NEWS

News from the DEVELOPMENT OFFICE

Welcome to a refreshing new look to our annual report. It is important that I start by saying a huge thank you to everyone involved in the Canford Community who support what we do in so many different ways. Putting this publication together at the end of the calendar year only serves to highlight how busy we’ve been but in turn how much involvement and encouraging participation we’ve had from you. Each and every one of you are an important part of our community and we appreciate all that you do.

The Martin Marriott Foundation is now well-established and we are pleased to report that the number of pupils in receipt of transformational bursaries is gradually increasing. There are so many aspects of my role that I enjoy, bringing Old Canfordians together years after leaving, touring the grounds with OCs and hearing about their memories, but talking with bursary pupils just before they leave Canford is equally rewarding. They really do appreciate the wonderful education that they have been afforded and are determined to succeed beyond Canford and make the very most of their opportunity.

Pupil Leaders were introduced in place of School Prefects in 2018. Their roles are quite specific and I have been fortunate to have three assigned to the Development Department. In the last two years I have enjoyed working with them on a variety of tasks. They were instrumental in introducing and organising the first whole school fundraising event in aid of the Martin Marriott Foundation and have learnt a lot by being involved in our work with OCs by hosting some events and learning about the work that we do with our alumni. The launch of Canford Global Connect has seen a lot of OCs reconnect online and network in a variety of ways. In April when attending a dinner in New York, kindly hosted by Graham Arader B69, one of our younger OCs studying at the University of Columbia had already connected with a fellow OC based in New York via Canford Global Connect. They came along to the dinner together and were talking about possible future collaborations and work experience. The platform is a powerful tool and becomes more so as the number of participants increases, so do have a look and join the network. www.canfordglobalconnect.com

Our 50 Years of Co-education celebrations has seen us launch the #Fiftyfor50 campaign on social media, posting OC memories each week for 50 weeks. These have been followed by many and well received. In April 2020 we will celebrate with an OC Day of Arts for the whole family and our OC London Drinks Party in June will conclude our celebrations.

We welcome Lauren Sewell to the Development Team who started in September. Lauren is now working full-time at Canford dividing her time between the Development Office and the Careers and Higher Education department.

I do hope that you enjoy reading this report and thank you once again for your ongoing support.

Rowena Gaston, Development Director

LOOKING AFTER CANFORD’S PAST AND BUILDING ITS FUTURE

“No one who has known Canford over the years can be unaffected by its beauty. The Victorian house with its Great Hall and Long Gallery, the towers, the sunken lawns, the mediaeval splendours of John o’ Gaunt’s, the gravel paths, balustrade and rose walk, Canford Park stretching to the Bournemouth Road with Canford Heath beyond, the glories of Mountjoy and the playing fields, the trees, Mountjoy Oak and Spanish Chestnut and Wellingtonia, the river, suspension bridge and mill pool, all these evoke the

fondest of memories.” HENRY BAYNHAM & ROBIN WHICKER, “A PORTRAIT OF CANFORD 1923-1998”

The Independent Schools of the United Kingdom certainly have more than their fair share of impressive old buildings and heritage assets, many purpose-built over the centuries for the education of children and others developed and adapted from the grand houses and residential estates built for the aristocracy and wealthy merchants. Canford is, of course, no exception - with the magnificent Blore-designed and Barrymodified Manor House being the very heart of the School ever since its inception in 1923. Canford might not have the imposing scale of some of the country’s more ancient public schools such as Charterhouse, Eton, or Christ’s Hospital, but it would be very hard to argue that there is a more attractive school setting anywhere in the land. integrates with its surroundings than it is about sheer size; more about simple, high-quality functionality and a genuinely warm, homely and inviting feel than it is about dramatic award-winning architectural form. Although the Manor House is certainly the primus inter pares of Canford’s assets, it is simultaneously balanced and enhanced by the natural treerich parkland and modern educational buildings alike and no single aspect of the site dominates unduly. Canford is perhaps the very embodiment of the notion that the whole is much greater than just the sum of its parts.

It would be all too easy to take this understated and all-butperfect beauty for granted, but keeping Canford’s site at the top of its game in the 21st Century is a complex affair made even more tricky by a number of legislative constraints: The most well-known of these is the Grade-1 listing of the

Manor House, John o’Gaunt’s Kitchen and the Pierced Stone Screen that connects the main building to the Nineveh porch. Only 2.5% of all listed buildings are Grade-1 listed. These buildings are of exceptional architectural and historic interest and there are significant restrictions on what can be done to them and how they can be maintained. In almost all cases, any proposed changes to these buildings require listed building consent from the local planning authority who are advised by an organisation called Historic England. Work carried out without such consent could well be deemed a criminal act. Furthermore, the law says that the listed building also includes any ancillary object or structure within the curtilage of the building, which forms part of the land and has done so since before 1st July, 1948. So, many of our buildings such as the Assembly Hall and the Monteacute/Wimborne building and structures such as the balustrade and the Sunken Lawn, although not listed in their own right, are covered by listed building curtilage regulations. The curtilage is the area of land and other buildings that is around and associated with that principal building – in Canford’s case, this effectively means the whole of the school site. The second area of legislative constraint lies in the fact that Canford is situated in an area designated as part of the South East Dorset Green Belt. There are only 14 separate areas of Green Belt in England covering just 12.4% of the country. Development on Green Belt is tightly controlled unless there are exceptional circumstances to justify it. In general, the creation of new buildings, or the significant extension of existing ones, is incompatible with Green Belt regulations.

The entire Canford site is also covered by an Area Tree Protection Order. This prevents the cutting down, topping, lopping, uprooting or otherwise damaging of any trees with a trunk diameter greater than 7.5cm (approximately the width of an adult’s palm) without the local planning authority’s written consent. Importantly, the cutting of roots also requires consent and the root protection zones so created can be areas of up to 30 metres in diameter. This can severely restrict where construction can take place and how underground services such as gas, water and fibre optic cables can be routed.

NEW LIBRARY AND ASSEMBLY HALL DEVELOPMENT

Seminar spaces with video conferencing to support global connections Collaborative learning and technology study spaces

Single-storey glass link to the Assembly Hall offering a break out space, refreshment area and creative arts display Increased seating to 740+ with new mezzanine level and balconies with tiered retractable seating

Finally, large parts of the Canford site also lie within the Canford Magna Conservation Area. Conservation Areas, which cover 2.2% of England, are designated areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. In practice this brings additional planning controls and considerations into play such as limiting the changes to the outside appearance of buildings or additional controls on materials used for new build projects.

The team charged with navigating this veritable spider’s web of rules and regulations, whilst simultaneously acting as guardians of the School’s past, maintaining all the infrastructure required to house, feed, shelter, educate and entertain 650 pupils, 400 staff and large numbers of external visitors in the present and ensuring that Canford can evolve and remain competitive in the inevitably competitive and contemporary environment of the future is led by Director of Estates, Andrew Bruce.

Since 2013, Andrew has been leading a comprehensive review of the entire site with the aim of providing a Site Development Masterplan that outlines a vision of the physical development on the Canford site required to support the School’s educational and pastoral needs. That document, published in 2018, took into account the views of a huge range of stakeholders and has been agreed by the Local Planning Authority and Historic England as the basis for planning at Canford into the medium term.

Now that Governors have approved a strategic plan for the School over the next 10 years or so, Andrew and his team have been able to develop more detailed plans of how that plan can be brought to fruition whilst complying with the principles set out in the site masterplan. Much of the detailed work around the new build projects that will be needed is being carried out by the School’s capital projects manager, Tristan Hutton, an Old Canfordian (L05) who has returned to the area with his ever-growing family (he has celebrated the birth of a son and a daughter since joining us a little over a year ago!)

The first of those projects is the provision of a new library and improvements to the assembly hall that will allow the whole school to congregate in one place for the first time in many years. Planning permission for the project, which will be built on the site of the current Combined Cadet Force building, has been granted and work on this will start early in 2020. To make way for the library, a new Outdoor Education Centre is being built adjacent to the newly refurbished assault course on Franklin Field.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTRE

KEY FEATURES

• A facility which acts as a hub f or a wider range of outdoor activ ities • New secure ar moury • Fiv e lane shooting range to MoD standards • Br iefing space which can also be flexibly used to clean, dry and reorganise equipment and clothing bef ore and after expeditions and activities • Lar ge stores with access to and from the briefing space to enable easy distribution of equipment and clothing • CCF offices

UPGRADED HOUSE AND SIXTH FORM FACILITIES

2021-23 AND BEYOND • Opening of new School and Monteacute Boarding

Houses up near Franklin and Court • Opening of enhanced Day House and educational facilities • Opening of enhanced Sixth Form and Future Life facilities • Improvements and modernisation to existing

Boarding Houses

The Martin Marriott

FOUNDATION

MARTIN MARRIOTT FOUNDATION

MARTIN MARRIOTT FOUNDATION

The Martin Marriott Foundation (MMF) raises funds to provide

transformational bursaries for deserving pupils who will benefit greatly

from a Canford education but whose families are in no position to afford it. Funds raised through the MMF support both day and boarding pupils.

MARTIN MARRIOTT FOUNDATION

THE CANFORD CHARITABLE ANNUAL BURSARY FUND

MARTIN MARRIOTT FOUNDATION MARTIN MARRIOTT FOUNDATION To support the work of the Martin Marriott Foundation, the Canford Charitable Annual Bursary Fund (CCABF) was first launched in January 2017 and concluded its third year in December 2019.

Our target for 2019 was £54,000, which would again support a Sixth Form Day pupil for their two years at Canford. We received donations in a number of different ways and were absolutely delighted to exceed our target raising £63,567.

MARTIN MARRIOTT FOUNDATION

MARTIN MARRIOTT FOUNDATION

150 PEOPLE

GIVE

£10 A MONTH

AND

75 PEOPLE

GIVE

£25 A MONTH

AND

40 PEOPLE

GIVE

£50 A MONTH

AND

10 PEOPLE

GIVE

£100 A MONTH

With Gift Aid added, this would exceed our target.

OUR GOAL

Drawing on our success and the fantastic support of the Canford Community in the last three years, our Annual Fund goal for 2020 is £76,000. This figure will fund a Royal SpringBoard pupil for their first two years at Canford. ‘A Mother’s Perspective’ (article on p11) helps to highlight the difference that transformational bursarial support can make to young people attending Canford from a deprived and disadvantaged background. The idea of our Annual Fund is to encourage donors to make small but regular monthly or quarterly contributions or a one-off donation each year.

WHY SUPPORT THE CANFORD CHARITABLE ANNUAL BURSARY FUND? Collective giving is powerful. The CCABF provides an accessible affordable way for you to donate a small regular amount to make the difference to a deserving child’s education.

WHO CAN DONATE? Everyone! This is the opportunity for Old Canfordians, parents and friends to join forces and offer a life-changing opportunity to a deserving young person.

WHAT DOES IT COST TO SUPPORT A PUPIL AT CANFORD? The current cost to support a day pupil is £28,971 a year. The current cost to support a boarding pupil is £38,058 a year. A bursary place includes the fees listed above plus 10% to cover essential extras including uniform, books, laptop and trips.

At the end of the Summer Term, I always meet with pupils who have been in receipt of a bursary and are about to leave Canford. It is really important for our donors to know what a difference this opportunity has made to these young people. I have to admit that this part of my role is among the most rewarding. Fundraising can be very challenging but hearing from pupils who have benefited from the hard work put in by so many at the school and the wider Canford Community is a real pleasure.

Connor

Connor came to Canford from St Michael’s and was particularly attracted to the school because of the academic rigour. He felt very overwhelmed by Canford at Open Day but was made to feel incredibly welcome and both the teachers and pupils were very approachable. He applied and sat all of the entrance tests knowing that there would only be a slight chance that he would be able to attend as considerable financial support would be required.

“I remember the day very clearly when the Canford letter arrived! To realise that I had been offered a place with a bursary was totally amazing and all of us jumped around the room! My mum was so happy and proud.

The academic level blew me away. I could never have considered a career in medicine if I hadn’t attended Canford. I have also discovered a passion for Real tennis. In 2018 it was a privilege to play with HRH Prince Edward when he visited – beyond my wildest dreams! The opportunities I have been exposed to have completely changed my future. “

Michael joined Canford as an enthusiastic Sixth Former in Lancaster House. He completed his application to Canford on his own as his father is deceased and his mother is chronically ill – Michael is her sole carer. His drive to come to Canford was to aim to get superb A Level results to allow him to attend a top university. He was delighted when contacting Canford to understand that it wasn’t a myth and financial support may be available for the right candidate. Following entrance tests, Michael was awarded a scholarship and bursary place providing 100% financial support.

He studied Economics, History, Politics, English and AS Maths. When we spoke in the summer, he was holding offers from the University of Columbia and was waiting for a response from Harvard and Yale. His most likely university destination would be the London School of Economics to study History and International Relations with Russian and Arabic. (He was not too keen to be far from his mother so a long term international placement was unlikely to be taken up.)

“The academic rigour is second to none, lessons are dynamic, challenging, and positive. You are encouraged to be enquiring and ask questions. The teachers are incredibly patient and attentive. I have delved far deeper into my subjects than I could have imagined possible. I have developed new interests eg Heretics and have explored new subjects. I have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the John O’Gaunt Debating Society and taking part in new sports. My horizons and mindset have been broadened considerably.”

At the end of his Lower Sixth year, Michael set up an overseas trip which included a congressional internship with the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. Following on from this he went to the Stanford Humanities Institute at Stanford University being involved with their MIT LaunchX, spent time with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on a business development programme and concluded with a Cabinet