Mission and Vision

The central attribute for all who live, learn and work at Cheam is the growth and development of leadership within each of us. We aim to enable all members of our community to lead by example. The development of the Cheam Leadership Academy will allow for visiting leaders from across the UK to discuss their careers and their leadership lives with our pupils to inspire and encourage them to lead both themselves and our society forward. These leaders will be pulled from a diverse set of arenas including politics, religion, science, the arts, charities, the military, academics and sustainability. The academy is designed to create an environment of reflection, compassion and resilience, aiming to create individuals who, having been given opportunities to take ownership of their own learning, can lead by example.

All of our pupils will be given a chance to both serve and lead our community according to their individual gifts and skills. The creation of the ‘Cheam Diploma’ will record personal development and engagement in our community as well as service and achievement both within and beyond our curriculum, encouraging our pupils to lead by example and participation.

Developing our culture of leading by example, at the same time as building resilience and focusing on wellbeing, will require a diverse and focused curriculum so that when our pupils leave us at age 13 they are ready for the world beyond prep school. They will acquire the very best skills for their future, encouraging them to continue their journey of becoming 21st century citizens in the modern and ever changing world.

The creation of an innovation hub will allow for the testing and maximising of the learning opportunities of new technology, the reflection upon pedagogy and the growth of all our professionals. A key focus will be the rapidly developing technology of virtual reality as a learning tool. Enhancing productivity, streamlining processes and detailed analyses of our pupils’ progress will also be areas of focus.

The school will continue to invest in effective data gathering and sharing so that our pupils progress to achieve the full capacity of their potential, in terms of their mental wellbeing, their academic potential and their physical development. It is hoped that these systems will be shared openly with our parents so that they can understand the growth and development of their children. Cheam will continue to refine its curriculum so that it provides our pupils with the very best skills for their Senior School experience. Boarding is a key part of our offering and a wonderful opportunity to promote leadership amongst our boarders as they enjoy and learn from the 24/7 experience that Cheam boarding provides.

Sport and Physical Development, Art, Design, Music and Drama will all contribute to building leadership qualities and strong role models who can lead by example amongst our pupils. Inspiring excellence and encouraging effective levels of self confidence in all aspects of learning, these departments are key in working as equal partners with the academic curriculum, to build well rounded, curious and enthusiastic learners.

The Sports Department will be encouraged to use data to record the physical development of our pupils and create a bespoke pathway to greater physical fitness, enabling our pupils to contribute fully to all aspects of our school as both individual sports men and women and importantly as team players who know how to support each other.

Development of our curriculum, our boarding and our facilities will all contribute to building purposeful and resilient learning habits and to inspiring excellence, self-confidence and creativity resulting in curious, enthusiastic and productive learners.

We shall continue to nurture and grow a greater awareness of our natural world through enjoyment and appreciation of the wildlife and the beauty of our 100 acre rural estate. Linked closely to this, a consistent and steady drive must be created within Cheam to aim for our school to be increasingly sustainable and to make progress towards becoming carbon-neutral within the next decade. We will support and encourage our pupils to understand and embrace their stewardship role in caring for our planet and the need to act responsibly for future generations. Electric bus routes, eco-friendly buildings and recycling facilities and systems are all areas that can be considered and advocated for by a new pupil ambassador council.

The sense of community, identity and belonging has been central to Cheam’s historical success. It is now time for Cheam to integrate more fully with Headley, Ashford Hill and Kingsclere. I would like us to reach out to the parish councils, the schools and their churches and their communities. Cheam will seek to create new relationships with local charities that are involved with the welfare of children and young people. The growth of our bursarial fund to enable local children to join Cheam will help to transform their lives. Opening our doors to a greater and more diverse culture will mean that Cheam remains deeply rooted in our local families. Cheam will also aim to create strategic marketing and educational partnerships with a variety of schools both local and national and in both the independent and maintained sectors. This will enable us to look forward with confidence, independence and a strong set of friendships. Saturday School is an integral part of our Cheam community. We welcome parents to Chapel and to join the staff in discussion as well as to enjoy watching sports fixtures. This important element of our offering extends our community far beyond the classroom and ensures an inclusive, warm and meaningful welcome to our families. Strategically this is an element of our school on which we can build.

Cheam is blessed with a beautiful estate, amazing facilities and strong, devoted and capable teams which all support the holistic education of our pupils. However, as technology changes we would aim to improve the productivity of our existing teams: Estates, Property Services, IT, Health Centre, Matronal Team and Bursary. These teams will be capable and willing to implement change with an eye on our professionalism, our sustainability and our efficiency. A rolling programme of investment and innovation in classrooms will also be continued.

In collaboration with the Foundation, Governors, Friends of Cheam and with due regard to careful fiscal planning, Cheam will develop plans for a select number of major capital projects to support different aspects of the education that Cheam offers.