St Faith's School

The school was founded by Ralph Shilleto Goodchild, a graduate of Christ’s College, around 1884.[3] It features under that name in Gwen Raverat's autobiographical account of her childhood, Period Piece.[4]

The Leys and St Faith's Foundation share the motto (In fide fiducia) and coat of arms.[5]

Until the 1990s, most classrooms were in converted Victorian houses. Since then, the school has built Ashburton, opened in 1999, a large red brick building. Ashburton was named like it is because the children were evacuated to a place called Ashburton during the second world war. This contains the School Hall, where assemblies and plays take place. Ashburton Hall's name commemorates the evacuation of some of the boarders during the Second World War to the Golden Lion Hotel in Ashburton, on Dartmoor in Devon.

In June 2006, the school opened a new building for music and technology, named The Keynes Building in honour of old boys Maynard and Geoffrey Keynes.

In May 2011 a state of the art Sports Centre was opened by Geoffrey Windsor-Lewis, a prominent Old Fidelian.

In November 2018, a £2M STEM facility named ‘The Hub' was officially opened by Professor Lord Robert Mair CBE FREng FRS and Old Fidelian. It is designed to link all aspects of STEM education (Science, Maths, Computing, Engineering, Art and Design) in one large multi-functional space.

The fees for the academic year 2020-2021 are as follows:

The majority of children are admitted at the age of either 4 or 7, but entry is also possible at other ages, where places are available. For entry to Foundation, places are offered via a visit to assess the child in their nursery setting; looking at age-appropriate development. From Year 2 onwards, admission to the School follows a good performance in written entrance tests, and a satisfactory reference from their current school.

More information can be found on the website.

An Independent Schools Inspection of St Faith's, in April 2017, stated, 'The schools meets the standards in the schedule to the Education (Independent Schools Standards) Regulation 2014, and relevant requirements of the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, and associated requirements, and no further action is required as a result of this inspection'.

An Independent Schools Inspection of St Faith's, in June 2011, reported" ‘St Faith’s is highly and conspicuously successful in meeting its stated aims, especially those aspiring to achieve high academic standards, and provides an inspiring education and a stimulating curriculum’. Pupils’ achievement was ‘excellent’. Teaching across the school was found to be ‘excellent’, as was pupils’ personal development and cultural and spiritual awareness. Pupils’ social development was also judged ‘outstanding’ with the pastoral support a major strength of the school.[6]

The school has achieved Eco-Schools' Green Flag status. In 2014, St Faith's was awarded the much coveted Ashden Award for its pioneering approach to the teaching of sustainability.[7]

The Good Schools Guide reviewed St Faith's as: ‘Overall, a very impressive school. Plenty of space, an excellent innovative education but, most importantly, a joyous place to be'. ‘Curriculum very much based on the future, a very forward-looking school.’

In 2018, St Faith's were shortlisted 'Strategic education initiative of the year' and 'Prep School of the Year' at the TES (Times Education Supplement) Independent School Awards, the school ended up winning the former award for taking the bold step of introducing Engineering as a core curriculum subject for all pupils in Year 3 and above. The judges commented "To introduce Engineering as a curriculum subject from age 7 is a bold and inspiration step. We were deeply impressed."

St Faith’s announced that they had been shortlisted for the second consecutive year, for the TES Independent Schools Awards 2019 for ‘Prep School of the Year’. The winners will be revealed on the 1st of February 2019.

The Independent School Parent Magazine named St Faith’s winner of the 2018 Healthy Eating Award. Judges were looking for innovative healthy eating programmes with a tangible impact on the school community.

In 2018, all year 8 pupils secured a place at a senior school of their choice, with over 90% moving to their first choice school. Many of the pupils move to Cambridge schools with approximately half of the year group transferring to The Leys, the co-foundation school, as well as a high percentage moving to The Perse School. Other schools to which pupils have moved in recent years include Eton College, Felsted School, Framlingham School, The King's School, Ely, Oakham School, Oundle School, The Stephen Perse Foundation, Rugby School, Uppingham School, St Mary's School. Other schools to which pupils have moved in recent years include locally maintained schools and other schools in the US, continental Europe and Asia. In 2018, 27 scholarships were offered for places to senior schools.

The vast majority of pupils leave at the end of year 8, age 13. St Faith’s is the only school which benefits from the co-foundation by letting pupils secure a place at The Leys two years early, by Preliminary Assessment in Year 6.

In early 2018, the Deputy Head Academic, Margaret White, released a book named 'A Good Education' which answered a key question - what constitutes a good education? Published by Routledge, it demonstrates a new 'four-dimensional' model by outlaying its origins, implications and practice. The book received positive reviews by former and current headmasters at schools, and the Chief Executive of IAPS (Independent Association of Prep Schools) wrote 'Anyone who cares about the education of our children should read it'.

Old Fidelians include:

• Tess Howard (born 1999), English international field hockey player, midfielder for England and Great Britain
• Lord Robert Mair (born 1950), Geotechnical engineer and Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Cambridge.
• Sir Christopher Cockerell (1910-1999), Inventor of the hovercraft
• Dr John Saltmarsh (1908–1974)
• John Maynard Keynes (1883–1946)
• Sir Geoffrey Keynes (1887–1982)
• Professor Douglas Hartree FRS (1897–1958), Plummer Professor of Mathematical Physics, University of Cambridge[8]
• David Thouless (born 1934), physicist[9]
• Canon John Pearce-Higgins (1905–1985)[10]
• Professor Antony Flew (born 1923), philosopher
• Sir John Tusa (born 1936), Director of the BBC World Service
• Professor Hugh Brogan (born 1936)[11]
• Nigel Lesmoir-Gordon (born 1943), film maker and poet[12]
• Judge John Tanzer (born 1949)[13]
• Geoff Windsor-Lewis, Wales Rugby, 1960
• Jamie Murray, tennis player; won the Wimbledon Doubles in 2017; first Briton to win at Wimbledon for twenty years; elder brother of tennis player Andy Murray
• Ran Laurie (1915–18), winner of gold medal for the coxless pairs in the 1948 Olympics; father of actor Hugh Laurie
• Rob Huff (born 1979), British motor racing driver; winner of the 2010 World Touring Car Championship; world Touring Car Champion in Macau in November 2012
• Guy W.H. Edwards (born 1983), rugby player for Nomadas R.C. and Ecuador; winner of 2013 CONSUR Group C competition
• Georgie Stoop (born 1988), British tennis player
• Alex Goode (born 1988), rugby player for Saracens F.C. and England

• St Faith's School official website