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Bancroft's School
Address
High Road Woodford Green, Essex, IG8 0RF England
Information
Type	Independent
Motto	Unto God Only Be Honour and Glory
Religious affiliation(s)	Church of England
Established	1737
Founder	Francis Bancroft
Local authority	Redbridge
Chairman of Governors	Stephen Foakes, TD, DL, FCIB
Head	Mrs M.E. Ireland
Chaplain	Rev. I Moore
Staff	c.90
Gender	Coeducational
Age	7 to 18
Number of students	963
Houses	North, East, West and School
Colour(s)	Red, Green, Yellow and Blue
Website	http://www.bancrofts.essex.sch.uk

Bancroft's School is a co-educational independent school in Woodford Green, Essex. The school has around 1000 pupils aged between 7 and 18. The Preparatory School has 200 pupils and the Senior School has 800.

The Good Schools Guide called the school a "Terrific school," saying that "Bancroft's values and fosters achievement – not just in academia." The Guide also added that "You've got to be great to get in but once you are there the staff, facilities and opportunities will help you focus on being even greater."

History

The school was founded in 1737, following the death of its founder Francis Bancroft, who left a sizeable sum of money to the Drapers' Company, which continues to act as trustee for the school. Bancroft's began in the Mile End Road in London's East End as a small charitable day school for boys, with an attached almshouse for 24 elderly gentlemen, and over the next 250 years it evolved steadily to its present form; it is now one of the country's leading coeducational schools.

The foundation was originally known as Bancroft's Hospital and until the late 19th century also acted as home for the almsmen. The school then moved to a new site at Woodford Green and the original buildings were demolished; the site is now occupied by Queen Mary College, one of the colleges of the University of London.

The new school in Woodford Green occupies four and a half acres, and the main buildings were designed by Arthur Blomfield, who was also responsible for Selwyn College in Cambridge. Originally there were just a hundred pupils, including sixty boarders, but the numbers grew steadily during the twentieth century until there were nearly one thousand on the roll. The buildings were also extended, with the Science Block (1910), a new Assembly Hall (1937), the Adams Building (1964), a new Gymnasium Block (1975), the Prep School(1990), the Courtyard Building (2006), new Sports Block (2007), Prep School Extension (2009).

Following the Education Act 1944, Bancroft's became a direct grant grammar school. However, the removal of this status in the 1970s prompted the Governors to decide on three courses of action. These were to discontinue boarding, to admit girls for the first time and to build a new Preparatory Department. These were all completed by 1990; the School now takes half its pupils from age 7, and half the pupils are now girls. In 1997 the Government abolished the Assisted Places Scheme, which had helped children from poor families to attend the school; the Governors replaced these by Francis Bancroft Scholarships, which were supported by the Drapers' Company and by the residue of Francis Bancroft's original will. These awards are means-tested, and can be worth the entire school fee.

In 2004 a new building programme began. The Courtyard Building, consisting of new kitchens, further teaching rooms and a new Sixth Form Centre, was opened by Chris Woodhead in February 2006, and a new Sports Hall was completed at the beginning of the Summer Term 2007. A conversion of the old gymnasium into a Drama Centre has just finished with students enjoying the new facilities available. A new building for the prep school has also just reached completion with work now focusing on the creation of a second floor in the historic library for additional computer usage. There are also plans for a future extension to the recently built 6th form block compromising of a number of new facilities including a separate 6th form library.

Mrs Mary Ireland became headmistress in January 2008, succeeding Dr Peter Scott. She last worked at Christ's Hospital where she was deputy head to Dr Peter Southern, himself a previous headmaster at Bancroft's.

Year groups

The preparatory school has four years which are known as:

• Alpha (Year 3); Beta (Year 4); Prep One (Year 5); Prep Two (Year 6)

The senior school has its own naming system, in ascending age order:

• Thirds (Year 7); Removes (Year 8); Lower Fourth (Year 9); Upper Fourth (Year 10); Fifth Form (Year 11); Lower Sixth (Year 12); Upper Sixth (Year 13)

Curriculum

For the first two years students study the following subjects: English, Maths, French, ICT, Combined Science, Drama, Classics (in Thirds, Year 7), Religious Studies, Geography, Latin (from Removes, Year 8) and upwards, PSHE, History, PE, Games, Music, Technology and Art.

In the Lower Fourth year students choose a second language (Spanish, German or Ancient Greek) and two creative subjects (from Art, Music, Design Technology & Electronics, and Drama).

At GCSE level all pupils take the following common core subjects: English, English Literature, Mathematics, French, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Three additional subjects are chosen from: Art, DT, Electronics, Music, Spanish, German, Latin, Ancient Greek, Greek Civilization, Religious Studies, Geography and History.

The school has opted to follow the IGCSE syllabus in Mathematics. About half the pupils take this a year early, and go on to take Additional Maths in the Fifth Form. A similar proportion take French a year early, and then go on to study a third of the AS Level course and now Critical Thinking as well, with the option to take the AS exam in Critical Thinking at the end of the year.

A-Level students pick four of the subjects from the list that the school offers: Art, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Classical Civilisation, Critical Thinking, Design Technology, Drama, Economics, Electronics, English Literature, French, Geography, German, Greek, History, Latin, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Physics, Religious Studies and Spanish. There are also courses to AS level in Government and Politics, and Music Technology. Play Directing, German (beginners), Spanish (beginners), Circuit Training, Creative Writing, Music Theory, Financial Studies, Medicine, ICT (ECDL) and Critical Analysis are also offered to students choosing to continue with only three of their A-Level choices in the Upper Sixth.

Grading system

The pre-GCSE students (Thirds, Removes and Lower-Fourths ) are still given grades with A to D measuring effort (With A representing the highest level of effort given) and 7 to 1 measuring achievement (With 7 representing the highest level of achievement). Now the grading system for GCSE students has changed. The numbers of achievement scale from 1 to 9, 9 being a high A*, 8 being an A*, 7 being a A/A*, 6 being an A, and so on. Three letter grades are given - one for Attitude, one for Classwork and one for Homework. In the sixth form, the grading system changes. Effort is still measured by letters from A to D but achievement is measured on a scale of 1 to 9 against a baseline grade (This is calculated based on GCSE grades and Centigrade tests conducted in earlier years) The numeric grade is an indication of a pupil's expected AS or A level results.

School song (Latin and translation)

Floreat Bancroftia,
Floreamus pueri,
Vivat et memoria,
Fundatoris nostri.
Nobis en aeternum,
Magni sint honores,
Floreat Bancroftia,
Floreant rectores.

May Bancroft's flourish,
May the pupils flourish,
Long live the memory,
Of our founders.
Unto us forever,
May our honour be great,
May Bancrofts flourish,
May the teachers flourish.

Previous headmasters

Notable alumni

The Old Bancroftian Association

The Old Bancroftian Association (OBA) started in 1892 when the Old Bancroftians' Football Club was formed, although there were already a few unofficial groups which had been around since the 1860s. The first meeting was held in 1896 at the Haunch of Venison in Fleet Street. However, a constitution was not agreed until 1909, when the first President, H.C Playne (who was also the school's Head Master), was appointed. The idea of the association was to keep young and old members together.

The association grew rapidly over the years and in 2005 membership for life was introduced for all Bancroftians, by which time there were 3175 members.

The association provides many services for former members of the school including reunions and various sports teams, including cricket, rugby and golf.

References

1. http://goodschoolsguide.co.uk/school/bancrofts-school.html
2. The Drapers' Company - Francis Bancroft's Trust, accessed May 2008
3. The Old Bancroftians Association
4. Bancroftian Network: A Brief History of the OBA

External links

• Official website
• The Virtual Learning Environment
• Profile at the Good Schools Guide
• Old Bancroftians website

• Independent schools in London
• Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
• Old Bancroftians