new hall school prospectus
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New Hall School ProspectusTRANSCRIPT
New Hall SchoolWelcome to
“It is a privilege for my children to learn in such a glorious and inspiring environment.” Parent
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New Hall is unusually vibrant and forward-
thinking. Our aim is to meet the changing needs
of young people and their families in the modern
and technological age. We are proud of our rich
history and the tradition of academic excellence
combined with outstanding pastoral care.
Dedicated and specialist staff work together as
a team to enable each student to fulfil his or her
potential. We aim to educate the whole person:
academically, creatively and socially, in a
community which also nurtures the spiritual
and moral dimensions of human life. This is
a place where each individual can be known and
affirmed in his or her
unique identity. We have
high expectations of good
conduct and self-discipline.
In a happy and caring
environment, students grow
in maturity and confidence
and make life-long friends.
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“We believe a New Hall education can give you the best start in life. We know that your experience in your school days is a powerful influence on future success, in your chosen
career and your personal relationships. We believe that New Hall offers
a distinctive education of real quality.”
Katherine Jeffrey, Principal since 2001
New Hall benefits from a magnificent campus and stunning heritage setting, with a Grade I listed main building that occupies a former Tudor palace built by King Henry VIII. The school is conveniently situated 35 miles north east of London and close to the town centre of Chelmsford, just off junction 19 of the A12. There is an extensive network of coaches and minibuses for travel to and from school.
The school is also easily accessible for boarders, being close to London airports; the 19-mile drive to Stansted Airport takes about 30 minutes. There are frequent trains between Chelmsford and central London; the train journey takes 35 minutes. Cambridge is less than an hour’s journey by car and the school organises a number of trips to this historic university city.
Location
New Hall has a distinctive Catholic foundation and Christian ethos and welcomes all who support that ethos. Students of many faiths and traditions belong to our community and we believe that everyone benefits from the universal values of love, trust, respect and fellowship that are central to our school life.
Students participate in the planning of liturgies and take an active role in various ministries as servers, readers and musicians. The acoustics of the Chapel enhance the fine liturgical music that enriches the worship.
A lively Chaplaincy provides a wide range of activities which students may choose to join. The school organises a programme for Confirmation preparation, for both Catholic and Anglican students.
Our Ethos
The school encourages self-discipline and a sense of responsibility; teamwork and a spirit of service to others are therefore at the heart of New Hall. In particular, a sense of community is fostered through the award-winning and nationally recognised organisation, New Hall Voluntary Service (NHVS), which was founded in 1978. NHVS activities include 8 weekly Action Groups, supporting people in need in the local community through student volunteers and adult volunteer supporters. In addition, the annual Children’s Holiday has been running now for over 30 years and usually involves adult and student volunteers, providing a holiday for approximately 25 children in need.
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“The gentle tolling of the Chapel bell draws you in as you walk down the Chapel corridor. The air resonates with the sound of the magnificent organ and choral singing.”
Staff member
“The Chapel is at the heart of the school.”
Brentwood Diocese Religious Education Inspection Report
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Curriculum
“Learning at New Hall is fun as well as challenging!” Year 10 student
An imaginatively taught and well-balanced
curriculum is appropriately tailored to the needs
of the individual. The staff endeavour to bring out
the best in everyone, so that academic potential is
realised and individual gifts and talents discovered
and nurtured.
The ‘diamond model’ educational structure provides
the optimal combination of co-educational and
single-sex teaching. Children progress from the co-
educational Preparatory School to the Boys’ Division
or Girls’ Division and then to the co-educational
Sixth Form in preparation for university life and
future careers. The benefits of single-sex teaching
for the first five years of Senior School derive from
the ability to tailor pastoral and academic provision
more sensitively, gender-specifically and expertly
to the needs of young people going through the
physical, emotional and social upheaval
of adolescence.
The New Hall curriculum is distinctive in its
breadth and academic rigour. In the Preparatory
School, there are specialist teachers for
Mathematics, French, ICT, Latin, Drama, Music,
Physical Education & Games and Dance. Students
learn French from age 3, Latin from age 7, and
in the Senior School, French or Spanish from age
11, with one or more of these languages normally
being taken at GCSE. Language learning at New
Hall is reinforced by exchanges and cultural trips
to France and Spain. In addition, Ancient Greek is
offered for keen classicists.
There is a strong emphasis on separate sciences,
taught by specialist teachers throughout the Senior
School. Those with particular aptitude and interest
may take all three sciences at GCSE.
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In the Sixth Form, the curriculum is extended
to include options such as Government &
Politics, Philosophy & Ethics, Economics,
Further Mathematics and Critical Thinking.
A full list of GCSE and A Level options is
available in the Additional Information
Booklet and on the website.
Every effort is made to teach according to
students’ abilities and to stretch those who
are gifted and talented well beyond the
demands of the public examination courses.
An Oxbridge programme, OMEGA, is in
operation from Year 9. Sixth Form students
are offered the opportunity to engage in an in-
depth research project, the Extended Project,
which complements A Level studies and also
attracts university entry points. Dance AS
Level is also offered as an additional subject
as part of the Gifted & Talented programme.
Some GCSEs and A Levels may be taken early.
There is an excellent track record of students
achieving top grades in public examinations
and successfully securing a place at their
chosen university.
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Our emphasis on pastoral care is a reflection
of our core values and ethos, and is a real
strength of the school. Through the care and
attention of class teachers in the Preparatory
School and the tutorial and mentoring
system in the Senior School, each child is
affirmed and encouraged in their personal
development. A peer-led group, Willow,
provides students with a further support
network, run by senior student volunteers,
who offer help and guidance.
Building confidence and teaching respect
for the self and others are priorities.
Through the vertical house system, we
foster social integration between boys and
girls across the age range, developing team
spirit, good humour and creativity.
Pastoral Care
New Hall School
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The four boarding houses offer their
members a strong sense of identity and
opportunities to forge new friendships.
The boarders enjoy a relaxed, homely
environment and the support and care of
a dedicated and enthusiastic staff team.
All full boarders may have single study
bedrooms from Year 10 onwards. Many
younger full or weekly boarders also have
single rooms, while some may prefer to
share with two or three others. All boarding
houses have their own kitchen, well-
equipped common rooms, internet access
and a selection of books and DVDs.
Boarding
“Trust, respect, love and kindness are at the heart of the New Hall community - it is a really happy place.” Sixth Form Senior Prefect
“My daughter is a different child. Boarding at New Hall has given
her the best of both worlds. She is independent during the week and
at the weekend we have a great time together.”
Parent of a Year 8 weekly boarder
Music has a long and fine tradition at New
Hall. Students may take individual lessons
in orchestral instruments, piano, singing,
drums and electric guitar. There is a host of
performing groups, including: infant, junior
and senior choirs; chamber choirs; a chapel
choir; a junior and senior orchestra; a strings’
academy; wind bands; recorder consorts and
chamber groups. Students are also encouraged
to form jazz and pop bands, for which
specialist support facilities are available.
Regular performances are given by students
in assemblies, lunchtime recitals and formal
concerts. Students take part in regional and
national musical festivals and competitions,
and groups tour regularly to perform in major
venues in Europe.
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Music
New Hall School
Performing Arts
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The Walkfares Performing Arts Centre is the home of thriving
Music, Dance and Drama Departments. Performances, from
Shakespeare to modern plays and musicals, give students the
opportunity to develop their confidence and creative talents.
There is also an annual dance show, with a cast of up to 300
girls and boys aged 4-18.
Students are encouraged to participate in the English
Speaking Board (ESB) or London Academy of Music and
Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) programmes.
Sports15
Team spirit, physical development and good health are promoted through our emphasis on sport throughout the school. New Hall balances elite training for those with particular sporting talent, with an inclusive approach that allows students of all abilities to find at least one sport that they can enjoy. Students compete at county, regional, national and international level in a wide range of sports.
In recent years, there has been a significant investment in the sports facilities on campus. The first-class provision now includes: The Waltham Centre 25m 6-lane indoor swimming pool; a national standard athletics track and floodlit Astroturf; ten floodlit tennis/netball courts; two sports halls; Parsons Hall dance studio; junior and senior cricket wickets and indoor training nets; hockey, rugby and football pitches; and a fitness centre. New Hall also has well-established links with a local riding school and a golf club.
The major games are cricket, hockey, netball, rugby and tennis. There is a wide variety of other sports, including aerobics & Pilates, athletics, badminton, basketball, cross country, football, golf, riding, rounders, swimming and volleyball. The school organises national and international sports tours.
Art, including Photography and Design
& Technology, is a popular and successful
subject. Students’ work displays a high level
of skill and creative imagination. A number
of former students have had successful
careers in design. The new Technology Centre
includes state of the art facilities for Product
Design and Cookery.
ICT is an essential part of the curriculum and
there are excellent facilities throughout both
schools. There is a commitment to a rolling
programme of investment, to ensure that
students benefit from the latest technology.
Art,Design & Technology
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New Hall School
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Educational opportunities extend far beyond the
classroom. The school’s educational philosophy is
reflected in the variety of challenging activities on
offer, which creates a stimulating environment for
personal development.
The extra-curricular programme runs during
the school day, on weekday evenings and at the
weekend. Activities range from debating & public
speaking to chess, eco-club, croquet and Air
Cadets. Senior School students may participate in
the annual pilgrimage to Lourdes and may also
undertake expeditions, in particular as part of the
Duke of Edinburgh Award and as members of a
World Challenge team.
Enrichment Activities
The school community has a vibrant,
multi-cultural dimension, which brings
significant social and educational benefits in
the opportunities provided to learn about,
and to learn from, different cultures and
traditions.
Students from other schools are invited
to join the New Hall Educational Day
programme. These Educational Days, which
take place on Saturdays, have a particular
focus such as Science, Latin & Classics,
Technology, Music, Dance or Sport.
Most girls and boys join the Preparatory
School at 3+ and, from age 7, these students
may become flexi-boarders or boarders.
Other boarders may join the Preparatory
School in Years 3-6.
Admission to the Girls’ Division or Boys’
Division is at 11+ and 13+, following
success in either Common Entrance or the
New Hall entrance assessments. Students
may also join the co-educational Sixth Form
at 16+. Most students in the Sixth Form
find boarding particularly beneficial in
preparation for the transition to university
life. From Years 10-13, all boarders are full
or weekly boarders.
Admissions
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Careers
ConclusionNew Hall students set out on their adult lives having acquired a wide range of skills, knowledge and experience, life-long friends and interests. They will expect to go to one of the best universities, or to a specialist art school, music college or sports academy. Once there, they will have the confidence to achieve success in their future careers.
We strive to help the students to develop a compass to guide them through important life decisions and experiences and the wisdom to make choices that will enable them to realise their unique potential. It is our hope that the experience of community and the values cherished at New Hall will encourage them always to respect the dignity of human life and to contribute to the local and wider community, in a spirit of generosity and kindness.
New Hall students grow in confidence and learn
the communication skills for good relationships
with others and for a successful career. Students are
encouraged to consider their futures from an early
stage. From Year 7, students benefit from careers
education lessons, which help them to recognise
their own strengths and weaknesses and to set
personal targets for progression.
From Year 9 onwards, students undertake specialist
careers programmes. These programmes are
valuable in helping students to make positive
choices in terms of their options at GCSE and
A Level. In addition to careers questionnaires and
feedback, follow-up interviews provide students
with suggestions for their careers research and
empower them to manage their higher education
and career route.
There are excellent work experience
opportunities, with work placements provided
by Old Fishes (alumni), outside agencies,
parents or through contacts made at the New
Hall Careers Convention. Through their
membership of the Old Fishes’ Association
(OFA), former students retain the strong sense
of community experienced during their school
days and also benefit from a lively social and
careers network.
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New Hall is one of the oldest Catholic schools in England. The school was founded in Liège in Belgium in 1642 by Susan Hawley, who also formed the English Community of the Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre. The Community’s spirituality, rooted in the Augustinian tradition, has a special emphasis on the Resurrection, prayer, community life, hospitality and service to others. The faith which lies at the heart of this foundation remains essential to the character of the school today. Initially the school offered a Catholic education to girls who were denied this in England in the Post-Reformation period. In 1794, the French Revolutionary Wars forced the Canonesses to leave the Low Countries. The school reopened on its present site in 1799.
History
Approached from a mile-long tree-lined avenue, the main building occupies the magnificent former Tudor palace of Beaulieu. In 1517, the estate was acquired by King Henry VIII, who greatly enlarged and enhanced the building and called it Beaulieu. A major archaeological dig took place in 2009 by Channel 4’s Time Team, which confirmed the importance of New Hall as the first of Henry VIII’s great palaces, on which Hampton Court was modelled. The Royal Arms of Henry VIII are now to be seen in the school Chapel. For many years the home of Mary Tudor, New Hall was subsequently granted to the Earl of Sussex by Queen Elizabeth I. Oliver Cromwell later procured the estate for five shillings. Today the spacious campus provides continuous education from ages 3-18, with excellent purpose-built facilities for boarding and day students. While continuing to draw on its rich heritage and to maintain its traditional values, the school has also evolved to meet the needs of the modern age.
New Hall School
Additional Information
This prospectus is provided for information only and is designed to describe the broad principles on which New Hall School is presently run and to give an indication of our history and ethos. Although believed correct at the time of publication, it does not form part of any agreement between parents and New Hall School Trust.
The Avenue,
Boreham,
Chelmsford,
Essex CM3 3HS
t 01245 467 588
f 01245 464 348
www.newhallschool.co.uk
New Hall School