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Schools Related to the United Reformed Church
1 Representatives of the Schools related to the United Reformed Church met in London, for their annual meeting on Monday 13 June 2005.
2 The Schools continue to be grateful for bursaries provided from time to time by the Milton Mount Foundation and the Leverhulm Trade Charities Trust.
3 Matters of common interest included the continued development of overseas links, which can provide opportunities for Gap-Year experience, and the future development of the “Building Bridges” initiative, which is to include a visit to Taizé.
4 Caterham School
4.1 Caterham has had another successful year with exciting developments in independent learning, encouraging greater breadth, scholarship and self-development. Examination results continue to improve, with the best ever results at A level and a position in the league table of the top 100 schools in the country. At present, twenty pupils have offers of places at Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial.
4.2 Boarding numbers continue to develop with 140 pupils representing thirty different countries.
4.3 The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award continues to thrive with thirty new pupils involved and takers at all three levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Expeditions continue, with a proposed thirty-strong sixth-form group going to Iceland.
4.4 In sport the Boys’ Hockey XI are now one of the top teams in the South of England having lost only one match by two goals. Currently the Captain has been selected for England and the goalkeeper for Scotland.
4.5 Music goes from strength to strength with an excellent recent production of Les Misérables and a concert to celebrate Mozart’s life.
4.6 Following the success of the trip to Italy and a second “Building Bridges” conference in Northern Ireland at the Corrymeela Reconciliation Centre in County Antrim, a third trip is planned for Taizé in France.
4.7 The new Master Plan for the school is underway and a new Science Block and Refectory will be ready before Christmas.
5 Eltham College
5.1 For many at Eltham College, the highlight of this year came in November when the Duchess of Kent officially opened the Music School which had been created from the old Boarding House. The new facility provides practice and teaching rooms for individual and ensemble music groups, percussion and harp rooms, an instrument locker room for two hundred instruments, two offices, and library space for music and archives. The Duchess enjoyed her tour round the new facilities talking easily with enthusiastic young musicians; she is herself a music graduate, a member of the Bach Choir, and has recently launched a charity, “Future Talent”, to provide musical opportunities for children in deprived areas. The event reached a fitting climax with a concert by the Orchestra of St John’s Smith Square, the College Choir, and string players featuring a choral and orchestral work specially commissioned for the evening, “Sing we merrily unto God” by Karl Jenkins.
5.2 Music has taken significant steps forward in the last year: events like the Choral Concert (Handel’s Messiah, with James Bowman as one of the soloists); the Eltham College Community Orchestra “Pops” concert in the summer, as well as the Jazz evenings, have become increasingly popular, and the range of music on offer has increased significantly: there are now over twenty-five ensembles in which pupils perform, and that does not include their own rock bands. The choir, as well as singing four carol services in the winter, spent a week in the summer holidays performing services and concerts at Bristol Cathedral.
5.3 This year’s Speech Day will be remembered for our Guest of Honour, Mo Mowlam. This was one of her last public appearances: she arrived in a wheelchair, and proceeded to dominate the event through her force of personality. Although she struggled to read her speech on the state of Europe, she really came alive when she handled a question and answer session in our marquee full of parents and pupils. She then stayed afterwards for a reception and was reluctant to leave as she enjoyed the political banter and discussion.
5.4 Eltham College has always encouraged its pupils to look out on the world and to travel, a legacy surely of its foundation by the Missionary Societies. This year members of staff organised trips to the First World War Battlefield sites (History), Venice (Art), Berlin, Cuba (Spanish), Iona (RS), California (Rugby), and the Indian Himalayas, as well as language exchanges to France, Germany, and Spain. A visit that aroused much interest was the Six Schools journey of discovery to Corrymeela, organised by Rob Davey, Headmaster of Caterham School; whose father was the founder of this cross-denominational community. Such was the success of this event that another is planned for the future.
5.5 In December we organised a reunion for former pupils who had been part of the school at the end of the Second World War. Before lunch and an afternoon rugby match between younger and more athletic OEs, a chapel service included the reminiscences of a pupil who as a Boarder had been evacuated to Taunton, a pupil who had been interned in a Japanese Prisoner of War Camp with his missionary family in China, and a pupil who had remained at Eltham and remembered hiding in make-shift air raid shelters when the German bombers flew over. It was a very moving reunion and those who attended enjoyed coming together to thank God for this sixtieth anniversary of the cessation of that war in Europe. Their experiences gave many of the present pupils much to think about as we enjoy the comparative peace of our current times.
6 Silcoates School
6.1 The three schools of the Foundation continue to flourish. From another characteristically busy year, here are a number of items which may be of broader interest.
6.2 Some news of the Board of Governors. We were greatly saddened by the death of the Revd Graham Adams, of the Congregational Federation, a member of the Board for six years. During that time this genial man of many talents was a very interested supporter of the School. His contributions to topics of discussion were always to the point and led to happy, constructive conclusions. We said farewell to the Revd Arnold Harrison, Moderator of the Yorkshire Synod, after eight years. Church commitments limited his attendance at Board meetings, which we regretted because he too had a keen interest in the fortunes of Silcoates and he was a kind and thoughtful member of the Board. Mr David Figures, who retired from the Board after six years, was latterly Vice-Chairman – as was his father, a former Lancashire Moderator, before him. As a schools inspector he brought to his Governorship a special expertise which added a great deal to the deliberations not only of the Board but also of the Governors’ Junior School Committee, where he was able to provide a penetrating analysis of our assessment procedures.
6.3 The Revd Tony Burnham, erstwhile Head Boy and Governor, spoke movingly and affectionately at the Thanksgiving Service for the life and work of Jack (1914-2004) and Joyce (1919-2004) Whitwam, two great servants of Silcoates who devoted most of their working lives to the School, Jack finishing his career as Second Master. If you get the chance to see a performance of The Visit by Duerrenmatt, do so. An unusual play, it is by turns bizarre, hilarious, touching and disturbing. It was performed by senior pupils at the school this year and some people said it was the best play they had seen at Silcoates.
6.4 During the 1930s the School won many prizes, usually Sèvres vases, offered by the President of France for success in the examinations of the Société National des Professeurs de Français en Angleterre. In 1940 the team of Silcoates linguists again won “the prize which before the fall of the Third Republic had brought with it the Sèvres vase presented by the President”. Needless to say, France was at the time beset by concerns more pressing than a reward for Silcoates young prizewinners. Nevertheless, “General de Gaulle stepped into the breach and offered a silver cup” – which lay for many years unremembered in the corner of a cabinet. Quite a trophy, though, for the School to possess, given by the man voted earlier in the year by his compatriots as the greatest Frenchman. New elegantly restored, the de Gaulle cup is presented to the winner of the French Prize.
6.5 The first rule of headmastering is “Never allow your school to be featured in a television programme”. So the headmaster did. Ian Clayton’s My Yorkshire was an ITV series celebrating aspects of life in the county and Silcoates occupied half of one of the six thirty-minute programmes. The short documentary followed two girls as they went about their school day. We were delighted with the portrayal of the School and one Governor kindly said that the Headmaster’s brief interview made him seem almost human.
7 Taunton School
7.1 Julian Whitely left to John Newton, his successor as Headmaster, a school in good heart with many achievements to its name and an exciting future ahead.
7.2 The academic year ended with fine academic results: 96% of sixth formers went on to Higher Education. Over one hundred pupils have gained places at Oxford or Cambridge during the past fourteen years, including six last year, and we were pleased that our A level results were the best we have ever had: 99.6% pass; 70% Grades A and B.
7.3 It was truly pleasing to learn from the latest government league tables that we had come sixteenth in the country for our value-added factor from Key Stage 2 (exams taken by pupils of eleven years of age) to GCSE. It shows how much we enhance the academic performance of pupils through the end of the Prep School and into the junior part of the Senior School.
7.4 Both the Prep School and the Senior School underwent inspections in 2005. No major recommendation was made about the Prep School and the Senior School reduced its recommendations from five in the last report to one in this report: that we had to improve our management and delivery of ICT services. On the positive front, there were compliments about the quality of teaching, standards of attainment, and pastoral care; about relationships between pupils and between pupils and staff; about the personal development programme; and about the quality of governance and management.
7.5 Away from the classroom, Senior School life has been refreshed by a number of cultural events, building on the excellent work done by colleagues in the Prep School. Notable among these is the enthusiasm for individual music lessons – still at a much increased rate under the present Director of Music. Annual events include the Popular Music Concert, the Chamber Music and Singing Concert, the Fireworks Concert in the summer. The Dance Band has a strong regional profile and our music department is attracting greater numbers of applicants for music scholarships as a result. On stage we have enjoyed many find shows including a number directed and written by our own pupils. Curriculum drama has become a strength of the school.
7.6 In sport, boys’ first teams lost only two matches – one rugby and the other hockey – in the year 2004-2005. Girls’ netball and hockey can boast several close calls in regional tournaments. Were the school not in the same county as Millfield, we would find ourselves in more regional and national finals than we presently do. Strength in depth comes from a whole host of male and female county representatives, and in hockey we are proud to boast two boys in the national England U18 squad and one boy who is a trialist for the Wales U18 squad.
7.7 The Christian heart of the school beats strong. The pupils live in a culture where initiative is celebrated and charity events are encouraged. Thus the vision to instil a sense of service in our pupils as well as find intellectual, cultural and sporting attitudes means that the school’s ethos remains faithful to its founding objectives.
8 Walthamstow Hall
8.1 2004-2005 was a more than usually eventful year at Walthamstow Hall.
8.2 The newly refurbished Science Block at the Senior School was officially opened by Professor Roger Williams on 29 September 2004, since when girls and staff have been appreciating the attractive new laboratories and darkroom. On 29 September 2005, Professor Sam Berry (ex Walthamstow Hall parent and Governor) opened an equivalent new laboratory at the Junior School site, completing the project.
8.3 At the Senior School Prize-Giving, 2 July 2005, we welcomed an Old Girl, Janine Gibson, as Guest of Honour. Her spirited address, recounting experiences in the world of the media, was very well received by the school, who were inspired by her exhortation to believe that a Walthamstow Hall education prepares one to feel confident in any company.
8.4 At the same Prize-Giving, Mr Ian Philip, the Chairman of the Governing Body (and also an ex-parent) announced that our programme of improving facilities would continue over the next five years through the Mulberry Development. This will upgrade our sports facilities and repair and refurbish the main Assembly Hall and Teaching Block.
8.5 In August, the examination results were splendid. 77% of A2 candidates passed with A and B grades, and at GCSE 74% of girls passed with grades A and A*. There was 100% pass rate in both. These results put us in top position in Kent for Independent Girls’ Schools, for the second year running. However, league tables and examination results are a very small part of the education girls receive here, and I am proud that so many pupils continue to be involved in sport, music, drama, and wider activities beyond the classroom. Their generosity with their time and money is impressive, and they regularly give through House and Form charity events. These have included raising money for the Tsunami disaster, the earthquake victims in Pakistan, and more local good causes like the Peckham Settlement. Sixth-form girls continue to run a thriving Christian Union which meets weekly with regular input from local youth workers from St Nicholas’s Church, Sevenoaks.
8.6 The inter-house music and drama competitions continue to be hugely popular and last spring’s challenge was for each House to present thirty minutes of musical theatre in The Ship. The talent that was evident inspired the Music and Drama Departments to collaborate to produce a magnificent version of South Pacific this Autumn. This was a joint production with Skinners’ School in Tunbridge Wells.
8.7 The Ship was full to brimming on all three nights and we felt how fortunate we are to have this superb facility. Girls continue to reap the benefits of our predecessors’ vision.
8.8 We look forward to an exciting new stage in the school’s history and development.
9 Wentworth College
9.1 Value added (measure of progress for each pupil’s career in the school) continues to be a main strength and feature of our examination results. We were delighted that we gained the highest Value Added score from all of the schools in Bournemouth and were in the top 5% of all schools in England and Wales. There were some excellent individual results: thus three girls achieved 10 grade A* or A. One of our girls was awarded the highest mark for Food Technology and was honoured to meet the Princess Royal. Education is not all about academic achievements: our girls have also been successful with sports, drama, art, and music.
9.2 This year we had ten of our Year Twelve girls participating in the Young Enterprise scheme and comprise four separate companies. The products range from curtain ties, under 18’s nights, bracelets, Ipod covers, and speed dating events. All of the girls involved are finding this to be a rewarding and insightful experience and their companies have a number of awards at regional level.
9.3 Our musicians have played on numerous occasions, both in and out of school – our choir were runners up in the Bournemouth “Choir Idol” competition. The annual “Songs from the Shows” dinner was particularly well received, as were our senior drama productions of “A Bad Dream”, “Marvin’s Room” and a modern version of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and the junior drama production of “Oklahoma”.
9.4 Our girls have taken part in various visits, including the BAE Systems Roadshow, Imperial War and Black Country museums; the ballet, theatre trips, a ski course to Italy, and rock climbing in the Purbecks.
9.5 In the past year we have supported the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, Barnardo’s and the BBC Children in Need Appeal. The two last were the charities chosen by the sixth form for their charity week. This fun-filled week of fundraising activities saw the staff and girls sponged, playing netball, pitting their wits against each other in a general knowledge quiz and being “made-over”. The girls also had their own X-Factor show. This term we also entered a team – Wentworth Wave – into the Poole Lions’ Swimarathon. Our six swimmers managed thirty-five lengths in fifty-five minutes, a commendable achievement. The total raised for all charitable events so far is over £1400.
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