quarter of all results are awarded the highest grade 9

· 46.7% are Grade 8 or 9

Shweta Banerjee, the self-proclaimed “ambitious, determined and hardworking” 16-year old from Exeter, raised the GCSE bar this morning when she discovered that she was The Maynard’s top scoring student with eight of the highest possible Grade 9s and two Grade 8s.

“I am really excited! I’ve worked so hard for this and couldn’t have tried any more so I’m just so happy to have these results!” she said. Shweta will go on to study Maths, Further Maths and Physics and has very ambitious plans for a future career. “I’m really not sure exactly what I would like to do but eventually I would probably like to be something like the CEO of Google.”

Following hard on her heels was a whole raft of high achieving students with some excellent results including a total of 10 students who gained eight or more Grades 8-9. A further 15 girls (nearly a third of the year group at 30%) achieved seven or more Grades 8–9 making this The Maynard’s best year since the new grading system was launched. The statistics speak for themselves with an enormous 46.7% achieving a Grade 8 or 9 and 92.3% gaining a 6 to 9 (A** – B).

The air in the Main School Hall was one of euphoria with parents and staff watching over as the girls nervously opened their envelopes to reveal what grades they had achieved. One who had exceeded all expectations was Polly Broad with a tally of four 9s, three 8s and three 7s. “I don’t think I was predicted any 8s or 9s after my mocks so I am super happy with this and looking forward to celebrating with my family this evening,” beamed Polly who is also an excellent ballerina having completed her Grade 8 in Ballet and a fine musician on the drums and piano.

“This really has been an exceptional year group and I couldn’t be any more proud of them all!” said Headmistress, Sarah Dunn. “Their work ethic has been quite incredible and I just love the way in which they have so closely supported one

another throughout the past two years. It goes without saying that happiness breeds success and these particular girls, with their very busy and varied lives, are testament to this ethos. I am absolutely delighted with these fantastic results and would like also to say a huge thank you to our wonderfully dedicated staff as well as, of course, to the many parents for their unstinting support over the years.”

at A-level

Maynard School Sixth Former, Jessica Carr, not only achieved four straight A*s in her Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry A-levels and a further A* for her Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) but she also scored a flawless 100% in the incredibly testing Edexcel Maths paper 2, putting her as one of the country’s top A-level mathematicians. From a possible 300 points for the two individual papers combined, she dropped just 11 marks to score a remarkable 289.

It is a befitting performance for the talented teenager from Ottery St Mary in Devon who is no stranger to the stars having lectured at the nearby Norman Lockyer Observatory since the age of 15.

“It’s really enjoyable and I absolutely love it. It’s great to tell the public all about astronomy and the stars as everyone is so enthusiastic. It’s something I intend to continue doing although I’m also really looking forward to going to the city to read Mathematics at UCL. My father is in economics and two of my brothers are doing Maths so it runs in the family!”

This remarkable Maynard cohort have posted a staggering set of results and another 100% pass rate. Over 60% achieved A* – A with an impressive 44% scoring at least three straight A* or A grades in their subjects, bucking the national trend of 25.5% achieving an A grade or higher.

Another of those to have excelled is Isobel Harding Perrott from Axminster who was awarded two A*s and an A in English, History and Latin with a further A* for her EPQ. Isobel came to the Maynard on a Sixth Form Scholarship having taken her GCSEs a year early and using the year in between to teach herself Latin (she scored an A* at GCSE).

“My brother is doing Medicine at Cambridge and I remember visiting him once when I was about 13 and thinking, “wow, this is so pretty”. Then I found out about the Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic course there and knew immediately that would be the perfect course for someone like me who loves myths and legends. So from that point on, I have had a one track mind and luckily it has all paid off. I can’t wait now to join my brother for his final year and I think he’s actually quite excited, too!”

Across the board, the Maynard students are pursuing a huge range of options at degree level with an almost perfect 50/50 split between Arts and STEM subjects – from English, History, PPE and International Relations to Mathematics, Economics, Architecture, Medicine, Physics and Engineering. It is especially pleasing to see such strong representation of 50% entering the STEM subjects and in particular engineering fields, where nationally women only represent 19% of students.

Twins Alice (A*AAB) and Ellen (A*AA) Brion are both off to study Mechanical Engineering at Bristol and Warwick respectively. Alexandra Pavic (A*A*A) has capped off a fantastic school career with a place at Imperial to read Geophysics; this is remarkable bearing in mind that she has also found the time to reach Diploma level on two instruments along with three Grade 8s! She will be joined there by Cherise Xia for Physics (A*A*A*A*) and Linda Liu (A*AAA) for Biology. We are also thrilled that we have our first Engineering Degree Apprentice this year: Jemima Goulding, an Ogden Physics scholar and bursary recipient is off to work and study with Rolls Royce in Bristol, completing a degree in Non-Destructive Testing. Head Girl, Daisy Birkin (A*AAA) is leading a large contingent to Durham to study Economics and we are particularly glad that her great friend and ally, Chloe Lamb (A*A*A) will be joining her!

The humanities are equally well represented: Eve Stevens, a prominent environmentalist at the school, achieved a clean sweep of four straight A*s and will join Alice Sara (A*A*A with an A* in EPQ) to read English Literature at Edinburgh whilst Gaia Clark Nevola (A*AA) will follow in her parent’s footsteps to read the same subject at Oxford. “It’s always been a bit of dream but I never really thought it could happen so I am absolutely thrilled!”

One thing is certain: this has been another outstanding year for The Maynard School and its students who not only have an enviable record for their academic supremacy but should also be applauded for their incredible extra-curricular achievements.

“What all of the young women here have achieved is staggering!” said Headmistress, Sarah Dunn. “One minute they are trudging across the moor in the Ten Tors Challenge, receiving their gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards at Buckingham Palace, winning literary prizes from Oxford University, heading up another entrepreneurial venture as part of the Young Enterprise team or fighting a heartfelt cause as one of our Eco Warriors, playing at the Albert Hall or treading the boards at stages across the country and then the very next they are topping the country’s statistics as some of the most talented A-level students in the UK. How they juggle these incredibly busy lives leaves me in constant awe and I am so proud of each and every one of them. There is now doubt the brightest of futures beckon for them all. It has been our pleasure and honour to have them at the school and I wish them the very best of luck for the next chapter!”

the national Wellbeing Award for Schools following a rigorous inspection from an external assessor on Thursday 20 June 2019.

This prestigious award assesses the school’s commitment to promoting and protecting positive emotional wellbeing and mental health whilst ensuring there is a clear whole-school strategy in place which is communicated to all staff, governors, parents and students within the school. The award has a focus on changing the long-term culture of a school, and embedding an ethos where mental health is regarded as the responsibility of all. As well as pupil wellbeing, another key area is staff wellbeing and the engagement of parents and wellbeing champions from the local community.

“We can’t shy away from the fact that teenage mental health is going through something of a national crisis. The importance of wellbeing at The Maynard School cannot be overstated – caring for the physical, mental and emotional health and happiness of our community is central to everything that we do,” said Headmistress, Sarah Dunn. “We understand that parents want a school where their daughter will reach their full potential academically, but also know that what is even more important to them is that they find a school where their daughters will flourish and develop into confident, happy young women ready to face the world.

“Not only did we meet a stiff set of criteria, but the inspector thought that the school was exceptional in the quality of its care and she wholeheartedly agreed with the recent Good Schools Guide who had reported that there was “something magical about The Maynard”. Equally, she was enormously impressed by the very kind and caring ethos as well as the sheer passion that she witnessed amongst all the staff, Governors and pupils,” added Miss Dunn.

“In gaining this award we hope to increase the awareness and understanding of the mental health issues faced by young people today. As a whole school community we have striven to combat the stigma that is so often attached to mental health and we are thrilled that our work so far has been formally recognised. It goes without saying that we are justifiably proud to be the only school in Devon to have achieved this status.”

very top of the leader boards across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset in key areas of the Department for Education’s Schools Performance League Tables based on A-level results from summer 2018.

As the oldest girls’ school in the country, The Maynard is a name synonymous with academic success and for nearly four centuries has been a jewel in Devon’s crown, coupling a top education with an enviable reputation for its warm, friendly atmosphere, vast extra-curricular offering and a deep-rooted sense of fun and happiness that permeates its classrooms and corridors.

“I am ecstatic that these league tables have once again showcased the outstanding efforts and achievements of our incredible girls. These are official government figures that allow for a comprehensive comparison of not just how well schools and colleges achieve in the public examinations, but also how much ‘value added’ they provide to each individual student,” said Headmistress, Sarah Dunn.

“Our results are excellent, but we are equally delighted to have been recognised as being very good at significantly improving an individual’s performance from their predicted to their actual grade. It is testament to the commitment and skill of such a fabulous bunch of staff here at The Maynard and concrete proof of just how much every single girl within our care matters to us.”

The DfE League Tables measure several areas of a school or college’s performance at A-level and The Maynard again proudly sits within the top 100 from 4434 schools based on gaining a minimum of AAB grades for the facilitating subjects. These are the most rigorous A-levels required to study at the top universities.

“To be in the top echelons of the tables, not just within Devon but much further afield, on the two most important factors – facilitating subjects as well as the grades and points for a student’s best three A-levels – is quite an incredible feat and we are so very proud of our wonderful students and the whole wider Maynard community that makes this school such a very special place,” added Miss Dunn.

National GCSE Success

The Maynard was also rated the 5^th= (out of 1311) best performing independent school in England for the percentage of students who achieved grade 5 or above in the English and Maths GCSEs, as well as 15^th nationally for the Attainment 8 score based on how well students have performed in up to eight mainstream qualifications. “Our students sit the newly reformed GCSEs (as opposed to the IGCSE) which are incredibly challenging and, because of their significantly increased rigour, they provide a great platform on which to launch an A-level career. It is so gratifying to see that even with this level of difficulty, the girls have done brilliantly”.

“We are simply delighted to, once again, be at the very top end of our sector on both a local and national playing field. We’re also truly privileged to have such fantastic students and all credit must go to them for these utterly outstanding achievements!”

in Exeter has become the first school in the South West to sign up to the new Youth STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine) Award.

Although launched in 2015, the Award was only opened up last September to independent schools in the UK and, as the leading all girls’ school in the region with a fantastic track record of high-level achievement in the STEM subjects, The Maynard is proud to be the first to step up to the plate in supporting the initiative.

“It is special because it is really new and innovative – there are no other awards on offer like it. It is also really important as we are so short of people in STEM careers in this country, particularly girls,” said Ms York, a science teacher at the school and coordinator for the award.

Several girls in Years 10 and 11 are enrolled in the programme which encourages participants to log STEMM-related activities across four strands: ‘Inspiring the next generation’, ‘Engaging the public’, ‘Developing skills and knowledge’ and ‘Shaping your future’. In a similarly shaped structure to that of the much more established Duke of Edinburgh Award, in this first instance, the Maynard students will be working towards their Bronze Award and will be required to complete a minimum of 10 hours per section whilst covering all five STEMM areas. A silver and gold variation, working towards more advanced skills, will ensue.

Already they have been treated to a visit from Dr Karla-Luise Herpoldt, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Protein Design in Washington, USA and an alumna of The Maynard. Karla designs vaccines and recently created one that prevents fatal intestinal disease amongst malnourished infants in developing countries. She was also crucial to the development of a more targeted form of chemotherapy that kills only cancerous cells and not the surrounding body tissue.

“What an inquisitive bunch those STEMM girls are,” she remarked after joining them at one of their weekly Rocket Club sessions, during which they are tasked with building a rocket to some very challenging specifications. “I am a keen advocate for greater representation of women in science and these STEMM Awards are an incredibly positive initiative and one which I am thrilled to see happening.”

on 27 September 2018. The Maynard was also the only school in the South West (extending as far afield as Reading and Oxford) to feature in the ratings.

The rankings were based on the Telegraph’s theory that “academically, most of these schools compete results-wise with their more expensive counterparts, as well as offering much the same array of extra-curricular options and sporting prowess.”

Most importantly, and as testament to our enduring affordability and enormous value, this is the second time in three years that we have been included in this listing!

To see the full article, please click here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/0/ten-best-value-private-schools-uk/

War is the continuation of politics by other means (Clausewitz 1780-1831). Discuss.

Chloe was originally one of 10 shortlisted for this prestigious award for showing the “most impressive aptitude in their particular discipline” and, such is her sheer modesty, she travelled to Oxford on Saturday 29 September 2018 for the award ceremony totally oblivious of what was about to unfold! “It was a total surprise!” she said later, once her feet had hit the ground again.

The Stubbs Society, founded in 1884, is Oxford University’s oldest and most illustrious historical society so it is a truly incredible achievement to have won this competition and our enormous congratulations to this truly talented Sixth Former.

they all listened avidly to Philippa recounting how she worked her way up in the industry to be where she is today. She explained all the highs and the lows of the job, the difference between directing and producing and even discussed the many various courses now available to help pave a way into the industry.

All in all it was a fascinating 30-minutes and our enormous thanks to Philippa for sparing the time away from the production of her 90-minute feature film to take this talk.

highlight for many was being able to meet and chat with Clare Balding OBE. They were treated to some particularly memorable keynote speakers and the event launched with brain tumour survivor, James Shone, who has founded the charity ‘I can and I am’.

The girls then split into groups to attend some workshops with one half enjoying a netball coaching session with Tamsin Greenway, an England International player. The rest were taken off to a hockey masterclass with Team GB players, Becky Middleton and Zoe Shipperley. The day culminated in a Q&A with the panel, chaired by the ever-charismatic Clare Balding. “Truly amazing” and “such a good day” seems to sum up everyone’s experience.

level. In a year of uncertainty and change with the well-publicised reforms to the Year 11 examination system, our students have performed superbly to triple the national average of the top grades of 7, 8 and 9.

There were some remarkable results across the academic departments; of the girls taking Physics, an enormous 90% achieved grades 7-9, the equivalent of an A or A* (and 43% gaining the top scoring grade 9). In fact, across all three separate sciences almost three quarters of the students gained grades 7-9 (A* or A). 93% of those taking Drama scored 7-9 (35% with a grade 9) and History was also impressive with 70% achieving 7-9 (24% with a grade 9).

The aim of the new grading system was to introduce a greater degree of academic rigour to these exams and we are delighted with this outcome. Most significantly, and testament to their all-round academic brilliance, the year group clocked 68.5 for their Attainment 8 score. This is similar to last year’s score which was the highest score for an independent school in Devon.

“We are delighted that the girls have done so well in these more rigorous GCSEs giving them a great foundation to start their A-levels. Remember that grades 7-9 equates to the old A/A* and to have so many in that zone makes me very proud of the girls’ achievements.” said Sarah Dunn, the Headmistress.

“Let’s not forget, either, that these girls juggle their academic studies with huge success in other individual and team pursuits. Many are supreme musicians or dramatists, sportswomen and horse riders. Many more are showing tremendous entrepreneurial flair and excelling in essay and STEM competitions. I cannot praise them enough for their positivity and spirit throughout these past two years and, as the trailblazers to this new grading system, they have certainly set the bar very high.”

Outstanding achievements

–       Alyssa Gibbons

Alyssa, from Whitestone, gained five Grade 9s and five Grade 8s and will study History, Economics and Maths at A-level. Alyssa is an exceptional musician (currently studying for Grade 8 Clarinet as well as playing the Saxophone and Piano) and a member of numerous choirs and orchestras, including the Devon Youth Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Abbey Road Studios. Alyssa hosts her own hugely successful website – https://fictionforteens.com – where she posts regular reviews of the latest book she has read; this is proving to be a useful tool for fellow teens and their parents alike.

“I am really relieved as no one knew what to expect with the new GCSEs. Now that today is here and I’ve got my results, I feel excited to go into the Sixth Form and start my A-levels. I came out of the exams feeling ok but because of the new system, I didn’t know what to expect so I am very happy today!”

–       Amelia Moody

Amelia gained six Grade 9s, three Grade 8s and one Grade 7. A superb all round athlete, she has represented the South West at national level for cross country running and is regularly seen training on the Dartmoor Tors near her home, come rain or shine, light or dark. She is also a keen horse rider and musician. Amelia will join the Sixth Form to take her A-levels in Biology, Chemistry and French, with the ultimate goal of becoming a vet.

–       Ruby Jarman

Ruby achieved four Grade 9s, three Grade 8s, one Grade 7 and one Grade 6. A sports scholar at The Maynard, Ruby plays Hockey and Squash at a regional level, fitting her training in with her studies. She will join the Sixth Form to take A-levels in Chemistry, Biology and English, with plans to study Medicine at University.

Other outstanding achievements

Clemmie Little who gained seven Grade 9s, two Grade 8s and one Grade 7 and will study Maths, Further Maths, Biology and Chemistry at A-level.

Amber Willams with five Grade 9s, two Grade 8s and two Grade 6s. Amber will study History, Economics and Geography at A-level with plans to study either Law or Business at University.

Emma Murphy with four Grade 9s, two Grade 8s, two Grade 7s and a Grade 6 and plans to study Chemistry, Biology and English at A-level.

Sara Al-Seaidy who achieved three Grade 9s, four Grade 8s and three Grade 7s. Sara will study Maths, Physics and Economics at A-level and hopes to go on to read either Computer Science or Cyber Security at University.

Isabella Flashman who gained two Grade 9s, five Grade 8s and two Grade 7s.

she opened her envelope to discover she had achieved three A*s in her Maths, Physics and Chemistry A-levels. Alongside her was her proud mother, pre-empting the celebrations with a small bottle of prosecco at the ready!

“I am so happy,” wept Charlotte, “And I just can’t believe it. It’s the best present ever but then I’ve not opened anything else yet as I was too nervous this morning. I’ll go home and do that later now that I have got this bit of the day out of the way!” Charlotte will go to Warwick University to read Mechanical Engineering and she is looking forward to applying her capabilities “rather than just learning the theory”.

Youngest student in the year group and also the Head Girl at the school, Lucy Harris-Deans, was also in celebratory mood having been awarded A, A, B in her subjects to secure a place to read History at Warwick University. Lucy is a typical example of how The Maynard truly enables all-rounded excellence and she holds a grade 8 in the French horn, flute and piano as well as having completed the bronze, silver and gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards, been a key member in numerous choirs and orchestras and all of this on top of her many various Head Girl duties.

Maynard students excelled in their A-levels across the board with a 100% pass rate and an incredible 81% achieving A*-B. Year on year, the school always far exceeds the national average of the top grades and this was no exception with 52% achieving A*-A. They are now set to follow their passions at the most prestigious universities in a huge array of subjects such as Chemical Engineering, Physics, Economics, Law, Medicine, Dentistry, Environmental Science, English, Geography and International Relations. Destinations include Oxford, Imperial College London, Durham, UCL, Exeter, Bristol and Edinburgh amongst others.

“These are an incredible conscientious, caring, creative and courageous group of young women, outward looking and with a real sense of social responsibility,” said Tom Hibberd, the Head of the Sixth Form. “This is reflected in their university destinations for next year, with many entering a variety of Medical, Dentistry, Nursing or Veterinary fields, having previously successfully navigated the demanding interview processes, which is testimony to their character.“

Lauren Wood, who joined the school for the Sixth Form, was delighted with her A*, A and A and will now head to Bristol University to study Dentistry. “I honestly didn’t expect these results and I’ve been having nightmares for the past few weeks worrying that I wouldn’t make the grade. I’ve always wanted to help people and so I had to choose between medicine and dentistry which was a tough decision but I eventually opted for dentistry because it was more hands-on and specialised from the outset.” As one of the South West’s most talented netball players, Lauren has been playing for Team Bath for the past two years. The sheer commitment of this, all during her A-level studies, is truly commendable given it involved travelling to Bath once a week for evening training (and only getting home at midnight) as well as weekends spent playing matches in all areas of England and Wales. Without doubt she is yet another example of the versatility and talent embedded within The Maynard and all its students.

“I am thrilled and delighted for them all. Once again they have shown just how exceptionally bright, hard-working and persevering they are collectively. We wave them all off to pastures new as supremely successful and well-rounded young adults, ready to make a difference to the world. And, knowing them as I do, they will!” said Sarah Dunn, the Headmistress.

Outstanding achievements:

• In addition to gaining three A*s and an A to study Chemical Engineering at Imperial College, Ellen Player has also been awarded their prestigious Blue Tree Scholarship aimed at bright and dynamic students who display an exceptional talent for engineering.
• With A* grades in History, English and Biology, Lizzie Barbeary will read Law at Oxford University.
• Destiny Wang from China secured her place to study Mathematics at Durham with a clean sweep of A*s in Maths, Further Maths and Physics.
• Charlotte Miller, with A*s in Maths, Physics and Chemistry will study Mechanical Engineering at Warwick.
• Charlie Jackson is off to Edinburgh for Veterinary Science, with A*s in French and Biology and an A in Chemistry.

We are also delighted that our students are pursuing new degree options. Caitlin Davies, having gained ABB in Economics, Psychology and Maths is undertaking a Degree Apprenticeship to study Data Analysis at Exeter University whilst working in healthcare insurance for WPA. This is a pathway that we think will only become more attractive as top universities begin to get on board.

Excellence in the Extended Project Qualification (equivalent of an AS level qualification):

• 66%A*
• 89% A*-B

The EPQ results are extraordinary; with diverse topics from whether the WHO’s response to the Zika virus was correct, to the extent to which the bottom of a Surfboard affects the maximum velocity it is able to attain, the girls have excelled. This research and study skill based qualification will give them excellent foundations for the independence of university study.

One such stand out performance came from Harmony Bidder whose research on the surfboard was so impressive that not only did she gain an A* for her work but she was also offered a position at a surf board manufacturer in California. However, with 3 A grades in her A-level subjects, she wants to study engineering at Bristol first!

Harmony joined The Maynard for the Sixth Form on the prestigious Ogden scholarship and definitely recognises how the teaching at this leading independent school for girls has benefitted her A-level and EPQ performances. “I got a lot more support here than I would have had anywhere else. The teachers have been behind me all the way and they are so happy when you do well that it makes you feel that you are pleasing them as much as yourself when you do get good grades.” Harmony looks forward to a bright future and has her hopes pinned on designing electric cars once she has graduated from university although she hasn’t entirely ruled out California as an option!

Education’s Schools Performance Tables, based on A-level results from 2017.

Already recognised as the South West’s leading independent school in The Telegraph’s 2017 league tables (and 13^th best girls’ school in the UK by the equivalent tables in The Times), The Maynard achieved the county’s highest percentage of students to achieve AAB or higher in at least two facilitating subjects in these new tables published earlier this morning. These subjects are widely regarded as the hardest A-levels on offer and include Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Further Maths, Geography, History, English Literature and Classical or Modern Languages.

“These tables really reflect the outstanding achievements of the class of 2017. Facilitating subjects are those A-levels required to study the most sought after degrees at top universities, both in STEM fields and arts subjects. Our students’ ambition, determination and success are reflected in their excellent performance in this measure and, most importantly, their outstanding grades have enabled them to follow their passions,” said Tom Hibberd, Head of the Sixth Form.

“I am most pleased, though, by our “above average” progress score – academic schools such as ours do not always score so highly on this measure and it is testimony to the hard work and close working relationships between students and staff.”

This is the third consecutive year that The Maynard has been recognised as the leading independent school in the whole of the South West, spanning from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire through to Cornwall.

Sarah Dunn, Headmistress: “I’m utterly delighted with these statistics. We focus on opening up pathways for our girls to have exciting futures and to see us excel in the facilitating subjects just reinforces this ethos. As always, I cannot praise the staff here enough for the way they tailor every student’s learning programme and bring out the very best in each individual.  I must also congratulate the girls because, of course, they have relished and made the most of all this incredible support. These statistics just go to show that The Maynard continues to be one of the very best schools in the country!”

forfeit school to trek for miles to collect their families’ daily water supply.

These girls are often as young as only four years old and yet they can sometimes walk for up to six hours, either as a single journey or on multiple journeys within the same day. The return journey is often exhausting as they can be carrying up to 20 litres of mostly dirty and contaminated water.

Each of the Maynard students carried an empty water bottle on their journey which was filled up at the half way point as a symbolic measure to enhance their understanding.

Steve Smerdon, the Head of the Junior School, was the brains behind the fundraiser: “We wanted to do something meaningful on International Day of the Girl and motivate the girls to think of more global issues in a way that we could illustrate. They all embarked on the ‘Walk in her Shoes’ with a real sense of cultural understanding thanks also to a group of our Year 6 girls who took a very insightful assembly about why it is so important to raise money for this cause.

“I’m delighted that The Maynard has so far raised nearly £100 and we are still counting. This will be donated to Care International to support their project building wells and water pumps closer to rural communities,” added Mr Smerdon. “If we can stop women from having to walk for water each day then all the young girls in these communities won’t have to miss out on school which, in turn, will improve their prospects for the future and, hopefully, break the cycle of poverty.”

Anyone wishing to contribute to this worthy cause, can still do so through: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/walkinhershoesmaynard

Award although ironically it is, on this occasion, for a member of its staff as opposed to a student.

Wendy Parker, the Registrar at the leading all-girls’ school in Exeter, was recently delighted to discover that not only had she passed the AMDIS Certificate in Admissions Management, but that she had done so with Distinction! Responsible for recruiting some of the brightest and most talented girls into the School, Wendy was surprised to find that she was at the head of the class this time with the Top Student Award from AMDIS, officially recognising her as one of the best in the country for admissions.

“This was a really impressive assignment from start to finish,” said the tutors at AMDIS. “It was so clear to us that Wendy had put a lot of time and effort into producing a thorough review of the admissions process at the Maynard School, not only including a wealth of supporting material but also ensuring that there were plenty of sensible, achievable recommendations to improve the prospective parent’s experience. We had no hesitation in awarding Wendy a distinction and our Top Student Award.”

Juggling a huge workload within an immensely busy department at The Maynard comes with its rewards every time a prospective family signs up to the school but, for Wendy, the AMDIS accolade was a very welcome surprise:

“I am really quite overwhelmed! Preparing a research assignment on developing the school’s admission plan was really tough, especially as this had to be done in the very little spare time that I have,” said the full-time Registrar and mother. ”I haven’t had to submit homework for years which made the whole project even more nerve wracking but it would appear that I’m a better student now than I was when I actually went to school!”

“We are incredibly proud of this achievement,” said Headmistress, Miss Sarah Dunn. “Wendy is an exceptional Registrar and it’s just brilliant to have her formally recognised as one of the best in the country at her job! The Maynard is a name synonymous with excellence and this means the staff just as much as our talented student body.”

with girls around the world in less fortunate circumstances than themselves.

“Our students are lucky enough to have one of the best educations on offer and they wanted to support the International Day of the Girl in recognition of the struggle and plight of girls across the world who have far less privileged existences,” said Deputy Head and Head of Pastoral Care, Mrs Tricia Wilks.

“The empowerment of girls and women around the globe starts at school, with a quality education and access to culture and information. Our entire Maynard community wanted to stand up and be counted in support of this notion.”

Mikee Osterlund: Forfeiting Philippine life for an English education

In ten days’ time, Mikee Osterlund will be celebrating her 15^th birthday marking ten years since she waved goodbye to her family in the Philippines in search of a better education. Having first visited England with her grandmother when she was four, she was adamant that she wanted to stay. She has been a student at The Maynard School since 2014 and last year was officially adopted by her uncle and aunt living in Devon. Mikee is here to stay:

“I decided that this was what I wanted to do when I was 5 years old. I did go to school in the Philippines but it was very different. The teachers actually teach you over here whereas over there you worked solely from a text book and the teacher only ever spoke to you if you put your hand up for help.

“I was always quite independent so whilst it was a big sacrifice to leave behind my parents and little brother, I always knew I would be alright. I was one of the lucky ones because these opportunities don’t happen to other girls in the Philippines.”

Walk in her Shoes

This afternoon over 100 Maynard girls will take part in a sponsored Walk in her Shoes in recognition of all those girls who, as young as 4 years old, walk miles every day to collect their families’ water supply but leaving them no time to attend school. As a symbolic measure, and to raise awareness of these girls, each student will fill and carry an empty water bottle. All donations will be sent to Care International to help build wells and water pumps closer to rural communities so that women and girls don’t have to miss out on an education in order to sustain their families in this way.