The following answers are from Rachel Owens, head of St George’s Senior School/College:
I was Head of St George’s, Ascot from 2011 to 2016, then here from 2016.
History and Politics – no I don’t, except for some Oxbridge prep.
Its liberal Catholicism and Josephite ethos. And the fact it is the biggest RC independent school in England!
Consistently being in the top 5 per cent in the UK for value added at GCSE and A-level. Enabling each child to be “the best version of themselves”.
Our Josephite “spirit of family”. We have ten key aspects – politesse and douceur being the main ones. The others are honesty, mercy, hospitality, pastoral care, zeal, happiness, inclusiveness and collaboration.
It is inherent in everything we do. We expect everyone to live by Gospel values, treating others as they would wish to be treated themselves.
Our commitment to social justice in the community. Outreach is a vital part of what we do – teaching English to refugees, keeping the local foodbank afloat, our Sixth Formers teaching RS in the local primary schools.
Too many to mention! There are over 180 clubs on offer here every week from Climbing to Greek! Many of them have an “ethos” element, such as Kennedy club, where Sixth Formers entertain young refugees who are housed nearby.
Our strength is our strapline – “Perfectly Balanced” – we genuinely encourage everyone to get involved in everything. Our academic subjects are also perfectly balanced – we expect all of them to be of the highest standard.
We have an annual cycle of admissions for entry at 11+, 13+ and 16+. A large number of schools, both independent and maintained, feed into the College from surrounding areas. Bursaries are available on entry at 11+ and 16+, and Scholarships are available on entry at 11+, 13+ and 16+.
Entry into other year groups (except Fifth Year and Upper Sixth Form) is sometimes possible.
The following answers are from Antony Hudson, head of St George’s Junior School:
I was Deputy Head of Prior’s Field School, Godalming for 3 years before being appointed Head of St George’s Junior School in September 2003; I am, therefore, just completing 20 years in office.
I’m a History graduate, but in recent years have been teaching Religious Studies.
I had a strong sense of wanting to be a Head and was beginning to look for secondary school openings; however, deep down, I had always been aware that my happiest school days were in the primary sector – and St George’s Junior School was at a fascinating juncture which felt like a good fit: I wanted to get back into Catholic education, and my brief time at the English College in Rome had given me a strong sense of the importance of Religious Community spirit – all of which helped my application as the first lay Head.
The genuine happiness of the children “coming home to school” each day! In terms of facilities, the Lower Years’ building – The Ark – which encompasses Lower Nursery-Year 2, and was opened and blessed by Cardinal Cormac in April 2016; and the acquisition and development of around 80 acres of land adjoining the School which has transformed the sports provision as well as other educational opportunities such as Forest School which was a long-held ambition. Finally, the fact that this academic year, every single one of the 88 Year 6 pupils was offered a place by The College – a long-cherished dream!
We are co-educational, 3-18, Catholic & Josephite, and the aim of the School is to inspire all in our Josephite, Georgian Family to be the very best version of themselves, “learning to live and love to the full like Jesus”.
Overseen by a full-time Lay Chaplain, the daily Collective Worship Programme in classrooms is based on the preceding Sunday’s Gospel reading; Mass is celebrated each week by one of the Josephite priests – mostly, class Masses but, occasionally, for all the children in Years 3-6 for major Feast Days. The RE Curriculum is “The Way, The Truth and The Life”, and there are strong links with the local Catholic parish of Christ The Prince of Peace where annual Retreats are held for pupils in Year 6.
The sheer size of the School; it is unusually large with 640 pupils based on four form entry with superb facilities on a 50 acre site; it is also unusual that the Head of the College and the Junior School Head are autonomous, but each School has a very strong sense of Georgian Family Spirit with huge Value-Added.
We offer something in the region of 200+ Lunchtime and After-School Clubs in the course of a typical week.
Academically, the School is strong across the board – the challenge is more one of trying to achieve a perfectly balanced curriculum. Sport (regularly Regional Champ-ions in Hockey), Art, Music and Drama are all very strong, with many scholarships being awarded across all four areas at 11+.
Pupils normally join the Junior School, aged 4+ or at the start of Year 3, aged 7+. Offers are made if there is available space, following a successful assessment; entry into other years is occasionally possible where spaces become available – assessments are arranged on application. For entry at 5+ and above, a confidential report is sought from the candidate’s current school. Offers of admission at 7+ or above are only made if the candidate’s academic performance in the entrance assessment indicates that they are likely to meet the requirements for entry to the College at 11+.
There aren’t any scholarships awarded to the Junior School but there are two Bursaries (up to 100 per cent if required, subject to financial circumstances) available from Year 3 to Year 6, up to a maximum of eight across those Year Groups.
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