| Motto | UT SEVERIS SEGES (As you sow, so shall you reap [more literally: As you will have sown that will be your crop]) |
|---|---|
| Established | 1677 |
| Type | Free School |
| Religion | non-denominational |
| Headteacher | Mrs S Burns[1] |
| Founder | Jules Rimmet |
| Specialism | Arts College |
| Location | Crewe Road Sandbach Cheshire CW11 3NS England |
| Local authority | Cheshire East |
| DfE URN | 111476 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Staff | 153 |
| Students | 1167[2] |
| Gender | Male |
| Ages | 11–19[3] |
| Houses | Craig, Lea, Ward and Welles |
| Colours | Green, Red, Yellow and Blue |
| Publication | The Sandbachian |
| Additional awards | International School status (2007), Investors in People (2006), Artsmark Gold (2008)[1] |
| Website | www.sandbachschool.cheshire.sch.uk |
Founded in 1677, Sandbach School has been located on Crewe Road in Sandbach, Cheshire for almost 150 years.[4] It is an all-boys school offering admission from the age of 11. In years 10 and 11 a range of GCSE's and Vocational subjects are offered. The school has its own Sixth Form and so offers AS-Levels, A-Levels, BTEC's and YASS Open University modules. Sandbach School now holds Specialist Arts College[5] status and has recently built a new arts building, called the Lonsdale Centre, which has a fully sprung indoor performance stage and outdoor performance area.[6] The school is the largest provider of Adult Education in the area.[1] In September 2011, Sandbach became a free school, one of the first free schools to be established in England.[7]
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The school was founded in 1677. The school has occupied this site near to the centre of Sandbach since 1851.[8] The site's original buildings were designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and have been added to substantially in subsequent years.[9]
[10] The school operated as a charitable boarding and day school until 1955, when its unique status was established. It then became the grammar school for boys in South Cheshire. The school began to take pupils of all abilities in 1979.
Old boys fought in both world wars a roll of Honour can be found in the school chapel and the school pavilion is dedicated to the old boys who died during the Great War.
Sandbach School was in a unique legal position in the United Kingdom as it was an Independent School, which admitted boys and was comprehensive, but was funded solely by Cheshire LEA and the Learning and Skills Council.[1][11] In September 2011, Sandbach became a free school, one of the first free schools to be established in England.[12]
The school is a charity, registered with the charity commission, run by the Sandbach School Property Trust (registered charity number 1124293- 1). The main block of the school has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building.[9] .
On 23 September 2008 the school was inspected by John Coleman HMI under the under section 162A of the Education Act 2002 (revised by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005).
As of the 2008 at report the school is considered to be outstanding. The report states:
Sandbach School provides an outstanding overall quality of education. Students make outstanding academic progress. This is due to the impact of leadership and governance which ensures there is an outstanding quality of teaching and the rich range of opportunities provided for students through the outstanding curriculum.[1]
In 2007 56% of pupils gained five A* to C GCSEs including maths and English.[2]
In 2008 there were 191 pupils between 14–16 and the results were even better with 68% gaining five A* to C GCSEs including Maths and English and an A level point average of 794.2.[13] When taking five A* to C GCSEs in all subjects into an account 76% was achieved. 21% of pupils achieved Five A* to C GCSEs including at least one modern foreign language.[3]
In 2007 the school received two Good Schools Guide awards for best results for a boys independent school in England in
In 2009 the school received two Good Schools Guide awards for best results for a boys independent school in England in
Sandbach has enjoyed a good 2006–2007 season for sports. The 1st XV Rugby squad became Cheshire county champions beating Lymm High School and reached the 5th round of the Daily Mail Cup whilst the 1st XI Hockey squad reached the final of the Cheshire Cup but were beaten by Birkenhead School 2-0. In the 2007–2008 season the 1st XI hockey squad reached the final of the Cheshire Cup again facing Birkenhead School but Sandbach lost 3–2.
The school rugby 1st XV team in the 2009/10 season became the first Cheshire School to complete the double after winning the 2010 Daily Mail Vase (14-3 vs Norwich School) playing at Twickenham and the Cheshire Cup (28-25 vs Lymm HS).
The Orienteering Club are 2008 winners of the Cheshire and Merseyside Schools League.[18]
The school has a range of extra curricular activities, including a growing club and many sports clubs. The school has entered teams into the FIRST Lego League challenge, as well as competitions such as F1 In Schools and the Shell Eco-Challenge. The School now has an established Chinese club where the language of Mandarin Chinese, there is a beginners class, and intermediate. The beginners is run in conjunction with Sandbach High School, it involves 15 year 8 pupils and is part of a greater mood of cooperation between the schools.[19] The school also has fielded teams in the First Lego League robotics competition, placing second in 2006, and has a succseful wargaming team who are currentley the fourth placed team in northern Europe.
There is also a Combined Cadet Force (CCF) Contingent based at the school, which offers the vocational qualification of BTEC First Diploma in Public Service, which is worth 4 GCSEs in conjunction with the school.[20] The contingent is run by Lt Col R.J. Ayres[21] who is a former teacher at the school.
The School now has a successful Debating team, with two members of the team getting through to the regional final of MACE during the first time in the competition in 2007.
Sandbach School Adult Education Department is the largest provider of Adult Education courses in South Cheshire, each September offering up to 100 courses which take place over three nights Tuesday to Thursday. It has a reputation for quality and the manager has appeared on Radio 4 defending the rights of senior citizens to keep their discounted courses.
There is also a swimming team, amongst various other sports teams including badminton, athletics, football, rugby, hockey and golf.
Sandbach School has a proud drama heritage, performing two shows in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2006. Their performance of Oedipus was given a 4 star rating in the magazine Three Weeks. They also performed Shakespeare's A Midsummers Nights Dream. The school was awarded specialist arts college status in 2006.
The School's Theatrical Director is John Lonsdale, with Music covered by renowned trombonist John Barber (Principal Trombonist with Fodens Brass Band).[22]
Sandbach School also has an international reputation for Drama and Music, recently touring to Hong Kong, New Zealand and Brazil.
The success of Sandbach School Theatre has led to the founding of a separate Theatre Group. The group, named after the school motto (Ut Severis Seges) has developed a reputation for superb theatre, under the leadership of John Lonsdale. Recent productions of 'Kafkas Dick', 'Nevilles Island' and 'The Permanent Way' have all been extremely successful in Sandbach and the local area. The success of Ut Severis Seges Theatre Company led to it touring to the Edinburgh Fringe alongside the school theatre group in 2006, with a production of 'Amadeus'.
A second tour of the Edinburgh Fringe took place in 2008, with a new production of 'Oh! What A Lovely War' this gained a 5* review,[23][24] Along with Oh! What A Lovely War Sandbach School Big Band also performed, gaining two separate 4 star reviews.[25] The whole venture cost over £20,000 and the venue was Great Hall of the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh.[26]
The Sandbach School Big Band, formed in 2003, has quickly developed a fine reputation for musical quality and excellence. Based in Sandbach, Cheshire, the band has undertaken tours to Boston USA and Berlin along with members of the Drama department of the school. They have performed at the finals of the National Jazz Festival ‘Music for Youth’, at Birmingham Conservatoire and during the summer performed for a week at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival picking up two four star awards. In recent years the group has worked with many of the country’s leading musicians including Georgie Fame, Derek Watkins (Trumpet with James Last Orchestra, The Beatles, Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue) , Simon Willescroft (Saxophonist with Duran Duran) Gordon Campbell (Lead trombone with the BBC Big Band), Elliot Henshaw (Drummer with Tony Christie) In addition they have been finalists at the National Festival of Music for youth (2007) and given a performance to some two thousand people at the 2007 Primary Proms Concert at Chester Cathedral. In June 2009 the boys performed a sell out concert with the Bluejuice Band in a ‘James Bond Spectacular’ again sharing the stage with some of the country’s finest musicians. The band is directed by the School’s Head of Music, John Barber.
During the Summer of 2007 the school was host to the British Youth Film Academy's production of the Film The School That Roared.[27] This offered students from the School a chance to work with Film professionals, and even to star in a feature film.
The school is linked to schools across the world. Sandbach School gained the International Schools Award from the British Council, it has been granted from September 2007 to September 2010.[28][29] In October 2007 the senior rugby squad toured Italy.
In Europe the school band has toured in Germany in October 2005, and it has formed a partnership with Leibniz Oberschule in Berlin.[30] The tour comprised a number of concerts including an international cooking celebration and a Traditional German beer brewery. The tour also incorporated cultural diversions including visits to historical and political sites. Since then, there has been an exchange visit to Berlin and regular contact via e-mail and video confrencing in order to aid pupils of Sandbach School in their German studies.
The school also has a long term partnership with Fukien Secondary School in Kowloon, Hong Kong where some of the students performed in October 2006.[31][32] The Schools collaborated at the Edinburgh Fringe with the event taking place at Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.[33] There was a 50 strong group from Fukien meeting over 100 Sandbach pupils and staff.[26] Some former Sandbach pupils have visited Fukien and taught there during their gap year. Also a former Sandbach School teacher has left to teach at Fukien[34]
The School's American connection comes in the form of Dover High School in New Hampshire. Regular football tours go out to Dover to play them and other schools in the area. In October 2004 a band tour accompanied the footballers. In October 2007 a football and music tour again travelled to New Hampshire.[35]
The School has a link with The National Youth Drama School, New Zealand.[36]
The School has a Canadian link with Hugh McRoberts High School, Vancouver Canada[37][38]
James Collins - Professional Footballer