Chigwell School

The Good Schools Guide Review of Chigwell School, Chigwell, IG7 6QF

Our View

A relaxed and happy school with a real family feel, this is a very civilised place to nurture confident, caring all-rounders.

Headmaster

Since 2007, Mr Michael Punt MA MSc PGCE (forties), a physicist who lives on site with his wife Gill and their three sons, one of whom has just started at the school. His calm and positive influence is palpable throughout the school, although he modestly describes his many successful initiatives as 'just tinkering'. Parents know better, saying he's 'approachable, liked and respected'. One even tells the tale of a parent who was torn between three schools for her child but plumped for Chigwell on the basis of meeting Mr Punt.

Academic Matters

79 per cent A*/A at GCSE, and 80 per cent A/B at A level moved ISI inspectors to describe attainment in public examinations at Chigwell as ‘excellent’ in their recent report. They put this down to the ‘pupils’ positive and conscientious attitude to learning and their excellent relationship with the teachers’. Experienced, dedicated staff and a free choice of options outside of the core subjects are major factors, says the head, and he is keen to offer a wide range at A level, including those required for a wide choice of university courses to pique the interest of his academically inquisitive students. History and geography are the long-established favourites here and good results can be credited to an experienced department, says the head. Economics, maths and sciences are also strong at A level but drama and DT are on the rise too, enforcing Chigwell’s reputation as a place for the all-rounder.

Maths IGCSE is taken and pupils are setted ‘loosely’ in year 7 in preparation. Three-quarters take separate sciences at GCSE and sets for these start in year 9. New heads of languages and English have recently been appointed to try to boost take-up and results, which have lagged behind the other subjects in the past. English is set in year 10 and languages are now more popular choices for GCSE and A level thanks to the early introduction of Spanish and German in the junior school.

One of Mr Punt’s most successful recent innovations has been the change of lesson length from 35 to 50 minutes, which has increased teaching time for sixth formers and given teachers the scope to introduce more pupil-centred activities. It seems to be working – the ISI concluded that pupils are ‘well educated’ and that the school ‘fully meets its aims to provide a high quality rounded education where pupils reach high standards of achievement and develop of a love of learning’.

For those who need help, a dedicated SENCo is on hand. Junior school pupils are screened for SEN on entry and then undergo further testing in the senior school. Learning support is used mostly in the junior school rather than the senior, but high ability students are developed beyond the classroom with extension activities.

Games, Options, the Arts

Parents are pleased with the balance of academic work and life experiences – ‘valuable pursuits such as art, drama, music and sport enhance the atmosphere of positive competition,’ says one.

75 acres of playing fields surround this small school but indoor facilities are relatively modest in comparison to many of Chigwell’s peers, with an unfancy sports centre and a small outdoor swimming pool. Hockey is strong for both boys and girls and this is set to build now the school has its new Astro pitch. Chigwell competes well on the football pitch too and the school numbers several county players in netball and cricket – the school has its own all-weather nets. PE pursuits are rotated half-termly, with basketball and badminton on the menu. Golf is played at the nearby club and sixth formers can visit the local gym or use the on-site fitness equipment.

The Drama Centre is a real pride and joy - an eye-catching red-brick building with impressively professional facilities. There’s a foyer big enough for pre-theatre drinks receptions, plus rehearsal and teaching rooms, and the auditorium has 200 moveable seats. The two productions a year and the sixth form play are highlights of the school calendar. A dozen students each year take drama A level with great success. Music at Chigwell is very inclusive. Every other pupil learns an instrument and the annual Prom concert is open to all. The annual house music competition, the Chigwell Young Musician of the Year event and performances by the many musical ensembles add to the cultural richness of the school. Chigwellians have a huge choice of extra-curricular activities, from D of E and Scouts to art exhibitions and the inspiring and thought-provoking talks run as part of the Williams Project, named after philosopher and Chigwell alumnus, Bernard Williams.

Background and Atmosphere

Set on the approach road to the historic high street, Chigwell was founded in 1629 by the Reverend Samuel Harsnett, the local vicar who became Archbishop of York and Chancellor of Cambridge University. Today the original red-brick schoolhouse forms the centrepiece to this pretty village of neat buildings, punctuated by gardens and quads planted with blooms and trees. The surrounding playing fields stretch as far as Epping Forest and give a rural aspect to the school and some lovely views from the windows of the attractive, low-rise teaching blocks. None of the facilities are more than an easy and pleasant stroll apart. The music block is positioned centrally so that the odd note and phrase float across the greenery, and the drama centre is a well-designed modern addition. When we visited, the new dining hall, sixth form coffee shop and kitchens were under construction and the pupils were excited to be taking their meals in the Harry Potteresque main hall. The new food facilities were later declared open by Michel Roux. There’s also a new Astro and plans are afoot for a pre-prep and a sixth form study centre.

The 1920s chapel was built in tribute to fallen alumni and is a mainstay of life at Chigwell. Twice weekly services embrace all the beliefs represented at this multicultural school and speech day includes a passage from each of the six major world faiths. Indeed respect and a sense of community are integral to life at Chigwell. ‘This is a happy school’, says the head and there does seem to be a sense of harmony at work. There is no need for intrusive bells to mark the change of lessons - pupils make their way around the school in an ordered fashion and newbies of any age wear a plain tie so they can be spotted and helped when in need, in typical caring Chigwellian fashion.

Chigwell has its own nomenclature for year groups, from removes (year 9), through lower fifth, upper fifth and lower sixth to middle sixth (year 13).The school’s intranet - Chigwell’s Gateway - is heavily relied on for submission of homework and essential admin, such as notices and timetables. An electronic noticeboard system is also well used and life at Chigwell seems to flow in a stress-free fashion.

Pastoral Care and Discipline

‘Excellent’ was the verdict of ISI inspectors on pastoral care at Chigwell and it’s easy to see why. A strong four-house system - and staff who ‘really know their pupils’ according to the head - mean students are comfortable in the knowledge that they are being ‘looked out for’. Pupils’ personal development was described by inspectors as ‘outstanding’, and they put this down to the school’s promotion of a society in which everyone takes responsibility for each other and the wider environment.

Sixth form students from abroad add to the mix and are valued for the insights they provide into other cultures and ways of life. Mostly from Central and Eastern Europe, and China, they are encouraged to give talks on the issues affecting their homelands. These students are the only ones to board in four homely houses on-site, and their constant presence gives the school a lived-in feel. Boarders are also attached to a day house and take a full part in activities there.

Food is said to be plentiful and good, with healthy options and popular themed days. Children spoke enthusiastically of tasting lobster on seafood day, and sausages were dished up all round to celebrate St George’s Day. The uniform is smart and sober – kilts or plain trousers with a navy blazer, though the sixth formers wear office attire.

Pupils and Parents

This leafy, middle-class suburb is spoilt for choice education-wise, with several good fee-paying schools on the doorstep and some of the best grammars in the country a short hop on the train away. Even Old Chigwellians admit to investigating the competition before signing up their offspring, but one was pleased to note that ‘the school has retained one of its key attributes - to ensure that pupils attain their potential’. Equally though, the school appeals to first-time buyers, notably British Asian families who are attracted by the excellence in maths and sciences, and those who see Chigwell’s strength in ‘creating confident, well-rounded people’. Although this is undoubtedly an affluent area, and children are drawn mainly from a four or five-mile radius, the head is aware that families often make sacrifices to send them. There are slightly more boys than girls in the seniors, but as the juniors are now 50-50 that is set to change in the future. The pupils we met fell over themselves with helpfulness and had a relaxed, confident air. Parents have many opportunities to speak informally with staff about their children’s progress and well-being at breakfast get-togethers and afternoon teas, and the Friends of Chigwell put on a programme of social events.

A school minibus service has been introduced which runs from Theydon Bois and Epping, bringing pupils to school in the mornings. School hopes to expand the routes in the future.

The list of distinguished alumni includes William Penn, Sir Arthur Grimble, Austin Bradford Hill, Edward Vulliamy and Sir Bernard Williams. Sir Alan Sugar lives virtually next door and his grandsons are pupils here, as were their fathers.

Entrance

Most come across from the junior department and there are very few vacancies at 13. At 16 there are no advertised places and those moving up to the sixth form are expected to have achieved at least Bs or above in six GCSE subjects and As or A*s in their A level choices.

Exit

‘Students here have high aspirations,’ says the head. The Oxbridge dreams of 10 per cent are realised currently but he fully expects that proportion to rise as attainment improves throughout the school. The majority go on to their first choice of university, though few Chigwellians venture north. Four or five choose medicine, and marketing and economics are other favourites. However as many as 10 Chigwellians a year go on to study art.

Money Matters

Academic scholarships are available at 11 and 13 and schols for art, drama and music are offered at 16. Means-tested bursaries are available.

This school has not yet completed our SEN Survey

School Features

Curricula

GCSE - standard English curriculum

A level - standard English curriculum

GCSE - International

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