The Dean Close Foundation Annual Report 21/22

Dean Close Foundation ANNUAL REPORT

distinctly DEAN CLOSE

Contents

distinctly Connected 3 distinctly Forward Thinking 4 distinctly Dean Close 6 distinctly Engaged 8 distinctly Financial 11 distinctly Ambitious 12 distinctly One Community 16 distinctly Interesting 20 distinctly Worthwhile 22 distinctly Valued 24 distinctly Stronger Together 26 distinctly Grateful 28

“Only connect!

That was the whole of her sermon. Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height. Live in fragments no longer.”

E.M. Forster

Connection and relationship is essential to our humanity, which is why solitary confinement is such a severe punishment; I cannot imagine how painful and disorientating such a punishment would be. One of the most debilitating aspects of the Covid pandemic was the temporary loss of connections between friends, family members and colleagues; all those interactions, from the casual exchange of family news to deeper explorations of politics, faith and meaning with other people, that were interrupted by the requirement to stay at home, socially distanced and communicating only via screens.

Just as the firing of synapses in the human brain keeps the brain healthy and creative, so it is with the Dean Close community; our interactions make us richer, stronger and more innovative, and it has been wonderful to have those connections back in good order as the pandemic has ceased to keep us apart Our partnerships with other schools, from Cheltenham to Uganda to Chengdu, keep us reflective about great teaching and open to new ideas and collaborative opportunities It has been great to reconnect with Old Decanians, former staff, parents and friends of Dean Close this year, culminating in a full range of Speech Day and Prize Giving events to celebrate the achievements of our

pupils across the schools, allowing these young people to experience the important rites of passage which were sadly missed by their immediate predecessors The vital lessons learned through playing sport together, being part of the cast in a play, collaborating on a project, singing together in Chapel; these activities which are so important to the breadth and richne of a Dean Close education are back in earnest, and we feel like ourselves again

The Dean Close Foundation is built on the principle that we are better together, not just within schools but between schools; that we benefit from sharing great ideas and practice with one another and that the whole Foundation is greater than the sum of its parts. I hop this Annual Report is a fitting celebration of the return of these connections in all their vibrancy and reflects the confidence and positivity with which we are moving forward together.

Emma Taylor Warden

D THINKING

with five schools and six nurseries g g ny benefits to each school and nursery, and to each child and staff member within them, creating a strong community that can share best practice, ideas, resources and a secure future.

Scale

This gives us breadth of educational vision It makes our schools more sustainable and gives us a broad perspective and a longer view.

Financial security

The diversity of activities in the Dean Close Foundation portfolio has strengthened the financial position of its members and thus our ability to improve facilities, keep fees manageable for parents and offer the very best to pupils of all ages

Focus

With centralised Foundation business functions, the schools and nurseries can concentrate on looking after their pupils and delivering the best education possible to each and every one.

Dean Close Foundation ANNU

distinctly DEAN CLOSE

What makes us different?

What do we do that others don’t? How can we stand out in the crowded marketplace of education? These are questions pored over by every school and nursery in the land when trying to work out how they can bottle their own magic formula.

So, what makes Dean Close distinctly different? What will each child experience within the Dean Close Foundation that they would not experience elsewhere?

One of the answers lies within the unique combination of our distinctive values on which our schools and nurseries are built, combined with our chosen set of essential Skills for the Future, known as the 5Cs Our five key skills will enable pupils to have flexibility, resilience and confidence to enter the world of work, knowing the jobs they will do in 10, 15 or 20 years from now are, in many cases, ones we cannot currently describe or imagine.

Dean Close has a commitment to each child within the Foundation that they will be encouraged to live out the values as well as have the five key skills embedded within their curriculum at every level, effectively creating a little piece of Dean Close DNA for each child

This commitment to our values and skills is also carried through into our employment process where they are included within every job description, discussed at interview and are also to be incorporated into the appraisal system.

Essentially making us distinct.

Within the Dean Close Cheltenham schools, we are promoting this through the words: distinctly Dean Close And for Dean Close Airthrie, St John’s and Little Trees we are expressing this as distinctly different, where those schools and nurseries encapsulate the ethos, values and skills of the Foundation within our one big community, whilst still holding on to their own, distinctive characteristics.

How do we do this?

The Flecker Challenge

This was launched to provide pupils with avenues to test and reward their thinking beyond the curriculum and pursue their interests in new, imaginative ways, all with an emphasis on our Skills for the Future (5Cs). Made up of a diverse series of suggested projects pitched by subject departments, as well as popular free-choice option, and an encouragement to utilise a variety of media forms, we saw an incredible range of excellent submissions.

Award-winning entries included:

• The design and presentation of ‘ The Eco Crumb’, an eco-friendly bungalow, that, in their architects’ words,“weave in small changes to make a big impact” . (Collaboration)

• A thought-provoking and life-affirming poem about living life to the full, asking the question:‘Are you breathing? Or are you living?’. (Compassion)

• A punchy and imaginative short film entitled ‘Online Nightmare’, a mini-horror story that refused to take itself too seriously (Creativity)

• A thoroughly considered examination of the respective strengths and limitations of various renewable energy sources (Critical Thinking)

• A persuasive piece of writing arguing that, if we were to rename one of our science labs, it should be named after Dr Percy Julian: a highly respected, but too little known, African American chemist, whose pioneering contributions resoundingly echo today (Communication)

Summer Futures Programme

This is a launchpad for Lower Sixth Formers to select and prepare for their future steps Alongside expected elements such as UCAS registration, personal statement workshops and UCAS interviewing practice, events also engaged our community networks with sessions including:

• Insight and advice on UCAS from the University of Worcester and University and Finance and Budgeting advice from Oxford Brookes University.

• Our Old Decanian Advice Panel made up of returning pupils from across the professional sectors, offering career insights and guiding pupils on what their experience has taught them

• CV Booster Workshops delivered by Cheltenham-based i2i Recruitment and work experience placements, both facilitated by members of our Parent Network.

distinctly ENGAGED

How members of our Executive are in touch with what matters.

Bradley Salisbury, Head of DCS

A view of university and work

Student times are changing. I hear of ODs who are only receiving one hour of in-person contact time each week A DCS pupil who achieved six A*s at A Level (only five students in the UK gained 5+ A*s) was rejected by Cambridge and University College Students who must secure second year accommodation after one month of their first year, spending £150 per week to rent a room in a shared house, with tuition and living costs on top

Every year I meet with each member of the current Upper Sixth ( Year 13) to discuss their plans and this year around 10% are exploring degree apprenticeships alongside, or instead of, their UCAS applications

University degree courses are starting to be seen as one of the options rather than the only option, with questions

being asked about the quality of the offering, challenges of the admissions system and financial costs We regularly encounter negative stories about lecturers on strike, poor mental health provision or a perceived ‘cancel culture’. 95% of Dean Close students have tended to choose university as their first choice, but there are signs of change. Within that context, our role as a school is to provide as much information as we can, at the right time This means that our careers provision starts from the first year of the Senior School and involves a combination of self-reflection, information about the wide range of routes available, both in the UK and overseas, and as much contact with employers as we can facilitate

One of the best things I have seen and heard this year was when I was walking down the corridor in the

1886 Centre and observed 15 to 20 speed interviews taking place. The interviewers were friends of Dean Close from a wide range of industries

The candidates were this year’s Upper Sixth. The buzz and engagement coming from both sides of the table was brilliant to see Our Futures Team, led by Zach Suckle, had provided an incredible glimpse into the future world for future employees and employers

Schools such as Dean Close are having to work harder to help provide the opportunities that will unlock places at the top universities. It has never been more competitive. Universities are going to have to invest not only in facilities but in the whole student experience, the academic and the pastoral. Degree apprenticeships are going to continue to attract with the promise of real-world experience, a university degree and payment rather than debt. 16- to 20-year-olds have high expectations of the values and lifestyle that they expect in their future

Generation Z are a different breed, they only know the 21st century and we haven’t begun to consider Generation Alpha!

Sustainability, EDI, remote working and the post-Brexit world are combining to create an exciting, edgy and different view of the future of work and the routes into it

Jennie Thomas, Director of HR How workplaces are evolving

2021 was a great year in which we welcomed Airthrie School into the Foundation. Under the supportive leadership of Jason Dobbie, Airthrie has retained its wonderful identity and has enhanced the Dean Close family In 2021/2022 we also welcomed over 300 new starters for various short-term and long-term opportunities showing the power and immense diversity and strength of the Foundation.

Our world is constantly changing and the demands and opportunities this presents are regularly evaluated by the Executive Team My role on the team, and my personal values, focus on fairness and whenever the Executive considers future plans, I seek to ensure our employees are cared for holistically and we do our very best for them

In September 2022 we introduced a Health Care cash plan, which was the first Foundation-wide employee benefit. This is a true indication that we intend to enhance the lives of all our employees where we can Paycare gives access to optical, dental, alternative therapy, GP access and many more perks.

The Executive has also pledged to ensure we are inspiring leaders and that all our leaders manage people in a contemporary context The Foundation is doing this in a sensible, structured and cost-effective way. We have launched a sector-leading training plan for all employees whereby they will get access to two half-day workshops forming the ‘Healthy Workplace Programme’, focusing on being present and productive to help work-life balance and maximise their potential. In addition, all leaders (circa 100) will go on a three day ‘Healthy Leadership Programme’ to empower them to lead productively and encourage a healthy culture. We are very proud of the culture we have but we understand that we need to anticipate, adapt and evolve at the same rate (if not aster) as the young people we support and also the world in which we live

Meet the Executive by using this QR code

Bowcher, Bursar, Dean Close Foundation

Monitoring international markets

Income for the financial year 2021/22 reached a record £32m with a consolidated surplus for the year, before financing costs, investment losses, depreciation and amortisation of goodwill, coming to £1.76m (2021 £1.83m). This result was ahead of budget, despite an exceptional global spike in energy prices

Total incoming resources rose by £2.8m (11%) driven by a mixture of an increase in school fee income (including a full year’s income from Dean Close Airthrie School), together with an increase in turnover for both Dean Close Services Limited (aided by the easing of Covid restrictions) and Dean Close Nurseries Limited (primarily through organic growth and the opening of a new nursery on the Airthrie site)

Total expenditure rose by £3.1m (12.5%) which included a £0 6m increase in energy costs During the year, as part of its cost control review, the Foundation

concluded a consultation process with existing members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme ( TPS) which resulted in teachers having the option to remain in the TPS but share part of the 2019 increase or join an AVIVA Pension Scheme (APTIS). Approximately 10% of teachers opted out of the TPS The new arrangements provide the Foundation with reduced costs and more certainty.

Capital investment during the year totalled £1 5m This included significant investment in upgrade and refurbishment works to a number of boarding houses and general facilities across the whole campus, and the refurbishment of the swimming pool on the Cheltenham site.

There has been little movement within the Balance Sheet compared to the previous year and the Trustees are satisfied with the overall financial position of the Foundation

All our schools used the considerable technological advances made during the pandemic to enhance infrastructure and support pupils’ learning in innovative and flexible ways Improvements continued with the opening of the ‘1886 Centre’ at Dean Close School, a significant refurbishment of the original 19th century teaching facilities to provide outstanding modern facilities for the teaching of Maths, Economics and Business Studies

There are considerable sector headwinds ahead. The loss of rates relief is a distinct possibility and a growing risk that the tax benefits of charitable status could be removed from independent schools. However, our strong school numbers, diversification of income and the growth of our two subsidiaries offer us protection to an extent that many other schools will not have.

Adrian

distinctly AMBITIOUS

What’s new?

A big welcome to Dean Close Airthrie

In June 2021 we welcomed our latest member school, Airthrie. Occupying a lovely site in Christ Church Road, Airthrie, now Dean Close Airthrie School, is a small preparatory day school for children ages 4-11, preparing pupils for a range of local grammar and independent schools. As a close neighbour of Dean Close, the School had been well-known to us for many years, and we welcomed the opportunity to bring it into the Dean Close family

Most importantly, Airthrie has a natural fit with our values and ethos, quickly adopting the Foundation Stones of Flourishing with Love, Courage and Contribution. The new Head, Jason Dobbie, was previously Deputy Head at Dean Close St John’s, and his understanding of the Foundation greatly helped in what proved to be a very smooth transition period.

In September 2021 we also opened, on the Airthrie site, our sixth day nursery in the Little Trees nursery group, Little Trees Christ Church, so that the School and the Nursery now share the site The new nursery was very quickly full and has proved popular with Airthrie families, as well as boasting a good number of Old Decanians’ children among its number

The School had a very successful first year in the Foundation, with 50% of its Year 6 leavers successfully progressing to the grammar schools and the remainder progressing to a variety of other secondary schools. We look forward to deepening the relationships between Airthrie and the other schools in the Foundation, and in particular sharing best educational practice with Dean Close Prep and Pre-Prep Schools and Dean Close St John’s.

name for our Nurseries

March 2021, our six Dean Close Nurseries were consolidated into one brand,‘Little Trees’ This name gently illustrates how we seek to give the children roots that go down deep, making them feel secure and cared for, whilst their branches can reach up high as they explore, investigate and develop Little Trees has a simple approach to childcare; to provide a oving, nurturing and safe environment filled with warmth and omise where individual’s talents are encouraged to flourish, ow and thrive

t of the new brand, a character, Oakley, has been introduced to e our tree analogy, supported by other pals who represent the ups of our children, with Explorers (0-2 years), Adventurers (2-3 nd Inventors (3-4 years) This new branding has generated a nt which means that each nursery can benefit from the very at is available across the Group, including expertise in childcare years education, nutritional advice, high quality training and t practice for all our staff as they develop their skills for the benehildren in the Nurseries.

Business as ‘more’ usual!

Dean Close Services Limited welcomed a return to ‘near normal’ following two years of disruption to business during the pandemic

In April we were delighted to see the return of the Easter Revision Course where we welcomed over 60 students to study GCSE /A levels courses, 55% of which were external students to Dean Close We also supported two students from the Cheltenham Education Partnership (CEP). Dr Nathanael Roome, teacher of Physics at DCS, had a really positive impact in his first year and we will continue to work with Dr Roome as our Course Director for 2023

We had some great feedback from students and parents were pleased with the impact it made to their exam results One parent contacted us to say:“It was brilliant for Ed He ended up with 2 As and 1 B. We’re very happy” .

DCSL hosted six different Residential Lets during the summer, including a language group, an international Tai Chi group, choral schools and a recorder festival!

The Bacon Theatre and Tuckwell Festival at DC Cheltenham enjoyed a full commercial programme of shows and events attracting names such as Jasper Carrott and Robert Plant along with classic performances such as ‘ Twelfth Night’ and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

And the best thing about all the above is that all profits generated by our four core business strands are gift-aided back into the Foundation

We also brought benefits to our local communities from the use and hire of all our facilities. For example, at DCAS, Miniature Music offers accessible & inclusive musician-led family music classes for ages 4-10 years. At DCSJS we used the pool to provide lessons for babies upwards. In total we had 50+ weekly regular hires across the Foundation.

Futures Campaign

The Campaign was originally launched in 2018 and contains three strands which all deliver an extra layer of benefit for all those who study and work at the Foundation

• 21st Century Campus

• Foundation Awards

• Skills for the Future

21st Century Campus

This is a key element of our enduring Futures Campaign which is currently focused on delivering an ‘academic heart of school’ through a state-of-the-art, a five-phase programme of new and refurbished buildings.

Following the completion of the new Day House Village in 2019, this year saw the opening of the 1886 Centre for Maths, Business and Economics. Over £0.5m was raised in donations towards this redevelopment of the original 1886 front corridor at Dean Close School, creating a modern teaching and business environment which allows pupils to develop a truly inspirational and outward looking approach to teaching. Classes were up and running in September with the official opening by Alex Chalk MP taking place in the December Guests included the Centre’s donors, Trustees and members of the Old Decanian Society. Mathematician, Ben Sparks, led the guest lecture in the Bacon Theatre, with his talk ‘ The Creation of Numbers’ wowing guests and pupils

A level Further Maths student Jiyoon from South Korea, who has been here since Year 5, hopes to go on to study Physics in the world of nuclear fusion He commented:“ The new Centre is quite astonishing! The modern and chic architecture and design suit the subjects very well. I particularly value the Maths Hub which is a self-contained breakout space where we can collaborate I like how we can support each other and share our passion outside the classroom.”

Dean Close Foundation is committed to this redevelopment to the extent that it will shoulder most of the costs However, we cannot deliver this phase without raising a significant amount in donations. With the loyalty and commitment shown from our community of ODs, parents and friends over the previous phases we do so with confidence and optimism

We are now working towards phase 3, the 1886 Centre for Humanities, due to be open in 2024.

To find out more follow this QR code

Looking further ahead

Phase 4 Science Centre

Scheduled for 2027, a complete transformation of the current science spaces

Phase 5 The Hub

Scheduled for 2029, the creation of shared social and informal study space

Foundation Awards

The Foundation Awards were launched in 2018 and offer means-tested transformational bursaries (70-100% fee reduction) to bright, talented and deserving pupils who would not otherwise have the financial means to benefit from our ‘distinctly Dean Close’ style of education.

We currently have five Foundationers in the School, and with thanks to a generous donor and the ‘Class of 2022’ parents, two more Award holders will start in September 2023. One of our first Foundationers, Will Kennedy, is now at Magdalene College, Cambridge, studying Veterinary Medicine

Will’s success is a clear demonstration of the transformational impact a Foundation Award can have. We are extremely grateful to those that supported him, and indeed all those th t t the Foundation Awards programme He says:“I would to thank Dean Close School for the last two years, with all the time and effort that the teachers invested into me, they were amazing Without this opportunity, I don’t believe I would be where I am today.”

We are now focused on enduring Foundation Awards To support this, the Development Office organised a Telephone Campaign, run by recent Old Decanians, with its aims of bringing our community up to speed with development plans and, in particular, the Foundation Awards. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we raised over £50,000, which will all go towards supporting our Foundation Awards

distinctly ONE COMMUNITY

Going green Jubilee celebrations

This year we launched our new Sustainability Group, aligned with our values of Love and Contribution, with the initial aim of raising awareness of sustainability issues around School, the local area and the wider world Throughout the year the group employed all the 5Cs to achieve these goals and much more.

The biggest event was Earth Day featuring pupil led assemblies, guest speakers, a climate fair with water rockets, cycle electric power generation, bug tasting and climate mindfulness, and a climate themed Chapel service. We had a sustainability flag made from charity shop clothes but perhaps the most memorable part of the day was the colour run for the WWF.

Other events included the Flock Art Exhibition where pupils and staff created an origami pigeon with their own climate pledge written within, creating an impactful display in the BonBernard Gallery. We planted 30 trees on site, alongside a full audit of our trees, new flower and plant beds, a gardening club and the rewilding of my garden!

The Group also worked towards an Eco-Schools Award. This began with the creation of a sustainability group, then expanded with green councils in each house and a new house sustainability competition. They wrote an eco-action plan, carried out a sustainability audit, changed elements of the School curriculum like plastic pollution and air pollution topics in Geography, and invited catering and estates teams in to talk about the sustainability. The year ended with Dean Close having been awarded the school Green Flag Eco Award with distinction This is both something of which to be proud but also a marker on our way towards an even more sustainable future at the School.

Bradley Salisbury Head, DCS

As part of our Platinum Jubilee celebrations, DCPS marked the occasion with a very special event, a Jubilee themed funfair Our traditional,‘very British’ funfair was attended by the whole School who came in that day dressed in the Union Jack colours of ‘red, white and blue’.

All pupils were treated to an assortment of activities dotted around the edge of the School playing field; welly throwing, doughnuts on a string, a Royal ‘photo booth’ and giant skis for groups racing round a course, not to mention the bouncy castles and inflatable assault courses

With the help of the Lower Sixth Form from Dean Close School who manned the stalls, groups of mixed aged pupils criss-crossed the field when a claxon sounded, racing to be ready to start their next activity. It was a fabulous community event bringing an afternoon of fun and celebration, Jubilee style!

Paddy Moss Head, DCPS

I believe that the ability to think creatively and solve problems is a key part of being able to respond to our rapidly changing world and therefore should be an essential part of our daily curriculum Our emphasis on critical thinking skills and independence makes a positive difference to the way that pupils approach their own learning, from Nursery to Year 2, resulting in children who are confident to take time to think, test ideas and solve problems creatively.

An excellent example of this was our ‘ Thinking Skills and Activity Day’, a whole school WOW day, when all our Squirrels were to be found busily enjoying tasks both inside the classroom and out. Throughout the day, they enjoyed different challenges designed to get their ‘grey matter’ working to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills (one of our Skills of the Future), for example freeing toys trapped in ice (Nursery), creating a new chair for Baby Bear (Reception), and investigating magnets (Kindergarten)

In addition, each year group had a workshop session in the hall where they had to work in teams to conquer trials such as the ‘Skyscraper Challenge’ and the ‘Build a Bridge Challenge’ using only newspaper, Sellotape and plastic cups! For the bridge challenge, the bridge had to span the width of the ‘river’ (a blue gym mat) and be strong enough for a toy vehicle to cross, whilst the skyscrap challenge was to build a structure at least a metre tall which could stand independently There was much discussion, trial and error and sharing of ideas before the structures started to evolve, and the children were very proud of their results. We w very impressed by the different designs and the children’s determination to succeed and tackle any problems encountered with perseverance.

Dr Carolyn Shelley Head, DCPPS

Summer fun

This was the first year we had embarked on a summer fete for the School community. The occasion was perfect for demonstrating our values in action, with a focus on Love and Contribution

It was such a brilliant collaboration between the children, parents and staff to create an event that the whole School thoroughly enjoyed. With the Prep School children creating and running their stalls, freshly baked pizzas to enjoy, parent cake contributions, bouncy castle and delicious ice-cream, the event had an energy that was loved by all. The children did a fantastic job of preparing stalls with a mixture of games and challenges that allowed everyone to be involved From the traditional fete games to the card swapping table, there was something for everyone. Our growing focus on building Skills for the Future was evident where the event’s build-up showed their ability to collaborate, communicate and be creative Our overall aim was to support a local charity and through everyone’s efforts over £500 was raised.

Embarking on an entirely new venture is never a straightforward undertaking, but through putting on the event it was clear that having opportunities for the whole School community to come together, spend time together and have fun together is essential for a healthy school The success was down to everyone getting involved and choosing to give their time, energy and talents to such an enormously fun afternoon

Nick Thrower Head, DCSJS

Christmas tim OD Society back in

Christmas is a special time at Airthrie, and the festive period officially began with the switching on of the Airthrie Christmas lights, this year by former proprietors, Beth and Mike Sullivan. Anyone who drove down Christ Church Road will certainly have known where Airthrie School is located!

The School Christmas lunch is a great tradition where we always take the opportunity to say thank you to the kitchen, maintenance, and administration teams The children s howed their love for them by bursting into song with ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas’ for these amazing members of our community.

Our spectacular garden Christmas Market was a great success, raising over £1,700 for Airthrie from a variety of stalls, a huge supply of mince pies and, most importantly, a visit from Father Christmas!

The finale of celebrations came in the Christmas Party Day which was full of laughs, games and dancing; with a whole School contribution to a fun-filled day Early Years pupils had a lovely morning wearing their own hand-painted reindeer antlers, singing Christmas songs, playing party games and meeting Father Christmas. The older children went to the CLC sports hall to play party games on a larger scale, dancing, singing and celebrating together, with prizes for the winners of the ames. All this was followed by a party lunch buffet making a brilliant day for our entire Airthrie family before the end of term.

Jason Dobbie Head, DCAS

full swing

It was great once again to be able to meet up with our ODs after two years of lockdowns and social distancing. There are three highlights that stand out to me

In December Dean Close School Deputy Head, Andrew Hall, hosted a drinks reception for Old Decanians in the Intercontinental Hotel in Manhattan He met around 20 ODs that are currently studying or working in the city, who enjoyed coming together and being brought up to speed with life at Dean Close.

In April, the Society hosted a busy drinks reception for our Londoners in Charing Cross, following a remarkable visit to the Royal Academy of Arts to explore the Francis Bacon: Man and Beast exhibition Francis Bacon was a pupil at Dean Close, leaving in 1926

Our summer Masquerade Ball welcomed over 100 guests, some from as far away as Ghana and the Caribbean. What a joy to see a room full of people wearing masks that weren’t surgical! A delicious dinner was rounded off with a ‘Dean Close Mess’; we danced away to the Chip Shop Boys and a game of ‘heads and tails’ raised over £500 for our link school in Uganda.

Alex Hume, Head of Development and Alumni

Little Trees blossoming

We opened our sixth nursery, and our first from a brand-new site, within the premises of Airthrie School and within the year, with demand so high, we doubled capacity over the summer. At Little Trees St Arvans, we opened a purpose-built Baby Suite which increased capacity from 56 to 92 Again, it proved hugely popular and filled up in just a few weeks. At Little Trees Celtic Springs, our largest nursery, we extended the garden space and plan to develop that further in 2023 After a tough few years we are so delighted with the 150+ staff and man h i Li l Trees They ca children ever

distinctly WORTHWHILE

Local partnership National partnership

Cheltenham Education Partnership

The Cheltenham Education Partnership (CEP) is an equal partnership of secondary schools from both the maintained and independent sectors

The driving ambition of the Partnership is to expand the horizons of young people in Cheltenham and to help them realise their full potential.

The ChangeMakers event was the biggest CEP event of the year and this took part at Gloucestershire University in July. It involved 16 pupils from each of the CEP schools heading to the Park Campus for a day of talks, interactive lectures and a presentation from each school about their sustainability work that year. It worked alongside the Sustainability Group at Dean Close to present everything that we have done this year to advance sustainability at Dean Close School

TISCA

For many years now Dean Close has had the privilege of enjoying a Foundation School partnership with The Independent Schools Christian Alliance ( TISCA) TISCA aims to support and equip schools and educational foundations with a Christian ethos such as ours, and in return we take pleasure in supporting many of their regional and national events and have traditionally hosted and run their prefect training day for senior schools

This is a day where we host pupil leaders from schools nationwide, and increasingly all over the world, in order to offer training in all aspects of leadership What does it look like to discover one’s particular leadership ‘voice’ as a young man or woman? What does the distinctively Christian idea of servant leadership look like in a school setting? How can pupil leaders best work in teams? What might this early experience of leadership give them as they move on to pastures new post-school? As with every other one of our partnerships, it is in giving that we receive and this partnership is greatly appreciated and what it brings to the Dean Close Foundation.

International partnership

Nyakatukura Memorial Secondary School, Uganda

The Uganda Group spent the year in full fundraising mode, kicking off with a huge bake and coffee sale on International Coffee Day which raised £1,000. The Prep School Charity Fair had a stall from the Uganda Group which took over £2,000 with half going to the Uganda Link charity work Floss Fridays returned to Dean Close Day House Village with candyfloss and doughnuts on sale each Friday break time, with yet more funds going to the charity

The Group held assemblies in the Prep and Senior Sc to raise awareness of our links with Nyakatakura. A very creative organiser came up with the idea of splatting Mr Pitt with a whipped cream pie to demonstrate pupils going out of their comfort zone and taking part in something different at school!

As the year headed towards its end, we were delighted to host a visit from the Bishop of Northwest Ankole, a diocese in which the Nyakatukura School sits Bishop Amos Magezi and his wife Jean were on sabbatical and spent a few days at Dean Close as part of their time in the UK which included being our guests of honour at DCS Speech Day The Uganda Group hosted the Charity Fair and raffle on Big Field with ev like a coconut shy, face painting, hook a duck, beat th and even Turner’s frappacino making It was a great success and raised close to £2,000 which will be crucial as we head out to Uganda next year and begin to work within the community once again after a five year break due to Covid and Ebola outbreaks.

distinctly VALUED

Kathryn Carden Chair of the Board

Kathryn combines teaching at Oxford’s Saïd Business School with the practical experience of leadership roles in the private, public and voluntary sectors. She is interested in how leadership is changing in a post-pandemic world, and how research insights can be turned into practical action in organisations of all kinds.

Value, values and what we value

Economists talk about value and business schools talk about values, but at a recent meeting, Trustees of the Dean Close Foundation talked about both, because they are interlinked and important aspects of the Foundation’s work.

Schools assess value through the ‘value-added’ measure: how much difference our teaching makes to the results that each pupil achieves In other words, are they able to achieve more than was expected when they started school?

All organisations profess to have values, sometimes posted on notice boards or framed on walls. The Dean Close Foundation values of love, courage and contribution are truly part of what helps pupils to flourish here. They are visible in how pupil work is marked and how extra-curricular activities are planned At the end of the year, pupils themselves

give awards for a fellow pupil who has shown courage, demonstrated love or made a real contribution to school life.

On a cold November afternoon, a committee of the Board of Trustees met with Heads and the academic Deputy Heads from all our schools, to talk about their plans for academic development This was a wide-ranging conversation about teaching and learning, about pupil progress and about skills for the future, as well as professional development for teachers.

This conversation showed what we value: the Trustees saw evidence of the level of care and attention to the academic and pastoral development of every child, the focus on both achievements and progress, so that each pupil in the Dean Close Foundation can flourish.

Carden Chair of the Board

Board

CARDEN Mrs Kathryn, MPhil, BA

BULLINGHAM Simon, MSc, BSc

COOMBS The Revd Richard M, BSc, MA

DALTRY Mrs Helen, BA

DREW Stephen, MA

HOLLIDAY Stephen W, MA

HIRST Mrs Sara L, BEd

MCDONALD, Gary SMITH Matthew P, MA

TAYLOR Lt Col Edward T, BA, RA

Council

ALLEN Revd Malc

AUSTEN The Revd Simon, BSc, MA, DipMin

BEE Jane, BSc

BOWEN Meurig

BRADBY Hugh

BYRD, Russel, FCA, FCCA

CARTWRIGHT Mike J, BA, FCA

CHAFFEY, Jane Frances, MA, BA

CLAY TON, Sarah

DAVIES Brian Rhys OBE

DICK Mrs R, BA, ACA

DOWLER, Caroline

DREW John, MEng

DUFFIN Ian, FCA, Bcom

EDEN Rebecca

FLETCHER, Chloe, MA

FOSTER Simon

HALL John

HARDING, Brian, MBA

HARVEY Paul James, MA (Oxon)

HAYNES, Tessa, BSc Hons

HILDICK-SMITH, Richard, MEng, CEng, IMechE

HILLMAN, Alison

HUNT Andrew J

JUDGE Andrew

KEENS Rachel A

LEWIS Timothy Robin

MACKAY Revd Rupert

MAIN David, FCA, FCCA

MARSDEN, Audrey BSc MAEd

MOOS James, Mcomp (Hons) CCP MCIS

MULLINS, Dale

NAPIER Mrs Patricia G

NICHOLAS Benjamin, MA

PACK Charlotte

PALMER Hugh

PHILIP-SORENSEN Mark

PORTER Amanda

THE LORD RIBEIRO, Bernard, kt, CBE, FRCS

RIDING Mrs Karen, LLB

RITCHIE Dan, BA

ROBERTS Dr Chris

SHAW Francis

SILVESTER Paul, ACIB, BA

SPENCER Tim

STALLARD Camille, BA

SULLIVAN Beth

THOMAS Simon, BA, LLM & Solicitor

THOMAS Stephen, BA, LLB

TOWNSEND James, MA

WILLIAMS The Revd Canon Paul R, CStJ, DL

WILLIAMS Rt Revd Paul

Kathryn

Simon Bullingham

Board members

Lt Col Ed Taylor

An Old Decanian, Ed was a school prefect and an enthusiastic sportsman who represented Wales U21s in hockey He is currently a serving Lieutenant Colonel in the British Army

Stephen Holliday

A former history teacher and housemaster of Dean Close, Stephen eventually became Headmaster of Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital in Bristol He is currently an ISI Reporting Inspector

The Rev’d Richard Coombs

After degrees at Durham and Cambridge, Richard served two curacies before becoming vicar of Burford He serves as a selector on Bishop’s Advisory Panels, a council member of Wycliffe Hall Theological College in Oxford and as a trainer of curates and theological students

Helen Daltry

Helen read Maths at Oxford while winning blues in squash, hockey and athletics. She is a consultant in sponsorship and event management, and advises governmental organisations, sports federations, etc having worked in most sports at all levels, from national grassroots up to major international events

Sarah Hirst

Sarah’s teaching career began at Millfield School before moving to Kelly College and then Sedburgh School where she was also acting Headmistress for a time She is a CIE examiner in GCSE and A level English Literature and has been a member of a school inspection team

Gary McDonald

A member of South African Institute of Chartered Accountants and ICAEW, Gary is a senior Finance Executive with extensive service industry experience at both national and international level. He has completed two ultra-marathons of 56 miles with a best time of 9hrs 13 mins

Stephen Drew

As a child Stephen sang in the choir at King’s College, Cambridge, and then, much later became Headmaster of The Chorister School, Durham Following this he was Headmaster of St Faith’s, the largest prep school in Cambridge

Matthew Smith

Matthew read Modern History at Oxford and has since held many senior positions all over the world. He is currently Director General of the Middle East Association (MEA) which plans, directs and controls all activities of the MEA whose aim is to promote trade opportunity for British businesses throughout the MENA region

Simon is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a director of a consultancy service

Dean Close

TEWKESBURY ABBEY

distinctly STRONGER TOGETHER

distinctly GRATEFUL

The Abbott Family

Mr & Mrs H Acland

Mr HM Al-Darmaki

Mr L Allington

Mr JO Alpass

Mrs S Amos

Mr N Anderson

Mrs V Aris

Mr S Austin

Mr P Avery

Lt Col AH Ayres

Mrs J Bacon

Mr DF Bailey

Mr DT Barham

Mr I Bassett-Smith

Mr M Bateman

Mr MW Bawden

Mrs K Bradby Beavan

Mr RG Bell

Mr & Mrs S Bell

Mr & Mrs TH Bence

Mr P Bennett

Mr & Mrs DHL Blunt

Mrs S Boden

Mr A Bolton & Family

Mr & Mrs R Bolton

Mrs C Bourne

Mr C Bown

Dr W Bowring

Mr JH Brelsford

Lt Col AJ Briggs

Mr & Mrs A Brook

Mrs J Brown

Mr TC Brown

Mr TM Brown

Mr T Brown

Rev'd L Browne

Mr NG Bryan

Mr C Buckett

Mr R Bunting

Mr N Burch

Miss Frankie Burgess

Mr J Burgon

Mr D Burgoyne

Mr & Mrs N Burroughs

Lady D Butterworth

Mr P Cairns

Mr B Cappuccini

Mr & Mrs M Carden Mr C Carmell

Mr D Carter

Noel and Charlotte Chambers Ms R Chandler Mr J Chen

Mr X Cheng David and Irma Chin

Mr Y Choi

Dr & Ms K Chow

Mr J Cigarini

Ms F Clark

Mr T Clink

Miss H F Colley

Mr & Mrs D Conway Mr K Cook

Rev'd R Coombs Mr I Cooper

Mr & Mrs D Cormack

Mr & Mrs Craig and Family

Dr J Crossley

Mr & Mrs T Daltry Mr A Dankov

Mrs P Dann Ward Dr MG Dash

Mrs I Davidson Mr G Davis

Mrs M Davis DCS Parents Hockey Mr JN Deakin Mr R Deasy Lt Col J Denley Mrs E Dickinson Mr WR Dickinson Miss R Donaldson Mr J Drew

Mr A Dunn

Rev'd Dr A Dunning

Mr JW Eaden

Dr M Eaton

Mr AB Edginton

Miss J Edwards

The Elliott Family

Mr S & Mrs Entts

Mr DAWS Esson

The Evans Family

Mr H Evans

Professor RJW Evans

Mr P Farrant

Mrs D Fawzi

Mr & Mrs IF Ferguson

Mr MS Fincham Mrs G Firth Mr DGD Fish Mr D Ford Mrs G Forge Mr CRF Foulkes

Mrs S Fowler Mr M Gammon Mr M Garber Mr T Gardner Mr D Gethin-Jones

Mr M Gilder

Mr & Mrs E Gillespie

Mrs J Gillman

Mrs A Godley

Mr Goldingham

Amy Gore

Mr TJC Goudie

Mrs K Gough

Mr & Mrs S Gower

Mr & Mrs S Green

Mr & Mrs A Greenwood

The Gregory Family

Mrs Griffin

Mr & Mrs RC Grimshaw

The Gupta Family Mr J Haigh & Mrs I Haigh

Mr & Mrs S Haines

Professor & Mrs RM Haines

The Hall Family

Mr M Hall

Mr IG Handy

Mrs SC Harding

Mr RS Harman

Mr & Mrs J Harris

Lord & Lady Harrowby Miss C Hatchell

Mr JA Harrington Hawes

Mr REH Hawes

Mr M Hawkesworth

Professor & Mrs P Helm Mr BVG Helsdon

Mr N Hemming

Colonel JR Hensman

Mr S Herbert Mr J Heuff

The Hon D Hicks Beach

Mr B Hildick-Smith

Mr & Mrs RA Hildick-Smith

Mrs T Hildick-Smith

Mr P Hilltout

Mrs AE Hirani

Mrs SL Hirst

The Hodgkins Family Mrs C Horne

Mr PD House

Mr & Mrs N Howitt

Mr M Hughes

Lt Col & Dr A Hutton

Mrs S Huxster

Mrs C Jackson

Mrs R James

Mr JG Jenkins

Mr DW Jones

Mr P Jones

Rev'd Canon Dr S Jones

Mr SN Jones

Mr VT Jordan

Rev'd Dr J Kennedy

Mr & Mrs B Kent

Amy Tucker Brown Mr T Kidd

Mrs S Kim

The Hon J Kirkham Mr & Mrs B Knight

Rev'd & Mrs J Knight Mr PH Knight Mrs C Laine

SY Lam

Mr & Mrs J Lancashire Mr G Lane Rupert & Judy Lane Mrs J Langdon Mr P Lawrence

Mr TJ Lawrence Mr P Lebedev

Mr JM Lee

Mr R Leefe

The Leishman Family Mr D Lewis Mrs E Logan Mr DR Long Mrs J Lucas Miss LJ Mackenzie Mr & Mrs N Mahoney

Mr & Mrs AR Marchand

Canon & Mrs I Marsh Bea Marshall

Lt Col BK Martin

Sir P & Lady Marychurch Mr C McKaughan

Mr RM McMahon

Mr & Mrs M McShane Mr PR Mercer-Wilson Mr S Merritt

Dr L Mills Mrs M Mills Ms L Millward Mr JH Moir Mr A Moore Mr RJ Moreland

J Peter Morgan

Rev'd P Morris

The Mossop Family

Mr G Hand & Mrs C Murphy

The Napier Family

Dr S Nelson

Julie Newall

Mr CAP Newman

Maj GRH Noott RM Mrs A Norman

Mr & Mrs T Odell Mr R Oram Mr PR Orrell Mr M Orrom Mrs LJ Overbury Mrs S Padfield

The Paget Family Dr D Paine Mr M Parker

Mr JM Peach Mrs S Pengelly

The Philip-Sorensen Family Mr J Postlethwaite Ms J Pouncey Mr B Powell Mr N Powell

Mr D Prior Mr & Mrs S Ralph Mr A Reid Lord BF Ribeiro

Mr T Rice

The Richardson Family

The Riding Family

Mr & Mrs C Roberts

Mr PJ Russell-Sienesi

The Ryan Family

Mrs L Peri Samuels

Mrs R Scott Payne

Mr & Mrs J Scudamore Mr R Searle

Mr D Shafranik Ms H Shi

Mr RG Shobrook

Miss C Shread

Mr J Sidebottom

Mr HL Silvanus-Davis

Mr A Simpkin

Miss J Slatter

Mr G Smallbone

Mr J Smart

Mr M Smith

Colonel & Mrs R Smith

Mr DA Spalding

Mr P Spearpoint

Mr R Spragg

Miss C Stage Mrs C Stebbings

Miss P Stebbings

Mr B Stevens

The Stocks Family

The Dempsey Family

Mr R Storrs

Mr M Strachan

Mrs JS Stratford

Mr K Swain

Rev'd H Symes-Thompson

Mr A Tang

TaskSpace

Lt Col ET Taylor

Mr JN Taylor

Mr & Mrs RF Taylor

The Friends of Dean Close St John's

The Old Decanian Society

Mr S Thomas

Mrs K Thorn

Mr D Till

Mr CRG Timson

Mrs S Todd

Dr Philip Toms

Mr CJ Townsend

Mr JE Townsend

Rev'd J Trickey

Mr AS Troughton

Mrs Catherine Turner

Rev'd & Mrs C Turner

Mr L Turner

Mrs S Vaus

The Viney Family Ms H Wang Mr J Wang Mrs W Wang Mr J Webbern

The Wells Family Dr J Wenham

Rt Rev'd J Went Rev'd & Mrs P Wheaton

Richard White

Mr SM White Rev'd & Mrs CE Whitney

Laurence Whittingham Mr WJ Wickham

Mr GN Williams

The Williams Family Mr JCB Winter

Mr L Wood

Mr and Mrs D Woods Wg Cdr J Worrall

Mr R Wright

Mr C Ying

The Cornerstone Society

The Youde Family Mr & Mrs J Young