A Governor of Clayesmore School
I attended Clayesmore Preparatory School in Charlton Marshall (1950-55) and Clayesmore Senior School in Iwerne Minster (1955-60). I then went to St. Catharine's College, Cambridge to read Mathematics, later changing to undertake research in Chemistry. I have remained at Cambridge University.In 1975 I became a Governor of Clayesmore. Because I live far away, I can only attend the termly Council meetings and I am not on the important committees. There are 12 to 16 Governors at any one time; they are selected to represent the many different walks of life which are relevant to the School (I represent academia). Retirement age is 70. The present Chairman is R R Spinney, a contemporary of mine at Clayesmore; he is a surveyor who has had a highly successful career in property development; he is the nephew of J D Spinney.
There are three important committees of Council: (a) the Finance and General Committee, with special responsibility to advise the Bursar on the budget, the fee income, the salary scales and structure, regular and exceptional expenditures, and the overall profitability of the two Schools, and with special responsibility to advise the Headmasters and the Bursar on all the activities of the School, this includes school numbers (boys, girls, day pupils), all aspects of teaching, accommodation and new developments, as well as regular inspections of the School by the local authorities; (b) the Senior School Committee, which looks after interests which are particular to the Senior School, and (c) the Preparatory School Committee. It must be stressed that it is the Headmasters and the Bursar who are in daily charge of the School; the duties of the Governors are to ensure that the School provides an excellent education, in the widest sense, and that it runs on sound finances. Governors have special responsibilities for the appointment of the Headmasters and the Bursar. Over 25 years there have been major changes to Clayesmore. The Preparatory School is now a tremendous success, attracting huge numbers of children from within a 25 mile radius. This success has meant considerable expenditure, including new classrooms and the Headmaster's house. We read with interest the Headmaster of the Preparatory School's report to Council each term, with the latest achievements in sport and in music. I read with interest of the number of scholarships gained to local senior schools, and the very satisfactory number of motivated pupils who move on to Clayesmore Senior School. It is in the interests of both Schools that a large number of children are attracted to stay on the one campus for approximately 10 years. The Council are very proud of the Preparatory School.
The Senior School of course occupies the majority of the 50 acre campus. The great selling point of the School is the magnificent view of the main School (Wolverton House) which prospective parents have as they visit for the first time. Over the years the Council have kept the fabric of Wolverton in a good state of repair. Today, Wolverton provides girls accommodation, the large rooms on the upper floors being suitably partitioned. The ground floor contains the Reception Rooms, the Library and the Offices. Girls are also accommodated in the purpose built King's House.
Boys are accommodated in the old 'Middles' block, now called Gate House. There is also the adjacent Manor House, and the Old Rectory, called Devine House, in the village. I recently went on a tour of Gate, and with the exception of many partitions, the general features of this building have changed little since Moore's day. This introduces one of the major challenges to the Governor's at present. It is clear that, sooner rather than later, the usage of Gate must change, and it will cease to be an accommodation block. It is a Grade II listed building, which means that there are restrictions. It offers many opportunities; can it provide space for urgently required enlarged computer facilities, a Design and Technology Centre or even new Physics, Chemistry and Biology Laboratories? Perhaps one or two less attractive structures in the vicinity could be pulled down as a result. The next five years will be very exciting with these new developments.
One of the great successes of Senior Clayesmore is the 'Centre for Learning Support'. Unlike years ago, when many pupils were described as 'slow learners', today it is realised that these children require some special teaching. Parents are only too happy to provide for this; the rewards are great! The Governors consider this provision to be an integral part of a mixed ability school. On the other hand, I am tremendously pleased with the excellence of the teaching which the school can provide in the sixth form. In recent years both the numbers of pupils and their performance at 'A' level has significantly increased, and any parent can with confidence be assured that their child will be well prepared for University education.
The last ten years have been very difficult for small private schools; it is to the credit of the Headmasters and their staff that the numbers attending Clayesmore did not drop significantly, and the Schools remain essentially full. To keep going in the 21st Century, the new developments outlined above must be carried forward. A large sum of money will be required. To this end the School is appointing a Development Director. We want to carry on with our initial successes of the Sports Centre and the Hockey field. The Governors know what is required, and are determined to see it through. In summary, both parts of Clayesmore are success stories. It is a privilege being a Governor of Clayesmore.
Nicholas C Handy (55-60)