School Background
St Peter’s School was founded in AD 627. With its junior and pre-prep schools, St Olave’s School
and Clifton School and Nursery, St Peter’s enjoys a very strong reputation for providing exceptional
opportunities for its pupils. It lies within a short walk of the centre of the historic city of York, close
to international airports and at the hub of road and rail communications. It is one of very few
schools in the North of England to offer three distinct phases of education, each sharply identified
and focused towards the needs of its pupils at each age group, set within an overall context of trust,
confidence-building, inspiration and opportunity. St Peter’s School is on a very firm financial footing
with no borrowings. The School is generating a healthy surplus and is able to plan
confidently for future developments.
Clifton School and Nursery
Clifton is a thriving and successful co-educational IAPS school for day children
from ages 3-8 years. It is part of the St Peter’s School’s Foundation which
includes the Junior School, St Olave’s and The Senior School, St Peter’s.
The three schools have their own identities and separate Heads, who work
closely together in the Whole School Leadership Team, which is chaired by the
Head Master of St Peter’s. Clifton has around 200 children from Nursery to
Year 3.
Clifton was founded in the 1890s and was for many years an independent prep
school, well known in York as ‘Miss Meaby’s’ , after the school’s much loved
Headmistress. The school became part of St Peter’s in 1994 and moved onto
the St Peter’s School campus in 2001. The main part of the school is housed in
the Chilman Building, with the Nursery situated in the Denison building adjacent
to the Chilman Building.
Clifton has a warm family atmosphere and it is our aim to provide the children with a safe and
secure environment in which to learn. The children are not just limited to a diet of numeracy and
literacy, as the most important factor is to teach the ‘whole child’, making them happy, confident,
well behaved children who work extremely hard to improve themselves. The school fosters a
lifelong love of learning through a rich and varied curriculum in a stimulating environment, producing
rounded individuals who are well prepared for the next stage of their education. We value each
child’s contribution and in recent years have worked towards developing their thinking skills by
means of Critical Thinking Skills and Philosophy. Children
achieve high standards whilst enjoying learning.
One of the strengths of the school is Year 3. Many preprep schools end at Year 2 but we feel that the
benefits gained by an additional year in Clifton are
significant. The Year 3 children show parents around
the school during Open Days and take on
responsibilities as House Captains, School Council and
Librarians. They demonstrate a confidence and pride in
the school, which is often remarked upon by visitors.
All children from Reception upwards are allocated to a
House – Monk, Micklegate and Walmgate - named after
the bars (gates) of York. This introduces the idea of being part of a group and working towards the
common good – sports day and a swimming gala are all competed for in houses. Children can earn
house points for good behaviour and work, and each week the House Cup is awarded to the house
with the most house points for that week.
We have specialist teachers for French, PE and Games, Music and Drama. Each class has their own
class teacher who takes responsibility for teaching most subjects and also for day-to-day pastoral
care of the children. Nursery is run by a class teacher and other
fully qualified assistants, Reception and Year 1 both have full time
Teaching Assistants. We have three other part-time assistants
who work with Years 2 and 3 for some of the time, helping with
preparation, hearing reading and other classroom tasks.
We operate an open door policy and parents are welcomed into
the classes at the beginning of the day when often small issues can
be dealt with. Parents are encouraged to make an appointment to
see their child’s teacher if there are any more pressing issues and a
mutually convenient time is arranged. We want them to feel
welcome in school.
Classrooms are bright and spacious, those from Reception to Year
3 are in a modern building and there is access to the playground
from the Reception classrooms, allowing them to have easy indoor
and outdoor access. Nursery is situated on the ground floor of the
Denison Building, which is a Grade 2 listed Georgian building and gives them a large and airy main
work room. This, together with a quiet room, washroom and staffroom with storage area provides
a self-contained unit for the Nursery children. All classrooms have interactive whiteboards.
There is a free flow system for the Early Years and the area directly outside the school is an allweather surface allowing all of the children to play outside in most weathers. The children in Early
Years also go to forest school every week. The school has access to the St Peter’s Sports Hall and
swimming pool, as well as using the Shepherd Hall in St Olave’s for Drama Productions. We have a
large room in the Chilman building (the Rayson Room) which is used for assemblies, some PE, Music
and Drama lessons, which also has an interactive whiteboard. It is also used for Before and After
School Care.
All staff are expected to play a full part in school life – days
are busy. Every member of staff has duties either in the
playground or the dining room and everyone is expected to
maintain a high standard of display both in the classroom and
in the common areas beside their classrooms. Teaching staff
are all expected to offer an after school activity for children
from Reception – Year 3. We have a varied programme of
activities (35 last term) and staff are asked to suggest their
own clubs - at the moment activities range from Lego, Art,
Animation clubs to Ballet and Tag rugby which change every
term.
Ours is a thriving and successful school – in our recent
inspection the school was deemed to be outstanding in all areas. This is the excellent result from a
committed and hardworking staff. Staff are encouraged to attend courses and conferences and to
develop their own interests and skills.
Newly qualified teachers may gain full qualification through the Independent Schools Teacher
Induction Programme, the largest NQT training programme in the country.
Clifton received the Archant “Best Pre-prep School 2011” - a national award.
St Olave’s School
St Olave’s School (pronounced ‘olives’) for girls and boys aged 8 to 13 years, is adjacent to the main
campus of St Peter’s and introduces boarding as an element of the School. Under the leadership of
the Master, the teaching staff provide expertise in the 8 to 13 range, guaranteeing subject specialism
to challenge and support every pupil.
The curriculum is wide and challenging with expert teaching from the earliest age. There are many
opportunities for recreational and competitive sport with girls’ and boys’ teams enjoying success
both regionally and nationally. There are numerous co-curricular activities to choose from on a
weekly basis. Music plays a central role in school life involving the full range of orchestral
instruments.
Boarding is an integral element of the School and is accommodated in Wentworth, a boarding house
on the main school campus.
St Olave’s has retained its own identity – a school within a school – giving all pupils a sense of pride
and identity. It is recognised as a school in its own right, playing a vital role in the success of Clifton
and St Peter’s.
St Peter’s School
“Older than the House of Commons, older than th
Universities, older than the Lord Mayoralty, older tha
the House of Lords, older even than the throne or natio
itself.”
Arthur F Leach, “Fortnightly Review”, November 1892
elements.
St Peter’s School, for children aged 13 to 18 years,
is underpinned by the acknowledgement that
academic rigour and challenge are essential
Through outstanding teaching, first rate facilities, high expectations and sheer determination on the
part of its pupils, St Peter’s achieve considerable success across a broad curriculum.
The four vibrant and successful boarding Houses for boys and girls lends vitality to the pastoral life
of the school. Inspiration from living in close proximity to a cultured and historic city adds further
richness to the pupils’ lives. The Ofsted inspection of Boarding in December 2010 found the school’s
provision to be outstanding.
The School Chapel stands at the centre of the campus and regular services (three mornings a week)
give pupils and staff the opportunity to reflect together on the spiritual values of the community and
on the meaning and significance of what is happening locally,
nationally and globally.
Music, art and drama are central to the cultural and academic depth
of the School. The Sports programme is extensive, providing a wide
range of choice for both girls and boys; results are excellent. St
Peter’s pupils’ co-curricular achievements are considerable. The
excellence of the teaching and facilities allows pupils to thrive.
School location
The School campus is situated a short walk from the historic centre of York but enjoys a relatively
rural setting with large playing fields surrounding the main buildings. The River Ouse (on which the
Boat Club rows) runs alongside the playing fields. Many of the School’s facilities are modern and
spacious and these facilitate the very high standards of provision in the fields of academic work,
sport, music, drama, art, CCF among many others.
York remains one of the most attractive cities in the north of England with its lively blend of
commerce, history, learning and culture. The city is well-connected with good road and rail links:
Leeds and Yorkshire’s east coast are 45 minutes away while trains from the City’s railway station (a
ten minute walk from the School) reach London or Edinburgh in around two hours.
School location:
A guide to the City of York can be found at http://www.visityork.org/
The school’s website can be visited at www.stpetersyork.org.uk. The most recent inspection report is
available on the ISI website.
Applications
Please return a completed application form and accompanying letter to:
Mr Philip Hardy, Head of Clifton School and Nursery, (St Peter’s School), York, YO30 6AB
Tel: 01904 527361
E-mail: j.sunderland@cliftonyork.org.uk
The closing date for applications is:
21st NOVEMBER 2014
Interviews will take place on:
27TH NOVEMBER 2014
St Peter’s School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young
people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants must be willing to
undergo Child Protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers
and the Disclosure and Barring Service.