Headmaster's Letter - October 2007

Dear Parents / Guardians

With 406 boarders and a total of 760 pupils including Sixth Form boarders, the school has reached record numbers. This has created pressure on space in Secondary Boarding Houses, so the ground floor extensions on Albert and Elizabeth Houses have proved most welcome. We plan to add similar extensions to all other Secondary Houses over the next three years. Getting the whole school through the Dining Hall at lunchtime is a challenge, but we appear to be coping at the moment – I am quite often the last person in the queue for lunch and I have not yet been late back to afternoon school !

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester, who is president of the School, has expressed the wish to make a private visit this term. After Half Term she will officially open both new Boarding House extensions. I have been asked to make this a very low-key event, allowing The Duchess to chat to as many pupils as possible. For this reason, as well as to reduce the need to manage security, neither Governors nor parents are being invited to this private visit.

The structured Activities Programme from 4.00 pm to 5.00 pm appears to be a great success. Mrs Bingham has modified the frequency of activities for the younger children, and I have asked Mr Jones, Head of Boarding, to conduct a review of the programme so that we can improve it further. If you have any suggestions please do contact him.

Earlier this term we had an inspection by Ofsted of our Boarding Provision. The final version of the report has still not been delivered, but the Lead Inspector has informed me that most aspects have been judged “good”. Once the report is received we shall of course publish.

Mr Darren Halstead, Senior Teacher, has been working with a group of parents on improving aspects of the communications between the School and parents. All boarding schools experience difficulties with communications from time to time, but we are anxious to review our current practices. Similarly Mr John Ahern, Director of Studies, will be changing the format of Secondary Parental Consultations following feedback from a number of parents.

Work has been completed on the School Reception Area and we at last have a corridor which leads into the Junior Department which means that parents and visitors no longer need to go through the office or the Performing Arts Centre. One other building project competed this Summer was the new Cricket Pavilion which was opened early this term with a late-season Cricket Festival. I would like to express my thanks to Mr Richard Wells, a member of the Board of Management, whose generous personal donation made the work possible.

With this letter you will find a letter from the PTA about the Christmas Fayre and the Fifty-Fifty Club or Three Hundred Club that they are starting up. I much appreciate the support that the PTA gives the school and I hope that as many parents as possible will support these two ventures.

The second half of this term sees a large number of events:-

Friday 9 November Primary Remembrance Service 9.00 am

Saturday 10 November Secondary Remembrance Service 10.30 am

Wednesday 14 November - a number of our musicians will be joining the orchestra of
Reigate Grammar School for a concert in our Chapel

Friday 30 November (evening) and again on
Saturday 1 December (matinee) Drama and Musical Theatre in the Performing Arts Centre

Friday 7 December at 7:30pm and again on
Saturday 8 December at 9:30am The Junior Production Mr Humbug sees the Light

Saturday 8 December The West Heath Occasional Choir perform Carols by Candlelight
in aid of Gatton Trust

Saturday 8 December also sees a Dance Show in the Performing Arts Centre

Friday 14 December The Carol Service for pupils in Years 3 to 8 at 2.00 pm.

This has been a very successful start to the school year and I hope everyone has a good break before what promises to be a very busy second half of term.

Yours faithfully

Paul D Spencer Ellis (Headmaster)