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Best ever GCSE reults & universities beckon

St David’s School GCSE students produced the school's "best ever" results with 93% A*-C grades and 44% A* & A grades. 

Tessa Smith, Headmistress said “Our girls have not just lived up to our high expectations, they have surpassed them and this underlines dramatically the real benefits St David’s consistently delivers”

With 67% A-C grades at A level St David’s will be carrying on their studies at universites around the country from Edinburgh to Exeter

We wish them well both on the courses they are studying and in their future careers.

Speltorne Sports Awards

St David’s School gymnastics team's success this year was recognised by Spelthorne Sports Council who awarded them the School and College Sport Achievement Award at their Sports Awards evening.  Pupils, Teachers and Friends of the school picked up other awards  - Ella Kirby (above right), who swims for Staines Swimming Club, was runner up for the Junior Individual Female Award. Neil Griffiths, from Spelthorne Elite Acrobatics, who works with the Gym team was Coach of the Year. Sue O'Connell, a Prep School Teacher, is also a key member of Staines Ladies Hockey Club who won the Senior Sports Team Award.

Dragon Boat launch

St David’s Schools own Dragon Boat was launched at the Friends of St David's (FoSD) May Fayre.  The launch took place from the new jetty on the school lake. Both the jetty and the Dragon Boat have been generously funded by FoSD.

The maiden voyage saw the boat paddled enthusiastically round the lake.

Gymnasts win Gold at National Finals

St David’s School gymnasts won all three pairs competitions at the National Acrobatic Gymnastics Competition in Stoke on Trent on 26th & 27th April. The team also won the bronze medal in the under 11 group event.

Jo-Jo Perryman (11) and Anne-Marie Seabourne (10) were the youngest gold medallists in the under 11 pairs. Katie Bell (13) and Kim Hunter (12) matched this performance clinching gold at under 13 level representing St David’s for the first time in this National competition.

Katie Axten (15) and Abigail Ralph (13) are no strangers to the gold medal position and won yet again in the under 19 event. Katie has now won 7 gold medals and 7 national titles for St David’s and Abigail has set a new record by winning 4 consecutive gold medals and National titles.

The under 11 squad, Mia Stoop, Sandra Clement, Julia Richards, Ellen Dixon, Charlotte Hattersley-Hoskinson and Chantelle Murphy won bronze medals in the group event.

Gold Award for £4,000

St David’s School raised £4,000 for the Breast Cancer Campaign last year through a variety of fund raising activities including sponsored events – the girls’ favourite being the Jelly Wellie race as well as mufti days, St David’s Day games and a tuck shop run by the pupils throughout the year.

The Breast Cancer Campaign recognised the school’s efforts with a Gold Level Award in their Schools’ Challenge.

Rebecca Nichols, St David’s Head Girl said “Everyone in the school helped to raise this fantastic amount of money. We all feel strongly about the Breast Cancer Campaign charity so we all enjoyed raising the £4,000 – we hope to raise even more next year! All the charity events were fun and enjoyed by everyone in the school from the Nursery to the Sixth Form”

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast was the latest in a long line of St David's productions. The play was performed by St David's girls from Prep School to the Sixth Form. A lunch time performance was staged for local schools and two evening performances played to packed and appreciative audiences.

The acting, costumes and set were all praised by the critics and the hard work by everyone involved really showed in the standard of the production.  A DVD of the play is available from the School Office.

The Welsh Dragon goes Dragon Boating

On a cold November Saturday a group of girls, parents and teachers enjoyed a taster day with BA Dragon Boating Club at Wraysbury.

After the initial training there was some determined paddling in some races. The boats can really move when the 20 paddlers coordinate their efforts. The day was really enjoyable - but some thought it would be much better when the sun was shining!

With that in mind we are sure that St David's will return to Dragon Boating and who knows the Chinese Dragon could appear on the Welsh Dragon's Lake at the school in the future.

The Earl of Wessex Visits St David’s

St David’s School celebrated its 150 years in Ashford with a visit from The Earl of Wessex. The school moved to Ashford in 1857 and the new building was officially opened by Prince Albert, The Earl of Wessex’s great great great grandfather.

His Royal Highness was welcomed by the school’s Head, Penny Bristow and Chairman of Governors, Steve Humphreys, and enjoyed a tour of the school that included a gymnastics display from the school’s medal winning squad, a drama performance and the school choir’s rendition of the Welsh national anthem in the school chapel.

As a Trustee of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, The Earl of Wessex was particularly interested in a display of recent expeditions and other Duke of Edinburgh Award work that St David’s girls had undertaken.

The tour ended with His Royal Highness planting a tree and unveiling a plaque to commemorate the visit. Penny Bristow said:
“St David’s school was delighted to welcome The Earl of Wessex in this year of celebration. Our girls were thrilled to meet and speak with His Royal Highness and were equally keen to demonstrate their skills be they singing, in the gym, on stage and in the classroom”

Bishop blesses St David’s School 150th Anniversary Rose Window

The Right Reverend Michael Colclough Bishop of Kensington led a service to bless St David’s School’s new stained glass rose window that marks the school’s 150 years in Ashford.

The service was in the school’s own Welsh Chapel where the new window is situated above the altar. The window incorporates the school’s logo, a Red Welsh Dragon, as its centrepiece and is a striking colourful addition to the chapel.

Five girls from Years 5 to 9 read their own prayers as part of the service, which was attended by the whole school.

The Bishop suggested that the girl’s should be reminded by the dragon to be enthusiastic about life and learning, as St David was, but not to forget that St David’s symbol was the dove so to combine that enthusiasm with compassion and love.
 
Steve Humphreys, Chairman of Governors at St David’s, said, “The window is an impressive and a very appropriate way of celebrating our 150 years in Ashford. It is also very pleasing that so many parents, past parents and Old Girls contributed to the Rose Window appeal and I would like to thank them all for their generosity’.

Tessa Smith appointed New Head

Mrs Tessa Smith has been appointed as Head of St David’s School, Ashford from September 2007. Tessa Smith will succeed Penny Bristow who will retire after 8 years of dedicated service to the school. Tessa Smith is currently Head of St John’s School, Sidmouth, Devon. She is a graduate in German with French from the University of Stirling and has just completed an MBA in Educational Leadership & Management with the University of Hull. Mrs Smith, who is married with two daughters, said "I am delighted to be appointed to St David’s School at a time of exciting change in our educational climate and look forward to working with staff, pupils, parents, guardians and governors as well as with the wider community to continue Penny Bristow’s good work”.

Steve Humphreys, Chairman of Governors said "I can think of no one better to succeed Penny Bristow. Penny has been an inspirational Head and St David’s has benefited from her leadership.  We are very fortunate to have been able to appoint someone like Tessa Smith who  has a wealth of invaluable experience including leading independent schools as Head”.