The Church of England Voluntary
Aided Primary School of the Parish of Wanstead
A brief
history.
The Reverend Samuel Glasse Rector of Wanstead established the
Church School probably in 1786 just a few months after his arrival in the parish.
This was for the education of the poor of the parish of Wanstead. Originally
two houses were used then in 1795 land was given and the new school opened in
1797 – on its present day site. The date of 1790 on the foundation stone in
the infant playground is the source of great confusion, but is almost certainly
wrong having been altered when the stone was re-cut!
The curriculum was centred on the Liturgy and Catechism of
the Church of England, and the children had to constantly attend worship in
the parish church.
Through
the Nineteenth Century the school was significantly altered and enlarged. Following
the 1944 Education Act the schools ‘aided’ status was confirmed guaranteeing
its Church of England ethos and its independence in admissions.
The school was rebuilt again in 1980. For this the parish had
to raise £25,000 and the diocese some £20,000. The new school hall sits on the
site of the old Drummond Room. The cross is made of timbers from that building
and the two windows represents the two churches, St. Mary’s and Christ Church.
The last major change was the opening of the nursery in the
old school master's house in 1996. This is the only surviving building from
the original school.
The
School Today
The School today remains a Church of England aided school and
its governing body with a majority of members from the parish and diocese reflects
this fundamental element of its character. The full National Curriculum is taught
and Diocese of Chelmsford Seedtime course followed for Religious Education
As a parish we are fully committed to maintaining the special
place of our school at the heart of our parish believing the school to be at
the centre of the churches mission to this community. We welcome the recent
report on Church of England schools by Lord Dearing and in particular his affirmation
that our school should be:
A place
where ‘the Christian faith is alive and practiced’ and which seeks
‘to offer excellence in education’ which ‘develops the whole human being
through the practice of the Christian faith’.
We also
affirm with him the belief that our church school should be ‘in close partnership
with the worshipping community’.
The school is very popular and usually highly oversubscribed
with high academic attainment but also a reputation for caring for the whole
child, spiritual, pastoral and social.
Admissions
The admission policy is set by the School Governors in consultation
with the parish, diocese, local education authority and parents. It reflects
the schools' foundation both as a place of Christian education and as a service
to the community in Wanstead. Priority is given to children of families who
are frequent worshippers at St. Mary’s or Christ Church.
This policy ensures the ethos of the school with common values
shared at home, in school and in church. It gives children and parents the experience
of belonging to a wide and diverse community
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