There are few things I ’ m more proud of than the School ’ s expanding bursary programme .
The year covered by this Report was Tim Hands ’ last as Headmaster , ending a highly successful seven years . He , like me , will have been delighted by the performance of the School – both academically and on the playing field . We achieved our best Oxbridge entry results for a decade ; and improved our performance at A-level by 10 % in terms of A * and A grades ( relative to 2019 ) when many schools were slipping back . In sport , the football team had its best season for perhaps 20 years ; the cricket eleven was unbeaten , until a stumble in the final match ; and the tennis team retained its unbeaten record for a third successive year . It was also the first year when the School admitted girls to VIth Book – a process which went remarkably smoothly , thanks to excellent preparations , in particular by the Headmaster and the Deputy Head Pastoral , and to the manifest determination of the girls to benefit from everything which Winchester has to offer .
Elizabeth Stone has now succeeded Tim and is already settling in and setting a clear direction . I remain as confident as I was at the time of her appointment that Elizabeth will prove an outstanding Headmaster .
This year has seen the second cohort of day girls arrive at Winchester . The next big milestone will be girls boarding . We took a major step towards this goal when Winchester City Council approved our planning application for two new Boarding Houses in August . Many hurdles obviously remain , but we have a very good and experienced team overseeing the project .
One of Tim Hands ’ significant legacies is a much stronger relationship with the city of Winchester . He rightly saw us as an important player in the development of Winchester – a major employer ; a significant part of the city ’ s heritage offering ; and a strong supporter of many activities , not least through partnerships with local schools . The fact that the Friends of Winchester College has gone from strength to strength in recent years ( with rapidly increasing membership ) is one illustration of this new relationship .
There are few things I ’ m more proud of than the School ’ s expanding bursary programme . This will reach a new high in 2023 / 24 with over 140 pupils on bursaries averaging 72 %. We remain committed to seeing this steadily increase , to ensure we can attract those who would most benefit from what we have to offer - irrespective of their family ’ s financial means . We can only do this thanks to the remarkable generosity of those donors who support the School , and I would like to pay particular tribute to those from overseas who support us .
Sir Richard Stagg Warden of Winchester College
Winchester College - Annual Report 2023 | 5