At Ferndown Upper School, our culture creates our Ferndown Family, which encourages and creates a support network for our whole community. The House structure, through tutor groups, further embodies the Ferndown Family by ensuring that students have a familiarity and additional belonging – to their House and their School. Houses are a great way to introduce competitions; provide structure; give students a chance to speak out; discuss British values and many more. The Heads of House will implement many challenges and tasks along with discussion points for the students that allow our students to form a stronger bond in their tutor group, House and subsequently as part of our Ferndown Family. The Tutors and Heads of House also provide another route for the students to access support along with many other support opportunities in the Ferndown Family.
Sam Cheetham was an outstanding student with a passion for speed and motor racing. Sam had a rare heart condition and sadly lost his battle with this in 2013. Sam never let his heart condition stop him from doing anything he wanted and he never gave up, when striving to achieve his goals.
Mrs. F. Moyano
Cheetham Head of House
Charlotte Read was a student at Ferndown Upper School. She was diagnosed with cancer at just 13. She faced chemotherapy, neurosurgery, and the amputation of her right lower leg with unflinching courage.
Flying a plane, swimming with dolphins, and passing A-Level, GNVQ, and GCSE exams were among Charlotte’s many achievements.
She never stopped trying to be her best.
Her family and numerous doctors were full of praise for her. They said “She was so determined that the illness was not going to ruin her life. She went through all her treatment with a smile on her face. She was so strong,”
Mr. D. Hammett
Read Head of House
Lieutenant John “JT” Thornton, Royal Marines, died fighting for his country in Afghanistan in 2008.
John was such a positive role model at FUS, both in terms of his work ethic and his keenness to take part in all aspects of school life.
He was the inspiration for the John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation, which gives out bursaries to our students so that they can ‘realise their dreams’.
