Stamford Endowed Schools changes uniforms and classrooms as all girls and boys are taught together
This summer a school is preparing for major changes that include girls and boys being taught together.
Historically Stamford Endowed Schools has taught its 11 to 16-year-old pupils in single-sex classes.
But when children return from the summer holidays they will be in mixed classes, with most lessons at the Stamford School site located around the town’s St Paul’s Street.
The former boys’ school will be known as St Paul’s Campus, and the former Stamford High School for girls in High Street St Martin’s will become St Martin’s Campus.
Primary pupils will remain at Stamford Junior School off Kettering Road.
To create more teaching space and meet timetable requirements, the science block off Brazenose Lane is being extended and the Beaufort building next door is being refurbished for maths and computing.
Principal of the Stamford Endowed Schools Will Phelan said: “Co-education makes it far easier to ensure equality of opportunity for all our students. We are preparing for this exciting, historic change that will future proof our schools for generations to come.
“September 2023 is the start line to evolve the Stamfordian of 2030 and beyond.”
An email to former pupils of the school, introduced by Mr Phelan, explained that the Stamford High School site is being “transformed into a bespoke sixth form campus” with work having started at Easter.
It added: “We are working closely with TaskSpace, the refurbishment specialists, with the goal to create a calm and inviting space for students to both study, relax and learn.
“A group of sixth form students have had input with these plans, and were able to give some valuable feedback on the project to the planners and were excited to know they would help choose fabrics, colour schemes and seating styles.
“The plans include creating commercial-style work spaces, much like universities and other further education institutions, so we start to prepare students for hot desking and working in breakout rooms.
“The students also asked some great questions regarding tablets, library spaces, work pods, as well as “chill out” zones, hydration stations and much more.
“The vision is to create a modern, commercial style work space at school for our students so they begin to learn to work flexibly.”
In order to make sure there is enough parking available for staff and visitors, Stamford Endowed Schools has applied to South Kesteven District Council for barriers across the entrances to its main car parks, which will open only to permitted vehicles before 4pm.
Stewart Dorey, director of estates and facilities, said: “We operate a strict transport management plan across the sites and the installation of automatic number plate recognition parking barriers is one part of our wider plans to ensure traffic flows more efficiently around the sites from September.
“The barriers will be disabled during peak times and will enable parents to drop and collect children from our allocated drop off points, as they do now.”
He added that resurfacing at the school’s section of the Cattle Market car park will provide additional parking for staff and parents at the nursery school.
Uniforms are also changing from September to bring more ‘equality and consistency’ between girls and boys.
These include a new blazer badge featuring the school’s Spede bird logo in white, a unisex jumper, and ties and plain white shirts for girls as well as boys.
The school is rejigging its ‘houses’ for pupils, with four junior houses - Radcliffe, Exeter, Beale and Anderson - and four senior - Elliot, Cavell, Ancaster and Brazenose - denoted by blue, green, red or yellow school ties.
