Can you tell us a little about the history of the school?
Pitsford School was founded as an affordable independent day school in 1989. It started off as a boys’ school, but quickly added girls and then an infant school. It was designed to have deliberately small class sizes, a focus on developing the whole child and a robust and exciting curriculum. We are very proud to say that we have maintained those founding principles and Pitsford remains an immersive, holistic learning environment with very creative and engaged children. What sets Pitsford apart from other independent offerings? Pitsford embraces the individual and looks to support every student to become their best selves. We see ourselves as a village. Everyone has a place here, is welcomed, and celebrated for what makes them most truly their own authentic selves. Our pastoral support is bespoke, our preparation for transition to university or the workplace bears comparison with the best independent schools in the country, and our teachers could not be more dedicated to the students in their care and the school. Pitsford is a very warm and fascinating community. What, personally, do you find most-rewarding about being the head of Pitsford? We are fortunate to be set in glorious grounds, rolling parkland with beautiful Georgian buildings. However, delightful though this is, more impressive still are our students who are charming, brilliant, inventive and irrepressible. It is a pleasure to work with such exceptional young people and they are a daily delight and surprise. Can you tell us a little more about the new Sixth Form building? Since I became head in 2018, we have completed a full renovation of all the senior school classrooms. However, when we got to the Sixth Form Centre, we saw that the building was in less good repair, and it was necessary to start afresh. Working with local architects and builders, we openly consulted students and parents on designs to create what they wanted, and to make it the start of the next phase of development of the school site. The building is very handsome and fits the beautiful surroundings in which it is situated. In fact, Pitsford’s elegant drive (which parents use every day at drop off and pick up) is my favourite vista of the school, and the lovely new building adds to that. Inside the centre we have workspaces for students, a kitchen (that I wish I had in my own house), and a very comfortable area in which the students can relax – with a very stylish red pool table! It also situates the Sixth Form properly in the heart of the school, which is where they belong. In the coming months, we will begin work on constructing a new quad behind the sixth form centre, which will open up a new space for the students and will double as an outside amphitheatre. What can parents expect when their child enrols at Pitsford? Pitsford prides itself on its intimacy. Students are known very well, not only by their own classroom teachers, but also by all the staff. Pitsford sees education as a team sport. We involve parents in the process, and if your child is with us, you are also part of the family and part of the process, so we welcome your input. There is a great deal of interaction between year groups in the school via house competition, charities, musicals and all manner of events. This creates a genuine and palpable family feel. Our curriculum is remarkably broad, considering the size of the school, and our results are very good. Unlike most independent schools, our children are fiercely unique, and I would struggle to describe the ‘Pitsfordian’ student – save to say they will be engaged, kind, interesting and ambitious. But we do not make gingerbread men or gingerbread women! Can you tell me something people might not already know about the school? We have a graveyard and Catholic shrine in a very beautiful corner of the grounds, out of the way. Before Pitsford was founded, there was a convent school on the site and the nuns who taught there also made their home here. We also have one of the oldest private domestic swimming pools in England, and our next project is to make that usable for our students. Finally, what would you say is your main goal for students who attend Pitsford? We want to create happy, committed students who have the skills and judgements to excel in the twenty-first century and beyond. Students who leave our school know who they are, like who they are and are ready to be the change our world needs. |