Windlesham Prep and pre prep boarding School West Sussex

Spring 2012

A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!

A warm welcome and Happy New Year 2012 from all of us here at Windlesham. The autumn term ended on a high with our traditional carol services, school play and, not forgetting, the entertaining end of term concert. We had been blessed with mild weather throughout the term, which helped reduce the number of cancelled events, sports fixtures and keep the variety of sick bugs to a minimum!

In October, we held a Silver Reunion for Leavers from 1980 –‘86, and included former staff. Many alumni arrived with their families for a tour of the school and grounds. It culminated in a wonderfully relaxed and amusing lunch with all of us thoroughly enjoying the trip down memory lane.

Looking ahead to 2012, we are very excited about an array of Windlesham Association events which are planned. As well as our traditional Summer Reunion drinks, which will be held at Petyt Hall on May 24^th, we are hosting a number of different events here at the school. Details of all of these can be found on the events pages of the website as well as in the Newsletter 2012 which you will all receive in February.

The annual newsletter is nearly ready to be sent to the printers. There is still a little time however to send us your updated news….any new engagements, marriages, births over the New Year???? We will only be sending copies to all of you in the UK as we received so many returned in the post last year as many of you have moved on and not updated your details! Anyone living abroad can request a copy which we are more than happy to send. The newsletter will also be available to view on the website. Finally, some very exciting news about two of our very own home-grown Alumni who are both starring in the most talked about film/TV events of the year so far.

Harry Fenn (2010) is currently starring in Coriolanus, directed by and starring Ralph Fiennes. Seen here below with Vanessa Redgrave, John Kani and Jessica Chastain, Harry plays Young Martius, his first major role which he landed while still here at Windlesham. The reviews have been amazing and we are all very proud of him.

Another star from our midst is Tamzin Merchant (2000) who can be seen in The Mystery of Edwin Drood on BBC2 from January 10^th.

Edwin Drood, Charles Dickens’s great unfinished work, was incomplete when the master writer died in 1870 and has now been given a new ending by writer Gwyneth Hughes in a major BBC adaptation. Tamzin plays Rosa Bud, Edwin Drood’s 17 year old fiancée who is starting to have reservations about their long-standing betrothal.

Tamzin’s breakthrough role was in the 2005 big-screen adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Since then she’s appeared in many films and TV dramas, including Jane Eyre, The Tudors and DCI Banks.

Please keep us up to date with all that is going on in your lives and have a wonerful start to the 2012!

Senior Schools

The following is a list of schools to which the Leavers ’11 have gone to:

Benenden (1), Bryanston (4), Downe House (2), Eastbourne (1), Epsom (1), Eton (2), Fettes (1), Harrow (1), Hurstpierpoint (6), King’s Canterbury (2), Lancing (2), Malvern (1), Marlborough (7), Milton Abbey (1), Monkton Combe (1), Oundle (4), Royal Grammar (1), Seaford (1), Sevenoaks (2), St Bede’s (1), St Edward’s College Oxford (3), St Leonards (1), Wellington (3), Winchester (1), Worth School (1).

Senior School Awards

The following is a list of school which have awarded Windlesham pupils scholarships last year.

Bedales, Bryanston, Cranleigh, Downe House, Hurstpierpoint (3), Lancing, Marlborough (3), More House, Oundle, Wellington.

WALLED GARDEN

Several months ago, negotiations started with regard to Windlesham leasing the Walled Garden owned by the Highden Estate. The garden, which is an acre in size, dates from the 1870s and has not been used for the last 50 years. Over the last few months, the whole area has been cleared of accumulated debris, overgrown grass, etc. and restored by professional gardeners. Where possible, old fruit trees have been preserved and the old Apple Store attached to the garden is to be used as a rustic classroom as the children become more and more involved. We are very keen for Windlesham children to develop an interest and love for gardening and the aim is to provide the school’s kitchen with home-grown market garden produce; any surplus will be sold to parents and in local outlets.

Much of the restoration process of the Walled Garden has been videoed and we will continue to keep a record of its development and, in due course, post it online.