Main School News

Congratulations to Alice, Emma, Jake and Harry on their recent national essay competition success.

Central to the school’s mission is to support communities both at home and abroad ‘to make a difference to our own lives, and to the lives of others’.  Over 8,000 hours of community service are given by pupils at Canford each year. Here is just some of the recent projects benefiting from the school's community work.

We are extremely proud of their achievements and all are a credit to Canford Rugby and the school. We look forward to continuing to follow their rugby journeys and also inviting them back to Canford to keep inspiring the current and future generations.

Each June, as part of its ongoing commitment to work with and support pupils educationally from a range of backgrounds, Canford holds an educational partnership day, with Lower Sixth pupils from Canford joining those from academy and local secondary schools for a varied and challenging programme of activities aimed at sparking discussion and inspiring reflection on the ways we think and learn.

We hope you enjoy the array of work from our talented Upper Sixth artists photographed exhibited in the Coldstream Gallery in the final week of term.

Canford is delighted to announce that it has been shortlisted for an award in the Performing Arts category of the Independent School Parent magazine’s Independent School of the Year 2021 awards for the high quality of its Music provision.

In what has been a challenging year for sport we are delighted that a number of Canfordians have been excelling and have been selected to represent their sport at the highest levels. At the end of such a trying year it feels right to recognise just a few of those achievements.

As Pride Month comes to a close, our Marketing Pupil Leaders took the opportunity to record this latest 'This Canford Life' podcast episode with pupil representatives from our EDI Committee, Alice, Celia, George and Jess. You can listen to the latest episode on YouTube, Apple podcasts and Soundcloud. 

We want to ensure we enrich our pupils' wellbeing with the knowledge and understanding on the science and importance of sleep.

We are delighted to announce that one of our current Lower Sixth pupils, Alice Hazell, was recently Commended for her essay entry in the Newnham Archaeology Essay Prize.

Whole Day Enterprises takes place a number of times during the school year and involves pupils engaging in group challenges, outdoor activity and community action work over the course of a day, or in some cases a whole weekend. It is a fantastic opportunity to spend quality time getting involved in these activities, as well as fulfilling important aspects of Canford’s values. 

As part of Canford’s commitment to investing in and developing staff development, we are delighted to announce success for our catering staff in recent Food and Nutrition courses. 

Thank you to the entire Canford Community for their involvement in the Mental Health Foundation Mental Health Awareness Week, which took place from 10th – 16th May.

Following the recent announcement of the new Heads and Deputy Heads of School, along with Pupil Leaders for the coming year, we are delighted to launch this new podcast episode ‘Meet the new Heads of School’ which you can listen to on YouTube, Apple podcasts or Soundcloud. 

With 546 university and higher education offers received to date by 156 Canfordians, representing an average of four offers per pupil, it is proving to be another very successful year for our leavers.

79% of all offers are from Russell Group/Sunday Times Top 12 institutions and include 7 places at Oxbridge and 7 for the highly competitive Medicine and Veterinary Science courses at other institutions. 

Cadets gathered in the Long Gallery on the morning of Wednesday 5^th May to receive their promotions. It is important to recognise the fine achievements of our latest group of JNCOs after completion of their latest training course. 

The Lower Sixth take part in the Baynham and C P Snow Essay competitions, with the Baynham Prize for the best essay on a question related to an arts or humanities topic and the C P Snow Prize recognises the best essay on a scientific topic. Congratulations to Milind and Harry on their winning entries.

This summer, Canford will once again be running its popular sports courses.

Watch the recordings of our 13+ and 16+ live events on Saturday 24th April. 

Canford selected for Strategic Educational Initiative final in the 2021 TES Awards

Headmaster Ben Vessey wanted to reflect on the past twelve months with the Heads and Deputy Heads of School in a special edition of a ‘This Canford Life’ video podcast which you can watch and listen to on YouTube, Apple podcasts or Soundcloud. 

This year’s Parade sadly could not take place as usual. Our senior cadets however have been terrific throughout this year and managed to run a programme covering 70% of the normal level of activities albeit without a field day thus far.

The theme of this year’s Careers Convention, held on Friday 19^th March, was ‘Start building your dream career today.’

Sunday 21st March marked World Poetry Day. Canford's Head of English, Richard Redwood, used the occasion to announce the winners of the school's first House Poetry competition. 

Congratulations to OC Arthur Cordwell on his Premiership Rugby debut for Bath Rugby.

The Canford campus has truly come to life again as we’ve welcomed pupils and staff back to school.

Happy World Book Day!

Virtual celebrations to mark the beginning of the Lunar Year of the Ox.

During lockdown pupils were encouraged to use their imagination and creativity in the Canford Collaborative Film Competition.

We start the second half of term with a new addition to the Canford Community and the Canford Wellbeing team, Lola, our new school dog!

Lockdown Community Action continues

SAT testing on 13 March cancelled

A half term message from Headmaster Ben Vessey

Canfordians have a strong record of entry into this prestigious competition.  This year the regional heats were held online due to the pandemic, and Sixth Former Imogen Fairweather represented Canford presenting on the Film Stills of Cindy Sherman. 

Friday 5^th February saw the annual House Debating Competition take place online. During the course of the evening over 200 pupils and staff tuned in to listen to several high quality debates.

Canford Sixth Formers Mimi and Rosie have produced the latest in the series of ‘This Canford Life’ podcasts with a special Life in Lockdown edition.

Poetry by Heart is a national competition in which young people choose poems they love, learn them by heart and perform them at their school. This year we have entered the competition with all Canford Shell pupils spending recent weeks at home committing a poem to their memory

Canford has appealed to its school community of parents and friends to support a ‘laptop lifelines’ campaign following the donation of 10 working used laptops by a Canford parent to The Bourne Academy in Bournemouth to help disadvantaged pupils learn from home during the lockdown.

The English department has been helping Fifth Formers develop their skills in speech writing in recent lessons.

As part of a Canford education, we want all our pupils to enrich their learning and broaden their horizons. 

Canfordians take part virtually in ESU Schools’ Mace Debating Competition

While not the beginning of the Easter Term today that we were all hoping for, we are still very excited to welcome back everyone associated with Canford and look forward to a happy, stimulating and inspiring term.

Throughout 2020-2021 Canford School and The Bourne Academy are celebrating ten years of success since the Academy’s foundation in 2010. 

Canfordians are celebrating excellent success in recent external ABRSM music examinations

Christmas Tree challenge for this year's competition

Huge congratulations to Fifth Form swimmer Robbie Hemmings who has been successful in securing a place in Swim England’s National Junior squad.

The English department was delighted to welcome William Hussey, author of the Shell class reader Jekyll’s Mirror, to English lessons on Tuesday 1^st December.

Awareness of our need to do all we can to protect the environment and the planet is a focus among pupils and staff at Canford. 

Canford among top schools in new review

The annual online fundraising auction in aid of the Martin Marriott Foundation for bursaries at Canford and the Friends of Canford School community projects is now LIVE!

The Canford community welcomed the reopening of the Gisborough Hall at the beginning of November. 

Canfordians both onsite and across the globe joined together on 11th November to remember all those who lost their lives in combat.

Fourth and Fifth pupils perform Chatroom by Enda Walsh

Congratulations to six of our pupils invited to attend England Hockey trials during half term.

Each year there is a different theme and in 2020 the theme was Vision.

Watch the Virtual Open Day recording

We are absoloutely delighted to finally be able to announce excellent outcomes from this very talented year group, and wish them all every success for the future!

Canford School’s CCF is celebrating an exciting start to the new academic year, welcoming pupils back to the school campus, national recognition for the department and a brand new, purpose-built facility.

Canford places literacy at the heart of learning, Head of English, Richard Redwood, recommends inspiring reads for 16 year olds and the Canford library launches new systems to keep Canford Covid-secure.

We cannot wait to welcome all our pupils back to Canford!

Canfordians have received their GCSE results this morning

Celebration for local community resident's 100th birthday

No SAT Testing at Canford in August and September

An unprecedented A Level results day

Fourth Form and Lower Sixth DT pupils created new lego products during remote learning

Two Canfordians planning Gap Year volunteering have received Bulkeley-Evans Awards

Catalina Taylor used the lockdown to create an award winning piece of poetry on the theme of conflict

Thank you to marketing agency Inca Loop for providing an innovative business project during lockdown

Over 1,500 members of our community viewed our virtual Speech Day 

Over 400 entries from Year 5-8 pupils in our junior competitions this term

The safety, health and wellbeing of our pupils and staff remains our top priority. By officially following the Charter, as a boarding school we will be maintaining the highest standards of welfare for the children in our care.

Our artists have been finding a variety of ways to embrace their creativity during lockdown.

Faced with an unprecedented situation, Canford wanted to offer its Upper Sixth pupils a meaningful end to their education. Thus the Canford 'College Programme' was born.

During the time of remote learning, it is vital that pupils and staff look after themselves both in terms of keeping fit and in their wellbeing and mental health.

'This House believes Coronavirus will create a brave new world' was the topic debated in the first John O'Gaunt society online event

Many congratulations to Upper Sixth Canfordian Callum Bruce who has been awarded a place with the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain.

Canford commemorates the 75th anniversary of VE Day

Canford’s English department have been celebrating Shakespeare in many innovative ways since the start of term.

ABRSM and diploma Music success

Despite the spectre of Covid-19, we were very pleased to still be able to hold the traditional CCF Biennial Inspection and Parade on Monday 16^th March. 

Our annual Lent Address programme took place during the first week of March.

World Book Day is officially today, Thursday 5^th March, but Canford’s celebrations are actually lasting for 14 days! 

Both physically and mentally demanding, pupils are pushed to their limits in tough and unfamiliar conditions while learning to cross-country ski in uncompromising mountain terrain.

Sixteen Canford pupils and staff spent last Sunday walking 16 miles for the City Reach project, a long standing Canford community action link which supports families in the inner city Southampton area of Northam.

Half term saw a group of A level Geographers escape Storm Dennis and head off to the Azores. 

The History Department hosted the fourth annual Keith Hay Dinner on the 25^th February, with over sixty pupils from the Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth cohort attending, as well as the twelve History staff and invited guests from other departments.

The Classics and Philosophy and Theology departments continued their harmonious collaboration over the February half term with the third annual joint trip in a row.

Sixth Form engineers at Canford are celebrating winning the Jaguar Land Rover South West Regional finals in the Professional Class at the Bristol and Bath Science Park on 25^th February and as a result move through to the National Finals of the competition at Jaguar Land Rover HQ in the Midlands on 23^rd March.

The final of the House Debating Competition took place on Friday 7th February. Selected representatives from all Houses took part in one of five debates.

We were delighted to welcome 115 Old Canfordians and their guests to Canford on Thursday 6^th February.

Pupils and staff at Canford embraced the Chinese Spring Festival with a number of different events, spread over the course of the 15 days marking the 2020 celebrations.

For the sixth consecutive year, Canford is delighted to welcome members of the Britten Sinfonia to the school for a two day residency on 11^th and 12^th February.

Over the weekend of 1^st and 2^nd February, nine Lower Sixth Canfordians joined over 150 pupils from schools in the UK and Europe at Gordon’s School, Woking for a Model United Nations conference.

Each year the European Commission runs a translation competition for senior students in schools and colleges across Europe.

The 2020 House Drama Festival once again demonstrated the breadth of talent across houses and year groups, from Shells to Upper Sixth.

Two Upper Sixth pupils create a fantastic video to raise awareness within the school of the new Canford Mountain Bike Club.

During the first week of the Easter Term, the principal of the Sagar School in Rajasthan, Dr Saha, spent three days at Canford talking to staff and pupils about the development of the partnership between the two schools.

In the 21^st century the world of work is ever changing, as are the pressures on our personal lives and it is vital that we equip our pupils with the skills and confidence to give them the best possible chance of making the right choices so they can find success and fulfilment in whatever fields they choose. 

As part our Community Action programme, on 19^th December eighteen children and staff from Linwood School enjoyed a Christmas party complete with a visit from Santa.

Jazz-age Chicago arrived on the Layard stage for this year's musical

The annual Christmas party for the children from City Reach in Southampton was once again a fun filled, festive day enjoyed by the community of Northam and Canford pupils alike.  

On Thursday 7 November, 14 Canford pupils with an interest in finding out more about career options in Engineering attended the Careers in Engineering evening held at Curtiss-Wright Aviation Engineering near Bournemouth Airport.

Tony Diprose appointed Director of Sport and Physical Wellbeing from January 2020

The annual online fundraising auction in aid of the Martin Marriott Foundation for transformational bursaries at Canford is now LIVE!

We are thrilled to announce that Canford has been shortlisted for Senior School of the Year in the forthcoming Times Educational Supplement (TES) Awards 2020.

Canford celebrated Bonfire Night with two events, both of which included some fantastic fireworks to  light up the night sky above Wimborne Minster.

The end of the first half term at Canford closed with the much anticipated Canford Festival of Ideas. The theme for this year’s festival was ‘Identity and Diversity’

During the October half term, the Canford 1st XI Girls’ Hockey Squad travelled to Barcelona for an eagerly anticipated five day mid-season tour.

Half term saw the 1^st XV squad head back to Dublin to re-trace the steps of 2016’s cohort. With two fixtures scheduled over 5 days and 26 boys travelling it was going to be a good chance to keep the excellent momentum going that had been built up this season.

As part of careers preparation for pupils applying for Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Medicine, the careers department and Head of Biology have been running a series of mock interview training sessions.

Fifteen Year 10 and Year 12 Canford artists have contributed to a wonderful exhibition of art at Wimborne Minster.

On the first Friday of October Half Term, 44 Shells and five teachers headed off to the sunnier climes of the Amalfi Coast.

This term’s Whole Day Enterprises once again involved a busy mix of visitors to Canford and pupils going offsite spending an entire day, or the whole weekend, engaged in group challenges, outdoor activity and community action work. 

46 Fifth Form pupils and six staff embarked on the annual Battlefields Trip, visiting the battlefields of Ypres in Belgium and the Somme in France from the 27^th to 30^th October.

During the October half term, twenty nine Canfordians visited Provence to immerse themselves in the French way of life and the country’s culture.

This year’s Sir Stueart Pringle Trophy competition took place over the weekend of 5-6 October.  This annual national competition at the Commando Training Centre, Lympstone is the premier inter-schools’ cadet event with marine cadets from schools across the UK.

Canford celebrated Libraries Week across the school.

Canford pupils and staff celebrated the day with ‘Pop Up Poetry’, with staff and pupils ‘popping up’ in parts of the school reading their favourite poems

Canford is celebrating winning the Rifles Cup 2019 in its first year of entering this prestigious Army competition held over two days, 20-22 September, at Longmoor Camp. 

Canford pupils reflect on their weekend spent on the Isle of Wight with children involved in the City Reach programme.

Canford celebrate Chinese Autumn Festival in style!

During the summer break, Fifth Form and Lower Sixth biologists, accompanied by Canford staff, enjoyed a fascinating trip to the Red Sea on a diving expedition.

There was great excitement in both London and Dorset on Monday evening, 9^th September, as Canford took home the prestigious ‘Public School of the Year’ trophy at the annual Tatler Schools Awards

Following their excellent A Level results, the class of 2019 leavers are now looking forward to the next stage of their education.

Upper Sixth pupils successfully complete their DofE Gold Expedition 

Canford pupils are celebrating outstanding success in this year’s GCSE results, once again hugely outperforming the national picture.

Over the summer, Canford pupils have travelled to India, Argentina and Ghana as part of the Canford Partnership projects.

In a year where the proportion of students receiving top grades was the lowest seen since 2007, Canford pupils have once again bucked the trend with excellent results at both A Level and Pre-U. 

This summer has seen Canfordians past and present achieving exceptional top level success in their sport. 

This year’s Junior Play, ‘Love and Information’ by British playwright Carys Churchill

As part of Canford’s successful ongoing sponsorship of local state school, The Bourne Academy, both schools have enjoyed several opportunities to work together this term

Speech Day and prizegiving were held on a glorious sunny day at Canford on Friday 28^th June, marking the end of the academic year.  

Each year the final week of the Summer Term at Canford is devoted to a variety of co-curricular, fun, off piste activities offering pupils the chance to learn new skills, known as ‘Spirit of Place.’

This year, in celebration of 50 years’ of the first Moon landing in 1969, the Canford week was appropriately renamed ‘Spirit of Space’ and was packed with exciting challenges across departments. 

The second Canford Educational Partnership Day was held on Friday 14^th June. It also offered the opportunity to explore the scope of life beyond school and the variety of career options open to pupils today, and to prepare for the potential career paths of the future.

Young film maker, William Walters, currently in the Fifth Form at Canford School, has received widespread acclaim at the premiére of his film ‘Downlands’ at the Chalke Valley History Festival in Wiltshire on Monday 24^th June.

Children from the inner city community of Northam, Southampton, came to Canford over the weekend of 15^th-16^th June for the annual, fun filled activity camp.

Congratulations to Isabella Woodward, current Lower Sixth pupil, on her achievement as a prizewinner in this year’s essay competition from Newnham College, Cambridge.

A number of this year’s Upper Sixth musicians at Canford are celebrating news that they will be continuing their music careers at centres of excellence across the country.  

Want to know what it’s really like to be a boarder?   Or what the value is of studying Latin?   Or find out which staff have hidden talents?  Then you need to tune in to ‘This Canford Life’ – Canford’s brand new podcast. 

Many congratulations to Lower Sixth Canfordian Sophie Bearblock who was Highly Commended by the judges in this year’s prestigious World Today writing competition in conjunction with the Financial Times.

The Canford Boat Club celebrated another great year at its annual House Regatta and Dinner on Saturday 8^th June. 

An afternoon of celebration marking 20 years since the Layard Theatre opened in May 1999.

In an increasingly competitive market, it is wonderful to see so many of our Upper Sixth gaining firm offers to their chosen universities, the vast majority among the top institutions in the country.

Many congratulations to all our pupils who took up this year’s Ten Tors Challenge.  Canford entered a record four teams of six pupils in the 2019 competition, two Fourth Form teams completing the 35 mile challenge, and two Lower Sixth completing the 45 miles event. 

Our annual OC London Drinks Party was hosted at RSA House on Thursday 9^th May. 

This year’s annual confirmation service was held in Canford Magna Parish Church on Saturday 4^th May and was once again a wonderful, memorable occasion.

Twenty two senior rowers and five staff travelled to the stunning setting of Lago D’Orta in Italy for another very successful training camp over the Easter holidays.

We did it!  Canford’s first ever Colour Run took place on Sunday 28^th April and it was an outstanding success.

Five Canfordians undertaking their Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award completed a 4 day, 3 night practice expedition in South and Central Wales over the Easter weekend.

The History Department hosted the third annual Keith Hay Dinner on 25th March, once again in splendid style in the Long Gallery and Old Library. 

Many congratulations to Fourth Former Lucy Hancock, who has been awarded the Edie Marr prize in the region from the ABRSM for her Grade 6 flute exam.

This year’s senior play was Mike Bartlett’s ‘Earthquakes in London’, a challenging snapshot of the complexities of living within a time of globalisation and technology, neatly condensed into five acts.

The showcase concert in the Canford music calendar took place on Sunday 24^th March in the prestigious London concert venue, St John’s Smith Square.

Canford’s intrepid race engineers took part in this year’s Land Rover 4x4 in Schools competition and were delighted to reach the national finals.

Canford’s Easter Term always finishes with a flourish including the traditional CCF Biennial Inspection and Parade.

The theme of this year’s Careers Symposium, held on Friday 22^nd March, was 'Create Your Own Path'

Come and find out more about our award winning education at our next Open Day on Saturday 27th April.

Canford School CCF has been embarking for a number of years on a cross-country skiing expedition to Norway on what is described by all who go, as the toughest and the best trip the school offers.

Post half term sport at Canford began in fine style with our senior girls’ hockey side winning the U18 Tier 2 National finals at the Olympic Park.

With the strong focus on literacy within the Canford curriculum, World Book Day was an opportunity to further highlight this to the school community. 

Pupils develop interview techniques – as interviewers

Two Shell pupils, Robbie Hemmings and Conor Cherrington, are celebrating high level success at the recent Dorset Counties swimming championships

On February 14th, Canford’s Chamber Choir travelled to Oxford University to sing a joint service of Eucharist with Oriel College Chapel Choir. 

This Easter and Summer, Canford will once again be running its popular sports courses.

Over 50 pupils from both Canford and other local schools explore the exciting options open to them on a Gap Year at an event in Long Gallery on Thursday 7th February.

Sixth Formers at Canford are studying the travel and leisure industry and recently enjoyed meeting several experts from two ends of the business spectrum. 

Four OCs who achieved their Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold last year received their awards at St James’ Palace from HRH the Earl of Wessex

As part of Canford’s International programme, pupils joined one fifth of the world’s population in celebrating Chinese New Year in fine style over two days with a number of events aimed at offering the opportunity to develop a wider appreciation of Chinese culture. 

Each year we see pupils produce excellence in written skills through both internal and external essay writing. 

This year’s House Drama Festival was another showcase of Canford pupil talent. 

Canford School Concert Hall, Friday 8th February 2019, 7.30 pm

As part of our Sixth Form enrichment programme, we are delighted to be welcoming to Canford once again a wide range of thought provoking external speakers this term to share their experiences.

Fifth Form Canfordian Tom Prest, named as Hampshire's Under 15 Cricketer of the Year.

The Canford production of Les Misérables

The work with the model town has involved pupils and staff helping to improve their facilities, principally the water control system and the graphical visitor interface at this popular local attraction.

As we start the final week of term at Canford, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Canford is delighted to announce that it has been selected as Independent Boarding School of the Year 2018. 

19 Canfordians took part in the 4th annual Clayesmore Model UN conference

A-level Philosophy and Theology pupils attended the black tie event to hear Rev. Jervis’ insightful talk on epistemology, entitled ‘Sense, Common-sense, Nonsense and Making Sense’. 

12 Upper Sixth pupils applying for Medicine, Veterinary Medicine or Dentistry attended a practice Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) session in John o’ Gaunts. 

A group of Upper Sixth Canfordians from the Engineering Society visited the RNLI in Poole. 

Canford is delighted to have been shortlisted for two national awards relating to its community action work at home and abroad. 

Canford Upper Sixth Artists thrilled to exhibit Pre-U work in London.

On Sunday 11^th November 2018, the Canford Community joined with millions throughout the country to honour those who gave their lives in the defence of freedom during times of conflict.

47 Fifth Year pupils and five staff marked the centenary of the end of the First World War by visiting battlefields in Belgium and France

5th and L6th trip of a lifetime to Singapore and Malaysia

This year's team came 7th overall 

Canford shortlisted in two categories in the Independent School Parent magazine’s inaugural Independent Schools of the Year 2018 awards.

A varied, challenging and rewarding Whole Day Enterprises for Canfordians involving many members of the wider community. 

The library has been a busy place during the first half of term with involvement in a number of national events. 

The evening was an opportunity to celebrate our pupils cultures and diversity. 

Leading military historian Dr Spencer Jones spent three days in the school as Historian-in-Residence

Canford’s talented pupil artists are holding an exhibition of their Pre-U work at a London gallery.

One of the highlights of the year is an activity weekend. One pupil wrote about his experience of the recent Northam Isle of Wight trip

Three Canford pupils are celebrating selection for the England Hockey National Age Group Squads (NAGS) 

Congratulations to Upper Sixth artist Lily Lloyd who has been selected as one of three young artists to be a Bursary Artist at the b-side Art Festival

1 in 5 of all reformed grades at the top 9 level 

Consistent academic excellence at Canford brings another year of high academic achievement at A Level