Stamford Endowed Schools Enter New Era

Above: Will Phelan, Principal of Stamford Endowed Schools, Vicky Buckman, Head of Stamford School and Tom Cartledge, Chair of Governors for Stamford Endowed Schools

On Tuesday 5^th September the Stamford Schools opened its doors for the first time to teach students co-educationally at all stages as Stamford High School and Stamford School merge.

From this September, Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 will be taught in co-educational classes at all stages with the St Paul’s site the home campus for the Senior School. Years 12 and 13 are now based at the newly refurbished Sixth Form at St Martin’s, formerly Stamford High School, with Year 11 students, who are midway through their GCSE courses, remaining in single sex classes on their current sites to minimise disruption in such an important year. From September 2024, Stamford School will be fully co-educational in every year group.

Will Phelan, Principal of the Stamford Schools, which incorporates the Stamford Junior School, Stamford School and Stamford Sixth Form, comments: “This is such an exciting time for all our Schools, in particularly the Senior School where children will learn in co-educational lessons from 11 – 16. In 1997 Dr Peter Mason, our Principal at the time, opened our co-educational Sixth Form. We are now completing what he started by merging to co-educational learning at all stages.”

Will Phelan continues: “It has taken a huge amount of work and preparation to get us ready for this week, from our Governors, students, all our staff, parents, and wider community. Everyone has pulled together and delivered a fabulous, enhanced environment for our students and we are really looking forward to seeing everyone in the first week of term.”

Vicky Buckman, Head of Stamford School, adds: “This is an exceptionally exciting time for Stamford School. Our aim has always been to produce rounded and grounded students who are ready for their next steps in life once they leave us. One of our most notable hallmarks as a school is our Stamfordian Spirit. This is the enthusiasm, kindness, resilience, team work and community mindedness that all our students foster and is the common ground for all our students no matter ability, gender, interest or which school they have come from. What we offer here at Stamford School has not and will not change, but the composition of the community that we do it in, has. We are very much looking forward to the first full academic year of our two year transition to become co-educational at all stages by September 2024.”

Tom Cartledge, Chair of Governors for Stamford Endowed Schools, said: “The leadership of the School took the brave but absolutely right decision to create a Co-Ed school providing outstanding opportunities for our students to succeed. This year represents a great moment for all our community - parents, teachers and pupils - to come together and celebrate this new chapter in story - let’s make it happen!”