FULHAM SCHOOL WELCOMES SIXTH FORM AND NEW FACILITIES FOLLOWING MULTI-MILLION POUND INVESTMENT

Fulham School is to offer sixth form education for the first time, as part of a multi-million pound transformation of the leading academic institution.

Under plans outlined by new headmaster Will le Fleming, Fulham School will open a new senior school campus in Chesilton Road, Fulham, intended to provide education to 220 students. Among the students will be a new sixth form intake as Fulham School seeks to widen its educational remit. 

In further preparation for this, the school has just applied for accreditation to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) as the basis of sixth-form study.

Will le Fleming, Fulham School Headmaster, said: “This is a powerful next step for Fulham School. We launched with just 12 students around 20 years ago. We now cater to 700 on two sites and will soon be welcoming even more as we open our third campus.

“Fulham School will be offering the option of a high-class education to pupils aged from four to 18. We offer a fresh alternative in London, rejecting artificial and heavily tutored selection and overly narrow outcomes. Our holistic admissions process and innovative curriculum are designed to ensure all of our pupils, from the highest of academic flyers to those who need more support, learn alongside and from each other to achieve their own best outcomes. We want our graduates to follow diverse paths in life, but be united by tenacity and a confident sense of possibility.”

Fulham School originally opened its senior school in 2017, joining the well-established Fulham Pre-Prep and Fulham Prep. With the design of the new campus currently being finalised, Fulham Prep will temporarily welcome the new intake later this year. The full move to the new site is set to take place during the next academic year. 

The new senior school is just one element of an ambitious plan by AIR Architects set to transform Fulham School in the coming years. The multi-million pound project is funded by the Inspired Education Group, a global premium school group that Fulham School joined in 2014, which educates 38,000 students across an international network of 51 schools across five continents. Of this, 18 are IB schools, which includes the top-ranking St. Louis, recognised for having sustained the  highest IB score in continental Europe for the past four years. 

All of the facilities at Fulham Senior School will be brand-new and state-of-the-art. The prep and pre-prep schools, located in Greyhound Road and Fulham High Street respectively, will also have the latest facilities installed. Major works include the introduction of a new kitchen and impressive dining room at the pre-prep, and an art studio, dance and fitness studio, science and music labs and performing arts venue at the prep. There will also be an innovative new library space, which will celebrate literacy and technology and the enduring magic of reading, with indoor treehouses for pupils to use to curl up with a good book.

The changes to Fulham School are not restricted to the buildings. Mr le Fleming and his team are also implementing a brand-new curriculum programme at the school: Fulham Core.

He explained: “Fulham Core will sit at the heart of what we do, teaching our children all the skills they need to thrive and find purpose in the modern world. 

“Our children will learn to make up their own minds about the world beyond the school gates and the potential opportunities and barriers they will encounter. That there is no fear in failure, that they should not be afraid to falter, learn and try again.”

Mr le Fleming, former Deputy Head and Director of St Paul’s Girls Senior School, describes Fulham Core, with its focus on creativity, collaboration and global citizenship, as a perfect match for the academia of the IB Diploma Programme. 

He added: “We want our pupils to show initiative and independence in their learning. We want them to learn beyond and between subjects, making connections and grasping the significance and purpose of their academic disciplines. That is why we are passionate about our application to offer the Diploma Programme as part of a balanced curriculum complementing GCSEs.

“The building works we are doing at Fulham School are supportive of our educational vision. The new library and technology we’ll offer boosts our pupils’ independent research skills. And through production in the performing arts venue they’ll learn the benefits of staging a successful show, whether that’s on stage or working behind the scenes. Putting themselves on the line, supporting the team, working to a fixed deadline. All essential life skills.”

Works to Fulham Prep and Fulham Pre-Prep have already begun. The majority of the transformative work is due to be completed by September this year. 

Fulham School was founded by Jane Emmett in 1996. She remains a governor. 

Fulham School seeks to offer an outstanding education, combining the best of tradition with innovative skills and methods, founded on the principles of co-education and a diverse ability range.

Inspired Education Group

In 2014 Fulham School joined the global Inspired Education Group, which educates over 38,000 students across an international network of 51 schools on five continents. Founded by Nadim M Nsouli, Inspired offers a fresh and contemporary approach to education by re-evaluating traditional teaching methods and curricula, and creating a more dynamic, relevant and powerful educational model. 

All of the Inspired Education Group schools are individually developed and designed in response to their environment and location, delivering an excellent education to their respective communities.  

The Inspired Education Group is a co-educational, non-denominational, independent school group designed to inspire students to achieve their maximum potential in a nurturing, progressive academic environment from ages one to 18.

The Inspired Education Group offers a fresh and contemporary approach to education by re-evaluating traditional teaching methods and curriculums, and creating a more dynamic, relevant and powerful model reflecting current attitudes. The Inspired Education Group seeks to nurture the unique individuality, talent and self-assurance of each student, equipping them to take on the world with the skills and confidence to ensure success.

About Will le Fleming: Fulham School Headmaster Will le Fleming grew up on a farm in Gloucestershire and was educated at Eton and then Clare College, Cambridge. After graduating he worked as a journalist for a number of years, before forging a career in education in museums and palaces. Following spells working at the Museum of London and the Tower of London, he secured a place at Hampton Court with a focus on education, covering the adult lecture series with celebrated speakers, to primary school sessions. From there he moved to St Paul’s School, where he developed an interest in the academic and pastoral support of students alongside classroom teaching.  In 2014 he was appointed to the senior role of Undermaster before moving to St Paul’s Girls School where he worked as Deputy Head and Director of Senior School. In September last year, he joined Fulham School as Headmaster and Head of Fulham Senior. Alongside teaching he is also a writer, his debut novel, Central Reservation, was published in 2011.