Call to Past Pupils

Four months ago Ellesmere College took the bold step of initiating a new Development Office to better serve the Headmaster’s and the College Council’s future vision.

Nick Pettingale, their first Development Director, who moved from a similar position at Stamford Endowed Schools in Lincolnshire and is also the Chairman of The Institute of Development Professionals in Education, said, ‘These are exciting times at Ellesmere College, not many schools are looking seriously at their vision for the next 20 years. It is rare to find a school that can hold the very important values and traditions of the past, in creative tension with an innovative and dynamic future, but they are achieving this at Ellesmere College’.

With the assistance of Nick’s PA, Lesley Farrar, 4,500 questionnaires have been sent to ‘Old Ellesmerians’ [OE’s] all over the world. ‘One of our most important goals is to reconnect our past students and the huge amount of experience, talent and skills that they have, to our current pupils’ said Nick. ‘We live in a tough and competitive world today and Ellesmere is committed to educating students for that world, rather than simply to pass exams that make schools look good in league tables. The School cares passionately about each individual student and that they are equipped to achieve their best. This is being extended beyond their time at the School through the creation of a mentoring programme for our Sixth Form Leavers, connecting them to a ‘buddy’ as they leave for University.

The School is also developing business networks that will enable Ellesmere students, as they leave University, find other OE’s in their chosen profession’ he commented. ‘I recently met an army Major at an OE dinner, who left Ellesmere College some years ago. His job is to train young army officers but after hearing about our vision is keen to come back to the School and teach in our ‘Leadership’ training programmes. There are others who, like Andrew Collinge, are at the top of their profession, but the truth is every Old Ellesmerian has something they can give back to the School’.

Inevitably with the passage of time and people’s mobility today the School loses contact with students as they progress through life. So if you are an ‘Old Ellesmerian’ or know of anyone who attended in the past, please encourage them to contact the College for information on how they can help or alternatively they can email Nick directly at nick.pettingale@ellesmere.com.

Look out for further news from the development plans progress.