Old Suttonians of all ages and generations will attest to the importance of community within the School’s ethos, both in terms of the focus placed on pastoral values and the engagement of our wide-ranging group of stakeholders. For Old Suttonians, parents and pupils alike, the School is a community in its own right, the warmth and benefits of which have become synonymous with the education offered here.

Our community is largely something that has grown organically, the common denominator of School affinity bridging the generational or affiliative differences between the respective groups that make up our community. Traditionally, each group has been managed quite separately in both their internal structure and their respective relationship to the School and, at times, it has been thought that this has stifled the intra-community opportunities available.

With the School’s 450th anniversary in 2026 fast-approaching, the decision has been taken to align these groups through a new overarching body named the SVS Foundation. Collectively, the Foundation will exist to support the community, enabling every member to enjoy and benefit from the unique relationship they have with Sutton Valence.

Whilst centralising the community, it is not intended to limit the individuality of each constituent group, particularly those like the Old Suttonians with such a rich independent heritage. Rather, each of the constituent groups will still operate autonomously and run their own events, but come together for various SVS Foundation events through the year (for example, the Car Show, Golf Day and the Carol Services). We hope this will allow better interaction between the groups and open up new audiences to existing events.