Headmaster’s welcome

I am proud of our many achievements over recent years despite challenging and uncertain times. These outcomes and initiatives would not be possible without the tremendous support of our governing body and alumni. We will keep pushing forwards - seeking to be the best possible co-ed school, balancing our ambitions with careful and adaptable planning.

Between 2018 and 2022, the school’s academic performance has continued to grow. The very top GCSE grades (A*) have grown by 90% and we have doubled the amount of A/A* grades awarded at A Level. This September saw Emanuel within the top 50 of all schools nationally in The Telegraph’s tables. Of course, all schools and ours in particular is much more than statistics, yet the statistics show something: daily effort, enjoyment of learning, growing confidence and a sense of personal and collective achievement.

Beyond the classroom, we have won two national awards. In 2021, we became the Independent School of the Year for Outreach and Partnerships and in 2022, the Independent School of the Year for the Performing Arts.

Emanuel continues to thrive in many co-curricular ways. Our girls’ and boys’ sports are as popular as ever and along with recruitment of excellent coaches, we have embarked on a steady programme of development on our off-site sports facility in Raynes Park, at Blagdon’s.

Further investment is planned on our main site to improve facilities for current pupils and generations to come. In October 2022, we completed the expansion and modernisation of our sixth form building, and this summer we will relocate our design space (housed in the Exeter Building) into the Dacre Arts Building. This move will further enhance the creative and performing arts, locating design, art, drama, film and music around the Dacre courtyard. In autumn 2023, we start work on a new 4,000+ sqm building on the footprint of the common room and Exeter Building. The flagship building will house specialised laboratories for the sciences, multiuse laboratories for computing, robotics and artificial intelligence, as well as multi-functional classrooms and a modern 400-person refectory and assembly space suitable for the school population. Refurbishment of vacated labs and rooms will further enhance teaching and learning across the curriculum. The completion of this vital build will mark the biggest change to our site since moving from Westminster at the end of the 1800s.

Many of you will know that we aimed to achieve 43 free places by 2024. I am pleased to share we have already achieved this goal. Due to the generosity of our Emanuel community and to support the school’s transformational plans, Emanuel launched its most significant philanthropic campaign to date, Giant Strides, in November 2022. It will allow us to transform our educational offering and provide invaluable opportunities to our children and the wider community.

Thank you to everyone who has supported and continues to support our efforts to improve the experiences of every pupil and the wider community. You can read our Donor Impact Report here.

As we come to the end of autumn term, we have enjoyed the choir’s performance at St Paul’s for Evensong and will look forward to the family carol service at St Luke’s this Christmas. Emanuel remains, I hope, a happy school, one that prides itself on pastoral care above all else and seeks to help everyone achieve their academic and cocurricular ambitions.