IMPACT REPORT 2022-23
Woldingham is a leading independent boarding and day school for girls set in hundreds of acres in the Surrey Hills. Founded in 1842, Woldingham is one of the oldest schools for girls in the UK.
Woldingham’s impact as a leading school for girls goes beyond providing an outstanding education to our students, it shares facilities and opportunities with pupils and staff from local state schools, supports the employment of hundreds of people and acts as custodian to miles of footpaths and bridleways enjoyed by many walkers, cyclists and horse riders every year.
As we marked our 180th anniversary as one of the oldest school for girls in the academic year 2022-23, it is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the impact of the school not just over the last year but since 1842 when the school was established by six sisters and two girls. Since then thousands of alumnae, based all over the globe, have taken their Woldingham Sacred Heart education to have a positive impact on their, and our, world. We should also recognise the contribution of the school’s Sisters and staff from the last 180 years, including the school’s founder St Madeleine Sophie Barat, as well as leading educators Janet Stuart and Mabel Digby whose names live on as Digby Stuart College, one of four colleges that make up the University of Roehampton.
As we look to the future, we have committed to widen our bursary provision with a goal to raise funds to provide 30 new bursaries by 2030. As part of this, the school planted a new vineyard in 2023, with money from outside investors, which in the years to come will generate profits to help fund new bursaries.
I hope you enjoy reading this Impact Report and learn something new.
Mrs Julia Harrington, Interim Head
INTRODUCTION
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IMPACT
The A Levels achieved by our 2023 Upper Sixth admitted them to leading universities, conservatoires and institutions in the UK and overseas, choosing to follow a wide range of courses from architecture to chemical engineering and from aviation management to medicine. Students were rightly proud of their results with 73% of A Level grades at A* to B.
Students also shone in external competitions and essays with a Year 10 student winning a University of Exeter’s politics essay competition and a Year 7 student a gold award in the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition. Two Upper Sixth students excelled in the highly competitive John Locke Competition, with one commended and one highly commended essays. There were also honours in maths for six students in the Sixth Form who were awarded Certificates of Merit in the annual prestigious and challenging UK-wide Olympiad.
66%
GCSE results graded 9-7
7 students received at least 9 grade 9 GCSEs
73% A Level results graded A*-B
6 UKMT Certificates of Merit
ECONOMIC BENEFIT
The income generated by the school and staff we employ makes a considerable contribution to the local economy in east Surrey. With an annual income of more than £19 million and employing more than 200 people, Woldingham is a significant local business within Tandridge District Council area.
During the year 2022-23, Woldingham educated more than 600 students from the UK and around the world, saving the UK taxpayer £3.7 million from students not taking a free UK state school place. Fees paid by overseas parents paying for their daughters to be educated in the UK at Woldingham generated important export income for the school and country.
£27.6m contribution to UK GDP
£8.8m UK tax supported
£3.7m
savings for UK taxpayers from students not taking a free UK state school place
Woldingham employs more than 200 members of staff. An estimated 509 jobs are supported within the UK from our operations and the goods and services we buy to support the running of the school.
£13.4m contribution to GDP of Tandridge area
509 jobs in UK supported by Woldingham’s activities
PUBLIC BENEFIT
Woldingham ran a wide range of outreach events over the year covering science, art, music and outdoor education. This included 40 hours of specialist music teaching, 65 pupils at two primary schools took part in science workshops and more than 100 pupils from three local primary schools enjoyed sessions in Woldingham’s Outdoor Education Centre. In a first for the school, the Art Department ran a workshop specifically for young carers in Years 3-6, which was very well received by the pupils and their teachers. Secondary school students from nearby Oasis Academy attended three STEM live events organised by the Science Department.
The PE Department provided specialist hockey, netball and cricket coaching at a local primary school and two primary schools used our pool for swimming lessons. We were also delighted to welcome older students from local schools for our spring Philosothon for the second year running.
56 students received a bursary
£1m spent on bursaries
5 Ukrainian students attended with bursary support
3 Polish Sixth Formers attended with bursary support
Our local Catholic Primary School, St Francis, joined us for our annual Carol Service at Westminster Cathedral and took part in October’s Junior Choir Festival.
The chaplaincy team ran a comprehensive programme of outreach events including visits with students to nursing homes, an art project with the Orpheus Centre for young people with disabilities and on-going support for the Cardinal Hume Centre, including the retiring collection from Woldingham’s Carol Service at Westminster Cathedral.
Students at the school raised money for their House charities amounting to £2,600 and the STEM Society’s cosmetic sale raised £280, which was given to a nearby state primary school in Kent to buy STEM provisions.
102 local primary pupils visited out outdoor education centre for free
65 primary pupils took part in science lab workshops
45 local state academy students attended 3 STEM events
30 pupils at St Francis Primary in Caterham enjoyed 40 hours of specialist music teaching
The school spent more than £1m on bursaries enabling students who wouldn’t be able to attend the school without financial support. A Royal Springboard Foundation scholar joined the school in 2022 and a place was offered and accepted for a second Royal Springboard scholar for 2023.
£4,000
donated to four House charities
£1,400
given to the Cardinal Hume Centre
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Woldingham plays an important environmental role as custodian of hundreds of acres of Surrey countryside for the school community it serves and the thousands of walkers, cyclists and horse riders who use the paths and bridleways maintained by the school every year.
In summer 2023, work started on the construction of the school’s new Library and Sixth Form Centre, which has been designed to operate in an environmentally sustainable way, with ground source heat pumps, double glazing and high levels of insulation.
Our new catering partner, Holroyd Howe championed reducing food waste with an awareness campaign and ran a series of meat free Mondays. The community was encouraged to reduce the use of single-use plastic, print less and recycle more over the year.
LIFELONG IMPACT
A Woldingham education has a lifelong impact, with students making huge positive contributions to their and our world.
In recent years around 30% of Upper Sixth students have gone on to study a STEM subject at university. Medicine has been a popular choice for many Woldingham alumna, with 2022-23 Head Girl, Léonie, carrying on the tradition, now studying medicine with surgery at the University of Newcastle. Notable scientists, medical professionals and academic alumnae from previous generations making a lifelong impact people in the UK and around the world include:
• Dr Patricia Brayden, Medical Director, St Catherine’s Hospice, West Sussex and Surrey
• Professor Victoria Elegant – vaccine developer and Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney
• Dr Susie Stanway, Consultant Oncologist, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
• Professor Rosalind Allen, Professor of Biological Physics, University of Edinburgh.
Woldingham School, Marden Park, Woldingham, Surrey, CR3 7YA (for satellite navigation please use postcode CR3 7LR) 01883 349431 info@woldinghamschool.co.uk woldinghamschool.co.uk
