WELCOME I am delighted to welcome you to Woldingham - a school where we offer the best of every world. A school of high academic standing with a rich curriculum that allows our girls to combine academic endeavour with their wider interests, a flexible model encompassing both our boarders and day girls, close to London yet in outstandingly beautiful rural surroundings, and a community that encourages us to forge friendships which will last a lifetime. The sense of community is deeply ingrained at Woldingham. We nurture girls here who understand about courage, confidence and integrity. As a girls’ school, this is anything but a collection of fragile wallflowers who will be overwhelmed by life when they leave the Valley. The girls here make their mistakes in safe surroundings where they learn to dust themselves down and try again; where the school is designed for them and full of them.
Newcomers are made to feel very welcome; older girls look out for younger girls; younger girls are allowed to be just that: young. In a nutshell? Education at Woldingham helps our girls to achieve the academic standing, the social ease and the quietly assured confidence to be themselves. Time after time we are told by others that what marks them out is their curiosity, their engagement and their poise. These are girls who will relish the challenges of the world. Woldingham has been educating girls for generations and it is an enormous privilege to lead such a successful school. I am so excited about our future together what a special place and what opportunities we have here at Woldingham. You will see and feel our unique atmosphere when you come to visit, and we look forward to welcoming you when you do. Mrs Alex Hutchinson MA (Oxon)
‘COURAGE AND CONFIDENCE’ St Madeleine Sophie Barat, founder of the Society of the Sacred Heart Your first visit to Woldingham is unforgettable. Marden Park, with its long wooded tops and its sweeping slopes, unwinds to reveal the school in its magnificent country house, nestling alongside state of the art educational facilities and alive with the creative energy of over 500 girls.
facilities, our academic rigour and our co-curricular programme and, through the Sacred Heart goals, we encourage girls to become independent, enquiring young women, who achieve academic success, forge lasting relationships and become positive influences in the world they will enter.
Here in the Valley, boarders and day girls live side by side in our stunning 700 acre estate within the Surrey Downs. For while Woldingham offers an oasis, free from the distractions of city life, the train station in our grounds offers a 25-minute journey to Clapham.
We are often asked, ‘What makes a Woldingham girl?’ There is no one answer: happy, successful, individual, compassionate, curious, mindful. These are the traits a Woldingham education can bestow.
Founded in 1842, Woldingham is a Catholic boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 which welcomes families from all faiths. We are proud of our beautiful
In our busy 21st century lives, we can all be guided by the ideas of Madeleine Sophie Barat, ‘Your example, even more than your words, will be an eloquent lesson to the world.’
LEARNING TO LEARN Woldingham is a true community of learning in the fullest sense. Central to our philosophy is the belief that academic and personal growth are two sides of the same coin. We are delighted with our excellent track record of public examination results, our strong league table position against other independent girls’ schools and our commitment to ensuring that the majority of our girls achieve their chosen places at both Oxbridge and Russell Group universities. As a selective school, we have designed broad and balanced curricula at Key Stage 3, GCSE and A Level,
thereby offering each girl the chance to develop her areas of personal interest and strength. We understand that students have different learning styles and we recognise that not every girl learns at the same pace. With this in mind, our girls are placed into sets and bands within each subject appropriate for their abilities. We believe that a close, honest and mutually supportive relationship with parents is vital to the well-being and academic success of our girls. In addition to our normal reporting process, we encourage a culture of open and frequent communication between parents and staff.
CURIOUS MINDS ‘I have been given the means to explore every academic avenue I have ever wanted to pursue.’ This encapsulates a Woldingham education. In a time of extensive curriculum review, our teachers are our greatest resource: good-humoured and dedicated, they are a blend of vitality and experience, support and challenge. Our facilities offer inspiration aplenty too, with the newly refurbished science centre, a music technology suite and fabulous art and drama studios. Academic enrichment abounds and, through shared experiences, debates, discussion groups and activities, girls extend their knowledge in unfamiliar areas and
learn new skills. They might be found in discussion with Nobel Laureates via the Cultural Society, or politicians as members of the Greenwell Society. Equally, they may be found absorbed in our home-grown lecture series, with staff and students alike offering insights into their own intellectual curiosities. In our rapidly changing world of employment opportunities, planning for the future is accomplished through our active Careers department who, alongside individual advice, host an impressive array of seminars, speakers and research opportunities.
COMMITMENT AND CARE Woldingham is a lively, busy and happy place where girls are encouraged to nurture respect for self, respect for each other and respect for the environment they live in. The outcome is a community which promotes team spirit and builds friendships which last a lifetime. Girls at Woldingham live amongst their own year group. This ensures that pastoral staff are keenly aware of the social and academic issues pertinent to the girls in their care. Within each year group, boarders and day girls are assigned to one of the four House tutor groups so, whilst they live and learn together amongst their own age group, they also have the opportunity to compete,
celebrate and play together with members of their House throughout the school. Whilst our boarders live with us in Marden, Main House or Sixth Form, day girls make up approximately 40% of our total numbers and are a significant part of our community. Flexi boarding is an option for the younger girls, and day girls in any year are always welcome to stay late for activities, study and supper; some even choose to stay for an occasional sleepover. Our flexibility is a huge positive for busy parents, and boarders are able to stay for as much of the weekends as they like; many choose to dip in and out of the extensive programme of activities on offer.
LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL Delivering outstanding all-round care underpins everything that we do. We believe in learning not just for exams, but for life and we value the development of self-expression and creativity as a key part of our girls’ academic and personal development. Our unique THRIVE programme promotes character building and emotional well-being and aims to help every girl develop the growth mindset, resilience and self-worth to truly enjoy her successes and learn from her setbacks.
The development of study skills at Woldingham is interwoven with character education, focusing on the importance of well-being and a rich, diverse and challenging programme of self-reflection and growth. Our own Wellness Room on site allows individuals space for quiet contemplation, whilst our award-winning food served in the contemporary dining hall brings the whole school together for meal times that are an important social occasion shared by the community.
HOME FROM HOME At Woldingham over 300 boarders, both local and international, live amongst their own year group. Marden is the home of Years 7 and 8, where girls are grouped together in mixed age tutor groups to embed the sense of community. They settle quickly, foster good study habits and make many new friends, while the Pastoral team gives guidance on personal growth and progress. Main House is home to girls in Years 9 to 11. The girls adopt a mature attitude to their studies, work hard, challenge themselves and take much more personal responsibility for their progress and development,
guided and supported by the staff. Girls are also encouraged to take on leadership roles and to enjoy the rewards of making a meaningful contribution to the school community. Berwick and Shanley, the Sixth Form Houses, provide girls with the opportunity to exercise independence and develop personal strengths. With our key aim to assist each girl’s transition into the world of higher education and beyond, Sixth Formers have greater freedom in their study routines and free time and play a pivotal role in shaping the character of Woldingham.
ALL ARE WELCOME Faith, Intellectual Values, Social Awareness, Community and Personal Growth: the five goals of a Sacred Heart education. These pillars very much underpin our daily lives and our Catholic ethos envelops us in a lively Christian community. The school has its own chapel within the grounds where Mass is celebrated every Sunday, and our resident priest offers spiritual and moral guidance, as well as kindness and advice in tougher times. Woldingham welcomes applications from girls of all faiths and we relish our diverse intake in which girls and staff
care for and respect one another and value each other’s contribution. Our students are given time and space for personal reflection; they gather together for group and private prayer and the whole school gathers together to celebrate the Eucharist. Assemblies are used to raise issues of importance so that the girls can place their own lives in the context of the wider society in which they live and work. The Chapel is open each day from early morning until after night prayers and is a place of sanctuary and stillness in our busy school.
A GROWING INDEPENDENCE The Sixth Form is an environment where girls are encouraged to communicate readily with staff and interact with them intellectually during lessons or over a leisurely coffee. As we stimulate their independence and prepare them for life beyond Woldingham, we offer the Sixth Form the chance to hold positions of authority. The Head Girl, her deputies and the team of Ribbons are coveted leadership roles. There are many more opportunities for adopting responsibility in a wide range of areas, including organization of key events such as the annual Sixth Form
Ball and Variety Show, and to join various academic and co-curricular committees. In addition, many girls choose to become ‘Buddies’ to the youngest girls in the school. Academically, the extensive and challenging array of different A Level courses gives breadth to our offering, with small, tutorial-style classes and the opportunity to follow the Extended Project Qualification. Our Sixth Form tutoring is academically-centred for maximum support, while our UCAS and Careers programme is far-reaching and individualised. Expectations are high and our extensive Oxbridge programme reaps its due rewards.
AN ACTIVE LIFE Life at Woldingham extends well beyond the classroom and we firmly believe in the importance of a well-rounded education, where activities beyond the taught curriculum enrich everyone’s experiences. Our co-curricular programme runs at lunchtimes, after school and at the weekends; girls have many opportunities to find the optimum balance between their studies and their broader life-skills. The extensive grounds provide us with a wide range of sporting facilities, including an astroturf hockey pitch, sports hall, swimming pool, indoor tennis dome and dance studio. From the significant array of games on offer, our main sports are hockey, netball, tennis, rounders
and athletics, and we also achieve notable successes in skiing and fencing. Artists can be bold and experimental in our purposebuilt studio accommodation, while the Millennium Centre for the Performing Arts boasts an impressive 600-seat auditorium. Around this our Music and Drama departments are based; both see girls performing at the highest standard. Woldingham is also actively engaged in a local outreach programme where girls are encouraged to both give back to their community and to assist in our long tradition of inter-house charity fundraising.
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VISIT US Woldingham School Marden Park Woldingham Surrey CR3 7YA For Sat Nav, please use the postcode CR3 7LR T: +44 (0) 1883 654206 For further information, please visit our website at www.woldinghamschool.co.uk
Woldingham School is set in an impressive 700 acre estate within the Surrey Downs, inside the M25 and with a train station in its grounds providing direct trains to London every 30 minutes. Gatwick and Heathrow Airports are 20 and 45 minutes away respectively and junction 6 of the M25 is only ten minutes’ drive from the school. School minibuses shuttle girls to and from the station at the beginning and end of every school day, and we have a comprehensive transport service for day girls serving the surrounding area. We would be delighted to welcome you to the school. To arrange your visit please contact the Registrar on registrar@woldinghamschool.co.uk