I am very honoured to become the first Patron of Nottingham High School, following the expiry of my term of office as a Governor and Chair of the Board.
During my term as a Governor we have always put the enhancement of student outcomes at the forefront of our decision making.
We have invested significantly in both the academic provision and the pastoral care which the School offers. The creation of the new post of Assistant Head, Teaching and Learning demonstrated our commitment to academic excellence. Our plans to develop a Wellbeing Centre at the School along with the growth of our Counselling Service shows our clear concern for the welfare of those in our care and in our community. The same is true with our new facilities, such as the Junior School extension, the new Hockey pitches at Highfields and the programme of refurbishing our science labs. There are many more examples, all aimed at improving our students’ experiences.
This ongoing investment continues to make a High School education a life changing experience, as it was for me when I started at the School nearly sixty years ago. I was neither an academic high-flyer, nor someone who excelled at anything in particular. My early years were in the “B” stream, I was tone deaf, couldn’t act, but had an enthusiasm, rather than any ability for sport. Yet with careful nurturing in the sixth form from the likes of David Peters and David Matthews I somehow contrived to be accepted by Cambridge University. Similarly, David Phillips, Bob Mardling and Geri Thomas instilled a passion for rugby, and Ozzy Lush and Tony Bird a love of tennis. Cambridge set up my lifetime career, while school sport introduced me to many lifetime friends. I think I still may be the only person in the School’s history who gained first XV colours as a front row forward and first VI colours as a tennis player! There is something for everyone on offer.
In my day the City, the County and Derbyshire County Council all funded scholarships to the High School, so something like 40 students a year received a free education. This enabled many talented students to share the same life changing experience and to go on and make a full contribution to Society. This was social mobility in action, long before it became a political “buzz” word.
Sadly, those scholarships, and their replacements, are no longer available, with the result that many able and deserving potential students miss out on the chance to enjoy the benefits I had.
Those of you who heard my first Chairman’s speech at Speech Day in 2016 may recall my commitment to raising funds so that many more students could benefit from a High School Bursary.
We have made steady progress since then, especially with support from a few very generous donors and legators, as well as grants from local trusts and foundations. Progress has inevitably been hampered by covid and lockdown, but I am delighted to report we have raised sufficient to fund an additional bursary place for seven years starting September 2022 . Our modest success has also given us the confidence to appoint our first full time Fundraising Manager in Sam Ellis. I hope that you will enjoy reading about Sam’s plans along with the efforts of the School’s Development Office and help us realise our ambition to make a High School Education “needs blind” to all.
If you would a conversation with me regarding our vision and our work please do get in touch; wild.d@nottinghamhigh.co.uk
