Felsted School is a leading HMC co-educational boarding and day school for pupils between the ages of 13 and 18. There are about 516 pupils at the School, including 236 in the Sixth Form. There are a further 464 pupils at Felsted Preparatory School which caters for children aged 4-13.
 
The School was established in 1564 by Richard Lord Riche, Lord Chancellor of England and was a founder member of the HMC. The geographical location of the School makes it an attractive place in which to teach. It is situated in the attractive and historic village of Felsted in unspoiled surroundings, 35 miles from both Cambridge and London. Chelmsford, the nearest major centre, is 10 miles away. Stansted Airport is within half an hour's drive, but the village is not under the flight path. The Schools occupy 80 acres and there are many fine buildings.   
 
Felsted School has always been predominantly a boarding school. In the Senior School (13-18), about 85% of its pupils are boarders or occasional boarders (pupils who board a minimum of three nights each week). Girls were first admitted to the Lower Sixth in 1971 and the School became fully co-educational in September 1993. There are seven boarding houses of which two are for Upper Sixth boarders. There are also two day houses making a total of five Houses for boys and four for girls.  Almost all the Sixth Form leavers embark on Higher Education. Day pupils come mainly from the local area and neighbouring towns; the boarders come mainly from Essex, Suffolk and London. 18% of the School are from overseas of which many do not have English as their first language. About two thirds of pupils entering Year 9 come from Felsted Preparatory School. A further number join the Sixth Form each year.

Felsted School’s principal goal is to provide an environment and ethos which enables young people to discover their varied talents and develop them to the best of their ability, whilst at the same time deriving from their daily challenges a sense of purpose, self-discipline, and respect for others.
 
Felsted Preparatory School & Pre-Preparatory Department
·        464 Pupils
·        4 –13 years
 
Felsted Senior School
·        516 Pupils
·        85% boarders 15% day pupils
·        7 Boarding Houses - 4 boys, 3 girls
·        2 Day Houses – 1 boy, 1 girl
·        236 Sixth Form Pupils – IB Diploma and Advanced Levels

ACADEMIC DETAIL
 
Typical year group sizes are:
 
Yr 9 - Yr 11 – approximately 90 each   :    Lower Sixth - 126   :    Upper Sixth - 110
 
In Year 9, pupils make no choice of subject other than either German or Spanish. The core subjects – Mathematics, the three Sciences, English, Classics/Latin and French – are taught in five sets based on ability with the Humanities and other subjects in mixed ability classes. All Year 9 pupils follow a PSHCE, an ICT and a Study Skills course. In Years 10 and 11, the core subjects remain setted with most pupils selecting four further optional subjects. There are very few sets which are greater than 20 and the typical class size is 16. Summer 2009 saw Felsted’s GCSE pupils achieving 47% A* and A grades.
 
In the Sixth Form the International Baccalaureate is offered alongside AS/A2 with about 25 of the Lower Sixth opting for this. The remainder of the Lower Sixth study four AS Levels along with a non-examined course in Complementary Studies. In the Upper Sixth most of the A Level students will study three subjects at A2 and 95% proceed to university. Summer 2009 saw Felsted’s Advanced Level students achieving 68% A-B grades. An average of 33.5 points was achieved by students that followed the IB Diploma Programme. Merging the two, the results equated to an average of 362 UCAS points [3 A grades at A level or better] per A level student. Typical class sizes in the Sixth Form are about 10-12. The School follows a two-week timetable of 58 periods with each period being 55 minutes long.
 
There are nearly 70 members of Common Room, 40% of whom have been appointed during the last five years. There is an even cross-section of ages and of experience. The staff is fully engaged in the duties and opportunities which the boarding school environment offers. During the last five years members of the School have moved onto Headship and others have become Heads of Department either here or at other schools. Staff are encouraged to undertake exchanges and sabbaticals. The teacher-pupil ratio is currently 1:8.6.
 
SITE and FINANCES
 
There has been a continuous programme of development and expansion in recent years so that, today, the School has extremely good facilities. September 2008 saw the opening of a Sports Hall at the Preparatory School and a new Music School with concert hall, classrooms, practice rooms and office space at the Senior School. In recent years the Cromwell Centre and Courtauld Centre have also been built. The former provides a social area for pupils in Years 9 through to 11 and the latter provides 5 classrooms, 2 laboratories and a Computer Suite for Years 7 and 8. All the science laboratories have been refurbished in recent years, a second astro pitch laid, and a Modern Foreign Languages computer based VLE opened. In September 2005 a purpose-built Sixth Form Centre was opened which combines a study area upstairs with a social area downstairs. There are plans for the building of additional classrooms.
 
Most members of Common Room teach in their own classroom or laboratory. There are two fully equipped computer suites, one serving as a VLE in addition to the Language Suite. The well stocked School Library also contains a suite of PCs. There is an extensive School-wide intranet which is accessed by over 450 PCs. All classrooms contain a PC; all teaching areas possess data projectors, and all teaching areas now have at least one interactive whiteboard. A high proportion of pupils have laptops.
 
The Schools have a turnover of approximately £13 million p.a. and generate reasonable surpluses. Over £1 million p.a. is provided in scholarships and bursaries. The Schools are aware of the need to demonstrate Public Benefit and the Schools are reviewing their policy on the award of Scholarships and are increasingly making the facilities available to the public.
 
LATEST INSPECTION REPORT
 
An excellent ISI Inspection Report from September 2007 is available on www.isinspect.org.uk. Some of the highlighted areas were:

Felsted School is highly successful in meeting its overall aim of “enabling Felstedians to achieve their individual best”.

Attainment of pupils across all subjects is good “in relation to their abilities”, with results in GCSE, A level similar to those of maintained selective schools.

• teachers are hard working and help to create the outstanding environment in which pupils live and learn.
• the pastoral care and guidance is of an outstandingly high quality.
• relationships among pupils are amiable, friendly and supportive.
• teachers are dedicated and loyal, and work hard to the benefit of the education and care of the pupils.
• the programme of extra curricular activities is outstanding.
• the school provides an excellent boarding experience which supports and enriches pupils’ education and personal development.
• pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding.
• House staff are enthusiastic, committed and passionate about their role.
• governors, headmaster and the management team provide positive, strong and supportive leadership for the school.
• an excellent record in individual and team achievements.
• positive, friendly, hard-working ethos, and this is a major factor in the good achievements of the pupils.
• very good links with parents.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
 
There are many out of lesson activities catering for pupils and members of Common Room are expected to participate in the running of these. Sport, Music, Art and Drama activities flourish and there are over thirty societies.
 
Academic Societies and Clubs
The School has a strong history of academic societies and extra-curricular activities which traditionally have been centred on a former manor house called The Bury. Most departments run academic societies and there is a range of meetings on Wednesday afternoons as part of the Academic Enrichment Programme. The Houses compete against each other in a large number of activities from chess to singing and from sports to general knowledge. Debating, Model United Nations and Public Speaking are particularly strong with pupils involved in many prestigious, external competitions; the Lord Upjohn Declamation is a high profile school competition judged by the Recorder of London. The Drake Society exists to challenge the more able pupils in Years 9-11 through a series on invited speakers and debates, while the Andrew Society is the meeting place of the most academic Sixth Form students and membership is by competitive interview. There is an Oxbridge Reading Party at the end of the Summer Term for the Lower Sixth along with a series of “Pudding Lectures” and supervisions. The termly Cromwell Lectures are a chance for all to hear prestigious speakers. There is an annual Arts Festival at the end of each Spring Term.
 
Drama
There are a number of School and visiting drama productions each year and large numbers of pupils and CR are involved in all areas of production. Felsted has its own TV editing facility and a studio theatre.
 
Music
The Music Department offers opportunities for performers of all kinds, and CR are always welcome to participate in ensembles if they have an interest in singing or playing. The Senior School boasts a brass ensemble, jazz band, wind band, orchestra and a range of choirs. In recent years tours have been organized to Bermuda, Catalonia, Cyprus and USA and there are three weekly concerts during term time of which Music for a Summer’s Evening is the high-light.
 
Combined Cadet Force and the Duke of Edinburgh Award
The School boasts one of the country’s oldest Combined Cadet Forces with Army and RAF Sections and competes with distinction in national competitions. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme is also thriving at Felsted, with pupils regularly achieving large numbers of Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards, one of the highest completion rates in the country. Small-bore shooting continues to thrive at Felsted and a number of pupils are selected for international honours every year. 
 
Sport
Sport at Felsted plays a significant role for both the pupils and the Common Room. The school offers a range of sporting activities for the pupils to excel whether it is in the swimming pool or on the sports field. The major sports teams all tour on a regular basis. This success is mainly due to the effort and talent of the pupils at Felsted, however it would not be possible for us to extend these talents if it not for the help from the members of the Common Room.
 
The Common Room has many talented coaches and you will be actively encouraged and expected to lead a side or run an activity during your time at the school. Members of Common Room are also given the opportunity to attend coaching and umpiring courses to develop their knowledge, understanding and confidence with coaching.   Felsted offers a wide variety of sporting activities; however, it is always possible to extend the programme to match the strengths and interests of a new member of Common Room.
 
Boys’ Sport
The School excels in the major games and can boast numerous successes in recent years in Rugby, Hockey and Cricket. The Cricket 1st XI have won the 20/20 Independent Schools National Championship twice in recent years. The Hockey 1st XI has reached the National Finals on numerous occasions. The 1st XV Rugby has recently toured Italy. The success on the sports field does not overlook those whose talents lie elsewhere and the games programme offers the pupils to participate in Basketball, Football, Fitness, Golf, Squash, Swimming, Badminton, Cross Country Running, Tennis and Athletics.
 
Girls’ Sport
The School’s sports programme offers an extensive range of sporting activities for girls. The four major sports are Hockey, Netball, Tennis and Rounders, while there are other options such as Aerobics, Swimming, Dance, Fitness, Badminton, Running and Squash if a girl’s talents lie elsewhere. The school has had much success in Hockey - U14 Essex Champions and U18 East of England champions. The U18s have reached the National Finals three times in recent years. Tennis is also very strong with the U15 girls reaching the Eastern Finals.
 
INDUCTION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
 
There is a sharp focus on the professional needs of Common Room. A full induction programme is provided for all new members of Common Room. Newly Qualified Teachers are fully supported through the School’s mentoring system and can obtain Qualified Teacher Status after their first year. The Common Room enjoy up to date ICT facilities in their own mini computer suite in the Lord Riche Hall.
 
The school has a very generous INSET budget and members of Common Room are encouraged to extend their professional development through the attendance of courses. There is an effective biannual Professional Review system. The Summer Term for the Senior School finishes two and a half days before that of the Prep School with the time being used for whole school and department INSET.
 
Further details can be found in the Independent Schools' Yearbook and on the School's website (www.felsted.org). A prospectus, current School calendar and most recent publications will be sent to applicants who are invited to be interviewed.

CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
 
The aim of this policy is to safeguard our pupils’ welfare, by fostering an honest, open, caring and supportive climate. Felsted School fully recognises the contribution it can make to protect and support the pupils in school. There are three main elements to our Child Protection policy:

• Encouraging and maintaining a positive and caring school atmosphere with strong teaching and pastoral support to pupils so that all pupils feel valued and nurtured.
• Ensuring that all staff are appropriately recruited, trained and supported to respond sensitively and appropriately to Child Protection concerns.
• Supporting pupils who may have been abused and the staff who deal with them.

Felsted School is a leading HMC co-educational boarding and day school for pupils between the ages of 13 and 18. There are about 516 pupils at the School, including 236 in the Sixth Form. There are a further 464 pupils at Felsted Preparatory School which caters for children aged 4-13.
 
The School was established in 1564 by Richard Lord Riche, Lord Chancellor of England and was a founder member of the HMC. The geographical location of the School makes it an attractive place in which to teach. It is situated in the attractive and historic village of Felsted in unspoiled surroundings, 35 miles from both Cambridge and London. Chelmsford, the nearest major centre, is 10 miles away. Stansted Airport is within half an hour's drive, but the village is not under the flight path. The Schools occupy 80 acres and there are many fine buildings.   
 
Felsted School has always been predominantly a boarding school. In the Senior School (13-18), about 85% of its pupils are boarders or occasional boarders (pupils who board a minimum of three nights each week). Girls were first admitted to the Lower Sixth in 1971 and the School became fully co-educational in September 1993. There are seven boarding houses of which two are for Upper Sixth boarders. There are also two day houses making a total of five Houses for boys and four for girls.  Almost all the Sixth Form leavers embark on Higher Education. Day pupils come mainly from the local area and neighbouring towns; the boarders come mainly from Essex, Suffolk and London. 18% of the School are from overseas of which many do not have English as their first language. About two thirds of pupils entering Year 9 come from Felsted Preparatory School. A further number join the Sixth Form each year.

Felsted School’s principal goal is to provide an environment and ethos which enables young people to discover their varied talents and develop them to the best of their ability, whilst at the same time deriving from their daily challenges a sense of purpose, self-discipline, and respect for others.
 
Felsted Preparatory School & Pre-Preparatory Department
·        464 Pupils
·        4 –13 years
 
Felsted Senior School
·        516 Pupils
·        85% boarders 15% day pupils
·        7 Boarding Houses - 4 boys, 3 girls
·        2 Day Houses – 1 boy, 1 girl
·        236 Sixth Form Pupils – IB Diploma and Advanced Levels

ACADEMIC DETAIL
 
Typical year group sizes are:
 
Yr 9 - Yr 11 – approximately 90 each   :    Lower Sixth - 126   :    Upper Sixth - 110
 
In Year 9, pupils make no choice of subject other than either German or Spanish. The core subjects – Mathematics, the three Sciences, English, Classics/Latin and French – are taught in five sets based on ability with the Humanities and other subjects in mixed ability classes. All Year 9 pupils follow a PSHCE, an ICT and a Study Skills course. In Years 10 and 11, the core subjects remain setted with most pupils selecting four further optional subjects. There are very few sets which are greater than 20 and the typical class size is 16. Summer 2009 saw Felsted’s GCSE pupils achieving 47% A* and A grades.
 
In the Sixth Form the International Baccalaureate is offered alongside AS/A2 with about 25 of the Lower Sixth opting for this. The remainder of the Lower Sixth study four AS Levels along with a non-examined course in Complementary Studies. In the Upper Sixth most of the A Level students will study three subjects at A2 and 95% proceed to university. Summer 2009 saw Felsted’s Advanced Level students achieving 68% A-B grades. An average of 33.5 points was achieved by students that followed the IB Diploma Programme. Merging the two, the results equated to an average of 362 UCAS points [3 A grades at A level or better] per A level student. Typical class sizes in the Sixth Form are about 10-12. The School follows a two-week timetable of 58 periods with each period being 55 minutes long.
 
There are nearly 70 members of Common Room, 40% of whom have been appointed during the last five years. There is an even cross-section of ages and of experience. The staff is fully engaged in the duties and opportunities which the boarding school environment offers. During the last five years members of the School have moved onto Headship and others have become Heads of Department either here or at other schools. Staff are encouraged to undertake exchanges and sabbaticals. The teacher-pupil ratio is currently 1:8.6.
 
SITE and FINANCES
 
There has been a continuous programme of development and expansion in recent years so that, today, the School has extremely good facilities. September 2008 saw the opening of a Sports Hall at the Preparatory School and a new Music School with concert hall, classrooms, practice rooms and office space at the Senior School. In recent years the Cromwell Centre and Courtauld Centre have also been built. The former provides a social area for pupils in Years 9 through to 11 and the latter provides 5 classrooms, 2 laboratories and a Computer Suite for Years 7 and 8. All the science laboratories have been refurbished in recent years, a second astro pitch laid, and a Modern Foreign Languages computer based VLE opened. In September 2005 a purpose-built Sixth Form Centre was opened which combines a study area upstairs with a social area downstairs. There are plans for the building of additional classrooms.
 
Most members of Common Room teach in their own classroom or laboratory. There are two fully equipped computer suites, one serving as a VLE in addition to the Language Suite. The well stocked School Library also contains a suite of PCs. There is an extensive School-wide intranet which is accessed by over 450 PCs. All classrooms contain a PC; all teaching areas possess data projectors, and all teaching areas now have at least one interactive whiteboard. A high proportion of pupils have laptops.
 
The Schools have a turnover of approximately £13 million p.a. and generate reasonable surpluses. Over £1 million p.a. is provided in scholarships and bursaries. The Schools are aware of the need to demonstrate Public Benefit and the Schools are reviewing their policy on the award of Scholarships and are increasingly making the facilities available to the public.
 
LATEST INSPECTION REPORT
 
An excellent ISI Inspection Report from September 2007 is available on www.isinspect.org.uk. Some of the highlighted areas were:

Felsted School is highly successful in meeting its overall aim of “enabling Felstedians to achieve their individual best”.

Attainment of pupils across all subjects is good “in relation to their abilities”, with results in GCSE, A level similar to those of maintained selective schools.

• teachers are hard working and help to create the outstanding environment in which pupils live and learn.
• the pastoral care and guidance is of an outstandingly high quality.
• relationships among pupils are amiable, friendly and supportive.
• teachers are dedicated and loyal, and work hard to the benefit of the education and care of the pupils.
• the programme of extra curricular activities is outstanding.
• the school provides an excellent boarding experience which supports and enriches pupils’ education and personal development.
• pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding.
• House staff are enthusiastic, committed and passionate about their role.
• governors, headmaster and the management team provide positive, strong and supportive leadership for the school.
• an excellent record in individual and team achievements.
• positive, friendly, hard-working ethos, and this is a major factor in the good achievements of the pupils.
• very good links with parents.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
 
There are many out of lesson activities catering for pupils and members of Common Room are expected to participate in the running of these. Sport, Music, Art and Drama activities flourish and there are over thirty societies.
 
Academic Societies and Clubs
The School has a strong history of academic societies and extra-curricular activities which traditionally have been centred on a former manor house called The Bury. Most departments run academic societies and there is a range of meetings on Wednesday afternoons as part of the Academic Enrichment Programme. The Houses compete against each other in a large number of activities from chess to singing and from sports to general knowledge. Debating, Model United Nations and Public Speaking are particularly strong with pupils involved in many prestigious, external competitions; the Lord Upjohn Declamation is a high profile school competition judged by the Recorder of London. The Drake Society exists to challenge the more able pupils in Years 9-11 through a series on invited speakers and debates, while the Andrew Society is the meeting place of the most academic Sixth Form students and membership is by competitive interview. There is an Oxbridge Reading Party at the end of the Summer Term for the Lower Sixth along with a series of “Pudding Lectures” and supervisions. The termly Cromwell Lectures are a chance for all to hear prestigious speakers. There is an annual Arts Festival at the end of each Spring Term.
 
Drama
There are a number of School and visiting drama productions each year and large numbers of pupils and CR are involved in all areas of production. Felsted has its own TV editing facility and a studio theatre.
 
Music
The Music Department offers opportunities for performers of all kinds, and CR are always welcome to participate in ensembles if they have an interest in singing or playing. The Senior School boasts a brass ensemble, jazz band, wind band, orchestra and a range of choirs. In recent years tours have been organized to Bermuda, Catalonia, Cyprus and USA and there are three weekly concerts during term time of which Music for a Summer’s Evening is the high-light.
 
Combined Cadet Force and the Duke of Edinburgh Award
The School boasts one of the country’s oldest Combined Cadet Forces with Army and RAF Sections and competes with distinction in national competitions. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme is also thriving at Felsted, with pupils regularly achieving large numbers of Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards, one of the highest completion rates in the country. Small-bore shooting continues to thrive at Felsted and a number of pupils are selected for international honours every year. 
 
Sport
Sport at Felsted plays a significant role for both the pupils and the Common Room. The school offers a range of sporting activities for the pupils to excel whether it is in the swimming pool or on the sports field. The major sports teams all tour on a regular basis. This success is mainly due to the effort and talent of the pupils at Felsted, however it would not be possible for us to extend these talents if it not for the help from the members of the Common Room.
 
The Common Room has many talented coaches and you will be actively encouraged and expected to lead a side or run an activity during your time at the school. Members of Common Room are also given the opportunity to attend coaching and umpiring courses to develop their knowledge, understanding and confidence with coaching.   Felsted offers a wide variety of sporting activities; however, it is always possible to extend the programme to match the strengths and interests of a new member of Common Room.
 
Boys’ Sport
The School excels in the major games and can boast numerous successes in recent years in Rugby, Hockey and Cricket. The Cricket 1st XI have won the 20/20 Independent Schools National Championship twice in recent years. The Hockey 1st XI has reached the National Finals on numerous occasions. The 1st XV Rugby has recently toured Italy. The success on the sports field does not overlook those whose talents lie elsewhere and the games programme offers the pupils to participate in Basketball, Football, Fitness, Golf, Squash, Swimming, Badminton, Cross Country Running, Tennis and Athletics.
 
Girls’ Sport
The School’s sports programme offers an extensive range of sporting activities for girls. The four major sports are Hockey, Netball, Tennis and Rounders, while there are other options such as Aerobics, Swimming, Dance, Fitness, Badminton, Running and Squash if a girl’s talents lie elsewhere. The school has had much success in Hockey - U14 Essex Champions and U18 East of England champions. The U18s have reached the National Finals three times in recent years. Tennis is also very strong with the U15 girls reaching the Eastern Finals.
 
INDUCTION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
 
There is a sharp focus on the professional needs of Common Room. A full induction programme is provided for all new members of Common Room. Newly Qualified Teachers are fully supported through the School’s mentoring system and can obtain Qualified Teacher Status after their first year. The Common Room enjoy up to date ICT facilities in their own mini computer suite in the Lord Riche Hall.
 
The school has a very generous INSET budget and members of Common Room are encouraged to extend their professional development through the attendance of courses. There is an effective biannual Professional Review system. The Summer Term for the Senior School finishes two and a half days before that of the Prep School with the time being used for whole school and department INSET.
 
Further details can be found in the Independent Schools' Yearbook and on the School's website (www.felsted.org). A prospectus, current School calendar and most recent publications will be sent to applicants who are invited to be interviewed.

CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
 
The aim of this policy is to safeguard our pupils’ welfare, by fostering an honest, open, caring and supportive climate. Felsted School fully recognises the contribution it can make to protect and support the pupils in school. There are three main elements to our Child Protection policy:

• Encouraging and maintaining a positive and caring school atmosphere with strong teaching and pastoral support to pupils so that all pupils feel valued and nurtured.
• Ensuring that all staff are appropriately recruited, trained and supported to respond sensitively and appropriately to Child Protection concerns.
• Supporting pupils who may have been abused and the staff who deal with them.