West Buckland School, Devon
West Buckland, Barnstaple, Devon EX32 0SX
Headteacher: Mr Phillip Stapleton Admissions: admissions@westbuckland.com +44 (0)1598 760 000
GENDER/AGES: Boys and girls, 3-18 years
FEES: Reception inc lunch £2,860, (years 1-2 inc lunch) £2,995, (years 3-4) £3,600, (years 5-6) £4,580, senior (day) £7,586 (years 7-13), full boarding (years 7-11) £11,088, (years 12-13) £11,825 per term, weekly boarding £1,613 per term on top of day student fee (5 night stay), International fees (years 7-11) £12,330, (years 12-13) £13,292
TYPICAL CLASS SIZE: Prep: 16, senior – 18, sixth form – 10
FAITH: Christian, but welcomes all faiths or none. MOTTO: Read and Reap ENTRANCE PROCEDURE: There’s an entrance assessment and interview.
School philosophy: The school’s values of courage, commitment, caring, creativity, confidence, critical thinking and curiosity run through every element of its educational life and students are expected to live by these values. West Buckland students are down-to-earth, resilient, hard-working and have a firm understanding of their place and responsibility in society.
Academic record: By far the highest performing school in the region, the school’s exam results consistently place it in the top 100 co-ed schools in the country. For the past 10 years, more than 75% of its A-level results have been graded A*-B, and more than 50% of its pupils go on to Russell Group universities. In 2019, 100% of GCSE students gained 5+ passes. West Buckland’s excellent SEN department is housed within state-of-the-art facilities and run by an expert team of personalised-learning specialists.
Extracurricular: Its unique location means staff can offer a wide range of extracurricular activities including surfing, coasteering, diving and climbing, as well as more regular sports and activities. Academic enrichment is widespread, with lectures, academic clubs, film clubs, debating societies, life skills and charity committees. In addition to offering regular sport, its performance programmes in tennis, dance, hockey and netball are popular and result in a high level of achievement across the age groups.
Notable achievements and alumni: Shortlisted by Independent School Parent magazine for Boarding School of the Year 2020. Alumni include Brian Aldiss (author), Jonathan Edwards (triple-jump record holder), Jamie and Craig Overton (cricketers), RF Delderfield (author and playwright),
Tim Wonnacott (TV presenter and antiques expert), George Friend (premiership footballer), Steve Ojomoh and Victor Ubogu (England rugby team) and Lizzie Kelly (professional jockey).