Westfield School, Newcastle upon Tyne
Encyclopedia
Westfield Independent Day School for Girls is a private school in Gosforth
in Newcastle upon Tyne
, England
for girls from the age of 3 through to 18.
The current Headmistress is Marion Farndale.
The school's uniform consists of a tartan blue and pink kilt with a pink shirt and a navy blue V-neck jumper, whilst the sixth form uniform consists of a navy suit along with the same pink and navy blue pullover as the rest of the school.
Westfield School was founded in 1960 by a group of enthusiastic parents who saw the need for a new type of girls' independent school with a broader curriculum than those offered at the time by other Newcastle schools. They decided to establish a girls' school on the Gordonstoun
model. Henry Brereton, a former Headmaster of Gordonstoun, was a founder trustee consultant and an adviser from the beginning. He remained a Governor of Westfield after retirement from Gordonstoun.
Miss Ellen Bicknell's PNEU School, situated at 1 and 3 Westfield Grove, Gosforth, was purchased and became the Junior House. Demand for places grew rapidly. Within a year Oakfield House, the former home of Sir Cecil Cochrane, was purchased for the senior girls.
The original prospectus describes the aims of the school: This school will seek to develop latent qualities and aptitudes in the belief that every child has certain gifts and should be encouraged to use them, irrespective of whether they conform to a conventional pattern. We aim to provide a high standard of academic education while at the same time giving each girl a sense of individual worth, whatever her gifts.
Special attention would be paid to music, art and craft, drama and speech training as well as outdoor activities and emphasis would be placed on Christian principles.
During the past 40 years the school has not lost sight of the aims of its founders, placing great emphasis on combining academic excellence with educating the whole person. It was a natural step in 1991 for Westfield to be admitted into membership of Round Square
, an international group of schools which share the same holistic view of education based on the thinking of Kurt Hahn
, the founder of Gordonstoun. Since then Westfield has received The Schools Curriculum Award for combining academic excellence with a broad, balanced curriculum enriched from the local community and environment.
The school has flourished and grown in recent years: in 1996 the acquisition of Ashfield Towers on Kenton Road, adjacent to Senior House, led to the relocation of Junior House allowing Westfield to offer an all through education for girls from three to eighteen on a single six acre site in the heart of Gosforth.
Gosforth
Gosforth is an area of Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom, to the north of the city centre. Gosforth constituted an urban district from 1895 to 1974, when it became part of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne. It has a population of 23,620...
in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for girls from the age of 3 through to 18.
The current Headmistress is Marion Farndale.
The school's uniform consists of a tartan blue and pink kilt with a pink shirt and a navy blue V-neck jumper, whilst the sixth form uniform consists of a navy suit along with the same pink and navy blue pullover as the rest of the school.
Westfield School was founded in 1960 by a group of enthusiastic parents who saw the need for a new type of girls' independent school with a broader curriculum than those offered at the time by other Newcastle schools. They decided to establish a girls' school on the Gordonstoun
Gordonstoun
Gordonstoun School is a co-educational independent school for boarding and day pupils in Moray in North East Scotland. Named after the estate originally owned by Sir Robert Gordon in the 1600s, the school now uses this estate as its campus...
model. Henry Brereton, a former Headmaster of Gordonstoun, was a founder trustee consultant and an adviser from the beginning. He remained a Governor of Westfield after retirement from Gordonstoun.
Miss Ellen Bicknell's PNEU School, situated at 1 and 3 Westfield Grove, Gosforth, was purchased and became the Junior House. Demand for places grew rapidly. Within a year Oakfield House, the former home of Sir Cecil Cochrane, was purchased for the senior girls.
The original prospectus describes the aims of the school: This school will seek to develop latent qualities and aptitudes in the belief that every child has certain gifts and should be encouraged to use them, irrespective of whether they conform to a conventional pattern. We aim to provide a high standard of academic education while at the same time giving each girl a sense of individual worth, whatever her gifts.
Special attention would be paid to music, art and craft, drama and speech training as well as outdoor activities and emphasis would be placed on Christian principles.
During the past 40 years the school has not lost sight of the aims of its founders, placing great emphasis on combining academic excellence with educating the whole person. It was a natural step in 1991 for Westfield to be admitted into membership of Round Square
Round Square
The Round Square Conference of Schools is a worldwide association of more than 80 schools that allows students to travel between schools,tour foreign countries, involve themselves in community service and discover cultures along the way.-History:...
, an international group of schools which share the same holistic view of education based on the thinking of Kurt Hahn
Kurt Hahn
Kurt Martin Hahn was a German educator whose philosophies are considered internationally influential.-Biography:...
, the founder of Gordonstoun. Since then Westfield has received The Schools Curriculum Award for combining academic excellence with a broad, balanced curriculum enriched from the local community and environment.
The school has flourished and grown in recent years: in 1996 the acquisition of Ashfield Towers on Kenton Road, adjacent to Senior House, led to the relocation of Junior House allowing Westfield to offer an all through education for girls from three to eighteen on a single six acre site in the heart of Gosforth.