Heathfield School, Ascot Explained

Heathfield School
Coordinates:51.4138°N -0.7098°W
Motto:The Merit of One is the Honour of All
Established:1899
Type:Independent boarding and day school
Religious Affiliation:Church of England
Head Label:Headmistress
Head:Sarah Wilson[1]
Founder:Eleanor Beatrice Wyatt
Address:London Road
City:Ascot
County:Berkshire
Country:England
Postcode:SL5 8BQ
Local Authority:Bracknell Forest
Dfeno:867/6000
Urn:110117
Enrolment:240
Gender:female
Lower Age:11
Upper Age:18
Houses:Austen
de Valois
Seacole
Somerville
Free Label 1:Former pupils
Free 1:HOGS & SMOGS

Heathfield School is a girls' independent boarding and day school in Ascot, Berkshire, England.[2] In 2006, the school absorbed St Mary's School, Wantage and was briefly named Heathfield St Mary's School but reverted to Heathfield School in 2009 to prevent confusion with another local girls' school St Mary's School, Ascot. The school's grounds cover 36acres situated on the edge of Ascot (actually in Bracknell Forest), providing access from London, the major airports, the M3 and M4 motorways.

History

Heathfield Ascot

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 had opened Queen's Gate School in South Kensington, London.[3]

St Mary's Wantage

See main article: St Mary's School, Wantage. The Reverend William John 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 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 Sister Juliana succeeded her in 1887. Sister Juliana had studied at Cambridge and set a high standard for the girls, entering them for the Oxford and Cambridge local examinations.

Sister Annie Louisa joined the school in 1898 and started a guide movement called Scout Patrols in 1899 before Boy Scouts had even begun. She succeeded Sister Juliana as Headmistress in 1903. Sister Annie Louisa was responsible for the chief structural improvements at St Mary's including a science wing and the conversion of an old barn into a gymnasium. By the time Sister Annie Louisa left in 1919, St Mary's was recognised as a "public school with an unusually high standard of scholarship".

Facilities

The school is equipped with teaching, sporting and leisure facilities. In 2000, the school opened a 25m indoor heated swimming pool.

In the summer of 2014, work started on a new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) building, providing a hub for the girls to study science subjects.[4]

Academic

The 2018 ISI Inspection report noted that "The quality of pupils' academic and other achievements is excellent" and commended the pupils' enthusiastic committed approach to their learning.[5] It also found the quality of the pupils' personal development excellent. "The overall achievement of the pupils is excellent and represents the successful fulfilment of the school's ambitious aims."

Houses

All girls are placed in one of the four houses upon entry. A Head of House looks after the girls and is the first point of contact for parents and girls on issues.[6]

House Colour
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10]

Boarding

The boarding houses are separate from the house system. Instead, boarders are grouped into dormitories and boarding houses by years. A housemistress for each year and full-time residential staff reside on campus. Girls in Sixth Form live in separate accommodation similar to that of a hall of residence to prepare them for university life.[11] Having been one of the few full boarding schools for girls remaining in the country, Heathfield School started accepting day girls who resided locally from the 2015–16 academic year onwards.[12]

Notable former pupils

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Heathfield School - Staff & Governors . Heathfield School . 8 February 2021.
  2. Web site: Schools Guide 2013 - Heathfield School. Tatler.
  3. http://www.heathfieldschool.net/stylesheet.asp?file=121_our_history Our History
  4. http://www.heathfieldschool.net/about-us/new-stem-building/ New STEM Building
  5. http://isischools.devprocess.com/DownloadReport.aspx?t=c&r=EQI6526_20180227.pdf&s=6526 2018 ISI Inspection Report
  6. https://archive.today/20120802001823/http://www.heathfieldschool.net/stylesheet.asp?file=431_the_house_system House System
  7. https://archive.today/20120802231816/http://www.heathfieldschool.net/stylesheet.asp?file=432_austen_house Austen House
  8. Web site: De Valois House . 15 May 2012 . https://archive.today/20120802115236/http://www.heathfieldschool.net/stylesheet.asp?file=433_de_valois_house . 2 August 2012 . dead .
  9. Web site: Seacole House . 15 May 2012 . https://archive.today/20120802010825/http://www.heathfieldschool.net/stylesheet.asp?file=434_seacole_house . 2 August 2012 . dead .
  10. https://archive.today/20120802025441/http://www.heathfieldschool.net/stylesheet.asp?file=435_somerville_house Somerville House
  11. Web site: Boarding . 15 May 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120502094309/http://www.heathfieldschool.net/stylesheet.asp?file=411_boarding_life_at_heathfield . 2 May 2012 . dead .
  12. http://www.heathfieldschool.net/admissions/day-boarding/ Day Boarding