Dear Alumni I feel like we are slowly getting back to normal here at Edge Grove, or at least forging a new normal where we can invite guests on site and hold events for our past and present pupils. Our last newsletter was a year ago but in this last term we have managed to put on a Golf Day and a few alumni have returned to the school for visits. Having cancelled the last Christmas lunch I am looking forward to welcoming as many of you as possible back to school for our annual Christmas lunch on 11th December. This is a great opportunity to return to the school with your peers, enjoy a delicious Christmas lunch and tour the school to see the changes that have happened since you left. We will aim to seat you with fellow pupils of your era and cohort so please get in touch if you can join us for this special event.
On a personal note, my time as a parent has come to an end after 17 years with the last of my three children having left this summer. As many of you know, firm friendships are forged by not only pupils but parents too and it's just one of the very special qualities of Edge Grove. Unlike many leaving parents though I get to return every week and work at the front of the house that holds so many memories. I wish all the cohort of 2021 every success at their new schools and please do stay in touch. If you would like to submit an update for the next publication in Spring please email egs@edgegrove.com. Marriages, births, change of roles, tales of travels, we would like to hear about it all. And finally, don't forget to check out our Alumni website where you can reconnect with school friends, find out about upcoming events and view our digital archive. It really is worth a visit.
I will now hand over to our Head, Lisa McDonald, for her welcome to this newsletter. Best wishes and we hope to see you soon.
Sue Maughan Development & Alumni Manager
Dear Alumni
Following an eventful first year in post I am looking forward to what promises to be a more normal school year. I am hugely excited at the thought of a return to many of the traditions and events that we have all missed over the last 18 months, not least being able to meet the alumni community in person. I hope that this year will see a return to onsite events and I look forward to welcoming you back to the school as soon as possible.
Despite the challenges of the pandemic we continued to move boldly forward into our next phase of development. It was with a rather heavy heart that we took the decision to close the boarding house this year following a steady decline in numbers over the last few years and a sense that there has been a distinct change in appetite for full boarding. We continue to successfully place our pupils to some of the top boarding schools in the country and we are able to do so because of the academically ambitious broad and sharp curriculum that we provide, in addition to the breadth of opportunity in sports and in the creative arts. A continued focus on character education and personal development particularly in the Upper School will ensure that our pupils are well prepared for their foundation to their senior school.
I am extremely keen to retain the community culture and ethos of strong pastoral care that will remain the legacy of the boarding house for years to come and to this end, we have some exciting plans for the redevelopment of the main house, the first phase of which has been completed this summer. As the school grows we recognise we are in much need of some additional meeting and office space and so the creation of a large boardroom in the former North Dorm will now provide a modern and inspiring place to hold meetings and events.
As our plans for a new Dining Hall come to fruition we hope to be able to relocate key areas of the learning success and pastoral provision, to the south side of the house thus ensuring that we retain the spirit of the boarding environment.
This term sees the arrival of some passionate and dedicated new staff in key positions around the school. I am delighted to welcome Miss Jo Leighton as my Senior Deputy Head. Jo joins Edge Grove with a wealth of experience of senior leadership and will work closely with me in continuing to formulate the strategic direction of the school. I am also pleased to welcome new heads of department in maths, English and music. The strength of the school undoubtedly lies in the quality of the teaching staff and I am thrilled to have made these and other excellent appointments.
Pupil numbers remain buoyant and we are pleased to welcome over 90 new pupils to the community this term.
Any major challenge always brings with it a wealth of opportunity and we are particularly pleased to have embedded EdTech across the school following the successful periods of remote learning during the pandemic. We are keen to learn as many lessons as we can as we reflect on the experiences of the last 18 months and there are many other silver linings that will help us to frame our thinking as we take the school forward over the next year. We are keen to strengthen our links with you and I hope that many of you will be able to attend our alumni Christmas lunch on 11th December. I hope to meet many of you in person there to hear your Edge Grove stories and memories.
Best wishes Lisa McDonald Head
