Why Kingswood?

Kingswood School is situated on a magnificent 120-acre site in Lansdown, Bath, and offers an inclusive and welcoming boarding and day community. The school’s approach blends academic excellence with a strong emphasis on the arts, sport, and pastoral care, while maintaining traditional values and a forward-thinking mindset. Kingswood provides an environment where intellectual rigour, creativity, and compassion thrive, ensuring that every pupil is encouraged to reach their full potential.

Academic Provision

Kingswood offers a broad and balanced curriculum that combines traditional subjects such as Mathematics and Science with a forward-looking approach. The school places a strong emphasis on languages, drama, and the arts, ensuring pupils have the opportunity to explore a wide range of academic interests.

At GCSE, pupils can choose from 20 subjects, while at A-level, 23 subjects are available, with the flexibility to study beyond set blocks. Popular subjects include Mathematics, Science, Economics, and Psychology, with most pupils opting to complete an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) to pursue individual interests.

Starting in the 2024/25 academic year, Kingswood’s new Advanced Elective Programme gives Year 12 pupils the chance to explore subjects that spark their curiosity. Whether it’s exploring ‘real life’ maths through topics like income tax and mortgages, or designing and racing a miniature F1 team, pupils will engage in seminar-style learning, encouraging discussion, debate, and independent thought. This approach mirrors higher education and provides valuable preparation for life beyond school.

Although a Kingswood education is about far more than just learning in the classroom, the school prides itself on strong examination performance. The 2024 A-level results saw half of all grades at A* or A, 81% at A* - B and a 100% pass rate. At GCSE 63% of grades were 7 to 9 (Equivalent of A/A*); 41% at grades 8 and 9; with four students achieving an incredible set of 10 straight 9s.

Pastoral Care

At the heart of Kingswood’s pastoral system are its Houses, where dedicated staff provide daily support and guidance. The school’s outstanding pastoral care, as rated in the latest ISI report, is highly valued by both pupils and parents. Each pupil is assigned a personal tutor who mentors them, helping to set and achieve personal targets while encouraging independent learning.

Kingswood recognises the importance of social spaces, offering a variety of sitting areas and games rooms. Day pupils and boarders alike benefit from the strong sense of community within the boarding houses. Additionally, each pupil has access to a house tutor, houseparent, and head of year to ensure personalised care and support.

Westwood House is the daily base for Lower School day and boarding pupils across Years 7 and 8, providing the perfect space to offer a nurturing and supportive environment for pupils in the younger years of the Senior School.

Boarding

Kingswood welcomes boarders from Year 7 to Year 13, with pupils coming from across the UK and around the world. The mix of backgrounds and cultures creates a dynamic and enriching boarding experience, offering invaluable preparation for life beyond school.

Dedicated staff, including teachers and residential houseparents, are always on hand to provide guidance, encouragement, or simply a listening ear, helping pupils ignite their potential.

Sport

Sport is an integral part of Kingswood’s holistic approach to education, teaching pupils valuable life skills such as teamwork, resilience, leadership, and self-discipline. The school’s extensive sports programme caters to pupils of all abilities, from those aspiring to compete at the highest level to those who enjoy sport for fitness and wellbeing.

Kingswood has a proud sporting tradition, with pupils regularly competing at local and national levels across a variety of sports, including rugby, cricket, netball, hockey, swimming, and athletics. Many pupils go on to represent their counties and beyond.

The school’s impressive facilities include floodlit all-weather pitches, a state-of-the-art sports centre with gym and fitness suite, tennis courts, a swimming pool, and expansive fields, offering the perfect environment for pupils to train, compete, and develop their skills.

Art

Kingswood’s Art Department inspires creativity across all year groups, offering pupils the chance to explore a wide range of media in both lessons and extracurricular activities.

The department boasts specialised spaces for painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, and photography, as well as a dedicated Sixth Form studio, a 16-computer suite, and an extensive art library. With excellent examination results and a rich artistic tradition, the school fosters both individual expression and technical skill.

Drama

The Drama department at Kingswood provides numerous opportunities for pupils to engage in extracurricular productions, workshops, and trips. The school regularly takes pupils to local theatres, and also organises visits to London and New York. With two major productions staged each year, pupils can participate both on stage and behind the scenes, with roles in sound, lighting, special effects, and set design.

Music

Kingswood’s music provision is diverse and inclusive, offering a range of ensembles for all ages and abilities. The Kingswood Choir performs at prestigious school events, including the Carol and Commemoration services at Bath Abbey. Pupils can also participate in a variety of musical genres, from pop classics and musical theatre to traditional music. Ensembles include the Kingswood Jazz Orchestra, Brass Ensemble, Clarinet Ensemble, Kingswood Strings, and pupil-run rock bands.

Website: www.ludgrove.net/

Telephone: 0118 978 9881

Address: LudgroveWokinghamBerkshire RG40 3HB

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Ludgrove Prep School may be small in size but has big ambitions for its 190 boys. Ludgrovians stand out from the crowd because they are full of purpose and brimming with questioning enthusiasm. As one of a handful of all boys’ prep schools that still provides full, fortnightly boarding, the boys get a huge amount out of their day, surrounded by friends, knowing that at weekends everyone is either in School, enjoying its 130 acres of grounds in rural Berkshire, or at home for an exeat. No boy feels left out or left behind.

About us

The continuity of care and education that a boarding school can offer is invaluable in providing a stable platform for a child’s development. First class academic education goes without saying but, in addition, a first-class boarding school is a particularly warm and caring environment where children’s confidence and character are developed, they are valued as individuals and learn to live in a community.

https://vimeo.com/750334120

At Ludgrove, we are lucky to have outstanding team of vastly experienced staff – teachers, resident matrons, school nurses and boarding house parents - who get to know the boys very well and understand what makes each individual ‘tick’. Ludgrove specialises in getting to know boys as individuals, encouraging them to try new challenges and reach their potential, personally and academically.

Calling on our 130 years of experience, we ensure the ‘spotlight’ is on every child so that their confidence and character are nurtured at every opportunity. This close relationship enables the School to guide each to their most suitable senior school destination. Every year, approximately 70% of the Year 8 cohort go to Eton, Harrow, Radley and Winchester with several securing scholarships each year. We are proud of our legacy that friendships are made for life, boys can be boys and our unique spirit allows them to thrive in an atmosphere of happiness, high achievement, good manners and kindness.

In a Nutshell

- Fortnightly boarding prep school for boys aged 8-13 years old

- £2.5m Exploration Centre opened in 2021 providing one of the finest facilities for Science, Coding, Art, CDT and Ceramics in a prep school anywhere in the country

- A wealth of playing fields, cricket nets, squash and Fives courts, AstroTurf, 9-hole golf course and a 20m indoor swimming pool

- Vibrant Music Department delivering over 240 1:1 and LAMDA lessons a week

- 350-seat Theatre

- Exceptional pastoral care head by Mrs Barber, the Headmaster’s wife

- Delicious food cooked on-site using fresh local ingredients

- 130 acre rural setting just 35 minutes drive to Heathrow with local main line connections to Waterloo and Paddington stations

- On exeat weekends the School runs a bus service to Fulham Football Club

- Individual visits by appointment with the Registrar

Website: www.cheltenhamcollege.org

Telephone: 01242 265 600

Address: Cheltenham College, Bath Road, Cheltenham, GloucestershireGL53 7LD

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About Cheltenham College

“Every school says it produces all-rounded pupils – this one really does.” Good Schools Guide, 2023.

Located in the heart of Regency Cheltenham Spa with beautiful grounds, Cheltenham College is one of the country’s leading co-educational independent schools for boarding and day pupils aged 13–18. Founded in 1841, it was the first of the great Victorian public schools. Independent Schools Inspectorate 2023 found Cheltenham College excellent in all areas. The report stated, “The school wholeheartedly fulfils its aim to equip pupils to lead purposeful and fulfilling lives by providing an excellent all-round education”.

With an enviable reputation for academic excellence and developing pupils beyond the classroom, the campus blends historic buildings, including the 19th century Chapel, with state-of-the-art science laboratories and new Astro-Turf pitches.

Academic Development

There is a relaxed atmosphere in all areas of Cheltenham College, but particularly in the classroom, which fosters originality and creativity in both teaching and learning. Cheltenham College stretch, challenge and inspire pupils to achieve continuous excellence. With a focus on developing the whole person, ensuring pupils not only gain the qualifications they need but also the skills and character to open doors later in life. Pupils flourish under the guidance of dedicated teachers and are encouraged to take ownership of their own trajectory, inspiring self-understanding and self-confidence within the classroom.

Pupils benefit from an enthusiastic Higher Education and Careers Department. The dedicated and informative Careers Library is committed to offering information and guidance on: gap years; degree courses; universities in the UK and overseas, apprenticeships and institutes, both in the UK and abroad.

Pastoral Care & Boarding

“‘Deeply pastoral – always has been,’ report parents, who say their children are ‘happy’ and ‘thriving’.” Good Schools Guide, 2023

There are 11 Houses, including two dedicated Day Houses. The Houses keep busy with numerous activities both on weekends and in the evenings, in House and trips out. “Resident house staff, especially Houseparent’s, raved about – ‘These people have been so important in my children’s lives,’ said one parent, dewy-eyed. ‘And they’re lots of fun too,’ reckoned our guides.” Good Schools Guide, 2023.

There are supportive policies and structures to promote health and wellbeing. Within the College community, our peer mentor system and the family ethos of our House structure encourage pupils to take responsibility and to look after each other.

Co-curricular opportunities

Alongside academic excellence, pupils are encouraged to thrive outside of the classroom and try new things. A parent of a Cheltenham College pupil said, “College manages to create a strong family atmosphere as well as encouraging achievement and excellence. My daughter has flourished, as a person and as a student and has been brilliantly supported in every aspect of her school life.”

There are up to 30 co-curricular clubs that operate weekly, including a vast number of sport and musical groups, community action projects, pupil-led societies, and many others ranging from mahjong to pottery.

The arts are central to the life of Cheltenham College, pupils are encouraged to attend concerts, plays, films and lectures not only in Cheltenham but in nearby Oxford, Stratford, Bristol and London. Pupils benefit from top-level sports professionals and coaches and is one of the strongest schools nationally in a wide cross-section of sports. 

To find out more information visit www.cheltenhamcollege.org or call the team on 01242 265 600. 

Website: https://www.cliftoncollege.com/

Telephone: +44 (0)117 3157 000

Address: 32 College Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3JH

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“The school has played an enormous part in shaping the young adults we are today.” (Former pupil). Clifton College is a co-educational boarding and day school for pupils aged 0-18 years. It encourages a lust for life in all that it offers.

About us

The core values of Clifton College remain largely unchanged since it first welcomed pupils in 1862: intellectual agility, a capacity for boldness, social confidence, a sense of fun, strength and decency of character.

Today the College continues to offer a tailored education for each child, delivered through exceptional pastoral care, inspirational teaching, diverse and co-curricular activities and excellent facilities.

The College has a magnificent Grade II listed Chapel and Synagogue, as well as its own purpose-built theatre and music school. Superb sporting facilities include The Close and the 90 acre Beggar’s Bush site, Bristol’s largest outdoor sports complex providing the latest sporting facilities.

Scholarships and generous bursaries are available. A 20% discount is also available for Service families, in addition to the Continuity of Education Allowance.

Academic Excellence within a Balanced Curriculum

Set in grand, historic buildings, the school offers a modern, outstanding education in the heart of Bristol, with excellent academic results.

In 2022, 70% of A Level grades were A*-B with 54% A*-A. 63% of leavers went on to their first-choice university, including places at Oxford, Durham, UCL, LSE, Imperial, Warwick, Bath, Bristol and Exeter.

Further Information

Head: Dr Tim Greene

School Type: Co-educational boarding and day

Age Range: 0-18 years

Youngest Boarder: 8 years

Contact: James Hills

Email: admissions@cliftoncollege.com

The pianist Myra Hess — who famously gave daily concerts in the National Gallery throughout the Blitz — is one of many to have known the value of the Arts in dark times, but the numbers of children studying them in school these days is sadly shrinking. As subjects such as psychology and computer science find increasing take-up, roughly 30% fewer than a decade ago are sitting Arts A levels, according to education researchers FFT Datalab.

The problem is compounded further in the state sector by shrinking funding as the focus shifts to STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths). This is not only sad, but important, especially when you consider that ‘children who engage in the arts are more likely to volunteer and to vote… and to show significant improvement in social cohesion and cooperation’, according to research analysed by the Cultural Learning Alliance, which champions access to the Arts for all children.

The story is not universally depressing, however, especially in Britain’s independent schools, where standards of music, drama, art, dance and general creativity appear higher than ever. There are several reasons for this, including amazing facilities, and — in many cases — a much longer school day in which to fit it all in. Dazzling concerts, shows and plays can run independent of exams and are great marketing collateral in a competitive market. Opportunities extend far beyond chapel choir and plays these days, as schools respond to teenage tastes with open-mic nights, hip-hop troupes and film-making clubs.

Certainly, Sarah Bird, head of drama at King Edward’s School (KES) Bath, is not downcast. She feels that prep and junior schools are teaching drama better than ever and has adjusted the curriculum at her school accordingly: ‘Society is more aware now that we are more than merely the STEM subjects — there are other parts of ourselves that we need to feed,’ she says.

‘People understand better the role the extracurricular subjects play in a child’s development — and see that drama is invaluable in that. The creative, leadership and interpersonal skills in the Arts, thinking about different people’s points of view, empathising — these skills help with anything. It’s about message shaping — drama is good for medics, for example.’

At a time when we have never been required to work and study so much online, Arts teachers point to the irreplaceable benefits of physical time with others making music, acting and more, and have noticed their students’ thirst for it. ‘It’s about being a community,’ observes Vicky Harding, head of Repton Prep in Derbyshire and herself a former professional musician. ‘Why else do schools all run house singing contests?’ ‘Girls in art club head straight for the paint,’ adds another head of art. ‘They’re tired of screen time.’

Many of us will acknowledge that our path in life has been smoothed by an ability, first germinated in school, to address an audience, give a presentation, dream up fresh creatives or speak on camera. Equally as important as developing these skills early on is stumbling over them sometimes. Arts teachers everywhere point to the fact that theirs are not clear-cut right or wrong subjects. ‘Art definitely teaches resilience when it doesn’t work out and you have to start again,’ agrees Olivia Antolik, head of art at St George’s School, Ascot, a small independent girls’ school with a thriving uptake in creative subjects. Mrs Bird agrees that ‘learning to put a project back on course when it’s derailed’ is a big part of drama, too, together with ‘critically reviewing each other’s work and using that criticism productively’.

The Arts are often held up as the counterpoint to STEM subjects, but they involve ever more cutting-edge technology and science also requires creative thinkers. Hence the rising numbers of schools expanding STEM to STEAM — not least at Gresham’s in Norfolk, where the art department inhabits the gleaming new Dyson Building, with technical drawing, graphics and 3D design cheek by jowl with maths and robotics.

Although clever children at selective schools lean frequently towards STEM A levels, there is evidence of technology and the Arts cross-fertilising in new university courses, such as visual effects for film and television or games design — both recent degree choices for boys from Bedford School, another school that excels in the Arts. ‘Creative arts are very strong here and boys do choose some really unusual courses that combine the Arts and Sciences,’ agrees the head of creative arts there, Antoinette Keylock.

Whereas state schools struggle with budget freezes, independents have been able to invest heavily in facilities and found in them obvious projects with partnership schools. Facility sharing and joint productions abound, supplementing the work of brilliant charities such as Arts Emergency (www.arts-emergency.org), which connects under-resourced areas with working artists.

Another growing trend is having an artist or director in residence, with a new graduate given lodgings and the run of the art studios in return for working with and inspiring pupils. ‘We get a new artist in residence each year, usually a recent graduate who is bang up to date on things such as digital portfolios,’ says Miss Antolik. ‘Our current one at St George’s studied fine art at Oxford, but is also a print-maker who works with clay. She makes her art and joins in with lessons and the inspiration runs both ways.’ Repton does this, too, and KES Bath has for several years welcomed drama interns.

Many of us have learnt what brilliant musicals, plays and concerts Britain’s leading schools put on these days, for nominal or often no charge. Driving 60-odd miles to see a godson in a school show is no longer a chore, but a bargain. Or, as a fellow mother confided after a sensational Chicago at Benenden recently: ‘I spent a fortune on the Tina Turner musical last week and I’ve had just as much fun tonight.’

This reflects both the substantial rehearsal time invested in such shows at schools children do not have to commute to, but also some extremely fine teaching. Although there may be fewer art and music A-level applicants, teaching jobs in these subjects were always oversubscribed and are even more so since covid. One head of art admits to beating 100 applicants for her job; you repeatedly find working artists moonlighting in schools, even at junior level, as at Heath Mount in Hertfordshire, a prep producing fantastic ceramics, textiles, animation and more. Peripatetic music teaching roles are similarly prized: City of London School for Girls recently had 25 potential candidates to teach the oboe. ‘Often, you’ll have 40 to 60 applicants to be a “peri”,’ agrees Mrs Harding, who is married to one.

Another factor driving musical standards in the independent sector, especially boarding schools, is the rising numbers of Chinese pupils, who all seem to be born clutching a violin. Eton’s symphony orchestra, which is roughly half Asian, performs Tchaikovsky with staggering maturity.

Here, too, is another lesson from the Arts: great artistry requires great effort. ‘I spend a huge amount of my time as a head using skills I acquired as a musician,’ explains Repton Prep’s Mrs Harding. ‘Hard work, repetition, resilience — I did that every day. Music requires discipline, practice, problem solving and a sense of responsibility.’ She regularly takes her pupils to inspiring performances from older children at Repton School, ‘but I tell them you only get there if you work for it’.

It is often in the art, dance, music or drama studio that a child who has a difficult relationship with school finds their toehold. ‘Lots of students come through our doors at KES who have quite complex mental-health issues — they can work them through in a different space,’ says Mrs Bird. ‘We will see certain children flourish when another teacher might not. A lot of artists are slightly tortured souls — it may be a cliché, but there’s some truth in it.’ Similar things have been observed at St George’s Ascot: ‘It is a bit of a sanctuary,’ says Miss Antolik of her art department. ‘It’s lovely to see girls who have struggled to come into school initially gradually spending more time here.’

If art is indeed ‘the stored honey of the human soul’, we need exposure to it at an early age. No matter if we don’t make it a career — it will help us in almost everything we do and its beauty will help beat away the clouds.

Website: https://www.bedales.org.uk

Telephone: 01730 711733

Email: admissions@bedales.org.uk

Address: Church RoadSteepPetersfieldHampshireGU32 2DG

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Bedales is one of the UK’s leading independent, co-educational boarding and day schools, comprising three schools situated just one hour from London near Petersfield, Hampshire: Bedales Nursery and Pre-prep, Dunannie (ages 3-8); Bedales Prep, Dunhurst (8-13); and Bedales Senior (13-18).

Ethos

The vision of Bedales founder John Badley was to create a school which would be profoundly different from the public schools of his day. From the outset, there was a determination to shape the school around what was considered best for the individual child’s educational welfare and happiness. Many of Badley’s early innovations are now mainstream: co-educational boarding (at Bedales since 1898); the emphasis on the arts, sciences and voluntary service; the importance of pastoral care; and listening to students’ views (the Bedales School Council, established in 1916, was one of the first in the country).

Even so, the contrast between Bedales and other schools remains strong. Today, our approach draws on our innovative traditions, with Bedales Assessed Courses (BACs) taught alongside five core GCSEs, project-based learning as a key part of our Block 3 (Year 9) curriculum, and approaches to boarding, pastoral care and interpersonal relationships that break down unnecessary barriers between the generations, the sexes and the wider community.

Facilities

Set in 120 acres of South Downs National Park, the Bedales estate includes playing fields, orchards, woodland, pasture and a nature reserve; the countryside comes right to the heart of the schools.

An eclectic range of buildings adds to the school’s setting. They range from the modern, custom designed classrooms at Bedales Prep, Dunhurst and Pre-prep, Dunannie, through to the Grade I listed Lupton Hall and Memorial Library at Bedales, and the contemporary, award-winning Olivier Theatre, Orchard Building and Art & Design Building. The school’s on-site farm is at the heart of the school and enables pupils to put the school motto – ‘Work of Each or Weal of All’ – into practice whilst developing valuable practical and transferrable skills.

Approach to learning

At Bedales, we aim to develop inquisitive thinkers with a love of learning who cherish independent thought. Founded to be different, we remain progressively liberal in our approach, not for the sake of being different, but because we believe it is important for a properly rounded and relevant education. Our approach encourages inquiry, creative thinking and independent learning – vital requirements for further education and beyond.

We start developing these skills early with our youngest children as they progress through our pre-prep and prep schools. With the focus on the journey, our pupils can enjoy – and be inspired by – a much more expansive curriculum as we are not stifled by the Common Entrance syllabus, which we believe is ineffective in educating young people.

Bedales Prep, Dunhurst

Bedales Nursery and Pre-prep, Dunannie

Since 2006 we have offered our own ambitious qualification programme which are recognised by universities – Bedales Assessed Courses (BACs) – to complement five core I/GCSEs, which give students more choice over what they study, mainly involve coursework as opposed to exams, and focus on outdoors, arts and humanities subjects.

In Block 3 (Year 9), we have also introduced project-based learning, embracing an interdisciplinary, ‘real-world’ approach to our study of the humanities. Emphasis is placed on outdoor learning at all three schools. The Outdoor Work curriculum – a core subject which incorporates nature and conservation, horticulture, animal husbandry, bushcraft and country crafts – enables pupils to develop an awareness, appreciation and knowledge of the natural environment in line with Bedales’ founder John Badley’s original aims.

Beyond Bedales

While we take a kinder, more ‘child-centred’ approach, Bedales students are ambitious and go on to some of the most prestigious academic and artistic institutions in the UK and internationally, joining a host of alumni who are distinctively Bedalian for life. In 2022, over a fifth of Bedales students went on to study at universities featured in the 2022 QS Top 100 World University Rankings, including Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Edinburgh, Manchester, Warwick, Glasgow, Southampton, Birmingham and Leeds.

Another fifth went on to continue their art and design education, studying a range of courses including the Art Foundation, Fine Art, Architecture and Costume Design. Music and drama courses at performing arts conservatoires are also consistently popular choices for Bedales students.

Find out more about Bedales at bedales.org.uk

Website: https://www.lordwandsworth.org/

Telephone: 01256 862201

Email: info@lordwandsworth.org

Address: Lord Wandsworth CollegeLong SuttonHookRG29 1TA

Facebook: www.facebook/LordWandsworth

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Nestled within our stunning 1200 acre campus of soft rolling hills and wooded valleys, there is a school where pupils are thriving. It is a school with an inspirational charitable Foundation, a passion for the individual and one which nurtures character and confidence. At Lord Wandsworth College, pupils have a voice, alongside a desire to be curious, creative and gain an ever-developing sense of emotional intelligence. We also have a great deal of fun!

Academics

Our aim is to shape inwardly self-confident, outwardly modest young men and women who are not only curious and passionate but are ambitious to go and make a positive difference in the world. Our pupils consistently excel in traditional testing, with more than half scoring A* to A grades (or 9s) at GCSE and A Level. More importantly, they are given an education of opportunities.

We ensure each pupil is given the chance to excel in whatever guise that takes - part of a philosophy that put our senior staff on the i25 shortlist for innovators in education. Pupils work hard both inside and outside the classroom with a wealth of possibilities in sport, the Arts, STEM and our incomparable access to nature, leaving our pupils with a sense of radical optimism - a spirit that says, 'through perseverance, I can conquer', our school motto for 100 years.

Sport

Beneath wide-open skies, framed by woodland, our landscape entices activity from all who experience it. Our grounds team keep the acres of sports fields to an incredible standard that any professional team would delight to play on. There are five County level cricket pitches, ten grass nets, dedicated space for girls' cricket and eleven artificial nets. We have six rugby pitches, floodlit through the winter, with our 1st XV playing on the proudly names Wilkinson's pitch. Football, a growing sport here for both boys and girls, has its own pristine pitches at the top of the campus.

There is a wealth of high standard astros for Hockey and a newly renovated tennis and netball centre. Opportunity is the watchword: besides our well-known team sport programmes, we have a swimming pool for training or water polo, and partnerships with nearby equestrian, canoeing and tennis facilities. And, of course, miles of pathways on our 1200 acres mean that runners, walkers and mountain bikers, too, will find enchantment in the Hampshire hills.

Pastoral

At the heart of all good learning is pupil happiness; a pupil who is happy and has a high sense of value of themselves and to the community is one who will go above and beyond. This leads to personal benefit in terms of academic, emotional, and social development, but it also leads to benefits for the wider community.

Providing a safe environment where pupils can explore who they are, take measured risks and be of service to others is fundamental to the learning that goes on both inside and outside the classroom at LWC. The vehicle for achieving these outcomes is through excellent pastoral care, which extends well beyond the bounds of the boarding houses and the associated house staff. Our staff are adept at knowing when to implement support strategies and when to allow the pupil to find their own way through the inevitable challenges that the adolescent journey presents.

As a school we do not chase awards and accolades, but it is lovely when they arrive as a by-product of what we do. As such we were proud to receive The BSA's 'Working with Vulnerable Children Award' (2021) and The Independent School of the Year Award for Student Wellbeing (2020), in recognition of our pupil support and pastoral care.

To find out more information visit www.lordwandsworth.org or call the team on 01256 862201.

Website: https://www.hazlegrove.co.uk/

Telephone: 01963 442 606

Email: admissions@hazlegrove.co.uk

Address: Hazlegrove School,Hazlegrove, SparkfordSomerset, BA22 7JA,England

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The Good Schools’ Guide writes, ‘Try as we might, we could not find anything to fault about this super one-off school’. 

Hazlegrove is a leading Independent boarding and day Preparatory School in the South West of England for 350 boys and girls aged 2 - 13. The winning combination of experienced, committed staff and class sizes creates a friendly, stimulating and secure environment. 

Hazlegrove offers children more than an education; it offers them a childhood. Visitors describing their first impressions of the school always comment on how happy and friendly Hazlegrove children are.

Pre-Prep

Good foundations are everything. The first few years are so important in developing a positive attitude to school and to learning. The combination of small classes and an experienced staff creates a nurturing, stimulating and secure environment in which pupils lay down firm foundations in literacy and numeracy, on which they can build in future years.

The self-contained, purpose-built Pre-Prep and Nursery provides an ideal setting for both learning and playing. Children are actively encouraged to develop a love of learning and to build positive relationships both with adults and one another. The Pre-Prep makes the most of being part of the wider Prep School and takes advantage of the excellent facilities and specialist staff to offer a wealth of experiences from Nursery to Year 2.

PREP SCHOOL

The transition from the Pre-Prep into the Prep School is an important but very exciting time. Happy children are best placed to learn well and each child is supported in their next steps through the school and the curriculum. 

The breadth and balance in the curriculum give pupils an opportunity to get excited about the lessons they have each day. It has a real ‘hands-on’ feel where children participate and are not just spectators. Music, Sports, Drama and Dance, Art Design and Technology to name but a few are all key elements of the curriculum at Hazlegrove. The development of a creative and innovative curriculum sits alongside outdoor learning and sustainability. Teaching children how to be creative and to nurture strong personal relationships will remain of crucial importance as they navigate their way through the digital age. That is why those two principles are firmly embedded in everything they do at Hazlegrove. 

The children are encouraged to take risks, knowing that there is often no right or wrong answer, but that it is the journey that matters. Children leave Hazlegrove as confident, kind, independent, and resilient individuals with a sense of who they are and what they can do, ready for the next stage of their lives.

BOARDING

With approximately 100 boarders from Years 3-8, the weekends are always busy at school with a fun programme of activities. Pastoral care in the boarding houses is underpinned by the philosophy that each and every child should be parented every day. There is a genuine family feel to the boarding at Hazlegrove with three boarding houses through which the community flourishes, it is inclusive and encourages the involvement of parents, non-resident staff and day children alike.

EXTRA CURRICULAR

The school has a wonderful range of extra-curricular clubs and activities including Swing Band, Laser Pistol Shooting, Judo, Papercraft, Running, Swimming, Languages, Board Games, Bee-Keeping, Minecraft, Cartooning, Riding, all sorts of Music to name a few. 

LOCATION 

The School is fortunate to have outstanding facilities and is set within 200 acres of parkland in Somerset with direct access to the A303. We are just over two hours from London by road with convenient direct rail routes close by. 

MORE INFORMATION AND VISITS

For more information regarding the school. Please refer to the website, www.hazlegrove.co.uk. The team would be delighted to welcome you to Hazlegrove either at one of the Open Mornings, which take place each term, or an individual visit at a time to suit you. 

Please contact the Admissions Office:

admissions@hazlegrove.co.uk

01963 442606

Website: https://www.adcoteschool.co.uk/

Telephone: 01939 260202

Address: Little Ness, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 2JY

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Set in the heart of beautiful Shropshire countryside, Adcote School is an award-winning day and boarding school for girls aged 7-18 years. We have a long tradition of providing outstanding education to girls of all abilities, with a strong reputation for nurturing talent and expanding confidence in all the students under our care.

As an all-girls school, we specialise in developing the leaders of the future, using our substantial knowledge of the way girls learn to inspire and challenge them so they can reach their full potential and realise their ambitions.

Adcote School was founded in 1907 by the pioneering Amy Gough, whose vision was to provide excellent schooling for young women. Whilst our curriculum has changed, our values have not and it is still our absolute mission to provide a first class, progressive education for all the girls in our care.

We believe passionately in the advantages of educating girls in a single sex environment. Our outstanding staff are specialists in the way girls learn. We understand the challenges that modern women will face in their futures and our unique CLEAR learning programme equips them with all the skills they will need in order to thrive and be happy in the 21st Century.

Our small classes and warm, friendly environment mean that we know all our girls really well so that we can anticipate and address the individual challenges they will meet in their journey from being little girls to impressive young women. Such security means that girls flourish in our school.

Our philosophy is that happy children are happy learners. Again and again, parents tell us that their daughter’s confidence has soared thanks to our secure and nurturing environment, and we are proud of our reputation for achieving excellence through care.

Website: https://www.bedfordschool.org.uk/

Telephone: +44 (0)1234 362216

Email: admissions@bedfordschool.org

Address: Bedford School, De Parys Avenue, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK40 2TU

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It's about the boys

Bedford School is an independent boarding and day school for boys aged 7 to 18 years old. On a foundation of outstanding academic results, the school is dedicated to nurturing a wide variety of individual interests and to developing them as far as boys can take them.

They aim, for balanced, outward-looking, forward-thinking, kind and sociable young men who are comfortable in their own skins. In this all-boys environment, boys can develop without inhibition and awkwardness, and feel able and keen to participate to the fullest.

“It is simply easier to become good.” — Ben, day boy, Year 9

A Boarding Community

Boarders lie at the heart of the school’s warm and inclusive community. In the Prep School, Eagle House caters for the youngest boarders (aged 7-13), while six Victorian villas, each with a character of its own, offer Upper School boys a true ‘home from home’.

Day and boarding houses are paired, and participate jointly in house activities and competitions, ranging from singing to water-polo; adding to the camaraderie and sense of community that so many visitors comment on and admire.

Opportunity

All boys are able to take full advantage of the opportunities that this large and thriving boarding school offers. From their earliest years, boys are encouraged to become independent and lifelong learners, who understand the need to work hard, to take risks, be resilient and constantly strive to be the best that they can be. With a curriculum that extends well beyond national requirements, boys enjoy a balanced and varied choice of subjects.

Academic success is demonstrated by a long history of impressive examination results at GCSE, A-level and in the International Baccalaureate Diploma. In 2020, 87% of boys went on to Russell Group and/or Times Top 30 universities, with many more taking up places at leading universities across the world and on degree apprenticeships.

Beyond the classroom, the school’s diverse programme of extracurricular activities includes the CCF (Combined Cadet Force) conducted at Bedford School in conjunction with Bedford Girls’ School, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, fundraising groups, and more than 120 clubs and societies, from astronomy to Young Enterprise. The school’s Community Partnership Programme in the Sixth Form ensures that all boys, wherever in the world they come from, play a meaningful part in the local community while they are at the school.

Boys engage in local partnerships, including nearby primary and secondary schools where they have supported teachers by giving guided reading sessions to younger pupils, and introduced older children to Greek and Latin. More recently, a group of Lower Sixth Form boys set up ‘Bedford School Device Bank’ where they collected old laptops and used their IT skills to recondition them, as part of a local effort to alleviate digital poverty. The partnership programme has helped the boys learn to become responsible citizens and contribute to the community in which they live.

While committed to the benefits of single-sex teaching, the school also works closely with its nearby sister school, Bedford Girls’ School, to provide a wide-ranging programme of co-educational, extracurricular and social activities.

Sport for All

Recognised as an outstanding school for sport, from which many international players have emerged, Bedford School aims to inspire a lifelong interest in sport in all boys, promoting teamwork, wellbeing, fitness and, most of all, enjoyment.

The school’s sporting resources are outstanding. Renowned for immaculate grass pitches set against the vista of an iconic main building, the school’s facilities include a floodlit twin AstroTurf complex, 25 metre indoor swimming pool, 28 tennis courts, four squash courts, four Fives courts, a superbly equipped fitness centre, a climbing wall, a shooting range, and a recently refurbished recreation centre.

The Bedford School Boat Club, which dates back to 1861, is a breeding ground of Olympians and has outstanding facilities within a 10-minute walk of the school grounds on the River Great Ouse.

Additionally, Bedford School delivers an elite golf scholarship programme in partnership with Woburn Golf Club, home to three outstanding championship courses. The school’s brand-new state-of-the-art golf simulator has meant that the boys have not missed out on vital practice while the courses have been shut.

Creativity

Bedford School has a long-established reputation for excellence in music, drama and art. With its state-of-the-art music school, it has one of the largest music departments in the country and a high proportion of boys learn to play one or more instruments.

Drama and theatre studies thrive in the school’s stunning Quarry Theatre at St Luke’s and first-rate art studios are available to everyone to explore sculpture, printmaking, photography, fine art and design.

Entrance Assessments and Scholarships

Entrance and scholarship examinations are held in January and February each year. The school offers generous academic, art, drama, music, and sport (including golf) scholarships on entry to the school at both 13+ and 16+.

"A rock-solid option for a single sex public school where boys reach their academic potential without undue pressure and kick-start their adult lives with a real love of sport and/or the arts. Boys are among the nicest and most outward looking we’ve met, helped by school’s (and particularly the current dynamic head’s) strong sense of service. Softer skills a real point of differentiation." — The Good Schools Guide

Website: https://www.bedfordgirlsschool.co.uk/

Telephone: 01234 361918

Address: Cardington Road, Bedford,MK42 0BX

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Bedford Girls' School is a forward thinking, selective day school for girls aged Year 7-18.

Our students soar; they are the creative thinkers, the change-makers and the problem-solvers of the future.

Underpinned by the International Baccalaureate philosophy of education we enable our students to develop the skills, self confidence and global outlook to make a real difference to the world around them.

We pride ourselves on our relaxed, joyful and purposeful environment where creativity and innovation ensure learning is engaging and fun.

Located on the banks of the Great River Ouse, in Bedford, we are well positioned for families in Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and the borders of Northamptonshire.

Focus on the Future 

Today’s generation of students will step into a volatile world full of ambiguity. Young people need to think creatively, communicate effectively, work independently but be happy to collaborate. They will need to be agile and brave, not fear taking risks and see the opportunity inside every challenge. Examination results alone are not enough to guarantee success. We are focused on preparing them for this world, through the development of skills and attributes.

As an Apple Distinguished School we are leaders in the integration of technology in education, ensuring our students have the flexibility and skills to seamlessly use technology in creative and original ways. We collaborate with educationalists and industry experts to ensure we are staying at the forefront of technological innovations which will future proof our students’ skills.

Developing Intellect and Independent Thinking 

“Pupils make rapid progress in developing knowledge, skills and understanding as a result of high expectations and effectively prepared teaching” ISI report 2020

From Year 3 to Upper Sixth the philosophy of the International Baccalaureate informs our approach to learning, our students are always at the centre of learning.

Our Junior School follow the IB Primary Years Programme, enabling our students to question, discover, enquire and take self-responsibility for their actions and learning. As they move through School they are encouraged to use their skills and attributes in the pursuit of personal knowledge, global understanding and meaningful action.

In the Senior School we extend and challenge the students through the GCSE years, and when they enter Sixth Form we offer the choice of either the IB Diploma Programme or A Levels.

We always encourage our students to find their unique voices, to question the status-quo, as they develop a wider understanding of the world.

Cultivating a Global Outlook

“Pupils’ moral awareness and social development is excellent. Their respectful behaviour, both in lessons and around the school, illustrates their strong moral values.” — ISI report 2020

We are a warm welcoming community of over 975 students. Every member of our community is valued and we celebrate our differences, acknowledging that these make us a more powerful group as a whole.

We are extremely proud of our diversity; across the year we come together to celebrate and commemorate significant festivals and events which are important to all members of our community.

It is important to us that our students recognise their role in a wider global context, that they see the endless possibilities and always remain curious to the perspectives of others.

Our Alumnae are engaged in mentoring and guiding our students to investigate the wider world and introduce them to new opportunities and aspirations.

All students take part in community service programmes, and learn from an early age the importance of taking agency, both through the curriculum and co-curricular programmes.

Building Self-Confidence

“Pupils develop excellent life skills throughout every stage at the school” — ISI report 2020

Our students benefit from an environment free from gender stereotypes. Our collegiate approach nurtures and challenges the students as they tackle critical decisions, develop independence and build an inner core of confidence.

We focus on each individual student to ensure she finds her passions. We encourage them to step out of their comfort zones, to try many new opportunities as they hone their interests and aspirations.

We are experts in understanding girls and our pastoral structure supports them at every stage of their development. We help them learn that failure is a pathway to success and about the importance of self-regulation. Growing up is never straightforward and we work in partnership with students and parents to navigate the challenges and celebrate the successes.

Celebrating Outstanding Achievements 

Our 2020 ISI Report found the School “excellent in all areas”.

We achieve outstanding success, each year our GCSE, A Level and IB Diploma results set the students up for success.

In 2022, over 91% of our Upper Sixth students achieved their first or second choice university places; our combined average. Over 80% of Upper Sixth our entries achieved A*-B (A Level/IB Diploma combined). Our average IB Diploma score was an exceptional 40 points. Over 70% of our GCSE entries were awarded a grade 9-7.

We are a top sports school and support many of our students with their aspirations to perform at an international level. Our first class dance, drama and music departments help students find and hone their passions for performance.

“Throughout the School, pupils achieve excellent standards in a wide array of co-curricular activities and pursuits. They have gained considerable success in sport, music, speech and drama and academic competitions” — ISI Report 2020

Admissions and Bursaries

We are a selective school for girls from Year 3 to Upper Sixth.

Entrance is based upon the results of Cognitive Assessment Testing (CAT), references from a student’s current school and an interview with the Headmistress. All Junior School candidates attend an activities session in lieu of an interview.

We run an annual assessment period in January, with offers of places being made in February; however, we are happy to welcome candidates for late assessments, where space is available, throughout the year. 

Every year we are able to offer a limited number of means tested academic bursaries from Year 7- Upper Sixth.

We welcome applications from overseas pupils, who have the right to study in the UK, and are happy to offer online overseas assessments.

Contact our Admissions Team to arrange an in person visit or a virtual meeting: admissions@bedfordgirlsschool.co.uk; 01234 361900.

Website: https://www.repton.org.uk/

Telephone: 01283 559200

Address: Repton School, Repton, Derbyshire DE65 6FH

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Repton School was founded in 1557 on the site of a 7th century Anglo-Saxon Benedictine abbey and latterly a 12th century Augustinian priory. Whilst the School incorporates many of the original buildings, today Repton is a world class, modern, flourishing community with a clear sense of purpose and momentum.

Repton has a thousand pupils across the Prep and Senior School, making it small enough to ensure that the talents of each pupil are nurtured and valued, yet large enough to compete on the international arena across academia, music, the arts and sport.

Repton’s Culture and Ethos

Boarding is at the very heart of a Repton education; from the age of 13-years each pupil, whether day or boarding, is a member of a House. The School’s commitment to in-House dining allows the whole House to enjoy meals together, three times a day, helping to foster a strong sense of community and lifelong friendships. Academic standards are high and the creative arts are highly prized. At Repton, achieving in sport at the highest levels of performance and healthy participation for all are in no way mutually exclusive.

Whilst Repton is undoubtedly modern in terms of practice and outlook, the traditional values of encouraging pupils to aim high whilst showing respect for all are still of utmost importance. At the very heart of the Repton spirit is the belief that none of us is as important as all of us.

Facilities

The School has invested in truly world-class facilities, including the cutting-edge Science Priory complete with interactive lecture theatres, an observatory and outdoor classrooms; a Concert Hall and suite of recording studios; a state-of-the-art award-winning 320-seat theatre modelled on the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art’s own design; a £9m sports centre with its own strength and conditioning suite, gym, water-based astroturf pitches, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, a 25m swimming pool and two sports halls. But there is no doubt at Repton that outstanding teachers and coaches beat world-class facilities every time.

Academic

The ISI Inspection in February 2020 judged Repton as ‘Excellent’ in both Achievement and Personal Development, confirming that a Repton education is not only safe and ordered, but also a happy experience of the highest quality. Skilled, committed and inspirational teachers add real value to pupils' experience, nurturing a sense of purpose and ambition in Reptonians which opens doors to Oxbridge, Russell Group and, increasingly, American Ivy League universities every year.

Creative Arts

Artistic endeavour forms an integral part of a Repton education. Talented and dedicated teachers work collaboratively, providing life-changing experiences for pupils on and off stage in The 400 Hall as well as in the School's two art galleries. The Music Department's Beldam Hall is the setting for contemporary and classical concerts and showcases throughout the year performed by pupils as well as visiting artistes. Expression through the arts provides a healthy platform for self-articulation, which in turn helps develop emotionally intelligent young people.

Sport

Repton's global reputation and enviable collection of silverware across the School’s six key sports (cricket, football, hockey, netball, swimming and tennis) in no way detract from the value placed on what participation in sport delivers: teamwork, dedication, resilience, leadership and a sense of achievement - both collectively and individually. Pupils and parents seek out Repton because they know the School has the resources, both in terms of pre-eminent coaches and world-class facilities, to realise ability and ambition but above all to engender a lifelong love of sport in every pupil.

A Global Family of Schools

Repton was one of the first British schools to establish overseas schools with Repton School Dubai in 2007. Currently, Repton has schools in Dubai (2), Abu Dhabi (2), China, and Malaysia with plans to open a further four more in the coming years. Repton also has three schools in the UK (Repton, Repton Prep and St Wystan’s) with the ambition to grow its UK family of schools.

Find out more at www.repton.org.uk

Website: https://www.felsted.org/

Telephone: 01371 822605

Email: admissions@felsted.org

Address: Felsted School, Felsted, Dunmow, Essex CM6 3JL

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Felsted offers children aged 4-18 a first class education, based on a stunning village campus one hour north of London and south of Cambridge.

We welcome students from all over the world to appreciate a leading British boarding school education.

Shortlisted for TES Boarding School of the Year 2020 — find out more at www.felsted.org.

Website: https://www.berkhamsted.com/

Telephone: 01442 358000

Address: Overton House, 133 High Street, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire HP4 2DJ

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Berkhamsted Schools Group is one of Britain’s leading independent school communities, based on five sites. Four are situated in the historic and prosperous town of Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire and one in the sought-after town of Amersham in Buckinghamshire. Our family of six schools combines both single-sex and co-educational teaching.

At the Pre-Prep and Prep, boys and girls are taught together until the age of 11, separately from 11-16 allowing each pupil to flourish academically (Berkhamsted Boys and Berkhamsted Girls), with co-ed activities, sports and trips, before coming back together again in a joint Sixth Form. Heatherton, situated in Buckinghamshire, provides a co-educational Nursery class (aged rising 3-4) and single-sex education for girls from age 4-11.

The Curriculum

All pupils are supported and encouraged to reach their full potential, with appropriate teaching environments for each age group and a structure that offers the best of both co-educational and single-sex tuition. Up to eleven subjects may be taken for GCSE.

In Sixth Form, courses are offered in 28 subjects, alongside an Enrichment Programme with the option to complete an Extended Project Qualification. Pupils are prepared for university entrance, including Oxbridge. Careers guidance and personal tutoring are offered throughout.

Games & the Arts

Key sports for Girls are Lacrosse, Netball and Tennis, and for Boys, Rugby, Football and Cricket. Athletics, Badminton, Cross-Country, Equestrian, Eton Fives, Golf, Hockey, Judo, Rowing, Shooting, Squash and Swimming are also pursued with team games and regional and national squads.

Duke of Edinburgh Awards, CCF, community service, work experience and Young Enterprise are all offered, alongside a wide range of clubs, societies, or courses. Regular school theatre productions, orchestral and choral concerts achieve high standards of performance. Girls and Boys come together for a range of these activities.

Pastoral Care

The main social and pastoral unit are within the Houses, from the Head of House and House Tutors, providing continuity of support and advice, whilst monitoring each individual pupil’s progress. The Deputy Heads, alongside the Pupil Wellbeing and Personal Development team, support teaching staff across the whole school in implementing a proactive strategy that focuses primarily on keeping pupils well and looking for early signs of potential issues. There is a Medical Centre with qualified staff. The School Medical Officer has special responsibility for boarders. Qualified Counsellors are available to all pupils for confidential counselling. The School also has a full-time Chaplain.

Recent Scholarships OR University Places

In 2020, leavers secured themselves places at some of the world’s leading Universities with 7 students going on to Oxbridge. The top 4 University destinations were Birmingham, Nottingham, Durham, and Exeter.

 Outstanding Characteristics

• A family of Schools with a long history and proud traditions, yet with a firm eye on current best educational practice and offering leading-edge teaching technology
• Excellent academic standards without being academic hothouses
• Extensive co-curricular programme
• House system placing academic progress and pastoral care at the centre of each child’s education
• Offering a ‘Diamond model’ of teaching, with co-educational and single-sex tuition for boys and girls providing the best of both worlds in one family of Schools
• The Berkhamsted family of Schools has all the advantages of access to large school resources with a small school sense of community and individual care
• Wrap Around Care and the option of flexible, weekly, or full boarding, coach routes and holiday camps on offer during the school holidays
• Within easy reach of London by road or public transport

Facilities

With separate Pre-Prep and Prep sites, two Senior School campuses, the School is well equipped with a range of facilities.

In addition, a brand new state-of-the-art Sixth Form Centre on Castle Campus is due to be in operation in 2023. Sixth Form students will benefit from a spacious and modern learning environment with recreational spaces which are more aligned with the next stage of their life, whether that be university or the workplace.

Location

The Berkhamsted Schools stand in the heart of Berkhamsted, a historic and thriving town only 30 miles from London. It enjoys excellent communications to London, the airports, to the Midlands and the communities of Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, and Hertfordshire. Heatherton is situated in the London commuter market town of Amersham.

Find out more at Berkhamsted.com

Website: www.elstreeschool.org.uk

Telephone: 0118 971 3302

Address: Woolhampton Hill, Woolhampton, Berkshire RG7 5TD

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Ages: 3-13

Elstree is an award-winning day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 3 to 13.

Now fully co-educational, children can begin their life in the Elstree Pre-Prep Nursery and continue their Elstree education until the end of Year 8.

Beautiful Berkshire

You would be hard pushed to find a more idyllic and invigorating setting than Elstree. Located amid 150 acres of rural Berkshire countryside, less than 10 miles from Newbury and Reading and about an hour from west London, Elstree offers a secure, bucolic environment where boys and girls have the time and space to be nurtured and inspired.

Small class sizes, individual care

With around 225 pupils, and plenty of space and facilities, class sizes are small (average 12 per class), so there’s time for one-on-one attention and individual support. Elstree prides itself on the personal care that each child receives.

While Elstree has a reputation as a school with high academic, creative, and sporting achievements (in 2020, 11 scholarships were awarded, two of which are academic scholarships to Winchester), it is a non-selective school.

Pupils go on to the leading Senior Schools including Eton, Bradfield, Radley and Wellington and routinely achieve excellent results in Common Entrance and Scholarship examinations.

Best for Boarding 2020

Around 50% of Elstree pupils board from one to seven nights of the week. Elstree’s flexible boarding model means parents can strike the right balance between school and home life. Children from Year 4 can flexi or weekly board.

Elstree was selected as the Best Boarding School at the prestigious Independent Schools of the Year (ISOTY) 2020 Awards. From more than 300 nominations nationwide, Elstree was the only preparatory school to be shortlisted. It was also a finalist in the category of Best Independent Pre-Prep School.

A thriving extra-curricular programme

With so much space, come opportunities galore. Pupils are involved in Music, Art, DT, Drama, and Sport, to name a few.

The creative arts at Elstree are thriving. There are 4 choirs, orchestras, ensembles, and 85% learning an instrument.

Music, Art, DT, Drama and Sport scholarships are regularly awarded to Elstree pupils, with many exhibition success-stories.

Drama plays a huge role with at least three school productions every year and the option to take LAMDA classes.

Sport is an integral part of life at Elstree. Every child receives daily sport coaching and can represent the school.

Facilities include a recently refurbished performance space, modern well-equipped sports hall, an outdoor heated swimming pool and 2 all-weather pitches, one of which is full-sized and includes 12 tennis courts.

There are also multiple sports pitches, indoor and outdoor cricket nets, a fitness trail, low ropes course, a 9-hole golf course and a shooting range.

Elstree was selected as one of the Top 50 Prep Schools for Cricket in The Cricketer’s School Guide 2021.

Daily wrap-around care

Wrap-around care means parents can drop off at 8am and collect at 6pm. After School Clubs for the younger children are fun and varied. There is a wide choice and always something for everyone.

Exceptional pastoral care

Elstree’s dedicated staff play an essential role in supporting the pastoral programme which is a fundamental part of life in and out of the classroom. Each child’s academic and personal progress is monitored, attesting to the belief that personal growth and academic development derive from a happy, caring environment where children are encouraged and feel valued.

Charitable work caring for the community

Elstree encourages its pupils to be kind, considerate, open-minded, compassionate, and tolerant of others.

An important feature of an Elstree education is to foster an awareness of those less fortunate and to encourage pupils to become more caring members of the community.

Everyone is actively encouraged to participate in projects that benefit others as part of our Elstree Award (our own version of a Junior Duke of Edinburgh Award with a focus on charity, teamwork, leadership, life skills and problem solving).

Local and London Buses

There is a Monday Morning bus from London (Earls Court and Hammersmith) and return bus for exeat weekends. Daily local buses run from Hungerford, Basingstoke, Brightwalton and Reading.

Elstree ethos

At Elstree, we are academically ambitious and provide a first class, all-round education. Our pupils go on to the leading public schools and we are immensely proud of the excellent results they routinely achieve in Common Entrance and Scholarship examinations.

Our firm belief that happiness breeds success places the emphasis on positive thinking, building self-confidence and developing each child’s academic potential and interests to the full.

Coupled with academic ambition comes the importance of giving children a proper childhood. Creativity, teamwork and tolerance go hand in hand with a hunger and curiosity to learn and a strong will to succeed.

Christian values underpin everything we do, and the aim is always to embed the important values of kindness to others, hard work and making the most of opportunities.

https://vimeo.com/showcase/7150497

Reasons to choose Elstree

• Elstree is non-selective, but still sends pupils to the top Senior Schools
• In 2020, 11 scholarships were awarded, two of which are academic scholarships to Winchester
• Class sizes average 12, so every child receives individual care
• Best Boarding School 2020 (ISOTY)
• Named Top 50 Prep School for cricket by The Cricketer 2020
• Elstree pupils are given the opportunity to shine, and develop a sense of accomplishment and personal worth
• Friendships at Elstree are made for life

To reserve a place on one of our Open Mornings click here:

Website: https://www.dragonschool.org/

Telephone: 01865 315 405

Email: admissions@dragonschool.org

Address: Bardwell Road, Oxford, OX2 6SS

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Discover the Dragon

The Dragon in Oxford has been at the forefront of Prep education in the UK since it was founded in 1877. 2021 year marks an exciting new chapter with the arrival of the new Head, Emma Goldsmith.

https://vimeo.com/572971347

The nurturing pre-Prep, where curiosity and creativity are fostered in our youngest Dragons, is in the heart of Summertown. The Prep has an idyllic setting just a short walk from the centre of the beautiful university city, with playing fields rolling down to the River Cherwell. The Dragon is a happy, vibrant, relaxed community where boys and girls discover and develop their talents both within the classroom and beyond.

Dedicated and inspiring teachers encourage a love of learning and get to know each child as an individual. The breadth of opportunity is incredible and Dragon life is busy and fun.

Saturday mornings have been transformed as an exciting enrichment programme, Dragon QUEST, has replaced compulsory academic lessons. Children learn new skills, broaden their horizons and dare to try new things.

The choice of activities ranges from bike mechanics, calligraphy or cultural walks in Oxford to debating, first aid or paddle boarding. This holistic approach to education has proved incredibly popular with children, staff and parents alike.

The Dragon offers full, weekly (a Dragon bus from London on Sunday evenings) or flexi boarding and the family style boarding houses offer a true ‘home from home’ where children can relax. Boarding helps children to develop independence, confidence and make lasting friendships and doing so in Years 7 and 8 is an ideal preparation for those looking to board at senior school.

https://vimeo.com/565992733

Leavers go on to an impressive list of destinations and about a third of the year group typically gain academic and/or specialist awards. There is a strong sense of community amongst Old Dragons and the School is very proud of their successes and loyalty.

Our admissions process is detailed on the website and we encourage families to visit us in Oxford. Means-tested bursaries are available at Year 4. Please do contact admissions@dragonschool.org or call 01865 315405

https://vimeo.com/572975040

Website: https://www.myddeltoncollege.com/

Telephone: 01745 472201

Address: Peakes Lane, Denbigh, North Wales, LL16 3EN

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Myddelton College is a happy, caring and kind environment where pupils are encouraged to fulfil their potential, while always demonstrating honesty, kindness, and respect. We have high academic expectations for our pupils, our curriculum is designed to equip pupils to thrive in the 21st Century.

We are committed to giving pupils a diverse range of experiences in which they can develop personally and socially, as well as integrating a mindfulness curriculum to help our pupils cope with pressures of life in the outside world. At Myddelton, every pupil is treated as an individual and unique.

We do not just teach subjects, we nurture the whole child – mind, body, and spirit. We inspire a thirst for knowledge as they set out on their journey of discovery. Expectations are high and pupils flourish not only academically, but also through our values of arts, a love for the outdoors, and sporting ability.

The values of Myddelton have been founded upon our “Three Pillars of Myddelton.” These are three areas in which we believe every Myddeltonian should excel; Resilience, Scholarship and Fellowship.

Website: https://www.stonyhurst.ac.uk/?utm_source=Country%20Life%20Website&utm_medium=Webpage&utm_campaign=country_life

Telephone: 01254 827073

Email: admissions@stonyhurst.ac.uk

Address: Stonyhurst,Clitheroe,Lancashire,BB7 9PZ

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Gender: Mixed

Pupils: 480

Boarding: Boarding and Day

Stonyhurst is the UK's leading co-educational Catholic boarding and day school for 3 – 18 year olds. Founded in 1593, it is the oldest continuously active Jesuit school in the world. It has a 760-strong student body comprising the 480 pupils of Stonyhurst College plus the 280 pupils at its preparatory school, Stonyhurst St Mary’s Hall. Boarding is available from the age of seven. The school is located on a 1,000 acre rural estate near Clitheroe in Lancashire.

Ethos

Pupils at Stonyhurst pursue a life of purpose achieving academic excellence alongside spiritual and emotional growth and learn to embody their school motto, ‘Quant je puis’, meaning 'as much as I can', in every activity. Stonyhurst encourages each individual pupil to thrive by enabling them to find, develop and use their unique talents; creating great leaders and preparing them to be men and women for others. 

Unique selling points

• Oldest continuously active Jesuit school in the world
• Celebrating 20 years of full co-education in 2019/2020
• Co-curricular programme of over 100 activities to choose from
• The world’s oldest museum in the English speaking language with over 65,000 historical books and artefacts

• Academic excellence – top IB score of 41 in 2019
• Exceptional pastoral care
• Extensive facilities including a tennis dome, 25 metre swimming pool, golf course and our very own working observatory
• Producing world leaders for over 425 years

The Curriculum

Our Prep School follows the international primary curriculum up to the age of 11. At the College we offer GCSE through to A-levels, as well as the Pre IB, IB Diploma and IB Career-Related Diploma. We have an extensive co-curricular programme with over 100 activities for pupils to choose from.

Games & The Arts

Our pupils achieve on the sports field, as well as in music, drama and dance. We have a national reputation for rugby and, as a fully co-educational school, a very strong reputation for hockey and netball. Our pupils have success in outdoor pursuits such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, fell running and shooting. The Stonyhurst Combined Cadet Force is one of the oldest and most distinguished in the country.

Our sports centre includes a golf course, world class LTA-registered tennis dome, Olympic size all weather pitch, 37 fitness station multi gym and swimming pool. The Stonyhurst College Polo squad has recently been established. Opportunities in music, art, drama, dance, stage management, photography are also on offer.

Pastoral Care

Pupils at Stonyhurst are given the individual attention, resources and space in which to grow intellectually, spiritually and emotionally. They are encouraged to involve themselves fully in the opportunities on offer and to develop those qualities of character that will distinguish them in later life as ‘men and women for others’. A Jesuit education at Stonyhurst nurtures individuality and encourages generosity.

Scholarships

For particularly talented young people, Stonyhurst offers a range of scholarships for entry at 11+, 13+ and 16+.

How to visit

If you would like to visit us please contact our Admissions Team. Call 01254 827073, email admissions@stonyhurst.ac.uk or find out more at www.stonyhurst.ac.uk. We look forward to meeting you.

Website: http://www.sandroyd.org

Telephone: 01725 516 264

Address: Sandroyd SchoolRushmoreTollard RoyalSalisburyWiltshire SP5 5QD

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Sandroyd is a co-educational boarding school for children aged 2-13 years. It is a wonderfully unique family school, set in an idyllic environment, that ‘prepares’ children in the very broadest sense – offering academic excellence, and so much more. It nurtures a child’s confidence and self-esteem whilst encouraging each individual pupil to fulfill all aspects of their potential: academic, artistic, cultural, sporting and social.

Sandroyd pupils stand out from the crowd – or at least that’s what Senior Schools report back. We’re repeatedly told that our pupils are better prepared to face the demands of senior school successfully. Not just in their academic abilities, but, just as importantly, in the vital ‘soft skills’ of confidence, resilience, and self-motivation. With happiness, every child can reach their full potential.

We believe that childhood should be relished, enjoyed and remembered fondly. That’s why pastoral care is absolutely central to everything that we do at Sandroyd – in both our Pre-Prep, the Walled Garden (for children aged 2 -7), and in our Prep School (for children aged 7-13). Our friendly and nurturing boarding environment equips children with the confidence and skills to really challenge themselves, to be happy, and to succeed.

You can see more about the school on the Sandroyd School YouTube channel.

Academic Excellence within a Balanced Curriculum

A Sandroyd education allows each individual child to fulfil their potential. We have a deserved reputation as one of the top academic prep schools in the country. This academic success is not assessed solely by our consistently excellent scholarship and Common Entrance results but by the value added across all ability ranges and throughout the school.

In addition to academic excellence, we place an equal emphasis on developing a child’s character, focusing on good emotional and social intelligence, excellent manners and resilience. These soft skills are often best developed outside of the classroom.

Our day is broadly split into academic work in the mornings and after lunch children spend the majority of time outside. By working as part of a team either in a band, theatre production or sports team, children continuously share the joys of success and learn from failures together.

By taking part in a daily sports program and activities such as drama and music, the children develop both their interests and talents alongside their confidence and self-esteem. Our timetable ensures equal time and importance is given to extra curricular activities and the academic curriculum; neither is at the expense of the other.

Pastoral Care

Outstanding pastoral care is the lynchpin of a Sandroyd education. It ensures that each child feels safe to develop, explore and make mistakes in a nurturing environment. At the core of our pastoral care is our commitment to boarding and the benefits of providing a full boarding environment. Whilst many other schools have needed to reduce their boarding offer, our boarding is full and we expect all children to board in Years 7 and 8.

The independent thinking and development of social and emotional skills that boarding affords prepares our children for the opportunities available at senior schools and beyond. The boarding environment at Sandroyd engenders a strong sense of community which adds to the family feel of the school, encouraging the children to respect and value each other.

Our Size

We are unequivocally proud of the size of our school, creating a wonderfully unique family atmosphere which allows us to properly focus on the individual needs of each child at every stage of their education. Sandroyd is of a size which allows us to invest in the best staff, appropriate facilities and equipment. We are large enough to provide stimulating opportunities yet small enough to maintain the family feel that is so pertinent to Sandroyd.

The size of the school ensures a family environment where everyone is known and valued; this family atmosphere is crucial to the happiness of our children.

Location

Our location, in the centre of over 500 acres of fields, woods and parkland, is idyllic. Our stunning environment allows pupils to take part in a wide variety of sports, to learn outside of the classroom, and, most importantly, to be able to just romp about outdoors. There is untold value in giving children the freedom and space to grow and develop in a safe setting.

Ethos

At Sandroyd we aim to inspire each child to strive for excellence in all aspects of school life; academic, cultural and sporting. This ideal is nurtured through the creation of a caring, encouraging and purposeful community within a safe rural environment. We seek to combine the best in modern educational methods with an emphasis on the time-honoured virtues of good manners, self-discipline and respect for others. We strive to ensure that the children in our care are happy, self-confident and well prepared to meet the challenges of the future.

Find out more at www.sandroyd.org

Website: www.kingsely.org

Telephone: +44 (0) 1353 660707

Address: Old PalacePalace GreenElyCB7 4EW

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‘SOMETHING we didn’t appreciate at first but now cherish above all else about King’s Ely is the holistic approach the school takes in growing the whole child.’ These are the words of Mr and Mrs Hamilton-Bing, whose four daughters attend King’s Ely.

Shortlisted in the 2020 Independent Schools of the Year Awards, King’s Ely is a leading independent co-educational day and boarding school built on a fascinating history stretching back over 1,000 years, making us one of the oldest schools in the world.

We serve the academic and pastoral needs of around 1,000 boys and girls from the age of 2 through to 18, with boarders from 7 years old. King’s Ely is nestled in the picturesque cathedral city of Ely, which is just 15 minutes from Cambridge and 1 hour from London, with direct rail links to both. Our privately-run school buses stop at key locations around Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk.

The adventure of a King’s Ely education enables pupils of all ages to flourish, from the children in King’s Ely Acremont and Nursery to the young men and women in our Sixth Form. Whether a student shines in a classroom or laboratory, on a stage, on a pitch or on a mountainside, our school promises an abundance of opportunity for personal development, both academically and socially.

King’s Ely students are renowned for their energy, their courage and their integrity. Our pupils achieve excellent GCSE and A Level results and in 2019, 98% of students gained a place at their first-choice university or institution.

However, our school is about much more than exam results and league tables. As reported in the Good Schools Guide, King’s Ely is a ‘friendly, well-balanced, caring community valued for getting the best from a broad range of abilities’.

We empower our young people to challenge themselves, to push beyond the boundaries of their own expectations and to achieve more than they ever believed possible. Innovative approaches to teaching and learning are the hallmark of every section of King’s Ely. Through a broad and balanced curriculum, pupils develop the self-knowledge and inner resilience that will enable them to face the challenges of an ever-changing world.

The aim is to create responsible and engaged young people who have developed learning habits that successfully prepare them for public examinations, higher education and the challenging world of work.

At King’s Ely Acremont and Nursery (ages 2-7), such development demands a planned, creative curriculum that is dedicated to the needs of younger children, encouraging them to be independent learners with a passion for knowledge.

It requires caring experts who have the time to give younger pupils lots of individual attention and a beautiful, spacious environment that allows children to explore in order to discover the exciting world around them.

Moving on to King’s Ely Junior (ages 7-13), it demands a positive and enriching atmosphere, a commitment to unlocking potential and the development of conscientious, compassionate young people.

At King’s Ely Senior (ages 13-18), it demands exceptional teaching and a culture of independent learning, enabling students to take ownership of their own educational journeys, where results are achieved through inspiration and support, not unnecessary pressure.

Music, Drama, Art, Textiles and Dance are each embedded in the culture of King’s Ely, with vast opportunities for pupils of all abilities and aspirations. Recent accolades include a 5* review for our original production, Ugly Youth, at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, our boys a cappella group, the King’s Barbers, being crowned National Champions, the school winning the Art & Craft category at the Education Business Awards 2018 and our Photography Department being victorious in the Ilford Photo Student Photography Competition for three years running.

All major sports are offered, along with an impressive array of other activities, helping every pupil to realise their sporting potential. Rowing, athletics, golf, cricket, hockey, tennis, rugby, netball, equestrian and football — the choices are endless.

The working week, which no longer includes formal lessons on Saturdays, also enables pupils to participate fully in regional and national events. Our 1^st XV boys’ rugby team have just had an unbeaten season and students are regularly called up to county and national level, plus we enjoyed success at the British Rowing Senior Championships in 2019 and the National Equestrian Championships in 2018.

From the high peaks of the Himalayas to the gushing torrents of the rivers in the Alps, our unique Ely Scheme programme also offers boundless opportunities for pupils to learn through outdoor education. We give students the chance to undertake their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at all three levels.

King’s Ely boasts some of the region’s most historic buildings yet teaching facilities are modern and purpose-built. Our close links with Ely Cathedral — one of the finest cathedrals in the world — make the perfect setting for concerts and performances, a daily extension to the school’s workspace, the school chapel, and a place of outstanding beauty and spirituality.

Boarders, including the Ely Cathedral Boy and Girl Choristers, live in picturesque and community-spirited boarding houses, well led by caring housemasters and housemistresses. A strong pastoral structure where childhood is respected and cherished is a key feature.

King’s Ely is a family — a community that is vibrant, nurturing and inclusive. We are a school that can take each child on a seamless journey, travelling from one section to the next, whilst welcoming newcomers at key transition stages, giving support and adapting the offering to the needs of every child in our care. Only by visiting King’s Ely can you feel the energy and warmth of our community.

We have Autumn Open Events being held in September, October and November. To book your family’s place or for more information, please visit: www.kingsely.org. Our Admissions Team would also be delighted to hear from you in person — you can call them on (01353) 660707.

Website: www.kilgraston.com

Telephone: 01738 812257

Address: Bridge of Earn, Perth, PH2 9BQ

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Our Ethos

Our ambition for each child is to stimulate and develop the individual character and personality. The distinctive Kilgraston experience is designed to develop generations of young people who have a thirst for life-long, independent learning and a vital commitment to making a real difference to the world around them. Our aim is straightforward: each child will leave us with the potential to be the best she can be.

Our Academic Achievements

Kilgraston follows the Scottish Education system of National 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers. We have an enviable record of academic achievement at the highest levels.

In the 2020 Scottish exam results, 100% of our pupils achieved Grades A to C at Advanced Higher level and 97.1% achieving Grade A to C at Higher level. The outstanding results meant that 97% of pupils will attend their first choice university, with 55% set to attend prestigious Russell Group institutions.

Our Alumnae

Our alumnae gain places at many of the most respected universities in the UK and beyond with almost 60% of them studying STEM subjects in 2020.

Kilgraston former pupils can be found across the professional work, in medicine, dentistry, architecture, law, accountancy, business, fashion and design.

Beyond the Classroom

Kilgraston pupils can pick from an exceptional range of opportunities, clubs and activities. These all enable our pupils to grow and develop shills and confidence and to engage with the world to complete their academic study.

Find out more at www.kilgraston.com

Find the perfect school for your child with the Country Life Schools Guide

Down with CE, up with PSB

The latest acronym to bamboozle prep-school parents is the PSB — the Pre-Senior Baccalaureate, though sometimes referred to as the Prep School Baccalaureate — which will be the qualification of choice in some 40 schools by autumn. It promises to develop and measure a broader range of skills — music, design & technology and sport, for example — than the traditional Common Entrance (CE) exam.

Pupils will study much the same core curriculum as that of CE, but the PSB aims to develop the softer skills employers and secondary schools say they want: communication, leadership, independence, reviewing and improving, thinking and learning.

‘Senior schools are looking for these soft skills more and more — how children interpret, think critically and so on,’ explains William Goldsmith, head of St George’s School Windsor Castle, which is moving to the PSB. ‘We’re not changing what we teach, only how we teach those skills we know are crucial for employability.’

Let’s get flexible, from Saturday school to weekly boarding

It’s no secret that full boarding is becoming an increasingly hard sell. Apart from the cost, sending children ‘away’, particularly pre-teens, troubles today’s parents. This term, traditional Buckinghamshire prep school Caldicott allowed Years 4 and 5 to board weekly for the first time.

‘Saturday school has taken a back seat because of both parents working, commuting and wanting more family time at weekends,’ agrees Jeremy Wyld, head of St Hugh’s prep in Lincolnshire, ‘but we’ve seen a real uptake in ad hoc boarding.’

‘The maximum children board now is two or three nights a week,’ adds Susi Blithe, a houseparent at Northamptonshire prep Beachborough. ‘The secondary schools we feed are dropping weekly boarding in favour of flexi, too.’ Even Wellington College allows pupils to go home almost every week, despite its prospectus claim that it is ‘not a weekly-boarding school’.

Death of the gap year

The traditional ‘gap yah’ is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. More sixth-formers are content to press straight on to university and those who do take a year out are using it very differently. In a white-hot job market, they aim to support degree choices and career aspirations, such as developing language skills or working with wildlife. Cost is a factor, as is the increased number of internships on offer.

‘The change I’ve noticed is people wanting to go away for a shorter time. Volunteering has dropped and the growth now is in two- and three-week programmes involving some culture and adventure,’ says Jane Mclellan of Real Gap Experience.

Training for character

Like it or not, this is no longer incidental to school life; last year, OFSTED announced that it will monitor how schools ‘develop character’. Although many of us assume that the hurly-burly of team selections, debating, community service, expeditions and other aspects of independent-school life ensure children grow up rounded and grounded, this — apparently — is not enough.

Last term, Eton hosted a conference to ‘consider character education from theory through to delivery’. For co-host Julia Harrington, headmistress of Queen Anne’s School Reading and founder of educational neuroscience research centre BrainCanDo, it’s about ‘developing your inner compass and your own resources’.

Such efforts may seem heavy handed when co-curricular life is so rich. ‘But [character development] doesn’t only come through co-curricular work and we have to look at what we can do to improve it,’ says Mrs Harrington. ‘We need it to be an everyday part of life, not only something you learn from a hillside expedition.’

For her, the purpose of the Eton conference was to inform teachers about the adolescent brain, how bad habits and negativity spread through peer groups — ‘so much attitude of mind is catching’.

Not going to university

As business leaders increasingly find that graduates are woefully unprepared for working life and students become more dissatisfied with the cost and contact hours of a British degree, ‘uni’ is not the only way. Those who can afford it look to the US and others bypass university altogether, encouraged by the rise in prestigious schemes and degree apprenticeships offered by firms such as PWC, KMPG and Deloitte.

‘University is a big financial decision,’ says Carole Hall, head of careers at Sheffield Girls’ and a careers consultant across the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST). ‘Some of these degree apprenticeships with global companies can put you in a fantastic position.’

Charlie Steel bypassed university after Eton, when work experience at a headhunting firm turned into an internship and, ultimately, a job offer. ‘I’ve never regretted it,’ he says. ‘I was quite nervous about being judged for not having a qualification, but it encouraged me to work hard and time is on your side — I’m usually the youngest person at my level.’

‘Companies are getting better at advertising themselves in the right places, using websites such as www.notgoingtouni.co.uk, and careers advisers are better informed,‘ adds Mrs Hall, although she warns: ‘The best ones are massively competitive.’

Website: http://www.stmshaftesbury.uk

Telephone: 01747 852416

Address: St Mary’s Shaftesbury, Shaftesbury, DorsetSP7 9LP

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St Mary’s Shaftesbury

St Mary’s fosters an authentic sense of wellbeing, giving each of its girls the courage to face the unexpected and challenge the ordinary. It is a Catholic boarding and day school (for all faiths) located on a beautiful 50-acre countryside estate on the Dorset/Wiltshire border: the perfect environment to stimulate intellectual growth, resilience, curiosity and ambition.

 The Good Schools Guide 

https://youtu.be/B5VCbnNtst0

A Word from the Head

My aim for St Mary’s is to preserve the great strengths and traditions of the school, but also to continue the reflective process of positive change and development which is necessary for an ambitious twenty-first century school. I am a passionate advocate of single-sex education for girls, having been through that system myself and spent most of my teaching career in girls’ schools. Fully committed to boarding life, I am keen to develop our provision further. Boarding at St Mary’s is busy, sociable and the sense of community is unequalled.

In a girls’ school, no leadership roles or subjects are off-limits and our teachers are free to focus on the pedagogical methods that prove to work best with girls. Girls in girls’ schools do exceptionally well, in every annual league table, as demonstrated by our excellent 2019 A Level results (22% achieved three or more A*/A grades and 43% of grades awarded A* or A. The most commonly grade awarded was an A. Fourteen per cent of girls in receipt of Oxbridge offers achieved their grade requirements). GCSE results were also outstanding achieving the best grades in nine years.

Girls in girls’ schools stop being the audience – they step up onto the stage and into the limelight. If you choose to send your daughter to St Mary’s, then she will have every opportunity for her leadership, her creativity, her dynamism and all her other strengths to flourish. In short, here she will have the chance to be herself and to become all that she can be. St Mary’s girls are truly the ‘dreamers of dreams’ and the ‘movers and shakers’, preparing to shape the future.

There is something remarkable and distinctive about a St Mary’s girl. They are confident young women who are deeply articulate, reflective, energetic, creative, outward-looking with an impressively set of strong values. A profound ethos is abundantly present in the school, a spiritual and moral framework by which to live: this lies firmly at the heart of St Mary’s and is treasured.

Academic  

St Mary’s nurtures and celebrates talent. All the staff at the school take pride in being part of pupils’ development and success; as a smaller school, we know each and every girl well, allowing us to support and guide pupils towards achieving their goals.

Dedicated and enthusiastic teachers inspire a love of learning and allow girls to fulfil, and surpass all expectations. Our approach fosters a discursive, dynamic and collaborative environment for learning; it monitors development, sets individual targets, and caters to individual needs and abilities via its tutor system.

At Sixth Form, as at GCSE, we offer exceptional subject choice alongside individual support; the best universities look for independent thinkers with a thirst for knowledge. The tutoring system becomes even more crucial as career paths are mapped out and the result is an outstanding record of girls gaining places at their first-choice universities, including Oxbridge (14% in 2019).

Above all, St Mary’s takes the approach that learning is not just for exams but for life. Developing curiosity, persistence, critical thinking and a positive mind-set is key to preparing to work in a modern, global society.

Co-Curricular

The co-curricular offering is made up of many activities complimented by staff expertise as well as external specialist support. Activities include astronomy, archery, theatre, reading groups, coding and much more. Other activities like equestrian sports, dance and scuba diving are also popular.

In all co-curricular activities, our focus is on the full development of the pupil and being able to access a wide range of co-curricular activities and to discover and develop personal passions is one of the great joys of an independent education.

Creative Arts

Opportunities for girls to express themselves creatively contribute to the holistic education for life and cultural competency that is part of the unique St Mary’s offering. Refining skills, exhibiting work and taking part in individual and group performances are critical to increasing self-confidence and preparing them for success beyond school. St Mary’s is proud to run an Elite Dance Programme with the well-renowned local dance school, TLW Dance.

St Mary’s aims to give all girls a love of sport, to set them on a path of life-long physical activity. Whether they have a passion or unique talent in a particular discipline, excel across the board, or are unsure of where their abilities lie and want to be able to try out a range of different sports, the school provides a tailored experience for all. Specialised coaching is provided by a team of highly qualified, professional and motivated staff and those with potential to excel may be invited to join our Elite Athlete Programme - giving them access to the pathways for sporting success.

Boarding

Boarding is a key part of St Mary’s and the numbers of boarders in the school continues to rise. The school offers a safe, caring and disciplined environment where girls enjoy companionship, fun and a diverse programme of boarding activities during the week and at weekends. Each boarding house has a dedicated and experienced pastoral team.

Boarding allows girls to be stimulated and inspired throughout the whole week and allows them to fully participate in sporting and co-curricular activities. Boarding also fosters a culture of independence, mutual support and the skills required to enjoy life as part of a close community. St Mary’s is accredited for the Forces Continuity of Education Allowance and has a number of pupils from forces families.

Find out more about St Mary's Shaftesbury at www.stmshaftesbury.uk

Website: www.hurtwoodhouse.com

Telephone: 01483 279000

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Hurtwood combines the best elements of the traditional boarding school system with the best elements of the modern sixth form college to create a wholly unique and individual establishment.

While breaking new ground educationally, it has retained traditional values and has created an inspirational but safe stepping-stone between school and university.

This is a school driven by a passion for creativity and a respect for academic rigour, a small school with a distinctive voice which is less formal and less institutional than traditional public schools.

The students who come to Hurtwood House have usually been happy and successful at their former school, but they are now ready for fresh challenges.

They have reached an age when they feel that the learning methods and the lifestyle that worked for them when they were younger are no longer going to be as effective for them in the sixth form. At Hurtwood, they discover an intellectual and social environment closer to that of a university

All the students find Hurtwood a particularly easy school to join from a social point of view, because half of the school is new every year. The new students all arrive together and do not face the problem of joining a community where friendships have already been established over a period of many years.

HURTWOOD’S A-LEVEL RECORD HAS BEEN TRULY OUTSTANDING

For the last two decades, the A-level results have put Hurtwood “among the cream of the country’s best schools,” (Financial Times) at the top of the League Table for co-ed boarding schools, consistently ahead of most of its illustrious rivals.

These brilliant results speak for themselves, and they are achieved as much in core academic subjects such as Mathematics, Science, Economics, Modern Languages, History and English, as they are the creative ones.

A wider range of subjects and a greater flexibility of choice

The potential scientist, linguist, artist, philosopher, lawyer, actor or captain of industry – each is well catered for and each is equally valued. Hurtwood prepares students in 22 A-level subjects which can be studied in any combination.

This enables students to select a programme which reflects their personal strengths and passions and puts them on the first step of the journey towards the realisation of their aspirations. All A Level courses are fully linear and are examined at the end of the two-year course.

A gateway to the very best universities

More than 150 students are currently studying Mathematics or Science as one of their A-level subjects, and the places which Hurtwood Students have been awarded at the top universities reflect a real diversity of career aspirations, from Chemical Engineering and Medicine to Applied Psychology and Law.

DRIVEN TO CREATE

The defining feature of Hurtwood is its creativity. “It is the glory of Hurtwood,” according to the Good Schools Guide, “and is at the heart of its ethos.” Hurtwood provides outstanding opportunities for the aspiring actor, singer, artist, fashion designer, dancer or filmmaker.

There is a glittering array of performance opportunities – some related to the A-level Theatre Studies course, but many more available outside school hours, all run to professional standards, largely because the teachers are West End/Media pros, absolutely on top of their game creating what the Good Schools Guide called "jaw-droppingly good concerts and theatre shows.”

The Christmas musical, for example, is a £100k production with a cast of 70-80 students performing for ten nights with a full West End band and professional musical directors, choreographers and lighting designers. The same dynamic is applied to the Summer musical and to the February Rock & Pop concert – another £50k extravaganza featuring 20-30 students, many of whom have gone on to great things over the years – visit our Hall of Fame.

There is a wide variety of straight drama and improvisation built into the A-level course, with an exciting weekly programme of theatre skills including stage combat and circus skills. Outside that, our Drama Company runs a year-long, highly specialised “drama school” course, providing training to all students auditioning for the major drama, dance and music schools, and acting lessons for stage and screen.

Website: www.portregis.com

Telephone: 01747 857914

Email: admissions@portregis.com

Address: Motcombe ParkShaftesburyDorsetSP7 9QA

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Port Regis is one of the country’s leading preparatory schools; an established and successful, co-educational, day and boarding school for children from the ages of two to thirteen. Located in beautiful countryside on the North Dorset/Wiltshire border, Port Regis offers the perfect environment in which boys and girls can flourish and enjoy school.

Aims & Ethos

Our aim is to provide a first class, all-round education which will set a child up for life. Our vision is for a vibrant school, providing a broad, world-class education that enables each and every child to flourish intellectually, emotionally, physically and personally, preparing them for their future. The School’s ethos values and promotes the qualities of kindness, generosity, tolerance, honesty and friendship and reflects the School motto Altiora Peto (‘I Seek Higher Things’).

Facilities

Port Regis is located in 150 acres of parkland and enjoys a beautiful campus with facilities that are second to none in the Prep school world. Extensive woodland with nature trails sits alongside lawns, several ponds and a lake, so that children can enjoy the space and freedom of the grounds. There are also 35 acres of games pitches, a nine-hole (18 tees) golf course, hockey astroturf, hard tennis and netball courts, a 25m indoor swimming pool, a rifle range and an indoor sports complex, which includes two sports halls. An equestrian centre is conveniently situated close to the School.

Academic

The School's enviable reputation attracts the best teaching staff from all over the country. We are extremely fortunate to have an immensely accomplished team dedicated to delivering the very best education and who provide the happy, family atmosphere in which a child can realise their full potential.

Port Regis is also extremely proud of its 100% Common Entrance success record and the high number of scholarships and awards won to a wide selection of senior schools every year. A highly respected Learning Support department is available for children with mild-to-moderate specific learning difficulties. The School’s latest Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspection saw it rated 'Excellent' in every single judgement.

Extra-Curricular

Extensive opportunities are provided for Music (about three-quarters of the School learn an instrument), Drama (there are up to six productions a year and the opportunity to take LAMDA examinations) and Art (in a wide choice of media) as well as innovative Design & Technology and Craft departments. Riding, dance (modern and ballet), rifle shooting, karate, gymnastics and sailing are included in the broad extra-curricular programme. Sport is also a major strength of the School.

Port Regis has a nationwide reputation for the quality of its sports provision. We are one of the IAPS’s selected venues for its national tournaments in netball and we host a large number of high profile events in rugby sevens, athletics and cross-country. For boys the main sports are rugby, football, hockey, tennis, athletics and cricket. Girls are coached predominantly in hockey, netball, rounders, athletics and tennis as well as lacrosse.

The School’s indoor sports complex serves as a National Centre for Junior Gymnastics. We also have two squash courts, a heated swimming pool, indoor cricket nets, and marked-out courts for judo, karate, badminton, basketball, volleyball and fencing.

Pre-Prep

Port Regis Pre-Prep is the thriving nursery and pre-prep department for children aged 2 to 7 and is the first step in a Port Regis education. As well as sharing the same ethos, the Pre-Prep also benefits from the School’s superb facilities and teaching resources, allowing even the youngest children to explore their academic, artistic, musical and physical talents to the full. In addition, the Pre-Prep also has its own highly qualified staff, dedicated buildings and purpose-built playground, Forest School and Rose Garden.

Guaranteed small class sizes allow each child to develop their own potential under the individual attention and guidance of our committed, energetic and enthusiastic staff. In the Pre-Prep the foundations are firmly laid for the Port Regis tradition of combining hard work with fun.

Forest School

Our Forest School is a unique opportunity to take learning and experiences beyond the classroom. The children have the freedom, under careful supervision, to explore either the Forest School or other parts of the School’s extensive grounds. Through these activities children learn the importance of co-operation, communication and respect for one another, as well as for the environment.

Pastoral Care

We believe the individual care that boys and girls receive at Port Regis is second to none; looking after the children and ensuring they feel safe, secure and happy is at the heart of everything we do. Our dedicated team of staff play an essential role in implementing our carefully structured pastoral programme and each pupil’s well-being and personal progress is carefully monitored.

The children are encouraged to get involved in all aspects of school life, both in and out of the classroom. By doing so they discover their own interests and passions, thus developing their individuality and a healthy self-esteem. We work hard to develop children’s inter-personal skills and there is strong emphasis placed on good manners, kindness, tolerance and consideration for others.

Boarding

There is a thriving and very happy boarding community at Port Regis. We believe that boarding is a fantastic experience that helps children to develop independence and gain confidence, whilst building life-long friendships. In each of our four boarding houses we have a highly committed team of Houseparents, assistant Houseparents, Housemothers and Gaps, all focused on the very highest standards of care. We make sure that, when the academic day is done, the children spend time with their friends and relax.

Every weekend is worth staying in school for, with regular special themed events, discos, games, competitions, outings and opportunities to do something different. Unlike most boarding prep schools, we never close at weekends or exeats, something that our overseas and military parents in particular appreciate. The high standard of boarding provision explains why so many boys and girls choose to board (awarded 'outstanding' by Ofsted following the recent boarding inspection).

www.portregis.com

Website: www.mowdenhall.co.uk/

Telephone: 01661 842147

Address: NewtonStocksfieldNorthumberlandNE43 7TP

X: https://twitter.com/mowden_hall

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mowdenhallschool

Mowden’s aim is to provide a first class education, in which every child is given the opportunity to achieve his or her potential within a broad range of academic, cultural and sporting pursuits.

Above all, we believe that our high ideals, excellent pastoral care and traditional family values help Mowdenians to grow up happily and honourably, with self-respect, confidence and a strong sense of responsibility and consideration for others and the wider community.

Mowden Hall is committed to maintaining our reputation as a caring, happy and creative school wherein each child is valued and encouraged to maximize all opportunities on offer.

We aim to do this by:

• Providing a safe, secure environment
• Developing a sense of community in which staff and children respect one another and self-discipline and responsibility are important
• Creating, through example, an atmosphere where not only excellence is valued, but also commitment and effort
• Working to give children a love of learning and an enquiring mind

• Constantly evaluating what we do
• Helping children to understand that they have a part to play in the community and the wider environment including their impact upon it
• Our goal is to prepare children for the next stage in their education, and for a successful and happy life in the wider world

We strive to consider the whole child and make provision for intellectual, physical, emotional, social and moral development.

It was 11pm on the penultimate night of the summer term and I’d just finished a four-hour dress rehearsal of a perplexing play by Friedrich Dürrenmatt when my housemaster appeared backstage.

A quiet man at the best of times, he offered no hint as to why he was there.

‘Harry, you need to come with me right now,’ he murmured. Then: ‘Perhaps leave your microphone.’

We were out of the side door before many of the cast had come backstage. Few people saw me go. My phone was upstairs in a dressing room. I was wearing yellow shoes and a tweed suit and was confused. It struck me that this was how enemies of the state disappeared during Stalin’s Purge: in the dead of night, with no witnesses. Perhaps I was to be shot or, equally tragically, expelled. I wondered which would disappoint my parents more.

Find the right school for your child with the Country Life schools guide

Walking up to the main school in the dark, I had never known small talk to feel so small, dwarfed by whatever my housemaster knew and I didn’t. We passed the cafe, long closed. ‘Do you need a drink?’ he asked.

‘I’m fine.’

‘You should get a drink.’

I was struggling to keep my eyes open. The junior boys had been ‘dorm-raiding’ the night before and I felt drugged when we turned onto the pathway to the Headmistress’s house.

Only then did I realise that I still had my make-up and moustache on and my hair was painted white. As the Headmistress asked me if I would be Head Boy, she was no doubt questioning her decision and praying for more consistency from the Head Girl.

In September, she and I discovered that we had six meetings a week: three mornings with the Head, one at 9pm with the Second Master and two with the prefects. Our first test was herding new pupils to the biometric machines that were to scan their fingerprints and faces, which perplexed my conscience a little, as well as simultaneously guiding their parents to their talks and teas. It was vital that the two groups did not mix, for fear of emotional encounters.

My back was aching from standing and talking to so many small people when relief arrived: it was now my turn to meander through the parents who were having tea. The school supplies excellent cake and I thought I rather deserved one.

I worked my way backwards, smiling and chatting, towards the cake table, whereupon an anxious mother lurched from the shadows. She had many concerns; my first lesson in school diplomacy was a brutal one. As one can never pull off cake and conversation in style, I abandoned the former and threw my energy into neutralising her fears.

When her husband arrived, the barrage doubled in intensity. I noticed an unsuspecting prefect standing by the wall and decided to pull rank. I never apologised to Ben for dragging him into that situation, but it’s hard to feel remorseful with two cakes in your hands.

Bryanston’s disapproval of hierarchy results in a lack of privileges for the Heads of School, so imagine our delight when we discovered we could – according to legend – have a pipe, a beard and a goat. I don’t smoke and neither I nor the Head Girl could grow a decent beard, so we settled on two pygmy goats. I got as far as contacting a Welsh farmer about his wethers before realising that A levels are enough of a logistical nightmare without two goats to feed. Also, I don’t speak Welsh.

We were often tasked with giving prep-school heads a tour, visits that generally passed without incident. However, there was no tour more crucial than the once-in-a-decade visit of The Good Schools Guide that happened to fall within our tenure. We expected one inspector, but he brought his wife. I shall call them Mr and Mrs Guide, not least because their real names escape me.

During the tour, I couldn’t help feeling that I was being interrogated with unprecedented ferocity by Mrs Guide, who perhaps suspected the relaxed, creative ethos of Bryanston was hiding something and had the habit of dictating into her phone on one topic just as you were answering her questions on another.

I glanced enviously ahead at the Head Girl, who was chatting easily with Mr Guide. Had she taken on the gentler of the two or managed to tame her escort with a charm that I didn’t possess? I suspected it was the latter and wished I could subtly call for back-up when Mrs Guide informed me that she used to be a prison warden before retirement.

Bryanston (www.bryanston.co.uk) is a co-ed boarding school (some 670 pupils, aged 13–18) on the banks of the River Stour near Blandford Forum, Dorset.

Credit: Alamy

A county-by-county schools guide to help you find the right place for your child

Website: www.oakham.rutland.sch.uk

Telephone: 01572 758500

Address: Chapel CloseOakhamRutlandLE15 6DT

X: https://twitter.com/oakhamsch

“This is a clear-eyed, energetic forward-thinking school.” – The Good Schools Guide

About us

Oakham is well known and loved for being a friendly and unpretentious school. Whilst we are proud of our 400-year heritage, our priority is always to be at the forefront of educational developments.

We were one of the first independent schools to move to co-education in 1971 and we were also one of the first schools to introduce the IB Diploma, alongside A-levels. We continue to look to the future and our focus now, in today’s digital world, is on effectively teaching students Information Literacy.

By the time they leave us, Oakhamians are well rounded and confident young adults, equipped to ask the right questions, to know how to find the answers for themselves, and in doing so, to be able to make a difference in the world.

Our location and facilities

Students benefit from the School’s location close to Rutland Water, in the heart of rural England. They are able to enjoy the safety of living and working in a beautifully green campus just a few minutes’ walk from Oakham’s historic town centre and amenities, yet at the same time Oakham’s excellent road and rail links mean that London, Birmingham and Cambridge are all within easy reach.

We have exceptional learning resources: well-equipped classrooms, a university-standard library, state-of-the-art Science, Design and Social Sciences facilities, 40 acres of outstanding sports pitches, plus our own theatre and art gallery. 

Boarding options

We aim to offer all pupils – boarders and day pupils alike – the benefits of our exceptional boarding provision in ways that suit modern family life. Over half of our pupils are boarders, with the majority choosing full-time boarding. Our weekly boarding offering is also a popular option, with boarding available for up to six nights a week.

In the Middle and Upper School each of our 8 Boarding Houses is home to the Housemaster or Housemistress and their families, supported by an experienced team of Resident Tutors and a Matron. Form 7 (Year 13) students are in their own Houses, one for boys and one for girls, where they experience a more university-oriented lifestyle.

Pastoral care

Through our outstanding pastoral care, we nurture all aspects of our pupils’ intellectual, physical, mental and spiritual development during every stage of their Oakham journey. Our unique House structure ensures students have an age-appropriate space to develop and grow, surrounded by staff who are expertly trained to both support their needs and to challenge them to become independent, thoughtful, and responsible young adults.

Every pupil at Oakham, whether boarding or day, belongs to a House. There are 16 Houses at Oakham, with an even split of 8 girls Houses and 8 boys Houses. In addition to the Housemaster/Housemistress and tutor team, each House benefits from the support of a Matron. Life in House is fun, but it also enriches the pupils’ lives, helping them to develop a respect for each other and their community.

The ISI rated our food as outstanding and the Barraclough Dining Hall serves an extensive choice of nutritious and freshly prepared food. For further pastoral support, we have a brand new Medical and Pastoral Centre with a team that is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Our curriculum

Oakham's rich curriculum combines innovation with the best of traditional approaches. Our vision is to nurture intellectually ambitious thinkers, giving them the ability to learn effectively and independently at school and beyond, and to build the knowledge, skills and habits of mind everyone needs to succeed and thrive.

We teach pupils how to conduct effective and meaningful research via FOSIL (Framework Of Skills for Inquiry Learning) to enable them to develop the ability to ask, and to answer, challenging questions on their own. FOSIL, developed at Oakham over a number of years, provides an excellent foundation for study at university or for independent learning and research in their future careers.

Co-curricular

At Oakham, learning is never just confined to the four walls of a classroom. We offer over 30 different sports with internationally experienced coaching staff, including a full-time Strength & Conditioning coach. Around 60 pupils represent their county and/or country each year.

Hundreds of students take part in the Arts – there are five major drama productions every year, plus regular tours to the Edinburgh Fringe; we teach over 500 individual music lessons each week, and our award-winning Art & Design Department is a hive of creative activity.

Activities are also an integral part of life beyond the classroom, with students able to choose from over 130 activities to take part in each week, to discover and develop their interests and talents, and provide service to others.

Oakham has one of the largest Duke of Edinburgh's Award contingents in the UK and a thriving Voluntary Action group. We offer a wealth of trips; in a typical year, we run around 90 trips in the UK and abroad.

Admissions and fees

Candidates sit Oakham's own entry papers in Maths and English. At 13+/14+ applicants also take Science. English as an Additional Language is an option but not at 14+. Sixth Form entry is through approved reports followed by an academic interview and is conditional on IGCSE/GCSE performance, where applicable.

Fees per term are:

£6,580–£7,220 for day pupils

£7,910–£10,440 for flexi-boarding

£10,100–£11,040 for full boarding

Open mornings and visits

The best way to get to know the School, is to come and visit us – see the wonderful environment and meet some of our pupils. To book an Open Morning or individual visit, contact:

Anna Steiger (Director of Admissions) 01572 758758

You are guaranteed a very warm welcome.

Website: www.qas.org.uk/

Telephone: 0118 918 7300

Email: admissions@qas.org.uk

Address: Queen Anne’s School6 Henley Road,CavershamBerkshireRG4 6DX

X: https://twitter.com/QAScaversham

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QASCaversham/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/queen-anne's/

Queen Anne’s School is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11-18 renowned for academic success alongside outstanding pastoral care and an award-winning Sixth Form centre, located in Caversham, Berkshire.

The Independent Schools Inspectorate rated the school as ‘excellent’ for both academic achievements and personal development. The 2017 inspection found that ‘Queen Anne’s School pupils are educated to a high level in accordance with the school’s aim to promote excellence in all areas of education’.

Students will excel and achieve at the school through first-class teaching, education clinics, co-curricular opportunities and pastoral care.

The school delivers a high quality all-round education both inside and outside the classroom, together with a positive approach to learning that guides the girls to become ever more self-assured and prepared for life after school.

The most important elements of the school are the students and staff and what they achieve.

“At Queen Anne’s this is our cornerstone: we are focusing increasingly on how to improve, extend and enrich our academic focus," says Headmistress Julia Harrington.

"We encourage our girls to aim high and achieve to the best of their ability, they are supported with our excellent teaching and monitoring programme which tracks their progress.

"Away from the classroom our programme of co-curricular continues to flourish; we are proud of the girls’ success on the sports field, their performance in music and drama, their creativity in the art studio and their achievements in so many areas."

Development has been at the very heart of Queen Anne’s School for many years. Mrs Harrington understands the importance of ensuring the school is continuously looking to improve: “We have led, and continue to lead, with our innovative approaches to teaching and our state-of-the-art buildings and facilities. However no school can stand still and as ever Queen Anne’s is looking ahead. We are ambitious and focusing on the future. We must continue to offer girls an education that prepares them for a rapidly-changing and ever more competitive world.”

June 8th 2018, saw Queen Anne’s School open a brand new state-of-the-art music centre, The Scott Music Centre. New facilities available to students include: 8 sound-proofed practice rooms, MAC suite, music offices and the beautiful ensemble space for smaller performances, alongside the installation of 21 new pianos, all of which places music at the heart of the school.

Website: http://www.merchiston.co.uk

Telephone: 0131 312 2200

Email: admissions@merchiston.co.uk

Address: 294 Colinton RoadColintonEdinburghEH13 0PU

X: https://twitter.com/merchinews

Pupils: 440

Gender: Boys

Boarders: 65%

Juniors: Ages 7-12

Seniors: Ages 13-18

‘A balanced curriculum, excellent pastoral care and a high A level pass rate make Merchiston one of the UK’s leading independent schools’ – www.ukboardingschools.com

Merchiston is the only boys’ independent boarding school in Scotland, offers the English curriculum, and has a global, outward-looking dimension. We take pride in specializing in the education of boys and preparing them for the world, as we have for over 175 years, developing aspirational, and sensitive, yet gentle-men! Think about a wonderfully caring and nurturing family environment, where they will learn to like learning more.

With an ethos based on traditional values, Merchiston encourages self-reliance and independence, as well as respect for and tolerance of others. Our main objective is to motivate pupils to try their hardest and to strive to achieve the highest levels possible in all areas – firstly academic, then cultural, sporting, leadership, and simply living together as part of a community.

The modern way of life at Merchiston is therefore busy and exacting and we seek to maintain the delicate balance of priorities within and outwith the classroom. However, whilst revelling in the excellence of the sporting, musical and numerous other activities, we continue to emphasize the primacy of academic work, which is at the heart of the total curriculum.

Boarding life

We provide a stimulating, challenging, yet supportive and encouraging environment where your son can grow up surrounded by his friends within our unique house structure. Over 65 per cent of pupils board so there is never a dull moment as we provide a full boarding programme seven days a week. Our international boarders form, in most years, around 20 per cent of our School population and come from over 20 different countries.

Each boarding house caters for a particular age group and the atmosphere and activities are tailored accordingly. The House structure enables boys to develop a wide circle of friends, and to learn how to support each other. Pringle House, set within a walled garden, is home to boys entering the School between the ages of 7 and 12. Between 13 and 15 boys move through the Chalmers and Rogerson Houses, where there is a high level of pastoral care as the boys grow through adolescence. The purpose-built Sixth Form boarding house offers 126 en-suite bedrooms for boys in their last two years of school.

Academic record

Merchiston really does turn the ‘C student’ into a ‘B student’ and the ‘B student’ into an ‘A student’. Our 2017 results at every level offer clear evidence of the value-added by the School.

Merchiston’s exceptional performance at A Level and GCSE over a significant number of years, demonstrates that our boys, as a cohort, are consistently amongst the highest achieving boys in Scotland. Furthermore, 64 per cent of students have gained places to Russell Group Universities, Bath, St Andrews and other top international institutions. A number of students gained admission to USA Ivy League Universities, such as Cornell and Brown.

Merchiston is committed to leading students towards ‘personal excellence’. Currently, our extra-mural initiatives include entry for the Mathematics and Physics Challenges and Olympiads, English Speaking Board examinations, foreign language trips, Arkwright Scholarships (Design and Technology), and many others.

Sport for all

Merchiston prides itself on fostering the pursuit of excellence in a sport-for-all environment. In 2016-17, there were 73 different teams, of all abilities, playing competitive fixtures across 16 sports: a total of 539 fixtures. More impressive is that 89% of all pupils, from 7-18, represented the school at some stage in the year. The School is currently represented nationally and internationally in many sports, such as athletics, cricket, golf, rugby and target shooting.

We have also achieved Scottish honours in tennis, rugby and clay pigeon shooting in the last three years. The Tennis Academy is ranked number two World Tennis School, by the ISF World Schools Championship, 2017. The Golf Academy is the number one UK Junior Ranked Golf School in the ISGA rankings 2016-17, with two members ranked in the top four UK Individual Junior Players, 2017.

Co-curricular

The co-curricular programme at Merchiston delivers life skills, such as: leadership, teamwork, and mentoring through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, Combined Cadet Force, prefectship, Koinonia and other activities.

Music and Drama are major parts of life at Merchiston. These departments collaborate regularly and pupils of all ages have the chance to be involved, either performing on stage or working behind the scenes. There is an orchestra and other instrumental groups, including pipe bands, and a choir and choral society, as well as opportunities for individual instrumental lessons. Merchiston also benefits from its strong links with local girls’ schools for drama and musical performances, other cultural events and social gatherings. Our links ensure that our boys can develop their social skills and relationships soon blossom.

Admissions & Fees

We welcome applications for admission from all over Scotland, the UK and overseas – both for boarders and day pupils. Boys can apply to enter the School at any age between 7 and 16. A good first step if you wish to make an application for your son(s) is to speak to us personally. Our Admissions team will be able to help and advise you.

Kay Wilson (Director of Admissions): +44 (0)131 312 2201

Heather Aitken (Admissions Assistant): +44 (0)131 312 2204

We recommend that you come and visit us and see the School, meet some of the staff and talk to some boys. This will give you the best flavour of the spirit and atmosphere at Merchiston, and you can also see our facilities first-hand.

Scholarships

Merchiston offers a number of prestigious awards each year to suitably qualified candidates, depending upon the year of entry to the School. Awards are competitive, and are made for the duration of a boy’s career at Merchiston, subject to continued performance and good conduct.

The main categories of awards are: Academic, Music (including Piping), Sport, All-Rounder, Art & Design, Design & Technology.

Scholarships are granted to candidates who can demonstrate above average ability, and bestow honour on the successful candidates. Scholarships no longer carry an automatic fee concession. However, where parental income is not sufficient to allow the pupil to attend Merchiston, parents may apply for means-tested assistance; see our Help with Fees. A Scholarship Application Form is available here.

Further testimonials

Website: www.roedean.co.uk

Telephone: 01273 667626

Email: dba@roedean.co.uk

Address: Roedean SchoolRoedean WayBrightonBN2 5RQ

X: twitter.com/RoedeanSchool

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoedeanSchool

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roedeanschool/

Age Range: 11-18

Pupils: 650

Gender: Girls

Boarding: Day, Flexi, Weekly and Full Boarding

Why Roedean?

Why Roedean?

At Roedean, girls have the space to grow up at their own pace and realise their full potential, and all in the stunning surroundings between the sea and the South Downs national Park. It has girls from over 38 countries, and is easily accessible from London and the South, and Gatwick airport is 30 minutes away.

As an academic school, we seek to inspire curiosity and a love of learning in all our girls. The school was judged by ISI to be excellent in every area, highlighting its remarkable strengths, and we are firmly established as the most popular senior school for girls in Sussex.

Roedean has a unique cliff top, coastal location sitting snugly on the edge of the South Downs, a few minutes from the bustle of Brighton and with a private secret tunnel down to the beach. Roedean is a warm, lively home for 650 girls living in world-class day and boarding houses. On-site facilities include a brand new full-size hockey pitch, recently refurbished tennis and netball courts, gym, professional 320-seat theatre, dance studios, swimming pool, hockey, cricket and football pitches, golf course, a farm and acres of grounds.

Our Sports and Co-curricular at Roedean

Roedean is becoming increasingly competitive in a wide range of sports, including cricket, Volleyball and Football, on top of our three major sports, Hockey, Netball and Swimming. We are incredibly proud to have both Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh, GB Olympic Hockey champions, as our School Sport Ambassadors, as well as a recently expanded sports department to include specialisms in tennis, athletics, gymnastics, golf, squash, dance and off-site horse-riding and sailing. Weekly fixtures add a strongly competitive edge at all levels, and House matches enable every girl to enjoy taking part.

A star outside the classroom is often an A* within it, and we know that if you are happy in your environment, you will be successful in a variety of different spheres of school life. Therefore we offer a wide range of co-curricular activities at Roedean to ensure that each girl is challenged and stimulated in her free time, allowing every girl to discover her talents and passions. Technical Theatre, Sign Language, Farm club and Formula 24 Electric Car are just a few of the 50 different activities available to girls every week.

Weekly boarding

Weekly boarding is popular with families who live in London, Sussex and Surrey, and is an opportunity for girls to make the most of the opportunities and facilities at Roedean, all in one place and in a safe environment, whilst returning home to friends and family at the weekends. Weekly Boarders from London are chaperoned on the short train journey between Brighton and London Victoria (just 53 minutes) by a member of staff on Friday and Sunday evenings.

Scholarships and Early Entrance

Scholarships are central to Roedean’s ethos, and all girls are encouraged to strive to realise their potential. We offer a range of scholarships to new entrants to the school in Years 7, 9 & 12, including Academic and subject specialism scholarships in Art, Dance, Drama and Sport worth a fee reduction of between 10 – 40%, as well as Brighthelm Awards for Years 7 & 12 for local girls currently in the state sector which are a combination of both Academic scholarship and means-tested funding.

We are also pleased to offer the Early Entrance Programme for 11+ and 13+ entry. This entry route to Roedean is ideal for applicants for whom Roedean is their first choice and is designed to fast-track certainty of a place, whilst still enabling prospective pupils to take part in our programme of inspiring and challenging activity days.

Visit Us

Visiting the school and meeting the girls is the best way to find out what makes Roedean special. An Open Day is an ideal occasion for an initial visit, and our upcoming Open Days will take place on the 5^th October 2019, 7^th March 2020 and 25^th April 2020. Please email to book your place, or to request an individual tour during term-time.

Termly Fees 2019/2020

Year 7: Day £5,670 Boarding £8,155 – £10,990

Year 8: Day £6,375 Boarding £8,920 - £11,525

Year 9: Day £7,105 Boarding £9,125 - £12,140

Year 10-13: Day £7,415 Boarding £9865 - £15680

Website: http://www.moretonhall.org

Telephone: 01691 773671

Email: brownr@moretonhall.com

Address: Moreton HallWeston RhynOswestryShropshireSY11 3EW

X: https://twitter.com/moretonhall

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moretonhall

Moreton Hall is a forward-looking school which values academic success and extra-curricular achievement equally.

Established in 1913 Moreton Hall, in rural Shropshire, is proud to be one of the UK’s highest achieving independent schools, educating girls from age 3-18 and boys from 3-11. The school also has First Steps Nursery for 1-4 year olds.

Academic excellence, a tailored curriculum, outstanding pastoral care and extra-curricular activities of an extraordinary range and quality are the cornerstones of the school. Every pupil is nurtured and encouraged to fulfil their potential.

Ethos

Moreton Hall’s holistic approach to education – engendered in a predominantly boarding environment – allows individuals to fulfil their potential and to develop skills and qualities to enter the adult world.

The school has enjoyed success on local, regional and national levels both in the classroom and on the sports field, with top placed finishes in national tournaments and outstanding examination results

The school attributes it success by ensuring the progress of each pupil is carefully tracked and monitored and students benefit from a bespoke educational experience – allowing acceleration or extra support as required – at no extra cost. Exceptional pastoral care, detailed knowledge of individual students and unlimited extra support and help are undoubtedly key factors in explaining the school’s remarkable success in public examinations.

Academic Success

Moreton Hall continues to enjoy incredible success with another year of strong academic achievements.

A stellar set of A Level results in 2018 have witnessed 51% of grades being awarded A* or A, with a third of candidates achieving straight A* or A grades in all their subjects. Providing outstanding preparation for university level study, over 80% of students have been awarded places at Russell Group universities and Oxbridge.

GCSE grades were no less impressive – with over half of all grades awarded the equivalent of A* and A and 98% of students achieving the English Baccalaureate (5 or more passes in core GCSE subjects).

Success is also demonstrated across the huge value added scores (in the top two per cent in the country), the pastoral care being second to none and sport is championing the field.

The schools confident position continues to grow into its second century and the future holds many exciting prospects.

Enterprise

Moreton Hall is a school that knows its business: producing enterprising, self-assured, successful young women.

Recently championed as the best school for entrepreneurship by the national publication, ‘The Week’, it really is at the top of its game. The in-house, student-led business – Moreton Enterprises – was established over 25 years ago and it now boasts an annual turnover of £50,000. It aims to challenge and inspire students by nurturing business acumen and entrepreneurship whilst tag teaming with another initiative – Moreton Connect – a network of contacts amongst parents and Old Moretonians that Moreton girls can access for career advice and other work related opportunities. Moreton Connect bridges the gap between Enterprise, Business and Careers.

The bank of businesses feature a variety of sectors and help to give our current students and recent leavers the best opportunities to access quality work experience placements, internships and work shadowing experiences, as well as giving them the opportunity to listen to talks about career paths in a variety of sectors.

The Good Schools Guide recently declared that ‘every girl should spend at least a term at Moreton Hall’ and with opportunities abound, fabulous facilities and available bursaries and scholarships, what is there not to like?’

Every day is an open day at Moreton Hall and we warmly welcome you to visit us by contacting Ruth Brown on 01691 773671 or brownr@moretonhall.com.

As the Tatler Good Schools Guide remarks: “If you’re looking for Girl Power, you’ll find it at Moreton Hall”.

Website: www.wgs.org

Telephone: 0161 224 1077

Email: office@withington.manchester.sch.uk

Address: 100 Wellington Rd,Fallowfield ,Manchester,M14 6BL

X: https://twitter.com/WGSManchester

Gender: Girls

Pupils: 725

Boarding: No

Withington Girls’ School was founded in 1890 by a small group of eminent and far-sighted Manchester families who wanted the same educational opportunities to be available for their daughters as were already available to their sons. In keeping with the Founders’ wishes, the School has remained relatively small, with approximately 720 pupils; 155 in the Junior School (Years 3 – 6), 410 in the Senior School (Years 7 – 11) and 155 in the Sixth Form. The Head of Withington Girls’ School, Mrs Sarah Haslam, is a member of both the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA) and the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC).

Public examination results consistently place Withington amongst the top schools in the UK. In 2019, our pupils were awarded 93% grades A*, A or B at A Level, with 32% overall being at A*. At GCSE, 90% of all papers taken were awarded the top 9 to 7 or A** to A grades. Sixth Formers leave to study a wide range of degree courses at leading universities in the UK and overseas. The Sutton Trust reported in 2012 that Withington was the second most successful school (state or independent) in the country for placing students in the 30 most selective UK universities over the previous three years. Results in A-Level and GCSE examinations have seen Withington ranked consistently in national league tables as the top girls’ independent school in the North West of England.

Academic excellence is secured alongside an extensive range of extracurricular opportunities, including Music, Drama, Sport, Mathematics, Linguistics and Science Olympiads, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and the Young Enterprise Scheme, Model United Nations, Debating and Robotics Clubs, to name but a few. Sixth Formers work as voluntary assistants in local primary schools, a centre for severely disabled children, residential homes, hospices and hospitals.

All girls, throughout the School, engage in charity fundraising, collectively raising £32,000 in 2018-19. There are special links with Barnardo’s, two schools and a hospital in Kenya and a school in Uganda. Groups of Upper Sixth Formers engage in voluntary projects in The Gambia and Uganda each year and pupils take part annually in World Challenge, or similar, expeditions. Academic departments offer subject-related trips and activities in addition to cultural trips at home and overseas.

Pupils come from a wide geographical area around the Manchester locality, and from many different social, cultural and religious backgrounds, creating a diversity in which the School rejoices. The School is non-denominational and girls of all faiths, or none, are equally welcome. Through the Withington Girls’ School Trust, up to 100 means-tested bursaries are offered each year according to need. The Governing Body is strategically focused and highly supportive of all areas of the School.

The forward-looking development programme has, over the last ten years, provided a new Sixth Form Centre together with six new classrooms (which were opened in May 2009), a refurbished Art Room (opened in 2012) and a number of new facilities opened in September 2015 including a purpose-built Junior School, an expanded and re-equipped suite of Chemistry laboratories, a Design Technology workroom and a central ‘Hub’ which provides exhibition and social space for pupils as well as facilitating access to all the School’s main buildings.

Last year, a brand-new Sport & Fitness Centre was completed. Officially opened by Dame Sarah Storey DBE, the new facility provides an expanded area for sports and PE; viewing galleries; a large fitness suite; a ‘mind and body’ studio and a welcoming reception and hospitality area. This year, the netball courts and all-weather pitch have been resurfaced to a high specification, bringing Withington’s sports facilities to an excellent standard across all areas. A new outdoor activity space has provided an innovative facility that will benefit fitness, wellbeing and social interaction for Senior pupils.

The Development Office has strong links with alumnae as well as former and current parents and staff and has been successful in raising substantial amounts for the Bursary Appeal, for the new Chemistry laboratories and for an Annual Fund which enables enrichment activities for current pupils. Withington Onwards (the past pupils’ association) and the Parent Teacher Association are active in, and committed to, supporting the School socially and financially. There are also close links with the local community including, for example, a range of Saturday morning lessons run by the School for gifted and talented boys and girls from local primary schools under the SHiNE programme.

The excellent quality of teaching is a major factor in the exceptional level of achievement secured by pupils, both within and outside the classroom. Staff are eager to share their passion and enthusiasm for their subjects and give willingly of their time to assist individual pupils outside lesson times; the relationship between pupils and staff is a particular strength of the School. The School has little need for formal rules and runs on ‘the 3 Rs’ of Respect for self, Respect for others, and Responsibility for personal actions and its pupils thrive within the warm, friendly and supportive environment. At home or abroad, Withington girls attract positive comments and we are just as proud of them as they are of their School.

Fees

Fees for the 2019/2020 academic year (per term):

Senior School and Sixth Form : £4211 Junior School: £3160

Website: https://www.ellesmere.com

Telephone: +44 (0)1691 622321

Address: Ellesmere CollegeEllesmereShropshireSY12 9AB

X: https://twitter.com/ellesmerecoll

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EllesmereColl/

Ellesmere College – A Platform for Academic and Personal Success

Founded in 1884, Ellesmere is a co-educational boarding and day school which offers students between the ages of seven and 18 a platform for academic success and personal development.

A wide ranging academic curriculum and extensive activities programme allows each student the opportunity to advance in a range of disciplines, whether in the Arts, Music, Drama, Sport, or to develop leadership and entrepreneurial skills.

Ellesmere College treats every pupil as an individual and where success is doing the very best you can; a philosophy that all parents, pupils and staff recognise and support wholeheartedly.

The Lower school (7-13) provides an environment which focuses on individual needs, and helps children grow into happy, secure young people, with the confidence to tackle new challenges and understand the world around them.

Students joining the Middle School (13-16) enjoy a stimulating environment with an extensive academic programme and an even wider range of curricular and co-curricular opportunities. Ellesmere students consistently celebrate excellent GCSE results - where over a third of all grades were in the top A*/A, and more than half of all grades awarded were in the A*/B.

Music is a key element of Ellesmere life and there is something for everyone - from the Chapel Choir to National Finalists in the Barnardo’s Choir of the Year Competition. The standard of drama is also very high and Ellesmere is the only UK independent school to hold the Arts Council’s Arts Mark Platinum Award.

For sports enthusiast, Ellesmere is one of only nine schools in the world to be an accredited Athlete Friendly Education Centre (AFEC), which provides greater flexibility to students allowing them to balance their studies with heavy training and competition schedules. With the nationally renowned Titans Swimming team, 7 sporting academies, and incredible state of the art facilities, pupils can train in every Olympic discipline.

Following GCSEs, students have a choice of A-levels, BTEC or the International Baccalaureate Diploma. The College takes the preparation of students for Oxbridge and the USA very seriously and the academic enrichment programme offers extension activities in all subjects. With 82 per cent of applications gaining offers from the top 50 Universities in the world and an exclusive careers partnership programme which finds opportunities for sixth form pupils to experience the real world; preparation for life is central to the development of the individual.

What makes a successful school? A committed leadership team, an excellent set of professional teachers, a globally recognised set of qualifications and a broad approach to pupil development via an expansive academic and co-curricular programme.

At Ellesmere we believe that developing the whole pupil is much more than just passing examinations; a philosophy which is paramount to the continued success of nurturing our students.

Come and experience this unique environment for yourself in the Full School Open Day on Saturday 13^th October 1-4pm.

Headmaster’s Message – Mr Brendan Wignall

"Ellesmere's total commitment to developing individuals, enabling them to be successful human beings, is something that genuinely marks it out from the vast majority of other schools. The best thing about this focus on the individual, is that it arises out of a very real sense of family and community. The Ellesmere community is a wide one, and it is one of the great pleasures of my job that I have the opportunity to work with all its constituents: pupils, past pupils, parents and past parents, teaching, non-teaching staff, and governors, all of whom contribute to making Ellesmere such a wonderful place to work and to study.

"Families who visit Ellesmere comment on what an incredibly friendly place it is, on its great atmosphere and I am pleased to say that even after so many years as Headmaster I do not take this for granted. It is a friendly and supportive place where there is a genuine care and concern for the happiness of others.

"One of the best things about Ellesmere, from my point of view, is that it is also a very exciting place in which to work. Things do not really stand still here for very long and there is always some new innovation that we are considering. Ellesmere College can always be made better, and leading the desire for constant improvement makes my job stimulating and highly enjoyable. I trust you will enjoy taking a look around our website but, even more importantly, that you will come and visit, meet my staff and meet our students, whom we rightly feel are the best advert for Ellesmere College and the remarkable young people that develop at the school."

Brendan Wignall, Headmaster 1996 – Present

Website: www.stmaryscalne.org

Telephone: +44 (0) 1249 857200

Address: 63 Curzon StreetCalneWiltshireSN11 0DF

X: https://twitter.com/StMarysCalne

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stmaryscalne

Gender: Girls

Boarding: 288

Pupils: 360

St Mary’s Calne (founded 1873) is located near the market town of Calne amidst the Wiltshire Downs. St Mary’s Calne is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11-18, a happy, purposeful and flourishing community of around 360 pupils with an 80% to 20% boarding to day ratio.

Focus on the individual

St Mary’s provides exceptional all-round education in a warm, nurturing environment. It is the individualised approach to every aspect of school life that makes St Mary’s Calne special.

The pastoral care is outstanding Every girl has a Tutor to support her through aspects of school life, from organisational skills and subject choices through to university application.

Public Examination Results

St Mary’s Calne has a well-deserved reputation for academic excellence. The school was the top achieving independent school in the South West, (The Sunday Times Schools Guide 2018) and is also the first independent school in the UK to be given the prestigious Platinum Science Mark Award.

Extra-Curricular

Opportunities in sport, music, art and drama abound and the facilities are superb, including a new £2.55 million sports complex and full-size astro, theatre, and a Sixth Form Centre with 115+ girls.

80% of girls play musical instruments and take part in a wide variety of ensembles. The girls perform at many events, both in the locally community and further afield.

Drama productions in the purpose-built theatre are of the highest standard and have transferred to the London stage. The Drama Department has a unique relationship with RADA, offering a course in advanced communication skills and girls also perform annually at the Edinburgh Fringe.

The girls do exceptionally well in the Young Enterprise Programme, progressing to the National Final in 2017.

Many pupils are talented artists and 2018 saw one girl win the Digital Prize in Saatchi’s National LOVE ART Competition and two girls had their works longlisted by The Arts Society to become Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) Scholars.

The girls excel at sport, and the school is represented at county level in several major sports, nationally in athletics and lacrosse, and internationally in horse riding, with all girls taking advantage of the superb sports facilities. The girls also enjoy many other sports, including tennis, hockey, fencing and ski racing.

Trips abound and in 2017-18 included a Classics Trip to Rome, a French Trip to Samoens and a Music Tour to Poland.

Fees

For the 2018-19 academic year, per term:

Boarders: £12,975

Day: £9,675

Notable Alumnae

Belinda Stewart-Wilson – Actress Laura Tomlinson MBE - Team Gold and Individual Bronze in Dressage at London 2012 Olympics Roya Nikkhah - Journalist and broadcaster Lucy Hughes-Hallett- Author and winner of the 2013 Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction Professor Julia Buckingham - Brunel University’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal Eva Rice – Author and Musician Rosamund Strode - Rosamund was Benjamin Britten's musical assistant and amanuensis for the last 12 years of his life Avery Agnelli - Anglo-American architect and socialite.

Website: www.kings-school.co.uk

Address: CanterburyKENT

The King's School in Canterbury is an atmospheric, elegant and academic school drenched in history – it was founded at the end of the 6th century – and beauty, within the precincts of the cathedral on a World Heritage site. The library, designed by William Butterfield, is superb; former pupils Sir Hugh Walpole and Somerset Maugham bequeathed their personal libraries.

Architectural plans for converting the Victorian Malthouse into an arts, science and dramatic space look exciting and The College, a brand-new building, will provide smart accommodation, withen-suite bedrooms and common rooms. Distinguished alumni include musicians Stephen Barlow and Harry Christophers; writers Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor, Sir Michael Morpurgo and Edmund de Waal; and cricketer David Gower.

• 800+ pupils aged 13–18, co-ed, day and boarding (plus junior school)
• £9,165–£12,485

• Find more schools with the Country Life Schools Guide

Bedfordshire

Bedford School

Bedford, Bedfordshire

The urban surroundings obviously look very different to when the school was founded in 1552 by Edward VI, but it still represents an oasis in the town, with grounds running down to the river and a superb new theatre built on the site of a former church. A high-achieving school academically – the International Baccalaureate (IB) is also offered – and on the sports field. Old Bedfordians include writers John Fowles and H. H. Munro (Saki), BBC Arts editor Will Gompertz, former England cricket captain Alastair Cook and comedian Al Murray. There are multiple transport links – Bedford is 35 minutes from London St Pancras – and the school has close ties with Bedford Girls’.

• Pupils: 1,000+ boys aged 7–18, day and boarding (including prep school)
• Fees: £4,111–£10,730 per term
• Motto: Floreat Schola Bedfordiensis (May Bedford School Flourish)

Find out more about Bedford School

Berkshire

Bradfield College

Bradfield, Berkshire

Picturesque Bradfield, alma mater of politician Lord Owen, novelist Louis de Bernières and explorer Benedict Allen, started, in 1850, as a choir school for the village church, fanning out from the original Arts-and-Crafts manor house and incorporating buildings designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott abnd a chapel by his son, an early pupil. There’s a superb science centre, plus the famed ‘Greeker’ theatre in which performances of Greek tragedies were renowned. Bradfield’s academic reputation (it offers the IB) increases all the time and there’s an impressive roster of visiting lecturers, plus the Bradfield Diploma, designed to create well-rounded individuals.

• Pupils: 780 pupils aged 13–18, co-ed, predominantly boarding
• Fees: £9,975–£12,468
• Motto: Benedictus es, O Domine doce me Statuta Tua (You are blessed, Lord: teach me your laws)

Find out more about Bradfield College

Wellington College

Crowthorne, Berkshire

The Master, Julian Thomas, had a big act to follow (Sir Anthony Seldon), but he’s proving to be his own man and has commented that there’s more to life than league tables. Having said that, Wellington’s academic results are still hugely impressive, the school has major international clout and is a force to be reckoned with on the sports field, especially the rugby pitch. Although the surroundings are urban, Wellington, built on a spectacular layout as a monument to the 1st Duke of Wellington, is set in 400 acres. Old Wellingtonians include writer Sebastian Faulks, impressionist and comedian Rory Bremner, composer John Gardner and TV presenter Peter Snow.

• Pupils: 1,000 pupils, co-ed, (mainly) boarding aged 13–18
• Fees: £9,310–£12,740
• Motto: Virtutis Fortuna Comes (Fortune favours the bold) and Heroum Filii (The children of heroes)

Find out more about Wellington College

Buckinghamshire

Caldicott

Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire

There’s a new headmaster, Jeremy Banks (formerly at Beachborough), at this traditional, high-achieving boys’ prep, which chiefly feeds Eton, Harrow, Stowe, Radley and Wellington; 27 scholarships or exhibitions have been won in the past three years, including to Winchester. Suburbia has obviously crept up since the school was founded in 1904 by J. Heald Jenkins, who named it after his bride’s middle name, but it’s set in 40 acres on the edge of Burnham Beeches, so is still fairly rural. London pupils commute on a 7.20am ‘Caldicott express’ bus, which stops in Notting Hill, Chiswick and Brook Green; there’s also a service from High Wycombe.

• Pupils: 280 boys aged 7–13, day and boarding
• Fees: £5,611–£9,229
• Motto: Per victoria ad gloriam (Through victory to glory)

Find out more about Caldicott

Godstowe

High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

Popular Godstowe, established in 1900, was England’s first boarding prep for girls – reputedly an inspiration for Enid Blyton’s ‘Malory Towers’ series – and it still has close ties with nearby Wycombe Abbey. It’s non-selective, but pupils go on to many leading girls’ public schools.

Cricket and carpentry were on the curriculum right from the start and girls still wear cheerful bright-red jumpers and boaters. Recent years have seen a new Food Technology Room (opened by TV presenter and cook Mary Berry), sports hall (opened by Gabby Logan, who’s a current parent) and swimming pool, plus a beautifully designed website.

• Pupils: 450 pupils aged 3–13, co-ed (boys up to age 7), predominantly day
• Fees: £1,725–£5,540 (boarding supplement £2,675)
• Motto: Finem Respice (Reach towards your goal)

Find out more about Godstowe

Cambridgeshire

King’s College School

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

Founded by Henry VI in 1441, the school famously provides the boy choristers for the Carols from King’s service on Christmas Eve (they’re full boarders). The new headmistress, Yvette Day, is steeped in choral singing, having been head of the Chorister School, Durham; nearly every child learns an instrument and all are taught to read music.

As one might imagine, it’s strongly academic – potential scholars learn Greek. Means-tested bursaries are available, especially to children with musical potential.

• Pupils: 400+ pupils aged 4–13, co-ed, mainly day, including pre-prep
• Fees: £4,080–£8,070
• Motto:

Find out more about King’s College School

King’s Ely

Ely, Cambridgeshire

Established more than 1,000 years ago (Edward the Confessor was a pupil) on an inspiring site beside the Ship of the Fens, which plays a big part in school life, it provides the boy choristers for the cathedral (they get a 50% fee reduction) – celebrated counter-tenor James Bowman was one. The cathedral broke new ground when it recruited girl choristers from the school (they get a 33% fees reduction), plus there are sixth-form choral scholarships for boys and the school choir regularly sings in services. Water sports are big, with rowing on the River Ouse alongside Cambridge University rowers.

• Pupils: 1,000+ pupils aged 1–18, co-ed, mainly day, including junior school and international programme for overseas students
• Fees: £3,359–£10,355
• Motto:

Find out more about King’s Ely

Cheshire

King's School, Chester

Chester, Cheshire

The King’s School in Chester proclaims its aim to be ‘opening minds to the love of learning’ – and academic excellence is the focus for this historic place, which in 2018 posted the best GCSE and A-Level results in Cheshire. For the past half a century the school has been based on a 33-acre site on the outskirts of Cheshire that has facilities including a swimming pool, a theatre and a boathouse on the River Dee where the school’s rowing club is based.

• Pupils: 1,100, aged 4-18, co-ed
• Fees: £9,150–£13,515
• Motto: The King gave it, may God bless it

Find out more about King's School, Chester

Cornwall

Truro School

Truro, Cornwall

Cornwall’s main independent school (the city also has a 325-strong girls’ school, Truro High) capitalises on the county’s riches – geology is a strong subject – with lots of water sports: Sir Ben Ainslie, after whom the new sports centre is named, is an old boy and the headmaster, Andrew Gordon-Brown, rowed for South Africa at Olympic level. Children regularly leave the county for sporting fixtures, too, notably fencing.

Strong links with the cathedral – musical girls can join the choir and get a fees reduction – and with the Arts through its own Heseltine gallery, the Burrell Theatre and Cornish authors, such as Patrick Gale.

• Pupils: 750+ plus pupils aged 11–18, co-ed, (mainly) day and boarding (linked to prep school)
• Fees: £4,690–£9,355
• Motto: Esse quam videri (To be rather than to seem to be)

Find out more about Truro School

County Durham

Durham School

Durham, County Durham

At the centre of a beautiful city and steeped in history – it started in 1414 when Cardinal Langley re-founded the cathedral (it was a cathedral school until 1996) – academia and culture, with a strong house system and rowing tradition, Durham has produced several past and present sportsmen (Gareth Southgate visited in May), plus actor/presenter Alexander Armstrong. Societies include Heretics, in which controversial subjects are debated, Tristram (science), MedSoc (for would-be medics) and Hillard (linguistics). Scholarships include the Peter Lee for ‘musically and academically elite children of Chinese ancestry’. There are plans afoot to develop the campus.

• Pupils: 380+ pupils aged 11–18, co-ed, mainly day(plus pre-prep and prep school)
• Fees: About £4,781–£10,338
• Motto: Floreat Dunelmia (May Durham flourish)

Find out more about Durham School

Cumbria

Sedbergh School

Sedburgh, Cumbria

Sedbergh’s site barely counts as a town setting, with such wonderful views; unsurprisingly, fell running is a tradition, including the gruelling 10-mile Wilson cross-country run. Among other outdoorsy activities are orienteering, river swimming, wild camping, caving, riding, fishing, sailing, mountain-biking and kayaking. Founded in 1525, the school, alma mater of Wordsworth’s sons, promotes both intellectual and practical routes to employment – it’s strong in geology and offers a BTec in agriculture – and has won awards for use of social media.

• Pupils: 540 pupils aged 13–18, co-ed, full boarding (plus prep school, Casterton)
• Fees: 11280
• Motto: Dura Virum Nutrix (A stern nurse of men)

Find out more about Sedbergh School

Windermere School

Windermere, Cumbria

It goes without saying that the school enjoys a spectacular setting in the Lake District. It’s got its own watersports centre – the only school one with Royal Yachting Association champion club status – with a fleet of boats and windsurfing, canoeing and kayaking. Windermere is part of Round Square, an international network of 180 schools that espouse the ideals of the German-Jewish educationalist Kurt Hahn (founder of Gordonstoun) of internationalism, democracy, environment, adventure, leader-ship and service – the headmaster, Ian Lavender, was previously a Gordonstoun housemaster. It offers the IB and a few BTecs instead of A levels and is strong on languages, in part thanks to the large overseas contingent.

• Pupils: 260+ pupils aged 11–18, co-ed, mainly day (plus pre-prep and junior school)
• Fees: £5,245–£10,445
• Motto: Vincit qui se vincit (One conquers who conquers oneself)

Find out more about Windermere School

Derbyshire

Repton

Derby, Derbyshire

The school, founded in 1557 and highly regarded since the days of the active headmaster Steuart Adolphus Pears in 1854–57, is in a village on the site of a former priory, but it’s far more accessible to London than one might imagine (Derby is about two hours from London Euston and 20 minutes from East Midlands Airport). Particular USPs include a rooftop observatory on the excellent science centre, much success in debating competitions and hockey facilities good enough for Team GB’s men to train on and to give Repton girls a record number of national titles. The school has produced numerous footballers and first-class cricketers, plus actor Basil Rathbone, Olympic athlete Harold Abrahams, tennis player Bunny Austin, writers Roald Dahl and Christopher Isherwood, publisher Victor Gollancz and petrolhead presenter Jeremy Clarkson.

• Pupils: 650 pupils aged 13–18, co-ed, day and boarding (linked to prep school Foremarke Hall)
• Fees: £8,831–£11,904
• Motto: Porta Vacat Culpa (The gate is free from blame)

Find out more about Repton

S. Anselm’s School

Bakewell, Derbyshire

The prep part of this Peak District school, founded in 1888, regularly wins plaudits and has become famed for the down-to-earth attitude of its headmaster, Peter Phillips. Facilities include a 20m heated swimming pool, an AstroTurf pitch, the only fully accredited Lego Education Innovation Studio in a northern independent school, a concert hall and pottery workshop. Last term, on a windy day, pupils released a Bakewell pudding attached to a balloon into the air – it attracted considerable local media – and there was a Chelsea-style opening of the secret garden, with a sundial, sculptures, bird feeders and a vegetable plot, all created by pupils.

• Pupils: 260 pupils aged 3–16, mainly day
• Fees: £3,650–£8,700
• Motto: Esse Quam Videri (To be rather than be seen)

Find out more about S. Anselm’s School

Devon

Blundell’s

Tiverton, Devon

Founded by a wealthy cloth merchant, Peter Blundell, in 1604, the school may be in a (market) town, but it has a rural, local feel – alumni include Parson Jack Russell of terrier fame, who has an annual cross-country race named after him – with tweed jackets, spacious grounds, a strong riding culture and the head boy/girl beingallowed to keep a pig. Old boy Sir Christopher Ondaatje funded the drama centre, where all aspects of theatre, including writing and stage design, are taught. Good rail (Tiverton Parkway) and air (Exeter) connections. The new headmaster is South African Bart Wielenga, previously senior deputy head.

• Pupils: 600 pupils aged 11–18, co-ed, day and boarding (plus prep school)
• Fees: £6,350–£11,735
• Motto: Pro Patria Populoque (For the country and the people)

Find out more about Blundell’s

Mount Kelly

Tavistock, Devon

Originally founded by Admiral Kelly in 1877 for the sons of naval officers, the school, with the beautiful backdrop of Dartmoor, has a famed swimming record (it has a 50m Olympic Legacy pool) – alumni include Olympic swimmers Sharron Davies, Robin and Paul Brew and Andrew Jameson, plus pentathlete Heather Fell – but is also considered to be academically on the way up. The prep school majors on recycling and sustainability and has a small farm.

• Pupils: 300+ pupils aged 13–18, co-ed, day and boarding (plus prep school)
• Fees: £2,410–£10,540
• Motto: Fortiter Occupa Portam (Defend your harbours bravely)

Find out more about Mount Kelly

Dorset

Milton Abbey

Blandford Forum, Dorset

Dorset is spoilt for rural-thinking schools in beautiful locations, but Milton Abbey, a converted monastery in a Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown landscape, is particularly splendid (the TV adaptation of R. F. Delderfield’s public-school novel To Serve Them All My Days was filmed here). Pupils can bring ferrets and ponies, keep bees, look after farm animals, go beagling and walk dogs. Academia (it’s non-selective and part of Round Square) is individually tailored, with a strong emphasis on vocation – two-thirds of sixth-form pupils take BTec – and there’s a large learning-support department.

• Pupils: 250 pupils aged 13–18, co-ed, mostly boarding
• Fees: £6,750–£13,350
• Motto:

Find out more about Milton Abbey

Sherborne

Sherborne, Dorset

In so far as you can call Sherborne a town setting, it offers the best of both worlds, being within a charming market town – Sherborne Abbey plays a big part in school life – with good train links with London. It also has close ties and the pooling of some A-level subjects with its opposite-number girls’ establishment down the road. There’s a civilised aura and pride in the school’s heritage, which dates from the 12th century. Distinguished Shirburnians include mathematician Alan Turing – there’s a code-breaking society – novelist John le Carré (then David Cornwell), poet Cecil Day-Lewis, broadcaster Tom Bradby and actors John le Mesurier, Jeremy Irons and Hugh Bonneville.

• Pupils: 540+ boys aged 13–18, mostly boarding
• Fees: £10,125–£12,500
• Motto: Dieu et mon droit (God and my right)

Find out more about Sherborne

East Sussex

Roedean

Brighton, East Sussex

A Roedean education is a unique and wonderful experience. The school was recently judged by ISI to be excellent in every area, highlighting its remarkable strengths, and 2016 saw the school’s best ever A Level results and 2017 its best ever GCSE results. The girls have the space to grow up at their own pace here and realise their full potential, and they thrive in this environment, happy and confident in their abilities.

• Pupils: 600 girls aged 11-18
• Fees: £5,480-£12,855
• Motto: Honneur aulx dignes (Honour the worthy)

Find out more about Roedean

Mayfield School

Mayfield, East Sussex

Former pupils are known as Old Cornelians, after Mother Cornelia Connelly, who, in 1863, took schoolgirls from the Holy Child School at St Leonards-on-Sea on a picnic to the rural ruins of the Old Palace of May-field, which she thought would be a splendid site for a school. Nowadays, there’s a lay headmistress (Antonia Beary, whose career is steeped in the Catholic faith) and it takes all denominations, but it is still underpinned by Catholicism – sixth-formers attend a weekly liturgy in the chapel. Mayfield is famed for its equestrian successes under director of riding Jill Barker – girls may bring their horses to school or share one and there are both indoor and outdoor arenas – but the school is high-achieving in many fields. A wide range of academic subjects includes economics and Latin at A level and classical civilisation and food and nutrition at GCSE.

• Pupils: 350+ girls aged 11–18, day and boarding
• Fees: £7,000–£11,300
• Motto: Actions not words

Find out more about Mayfield School

Roedean

Brighton, East Sussex

A Roedean education is a unique and wonderful experience. The school was recently judged by ISI to be excellent in every area, highlighting its remarkable strengths, and 2016 saw the school’s best ever A Level results and 2017 its best ever GCSE results. The girls have the space to grow up at their own pace here and realise their full potential, and they thrive in this environment, happy and confident in their abilities.

• Pupils: 600 girls aged 11-18
• Fees: £5,480-£12,855
• Motto: Honneur aulx dignes (Honour the worthY)

Find out more about Roedean

Essex

Holmwood House School

Lexden, Essex

This friendly, non-selective prep, set in 25 wooded acres two miles outside Colchester, still adheres to the five Rs – resilience, resourcefulness, responsibility, reasoning and reflection – set by its founders, Mr and Mrs Duggan, in 1922, when the school comprised only three small boys wearing hilariously large caps. It points out that, although prep schools such as this can’t compete with senior schools over ‘shinier’ facilities: ‘What we do offer is beyond these concrete and physical things is more to do with the development of ethos and culture, independ-ence, ownership, integrity and character.’ A recent Languages Week – there’s an annual French exchange programme (Les Ambassadeurs) with Ombrosa School, Lyon – featured a Latin assembly and a Welsh workshop and Science Week involved forensically solving a murder mystery. Holmwood boasts a 100% Common Entrance pass rate, chiefly to East Anglian schools such as Felsted, but also to Eton, Harrow, Westminster and Ampleforth.

• Pupils: 400 pupils aged 4–13, co-ed, day and boarding
• Fees: £3,380–£5,965
• Motto: Laetatus sum (I was glad)

Find out more about Holmwood House School

Gloucestershire

Cheltenham College

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Arguably not quite as famous as Cheltenham Ladies’ – there’s healthy rivalry – but the surroundings, Grade II*-listed Victorian buildings and a magnificent chapel, are no less gracious (the school was started to educate the sons of Victorian gentlemen in a spa town) and it’s acknowledged as a top public school. It’s had much sporting success – riding, rowing, rackets, polo and water polo are on offer – as well as academic prowess. Alumni include ill-fated Arctic explorer Edward Wilson, writer Iain Sinclair and actor Jack Davenport. The start of the 2018-19 school year saw the first female head in 177 years: Nicola Huggett, who was also the first headmistress of Blundell’s.

• Pupils: 680 pupils aged 13–18, co-ed, day and boarding (plus prep school and nursery)
• Fees: £9,195–£12,590
• Motto: Labor omnia vincit (Work conquers all)

Find out more about Cheltenham College

Westonbirt

Tetbury, Gloucestershire

The situation – a magnificent, turreted Victorian mansion in 210 acres of beautiful parkland across the road from the Westonbirt Arboretum, Highgrove and the Beaufort Polo Club and adjacent to the Badminton (Horse Trials) estate – is a star of this high-achieving establishment, which offers an impressive range of subjects (including at BTec) for a small school and is strong on lacrosse. Girls have the opportunity to sing in Gloucester Cathedral and perform at the Edinburgh Fringe. ‘The best thing Westonbirt has done for me is give me confidence,’ writes the departing head girl, who was offered a choral scholarship at Oriel College, Oxford. Westonbirt, which celebrates its 90th birthday this year, will accept day boys into Year 7 in 2019.

• Pupils: 220 girls aged 11–18, day and boarding (plus prep and pre-prep)
• Fees: £4,995–£9,750
• Motto: Bono malum superate (Overcome evil with good)

Find out more about Westonbirt

Hampshire

Farleigh School

Andover, Hampshire

Handily placed for the A303, Farleigh, founded originally as a Catholic boys’ prep school (it welcomes all denominations, but the Catholic faith is central), occupies an attractive Georgian house surrounded by 60 acres of parkland in the Test valley (there’s a Sunday-night taxi service from London). Under the guidance of popular headmaster Father Simon Everson, a former Anglican vicar who converted to Catholicism and first came to Farleigh as chaplain, it’s become a leading prep school, producing confident, kind, well-rounded children. It’s also strong on public speaking and the performing arts.

• Pupils: 450 pupils aged 3–13, co-ed, day and boarding
• Fees: £3,590–£8,495
• Motto:

Find out more about Farleigh School

St Swithun’s School

Winchester, Hampshire

Founded in 1884 by a daughter of the Dean of Winchester, this selective school has a justified reputation for producing bright girls and a tenacious grip of the top of the league tables. Major efforts are made to stimulate brains through an eclectic programme of lectures, plus dynamic headmistress Jane Gandee’s enthusiasm for Radio 4 and the compulsory weekly Stretch programme (activities such as chess, music or music composition).

Girls must also surely benefit by osmosis from the academic atmosphere that pervades the city through the cathedral and the renowned boys’ public school, with which there is co-operation for dramatic productions.

• Pupils: 500+ girls aged 11–18, day and boarding (plus prep school)
• Fees: £6,855–£11,200
• Motto: Caritas, Humilitas, Sinceritas (Charity, Humility, Sincerity)

Find out more about St Swithun’s School

Herefordshire

Hereford Cathedral School

Hereford, Herefordshire

This is the county’s independent school, strong both academically and in sport, so places are much in demand. Everyone pretty much knows everyone and many pupils are from farming stock; probably the most famous Old Herefordian is champion jockey Richard Johnson. The magnificent cathedral surrounds give it a traditional feel – it was founded for choristers in the 12th century – of which pupils are justly proud. Each year, three or four boys are accepted as choristers (a considerable reduction in fees); they don’t need to be musical geniuses, but they must enjoy singing, be team players and be committed.

• Pupils: 500 pupils aged 3–18, co-ed, day
• Fees: £2,676–£4,627
• Motto: Floreat Schola Herefordensis (May the school of Hereford flourish)

Find out more about Hereford Cathedral School

Hereford Sixth Form College

Hereford, Herefordshire

Parents in this rural county are considered extremely lucky to have such a centre of excellence, founded in 1973, on their doorstep. The principal, Jonathan Godfrey, is a leading figure in the world of sixth-form colleges and the results and breadth of subjects are impressive, as is the music: the Academia Musica choir has a recording contract and performs regularly in cathedrals. Chief sports are basketball, football, hockey, netball and rugby, and players are given individual fitness programmes at the gym. Alumni include Paralympic gold medallist Josie Pearson, composer Samuel Karl Bohn, actor Matt Milne and pop singer Ellie Goulding. The college size may be daunting for those from smaller, rural schools, but it has an exhilarating, grown-up, uni feel.

• Pupils: 2,000 pupils aged 16–18, co-ed, day
• Fees: £0 (for UK residents)
• Motto:

Find out more about Hereford Sixth Form College

Hertfordshire

The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School

Elstree, Hertfordshire

In 1690, rich haberdasher Robert Aske started the school, now in a secluded position in the 100-acre estate around Aldenham House, for the less fortunate members of his profession, since when it’s become a byword for brilliant results. A famously academic, energetic, multi-demoninational school – the alma mater of funny men Matt Lucas, Sacha Baron Cohen and David Baddiel, plus historian Simon Schama, art critic Brian Sewell and Sir Nicholas Serota, chair of Arts Council England – sticks purely to A levels (no IB or BTec), believes in filling every hour and isn’t keen on dilettantes.

• Pupils: 1,400 boys aged 11–18, day (plus prep and pre-prep)
• Fees: 6782
• Motto: Serve and Obey

Find out more about The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School

Tring Park School for the Performing Arts

Tring, Hertfordshire

There are exciting opportunities for talented children at this inspiring vocational school, one of only eight in the UK that’s Government funded. Entrance is by audition – pupils are accepted according to talent, although there’s also an academic test – and half the school day is spent on vocational training in dance, musical theatre and acting. Compulsory GCSE subjects include three options out of religious studies, music, art, textiles, drama, geo-graphy, history and computing science. It’s produced the actresses Caroline Quentin, Lily James and Daisy Ridley, plus Olivier award-winning choreographer Drew McOnie and the Royal Ballet’s Joseph Sissens.

• Pupils: 360 pupils aged 8–19, co-ed, day and boarding
• Fees: £4,955–£11,920
• Motto:

Find out more about Tring Park School for the Performing Arts

Kent

Benenden

Cranbrook, Kent

A famous traditional, atmospheric girls’ boarding school, founded in 1923 and set in 240 acres of landscaped grounds around the Earl of Cranbrook’s 19th-century family home built in Tudor/Jacobean style, which has made it triumphantly into the 21st century, with excellent academic results in a broad range of subjects, including design and technology (DT). There’s a superb science block, opened by former pupil The Princess Royal, a 150-seater lecture theatre, an eco-classroom and an all-weather sports field; planning permission has been granted for a new music school and hall. Pupils can take Extended Project Qualifications (EPQ) and there’s a Professional Skills Programme for sixth-formers that offers experience with businesses. Despite its rural location, it’s easily accessible from London and close to the Bluewater shopping centre, which is, no doubt, popular. It’s even got its own edition of Monopoly.

• Pupils: 550 girls aged 11–18, boarding
• Fees: 12560
• Motto:

Find out more about Benenden

The King’s School

Canterbury, Kent

An atmospheric, elegant and academic school drenched in history – it was founded at the end of the 6th century – and beauty, within the precincts of the cathedral on a World Heritage site. The library, designed by William Butterfield, is superb; former pupils Sir Hugh Walpole and Somerset Maugham bequeathed their personal libraries. Architectural plans for converting the Victorian Malthouse into an arts, science and dramatic space look exciting and The College, a brand-new building, will provide smart accommodation, withen-suite bedrooms and common rooms. Distinguished alumni include musicians Stephen Barlow and Harry Christophers; writers Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor, Sir Michael Morpurgo and Edmund de Waal; and cricketer David Gower.

• Pupils: 800+ pupils aged 13–18, co-ed, day and boarding (plus junior school)
• Fees: £9,165–£12,485
• Motto:

Find out more about The King’s School

Lancashire

Rossall

Fleetwood, Lancashire

‘Rossall is what you make it,’ writes the former school captain on the website, reflecting the fact that pupils span 50 nationalities, drawn by a rounded education at a traditional, healthy English public school close to the metropolis of Manchester, in a rural setting of 160 acres of coastal campus. It can even be reached by a tramway that runs along the sea. A school speciality is the Rossall game of RossHockey, a cross between hockey and rugby, plus there’s an annual national Fives tournament and a golf academy, activities from knitting to astrophysics (a space-science centre has a planetarium, observatory and astronomer) and links with a casting agency for the theatrically inclined.

• Pupils: 450 pupils aged 11–18, co-ed, day and boarding (plus junior and infant schools)
• Fees: £3,580–£11,140
• Motto: Mens Agitat Molem (Mind over matter)

Find out more about Rossall

Stonyhurst College

Stonyhurst, Lancashire

Perhaps the most spectacular setting of all, in the Ribble Valley; Tolkien, whose son taught here, is said to have based Middle-earth on the scenery and Conan Doyle, a pupil, used the mainly 17th-century house, a school since 1794, as the model for Baskerville Hall. The standout USP of this Catholic school is the collection of treasures, including Shakespeare’s First Folio, Gerard Manley Hopkins manuscripts, Sir Thomas More’s hats, art by Rembrandt and Turner, Gunpowder Plot vestments and a thorn said to be from the Crown of Thorns.

• Pupils: 450+ pupils aged 13–18, co-ed, day and boarding (plus junior school)
• Fees: About £6,520–£11,870
• Motto: Quant je puis (All that I can)

Find out more about Stonyhurst College

Leicestershire

Loughborough Grammar School

Loughborough, Leicestershire

Loughborough Grammar School, which is linked to (co-ed) Fairfield prep, challenges the notion that boys do better in mixed schools, presenting research that shows results in a boys-only school improves by 0.2 grades per GCSE and suggests that teenage boys take greater intellectual risks when not distracted by girls; certainly, the academic results are impressive here. There is, however, plenty of collaboration with girls in music, drama and Combined Cadet Force (CCF) as well as in A-level subjects such as Classics and politics, plus an enormous choice of clubs, from bees and pond to harps and saxophones.

• Pupils: 950+ boys aged 10–18, mainly day
• Fees: £4,183–£5,401
• Motto: Vires Acquirit Eundo (We gather strength as we go)

Find out more about Loughborough Grammar School

Lincolnshire

Lincoln Minster School

Lincoln, Lincolnshire

Unsurprisingly, musical standards are high at this outward-looking cathedral school – the chamber choir performed on Howard Goodall’s album Inspired – which was formed in 1996 by the merging of three senior schools (and, later, a prep school) in purpose-built modern buildings overlooking the Minster and historic quarter; prizegivings are held in the cathedral. Last term, Year 6 pupil Shivani Jansari was named Creative Arts Pupil of the Year and, in 2017, Artur Giniiatullin, a Year 12 pupil, won a United Learning art award. This term sees the start of a Sports Ambassador Programme, with visits from national coaches.

• Pupils: 500+ pupils aged 2–18, co-ed, day and boarding
• Fees: £3,135–£9,022
• Motto:

Find out more about Lincoln Minster School

St Hugh’s School

Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire

A charming prep school, founded in 1925 and set in a Victoria spa resort amid farming country in the east of the county, it sends children to a wide range of public schools. A recent inspection report said: ‘Teachers are very well qualified and have commitment, dedication and a huge enthusiasm… they also have excellent subject knowledge… They know their pupils very well and serve as excellent role models.’ There are two science labs, an indoor swimming pool, a nature pond and a forest school with a tipi. Music is well supported: more than 80% of children from Year 3 upwards learning an instrument. Last term, the local MP visited the school and answered questions about Westminster life and Brexit. A fleet of six minibuses can collect pupils from all over the county.

• Pupils: 170 pupils aged 2–13, co-ed, day and (weekly/flexi) boarding
• Fees: £2,960–£6,250
• Motto:

Find out more about St Hugh’s School

Norfolk

Beeston Hall

Cromer, Norfolk

A proper country prep school – the headmaster, Fred de Falbe, has a farming background – with plenty of dogs, campfires on the beach, shooting, reeling and sailing (Beeston was second in the IAPS Sailing Championships last term). Beeston offers a ‘wrap-around day’ – day pupils can arrive at 8am and leave at up to 7.15pm (in Year 6) – which must be a great help to working parents. There’s also a minibus run, with ‘Bus Aunties’, from Norwich, Aylesham, Dereham and Fakenham. In the past two years, there’s been 100% Common Entrance passes to first-choice senior schools, which may be as far afield as Ampleforth and Eton. The Earl of Leicester, at nearby Holkham, is chairman of the governors and the Old Beestonians.

• Pupils: 150 pupils aged 4–13, co-ed, day and boarding
• Fees: £2,850–£7,940
• Motto: Floret Fiducia (Let confidence flourish)

Find out more about Beeston Hall

Gresham’s

Holt, Norfolk

It may be situated amid 200 acres in the far, eastern reaches of north Norfolk, just four miles from the glorious coastline, but Gresham’s – which was originally founded as a grammar school in 1555 by Sir John Gresham after the Reformation closed the only local source of learning – provides East Anglian parents with a truly top public school (it offers both the IB and A levels) that has the stated aims of providing its pupils with ‘an enlightened education which celebrates British values in a Christian setting’. Its theatre, the Auden Theatre – the poet was a pupil, as were composers Benjamin Britten and Lennox Berkeley, poet Stephen Spender, director Stephen Frears and actress Olivia Colman, plus inventor Sir James Dyson – which last term celebrated its 20th anniversary, is justifiably famous, school productions attracting a genuine public audience beyond parents. It’s set in 200 acres in an AONB and has a rifle range (shooting is big here).

• Pupils: 480 pupils aged 13–18, day and boarding (plus prep school)
• Fees: £3,350–£11,660
• Motto: All worship be to God alone

Find out more about Gresham’s

Northamptonshire

Maidwell Hall

Northampton, Northamptonshire

Famously one of the best prep schools in the Midlands, offering the now rare combination of small numbers – the ethos is for polite, happy and articulate children in a ‘country-house atmosphere’ – with extensive 17th-century grounds to roam, including a lake with rowing boats. The curriculum includes a weekly life-skills lesson and riding (Maidwell has a showjumping team and hosts a meet of the Pytchley every year), plus official ‘muck about’ time and daily reading time after lunch. The emphasis is on providing ‘a charmed childhood’.

• Pupils: 120 pupils aged 7–13, co-ed, mainly boarding
• Fees: £5,835–£8,960
• Motto:

Find out more about Maidwell Hall

Oundle School

Oundle, Northamptonshire

This historic and hugely successful school, set in a delightful market town but within easy reach of London (Peterborough to London King’s Cross takes 45 minutes by train), offers a wide range of GCSE subjects, including Arabic, Chinese, Design Technology, Computer Science, Greek, PE and Russian – everyone has to do at least one modern foreign language – and there’s also the Cambridge Pre-U qualification and various extension courses in the sixth form, such as a medical preparation course. The school incorporates a theatre and gallery (the Yarrow Gallery, built in 1918 in memory of a pupil killed at Ypres), both open to the public, a radio station (Oscar Radio) and a particularly whizz-bang DT and engineering centre .

• Pupils: 1,100 pupils aged 11–18, co-ed, mainly boarding
• Fees: About £6,000–£12,000
• Motto: God Grant Grace

Find out more about Oundle School

Northern Ireland

Campbell College

Belfast, Northern Ireland

One of only two Category B schools (a grammar that’s retained its assets and autonomy) in Northern Ireland, it’s sited in 100 acres in east Belfast and named after the philanthropist Henry Campbell, whose bequest enabled it to start in 1894. Offers a wide selection of subjects, including Chinese GCSE (the 150 boarders come from all over the world) and BTecs in hospitality and sport, as well as home economics for the first two years. Drama productions and media studies are shared with Strathearn Girls’. Rugby is the big thing (11 pitches) – the school has produced several international players, plus actor David Caves, Derek Bell of The Chieftains and Brexit advocator Tim Martin of Wetherspoons.

• Pupils: 920 boys aged 4–18, day and boarding
• Fees: £1,381–£6,583
• Motto: Ne Obliviscaris (Do not forget)

Find out more about Campbell College

Rockport School

Holywood, Northern Ireland

Founded in 1906, partly to prepare boys for the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth, it has its own beach on Belfast Lough, so there’s kayaking and sailing. Everyone plays golf once a week and there are fly-fishing and hill-walking clubs; the headmaster, George Vance, is a qualified mountain leader and takes children walking in the Morne Mountains. As are Windermere and Milton Abbey, Rockport is part of Round Square and has an international flavour, with a strong American representation.

• Pupils: 220 pupils aged 3–18, co-ed, mainly day
• Fees: £2,180–£8,720
• Motto: Virtus Repulsae Nescia Sordidae (True virtue never knows defeat)

Find out more about Rockport School

Northumberland

Mowden Hall School

Stocksfield, Northumberland

This is not only Northumberland’s only independent school offering boarding, but it’s part of the Cothill Trust group of schools. This includes Le Château de Sauveterre in France, of which the headmaster, Neal Bailey, was formerly directeur and where Year 7 spends a term gaining a Continental perspective on life. Mowden moved to its present site, the 19th-century home of the Joicey family, in 1945; the 50 acres of grounds have an indoor swimming pool, climbing wall, bike course and camping, plus there’s plenty of opportunities to take advantage of this glorious county through fishing, camping and abseiling trips. A huge range of clubs includes saxophone, river scrambling, ten-pin bowling, fell walking, clay-pigeon shooting and even electric guitar.

• Pupils: 180 pupils aged 3–13, co-ed, day and boarding
• Fees: £3,100–£7,900
• Motto:

Find out more about Mowden Hall School

St Thomas More Catholic School

Blaydon-on-Tyne, Northumberland

This Roman Catholic State school in the west Gateshead catchment area, with its reputation for high academic expectations and strong principles, has a long waiting list. St Thomas More, which was started in 1967 in a former industrial estate, describes its intake as ‘neither excessively deprived nor excessively affluent’ and as having fewer very able pupils than the national norm, but also fewer of the less able; the teaching of morality is core, as is the monitoring of teachers. It was the first school in the North-East to be awarded Speciality status, for technology.

• Pupils: 1,550 pupils aged 11–18, co-ed, day
• Fees: £0 (for UK residents)
• Motto: Regis servus die prius (The King’s good servant, but God’s first)

Find out more about St Thomas More Catholic School

Nottinghamshire

Nottingham High School

Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

Originally founded in 1513 in the city’s Lace Market, it moved in 1868 to its present site, a mix of old, 1980s and modern buildings, and now takes girls, with 230 now in the school and the number growing. Last term, A-level students attended a seminar on Seamus Heaney at the university, the school’s musicians-in-residence the Villiers Quartet played in the city’s chamber-music festival, there was a Classical trip to Greece and national success in chess and netball.

Selective and high-achieving all round, it sells itself as ‘an academic community’ and a ‘diverse, down-to-earth’ school (strapline: So much more). It’s turned out high level cabinet-level politicians in Ken Clarke (Conservative) and Ed Balls (Labour), plus the writer D. H. Lawrence.

• Pupils: 1,000 pupils aged 4–18, co-ed, day (including junior school)
• Fees: £3,393–£4,955
• Motto: Lauda Finem (Praise to the end)

Find out more about Nottingham High School

Oxfordshire

Abingdon School

Abingdon, Oxfordshire

A historic school (founded in 1256) with a stimulating atmosphere, it actively encourages a multi-denominational, multi-cultural feel: school magazines include The Polyglot, which has articles in foreign languages about foreign cultures. Boarders are in the minority – Abingdon is accessible to a big catchment, being just off the A34 Winchester-Oxford road – and the previous head stopped Saturday classes to make life easier. Nearby St Helen and St Katharine girls’ school is handy for sisters and there’s much sixth-form collaboration. Abingdon, which is academically selective, is big on music and drama (all five members of Radiohead were here, plus actors Toby Jones, Tom Hollander and David Mitchell) with an exceptional film unit, plus, being on the Thames, there’s no excuse for it not to excel in rowing.

• Pupils: 1,000 boys aged 11–18, day and boarding (plus prep)
• Fees: £6,650–£13,250
• Motto: Misericordias domini in aeternum cantabo (I will sing of the Lord’s mercy forever)

Find out more about Abingdon School

Sibford

Sibford Ferris, Oxfordshire

A Quaker school (although few pupils are Quakers) that promotes the values of respect and contemplation, it’s set in a beautiful village surrounded by farmland in a horsey area (the entrance in the middle of the village is prettier than the one on the outskirts, where you only see the modern buildings). Sibford, where teachers are called by their first names (as is the Quaker way), has a reputation for being the right place for previously ‘square pegs’, for being good on learning support (some 20% of pupils), for being blissfully free of pushy parents and for promoting individuality (it has a ‘gifted and talented’ register). Its mission is the long-term mental health and emotional well-being of its pupils, but, despite its peacefulness, it’s academically successful. It’s also been declared a nut-free zone to avoid allergy problems.

• Pupils: 400 pupils aged 3–18, co-ed, day and boarding
• Fees: £4,818–£9,548
• Motto: Truth and Honour, Freedom and Courtesy

Find out more about Sibford

Rutland

Oakham School

Oakham, Rutland

Like near neighbour Uppingham (slightly smaller and nearly all boarding), Oakham, in a rural market town with a train station, was set up as a grammar school in 1584 by Archdeacon Robert Johnson to teach Latin, Greek and Hebrew to local boys; it went co-ed in 1971, the first independent boys’ secondary to do so. The old part of the school was restored in the 18th century and contains frescoes painted by a former headmaster’s sister; the chapel was built to commend 68 Oakhamians and masters who were killed in the First World War (congregational hymn-singing is known as ‘congo’).

Described as ‘an outstanding community of learners’, Oakham boasts a programme of some 125 activities. Trips in a recent term included to the Dominican Republic, Germany, the Natural History Museum, the European Parliament and sailing championships – being so far inland is not a problem, as beautiful Rutland Water is just down the road. The headmaster, Nigel Lashbrook, retires in 2019; his successor is Henry Price, currently head of Wellington School, Somerset.

• Pupils: 1,000 pupils aged 10–18, co-ed, day and boarding
• Fees: £5,635–£11,220
• Motto: Et quasi cursores vitai lampada tradunt (And, like runners, they pass on the torch of life)

Find out more about Oakham School

Scotland

Glenalmond College

Perth, Scotland

William Gladstone founded it in 1847 to keep young men away from the perils of the city and it certainly offers fresh air and wholesome, bracing activities: fishing on the River Almond, a golf course, white-water rafting, canoeing, climbing, canyoning, clay-pigeon shooting and skiing. Old Glenalmonds include the cartoonist H. M. Bateman and actor Robbie Coltrane. As befits its home country, Highland Bagpipes and Drumming are both taught. Elaine Logan, the inspirational first female Warden, has introduced the Learning Project, in which teachers observe each other’s lessons and pupils’ progress is tracked. The William Bright Society is for academically gifted pupils and independent learning through the EPQ is encouraged.

• Pupils: 390+ pupils, aged 12–18, co-ed, mostly boarding
• Fees: £5,627–£12,170
• Motto: Floreat Glenalmond (Let Glenalmond flourish)

Find out more about Glenalmond College

Loretto School

Musselburgh, Scotland

Sited around a fine 18th-century house in the small Regency town in which Edinburgh gentry took the sea air, Loretto uses the English system of A levels and GCSEs. A small school (‘big on heart, big on ambition’), it’s internationally famed for its Golf Academy, which uses the Craigielaw and Archerfield courses and includes an indoor centre and studio with video analysis; seniors can play golf as their sole sport and a golf scholarship can be worth 10% of the fees. There’s also a dance studio, Loretto Radio, through which pupils learn presenting skills, and an in-demand pipe band that has accompanied Sir Paul McCartney and entertained the Pope.

• Pupils: 600 pupils, co-ed, aged 3–18, mainly boarding
• Fees: £3,060–£11,420
• Motto: Spartam nactus es, hanc exoram (Sparta is yours: adorn it)

Find out more about Loretto School

Merchiston Castle

Edinburgh, Scotland

Merchiston is the only boys’ independent boarding school in Scotland, offers the English curriculum, and has a global, outward-looking dimension. We take pride in specializing in the education of boys and preparing them for the world, as we have for over 175 years, developing aspirational, and sensitive, yet gentle-men! Think about a wonderfully caring and nurturing family environment, where they will learn to like learning more.

• Pupils: 440 boys aged 7-18
• Fees: £5,010-£10,970
• Motto: Ready ay Ready

Find out more about Merchiston Castle

Shropshire

Moreton Hall

Oswestry, Shropshire

Thanks to the vision of long-standing (26 years) headmaster Jonathan Forster, the remote spot on the North Welsh border has been no bar to bringing in inspiring staff or speakers; there are close links to Keele University and a nearby hospital, plus the school dominates the lacrosse scene. Planning permission has been granted and funding is under way to build a community theatre. Most impressively, the lower sixth runs, together with mentors, a shopping mall, with Moreton Enterprises, which has achieved a £50,000 turnover. Old Moretonians include actress Sheila Reid, composer Thea Musgrave and editor of The Economist Zanny Minton Beddoes.

• Pupils: 300+ girls aged 11–18, day and (mainly) boarding
• Fees: £3,280–£11,625
• Motto:

Find out more about Moreton Hall

Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury, Shropshire

Shrewsbury, which is considered one of Britain’s great public schools, was founded by Edward VI in 1552 and occupies a graceful position in 100 acres high above the Severn, 10 minutes from the town centre; girls, who wear stylish tartan skirts, arrived in 2008 (they started at age 13 in 2014). Salopian distinctions include the world’s oldest running club, The Hunt, and race (the Tucks), a Snowdonia cottage affectionately known as Tally and the ancient chained library, which contains the manuscripts of former pupil Charles Darwin. Private Eye founders Richard Ingrams and Willie Rushton, plus Michael Palin and Lord Heseltine, are also old boys. The new headmaster is Leo Winkley, a theology graduate, who comes from St Peter’s, York.

• Pupils: 800 pupils aged 13–18, co-ed, day and (mainly) boarding
• Fees: £8,295–£13,040
• Motto: Intus si recte ne labora (If right within, trouble not)

Find out more about Shrewsbury

Somerset

King’s College

Taunton, Somerset

A happy, traditional-feel school set on the leafier (racecourse) side of the town and with a campus feel – many staff live on site. It’s sporty – Olympic hockey goalie Maddie Hinch went here – with close links to the county cricket ground (Jos Buttler is an old boy), and has its own equestrian centre. It’s a Woodard school (founded by the Victorian cleric) and the splendid chapel, a concert venue for a musical town, is a centrepiece; the chaplain, Father Mark Smith, has a ‘mini-farm’ (mostly poultry and pygmy goats).

• Pupils: 460 pupils aged 13–18, co-ed, day and boarding, plus prep school
• Fees: £7,460–£11,055
• Motto:

Find out more about King’s College

Perrott Hill

North Perrott, Somerset

Surrey school Feltonfleet evacuated to North Perrott Manor, a private house, during the Second World War; one member of staff, Bill Grundy, liked the tranquil backdrop of fields and woodland so much, he stayed and started a prep school. Admission is non-selective, but this is undoubtedly a high-achieving school academically, with an excellent music department and a strong emphasis on being outdoors (it’s got a forest school, too). A new headmaster started in September 2018: music graduate Alexander McCullough, from Polwhele House prep in Cornwall.

• Pupils: 180+ pupils aged 3–13, co-ed, day and boarding
• Fees: £1,750–£7,845
• Motto:

Find out more about Perrott Hill

Staffordshire

Abbots Bromley School

Rugeley, Staffordshire

That our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple In 1874, AB, as it’s now known, became the first girls’ school in the Woodard foundation (it now has boys in the prep school and sixth form). It’s the only boarding school in the county, set in pretty Abbots Bromley, a regular winner of best-kept village awards and home to the annual Horn Dance. AB is partnered with the renowned Alkins School of Dance, which offers vocational qualifications and recreational dance to all, is strong in music – the chapel is magnificent – and has its own British Horse Society-approved equestrian centre, to which pupils and parents can bring horses.

• Pupils: 250 pupils aged 3–18, co-ed, day and boarding
• Fees: £1,551–£9,907
• Motto: That our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple

Find out more about Abbots Bromley School

Lichfield Cathedral School

Lichfield, Staffordshire

Another school to benefit from the inspiring atmosphere of a cathedral, Lichfield’s mission is ‘to be a nationally recognised school that serves its local community by creating an inclusive school community devoted to Christian ideals’. The cathedral choir includes girl choristers aged 10–15, who benefit from a 25% reduction in fees; boys receive 50% off. A more eclectic than usual range of clubs includes young journalists, Italian for beginners, foreign films, bell ringing, extreme weather and Strictly Lichfield (salsa, ballroom and Latin dancing).

• Pupils: 400+ pupils aged 3–18, co-ed, day
• Fees: £2,935–£4,605
• Motto:

Find out more about Lichfield Cathedral School

Suffolk

Barnardiston Hall

Barnardiston, Suffolk

Described as a particularly jolly, no-nonsense, characterful prep school, chiefly thanks to its much-loved headmaster, Col Keith Boulter, a theology graduate and hockey Blue, who also owns the school (his daughter runs the pre-prep); last term, he read the bedtime story and cooked breakfast for the pre-prep sleepover and outing to a dinosaur park. Activities include orienteering – Barnardiston has won the National Schools Orienteering Championship – and, recently, a trip to the Darley Stud in Newmarket. A bus service from Cambridge starts this term.

• Pupils: 200+ pupils aged 4–13, co-ed, mainly day
• Fees: £2,680–£6,695
• Motto:

Find out more about Barnardiston Hall

Ipswich School

Ipswich, Suffolk

A big, urban-based school that serves the local community (there are numerous bus stops) and is committed both to stretching the very able and providing one-to-one guidance where needed. ‘We are just as aware of the candidate who secures a hard-won B grade as we are of the individual who picks up a string of A* grades,’ it says. Languages taught include German, Russian, Chinese and Latin and there’s a focus on triple science at GCSE level, plus a programme for the ‘academically gifted’ and a psychology department. Clubs include Apps For Good, karate, Mandarin, textiles, football for girls and jewellery making. Cardinal Wolsey and H. Rider Haggard are distinguished alumni.

• Pupils: 1,000+ pupils aged 3–18, co-ed, (mainly) day and boarding
• Fees: £3,950–£10,057
• Motto: Semper Eadem (Always the same)

Find out more about Ipswich School

Surrey

Charterhouse School

Godalming, Surrey

Since the arrival of new headmaster Alex Peterken in 2017, Charterhouse has announced plans to become fully co-educational from 2021. Dr Peterken, who knew Charterhouse as housemaster before becoming head of Cheltenham College, believes this is the ‘natural extension of our current approach’, adding it will not change the school’s 400-year-old values and ethos. Charterhouse made the move from London to Surrey in 1872 for the clean air and space that the sports department is still enjoying. Music is also a particular strength. Old Carthusians include William Makepeace Thackeray, John Wesley, Robert Baden-Powell, Ralph Vaughan Williams, poet Robert Graves, the five original members of Genesis and politician Jeremy Hunt.

• Pupils: 800 boys aged 13–18 with co-ed sixth form, mainly boarding
• Fees: £10,788–£13,055
• Motto: Deo Dante Dedi (God having given, I gave)

Find out more about Charterhouse School

Woodcote House

Windlesham, Surrey

David Paterson is the fourth Paterson headmaster since 1931; his elder brother Nick (former headmaster) and nephew Oliver are among the teaching staff. Woodcote is friendly and wonderfully unperturbed by fancy facilities and too much technology, preferring to do its own thing at all times. Recently, there have been subtle and sympathetic renovations, including a new theatre. Woodcote boasts a 100% Common Entrance pass rate to all the leading public schools. A daily London bus service is provided.

• Pupils: 100 boys aged 7–13, day and boarding (including flexi)
• Fees: £5,950–£7,950
• Motto: Vive ut discas et disce ut vivas (Live to learn and learn to live)

Find out more about Woodcote House

Wales

Christ College

Brecon, Wales

Unsurprisingly, as it’s surrounded by the Brecon hills, there’s a strong emphasis on the outdoor life (the headmaster is a former marine). The CCF is a big thing, with opportunities for helicopter and fixed-wing flying, but so is music – the chapel, restored by Gilbert Scott, is nearly 800 years old – and academic results. Founded by Henry VIII on the site of the sacked Black Friars’ church, Christ College is the only boarding school in mid Wales; pupils are generally local and it’s a happy, close-knit community.

• Pupils: 370 pupils aged 7–18, boarding and day, including junior school
• Fees: £3,055–£9,681
• Motto: Possunt Quia Posse Videntur (They achieve because they think they can)

Find out more about Christ College

Monmouth School for Boys

Monmouth, Wales

With playing fields running down to the River Wye and a mix of ancient and modern buildings, the school is very much part of the community of this small Welsh border town through rugby, music and the school theatre, the Blake. Founded some 400 years ago by a member of the Haberdashers’ Company, it’s part of a group that includes Monmouth School for Girls, with which it has a joint sixth form from this term. Former Government chief scientific advisor Sir John Beddington, Robin Herd, who led the Concorde project, Olympic showjumper David Broome and rower and politician Lord Moynihan are among the alumni. Sport is strong – many boys play rugby and cricket at county or national level.

• Pupils: 500+ pupils, aged 11–18, plus junior school
• Fees: £5,272–£10,687 (service families only pay 10% of boarding fees)
• Motto: Serve and Obey

Find out more about Monmouth School for Boys

Warwickshire

Warwick School

Warwick, Warwickshire

The centrepieces of this driven, selective, academic school, which was founded by Edward the Confessor and is now housed in a neo-Tudor building beside the Avon, are the magnificent new science building on three floors, used by girls’ school Kings High and others, and the library, which contains more than 20,000 books and is housed in a building named after former pupil John Masefield. Music and drama are strong – another old boy is Country Life’s distinguished theatre critic, Michael Billington, who found the proximity of Stratford inspiring. Friday afternoons are now devoted to an extensive activity programme; choices include the BBC School Report, cooking for university, cyber-security, first aid and chamber music. The 50-plus boarders are mainly Chinese students. The recently-installed headmaster is Dr Deneal Smith, who comes from Westminster – he has a PhD in observational astronomy.

• Pupils: 990 boys aged 11–18, mainly day (plus junior school)
• Fees: £4,398–£5,188
• Motto: Altiora peto (I seek higher things)

Find out more about Warwick School

West Sussex

Seaford College

Petworth, West Sussex

Seaford has one of the loveliest school settings, in the foothills of the South Downs – founded in the East Sussex town of Seaford in 1884, it moved to the market town of Petworth after the Second World War. A typical Seafordian will be ‘articulate, confident and well-rounded’, according to the headmaster, John Green, who is perceived to have upped the academic ante and smartened the look of this non-selective school, which ‘welcomes the very brilliant and those who find the examination culture a challenge’. There’s ongoing refurbishment this term of classrooms, plus a new library and sixth-form study and social areas. A-level subjects include photography, drama and theatre, textiles, politics and psychology; at the start of the lower-sixth year, all pupils go to North Wales for a bonding trip. Cricket is big, with a coaching staff of eight.

• Pupils: 500+ pupils aged 11–18, co-ed, day and boarding (plus prep school)
• Fees: £5,710–£11,030
• Motto: Ad Alta (Aim high)

Find out more about Seaford College

Wiltshire

Sandroyd

Tollard Royal, Wiltshire

Sandroyd is idyllic, amid parkland on the Rushmore estate, and prepares children beautifully for the top public schools. Each child has a personal tutor and scholarships are plentiful; German, Spanish and Greek are taught and there’s an annual trip for Year 7 to a château in Burgundy. There’s also a learning-support unit and an intake of overseas pupils. Music and drama are strong (the choir sings in Salisbury Cathedral and there’s a new dance studio), sports are big for both sexes (girls play cricket and the school hosts a tetrathlon) and many ride – ponies are welcome and former world-number-one eventer William Fox-Pitt, on whose family estate it is, has been known to give lessons. There’s a minibus service for day pupils; about 10% of pupils are from military families. Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes is president of the Old Sandroydians, who include the late Earl of Snowdon, Lord Carrington, Randolph Churchill and Terence Rattigan.

• Pupils: 200 pupils aged 2–13, co-ed, day and boarding
• Fees: £2,920–£8,470
• Motto: Niti est nitere (To strive is to shine)

Find out more about Sandroyd

St Mary's Calne

Calne, Wiltshire

This traditional girls’ school, founded in 1873 by the vicar of Calne, a typical Wilt-shire town, has no plans to expand, its aim being to maintain diversity of opportunity and individuality. The American headmistress, Dr Felicia Kirk, describes herself as a passionate advocate for girls-only education; early registration is advised as the school is hugely popular with country families. The A–Z of activities runs from Alexander Technique via dissection, fencing, flute club, riding (this is prominent – Olympic dressage gold medallist Laura Bechtolsheimer, now Tomlinson, is an old girl), training for the annual British Schoolgirls’ Ski Races in Flaine, France, rugby and wine society to zoology. St Mary’s is regularly in the news for winning things, whether in athletics, eventing, art, science or business enterprise.

• Pupils: 350 girls aged 11–18, day and boarding (plus mixed prep school)
• Fees: £9,675–£12,975
• Motto:

Find out more about St Mary's Calne

Worcestershire

Abberley Hall

Great Witley, Worcestershire

Whenever the public-school scholarships are announced, Abberley usually features strongly. The strapline ‘Gumboots and Greek’ gives a pretty good idea of its ethos: although non-selective, it’s full-on academically and outdoors, being set in 90 acres of parkland around the 19th-century hall. Rugby is as big as music – the chapel choir sings in Worcester cathedral. Activities include beekeeping, fishing, film-making, origami, Scottish dancing, spy club and the school newspaper; you can also bring your pony. Years 5 and 7 spend time improving their French and having fun in Abberley’s chalet in the French Alps.

• Pupils: 235 pupils aged 2–13, co-ed, day and full boarding
• Fees: About £3,000–£8,000
• Motto:

Find out more about Abberley Hall

Malvern College

Malvern, Worcestershire

The (small) town in question is only a three-minute walk away and all around is the glorious backdrop of the Malvern hills, from which Sir Edward Elgar drew inspir-ation. The views across the Severn Plain are nothing short of spectacular. The alma mater of C. S. Lewis, Jeremy Paxman and Monty Don has been co-ed for some 20 years, with pupils including European royalty and local farming families. Cricket is god, but when the Ledder, the annual cross-country run, was cancelled for the first time since the First World War due to fears for orchids in the wet ground, there was an outcry. Parents describe Malvern as grounded and traditional, keen on the values of friendship and loyalty – it aims to turn out nice, well-rounded people. The headmaster, Antony Clark, who is perceived to have done good things, is in his last year; his successor will be Keith Metcalfe, currently deputy head at Harrow.

• Pupils: 650 pupils aged 13–18, co-ed, mainly boarding (linked to prep school, Downs Malvern)
• Fees: £8,228–£13,153
• Motto: Sapiens qui prospicit (Wise is the person who looks ahead)

Find out more about Malvern College

Yorkshire

Aysgarth

Bedale, Yorkshire

Long known as one of the best prep schools in the North – in fact, it’s the only full boarding one – it has a reputation for producing confident all-round entrants to leading public schools. Last term was a record for scholarships (22), including a King’s Scholarship to Eton. It’s ambitious (‘we aim high’), outdoorsy and sporty – Olympic rower Sir Matthew Pinsent and polar explorer Robert Swan are Old Aysgarthians – and promises to allow ‘boys to be boys’. It’s just off the A1 in North Yorkshire, but in a lovely parkland setting with a river plus golf and sailing nearby. The headmaster, Rob Morse, has been at two similar schools, S. Anselm’s and Perrott Hill.

• Pupils: 150 boys aged 8–13, mainly boarding (plus co-ed pre-prep)
• Fees: £6,630–£8,630
• Motto: Ex quercu non ex salice (Of oak, not of willow)

Find out more about Aysgarth

Bootham

York, Yorkshire

A Quaker school founded in 1823 in the centre of York by the Society of Friends – one of the boarding houses belonged to Quaker philanthropist Josiah Rowntree – it was fully co-ed by 1983. There’s still an atmosphere of peaceful reflection; an aim is to develop students ‘into genuinely good people’. To that end, there’s much involvement with the local community through fundraising and visits to old-people’s homes and an emphasis on eco-friendly principles through BEAST (Bootham Environmental and Sustainability Team). Music is strong: the senior choir was a finalist in the BBC Songs of Praise Choir of the Year competition, musicians have performed in the finals of the National Festival of Music for Youth and a pupil was named Cathcart Composer of the Year.

• Pupils: 575 pupils aged 3–19, co-ed, day and boarding (including junior school)
• Fees: £2,310–£9,860
• Motto: Membra sumus corporis magni (We are members of a greater body)

Find out more about Bootham