Milton Abbey Giving Report 2015

MILTON ABBEY ANNUAL GIVING REPORT 2015

MILTON ABBEY SCHOOL Milton Abbey is a small co-educational boarding and day school set in a stunning rural position in mid Dorset. Our size and reputation for excellent pastoral care mean that at our school the individual really does matter. Milton Abbey has a unique ability to deliver a bespoke education, making the most of each pupil’s individual skills and talents to enable them to achieve the best possible results inside and outside the classroom.

CONTENTS Welcome from the Chairman of Governors

1

A message from the Headmaster

2

The 2020 Vision – Transforming the Future

4

Development Update

6

Community Outreach

10

Getting Involved

11

Our Supporters

12

Development Committee

Back Cover

WELCOME As Chairman of Governors at Milton Abbey it has been a privilege for me to see the School grow and develop in recent years. The success of our Independent Schools Inspection this year and the findings of their report reflect the great achievements that have been made, and the recent launch of our new 2020 Vision, outlined in this report, shows that we are very clearly moving in the right direction.

The aims of our new Vision are to enhance, expand and modernise our boarding, teaching, learning and sporting facilities, as well as radically expanding our pupils’ career opportunities through building stronger and more creative external partnerships. We are already offering the broadest range of vocational studies courses at BTEC Diploma and Extended Diploma level in the whole independent schools sector with new courses on offer this year including Creative Media and Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, and this makes these partnerships even more valuable. Our pupils leave Milton Abbey to enter careers as diverse as architecture, land management, finance, IT, film production, photography, acting, law, the armed forces and business, whilst many go on to become entrepreneurs in their own right. We aim to support them all on their individual pathways, and this begins with helping them get the most from their time at school.

Many of our remarkable aims and achievements would not be possible without the generosity of our donors. Your support underpins our ability to develop all aspects of our teaching and learning, and I would like to take this opportunity to extend my personal thanks to all of you who have shown your commitment by investing in the School in this way.

It gives me great pleasure to share some of our achievements with you in this year’s Annual Giving Report, and I look forward to the year ahead in great anticipation of the successes to come.

James Barnes Chairman of Governors 1

A MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER Looking back over the past year, there have been many great moments to recall but one of the highlights that reflects life here in its full diversity, has been the excellent report by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), which took place towards the end of the Lent term. This extremely thorough process inspected Milton Abbey to our core, covering all aspects of the curriculum including the teaching and learning life of the School, as well as the provision and contribution of boarding.

The overall judgement of the team of six inspectors was that Milton Abbey is ‘highly successful in achieving its aim to enable each pupil to achieve their academic potential’. In addition, the report noted that pupils achieve ‘excellent personal development’, which is the result of our quality boarding experience and our genuine pastoral

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care. The report is a truly rewarding outcome for all of us who strive to uphold the inimitable spirit and ethos that make Milton Abbey unique.

Whilst I am delighted with the findings of the ISI report, it serves to underline the challenges that we face in aiming to provide the best possible facilities to support our thriving community. We have recently published our 2020 Vision – Transforming the Future – which highlights our ambitious plans to ensure we can continue to provide an outstanding framework to help our boys and girls achieve their full potential. The comprehensive development programme (which is outlined overleaf), covers all areas of life at Milton Abbey and achieving this vision will depend much on the generosity and foresight of those in our community who recognise the value of investing in the future of the School.

The achievements highlighted in this year’s Giving Report show how such support is already helping us to realise our plans. To those former pupils, past and current parents, and many friends of the School who have already shown this commitment, I am most grateful, and hope that many more will come forward and help us ensure Milton Abbey continues to flourish for the benefit of current and future generations of pupils.

Magnus Bashaarat 3

THE 2020 VISION TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE Milton Abbey is entering an exciting and important phase, which is reflected in our new 2020 Vision. The Vision has three main goals: 1. To enhance and expand the boarding accommodation.

2. To transform and modernise key school educational and sporting facilities.

3. To radically expand pupils’ career opportunities via building stronger and more creative external partnerships with the business community, academic institutions and leading cultural and sporting organisations.

It is also our aim to increase pupil numbers (up to a maximum of 300) which will enable more competitive sport, music and drama activities without losing the strengths and traditions of remaining a small school.

To realise our ambitious plans for the future, investment in the order of ÂŁ15m is needed. This will enable the School to undertake a range of projects in support of the Vision, which include: the new Centre for Countryside and Equine Management, our new Gallery and Art Centre, the creation of a Social Centre and Enterprise Hub, a Creative Media Centre, a new Hospitality Centre and the re-development of the

New Barn Theatre. In addition, we are aiming to replace the core teaching buildings with a state-of-the-art Atrium building in the heart of the School campus, as well as developing our outdoor sports facilities with a new Astroturf, refurbishment of the Pavilion and a new home for adventure training and the CCF. In achieving the 2020 Vision, Milton Abbey will be prepared for the next level of success whilst securing the essential ethos of the School to support every pupil in their interests and abilities to help them achieve their full potential.

DEVELOPMENT UPDATE During the past year we have supported numerous projects through the Annual Fund, launched three capital projects, our new Bursary Programme and the 1954 Society, as well as establishing a new Development Board. All in all, it has been a busy time and we are enormously grateful for all the donations and assistance we have received in getting these projects off the ground. We look forward to supporting the new 2020 Vision with our ambitious development plan in the year ahead and will be aiming to bring more of these projects to fruition.

CAPITAL PROJECTS To drive forward our development programme we are now appointing the Principal Designer to undertake Construction Design Management (CDM) requirements for preconstruction, planning, contractor selection and project management for our key projects. Three firms are competing for this work and the successful company will be in place to enable work to commence early in 2016.

Centre for Countryside and Equine Management The School’s plans to develop a new Centre for Countryside and Equine Management were officially launched at our Countryside Ball last autumn. The event, along with our online auction, raised over £30,000 to kick-start the project, and with the generous support of a number of individuals, along with the Henry C Hoare Charitable Trust, a total of £135,000 has already been 6

raised. The project will be developed in several phases and thanks to the support already received, the initial work on site was started over the summer. This work has involved putting a new roof on the building, along with the refurbishment of the Tack room, which includes new flooring, an additional dividing wall, installation of a sink and other facilities, and putting in new electrics. The work on converting the old stable block to provide new cloakrooms, changing rooms, meeting facilities and classrooms, together with the building of entirely new Countryside Management facilities within the Arboretum area, is due to progress early in the new year with a pre planning review with District Council Planning and Conservation authorities.

New Gallery and Art Centre We were delighted to launch our new Gallery and Art Centre project at an exclusive Art Exhibition at Messum’s Gallery in London last November. Following the event, donations of over £168,000 have now been received further to a grant of £100,000 from the P F Charitable Trust, which has released a challenge grant of £67,000 from the Garcia Family Foundation. We have already taken the step of moving the Photography department to another nearby building in readiness for commencement of work, which will progress early in the new year with a pre planning review with District Council Planning and Conservation authorities.

Social Centre and Enterprise Hub Exciting plans for a new Social Centre and Enterprise Hub were launched to pupils and parents at the end of the Summer term. The project will bring together pupils, parents and alumni in helping to shape this innovative, exciting and contemporary space in the heart of the School campus. The new facility will include a social café/bar area and nightclub, along with a centre for careers and entrepreneurship activities, thereby supporting our new 2020 Vision in pursuit of excellent pastoral care and lifelong opportunity by providing both space to socialise in and a fully resourced centre for careers and enterprise as part of the ‘18-24 Careers Pathway’. The target for the project is £120,000, of which £8,000 has already been raised via the Annual Fund appeal and initial work on the building will begin during the Michaelmas term.

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BURSARY PROGRAMME In May we launched the new Milton Abbey Bursary Programme at a reception at the School attended by donors, parents, alumni, Governors, current and former staff, and pupils.

The Bursary Programme is designed to support pupils who would not otherwise be able to afford to come to Milton Abbey or whose circumstances merit support to remain at the School.

The programme will build on resources already in place, including the Toby Mann Fund and the William HolyHasted Trust, and will aim to raise funds to increase the number of pupils who can receive bursary support.

We are delighted to have the support of one of our old boys and Life Governors, Brigadier Alastair Bruce (D’78), who knew William Holy-Hasted and is helping to promote the Programme to our alumni. Alastair, who is the Royal, Religious and National Events Correspondent for Sky News and was the historical advisor on Downton Abbey and The King’s Speech, believes that coming to Milton Abbey changed his life: “I thank Milton Abbey for what I learnt and for the fantastic friends I shared my time with. All of it gave me everything I needed to do what I most wanted in life.” With the support of all those like Alastair who recognise the value the School has added to their or their children’s lives, we are aiming to provide an increase in resources to help meet the growing need for support from current and prospective pupils.

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Former pupil Kyle Moore speaking at the launch of the new Bursary Programme

LEGACY PROGRAMME May was a busy month as this also saw the first 1954 Society Lunch take place at the School. The lunch was attended by former pupils, including a number of our earliest alumni, Governors, current pupils and other guests.

The event was aimed at raising awareness of the importance of legacy gifts to help support the future security and prosperity of the School. Legacies are a vital source of support as they can be used to fund long-term priorities, such as the Bursary Programme, and can help to build an endowment. As a ‘young’ school, Milton Abbey has no endowment and leaving a legacy gift is one way our alumni, parents and friends can help us to provide security and ensure the future growth and prosperity of the School. The 1954 Society welcomes all those who have pledged to support the School with a gift in their Will as its members.

THE MILTON ABBEY FUND The launch of the Annual Fund Programme in 2014 as part of our MA60 celebrations led to more than £45,000 being donated to support projects that were of immediate benefit to our pupils. These have included the new Kelsey conditioning gym, the Gates Turbo Training Zone, equipment for ICT and the New Barn Theatre (NBT) as well as supporting a number of smaller projects and providing startup funds for the new Social Centre and Enterprise Hub. We have been delighted with the response we have received to this new initiative and will be continuing with the programme. From 2015, the Annual Fund will be known as the Milton Abbey Fund and will remain the key mechanism for providing crucial support for projects that will improve the daily life and experience of all those at the School.

The funding priorities for the Milton Abbey Fund for 2015-2016 include: •

Laser cutter for Design and Technology - £7,500

•

Arts and crafts tools for Countryside Management - £1,200

•

Five Apple Mac computers for the Creative Media Suite - £1,750 each

•

Theatre communication system for the NBT - £1,500

•

Cricket bowling machine - £2,500

•

Scrum machine for Rugby - £5,000

Support where it is needed most We have also been enormously grateful to those who have made unrestricted donations to the School this year. These donations are particularly valuable as they give us the flexibility to respond quickly to areas of greatest priority and need.

“Milton Abbey gave so much to my son during his years there and I am delighted to support the School into the future so it can build on its outstanding traditions and support the progress and development of individuals.”

Oliver Clark, former parent

COMMUNITY OUTREACH Not only is the School focussed on building support that will benefit our pupils but there is also a programme of activity that is aimed at providing benefits to the wider Milton Abbey community.

We are proud to be a member of the Round Square association of schools, which share a commitment beyond academic excellence to personal development and responsibility. The Round Square philosophy of IDEALS (Internationalism, Democracy, Environment, Adventure, Leadership and Service) is integrated into school life and includes activities that involve pupils undertaking service to support residents within the local community as well as international aid projects.

Outreach to local groups and organisations this year included a series of music workshops with pupils at Milborne St Andrew First School, which cumulated in a concert for their parents in the Abbey. A number of our pupils also helped out at Milborne School’s summer fayre by directing traffic in the car park, selling raffle tickets and helping out on some of the stalls.

The School also organises and hosts numerous events throughout the year, which are open to other schools, organisations and members of the public.

During the past year these have included plays by touring theatre companies, musical concerts in the Abbey, the annual Friends of Milton Abbey School Summer Fete, the third Milton Abbey International Music Festival, the Young Dorset Food Festival and a series 10

of Headmaster’s Lectures featuring fascinating speakers such as Simon Armitage (poet), Cath Kidston (designer), Leon McCarron (National Geographic filmmaker, author and adventurer), Professor Steve Aishman (Dean of Academics at the Savannah College of Art and Design) and representatives of the charity Walking With The Wounded.

The School also supports several charities each year, which are chosen by the pupils. This year’s charities were Julia’s House and the Tusk Trust and over £7,000 was raised during the year for their support, including £1,700 from our annual Friends of Milton Abbey Summer Fete in June.

Other groups and organisations that benefit from the School’s community and outreach activities include: The Abbey Church Friends of Milton Abbey School Milton Abbas Parish Council Milton Abbas Sports Club The Abbey Swimming Club Bere Regis Swimming Club Bere Regis Cricket Club Kingston Maurward College Milborne St Andrew First School Members of the local community are also able to join the School golf club, which offers competitivelypriced membership year-round.

GETTING INVOLVED As members of the Milton Abbey community, we welcome all our alumni, parents, former parents and friends to be involved with the School in some way. There are many opportunities to get involved as volunteers (to host or help with events), as mentors (to provide careers advice, guidance or work experience) and as guest speakers (to give life-experience talks to current and former pupils).

The Milton Abbey School Parents’ Association (MASPA) offers an exciting programme of activities throughout the year for all our current and former parents to join in. This provides an opportunity to get to know other parents from the School in a more social setting. This year’s activities have included a private lunch and viewing of Amanda Wakeley’s new collection at her flagship store in London, a visit to Sculpture by the Lakes, a yoga weekend escape, a trip to Champagne, France, a tour of Langton Stud, and a private lunch and tour of Athelhampton House. Our thanks go to all those parents who have helped to arrange these activities and have supported the programme.

The Milton Abbey Association (MAA) aims to support all former pupils via a network of contacts, offering careers advice, business links, sports and social events, all of which are promoted via its new online community, The MAA Hub www.miltonabbeyassociation.org.uk.

The MAA also supports our current

pupils as part of our 2020 Vision with a programme of work experience placements, careers talks and visits, and our mentoring programme, all of which have been hugely successful during the past year thanks to the generous support and participation of our former pupils.

The Friends of Milton Abbey School (FoMAS) is a forum for keeping in touch with news from the School via a monthly newsletter and invitations to attend events at the School. Members can join a mailing list to receive regular bulletins and updates and receive invitations to key School events by visiting www.eventsatmiltonabbey.co.uk 11

OUR SUPPORTERS The Headmaster and Governors are extremely grateful to all those who have supported Milton Abbey School during the 2014-2015 academic year. Your gifts and donations have had a real impact on the life and infrastructure of the School and we would like to give our sincere thanks for your generosity.

Benefactors who have given between September 2014 and August 2015 Mr & Mrs M J Adams Mr P M D Allen Captain & Mrs N G Amphlett Mr J Anderson Mr I M Argyle The Lady Elizabeth Barne Mr & Mrs G Benson Mr & Mrs V T Beresford Mr R Bieber Mrs P Blanshard Mr J V Booth Professor Alastair Bruce of Crionaich Mr T Carson Mr O J H Chamberlain Mr A Chatikavanij Mr O C Clark Mr A A Colvin Mr R A Crosthwaite-Eyre Mr & Mrs A Dermanci Mr & Mrs N Deterding General Sir Jack Deverell Mr A Evans-Pughe Mr C J S C Francis Garcia Family Foundation (UK) Ltd Mr & Mrs S Gates Mr T G Getty

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Mr M J R Gibbs Mrs J V Grant Mr J W E Harrison Porter Mr G Harrison Dr P Harrison Mr N Harvey Miller Mr M E Hatchard Mr & Mrs P Hill Henry C Hoare Charitable Trust Mr & Mrs P H Kelsey Mr W Kitcat Mr & Mrs T J A Laing Mr A R J Langton Mr I P Lewer Mr & Mrs J Macdonald Mr A K MacEwen Mr P W McGrath Ms E S Middleton Lindsley Mr J Murphy Mr & Mrs D O'Sullivan P F Charitable Trust Mr R J Pownall Mrs V Pozzo Di Borgo Mr A Quinton Mr C R F Raw Mr W N H Reardon Smith

Mr C Reeve Lieutenant General Sir William & Lady Rollo Colonel & Mrs C M Roskelly Mr J Rouse Mr P A S Rowse Mr & Mrs N Ryder Mr W A Scott Mr & Mrs H Smith Mr & Mrs P Smith

Mr P Stopford-Adams Mr J Thompson Mr & Mrs Tredrea Mr & Mrs J B M Troughton Herzog F & M Von Wurttemberg Mr R C P Whitson Sir Philip Williams Bt Mr & Mrs C F Willis Mr P J Woodhouse Mr & Mrs G Wright

The 1954 Society Members The 1954 Society enables us to recognise and thank, both during their lifetime and beyond, those who have chosen to name Milton Abbey School as a beneficiary in their Will. If you have not yet informed us of your intentions, we would be delighted to hear from you and welcome you as a member of the Society.

Mr J E A Barnes Mr A N C Bengough Mr J V Booth Mr J H Burder Mr M D de Soissons Mr R V de Soissons Mr P H Harrison Mr P W McGrath Mr A Quinton Wing Commander D J Reason

Your support is greatly appreciated

In addition, we would like to thank those who have given their support for the benefit of our pupils via the Toby Mann Fund and the William Holy-Hasted Trust.

DEVELOPMENT BOARD We are delighted to now have in place our new Development Board to help support the School’s philanthropic activities. We are enormously grateful to all those on the Board who have helped to provide their valuable guidance and support during the past year.

• Magnus Bashaarat (Headmaster) • James Burgess (Current Parent) • Katharine Butler (Governor) • Mike Chattey (H’79; Former Parent) • Justine Elmendorff (Current Parent) • Penny Freer (Current Parent) • Alice Fresson (Current Parent) • Nigel Hadden-Paton (A’71; Life Governor) • Michael Hatchard (Former Parent) • Amanda Hill (Current Parent) • Julian Litchfield (Bursar) • Patrick McGrath (H’78; Governor) • Charles Vivian (H’85)

The Development Office was established at Milton Abbey with the sole aim of supporting philanthropic giving to the School. If you would like to discuss making any sort of donation to the School, please do not hesitate to contact us at development@miltoabbey.co.uk or 01258 882234.

Milton Abbey School | Blandford Forum | Dorset DT11 0BZ t. 01258 880484 www.miltonabbey.co.uk 14

Registered charity number 306318