Sandbach School

Sandbach School

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	Richard Lea and Francis Welles
Specialism	Arts College and sports
Location	Crewe Road Sandbach Cheshire CW11 3NS England Coordinates: 53°08′34″N 2°22′15″W / 53.14282°N 2.37078°W / 53.14282; -2.37078
Local authority	Cheshire East
DfE URN	137491 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Staff	170
Students	1167[2]
Gender	Male
Ages	11–18[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 (2012), Artsmark Gold (2012)[1]
Website	www.sandbachschool.org

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.

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.^[5]

History

The school was founded in 1677. The school has occupied its site near the centre of Sandbach since 1851.^[6] The site's original buildings were designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and have since been extended substantially.^[7]

The school operated as a charitable boarding and day school until 1955, when its unique legal status was established - 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][8] It then became the grammar school for boys in south Cheshire. The school began to take pupils of all abilities in 1979. In September 2011, Sandbach became a free school, one of the first to be established in England.^[5]

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.^[7]

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.

Performance

In years 10 and 11 a range of GCSEs and vocational subjects are offered. The school has its own Sixth Form and so offers AS-Levels, A-Levels, BTECs and YASS Open University modules. Sandbach School specialises in the arts and sport; the Lonsdale Centre has a fully sprung indoor performance stage and outdoor performance area.^[9]

Examinations

In 2013 at GCSE: % 5+ A* to C including Maths and English – 65%, % achieving English Baccalaureate – 22%, % of pupils making expected progress in Maths 80, % of pupils making expected progress in English 71

In 2013 at A Level: % Passes A* to C – 77.8%, % Passes A* to E – 99.2%.

In 2012 at GCSE: % 5+ A* to C including Maths and English – 53%, % achieving English Baccalaureate – 13%, % Achieving 5+ A* to G – 95%, Average Points Per Pupil – 367. In 2012 at A Level: % Passes A* to B – 53.9%, % Passes A* to E – 97.3%.

In 2011 at GCSE: % 5+ A* to C including Maths and English – 71%, % achieving English Baccalaureate – 12%, % Achieving 5+ A* to G – 98%, Average Points Per Pupil – 424.

In 2011 at A level: % Passes A* to B – 54.1%, % Passes A* to E – 98.5%.

Awards

In 2014 were awarded an accreditation for being among the top 5% of post-16 providers in the UK by the independent A Level Performance organisation, ALPS. http://sandbachschool.org/sixth-form/sandbach-school-sixth-form-hits-academic-heights/

In 2011 the school received six Good Schools Guide awards for best results/best points score for a boys independent school in England in:

• A level English Language ^[10]
• A level Expressive Arts and Performance Studies ^[11]
• AS level Physical Education/Sports Studies ^[12]
• Applied A level Business (VQ) ^[13]
• Music BTEC First Certificate ^[14]
• Public Services BTEC First Diploma ^[15]

Adult education

Sandbach School Adult Education Department is the largest provider of adult education courses in South Cheshire, offering up to 100 courses on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

Sports

In 2012 the 1st XI and U15 XI footballers were both Cheshire Cup winners whilst the senior Rugby Sevens team became the first ever non-selective team to win the Birkenhead School Invitation Sevens and they then went on to win the Plate competition at the Cheshire 7s Tournament.

In 2009/10, the school 1st XV rugby team became the first Cheshire School to win both the Daily Mail Vase (14-3 vs Norwich School) and the Cheshire Cup (28-25 vs Lymm HS).

In 2006–2007, the 1st XV rugby squad became Cheshire county champions beating Lymm High School and reached the 5th round of the Daily Mail Cup. The 1st XI hockey squad reached the final of the Cheshire Cup (beaten by Birkenhead School 2-0; the two sides also met again in the following year's final, Sandbach losing 3–2).

The Orienteering Club were winners of the Cheshire and Merseyside Schools League in both 2008 and 2013.^[16]

Extra-curricular activities

The school has a wide range of extra-curricular activities including international mentors, reading club, war games club, languages club, many musical ensembles, drama/theatre, Duke Of Edinburgh, rock climbing and many sports clubs.

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 four GCSEs in conjunction with the school.^[17] The contingent is run by Lt Col R.J. Ayres,^[18] a former teacher at the school.

Sports teams include rugby, football, hockey, badminton, athletics, cricket, swimming, cross county and golf.

Drama and performing arts

Sandbach School has an international reputation for drama and music, touring to Hong Kong, New Zealand and Brazil, and performing shows in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The school was awarded specialist arts college status in 2006. The School's theatrical director is John Lonsdale (awarded an MBE in the 2014 Queen's New Years Honours list); music is led by John Barber (principal trombonist with Foden's Band).^[19] The school's theatrical success led to the founding of a separate theatre group, the Ut Severis Seges Theatre Company (named after the school motto).

In Edinburgh, the school's 2006 performance of Oedipus was given a 4-star rating in the magazine Three Weeks. They also performed Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Ut Severis Seges also toured 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, costing £20,000, with a new production of Oh! What A Lovely War, which gained a 5-star review, and 4-star performances by the school's Big Band.^[20][21][22]

The Sandbach School Big Band was formed in 2003. It has toured to Boston, USA and Berlin, and also performed at the finals of the National Jazz Festival ‘Music for Youth’, at Birmingham Conservatoire, and was a finalist at the 2007 National Festival of Music for Youth. In recent years the group has worked with many of the country’s leading musicians including Georgie Fame. The Big Band have been winners of the Cheshire East Schools' Music Competition for the past 3 years (2010 to 2012).

Film

In 2007 the school hosted the British Youth Film Academy's production of the film The School That Roared,^[23] allowing school students a chance to work with film professionals and star in a feature film.

International Links

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.^[24][25] In October 2007 the senior rugby squad toured Italy.

Germany

The school band toured in Germany in October 2005, and formed a partnership with Leibniz Oberschule in Berlin.^[26] Since 2005, an exchange visit to Berlin and regular contact via e-mail and video conferencing has helped Sandbach pupils in their German studies.

Hong Kong

The school also has a long term partnership with Fukien Secondary School in Kowloon, Hong Kong where some students performed in October 2006 and again - with a performance of "The King of Denmark" - in 2013.^[27][28] The Schools collaborated at the Edinburgh Fringe in an event at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh,^[29] where a 50-strong group from Fukien met over 100 Sandbach pupils and staff.^[21] Former Sandbach pupils have visited Fukien and taught there during their gap year, and a former Sandbach School teacher has also taught at Fukien.^[30]

United States

Sandbach School has toured to Dover High School in New Hampshire, sending football tours to Dover to play them and other schools in the area. In October 2004 and October 2007, joint football and music tours were arranged.^[31]

New Zealand

The School has a link with the National Youth Drama School, New Zealand.^[32]

Canada

The School has a link with Hugh McRoberts High School, in Vancouver, Canada^[33][34]

Notable former pupils

• Dr Raymond Astbury, MA (Liverpool), PhD who is expert on Roman satire^[35]
• Baron Slynn of Hadley President of the Court of Appeal of the Solomon Islands and former Judge at the European Court of Justice^[36]
• John Waite, broadcaster, BBC Radio 4^[37]
• Nigel Stonier, record producer/music
• Nick Powell - Manchester United and England U-21s footballer
• James Gaskell – Sale Sharks and England Saxons rugby player
• Tim Brownbill, former British Ambassador to Nicaragua
• Tom Holmes – Sale Sharks rugby player
• Will Cliff – Sale Sharks rugby player
• James Collins - professional footballer
• Prof. David Eastwood - Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham
• William Tempest - fashion designer

References

External links

• Ofsted report 2004
• Ofsted report 2008

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sandbach School.

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