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Westonbirt School’s 95th Birthday

This month, Westonbirt School celebrates its 95th birthday and the House itself, in its current form, celebrates being 155 years old. We are marking this milestone by publishing a selection of the extensive archive collection via the 90th Anniversary Book, which was produced in 2018, and a further update since then. We are sure that this wonderful house and grounds, of which we are so fortunate to be the caretakers, will continue to give pleasure to all those who live there and visit them; be they students, staff, local schools, external visitors, local friends and residents, and those from all over the globe who come here to experience our school and community.

Please enjoy the 90th Anniversary Book in the digital form here and thank you to all who helped to create it.

Westonbirt School Then & Now Comparisons

Since 2018, Westonbirt School and the House have undergone many development renovations and experienced more historical moments to add to its portfolio including the global pandemic Covid-19, which left the corridors and grounds quiet from physical teaching from March 2020 until September 2021. Despite the pandemic, Westonbirt has continued to thrive and expand.

Boys at Westonbirt

In 2018, the School became part of the Wishford Group and opened its doors to boys in Sept 2019. The first boy boarders resided in their new Junior boarding house (Years 7 – 9), Badminton in 2021. This was followed by the Senior boys’ boarding houses Beaufort (Years 10 – 12) and Holford House (off-site Year 13) in September 2022. Holford House is set within 9 acres of orchards and gardens, on the outskirts of Tetbury and just a few miles from Westonbirt. The Year 13 House offers approximately 30 ensuite bedrooms, a substantial common room and the opportunity for students to prepare for university living or professional life in their final year at Westonbirt.

 

Since then, the girls’ boarding houses have also been changed around slightly. Dorchester House caters for girl boarders from Years 7 – 11 and is located at the top of the House around the Great Hall, and Gloucester House offers Senior Girls’ Boarding for Year 12s, located around the courtyard.

Find out how friends can become family when boarding at Westonbirt through our new boarding video by clicking here

10-Year Wishford Master Plan

In 2021, Wishford Schools put in place their 10-year development master plan. Some of the plans that have been completed or are soon set to start include:

  • Purchase of a former care home Ilsom House, in Tetbury, and converted into a Year 13 off-site boarding house called Holford House – Completed and occupied in September 2022
  • New kitchen classroom – Completed in November 2022
  • New car park with 6 charging spaces – Completed in November 2022
  • Eight New Walled Garden Classrooms – Completed in December 2022
  • New grounds area and shed – Completed in March 2022
  • Sports Complex including a new AstroTurf, four tennis courts and three netball courts all under flood lights, and a clubhouse containing toilets, spectator viewing facilities, sports changing rooms, and match tea accommodations – Completed in April 2023
  • New Slip lane for Piccadilly access – Set to finish in September 2023
  • Expansion of Prep School including new reception area, dining hall, 10 new classrooms, and a courtyard – Set to begin in October 2023 and finish in September 2024

The House

The Holford Trust, better known as HoWT, exists to maintain and promote the House’s beauty, history and charm and since 2018 they have been very busy.

Italian Gardens Renovations/Restorations:-

  • The Lake restored during Covid-19
  • Both pavilions restored
  • North wall restored and finials reinstated
  • Camellia House fully restored
  • Glass house fully restored
  • Double pond repaired and brought back to working order

Other garden areas:-

  • 4 stone seats restored
  • Minton tiles reproduced and replaced for the Church Seat
  • Lake fully restored, re-filled and planted
  • Grotto area cleared, repaired and replanted
  • Mrs Holford’s rose garden cleared and replanted
  • Church double gates and various others on site, repaired and restored
  • The Garden Room – new visitor centre and volunteer space
  • Reading Room silks replaced, all wood restored and new lighting system
  • Several original paintings by artists such as Rembrandt, Velasquez, Titian, Bellini to name a few, copied from the originals now hanging in museums around the world but originally owned by Robert Stayner Holford, now hanging in various rooms and the Chapel.

Sports Success at Westonbirt

Along with the growth of the School has come great sporting success and development as well. In the last five years, minus two due to Covid- 19, Westonbirt sports have continued to improve their somewhat “underdog” status, by becoming champions in a number of sports.

Cross Country 

  • Since 2021 we have hosted the South West ISA cross-country championships. We often have pupils from every year group qualifying to compete at nationals. We can proudly say that we often have athletes on the podium at this national event.

Equestrian 

  • Every year since starting out, teams and individuals have qualified for the National Schools Equestrian Championships at all levels in showjumping and dressage, and most years for the County Championships, representing Gloucestershire.

Lacrosse

  • In 2021, the first lacrosse player accepted an NCAA Division II scholarship to the USA.
  • U18 Team – 2022 South West Rally Champions
  • U18 Team – 2022 Welsh Rally Champions
  • In 2023, two students represented Team England U18s and one student represented Team England U21s at Home Internationals.
  • Within the past few years, players have played at the international level representing other European countries including, Wales, Scotland, and Italy at the respective National and Regional Academies.
  • Within the past few years, players have been offered places or been in contact with NCAA coaches in the USA.

Netball

  • U13 Netball Team – 2022 ISA South West Champions

Rugby 

  • U14 Boys Rugby Country Cup Plate Semi Finals – 2022
  • In 2022, Year 11 student was named in the Gloucester Academy U17’s squad for the 2023/2024 season
  • U13 Rugby 7s ISA Bowl Winners – 2023

Swimming

  • Westonbirt Prep School boys smashed their way to a new national swimming record – 2015
  • A Year 6 student achieved gold at the ISA Swimming competition in 50m backstroke and bronze in 50m backstroke – 2022
  • Nine prep swimmers qualified for the ISA National finals – 2022

Tennis

  • Senior team girls reached Regional semi-finals of the Aberdare Cup 2022
  • U13 and U15 girls teams made the semi-finals of the Gloucestershire county schools LTA team event 2022.

This academic year (2022-23), the number of pupils attending the School has more than doubled since 2018; a new Combined Cadet Force (CCF) was added to the curriculum, and Headmistress Natasha Dangerfield celebrated a decade of leading Westonbirt School.

 

Do you have any memories of the School over the last 95 years? Please email them to us at association@westonbirtschool.uk. We look forward to reading about them.