Claires Court School is a 2–18 all-through private

day school A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children and adolescents are given instructions during the day, after which the students return to their homes. A day school has full-day programs when compa ...

and

sixth form In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...

in Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. As one of a small number of

diamond school Diamond school, diamond model, diamond shape and diamond structure are similar terms that apply to a type of independent school in the UK that combines both single-sex and coeducational teaching in the same organisation. Typically, the establishment ...

s located in the United Kingdom, it is unique in that while its nursery and sixth form are mixed, the primary and secondary phases are single-sex.

History

Founded in 1960 by David and Josephine Wilding, as a day and boarding school for boys aged 6+ to 13, Claires Court grew quickly to 180 pupils by 1970. Ridgeway, originally acquired in 1964 to provide full and weekly boarding accommodation, was converted to be the junior school in 1975 when the age range at the Ray Mill Road East site was extended to 16 year-olds. By 1980 the school roll was approximately 280. Having joined the teaching staff in September 1975, their son James became Master in charge of the Senior School in January 1981; the previous August the family business had been joined by Hugh as Bursar. In 1993, the Wildings acquired Maidenhead College, an independent day school for girls, formerly known as the Convent of the Nativity. In January 2017, the school continues on three sites; a co-ed Nursery leads to separate single sex

boy A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is described as a man. Definition, etymology, and use According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy is ...

s and

girl A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.c ...

s sections providing education to 16+, the co-ed Sixth form, now in its 25th year, completes the

diamond Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...

Sport

In December 2017, Claires Court under 13 girls won the ISA London West Netball Tournament.

Facilities

On 28 November 2013 and 23 June 2016 the local Maidenhead Advertiser covered plans to coalesce the existing three sites onto that of the Junior Boys school. The converged site had a planned capacity of just under 1200 students. On 4 January 2018 the Maidenhead Advertiser reported that the school had applied for planning permission for the new campus. On 28 August 2019, at a meeting of the

Planning Committee A planning committee in the United Kingdom is a committee of local authority councillors that sit as the local planning authority to determine planning applications. Advice is usually given to the committee by planning officers who provide a reco ...

, RBWM councillors officially and near unanimously rejected the applications after detailed objections from local residents, who had campaigned for over three years to prevent the loss of greenbelt and against the detrimental environmental and infrastructure effects cited by the council members as the reasons for refusal. The school appealed the decision, but on 21 December 2020 the appeal for the school campus and Hockey club infrastructure was rejected.

Notable former pupils

Notable alumni include:

Farah Zeynep Abdullah Farah Zeynep Abdullah (born 17 August 1989) is a Turkish actress and singer. She gained nationwide recognition and critical acclaim for her roles in the films '' Kelebeğin Rüyası'' (2013), '' Unutursam Fısılda'' (2014), '' Bizim İçin: Ş ...

, Ali Bastian, Christian Colson, Chris Cracknell, Simon Dennis, Michael Geoghegan,

Amber Hill Amber Hill is a village and civil parish in Lincolnshire, England, approximately west-north-west from Boston. The 2001 Census measured its population at 268, increasing to 294 at the 2011 census. History and governance The name Amber Hill rep ...

Nick Kennedy Nick Kennedy (born 19 August 1982) is a retired English rugby union player and former Director of Rugby at London Irish. He played Lock for England, London Irish, Toulon and Harlequins. His uncle Duncan Kennedy is a BBC news correspondent. K ...

, Nils Mordt, James (Lord) O'Shaughnessy,

Ellie Rayer Elena "Ellie" Sian Rayer (born 22 November 1996) is an English international field hockey player who plays as a midfielder or forward for England women's national field hockey team, England and Great Britain women's national field hockey team, Gr ...

, Mark Richardson, and Ben Sneesby.

Current status

As at the 2017 Annual School Census, 130 teachers and 50 assistants have charge of 1090 pupils, supported by a further 150 ancillary staff. The school has a successful athletics program, and several students have become national champions.

Sport

The School has a very successful rowing club called the

Claires Court School Boat Club Claires Court School Boat Club is a rowing club based on the River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river ...

References

External links

* {{authority control Private schools in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Boys' schools in Berkshire Girls' schools in Berkshire Member schools of the Independent Schools Association (UK) Educational institutions established in 1960 1960 establishments in England Maidenhead Diamond schools