Welcome to Churston Ferrers Grammar School. There are only one hundred and sixty four grammar schools in the country and less than a quarter of these offer students the chance to develop in a co-educational environment. A co-educational grammar school education should be a much cherished ‘privilege’; a privilege earned and not to be wasted. Learning is one of the most exciting experiences we have and it continues throughout life.

A good grammar school enables students to learn how to learn, in particular how to become independent learners. It creates an environment where learning and success are explicit aspirations for young people, not things that have to be ‘hidden’ through fear of peer ridicule. However with this privilege comes responsibility.

It is the responsibility of the students to grasp all the opportunities that are available in school and to present to the local community all that is good in young people. It is the responsibility of the school to ensure that we allow the students to develop to their full potential. In this respect personal qualities are as important as qualifications.

High self-esteem, individual self-confidence, respect for others, the ability to lead as well as work as part of a team and the capacity to manage change are essential if Churston Ferrers students are to be tomorrow’s leaders. Whilst there is much uncertainty about the future, the one thing we can be sure of is that change will be even greater than at present and that it will be on a global scale. We know that a career for life is already a thing of the past. Transferable skills are already as important as an excellent academic education.

In the information rich society of the future it will be the ‘flexible learners’ who flourish. Too often the personal qualities required to succeed are left under-developed and under-monitored in schools; equal access to leadership opportunities and rigorous monitoring of personal development are key features of the Churston Ferrers experience.

Churston Ferrers Grammar School retains the best aspects of a traditional grammar school education; inspirational teaching and learning, academic excellence, a sense of justice and community and combines these with a commitment to ‘change’.

You don’t remain outstanding by being complacent; an institution either moves forwards or backwards, it never stands still. Churston Ferrers is committed to developing the curriculum so that all students are offered an appropriate level of challenge, both academically and in terms of their personal development.

Whilst we have a flexible and creative vision of the future there are certain expectations that are ‘non-negotiable’. Students should be smartly dressed, punctual and well behaved. Lessons should be challenging and students should be encouraged to think. Success, no matter how small, should be celebrated. School should be a happy place for both students and staff and respect for others should be at the core of all we do; an exciting long-term vision means nothing to a student who is not happy to come to school.

In short, Churston Ferrers Grammar School prepares students to lead fulfilled, responsible and happy adult lives by delivering an excellent academic education that encourages learners to be confident and flexible. Through their learning we hope that our students ‘create a better world’