Studying at Plymouth College: the wider context

Learning at Plymouth College: the wider context

The UK enjoys a deserved reputation as a world-class provider of independent boarding education. Our long tradition of welcoming pupils from around the world is built upon a commitment to the very highest standards in all areas.

First and foremost, the UK’s independent school sector has an exceptionally robust approach to academic work, together with an internationally recognised system of qualifications promoting access to all universities; not least many top ranking ‘home’ universities including Oxford and Cambridge. Our class sizes are small and teacher to pupil ratios very high, allowing for individual attention throughout a very broad range of subjects.

This academic excellence is inseparable from a culture that celebrates the individual as a whole person. However good an independent boarding school’s academic results are, it will also be striving to create a rounded learning experience by encouraging self-expression, creativity and individuality. Success in sport, the arts and in other areas, such as debating, may be less tangible than exam results, but it is one of the ways in which a pupil’s independence, confidence and faith in oneself is built up. This concentration on developing the whole person is part of the reason why pupils who have been to a UK independent boarding school are so prized by employers. Similarly, there is always an emphasis placed on developing leadership and social skills. Living and studying together in a multi-age, multi-cultural community enables pupils to successfully develop qualities such as kindness, tolerance and responsibility.

Our pupils have access to a very distinctive, historic culture, rich in the arts, in science, technology, beautiful countryside and with an open, outward looking population comprising all races and nationalities, where everyone is valued for their distinctive contribution to the whole.

Having the ability to have a bespoke visit especially when the School was in operation really gave a sense of the School and its values.”