Annual Report for the School 2005 to 2006

Click here is you wish to see the Annual Report for the Junior School

A shortened version of this was delivered by the Head, Andy Waters, at Friends and Families Day 20th May 2006 The following text comprises the majority of my presentation, along with additional information, which could not be included on the day.

"Honoured guests, Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen, members of the School; it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Friends and Families Day and to present to you my fifth Annual Report on the activities and achievements of Friends' School Saffron Walden for the year June 2005 to May 2006.

All of us - parents, staff, and Governors - are here today because of our commitment to the education of the young people in our care. The School has grown considerably since 2001, with a 40% increase in pupils in the Senior School and a significant shift towards a community where day students now outnumber boarders by a little over three to one. The curriculum has undergone a considerable amount of expansion, too, with such introductions as a two-language route through GCSE, the flexibility to choose Dual Award or Separate Sciences, the introduction of Food Technology and ICT at GCSE, and for next September the introduction of ICT and Religious Studies at A Level. These developments are in keeping with our desire to give students the widest possible choice of subjects, whilst at the same time maintaining a curriculum that is 'fit for purpose' and meets the demands of employers and universities.

There has been growth as well as change in the staffing; we now employ the equivalent of five more full-time teaching staff than we did five years ago, and there is a healthy movement of teachers both into and out of the School; almost half the current teaching staff have been appointed since 2001. Senior School staff have been enabled to attend over 540 training courses in the past five years, allowing them to keep abreast of the never-ending invention - and re-invention - that prevails in our profession. Staff have also benefited from the extension of the threshold system, and the introduction of UPS 2 assessments. In September, a new scale of Teaching and Learning responsibilities should bring further advantages. There have been changes, too, in the Governing body; having been appointed by one Clerk of the Governors, and having served under a further four, I am pleased - and indeed grateful - that the current stability and strength of the Governing body is not just a testimony to their absolute commitment to the School, but a securely restructured foundation to pass on to my successor."

Staff changes are inevitable in any institution, and we have said farewell to the following colleagues during the course of the year: James Askew (Assistant Head, Pastoral); Diane Gillanders (Head of Mathematics); Marianne Rochford (History and Head of Y10\11); Nigel Donachie (P.E., Games and Swimming); Andrea Harrison (English); John Piper (French); Marlugu Dixon (Gap Student); Nick Guthrie (Gap Student); Dilly Boase (Artist in Residence); and Robert Pepper (Drama Assistant). We thank all of them for their service to the School, and wish them good luck in their future ventures.

The following new staff members have been appointed during the year: Jane Pearce (Languages); Colin McCrea (Head of Mathematics); Charlotte O'Neill (History); Ray Mordini (P.E., Games and Swimming); Jacquie Lewinski (Gap Student); and Sam McCormick (Drama Assistant). We welcome them to Friends' and hope their time with us will be rewarding and successful. At the time this report was written, we were in the process of appointing a new Head of Pastoral Care and a new Head of Y10\11 from within the staff, a part-time teacher of English, and an Artist in Residence. These appointments will be announced to parents and Governors as soon as they are confirmed.

The staff of Friends' School is, without doubt, the most dedicated, committed and hard-working team of colleagues I have ever had the privilege of working with. Our catering, maintenance, grounds, medical, administrative and support are second to none, and form the secure foundation which allows teachers to teach, and children to learn, with their non-academic needs so comprehensively met. I would like to offer my personal thanks to all my colleagues, in every area of the School, for the friendship and professionalism you have shown me during my tenure as Head.

"I continue to be grateful that the School's relationship with parents remains such a positive one. You have shown your support in so many ways, both personally and through the PTA, and by your representation on committees and working groups. Your contribution is deeply valued and appreciated, and helps so vitally in making the School truly operate as a community. I have not always been able to make decisions which satisfy all of you; I have to say, on my appointment to headship, that I never expected to. I hope, though, that I have managed to balance the needs of individuals and those of the School as a whole in a way that has been just and fair, if not always entirely matching your own preferred outcomes.

The past five years, which included the celebration of our tercentenary, have also given us the opportunity to re-affirm and strengthen our links with the Old Scholars. The School's efforts to work closely with our alumni have resulted in practical assistance with website and mailings, and I am pleased to welcome so many Old Scholars who have been able to join us today. First among equals, perhaps, is Will Weinman, the President of the Old Scholars, who joins us today to speak and to present our awards. Will, you are most welcome, and we thank you for coming to add your contribution to our day.

During my tenure as Head I have sought to raise the profile of the School, particularly in the creative area of the curriculum. I believe we can be rightly proud of our achievements in sport, music, art and drama; all four of these subjects, so beloved of the students who are involved in them, are thriving. But so too is the academic strength of the School; at GCSE, our exam results in 2004 and 2005 were consecutively the best the School has ever recorded, and our five-year average for high-grade passes is now 14% higher than it was when I came to post. National standards have risen by just 6% in that time. 2005 also saw School record 'A' Level results, and a 'Value Added' figure placing us once again in the top ten to fifteen percent of all schools in the country. We should all be immensely proud that a School whose intake is not entirely selected on academic ability, can provably and demonstrably serve its students so well in gaining qualifications beyond the levels that might be expected of them.

Our Quaker foundation continues to influence the School on a daily basis. A new working party has been charged with seeking how we might further embed Quaker philosophy and practice into the curriculum and the extra-curricular life of the School, and after a long period of discussion, debate and consideration - in proper Quaker fashion - the School now has its own General Meeting and an opportunity to manage its affairs from a more local base. Our relationship with Saffron Walden Meeting remains, and must always remain, a strong source of spiritual nourishment for those who are hungry; as well, perhaps, as for those who may just be having a refreshing snack as they pass through the School.

It is relatively easy to measure the success of a school by examining the so-called 'key indicators' - pupil numbers, curriculum breadth, inspection reports, staff development, governance, parental involvement, exam results, activities, and extra-curricular opportunities. It is less easy to quantify what that actually means to the students for whom the School exists; we might perhaps identify that success only by examining the students themselves, and finding out what Friends' School adds above and beyond that which any school might seek to do. As a School, we are, rightly, judged on the skills, characteristics and personalities of the students who come through our doors; if we want to look right into the heart of the School, what better way than to ask the students themselves? I am pleased to ask the members of last year's Quartet to take the stage now and to give you a little of that insight we seek; Monica, Kevin, Sally, and Zhenbo."

Monica Gonzalez-Carter - member of the 'Quartet'

Just under two years ago I was given two weeks to choose between going back to my home, Mexico, with my family or venture alone to a strange land to attend a school called Friends' School. I knew nothing about the School except that my brother had come here and come back home every half term to tell me about his exciting tales of the School.

When I first arrived in the small town I stayed in a B&B down the road. I stayed there one night, and then headed off to Friends' School with my mom the next morning. I still remember every detail of that day. I remember pulling my huge heavy suitcase up the treacherous hill. Each slow step we took I remember thinking of my hair. I had straightened it that morning, and this unmerciful walk was making it go fizzy with the heat. I knew that hill was going to be trouble and I was right, many times it stopped me from getting in on time from town. When we finally reached Friends' School I was introduced to Mrs. Askew and then my mom left. I didn't think much about it, because I knew if I did I wouldn't have been able to handle the thought of never living permanently at home again. I was a complete stranger to the School; it's amazing how things change.

Since I had moved schools six different times in five different countries and three different continents, I expected this School to be just the same as all my others schools but I couldn't have been more wrong.

Friends' School has a warm atmosphere like no other school I have attended. I knew schools to be hard places were teachers told you off and you did work. But this school is different; the teachers respect you and you are on the same level as them. I felt motivated to work, not pressured. They devote their time to you. I'll always be grateful to Friends' School for this, and to my parents because it gave me the guidance I needed to reach my potential. It made me proud of myself and my achievements, which is the best gift anyone could give me.

There are two achievements that I'm extremely proud of; the first one is independently organising a dance class after School. I love dancing, and teaching it made me see how much I enjoyed influencing people to express themselves. It showed me that I was able to do things on my own. It gave me the motivation I needed to pursue the career I'm going to go into, acting.

My second achievement is representing Mexico. Since I am the only Mexican in the school I feel a necessity to represent Mexico, to inform students that contrary to belief Mexico is not in Spain or in between the two big islands, and in fact we do not speak Mexican or 'Mexicoen' or Japanese. Although at times it was hard to stand up for an entire country, I was proud to share my experiences of my home with the people that accepted me into their home with open arms.

The school, as much of a cliché as it is to say is like my second home. Now every time I walk up the hill I know were I am going.

Kevin Philemon-Uduehi - member of the 'Quartet'

Before I even started writing this speech, I was heavily pressured by the staff to make it funny. "Crack some good jokes young man… FUNNY jokes"… were the words straight out of Mr. Richardson's mouth. So here is the best I can do:

How many Quakers does it take to change a light bulb?
Thirty; one to raise a concern at Meeting that the light bulb no longer works, ten at the meeting to set up a light bulb replacement committee, and send a report to monthly meeting; fifteen at monthly meeting to discuss the right way forward to change the light bulb; one to report back that the bulb is going to be changed; one person to change the bulb; one person to write an article for the monthly meeting newsletter about the changing of the bulb; and one person to write a letter to 'The Friend', saying that the bulb has been successfully changed and if they were to be in darkness again, they should use their inner light.

When I first entered Sixth Form, I was quite anxious because a lot of close friends left the School and our year became noticeably smaller. I began to wonder if I would enjoy these last two years as much as I enjoyed the first five years. But the enjoyment didn't stop. Being in a small year in Sixth Form has really bonded together friendships stronger than before.

I was honoured to be asked to take up the position as a member of the Quartet. Being a part of the Quartet was a position I was eager to have, after seeing my uncle Lee Cole fill the role of being Head Boy of the School when I had just started in year 7, which helped me settle into the School very well.

We no longer have the system of Head Boy and Head Girl, we are now established as a Quartet, as four people who have equal responsibilities. This is a more Quakerly way to run things, which leaves nobody excluded. Once I accepted this role of being in the Quartet, it finally occurred to me that I could no longer be the joker who manipulated mischievous decisions.

As a Quartet, we were successful in never missing an opportunity to raise money for chosen charities. We organised the Christmas School Disco and directed the funniest Sixth Form entertainment in years. As a Quartet, we all hold qualities that were required to push us forward as a team, although our personalities are all stubborn.

I have been a regular member of sporting events in this school. I was unable to break any of the sporting records my relations had made. However, I was made the captain of the First XI football team, and have been playing for the senior football team for the past four years. Basketball is another sport in which I have represented the school.

I always told myself I wanted to leave a mark on the school to remember me by. So apart from graffitiing the school lockers and chairs and carving my names into trees, I hope I will be remembered as a pupil that the School is proud of.

I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank John Seale-Barnes, I know he is probably thinking why, but it is his courageous management of the Sixth Form that has continually motivated me to strive on and get the work done. He has also opened the door to my interest in film and next year, I am hoping to study film production at Staffordshire University.

Next year will be the first time in fifteen years that a member of my family will not be a student of the School. I'm sure that Friends' School's unique qualities will not decline. This School has made me the person I am today, being away from home for most of the years has toughened me to look after myself and make independent decisions.

I am now completing my seventh year at Friends' School and every year that has gone past, I have thoroughly enjoyed. This School's environment and community is one to admire, and I am forever grateful to have been a part of it. Friends' School has undoubtedly been a part in my life that will never be forgotten. The friends I will keep forever and the memories will always be reminisced.

Sally Kikaya - member of the 'Quartet'

I've been at Friends' School for almost seven years and there's no doubt that I've always wanted to be in the Quartet. The day Andy Waters came up to us and broke the news, Kev turned to me and said "Sally, we made it, man!"

I couldn't have chosen a finer bunch of people to be in the Quartet with. We all had different qualities to contribute to it, which meant that all our tasks were successfully completed. Being in the Quartet has taught me how to handle responsibility with maturity. We've hosted many Sixth Form seminars ranging from film production to University Scouts. The seminars never failed to intrigue me but I was always looking forward to the amazing meals we had with the speakers afterwards.

One of the factors that prove that there is a real sense of community at Friends was when the rest of the Sixth Form were always willing to lend a helping hand when it came to fund raisers like Non-uniform days, or Austerity Lunches, where we raised about £1,500.

To be honest, we are quite a stubborn year and we like to get our own way. So when last December certain members of staff did not trust us to make an entertaining yet respectful Sixth Form entertainment we rebelled, knocking away any members of staff that tried to dictate what we are allowed to do. Most people don't realise that although we are quite a nosy year and know a lot about what goes on in the School, we have always known where to draw the line so as not to cause upset. We proved this by creating a strong performance which people claimed to be the best one they had seen in a long time, and most of all we did this without any specific supervision and the laughs we got made it all the more worth while. To cap that evening off, we followed the entertainment with an excellent 70's style Disco in the drama studio.

Friends' has never failed to entertain me. I'll always remember all the different trips we went on. From Sheringham in Year 7 to a historic and cultural look at Berlin last summer.

Although we are all leaving I felt really privileged to be included in the decisions that are being made in the development plans, although it's sad to hear that my year will probably be the last people in the foreseeable future to use Croydon as a Sixth Form area.

I've thoroughly enjoyed being in my year and I know that we have left a legacy. It was because of us in Year 7 that the demerit sheet was introduced! It's nice to know we've made our mark.

Growing up in a Quaker background, I've always taken an interest in the Quaker lifestyle. This School has been an ideal place to improve my Quaker understanding, and has helped me grow into the person I have become. I never thought I would be prepared to leave this School but as the time approaches I feel that I am now ready to pursue my career by studying psychology and counselling at university.

I have had many memories at Friends' that I will cherish forever. There are too many people to thank that have helped me shape myself. Thank you to all of you. I hope everyone else's stay at Friends' was/is or will be as good as mine, however much you might hate to admit it!

Zhenbo Hou - member of the 'Quartet'

When I went on the Quaker pilgrimage last September people were asked why they went into a Quaker school, I answered "Well, I don't know, and I don't even think my parents know the answer, either. I guess it must have been that the School fee was reasonable. At the time anyway…"

I was a total stranger when I first came to Friends' more than four years ago, and in fact it was my first time abroad. I was astonished by the unfamiliar culture I was put into, and frustrated by the lack of communication with others. But sooner rather than later I discovered that Friends' is a place for everybody, and fairly quickly I was able to laugh at the jokes made in my class.

Since then I have gone a long way, that has been fruitful, exciting and rewarding. I have met a variety of people and made some very good friends from all parts of the world, some of whom are sitting among you today. Last year, I was very grateful to be nominated into the Quartet. It has offered me some valuable organising experience through some School events. This summer I am hoping to achieve more than 3 'A' grades, and enhance my interest in Politics at the University of Warwick in the next three years.

However, the success doesn't only belong to me. There are countless people who have helped me along the path and lifted my spirit and offered me directions. First of all, I want to thank Andy Waters, who gave me the opportunity to study at Friends'. Some of his early assemblies are still vivid in my mind and they will continue affecting me in the future. For example, I will never say 'God is nowhere' but 'God is now here' and after Friends' School, I will carry on being a 'radiator' but never a 'drain'.

Secondly, I want to thank my teachers and housemasters who have generously and patiently provided motherhood, as well as expertise in their field. Today, I want to pay particular tributes to my English Language teachers, Audrey Jackson and Sheila Addy, who helped me to open a huge door in front of me and through which I became able to discover more knowledge and to make many of my dreams come true.

Lastly and perhaps most importantly, I just want to say a big thank you to my classmates in the past four and a half years. It is you who have provided friendship, 'family-ness', excitement and challenge, which I will miss the most after I leave. In the end, it is sad to say good-bye to Friends School because she has become a second home to me in many respects. In future, I hope this community will continue to enhance its influence and equip more people with her unique Quaker ethos. I wish the very best to Friends' School and all of us.

(Andy Waters resumes)

"Visitors to the School frequently comment on the personal qualities of the students they meet, and Sally, Monica, Zhenbo and Kevin truly represent the strengths of Friends' School in a way that no list of facts and figures ever can. I would like to thank them for their dedication and service over the past year, and welcome Rebecca Chong, Dorothy Yeung, Nat Warner and Tom Dickinson to the roles of Quartet members for the year 2006 - 2007.

It is also true that our mark as a School, indeed as human beings, must not only be made upon those within our community but those outside it too. Senior School students have supported ten different charities this year, both at home and abroad, donating in excess of £4,000. I have been especially pleased with the continued commitment to supporting Rekawa School, in Sri Lanka; over the past eighteen months we have established a strong link with the staff and students there, donating over £3,000 and having the pleasure of seeing - through books, photographs, reports and project work - how our support has helped the School recover after the disaster of December 2004. We have financial reserves for one more donation in the Autumn Term, and it is my fervent hope that one of the priorities for the coming year might be to consider how that link, now established, might be furthered and expanded."

Friends' School prides itself on the opportunities available to our students, and the range of activities they are able to undertake. It would be impossible to list every trip, fixture, award and achievement that students have been involved in but a number of highlights stand out from the past year. Maggie Zheng and Tom Parry were 'Best in School' at their respective ages in the UK Mathematics challenge, and Elbert Kim gained a Silver Award in the National Chemistry Olympiad; Rebecca Hobbins gained a place with the National Youth Theatre, and Bethan Waters was one of ten national winners in the Times Educational Supplement 'Write Away' competition which attracted 9,000 entries. James McCall's short story 'The Artist' was highly commended in 'The Friend', the national Quaker magazine. In music, Seb Major joined Bethan with a place in the National Youth Choir, and Edward Haine and James Beckwith have places with the Royal Academy to show their strengths as jazz musicians. Students competed with great success in the Catrine Basil Music Awards in Somerset, with Frosty and the Snowmen the overwhelming 'audience favourites'. Kenya Brading performed her own composition beautifully, and Bethan Waters won the individual vocal award. During the year we have enjoyed the Spirit of Christmas, Seasonal Words and Music, an Evening of Music, a summer soiree, and a magnificent Cabaret.

In sport, there have been a tremendous number of fixtures despite some spells of poor weather. The U13 and U15 hockey teams reached the District semi-finals, and the U15 side enjoyed a fantastic hockey tour to Barcelona. The U15 Boys Basketball team were undefeated - until the District Final, sadly - in their best season yet. Bethan Waters represented Cambridgeshire at U15 hockey, but the star performance of the season was Fred Whitfield's selection as goalkeeper for the East of England U16 Hockey team. The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme thrives under John Cowell's leadership, with over half the Y9 students currently undertaking the Bronze award.

Many departments have entertained outside speakers, and the PSHE work on disability, with visiting contributors, has been especially well received. Geography field trips have been arranged at four different age groups, language exchanges have taken place, and Art trips have been taken to museums and galleries. The History department took an educational 'Battlefields' trip with Year 10 and 11 students, and the ESOL department put on a magnificent International Evening and enjoyed their annual weekend away as well as several theatre trips. Not to be outdone, the English department have organised four theatre trips, 'Poetry Live' and a return visit from renowned American poet Brian Daldorph. Richard Smith's direction and staging of 'The Sea' was greatly enjoyed by full houses, and we saw some outstanding individual performances. Daisy Johnson and Jess Dickinson went on from their success in 'The Sea' to perform extracts from 'Waiting for Godot' to different audiences at several School events.

The Sixth Form have had a series of evening lectures, a Leadership Challenge Day, and a successful 'bonding' trip to Bowles' Rocks; several students also represented the School on the annual Quaker Pilgrimage to 1652 country. Older students will celebrate the end of the exam session with the Sixth Form and Y11 Ball later in June.

The range of educational, cultural, social and sporting opportunities has never been greater. I remain convinced that these experiences are of the greatest imaginable benefit to students, and I am grateful to staff for the time and energy spent in making these opportunities so widely available at Friends'.

"The past five years, for me, have been an exercise in the management of change. From the Board of Governors downwards, there is almost no component part of Friends' School that has not examined, evaluated, overhauled, re-written, re-assembled, launched or developed; and there is of course, much more to come. The first major change has been accomplished in the appointment of Graham Wigley as Head, and I would like to take this opportunity to add my own welcome to Graham and to Maeve, and thank them both for joining us today. It is an old adage that 'all progress means change, but not all change means progress', and I wish Graham all the very best in making that subtle distinction as he leads the School into its next phase.

The greatest change on the horizon for Friends' School is, of course, our site development plan. It is the most important step the School has taken in its entire history on the Saffron Walden site, a history now spanning over 125 years. The impact it will have on every student, parent, and staff member is immense. As you entered the hall today you will have received an envelope containing the most recent development update, and further details of the proposed facilities. I would like to ask for your input at this crucial stage in writing to the planning committee in support of our application; if you would like to do this, whether as a parent or Old Scholar, you can obtain further information today from the development exhibition in the marquee.

The last five years has proved, if proof were needed, that the demand for a Friends' School education is stronger than ever. Despite a demographic decline in the number of school-age children, the most recent Independent Schools' Council survey shows a further rise in the number of parents choosing independent schools, and it is gratifying to see that all the Quaker Schools in the UK have shown growth in excess of this overall rise. Small schools can offer individual attention, security, breadth of opportunity, access to staff, excellent teacher-pupil ratios, and - most importantly - the sense that the school knows your child as a person rather than a 'registered student unit' - an appalling phrase I saw used in a recent DfES document. John Clare, an educational commentator not noted for his support of the independent sector, appeared at a recent conference I attended. He described SHMIS schools, of which we are one, as offering a 'personalised, progressive, cooperative and international education where diversity is as proudly evident as the foundations, history, and pastoral and spiritual strengths of your schools'. Perhaps we caught him on a good day… or perhaps the message is beginning to reach even our more ardent opponents. Another speaker on that day brought us done to earth, however; commenting on the amount of time that Heads of small schools spend in marketing, promoting and generally 'talking up' their establishments he reminded us of the words of George Burns: 'The art of successful public speaking is sincerity. Once you can fake that, you've got it made'. I am absolutely sincere when I say that I believe Friends' School has a wonderful education to offer your children, an assured and confident future, and some of the best staff any Head could wish to work with.

I would like to thank those staff for the tremendous support they have given me in the past five years. I wish I could name them all today, but time will not allow. A few, though, cannot escape the spotlight. My fellow Senior Management Team members, who work unenviable hours with unfailing good humour; Helen Turmer, who has been a fantastic source of knowledge, practical support, tea and sympathy; Jane Corwin, for her friendship, calm and sound advice, financial expertise, and for not laughing when she discovered that I am to become the first SHMIS Head who has worked for consecutive 'lady bursars'; and Martin Hugall, without whom this School, me, you and everyone else who sails in her would simply grind to a halt. Now in his 34th year - rather like Agatha Christie's 'Mousetrap', the show keeps running - and it really is Martin who runs our show. From outside the teaching staff I'd like to give a personal thanks to some special people, Mike Collins and Matthew Wright who let me play in their band, and Gary Oakshott, the finest catering manager I have ever worked with. We have a twenty-minute business appointment every week, and we are now such a slick partnership it is six minutes of catering talk and fourteen minutes dissecting the week's football results."

(In my presentation on Friends Families day I also took the opportunity to thank my children, Bethan and Ryan, and my wife Hazel, for their support, forbearance, love and care during my time as Head at Friends'. We are all looking forward to our next challenge when we move to Grenville College in August).

"All that remains is for me to thank our special guest, Will Weinman, all our other guests, Governors, friends, parents, staff, and members of the School and to wish you all a really enjoyable afternoon."

Andy Waters

20 May 2006