Stamford High School, Lincolnshire

Stamford High School is an English girls' Independent School situated in the market town of Stamford, Lincolnshire, England, situated on High Street, St Martin's.

Education

Stamford High School provides education for girls aged 11 (Year 7) to 18 (Year 13). Sixth Form teaching is carried out jointly with Stamford School as of 2000. Currently there are 642 girls (588 day, 54 boarding) attending the school. The school belongs to the Stamford Endowed Schools, a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.^[1]

The three schools of the foundation share common aims:

• To further the intellectual, creative, aesthetic, practical, moral, spiritual, physical and social development of all pupils.

• To enable pupils to acquire the skills and qualifications which will allow them to progress beyond school into higher education and/or employment.

The school has high standard facilities that support a full range of GCSE and A Level subjects. Specialist rooms give girls the opportunity to pursue a wide curriculum that includes the study of performing arts, in a dedicated drama studio, and technology in a well-resourced workshop. There are extensive facilities for ICT and modern languages. Almost all of the girls are able to move on to the higher education course of their choice.

Music plays a large part in the extra-curricular life of the school. There is a mixed orchestra, a wind band and a choral society at the senior end of the school, and several other musical groups operating at all age levels. Drama productions are staged throughout the year and there is wide participation in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

Girls compete in several major team games and there is the opportunity for them to participate in individual sports. There is a full activity programme at the weekend. Girls have the opportunity to experience and pursue a wide range of subjects and activities to a high level in an environment that encourages the development of the individual.

The school is non-denominational but there is religious education and an assembly on Monday and Tuesday afternoons for all pupils.

History

The school was founded in 1877 and stands at its original site on the south side of the River Welland. The brother school, Stamford School was founded in 1532.

The funds for the foundation of the High School and the further endowment of the existing boys' school were appropriated from the endowment of Browne's Hospital by Act of Parliament in 1871. This trust had originally been established for the relief of poverty by William Browne (died 1489), a wealthy wool merchant and alderman of the town, and his gift is commemorated in the name of a school house.

In recent years, the two schools have been united under the leadership of a single principal as the Stamford Endowed Schools. This organisation now comprises Stamford Junior School, a co-educational establishment for pupils aged between 2 and 11 years, Stamford School for boys aged 11–18, and Stamford High School catering for girls of the same age group. Sixth form teaching is carried out jointly between Stamford School and Stamford High School.

School traditions

There is a house system for all girls with houses named after famous heroines - Cavell, Beale, Anderson and Eliot. On Thursdays there is a house assembly in which each house hosts its own assembly, and there are a variety of competitions including Sports Day, Cross Country, Art and Drama. The school also has a House Music Competition held in the Autumn term of every year.

School crest and uniform

The school's crest is common throughout the three schools; it is an image of a stork with wings displayed on a wool bale over the motto + me spede, that is Christ me spede. The emblem was adopted from medieval wool merchant, William Browne, after Stamford School had been re-endowed by Browne's Charity in 1873. (The stork is supposed to be a rebus on his wife, Margaret's maiden name of Stoke). The current form was designed by Nelson Dawson. The crest is worn on the breast pocket of the blazer, and is a full colour image. Each of the four houses has a specially designed house badge which is worn on the left lapel of the blazer, along with half house colours badges, sports colours and other achievement badges. Full house colours are represented by a stripe in the colour of the house sewn across the breast pocket of the blazer. Girls in Years 7-11 wear a long navy blue pleated skirt, a white long or short sleeved v-neck blouse with the school crest on the breast, the school blazer and an optional navy blue jumper with a red stripe, all purchased from the school shop. Girls in the 6th form wear a mid-calf length skirt, a white shirt and a variety of different ties depending on their rank (there is a common tie for year 12, and prefects/house prefects/subject prefects all wear different ties in year 13).

Notable former pupils

• Sarah Cawood
• Paule Constable, stage lighting designer
• Rae Earl
• Daphne Ledward, Gardeners' Question Time panellist
• Claire Lomas
• Prof Margaret McGowan CBE, Professor of French from 1974-97 at the University of Sussex
• Sarah Outen, first woman to row solo across the Indian Ocean
• Elizabeth Williamson, architectural editor of the Victoria History of the Counties of England
• Kirsty Moore, first woman to be accepted into the elite Red Arrows

References

External links

• Official website
• Profile on MyDaughter
• Profile on the ISC website
• ISI Inspection Reports