Review of the Year (September 2005 - September 2006)

Excellent Inspection Reports

The undoubted high spot of the year was the Independent Schools Inspection which saw 6 inspectors put us under the microscope for four days. The report made very exciting reading and was a reward for the hard work that all the staff put into every facet of life at Stanbridge. Not only was it a very accurate report but it captured the philosophy and ethos that make the Stanbridge experience such an exciting one to be part of either as pupil, staff or parent.

The following two quotes sum up why we are very proud of the report.

‘The school is very successful in achieving its aims and aspirations. In a caring, ordered and secure environment, where every pupil is known and respected, they succeed in a wide range of academic and practical ways.'

'There is a friendly and welcoming atmosphere within which pupils are able to build good relationships with the staff, in both academic and social settings. The Head Boy and Head Girl, as representatives of the pupils presented as well-rounded and confident young people with a healthy sense of their own worth and a clear understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.'

Outstanding Exam Results

The 2006 GCSE and A level results followed the highly successful results of the previous year. No less than 15 of our year 11 students achieved five or more C passes - a record. When you consider that only seven GCSEs are allowed to be sat this is even more praiseworthy. Joel Olbert gaining two A's, five B's and one C, Richard Culliford three A's, three B's and two C's are to be congratulated on their outstanding efforts.

Science and Maths both scored over 70% pass rates, outstanding achievements when one considers the complexity of the problems our children face. There was a 100% pass rate in all subjects from A – G.

At A level the results were equally impressive with Head Boy Duncan Van Ellemeet getting an A in ICT, B in DT and C in Art which has enabled him to study Architecture at Oxford Brookes.

Not to be outdone Sophie Mansbridge, Head Girl, gained an A in ICT, B in Business Studies and a D in AS Art. She has just started at Bournemouth University studying Business.

Max Windsor did equally well gaining two A's, a C and a D.

Tristan Adams 4 A's at AS level

If these results were not enough to be proud of Tristan Adams in year 12 topped the lot by achieving four A's at AS in Maths, Business, Electronics and Physics. In two of the maths modules he scored a perfect 100% and in physics 298 out of a possible 300.

Tristan arrived at Stanbridge having been written off at his last school as not capable of academic achievement. How wrong can you be! For the first time ever Stanbridge will have a pupil applying to Keble College Oxford.

Success at Sport

With a new girls sports coach, Sarah Kinder, starting at the beginning of the year the girls have become more competitive over the course of the year in all the sports they play, and it has been very pleasing to watch the growth in confidence and fitness in particular in netball and rounders culminating with some of the girls playing netball in South Africa on tour. Even more can be achieved in the coming terms following the lead of Head of Boarding, Heather Reid, who has been running early in the morning with other sixth formers to prepare for the House Cross Country event at half-term.

The First XV went from strength to strength capping a great season by winning a place in the final of the Hampshire Schools Cup, a first for the school, losing narrowly to Sparsholt College. As a reward for their efforts the rugby team went on tour with the netball girls to South Africa and had a fantastic time. They not only played matches and became the first overseas team to participate in a local sports festival but dived in shark cages, climbed table mountain, visited a township and bungee jumped. As organiser Grant Taylor said, it turned into more than a sports tour and became a life-changing experience.

In the summer Stanbridge hosted its first Kwik cricket competition for local schools.

Two Hampshire cricketers presented trophies to the winning sides.

High Quality Drama

Drama continues to go from strength to strength. In the Autumn term Stanbridge took years 10 and 11 drama students to perform 'The Merchant of Venice' at the Shakespeare festival at the King’s Theatre in Winchester. Buoyed by the success in this, the school production of Papa Panov was a tour-de-force before Christmas.

How do you cap these performances? By staging one of the most successful musicals of all time! 'Les Miserables'. In just a few weeks time audiences will be enthralled by the efforts of our talented actors and musicians as they perform three shows culminating in a Gala Performance on the Saturday night. The back stage staff have been equally active incredibly building a revolving stage for the production. Having seen the team work and efforts of the staff and pupils I know that you will be in for a treat, so book your tickets early!

Musical Highlights

Our usual range of concerts and weekly recitals culminated in the sixth Annual Orchestra Day when over 100 pupils from eight different schools combined to practice and then perform together in the Theatre for parents and staff.

IT System

Our IT system is now fully operational throughout the school. I am indebted to Dean Williams for his outstanding work in getting the system installed on time and under budget. We now have the task of seeing how we can best use the system for the benefit of your children. To this end we have had a first meeting with parents to form a steering committee consisting of parents, pupils and staff to explore how the new system can be best used for all sections of the Stanbridge Community.

Main House Moves

One of the main changes of the year was the move out of Main House for the Junior boys, and the establishment of the Maths department in that building after Xmas. Despite the fact that there had been boarding facilities in Main House for over 50 years, more stringent fire regulations meant that it was no longer acceptable to have children sleeping in the house overnight. So, at Xmas we had to re-house nearly half the school and their houseparents. This would have been a mammoth task at any time of the year and needed very careful planning and execution which facilities manager Bill Hadley produced.

Outstanding Art work

When you enter the reception area you will see a new painting of Stanbridge House. This magnificent artwork was painted by Anthony Wheatley in his free time after finishing his art course. He presented this to the school to say thankyou for the happy time he had spent at Stanbridge, and for the help he had received with his learning problems and for the dedication of the art staff in developing his outstanding talent.

Sophie Mansbridge won the Hugh Weldon Trophy, a prize selected by the Governors from the best work from all areas of the school, for her portrait of a member of the ground staff.

Design and Technology Canoe Competition

The DT department again entered the canoe design and build competition for Southampton Itchen College. Although not winning this year, the teams entered three boats and showed good teamwork in their preparations and canoeing when the races were held in the summer.

As you can see from the above I am not incorrect in calling this an outstanding year. We are all looking forward to even more exciting times to come in the future.