Prepped for life
There’s nothing like a traditional prep school to instill character and individuality as well as giving a brilliant academic grounding. Here, we select 25 of the best in the Home Counties, many benefiting from glorious country-house settings as well as having upped their game with the sort of modern facilities previous generations could never have envisaged
Berkshire
Cheam
400+ pupils, including pre-prep and flexi-boarders Fees £4,120–£9,535 per term The alma mater of Pitt the Younger, Lord Randolph Churchill, The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales has claims to be the oldest prep school in the country, having been founded in 1645 in Cheam, Surrey. Set attractively in 100 acres in Headley, near Newbury, it’s hugely successful and very popular locally, with an atmosphere that sings of energy and achievement.
Strong in pretty much everything, including music—the staff includes the wonderful soprano Jan Coxwell, a former Tallis Scholar, and a brilliant organist, Steve Bowey. Outings last term included Royal Windsor Horse Show, Bletchley Park, the Watercress Line and Andover Foodbank.
Arriving Non-selective, although the general attitude of child and parents will be taken into account, especially where oversubscription is a factor Leaving A significant number to Marlborough, plus St Edward’s Oxford, Radley, Eton and Bradfield www.cheamschool.com
Lambrook
540 pupils, including pre-prep and flexiboarders
Fees £6,232–£8,118 Its delightful setting is a peaceful oasis amid 52 acres, some quite wild, in Winkfield Row, whose leafy, sprawling tentacles now blur with those of Bracknell and Ascot. Lambrook was founded in 1860 to educate the sons of courtiers at Windsor and, like many prep schools, it had to evolve very quickly from the small, family-run, all-boys, all-boarding establishment it was in the 1980s to its present shiny, co-ed form, but it retains a traditional, cosy feel.
The facilities are superb: a 25m indoor pool, an Astroturf pitch, a golf course and a performing-arts centre opened by the Earl
of Wessex in 2013. The match teas are renowned and, last term, Lambrook won City Kids Magazine’s best school menu award.
Arriving Non-selective, although there is an assessment Leaving The class of 2019 had a 100% Common Entrance (CE) pass rate and headed to 18 schools, including Eton, Rugby, Downe House, Reading Blue Coat and Shrewsbury www.lambrookschool.co.uk
Ludgrove
185 boys, all boarding Fees £9,420 Ludgrove is a rarity, having somehow managed to hold out as a relatively small all-boys, all-boarding school for 125 years. Its idyllic setting, outside Wokingham, is that of an Edwardian-style country house in 130 acres, approached up a long drive and surrounded by woodland—perfect for dens and treehouses— and boasting a pretty half-timbered chapel.
The founding headmaster’s motto ‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might’ still holds true: the school rightly has a reputation for academic and sporting excellence as well as a happy atmosphere.
Simon Barber is the third generation of his family to run it; his parents, Gerald and Janet, looked after Prince William and Prince Harry. Other distinguished Ludgrovians include Alec Douglas-home, Osbert Sitwell, Paul Foot, Bear Grylls, the novelist Charles Cumming and the Duke of Devonshire.
Recent trips took in the Roald Dahl museum, Bletchley Park and the Loire Valley; lecture subjects covered plastics in the oceans and the South Pole—fundraising is under way for a £2.5 million Exploration Centre for IT, design and technology (DT), science and art.
Arriving No formal procedure, but a report from the current school is required
Leaving Chiefly Eton, Radley and Harrow
www.ludgrove.net
Sunningdale
110 boys, mostly full boarding Fees £6,570–£9,900 Another in the best prep-school tradition, which remains true to its foundations in the 19th century, Sunningdale’s small size means ‘every boy has the chance to become the very best version of himself,’ says headmaster Tom Dawson, whose father and uncle (the Dawson twins), acquired the school in 1967. ‘It means we get to know the boys incredibly well. We understand what makes them laugh, what they enjoy, what they’re good at and what they need help with.’
Prince Michael of Kent, Humphrey Lyttelton, Bamber Gascoigne, Henry Cecil and Henry ‘Blowers’ Blofeld were pupils. Most boys get to be in a sports team and there’s plenty of choice, from riding, polo, water polo and golf to Eton Fives, at which Sunningdale excels.
There’s a smallholding with pigs and bees and the school owns a house in Normandy, France, where boys spend a week at a time, visiting the area’s markets and the D-day landing beaches.
Arriving Non-selective, but the school is academically ambitious
Leaving Chiefly Eton, plus Harrow, Winchester, Stowe, Sherborne, Oundle and Charterhouse
www.sunningdaleschool.co.uk
Buckinghamshire
Ashfold 280 pupils, including pre-prep and weekly boarders
Fees £5,895–£7,065 The 30-acre setting around Dorton Manor, a Grade I-listed Jacobean house, is idyllic and includes a 19th-century walled garden used for sports plus Ashfold Lake, a registered fishery and wildfowl habitat; next door is the 12th-century parish church where regular assemblies are held.
The school was founded in 1927, evacuated to Canada during the Second World War and arrived at Dorton in 1956. It went co-ed in the 1980s and the boygirl divide is about 60%–40%. Activities include jewellery making, .22 rifle shooting, robotics, Ultimate Frisbee and Mystery Madness and last term’s events included a Famous Five Day, bushcrafting and a trip to a Buddhist monastery.
Arriving An assessment day, two terms before entry. Next open morning is October 12
Leaving A very wide range of independent schools, among them Abingdon, Headington, Rugby, Shiplake, Stowe and Tudor Hall, plus a few at 11 to local grammar schools. The scholarship rate is about 40%
www.ashfoldschool.co.uk
The Beacon School
500+ day boys, including pre-prep Fees £4,100–£5,925 The school, at Chesham Bois, was started on a farm in 1933; the farmyard buildings, some of which are Grade Ii-listed, are still in use: the Old Barn houses a studio theatre, which is very much part of the local community. It’s strong on charitable activities —last term, boys hosted a tea party for war veterans—and lists achievement, wellbeing, courage, integrity and respect as its five core values.
Reading is important and there are two full-time librarians. In an attempt to break away from the perceived confines of CE, The Beacon has, for six years, been a pioneer of the Prep School Baccalaureate, a two-year programme in Years 7 and 8, which is designed to produce a ‘360-degree description of a boy’s progress, abilities and attitudes’ for senior schools. This covers not only academic, sporting and creative achievement, but ‘soft skills’ such as curiosity, communication, resilience and reflectiveness.
Arriving Assessment from Year 1 is ‘gentle’, with verbal and non-verbal reasoning tests and a report from the previous school. Next open morning is October 5
Leaving A wide variety of boys’ independent schools, but the highest proportion go to Berkhamsted or, after Year 6, Dr Challoner’s Grammar School www.beaconschool.co.uk
Essex
Felsted Prep 500+ pupils, mostly day (including preprep)
Fees £3,150–£8,495 ‘This stage of your child’s life is all about discovery—of interests, talents and passions,’ writes the headmaster, Simon James, who explains that his favourite word is ‘yet’ as in ‘not yet’, because it points to ambition, perseverance and desire to learn.
Shortlisted for the TES Independent School Awards this year, this is the highflying prep department of the county’s premier senior independent school, which is across the road in a picturesque village in rural north Essex.
Every child learns a stringed instrument in Year 3 and takes the English Speaking Board exam in Year 4. All learn Spanish, plus French or German and Latin is on offer from Year 7. As well as learning support, there’s a Very Able Pupil programme in operation.
Arriving The next open morning (for September 2020 entrance) is on September 28 and Key Stage 2 Assessments take place on February 1, 2020
Leaving Nearly all go on to the senior school
www.felsted.org
Hertfordshire
Aldwickbury 360+ boys (including pre-prep and flexiboarding)
Fees £4,460–£5,595 A moral start in life is a key aim of this bastion of male education that’s been housed in a Victorian mansion in Harpenden since 1948: the Aldwickbury Values encompass such traits as endeavour, integrity and respect. There’s a daily Christian assembly that includes a hymn, Bible reading and prayers, plus Sunday-evening church services.
The school, which employs both male and female teaching staff, argues strongly for single-sex education, stating: ‘Our boys don’t have “rough edges” to be knocked off by girls. They are polite, caring young men who enjoy being free to be boys.’ It suggests that boys gain more confidence when not being compared to faster-maturing, more successful girls and that it saves them ‘wasting energy posturing or living up to gender stereotypes’.
Aldwickbury is part of the International Boys’ Schools Coalition movement and staff regularly attend its workshops.
Arriving Literacy and numeracy are assessed in a screening system
Leaving Mainly to St Albans, as well as to St Columba’s, Bedford, Haileybury and Berkhamsted
www.aldwickbury.org.uk
Beechwood Park
500+ pupils (including pre-prep and a few
boarders) Fees £4,675–£5,785 Beechwood Park children are, says the school, proudly individual and leaders of the future: ‘They are happy and confident (never arrogant) adventurers, who enjoy the exploration of big ideas, who argue and create, whilst retaining balanced and truth.’
They certainly enjoy the benefit of the school’s beautiful setting, in a Queen Anne mansion in Capability Brown-landscaped parkland near St Albans; it’s been a school since 1964, but the site dates back to William the Conqueror, when it was a nunnery.
A broad curriculum includes theology, philosophy and religion, plus immersive Classics that includes a play competition in which pupils have to speak only in Latin and eat a Roman lunch. Clubs include Russian, cheerleading, origami, debating, gardening, funky dance and sewing. The long list of tours takes in the Isle of Wight and Jersey, plus cricket tours to Barbados and South Africa.
Arriving The assessment process is noncompetitive. Next open morning is October 18
Leaving Hertfordshire schools, especially St Albans and St Albans High, understandably predominate
www.beechwoodpark.com
Edge Grove
400+ pupils (including pre-prep and some flexi- and weekly boarding)
Fees £2,400–£5,860 Despite its proximity to the M25 and north London, the school has a rural feel, set in 48 acres of council-owned land since 1935. Staff and pupils collaborated on Edge Grove’s eight Guiding Principles, which are displayed in an attractive artwork: creativity, aspiration, independent thinking, curiosity, self-motivation, confidence, discernment and global and local responsibility.
There’s a strong emphasis on good manners and pupils also came up with the school’s five Behaviours for Learning: Be prepared, Be involved, Be a risk taker, Be creative and Be a good listener.
Edge Grove promises ‘something for everyone’, with 25 sports played, three choirs, a jazz band and some 45 afterschool clubs (pupils can stay for supper). The uniform is cheerful, too: red jumpers, tracksuits and tartan dresses.
Arriving The 7+ assessment includes online tests, a short writing task and group activities; the school will also observe the child’s behavior in an open morning and will look at current school reports. However, be warned: there’s a waiting list. Open mornings on September 14 and 28
Leaving To a wide variety, including Harrow, Merchant Taylors’, Cheltenham Ladies’ and Winchester
www.edgegrove.com
Lockers Park
170 pupils (girls at pre-prep only, some boarding and flexi-boarding) Fees £4,595–£8,350 Bene agere ac Laetari (good results, good manners, good fun) is the motto at this 145-year-old school created in the parkland of Georgian Lockers House as a preparation for Rugby. Old boys include two private secretaries to The Queen, politicians, cricket captains, QCS, Lord Mountbatten and Bollywood film star Saif Aly Khan. The Goodies’ Tim Brooke-taylor taught here. Parents praise the ‘wraparound care’ that can extend from 7.30am to 7.30pm, the ‘lovely family feel’, the all-round education and the hours of freedom children are offered outside.
The curriculum follows the CE syllabus and beyond, with a weekly critical-thinking lesson. The headmaster, Chris Wilson, teaches maths and is described as a cricket fanatic (the 1st XI tours South Africa annually). ‘Minor’ sports include skiing and snowboarding, basketball and ju-jitsu, plus there’s a .22 rifleshooting range.
There’s a chapel choir and Year 8 can study music technology.
Arriving Informal interview and simple assessment. The next open morning is October 19
Leaving Principally to Bedford, Harrow and Berkhamsted, plus Rugby, St Albans and Stowe among many others; last year, 20% won scholarships
www.lockerspark.herts. sch.uk
Kent
Dulwich Prep Cranbrook 500+ pupils (including pre-prep and 100 flexi-boarders) Fees £5,140–£6,130 At the start of the Second World War, Dulwich Prep London evacuated the boys to Kent, where they occupied huts in the headmaster’s orchard; the school, which is still linked to its larger London cousin, has been on the 50-acre site ever since, providing children with a Famous Fivestyle upbringing (houses are called ‘Tribes’) in its grounds, which include woodland and a nature reserve. Last year, the school started Dulwich Colours, a new humanities curriculum, alongside the CE syllabus for Year 7 and 8 pupils; it promises to create the historians, geographers, theologians and philosophers of the future. Lessons include ipad technical and touchtyping, music encompasses a rock club and guitar ensemble and activities include Mandarin, eco-club, war games and jewellery designing. Arriving After a taster and assessment day Leaving Mostly to Kent or Sussex schools, such as Benenden, Roedean, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge Grammar and Clare-mont, plus some at 11+ to Cranbrook. About 25 scholarships this year, including equestrian www.dulwichprepcranbrook.org
Wellesley House
130+ pupils, day and boarding (including pre-prep)
Fees £4,077–£8,777 This distinguished, successful school traces its history back to 1866; it moved to its seaside location, at Broadstairs, in 1898. Its subsequent owners were international cricketer Herbert Day and footballer Leonard Moon—both killed in the First World War— and the school has nurtured other famous sporting figures—eventer William Fox-pitt, pentathlete Georgina Harland, Olympic bobsleigh gold medallist Tony Nash, the racehorsetraining Sherwood brothers and cricketers Chris and Graham Cowdrey—plus the Dukes of Gloucester, Kent and Northumberland, Lord Lichfield, Mike d’abo, Sotheby’s chairman Henry Wyndham and environmentalists Jonathan Porritt and Lord Melchett. Wellesley points out that its small size— especially by today’s standards—allows pupils to shine; its motto is ‘Open up a world of possibilities’. Activities include riding, archery, Dj-ing, amateur radio, golf at Royal St George’s no less and, of course, the beach. Welleslians are known to make friends for life. Arriving Non-selective, with an interview
process Leaving Many and varied, including The King’s Canterbury, Winchester, Charterhouse, Tonbridge, Eastbourne and Worth www.wellesleyhouse.org
Oxfordshire
Cothill House
200 boys (all boarding) Fees £9,930 Cothill is famously traditional as well as successful and ‘firmly believes in the benefits of boarding’, but, from September 2020, the school’s 150th anniversary, it will introduce Cothill Juniors, a transitional system of boarding for boys in Years 4 and 5; they will be allowed to go home after Saturday commitments until Sunday evening or Monday morning.
This is part of a fiveyear plan to improve boarding facilities, transport links and communications for parents, an enhanced curriculum that takes in mindfulness, more drama opportunities, general refurbishment, including of the science lab, a new sports centre and more sporting tours, plus decreasing the carbon footprint.
One of Cothill’s many plus points is its French château, Sauveterre in the Gers, where all boys spend a term during their penultimate year, and its library, which houses 10,000 books.
The autumn term has ‘theme weeks’, such as Renaissance, Victorian era or First World War, and in the summer there’s Rockhill, a rock festival.
Last month, headmaster Duncan Bailey was joining 20 others in the Heads Up Challenge to raise money for mental health in schools.
Arriving ‘Gently selective’: there’s an informal assessment morning with short reading, writing and maths tests. The next open day is on September 28
Leaving Principally to Eton and nearby Radley, as well as Harrow, Stowe and Winchester
www.cothill.net
Christ Church Cathedral School
150 day pupils (including pre-prep, co-ed nursery and choristers)
Fees £5,710 There have been boy choristers and a schoolmaster at Christ Church, Oxford, since Henry VIII decreed it—john Taverner was the first choral director, appointed by Cardinal Wolsey, in whose house the nursery school resides—and the tradition continues, with boarding places for 20 choristers, who have terrific opportunities for overseas tours and working with leading British composers.
The school, which also provides the choristers for Worcester College chapel, offers an inspiring and rigorously academic education in a building built by Dean Liddell, father of Lewis Carroll’s heroine Alice, next to the cathedral. The boys use the university sports facilities, including the running track at Iffley Road where Sir Roger Bannister made history. Obviously, they have access to Oxford’s treasures, but there’s also an annual French trip, which has taken in D-day landing sites and the Somme.
After-school clubs include real tennis, quizzes, Scalextric, Greek, backgammon and squash.
Arriving A friendly academic assessment. The four annual chorister places, usually in Form 4, carry a two-thirds fees reduction. Up to three Cardinal
Scholarships (15% reduction) are awarded to boys in Year 2 for their Form 3 year
Leaving To a wide variety of leading schools, notably Abingdon—unsurprisingly, there are usually a number of music scholarships
www.cccs.org.uk
Dragon School
800+ pupils (including pre-prep and about 200 boarders)
Fees £7,045–£10,205 The Dragon, set up in 1877 to educate the sons of Oxford dons, was once famous for its unconventional, relaxed attitude, but, of course, the rest of the prep-school world has changed and caught up. However, the school, which educated such brains as Sir John Betjeman, John Mortimer, Lady Antonia Fraser, Hugh Laurie, Tom Hollander, Dom Joly and Rory Stewart, is still considered elite and produces outstanding results as well as confident, articulate children who are expected to show common sense in return for more informal rules.
The curriculum includes FPE (faith, philosophy and ethics) and Greek. There are trips to St Ives, Bath and Portsmouth, plus exchanges in New York and Japan. Next year, an enrichment programme, Dragon QUEST will be introduced for Saturday mornings.
Arriving ‘We are looking for well-rounded children’ reads the admissions policy, pointing out that the school has strong traditions of success in fields outside academia—sport, music, art and drama. Children are recognised as individuals and assessed for potential, as well as in literacy, numeracy and interests. There’s usually a waiting list
Leaving Most of the top schools, often with scholarships, including St Edward’s Oxford, Magdalen College, Headington and Eton
www.dragonschool.org
Summer Fields
250 boys (predominately boarders, plus new pre-prep) Fees £7,053–£10,120 A typical Summerfieldian is ‘confident, but not cocky, and a good joiner-in,’ according to the headmaster David Faber (Interview, March 1, 2017). Mr Faber, an old Summerfieldian himself, is unusual by today’s standards in that he isn’t a trained teacher—the grandson of Harold Macmillan, he’s a former Conservative MP and a biographer, who was on the selection panel for the new headmaster when he suddenly decided to have a go himself. Summer Fields was founded 155 years ago by Gertrude Maclaren to cram friends’ sons for Eton. Her husband, Archie, was fitness trainer to the British Army, which is why the school motto is ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body’. Summer Fields, set in 70 acres in Summertown, Oxford, has maintained its reputation for academic and sporting excellence and for preparing boys assiduously for CE, which is why it’s justly respected in the prep-school world. It makes full use of Oxford’s culture, as well as inviting a wide range of lecturers and taking trips abroad—the leavers always go to Ypres—and to Britain’s wild places. Arriving Selective, with an entry test the year before arrival; talents beyond academic ability are also taken into account Leaving Principally to Eton, but also Harrow, Radley, Stowe, Winchester and many more—typically about 10 scholarships are won www.summerfields.com
Surrey
Aldro
200+ boys, day and boarding Fees £5,848–£8,427 Aldro was designed as ‘a boys’ paradise’—its 20 acres at Shackleford, near Godalming, are surrounded by fields and there’s a rowing lake, adventure island and rifle range. This is another establishment that actively trumpets the benefits of boys-only education, quoting child psychologists who suggest that pupils are more likely to take on more music, languages and arts than they would in a co-ed school and that there’s the freedom to have a bespoke boys’ curriculum. ‘Our 12 and 13 year olds are still very happy to play chase, hunt for conkers, climb on our school fort, get muddy.’ Aldro was founded in 1898, in Eastbourne; it moved to the present site in 1940 and, in 1949, a barn was converted into the War Chapel, which commemorates the 57 old boys who died in the First and Second World Wars. The school has a justified reputation for academic excellence and has introduced the Aldro Baccalaureate, which aims to add greater depth to the curriculum, with specialist teachers from Year 5. There’s also a Gifted and Talented programme. A new headmaster starts this term: Chris Carlier, formerly a housemaster at Bradfield. Arriving Online entry tests. Next open morning is September 21 Leaving Principally to Charterhouse, but also Wellington, Tonbridge, Sherborne, Cranleigh and many others. Aldro boys won 15 scholarships this year
www.aldro.org
Belmont (Dorking)
200+ pupils (including kindergarten, pre-prep and weekly/flexi-boarders) Fees £5,290–£7,100 The motto is ‘Achievement through happiness’, which must be helped by the glorious 65 acres in which Belmont is set, at Holmbury St Mary in the Surrey Hills, with trees as far as the eye can see. ‘Our pupils are inspired to pursue excellence and to value achievement within a happy and wholesome environment,’ writes the headmistress, Helen Skrine, who lives on site. The school was founded in 1880, in Blackheath, London, moving to the present site in 1955; it owes much to the vision of those who rebuilt it after a catastrophic fire in 1991, after which boarding was reduced and girls introduced. From Year 2, pupils need to have an electronic device and classrooms are equipped with interactive touch screens and Apple TVS. Clubs and activities include the John Muir award, coding, riding, scuba-diving, rock choir and public-speaking. Arriving Selective; admission is based on references and academic screening Leaving Many to the senior school (whose age range increases
to 16+ from September 2020) at 11, but also a wide range of schools such as Reigate Grammar, St John’s Leatherhead, Marl-borough, Roedean and Lancing www.belmont-school.org
Lanesborough
350 day boys including pre-prep Fees £3,630–£5,090 The school has strong links with Guildford Cathedral—the headmistress, Clare Turnbull, is a lay canon —producing all the boy choristers, who rehearse four mornings a week. Like all cathedral choirs, there are commitments for both child and family, but the benefits in performing opportunities, recordings and tours are immense.
‘Lanesborough’s academic reputation is well known, but what sets us apart is our warm and purposeful atmosphere,’ writes Mrs Turnbull, who lists keeping chickens among her hobbies. ‘Lanesborough is a school where boys are able to express their opinions with confidence and good manners.’
They’re taught by specialist staff from Year 3; French and digital literacy come in at Year 4, Latin in Year 5 and Spanish in Year 6. An eclectic range of trips might take in the theatre and opera, as well as Ironbridge, RAF Hendon, Canterbury Cathedral, Box Hill and the Lightbox, as well as overseas. Childcare is on offer from 7.30am to 6.30pm and this term’s activities include Captain Hook’s Crochet, eco club, five-a-side, code camp and street dance. Arriving Assessments encompass sport, music and teamwork, plus English, maths and reasoning. Boys selected as choristers receive bursaries from the Chapter of the Cathedral. The next open morning is October 12 Leaving Mostly to the Royal Grammar, Guildford www.lanesborough.surrey.sch.uk
East Sussex
Ashdown House 100 pupils, day and boarding Fees £5,180–£9,560 A member of The Cothill Trust group of seven prep schools, Ashdown, at which the Johnson siblings Boris, Rachel and Jo were educated, as well as actor Damian Lewis and the Earl of Snowdon, is described as having a charming, friendly atmosphere, with dogs and chickens; treeclimbing is strongly encouraged. The school, founded in Brighton in 1843, has been attractively set amid 40 acres on the edge of magical Ashdown Forest since 1886; the elegant, Grade Ii-listed main house was designed by Benjamin Latrobe, who was also partly responsible for the Capitol Building in Washington DC, USA. Activities include riding lessons, golf at Royal Ashdown Forest and sailing on Weir Wood Reservoir. Last year’s inspection report highlighted that pupils were accepting of others from different backgrounds and cultures and had a ‘very strong moral framework and know how to behave’. A new headmistress, Hilary Phillips, previously at Monmouth girls’ prep, starts this term. Arriving Non-selective; children attend a taster day Leaving Pupils predominantly go on to Benenden, Eton, Harrow, King’s Canterbury and Stowe
www.ashdownhouse.co.uk
Bede’s
400 pupils, predominantly day Fees £4,780–£5,920, plus boarding supplement Bede’s started as a prep school in 1895— it wasn’t until 1979 that the senior school was founded. It enjoys a spectacular setting on the cliffs at Beachy Head, Eastbourne —the school was evacuated during the Second World War for the training of codebreakers—and is high-achieving in all sorts of fields.
Last term, Bede pupils reached the final of the Wicked Young Writer Awards, and were victorious in the under-11 girls’ IAPS Cricket Tournament as well as the Sussex County Tennis Championships.
Unsurprisingly, watersports are on offer, plus riding, archery, climbing, yoga and juggling. This enterprising school also has a zoo (with snakes and lizards) and there’s a hilarious account of how a nine-year-old pupil was allowed to be headmaster for the day.
Arriving ‘We do not seek to create an identikit child or top-slice our intake,’ reads the admissions policy, ‘instead we value diversity and individuality’. Academic potential is balanced with character and engagement.
If demand exceeds places, current school reports, exam results and connections are taken into account. The next open morning is on September 28
Leaving About 80% to the senior school, but also to Brighton College, Lancing, Ardingly, Eastbourne and Claremont
www.bedes.org
West
Sussex Brambletye
280 pupils, including pre-prep and boarders
Fees £6,485–£8,805 This is another charming country-house setting in Winnie-the-pooh country —overlooking Ashdown Forest—and a luxurious 140 acres allows lots of scope for children
to explore freely and build dens; activities include farming and didgeridoo clubs, plus survival skills.
The school, which celebrates its centenary this year, aims to foster a love of reading, a sense of self and that of community, a strong work ethic and to inspire ‘an understanding of the wisdom of the past and the technology of tomorrow’s world’. The three school rules are ‘Work Hard, Play Hard and Be Kind’.
French is taught from Nursery onwards and Latin from Year 5. Art is taught by practising artists, there are holiday art courses for the most interested and the annual auction of pupils’ works raises money for charity.
With so much space, it will come as no surprise that there are seven football and rugby pitches and five cricket pitches, plus a sports centre with a fencing track, a climbing wall, squash and tennis courts and a shooting gallery.
Centenary fundraising is well under way for an all-weather pitch and a creative-learning centre.
Arriving The deputy head undertakes an individual, brief assessment, looking at reading age, literacy, numeracy and character. There are 15% fee discounts for army and Foreign Office children. Next open day September 28
Leaving To several Sussex schools, but also everywhere from Ampleforth to Uppingham, Gresham to Cheltenham Ladies’, with a healthy tally of scholarships, several of which have been for art
www.brambletye.co.uk
Cumnor House
400 pupils, including pre-prep and boarders (full and flexi)
Fees £5,095–£7,900 The headmaster, Christian Heinrich, is well established at this highly successful downland school set in 60 acres, having been there for 18 years (his four children attended) and held several positions in the education world, including as an inspector.
He expects parents to be ambitious and children to dare to be different: ‘We are trying to make the world a better place, one child at a time!’
A science, technology, engineering and mathematics building, The Peake, opened in 2017 with three science labs and a DT workshop and, by contrast, the music department is housed in a 17th-century barn that was transported to Cumnor in 1980. There’s also a purpose-built theatre and a dance studio, plus boating lake, outdoor theatre and golf course. Extracurricular activities include boys’ dance, choreography, perplexing problems, theatre make-up, découpage and world traveller. Wraparound childcare is available from 7am to 7pm. Arriving Non-selective, with a trial day to assess suitability. The Cumnor Foundation offers a 100% scholarship to gifted children from the age of eight—the aim is to have 20 such pupils in the school by next year. The next open morning is September 27 Leaving Some to schools in the region, such as Brighton College, Bede’s and Hurstpierpoint, others further afield to Wellington or Radley
www.cumnor.co.uk
Cottesmore 175 pupils (including pre-prep), mostly full boarders Fees £6,290–£9,550
The first headmaster, Geoffrey Davidsonbrown, who served in the First World War and sounds like a great character, started the school in 1894 with only two boys and built its present site, with chapel and swimming pool, in 1897 in the village of Buchan Hill.
He named it after the famous hunt in Rutland (his home county) because he was in love with the lady master.
‘Long may this handsome, sturdy yet whimsical building continue to harbour such a whirlwind of youthful energy, passion, dreams and play,’ says old boy, COUNTRY
LIFE contributor and travel-book publisher Barnaby Rogerson, whose family school it is.
It still bursts with character, aiming to respect history—its motto, that of Edward IV, is ‘Modus et Ordo’ (Method and Order)—and provide a traditional education; the present headmaster, Tom Rogerson, is the third generation of his family to run it.
Weekend activities include film making, riding, gardening, the continual enhancement of a train set, which occupies a whole room in the cellar area, and fishing in the lake. Children are taught how to light a fire, skin and cook a rabbit and pluck a pheasant. The new Sopwith Centre (named after the First World War aircraft engineer, an old boy) contains art studios, IT, DT and a science lab.
Arriving A satisfactory level of literacy and numeracy is required, plus a positive recommendation from the current school. Next open day is September 28
Leaving To all the leading schools—eton, Harrow, Radley, Winchester, Wycombe Abbey and so on—in equal measure
www.cottesmoreschool.com