Established 1960 Founded 1960 | Type Independent school | |
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Location Maidenhead, Berkshire
Berkshire
England Headquarters Maidenhead, United Kingdom | ||
Claires Court School is a British all-through independent day school situated in Maidenhead, Berkshire, educating just under 1100 pupils and students aged 3 to 18. As one of a small number of diamond schools, it is unique in that while its Nursery and Sixth Form are co-educational, the primary and secondary phases are single sex.
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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 to flourish on three sites; a co-ed Nursery leads to separate single sex boys and girls sections providing education to 16+, the co-ed Sixth form, now in its 25th year, completes the diamond.
On November 28, 2013 and June 23, 2016 the local Maidenhead Advertiser covered plans to coalesce the existing three sites onto that of the Junior Boys school. The converged site has a planned capacity of just under 1200 students. On both July 21, 2016 and July 29, 2016 the Maidenhead Advertiser subsequently reported on a petition and Cox Green campaign group that have been set up to fight these plans.
Notable former pupils
Notable alumni include: Farah Zeynep Abdullah, Ali Bastian, Simon Dennis, Chris Cracknell, Michael Geoghegan, Amber Hill, Nick Kennedy, Nils Mordt, James (Lord) O'Shaughnessy, 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.