The Guide to Independent Schools Spring 2015 preview

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EDITOR’S LETTER

WELC ME… There are a multitude of reasons to send your child to an independent school. As I write, Eton College alumnus Eddie Redmayne has just been awarded an Oscar for his portrayal of Professor Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. The actor sums up all that independent schools have to offer: Redmayne’s talent was honed by formidable teaching in the guise of Simon Dormandy, his director of drama at Eton; in his academic realm he went on to attend the University of Cambridge, one of the best higher education establishments in the world; and maintains his modest character – his Oscar acceptance speech was described as “adorable”.

Of course, not everyone educated in the independent sector is set to be an Oscar-winner, but private schools produce well-educated and well-rounded individuals who are driven in their chosen careers.

Free from the restraints of the state system, schools can instil the qualities that it takes to be an award winner, while also equipping pupils with the skills needed to weather life’s challenges with confidence.

From nursery to sixth form, The Guide to Independent Schools takes you through the process: entrance examinations, the traditions and different stages that make up a child’s school career.

Claudia Dudman, Editor Independent School Parent, independentschoolparent.com

THE GUIDE TO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

CNP Ltd, Jubilee House, 2 Jubilee Place, London SW3 3TQ Tel (020) 7349 3700 Fax (020) 7349 3701 Email editor@independentschoolparent.com

Marketing Manager Will Delmont will.delmont@chelseamagazines.com 020 7349 3710 Production www.allpointsmedia.co.uk Printed in England by Southernprint, Dorset ADVERTISING Client Development Manager Lesley McDiarmid Sales Executives Coco Strunck, William Bernard

EDITORIAL Editor Claudia Dudman Senior Sub Editor Natalie Milner Editorial Assistant Caroline Leeper Editorial Assistant Eleanor Doughty Senior Art Editor Chloë Collyer Senior Designer Emily Weller Designer Brigitta Holmar

DISTRIBUTION The Guide to Independent Schools is a directory of independent schools brought to you by the publishers of Independent School Parent, the magazine for parents of children in prep and senior independent schools. The Independent School Parent magazine in Prep and Senior issues is published termly. Parents can subscribe for a free issue at: independentschoolparent.com/register

PUBLISHING Publisher & Managing Director Paul Dobson Deputy Managing Director Steve Ross Commercial Director Vicki Gavin Publisher Simon Temlett Media Manager James Dobson

© CNP Ltd 2015. All rights reserved. Text and pictures are copyright restricted and must not be reproduced without permission from the publisher. The information contained in The Guide to Independent Schools has been published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its

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accuracy. All liability for loss, negligence or damage caused by reliance on the information contained within this publication is hereby excluded.

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Chairman, David Moncrieff Parent, Tor Down UCAS, James Durant Sedbergh School, Andrew Fleck AMDIS, Tory Gillingham Girls’ Schools Association, Rachel Kerr Education Journalist, Glynis Kozma Teacher, Zoe MacDougall The Headmasters’ & Headmistresses’ Conference, Heidi Salmons Wellington College, Sir Anthony Seldon Elaine Stallard Consulting, Elaine Stallard Chairman of the Education Select Committee, The Rt Hon Graham Stuart MP Boarding Schools’ Association, Sheila Thompson Canford School, Ben Vessey Independent Schools Show, David Wellesley-Wesley Marketing/Brand Consultant, Peter Young For website and subscriptions, please visit: independentschoolparent.com/register

COVER: clockwise from top left, Edge Grove School, Herts, Blundell’s, Devon, Bradfi eld College, Berkshire, Cheltenham College, Glos

SPRING 2015 | INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS | 3

WHAT’S INSIDE? The Guide to Independent Schools • Spring 2015

9 15 21

Why Choose a Private School?

Canford’s Ben Vessey explains all

DIRECTORY OF UK INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

Nursery School

Each chapter contains a map and listings of

It’s never too early to start planning your

nursery, pre-prep, prep, senior schools and

children’s education, says Claire Robinson

sixth forms across the UK.

The Great Outdoors

59 75 86 104 120 125 129 134 142 146

The Orchard Nursery takes the classroom outside, writes Heather Nye

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Pre-Prep School S. Anselm’s School explains why pre-prep

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15

can make all the difference

28

Risky Business Push your children out of their comfort zone at Beaudesert Park School

31

Preparatory School Let Claire Aisthorpe help you choose the right prep school for your child

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Skills For Life

London South South East South West East Anglia East Midlands West Midlands North of England Scotland Wales

At St Mary’s, Cambridge, prep school is all about transferable skills

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Senior School What should you look out for?

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41

House Proud Inside the House system – there’s far more to Harrow than meets the eye

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Sixth Form The transition from school to university is nurtured by a good sixth form

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25

Confidence in Me Andrea Johnson on building resilience

Brought to you by the creators of The Guide to Independent Schools: INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

CURRICULUM

“MUSIC HAS A POWER OF FORMING THE CHARACTER AND SHOULD THEREFORE BE INTRODUCED INTO THE EDUCATION OF THE YOUNG.” Aristotle

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FOR LL

HELPING YOU MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES FOR YOUR CHILDREN

PHOTOGRAPHY: CARLA DYCK PHOTOGRAPHY OF WINNIPEG, CANADA

Pupils who learn a musical instrument enjoy greater confidence, self-expression and self-discipline, says Iain Donald, director of music at Hampton School, Middlesex

Let us know what you think

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his is my 20th year as director of music at Hampton School and I still get a thrill walking through the music corridors being regaled by the sounds emanating from the different practice rooms: the beat of a drum kit from a rock drummer, the gentler sound of one of our string quartets and the rich harmonies from our male voice choir never fail to uplift me. Hampton is full of music from

8am until the end of the school day – all day, every day.

Every boy is encouraged to fulfil his potential whether he has a musical background or not. From day one boys can choose from the huge variety of musical activities that we are able to offer at the school. We run 23 music ensembles including rock, swing, jazz and brass bands, five choirs, and four orchestras

SPRING 2015 | independentschoolparent.com

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SPRING 2015 | INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS | 5

BEN VESSEY

headmaster of Canford School, Dorset

“Life is a great big canvas,. throw all the paint you. can at it.” Danny Kaye,.

American actor.

Canford School, Dorset

WHY CHOOSE AN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL? Ben Vessey explains the value of a private education in and out of the classroom independentschoolparent.com

SPRING 2015 | INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS | 9

CHOOSING A SCHOOL

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recently met up with some old school friends, a number of whom I had not seen since we left in 1987. The five of us all came from very different backgrounds and we all attended an academically highachieving day school in the 1980s where fees were low, assisted places were available and the socio-economic mix was wide and varied. Two of us had attended prep schools and three had come straight from primary schools. Ironically, four of us have ended up working in education, albeit having had other careers first.

A STRONG PLATFORM

As we reminisced, it became clear very quickly that we had all taken a great deal from our experiences in that part of our educational journey, which had helped to set us up for our lives thereafter. The environment we were in gave us a strong aspirational streak, an ingrained sense of competitiveness, the strength to stand up to challenges and a desire to seek out opportunities even where they were not immediately apparent.

As we exchanged stories, we saw that those seven years had taught us much and, without realising it then, or indeed since in a truly defined form, the broad-based learning we were exposed to in that independent educational setting gave us an extremely robust platform from which to leap into life beyond school.

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It is crucial that everyone understands the reality that what a pupil learns in one context has an impact on what they learn elsewhere, whether that be in the classroom or on Dartmoor

must provide the academic avenues one would expect in a school setting but also the intellectual, creative, physical, spiritual and moral dimensions which are integral to the high quality co-curricular programmes on which independent schools strive to deliver. I use the word co-curricular rather than extra-curricular quite deliberately as, for me, these broader experiences beyond the examined academic programme are fundamental to education and constitute many of the more exciting shades of paint which one might wish to throw on the canvas that is life.

Below right, Blundell’s, Devon, below, Canford School, Dorset

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understanding of how the impact of our learning in one context was so interwoven with what unfolded in other aspects of our educational and broader life experience. It was readily apparent that the passion and discipline from our subject-based academic studies had formed a central pillar of our learning but alongside this our involvement in sport, CCF, theatre, music and so much more had shaped our characters and our lives. All of these individual educational aspects had been

THE BIGGER PUZZLE

Another theme which emerged from our reunion chat, and again which is something very much at the heart of my own educational ethos, was an

LIFE IS A CANVAS

My educational philosophy stems from an unlikely source and is inspired by the words of Danny Kaye, the American actor, who said: “Life is a great big canvas, throw all the paint you can at it.” To my mind these words perfectly sum up in every sense the ethos and approach which sits at the heart of independent education.

It is crucial that the educational journey of every child offers as many open doors as possible so that he or she can step through, explore and either step back and find another door to pass through or travel further on the path which lies beyond the doors they have chosen. These openings

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independentschoolparent.com

PREP

PREP MATTERS Claire Aisthorpe guides you through the steps of choosing the right junior school for your child

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SPRING 2015 | INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS | 31

CLAIRE AISTHORPE

head of St Margaret’s Preparatory School, Herts

P *APPROXIMATE FIGURES FOR SCHOOL FEES ACROSS THE SECTOR

reparatory (or prep) schools are thought to have existed in the UK as early as the 7th century, when cathedrals and abbeys “prepared” young boys for a life of service to the Church, often beginning with a choral education. For girls, prep schools did not make an official appearance until the 17th century when establishments began to emerge to nurture and educate orphans and prepare them for adulthood.

The prep schools of today bear little resemblance to their historical counterparts and huge variations now exist between prep schools regarding their accepted age range, gender and pupil numbers. Generally speaking, the term “prep” is used to cover the three to 13 age range of all independent schools and this is often segmented into nursery, pre-prep and sometimes lower-prep and upperprep departments.

There are more than 600 prep schools across the UK and deciding upon the right school for your child can be daunting, especially as so many have similar selling points. Here are some points that are particularly important to consider.

Right, Bolton School, Lancashire

CLASS SIZES

Compared with the state sector, independent schools generally offer smaller class sizes. The average class in the state sector has around 27 pupils, whereas prep schools rarely exceed 24 pupils, with many boasting a much lower figure.

However, class sizes are not always the truest indicator of the standard of education your child will receive. The Independent Association of Preparatory Schools encourages parents to give particular

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8-11/13 years

AGE:

FEES* (PER TERM):

FROM £2,500 -£7,000 independentschoolparent.com

ALASTAIR LAND

deputy head master, Harrow School, Middlesex

(Behind the Scenes)

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Harrow School, Middlesex

oarding houses are the beating hearts of boarding schools. At Harrow, we have 12 such “hearts” on the Hill, each of which has a unique character, as well as gardens and facilities that set them apart.

Approximately 70 boys live in each of the school’s Houses, along with a residential house master, assistant house master and matron. There are no dormitories: a boy shares his room with a boy of the same age for the first year or two, and thereafter has a room to himself. It is very much his own place where he keeps his belongings, puts up his pictures and gets some hard-earned sleep.

Ostensibly, a boarding house’s primary function is to provide a place for pupils to

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boy’s personal and academic development, so that he is prepared to enjoy life and be of good influence after school.

The sense in which a boy identifies with his House at Harrow is at least as strong as his identification with the school. Over five years, he will think of himself more as a member of Bradbys, say, or of Druries, than in the context of his school year group, his classes, his teams or extracurricular activities. Alongside others in his House, he will compete in every realm, whatever his level of ability. With his House, he will celebrate and commiserate, and do hum-drum things as well, like eating meals, doing laundry and homework. At the end of terms and on Speech Day, grand house occasions will punctuate his school career and become lingering milestones in his memory.

The House is where a boy comes to terms with what it means to be an independent adult. He will learn about contributing to society and experience responsibility

rest, to relax, to do their prep, to wash and to socialise. Ask any Harrovian, however, and he will tell you (perhaps in more words) that his House fundamentally enriches his educational experience, while a Harrow parent will say that the House system enables the highest level of pastoral care. Under the house master’s leadership, and with the support of numerous other pastoral specialists, the House underpins a

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Right, the school campus inhabits much of Harrow on the Hill, below left and right, pupils in their Houses

Shells, or first year pupils, in their straw hats and“bluers”

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The House is also where the adolescent boy comes to terms with what it means to be an independent adult. Through an incremental system of duties, he will learn about contributing to society on an equal basis and experience genuine responsibility through shepherding new Shells (first year pupils), being head of a corridor, captain of a House team and ultimately a House monitor (prefect). He will address the age-old themes of relationships, group dynamics, regulation and disappointment, as well as contemporary issues such as social media and global living. These are not merely survived by muddling through but tackled

head-on in the House through structured and well-resourced health education and tutorship. All of this extends far beyond those aspects that we might anticipate.

In such an environment, the community becomes very tightly bonded and lifelong associations are wrought. It is simplistic to assume constant harmony but, given the profound relationships that exist, all work together when they are strained, and become stronger. The durability of these friendships is warmly evidenced when former members of a House gather 20, 30 and 40 years on to relive their experiences.

SENIOR

HOUSE PROUD

The House system at Harrow enriches the boys’ educational experience and builds lifelong friendships, writes Alastair Land The Grove

Rendalls

Druries

The Head Master’s

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK

Moretons

It is clear that a boarding house is the lynch pin of a young person’s development at boarding school and especially so if you are considering full (rather than weekly or flexi) boarding. So, how to go about choosing a house, if each heart seems to have a slightly different beat? After many years in the business, our advice at Harrow is: “leave it to us”. While we appreciate the diversity of our Houses, we ensure that each has a good mix of boys, so that none is, say, particularly sporty or musical.

House masters also adopt a consistent standard in the way they run their House.

Those parents that do express a preference tend to have old Harrovian connections that link to a particular House. In circumstances where you are encouraged to choose, parents may wish to adopt an analytic approach: is the house academic, cultural or sporting? Are its routines efficient? What are its facilities like? Such considerations are valid but perhaps more akin to selecting a hotel than a place for your child to develop into an adult. So while retaining these benchmarks, also tune into how a House makes you feel: do we as a family get on with the house

parent? Do we want our child to spend time in the company of the people we encountered on the tour?

If you do miss out on your first choice, then trust the school and accept the House offered. If you believe in the school’s purpose, its Houses will reflect that; so you should get to know the House team right away and support them thoroughly. A happy experience is sure to follow. ISP

LOOKING AHEAD TO YOUR CHILD’S EDUCATION?

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As your child begins their educational journey in the independent sector, there are a multitude of factors to consider. To make it easy for you, our biannual Guide to Independent Schools is made up of sections to cover each stage of the school career, from nursery right through to sixth form, leaving you with a thorough understanding of the sector and how it all works.

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