Founded by William Radcliffe, of Stamford, 1532.
Introduction.
Stamford Endowed Schools have been educating students since 1532. Our Schools have a long and prestigious heritage, but everything we do at Stamford is focused on preparing young people to lead happy and fulfilling lives in the 21st century. At the start of the academic year 2023-2024 Stamford Schools opened its doors for the first time to teach students co-educationally at all stages as Stamford High School and Stamford School merged.
We strive to offer an outstanding, contemporary education in which students develop the ability to think for themselves and to interpret the world around them. Every child at Stamford is encouraged to be an independent thinker and take the lead in their own education. The Stamford Endowed Schools comprise of Stamford Junior School from ages 2-11, Stamford School from ages 11-16 and Stamford Sixth Form from ages 16-18. All three Schools are located throughout the historic Lincolnshire town of Stamford on our 55 acre site. Stamford is a dynamic, vibrant, modern, and exciting school, built on the strengths of five centuries of learning, with a resolute focus on preparing our students for 2030 and beyond. Our students leave Stamford as rounded and grounded young people, ready for life beyond education. At the heart of all our Schools is the focus on academic ambition, pastoral excellence, and the opportunity for students to become the very best version of themselves.
Buildings and Grounds.
Our School sites are embedded in the heart of Stamford, covering just over 55 acres of the town. We are an intrinsic part of the local community, with the Nursery and Junior School located to the west of the town, and Stamford Sixth Form (St Martin’s) and Stamford School (St Paul’s) situated in the centre of Stamford.
St Paul's proudly forms the foundation of the Stamford School site, now home to Year 7–11 students, upholding the legacy of the former boys' school before its co-educational merger with Stamford High School. The Chapel, formerly St Paul's Church, from which the site takes its name, is the oldest part of our School. In 1532 teaching began in the Corpus Christi chapel of St Mary’s, but in 1553, the School moved to the remaining portion of St Paul’s. The Chapel dates as far back as the Domesday Book of 1086. Elsewhere at St Paul’s you will find the Oswald Elliott Hall, Performing Arts Centre, Sports Centre, Swimming Pool, and Playing Fields. The footbridge across East Street links the St Paul’s site, where you will find three of our Boarding Houses, with the Sports facilities and School buildings.
St Martin’s was home to the Stamford High School until September 2023 when Stamford School and High School merged. It is now home to the Stamford Sixth Form where Year 12 and 13 are based. The School buildings were originally part of Browne’s Hospital, which first opened its doors in 1877. Former High School students include Frances Chapman (OS 1884) who later became piano teacher to the famous composers, Sir Malcolm Sargent (OS 1910) and Sir Michael Tippet (OS 1922). Three of our Boarding Houses are based at St Martin’s, along with the Ancaster Studio, Birkbeck Drama Studio and Spires Café. The Wothorpe Sports Centre and Astro Pitches are based between the St Martin’s site and Stamford Junior School, just five minutes’ walk from the main reception along Kettering Road.
School Structure and Curriculum.
The Schools educate over 1,200 students co-educationally from Years 7 to 13. Years 7-11 learn predominantly at the St Paul’s site of Stamford School, moving to the Stamford Sixth Form at St Martin’s in Years 12 and 13. At Stamford we want our students to take the lead in their own education. At the heart of what we offer at Stamford is the opportunity for children to thrive, and to help them become the best version of themselves. Every student at Stamford, from Nursery through to Sixth Form, is encouraged to be an independent thinker. At Stamford we offer young people opportunity and breadth of experience, which combined gives them an education that develops their ability to think for themselves.
ACADEMIC CURRICULUM
We offer a wide and detailed curriculum to suit all students. Enabling a stronger academic focus, tailored to every pupil, gives our students balance. Our curriculum incorporates linguistic, mathematical, scientific, technological (including computing), human and social, physical, aesthetic and creative, spiritual, moral, ethical and personal education. Teachers and parents work together, identifying each student's personal strengths and ensuring they achieve what they are capable of – their progress is proactively tracked through both formal and informal reporting.
APPROACH TO LEARNING
Our approach to learning is formed around a framework of four guiding principles that include creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and complex problem-solving. Lessons are designed to be engaging, and to challenge and stretch your child. Our ‘ideal classrooms’ provide an innovative environment that promotes collaboration between students, their peers and their teachers.
STAMFORD SIXTH FORM
The Stamford Sixth Form programme offers 28 different subjects at A Level and 3 BTEC courses plus 1 Cambridge Technicals course. This means students can choose the subjects they love, as well as ensuring they are equipped with the knowledge and qualifications needed to enter further education or the workplace in the future. Around 90% of our Sixth Form who apply to UCAS go on to university, including Oxford, Cambridge, and Russell Group universities. Whether students are interested in a career, degree apprenticeships, further education, travel, gap years or volunteering, our priority is to work with you to help you understand the right options available. We support all our students in exploring all routes. At Stamford Sixth Form our aim is to ensure that students don’t lose their breadth of learning, and have a range of opportunities once they begin their further education. Funnelling down from a broad range of subjects at GCSE, we understand that moving to a narrower range of subject choices can often limit breadth. We want our scientists to still have a passion for literature; we know our language students still need numeracy skills for adult life when managing money for the first time; and we also still need to have fun, relax and unwind.
We have designed our timetable to increase contact time for key subjects. Our unique life skills programme offers students a range of taught, short courses in areas such as finance for the real world, how to cook for yourself at university, how to prepare a business pitch, how to dance and how to rewire a plug, or change a tyre once you’ve learnt to drive! Students will be encouraged to manage their own time, to make appointments with their individual form tutors and work in a more flexible way to study, whilst remaining in the structured setting of a school environment. We hope that offering a flexible and varied programme to our students will ensure their time at Stamford is valuable, life-affirming and enjoyable.
Stamford has a robust pastoral structure, ensuring students have a learning environment where they are happy, secure, feel listened to and cared for. As a school we know that happy, cared-for students are most likely to thrive. Our pastoral system means that day to day our students have access to a year group Student Support Manager, a Head of Year as well as their Form Tutor. The students are also supported by our school counsellors, safeguarding, health and wellbeing and behaviour teams who all work together under one Pastoral umbrella. This ensures care is consistent and timely, providing an environment for our students to build resilience and strengthen their own wellbeing. At Stamford, we believe collaboration with parents, tutors, staff and our wider community, is important. This gives our students the tools they need to cope with the challenges life can throw at them and ensure they feel fully supported throughout. We also provide a modern PSHE programme that is challenging, informative and inspirational. The programme is embedded into our curriculum and an important part of our day.
Activities.
At Stamford we believe co-curricular activities build inclusivity, community and teamwork. Being involved in our co-curricular programme helps our young people support and respect each other, their peers and wider community around them. It gives them the ability to try new things, and unlock their team spirit. At Stamford, we believe that our co-curricular offering is an essential part of a child’s schooling with us and that our co-curricular activities help students to develop important life skills such as leadership, confidence, and teamwork.
We strive to create as many opportunities as possible for students to extend their learning and passions beyond the classroom. Our extensive range of co-curricular activities, from CCF and debating, to photography and cooking, all promote a love of learning beyond the academic programme. There are also opportunities for students to reinforce their curriculum learning and extend their experience with clubs such as Drama and Dance as well as Music lessons. These clubs give the students an ability to try new things and with over 400 clubs and activities a week at Stamford, there is something for everyone.
Careers.
Our Head of Futures, Higher Education advisors and Stamford Alumni are on hand to help ensure students’ next steps are tailored to individual pathways and that each student gets the best bespoke advice and support. At Stamford we offer a unique, tailored approach to Futures, with our Head of Futures, a Level 6 qualified careers advisor and member of the Careers Development Institute, along with a knowledgeable and experienced Higher Education advisory team on hand to guide students through their post-16 options. We offer Morrisby profiling and 1:1 careers advice which, combined with students’ academic data, helps us guide and support students with their important decision making. Stamford’s Futures ethos is simple: We believe that the purpose of school is to connect the past, present and future for our young people. In our Futures programme we guide and empower our students to become the best possible version of themselves as they leave Stamford and take first steps into their future beyond school. We ask our students, ‘who could you be, and would you like to be’? We work alongside them to help them find the best next steps to take towards their future fulfilment.
House Structure.
The Stamford boarding community is small with seven boarding properties, which ensures students and our boarding Houseparents feel part of a close-knit community. Our boarding houses are age-appropriate and single-sex to ensure the need for privacy is respected and the right community atmosphere is created for our students. We offer full, weekly, flexible and occasional boarding, so there is something for everyone, depending on circumstances. Our Houses are full at the weekends, with students enjoying a social life rich in after-school clubs, sports, fun-packed trips and activities tailored to their age group. Boarders can also make use of our leisure centre and pool, or take advantage of support and advice from tutors and Houseparents during homework time.
Sixth Form Boarding - St Martin’s and Welland House Y11-12
Both Welland House and St Martin’s are home to our senior girls in Year 11–12. Both Houses are best described as a home from home. Both offer a nurturing, kind and caring community, with positivity and fun at their core, and a true sense of belonging and camaraderie at their heart. Park House is the home for our eldest female students in Year 13, located close
to the Burghley Estate. Park House is a safe and quiet space away from the town centre for students to study, relax and unwind.
Senior Boarding
St Paul’s is our house for younger female students and Byard House is the home of lower school boys. Both houses are located in the heart of the Senior School campus and for students in Year 7–10. The neighbouring houses team up for social activities and weekend trips to encourage a really dynamic and energetic community atmosphere. The pastoral care given to students is second to none, with Houseparents, tutors, matrons and support staff on hand for anything the students need.
Browne House is home to our senior boys in Year 11–13. Located on the St Paul’s site, the house is perfectly positioned close to the large playing fields and sports centre, whilst being close to the town centre and social elements of Stamford to allow for some independence. Stamford is a safe and inclusive town, with the School’s embedded within, so students are always safe and looked out for.
Admission.
At Stamford School there are three main points of entry in Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12. We can admit students into Year 8 and Year 10 when space allows. In these cases, the entrance exam and interview will be arranged on an ad-hoc basis.
Our admissions procedures are designed to be as straightforward as possible for all applicants, whilst also enabling us to gain a full understanding of each applicant’s academic potential and suitability to Stamford Schools.
Of the 160 year group total, approximately half will join Year 7 from Stamford Junior School and the other half will come from a wide range of primary and preparatory schools across the region. The entrance examinations take place in January of the year of entry, when an applicant is in Year 6. All applicants will be invited to Stamford School to undertake; an interview with a member of our teaching staff; an inhouse English and Maths computerised assessments, (based on the current Year 6 curriculum) and a short piece of creative writing. The computerised assessments measure verbal and non-verbal reasoning, quantitative and spatial skills.
Applicants cannot prepare for these tests which are designed to assess their inherent (rather than taught) aptitude. They will use a school device to complete the assessments. For the written assessments (creative writing) students will be under examination conditions; they will be given a subject and will be asked to plan and write a short story based on this topic, within 30 minutes.
We admit around 30 students each year into Year 9. They will join the students who have come through from Year 7 to form a year group of around 180 students. The Main Entrance Examinations for Year 9 entry are held early in the Summer Term of Year 7 (age 11+). Following the Main Examinations, Stamford School will continue to accept registrations and make offers for as long as places remain available. Depending on the number of applicants and spaces available, the school may arrange a late exam day in the Autumn Term of Year 8 (age 12+).
Year 12 Entry
All applicants will be invited to Stamford Sixth Form to undertake; An interview with a member of our teaching staff; An inhouse computerised assessments (based on the current Year 11 English and Maths curriculum) This test assesses verbal and non-verbal reasoning, quantitative and spatial skills. Applicants cannot prepare for these tests which are designed to assess their inherent (rather than taught) aptitude.
Interview candidates will be interviewed by a member of the Sixth Form team. The focus of this interview is to get a better understanding of the candidate as a learner, but questions are likely to also explore other interests, achievements and skills to give us a more rounded impression of the individual.
International candidates must have a minimum English language level of B2 CEFR Level (IELTS equivalent 5.5–6.5). Following receipt of their application, the Admissions team will be in touch to guide them through the Year 12 entrance assessments and interviews, which will be held in the November of their Year 11.
Following the November assessment day, Stamford Schools will continue to accept registrations and make offers for as long as places remain available.
Fees.
Day student, Years 7 & 8, including lunch – termly £8,127, annual Fee £24,381
Day student, Years 9 to 11, including lunch – termly £8,357, annual fee £25,071
Day student Years 12 and 13, including lunch – termly £8,357, annual fee £25,071
Boarding ranges from £11,290 for a three day boarding option termly (£33,870 annually) to £15,678 for a full boarding package of a non-UK resident (£47,034 annually).
Applicants are required to pay a non-refundable registration fee of £100.
Fees include VAT.
Scholarships and Bursaries.
The Stamford Schools Scholarship provision is designed to recognise boys and girls with outstanding talents and skills in a variety of fields, and to help develop those talents and skills during their time at the school. Scholarships are awarded on entry to Stamford School, although there are later opportunities to gain a Scholarship once a pupil is at the school. Scholarship Awards will be made to students entering in Years 7, Year 9 and Year 12.
Stamford Scholars benefit enormously from the additional opportunities and enrichment programmes offered to them. Scholarships are awarded on merit and do not carry a fee remission or financial award. All scholarships are kept under review and are reassessed after a period of two years. At Stamford we offer Scholarships in Art, Drama, Music, TADA (Talented Athlete Development Award) in Year 7 and 8, and a Sports Scholarship from Year 9.
Currently, we provide more than £2m of bursary support to students. At Stamford we are proud of maintaining the wide socio-economic background of our students. Life-changing bursaries are available for talented students who otherwise would not be able to afford the fees to attend our School, giving them the opportunity to benefit from a Stamford education.
Each year we offer support to families of the brightest students whose financial resources are limited. Financial assistance is based on means-testing the household income and assets using a standard formula widely used within the independent schools sector.
Assistance with fees is available for students joining our Senior School in Years 7 to 13 and is means-tested, therefore the process will involve a home visit. The vast majority of our bursaries are awarded to children joining us at the key entry points of Year 7 and Year 12. Other years of entry are considered by exception only. Bursary applications should be submitted at the same time as you apply for a place. All bursaries are reviewed annually, and the student’s suitability will be considered through an academic assessment as well as reviewing previous school results and the child’s school report.
Charitable status. As part of the Stamford Endowed Schools, Stamford School is a Registered Charity, number 527618.