Heathfield School Prospectus 2013

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Heathfield School Ascot

Incorporating St Mar y's School Wantage

printers notes

RED - indicates cutter guide (for reference only) CYAN - indicates clear UV varnish GREY - indicates holographic foil special

Heathfield School, London Road, Ascot, SL5 8BQ Tel: +44 (0) 1344 898 343 Email: registrar@heathfieldschool.net www.heathfieldschool.net @HeathfieldAscot Heathfield School Ascot

Heathfield School Ascot Heathfield is a unique school – the only small, all girls, full boarding school in the country, providing our girls with a first class education in beautiful surroundings, with a level of continuity of care and pastoral support which we believe is unrivalled.

We offer opportunities that would otherwise be difficult for girls to access, with a wide weekend programme designed to stimulate our girls and to provide them with a release for both their physical and creative energies.

Our girls leave us with confidence in themselves, conscious of their obligations to the wider community and equipped with the skills to enable them to excel along their chosen career path. When you add this to the lifelong friendships that they form you will understand why we are proud of our school and our girls.

www.heathfieldschool.net

Over the next few pages we hope to give you a sense of who we are and what we have to offer you and your daughter.

However, the only way that you can truly appreciate the school is to visit us and we all look forward to welcoming you.

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1st XII Lacrosse - Early 20th Century

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HERITAGE

A sense of tradition

Our long heritage is a huge part of our school, and traditions that began over 100 years ago still stand firm today. Just like their predecessors in the early 1900s, our girls enjoy the beautiful ‘Rhodie’, the rhododendron-filled walk around the grounds. Every Christmas, 60 years after the first ‘St Nicholas’ Stalls’ at Heathfield, present and past girls alike look forward with delight to our (by now rather famous!) annual charity fundraiser.

We have the founder of Heathfield School to thank for our school motto: ‘The merit of one is the honour of all’.

We’re proud that it’s still ringing very loud and true today. Every day we watch our girls work together in all aspects of their lives, revelling in each other’s achievements and supporting one another during tougher times. Perhaps Heathfield’s biggest tradition is that of friendship – and it’s one that has never been more alive.

www.heathfieldschool.net

1st XII Lacrosse - Early 21st Century

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PASTORAL

A sense of belonging As a small school we give each and every girl a level of care and attention which allows her to grow and mature in a secure, loving environment. Ours is a school which nurtures individuality and honours those precious years of childhood; a place where girls are comfortable with themselves and with their peers.

Being a full boarding school we are able to ensure that each weekend is activity packed with something for body, mind and soul, from “Adventure Days” through quiet time for letter-writing to Chapel on Sundays.

www.heathfieldschool.net

Care is extended across year groups by Housemistresses and across Houses by the Heads of House. Girls remain in their Houses throughout and strong bonds of trust are forged between girls, Heads of House and parents. Our Head of Boarding and all our Housemistresses know all our girls as individuals – their strengths, challenges and aspirations. In this way we rarely miss any of the subtle nuances that surround girls as they grow and mature and, in consultation with their parents, we are able to support and guide them in every aspect of their lives.

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ACADEMIC

A sense of understanding Academic achievement is a fundamental tenet of the school. At Heathfield we believe that the realisation of each girl’s potential is possible in an environment which is stimulating, challenging, and thoroughly supportive. The relationship between girls and teachers is very special and means we can respond to individual needs. Due recognition is given to mentoring in a highly structured and well-resourced environment.

www.heathfieldschool.net

We ensure the tasks set offer the girls appropriate learning opportunities in all Key Stages; we strive not only to raise academic performance but also to bolster personal development and promote lifelong learning. An enrichment programme provides challenge and extension, and learning support is also available. Recognition of individuality is important and this is fostered as we help the girls to prepare for adult life.

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The robust structure in place ensures that information related to teaching and learning is shared effectively across the teaching staff, and the Headmistress and Deputy Head meet weekly with the Heads of Faculty to ensure the best academic provision is being provided for each year group.

In addition to the core subjects, girls at Heathfield have the opportunity to study wide-ranging alternatives, including Classical Civilisation, Politics, History of Art, Photography and Theatre Studies.

English, Mathematics, Sciences, Geography, History, Music, Latin,

Religious Studies, Modern Foreign Languages, Art and Design, Drama

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SUCCESS

A sense of achievement Heathfield helps every girl to be the best she can be, whether in academic, sporting or creative fields. Our curriculum is rich and broad and gives everyone the opportunity to continue to further education, with most going to prestigious Russell Group universities and recent leavers also gaining places at RADA, LAMDA, Parsons Design School in New York and American universities.

As a full boarding school we not only offer our girls a wider range of subjects but also more timetabled PE and a varied selection of school clubs and activities. Girls are encouraged and supported to find their talents outside the classroom whether it is through performing in the latest school production, fundraising for charity or representing the school or county at Lacrosse. Being a small school enables every girl to excel in her chosen fields.

The school takes pride in doing work and fundraising for charity and girls are keen to contribute. Girls can develop their leadership skills by sitting on a school committee and taking on prefect positions in the Lower Sixth. We value every girl’s contribution to the school community and enjoy seeing each individual grow throughout out her time at Heathfield.

www.heathfieldschool.net

Girls are given many opportunities to shine and can achieve awards in dance, drama and musical theatre through LAMDA and The Royal Academy of Dance. Girls achieve musical success not only during lessons but by joining the school choir or orchestra and passing exams in their practised instruments, and in Sixth Form many girls take their Leiths Certificate of Food and Wine. The opportunities are endless!

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CREATIVE ARTS

A sense of creativity The arts have always been highly regarded at the school and the facilities we are able to offer have borne fruit in our girls’ achievements over the years. Fine art, photography, textiles and ceramics are all available and give full opportunity both to the gifted artist and those whose enthusiasm perhaps exceeds their skill!

Girls with a culinary bent are also well catered for with our cookery school offering basic lessons in the First Form through to the world renowned Leiths cookery course available in the Sixth Form.

A glance at our alumni will indicate just how successful our girls have also been in the Performing Arts, from appearing on stage in the 1930s with such luminaries as John Gielgud and Alex Guinness to current major stars. Our Performing Arts Centre provides state of the art facilities for girls to explore their dramatic aspirations both on stage and behind the scenes.

www.heathfieldschool.net

Anyone who walks the corridors outside the music room during the evenings listening to the sound of girls singing or practising an instrument will realise just how important music is to the school and girls, and how they revel in every opportunity to develop their talents. Girls have the chance to join the Top 12, choir or orchestra which all play a pivotal role at many key school functions.

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SPORT

A sense of excitement We believe that every girl can find an activity that she enjoys and can pursue. Whether in individual or team activities, we instill in our girls the importance of a healthy lifestyle and the benefits both physical and mental of exercise for life. To this end, in addition to our playing fields set in 36 acres of grounds, we have excellent sports hall, swimming and fitness facilities.

Sport plays an integral part in the wider curriculum and there is plenty of timetabled physical exercise. Together with our core sports of lacrosse, netball, swimming, tennis, rounders and athletics we offer opportunities in other sports including skiing, polo, show jumping and golf to name but a few. If there are enough girls interested in a sport we will do our utmost to make it accessible to them. The school also offers girls the chance to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme which is highly regarded by many universities and employers. As a school we are proud of the vast array of activities that we can support and offer.

www.heathfieldschool.net

We believe in healthy and good-natured competition, be that against other schools or on an interhouse basis. Sports Day is one of the year’s highlights because of both the physical endeavours and the social occasion, with many parents coming to lend their support.

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We are proud of all our girls, whether they are representing house, county or country, or simply committing to regular exercise: our aim is to encourage our girls to lead a healthy and fulfilling life.

Lacrosse, Netball, Swimming, Athletics, Show Jumping, Golf, Polo,

Skiing, Tennis, Rounders, Zumba, Aerobics, Hockey, Fitness

UPPER 6TH

A sense of expectation The change from school life to university can be a daunting experience and often presents girls with many challenges not linked with their academic ambitions. We make this transition as smooth and painless as possible, thus releasing our girls’ energies for more productive issues.

www.heathfieldschool.net

Our Upper VI Form girls live separately from the rest of school, though still within the school grounds, in their own community.

They have a budget within which they have to live and, whilst the live-in housemistress will shop for them, the rest is entirely their responsibility. They cook and generally take care of themselves, although we insist that they take lunch with the rest of the school to ensure that they get at least one totally balanced meal!

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Whilst we afford the girls a degree of independence we continue to support and advise them on their next steps in further education. Our goal is for every girl to leave us confident in her worth, both to herself and society, ready to fulfil her ambitions and equipped with the skills and self-belief commensurate with success and happiness along whatever path she chooses to tread.

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EXTRA CURRICULAR

A sense of adventure Our extracurricular programme is designed to stimulate our girls and provide a release for their physical, creative and academic energies.

The programme not only occupies the evenings but also each weekend.

New parents remark that the problem is not getting their daughter to return after an exeat weekend, it is getting her home in the first place!

Being a full boarding school Heathfield develops all aspects of our girls' education, providing academic rigour and the life skills which are so important for their personal development. We are able to offer something for everyone – the phrase “I’m bored” is not part of our girls’ vocabulary!

www.heathfieldschool.net

Our activities include the academic, such as a full and diverse outside speaker programme; the cultural, with visits to destinations such as Florence and Barcelona; and the mental and physical challenge of a climb up Mount Vesuvius. Add to this the extensive sporting opportunities – polo, horse riding and skiing are all proving very popular: our show jumpers and polo teams compete at a national level in tournaments around the UK and our skiers compete annually in the British Schoolgirls’ Championships in France.

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SPIRITUAL

A sense of reflection Our Chapel has played, and always will play, a significant part in school life. It embodies so much of what we are: a caring community where we recognise our responsibilities to each other and to the wider world, a community where we look to the future but are anchored in our sense of tradition, a community where we acknowledge and celebrate the individuality of our girls and where we know that our sum is far greater than our individual parts.

From stained glass windows depicting girls in white chapel dresses and choir capes to the pews on which our girls’ names are carved when they leave, the Chapel never fails to stir something inside all who enter and it is the first place that all Old Girls wish to visit upon their return.

www.heathfieldschool.net

Our girls’ spiritual development and fulfilment are as important to us as their academic achievements, and the enthusiasm with which they approach our numerous charitable undertakings says so much about them and their promise for the future.

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LOCATION

www.heathfieldschool.net

A sense of place

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Heathfield is in a central location close to major motorway networks, rail connections and airports. The school is just five minutes from the M4 (J10) and M3 (J3), and 50 minutes by train from central London. Heathrow Airport is 30 minutes away and Gatwick Airport is just 60 minutes by car.

The school stands in 36 acres of grounds on the outskirts of Ascot and has done so since Heathfield School was founded in 1899 by Eleanor Beatrice Wyatt, its first headmistress.

In 1882, at the age of 24, Miss Wyatt and her mother opened a mixed school in Drayton Gardens South Kensington then in 1884, as the school expanded, moved to 45 Stanhope Gardens. Still a mixed school (though the numbers of girls by now far exceeded those of the boys) the popularity continued to increase necessitating a move in 1891 to 132 and latterly also 133 Queens Gate.

Until this point Miss Wyatt had been concentrating on educating boys and girls from the lower-middle and lower classes; however, she was convinced that the best way to further education for all was to educate those who could in turn educate others. This coincided with Miss Wyatt’s desire to move out of a congested and claustrophobic London. The problem she faced was that, whilst wishing to move to a more spacious country location, she still wanted to maintain a proximity to London and the school’s active Old Girl network. In 1899 the perfect solution was found in the leafy environs of Berkshire and Heathfield School was founded in what was a beautiful Italianate building, the original home of the Paravacini family. On the 8th of May the school was officially opened and the chapel blessed.

Some years previously, and far from the bustle of London, Reverend W J Butler became Vicar of Wantage on 1 January 1847. His main aims were, first to revive the religious life in England and second to improve education. He hoped to achieve these aims by setting up an Order of Teaching Sisters but he faced many disappointments and spent 25 years trying to improve various day schools in the Parish before St. Mary’s School, Wantage was founded in 1873.

The school was run by the sisters of the Community of St. Mary the Virgin and was based in the Queen Anne house on Newbury Street. Sister Ellen was the first Sister-in-Charge and was later followed by Sister Juliana. Sister Annie Louisa started a guide movement called Scout Patrols in 1899 before Boy Scouts had even begun! She succeeded Sister Juliana as Headmistress in 1903 and by the time she left in 1919 St. Mary’s was recognised as a “public school with an unusually high standard of scholarship”.

Both Heathfield and St. Mary’s Wantage flourished independently though with almost identical values; each producing some outstanding alumni. In 2006 the two schools merged with Heathfield incorporating St. Mary’s Wantage onto the Ascot site resulting in a combined school drawing on the outstanding heritage and ethos of both, culminating in what we believe to be the finest all girls’ boarding school anywhere in the country.

www.buffalozoomedia.co.uk

Heathfield School Ascot

Incorporating St Mar y's School Wantage

Heathfield School, London Road, Ascot, SL5 8BQ Tel: +44 (0) 1344 898 343 Email: registrar@heathfieldschool.net www.heathfieldschool.net

printers notes

RED - indicates cutter guide (for reference only) CYAN - indicates clear UV varnish GREY - indicates holographic foil special

@HeathfieldAscot Heathfield School Ascot

www.buffalozoomedia.co.uk

Heathfield School Ascot

Incorporating St Mar y's School Wantage

printers notes

RED - indicates cutter guide (for reference only) CYAN - indicates clear UV varnish GREY - indicates holographic foil special

Heathfield School, London Road, Ascot, SL5 8BQ Tel: +44 (0) 1344 898 343 Email: registrar@heathfieldschool.net www.heathfieldschool.net @HeathfieldAscot Heathfield School Ascot