Church

1. Representatives of the Schools (Caterham, Eltham, Silcoates, Taunton, Walthamstow Hall and Wentworth) met in London for their annual business meeting on 9 June 2003. There was a particular welcome for Mrs J Milner who has succeeded Mrs J Lang as Headmistress of Walthamstow Hall.

2. In addition to relations with the United Reformed Church and CWM, matters of advocacy and publicity were considered and future meetings of students, staff, and governors at Corrymeela and with the Collegio Valdese, Torre Pellice, were planned.

3. The Schools remain appreciative of support from the Milton Mount Foundation and the Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust.

4. The following reports have been received:

4.1 Caterham School

Caterham has had another successful year with exciting developments in independent learning, which is encouraging greater breadth, scholarship and self-development. Examination results continue to improve, with the best ever results at GCSE and A level and a position in the league table of the top 100 schools in the country.

Boarding numbers continue to develop: 140 pupils represent thirty different countries.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award continues to develop: four gold awards have been attained, the expeditions taking place with World Challenge in Bolivia. This year another group of thirty-four pupils are going with World Challenge to Botswana.

In sport the Boys’ Hockey XI is now one of the top teams in the South of England. They lost only one match by 1 goal.

Music goes from strength to strength, marked most recently by an excellent production of Haydn’s “Creation”.

Following on the success of the trip to Italy for the six United Reformed Church schools a second “Building Bridges” conference is planned to take place in Northern Ireland at the Corrymeela Reconciliation Centre in County Antrim.

The new Master Plan for the school is under discussion and a new development is imminent.

4.2 Eltham College

This academic year has focused very much on the process of development. The Pastoral structure throughout the Senior part of the college has now completed its transition into three Sections, Lower, Middle, and Sixth Form with Pastoral Year Heads co-ordinating the Tutor teams as they oversee the pupils’ development. Five Working Parties have been established with members of the Teaching Staff to examine those aspects of school life which are critical to everyone’s development: Teaching and Learning Styles, Curriculum and Assessment, High Education, Information and Communication Technology, and perhaps most importantly at the heart of our school, Our Community. Staff and Governors have worked hard in their groups discussing the various issues that pertain to these areas and recommendations are being produced for a Strategic Development Plan in the next academic year.

Parallel to all this, several physical developments are in progress. The Junior School has for too long been neglected and, following planning permission in July 2003, work is already far advanced in the creation of a new teaching wing while the Victorian villa, The Grange, is re-instated to become the administrative centre of the Junior School.

Following the dramatic transformation of the Chapel last year, we are now creating a Pick-up and Drop-off area immediately adjacent to the Chapel. This will enable parents to deliver pupils to the College with greater safety and with less disruption to our immediate neighbours. Additionally, this area will be available as parking in the evening when concerts, plays and other functions are taking place at the College.

Charitable activity remains at the centre of many lives within our community. In November pupils, their parents, and staff were involved in creating a Charity Art show where every painting, drawing, or artistic creation was sold, while in the Spring term, Sixth Form students staged a Charity Fashion Show; both these events were in aid of the British Red Cross. The teaching staff from both the Junior and Senior Schools combined in January to put on a Pantomime, which raised over £5000 for different charities. Year 7 and 8 pupils have undergone sponsored work-outs for Lepra, the Leprosy charity.

Finally, we have launched a Development Campaign to raise funds for a Bursary Fund. Throughout the College’s history a number of pupils have been able to attend the College with financial support from either the Direct Grant or Assisted Places Schemes. Now that the Government has withdrawn this support, a professional approach to fund-raising has been adopted to establish the finances to make education at Eltham open to all who would benefit from it no matter what their financial background. A Development Director has been appointed, a Prospectus produced and circulated, and events including a Gala Dinner and a tele-raising campaign but we hope to raise sufficient funds to ensure that the ethos and Christian character of Eltham College are preserved.

4.3 Silcoates

The three schools of the Silcoates School Foundation are flourishing. Numbers are very healthy and this year’s A level students produced the highest average points per candidate in our history.

After a distinguished ten-year tenure, Peter Johnson retired as Chairman of the Governors, passing the torch to Howard Bryan, head boy at Silcoates in 1962 and our “legal eagle” on the Board for many years.

We congratulate David Dinmore on his appointment as a Deputy Lieutenant for West Yorkshire. David has relinquished the Bursarship, but continues as Clerk to the Governors. Our new Bursar is Mr John Dickson, formerly Bursar of Leeds Grammar School. We have also welcomed Mr Robert Lilley as Head of the Junior School; he was previously Head of Fulneck Junior School.

The Chapel has been redecorated throughout and new lighting has been installed. The focus for everyone is inescapably on the cross above the table. Back home from its 10,000-hymn service, the revoiced and reconditioned organ now sounds very fine. In the summer the Chapel witnessed a thanksgiving for the lives of two notable Silcoates masters, Geoffrey Fowler and centenarian Frank Lusted. We also record with sadness the death of Claude Pike, Old Silcoatian and benefactor: he gave us many of the trees which beautify the campus.

Next door to the Chapel, the Hall, a grand old lady of some seventy years, has enjoyed an excellent “makeover”. With an increased number of students studying for their A Levels we are building a substantial extension to the Sixth Form Centre. When it is completed in the new year, the construction of a new Music School will begin. Its foundation stone was laid by Paul Crossley, CBE, Old Silcoatian, who was Guest of Honour on Speech Day.

4.4 Walthamstow Hall

The academic year 2002-2003 saw a number of exciting developments. Work started on converting the former boarding accommodation in the main Arts and Crafts school building in September 2002. The project, which included substantial structural work to redevelop the area into teaching space for Languages and Humanities, was completed in April 2003. The official opening of The Erasmus Centre classrooms, careers, and ICT facilities took place on 1 May 2003, and the school welcomed the Rt Hon Michael Portillo, MP to perform the ceremony.

The Eramus Centre opening was the first in a programme of planned development to enable the school to maintain its tradition of excellence. The next phase, the refitting of all science facilities, started in August 2003 and is still in progress.

In August 2003, A2 examination candidates achieved 100% pass rate, all at grades A-D; over 68% were at grades A-B, and 43% at grade A. Similarly at GCSE, 100% girls gained 5 grades A*-C, the majority of pupils achieving at least 11 passes; 64.5% passes were at grades A*-A, ensuring us a very favourable placing in published league tables.

Beyond the academic curriculum, girls distinguished themselves in other important areas; leadership, service and extra-curricular activities included. It was a good year for sport; the U12 netball team became county champions and the 1st lacrosse team went to the National Finals at Berkhamsted.

In Autumn Term 2002 and Spring 2003, the Inter-house Music and Drama Competitions produced some outstanding teamwork as well as individual performances. Every girl in the Senior School participated in these events.

Members of musical groups provided some splendid entertainment at formal concerts in both Autumn and Summer terms. The opening of the Stables Music Centre at the Junior School site in Spring 2004 should guarantee that musical talent is encouraged from the earliest years. In Spring 2003 Senior School girls performed a moving version of “Princess Ascending” in The Ship Theatre, whilst Autumn 2003 saw a highly successful version of the dramatic comedy “The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of MACBETH”. In the same term school singers had the opportunity to perform “The Pirates of Penzance” alongside professionals from The Grimm’s Dyke Opera Company. This venture raised money for The Hospice In The Weald Charity.

Throughout the year, staff and girls in both Junior and Senior Schools combined to support a host of charitable causes through Form, House, and whole school fundraising. Of particular note was an initiative by Year 11 pupils who raised money to decorate the living quarters of Brazilian slum dwellers. A group of girls raised funds and visited a missionary church in Brazil in August 2003.

All these achievements reflect the school’s continuing commitment to preparing girls for life beyond the classroom, a sentiment expressed in the recently formulated school mission statement.

Walthamstow Hall educates girls with academic potential to lead challenging and fulfilling lives in the 21st century.

An emphasis on the spiritual development of girls remains at the heart of the school’s purpose, and is supported by a vigorous Christian Union and regular parents’ Prayer Group meetings. So, the school moves forward, firmly rooted in the Christian principles on which it was founded in 1838.

4.5 Wentworth College

Our GCSE results last summer were very pleasing; 97% of entries achieved grades A* to C. Students in Year 13 completed their final modules in sixteen subjects with an overall pass rate of 97%, and for ten subjects it was 1005. Our sporting teams have also had a successful year, with a number of girls selected for county squads in netball and badminton, and national squads in badminton and sailing. Eighty-five junior members of the school participated in a most entertaining production of “The Sound of Music” last summer, whilst the senior drama production in the autumn was “Sand Castles”.

As always, our girls have devoted much time to charitable activities, such as “Task Force” and tea parties for the charity, “Contact the Elderly”. The sixth form charity week, eagerly anticipated by all girls, raised funds for the Retts Syndrome Association, Children in Need, and Comic Relief. Staff and girls also participated in The Race for Life in support of Cancer Research, and thirty girls volunteered for the National Swimathon Challenge. They swam 1000 lengths of the school swimming pool and raised £727.93 for the Macmillan Cancer Relief Fund.

The Advent Service last term was as usual held at Richmond Hill URC, Bournemouth, led by the Reverend Jackie Petrie and the Minister, The Reverend Dr Donald Norwood. It was well supported by Governors, parents and the congregation. The music provided by the school choir was especially appreciated. The Choir and Chamber Choir have sung at many events both in and out of school this year, including a concert at Christchurch Priory.