Principals’ End of Term Letter  ♦   12 July 2024   https://bit.ly/463H6iq

Introduction
Summer sunshine is with us for barely a brief moment, yet the smiles amongst the Claires Court community, parents, pupils and staff, have been much more sustained (thank you) and carried us through so well this term. The last fortnight has seen our many and various respective graduations and events, all full of the optimism that makes life here so very special. Some very new arrivals into our school over the last month have genuinely appreciated the warmth of our welcome and change in confidence is already evident at home too. Covering as we do the widest of school age ranges, from Nursery to Sixth Form, it’s very clear that our ‘matrix’ approach ensures that each age and development stage has local leaders, management and administration in place with whom parents can ‘work and tweak’ accordingly. At the core of Claires Court though is a central leadership and professional administration that carries much of the heavy lifting when issues such as building works or looming government threats arise. School overall is not yet fully ‘Out for the Summer’ as we have a CCF residential camp, Duke of Edinburgh Silver paddling expedition, athletics and rowing training, national trials and Brit championships too, but for the vast majority, let me simply wish you a great summer break!

Key highlights of the Year 2023-24
There have been so many amazing and positive events throughout the year that I’ll leave the ‘Highlights reel’ until our Court Report is published in September. Central to the school’s very existence has been the acceptance by ISI (the Independent Schools Inspectorate) that our choice to separate boys and girls for secondary education is both appropriate and well-judged. The progress monitoring report made this really clear in summation on the qualities of leadership and management in the school: “Since the previous inspection the school has formally recorded its rationale for the positive action taken to educate male and female pupils separately between ages 11 and 16. It has identified that male and female pupils at the school would otherwise suffer a disadvantage and that they have different needs. The action taken is proportionate and the directors and school leaders show good understanding of any unintended consequences.”

Bringing the Junior boys and girls together at Ridgeway has clearly helped us make the major breakthrough in uniting juniors under one roof for their teaching, learning and co-curricular opportunities whilst releasing Senior Girls and Sixth Form to grow in size and activity substantially too. Mrs Kirby, Mrs King and the junior teaching staff can of course take the lion’s share of the credit at Ridgeway, whilst Mr Hope and Sixth Form team the same for the remarkable expansion of scale and enterprise shown post 16. This has made our choice to unite the secondary leadership of Senior education under Mr Richards (Head) and Mrs Ruddick (Deputy) the final logical step for the future development of the school’s 11-16 age range provision. Conveying an understanding the sheer scale of our endeavour is really important for my brother Hugh and I to convey to both staff and parents; covering the needs of some 1000 children across a footprint that reaches Middlesex and Surrey yet covers the Thames Valley and South Bucks is a genuine challenge that can change on a daily basis. To still be able to celebrate that we have a growing school which remains academically ambitious and now competes in 10 sports to international standard is really no mean feat in 2024.

My work moving forwards
As Academic Principal, it’s been my job to design the paths pursued by teachers and learners. I’ll always have to worry about the practicalities of life when third parties impact dramatically (closing Cookham Bridge) on the way we work. I’ve spent some of the last year working in the classroom academically (History) whilst developing new ways of working in Technology (Drones & Food Tech) and exploring with our ICT & Computer science specialist staff how to integrate AI into our ways of working in the Classroom.

So as I step aside from working with Senior Boys for much of my working day, I step back into leading the school as a whole, giving that my full attention, and as such serving the ISA National Executive Council for the next 3 years too. As I wrote last week, we have a new government to work with, and in turn a new Department for Education in formation. Behind the scenes, meetings with officials and introductions to this new DfE have commenced with our sector and our own Association very actively involved in the dialogue.  Serving on ISA’s Council keeps me close to these matters of great interest and the experience we offer to our sector as the largest school of our kind is genuinely valued.

The threat to costs for parents
Claires Court is in the strongest position we could be currently, secure financially and with new development proposals clearly managed and kept under review to ensure further cost rises are controlled. Our choices over many years to work in partnership with our local arts and sports clubs mean that we have brilliant access to amazing facilities in community ownership. The further expansion of our sports facilities at Ridgeway is not just benefitting the school, but over 1000 adults and children playing sports every week for clubs and societies, including most notably the home for Maidenhead Royals Cricket Club and Maidenhead United Football Club Juniors. We are now celebrating our 46th year with Maidenhead Sailing Club, and 40-year partnerships with both Maidenhead Rowing Club and Phoenix Rugby Club. The genuinely magnificent facilities for a school at Braywick with Maidenhead Rugby Club are now matched with the Sixth Form able to access the David Lloyd centre within easy reach.

I’ve been very conscious of the need to grow additional revenue streams for the school, and the successful ongoing development of the Claires Court PTA Foundation as an independent charity has played a central part in this strategy. As we make further progress through the summer and autumn, I will be able to say more in this area; I am very proud that the various channels in the PTA ‘Just Giving’ programme have already begun to receive donations and funding which cover costs otherwise to be met by the school. For example, the Foundation is able to make available from existing and new donations 75% of the costs to the school for the provision of school places for our Ukrainian refugees into the third year here. New plans for the installation of an artificial playing surface are well underway at Ridgeway, with hopefully more to follow at Taplow, both because of generous proposals being submitted to the Foundation or the Principals. In short, we are committed to providing parents and students with the assurance that the teachers, equipment and facilities offered by Claires Court will remain the best they can be, yet strive as highlighted to ensure other funding opportunities are exploited to ease the strain.

Central to everyone’s concerns is the yawning gap arising in the availability of teachers to work in schools and colleges. Our significant contribution to teacher training within RBWM is well documented; with teacher training now able to be accessed through the apprenticeship levy, we’ve been able to expand our own programme further, such that new talent and new areas can be opened in-house. As a consequence, whilst we say farewell to some brilliant teachers into jobs elsewhere (mainly overseas it must be noted) our inward recruitment of new staff is strong and refreshing, introducing further exciting opportunities and new ways of working. To this end, I celebrate the success of Miriam Harris (English), Harriet Odell (Primary), Amy Walters (Primary) and Noelle Freeman (Early Years), the latter with a first class BA degree in Child Development & Learning.

Farewells
The Court Report will cover these more fully, but in this closing letter I’d like to congratulate five of our staff for the significant contributions they have made to the school during their employment with us. To Veronica Foster (37 years as individual music specialist), Nick Butterfield (19 years secondary and primary PE). Paula Copeman (17 Years as our Head Librarian), Huw Buckle (13 years in the Business Studies Department and the last 2 as my deputy), and Joel Wareing (10 years Head of Art) – their contribution as teachers (also as parents) in our community has been superb. As it has been for so many of our employees (and Principals), Claires Court has been the start, middle and end of their careers in Education, their ‘safe space’ amongst the maelstrom of life.

Conclusion
Between now and the State Opening of Parliament next Wednesday (17 July), all the new Members of Parliament are being sworn in. It’s then we will learn more about the government’s proposals for their first parliamentary year, how their proposals in detail for Education and VAT will play out. It’s clear from the first speech given by the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, that she has to take very great care to craft proposals for future taxation that meet the needs of the country. In that first address, her focus was on promoting growth, and refreshing Green Belt policy so that much needed development in areas under pressure can take place. It may be that we might actually have found an ally there, given the local planning difficulties we’ve faced for years! More seriously, having outlined above all the positive developments that Claires Court has managed to date, please feel assured that Hugh and I will continue to work through this period of uncertainty, in turn assured by the incredible support you as parents and guardians have shown throughout the last 12 months. Our school Motto is “Ut Omnes Unum Sint”, which translates as “So that all may be one” – so be it, we stand together – thank you all.

Hugh and James Wilding
12 July 2024

 Principals’ End of Term Letter  ♦   12 July 2024   https://bit.ly/463H6iq

Introduction

Summer sunshine is with us for barely a brief moment, yet the smiles amongst the Claires Court community, parents, pupils and staff, have been much more sustained (thank you) and carried us through so well this term. The last fortnight has seen our many and various respective graduations and events, all full of the optimism that makes life here so very special. Some very new arrivals into our school over the last month have genuinely appreciated the warmth of our welcome and change in confidence is already evident at home too. Covering as we do the widest of school age ranges, from Nursery to Sixth Form, it’s very clear that our ‘matrix’ approach ensures that each age and development stage has local leaders, management and administration in place with whom parents can ‘work and tweak’ accordingly. At the core of Claires Court though is a central leadership and professional administration that carries much of the heavy lifting when issues such as building works or looming government threats arise. School overall is not yet fully ‘Out for the Summer’ as we have a CCF residential camp, Duke of Edinburgh Silver paddling expedition, athletics and rowing training, national trials and Brit championships too, but for the vast majority, let me simply wish you a great summer break!

Key highlights of the Year 2023-24

There have been so many amazing and positive events throughout the year that I’ll leave the ‘Highlights reel’ until our Court Report is published in September. Central to the school’s very existence has been the acceptance by ISI (the Independent Schools Inspectorate) that our choice to separate boys and girls for secondary education is both appropriate and well-judged. The progress monitoring report made this really clear in summation on the qualities of leadership and management in the school: “Since the previous inspection the school has formally recorded its rationale for the positive action taken to educate male and female pupils separately between ages 11 and 16. It has identified that male and female pupils at the school would otherwise suffer a disadvantage and that they have different needs. The action taken is proportionate and the directors and school leaders show good understanding of any unintended consequences.”

Bringing the Junior boys and girls together at Ridgeway has clearly helped us make the major breakthrough in uniting juniors under one roof for their teaching, learning and co-curricular opportunities whilst releasing Senior Girls and Sixth Form to grow in size and activity substantially too. Mrs Kirby, Mrs King and the junior teaching staff can of course take the lion’s share of the credit at Ridgeway, whilst Mr Hope and Sixth Form team the same for the remarkable expansion of scale and enterprise shown post 16. This has made our choice to unite the secondary leadership of Senior education under Mr Richards (Head) and Mrs Ruddick (Deputy) the final logical step for the future development of the school’s 11-16 age range provision. Conveying an understanding the sheer scale of our endeavour is really important for my brother Hugh and I to convey to both staff and parents; covering the needs of some 1000 children across a footprint that reaches Middlesex and Surrey yet covers the Thames Valley and South Bucks is a genuine challenge that can change on a daily basis. To still be able to celebrate that we have a growing school which remains academically ambitious and now competes in 10 sports to international standard is really no mean feat in 2024. 

My work moving forwards

As Academic Principal, it’s been my job to design the paths pursued by teachers and learners. I’ll always have to worry about the practicalities of life when third parties impact dramatically (closing Cookham Bridge) on the way we work. I’ve spent some of the last year working in the classroom academically (History) whilst developing new ways of working in Technology (Drones & Food Tech) and exploring with our ICT & Computer science specialist staff how to integrate AI into our ways of working in the Classroom. 

So as I step aside from working with Senior Boys for much of my working day, I step back into leading the school as a whole, giving that my full attention, and as such serving the ISA National Executive Council for the next 3 years too. As I wrote last week, we have a new government to work with, and in turn a new Department for Education in formation. Behind the scenes, meetings with officials and introductions to this new DfE have commenced with our sector and our own Association very actively involved in the dialogue.  Serving on ISA’s Council keeps me close to these matters of great interest and the experience we offer to our sector as the largest school of our kind is genuinely valued. 

The threat to costs for parents

Claires Court is in the strongest position we could be currently, secure financially and with new development proposals clearly managed and kept under review to ensure further cost rises are controlled. Our choices over many years to work in partnership with our local arts and sports clubs mean that we have brilliant access to amazing facilities in community ownership. The further expansion of our sports facilities at Ridgeway is not just benefitting the school, but over 1000 adults and children playing sports every week for clubs and societies, including most notably the home for Maidenhead Royals Cricket Club and Maidenhead United Football Club Juniors. We are now celebrating our 46th year with Maidenhead Sailing Club, and 40-year partnerships with both Maidenhead Rowing Club and Phoenix Rugby Club. The genuinely magnificent facilities for a school at Braywick with Maidenhead Rugby Club are now matched with the Sixth Form able to access the David Lloyd centre within easy reach. 

I’ve been very conscious of the need to grow additional revenue streams for the school, and the successful ongoing development of the Claires Court PTA Foundation as an independent charity has played a central part in this strategy. As we make further progress through the summer and autumn, I will be able to say more in this area; I am very proud that the various channels in the PTA ‘Just Giving’ programme have already begun to receive donations and funding which cover costs otherwise to be met by the school. For example, the Foundation is able to make available from existing and new donations 75% of the costs to the school for the provision of school places for our Ukrainian refugees into the third year here. New plans for the installation of an artificial playing surface are well underway at Ridgeway, with hopefully more to follow at Taplow, both because of generous proposals being submitted to the Foundation or the Principals. In short, we are committed to providing parents and students with the assurance that the teachers, equipment and facilities offered by Claires Court will remain the best they can be, yet strive as highlighted to ensure other funding opportunities are exploited to ease the strain.

Central to everyone’s concerns is the yawning gap arising in the availability of teachers to work in schools and colleges. Our significant contribution to teacher training within RBWM is well documented; with teacher training now able to be accessed through the apprenticeship levy, we’ve been able to expand our own programme further, such that new talent and new areas can be opened in-house. As a consequence, whilst we say farewell to some brilliant teachers into jobs elsewhere (mainly overseas it must be noted) our inward recruitment of new staff is strong and refreshing, introducing further exciting opportunities and new ways of working. To this end, I celebrate the success of Miriam Harris (English), Harriet Odell (Primary), Amy Walters (Primary) and Noelle Freeman (Early Years), the latter with a first class BA degree in Child Development & Learning. 

Farewells

The Court Report will cover these more fully, but in this closing letter I’d like to congratulate five of our staff for the significant contributions they have made to the school during their employment with us. To Veronica Foster (37 years as individual music specialist), Nick Butterfield (19 years secondary and primary PE). Paula Copeman (17 Years as our Head Librarian), Huw Buckle (13 years in the Business Studies Department and the last 2 as my deputy), and Joel Wareing (10 years Head of Art) – their contribution as teachers (also as parents) in our community has been superb. As it has been for so many of our employees (and Principals), Claires Court has been the start, middle and end of their careers in Education, their ‘safe space’ amongst the maelstrom of life. 

Conclusion

Between now and the State Opening of Parliament next Wednesday (17 July), all the new Members of Parliament are being sworn in. It’s then we will learn more about the government’s proposals for their first parliamentary year, how their proposals in detail for Education and VAT will play out. It’s clear from the first speech given by the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, that she has to take very great care to craft proposals for future taxation that meet the needs of the country. In that first address, her focus was on promoting growth, and refreshing Green Belt policy so that much needed development in areas under pressure can take place. It may be that we might actually have found an ally there, given the local planning difficulties we’ve faced for years! More seriously, having outlined above all the positive developments that Claires Court has managed to date, please feel assured that Hugh and I will continue to work through this period of uncertainty, in turn assured by the incredible support you as parents and guardians have shown throughout the last 12 months. Our school Motto is “Ut Omnes Unum Sint”, which translates as “So that all may be one” – so be it, we stand together – thank you all. 

Hugh and James Wilding

12 July 2024