2026 / 2027
ANOTHER DOOR OPENS The British school abroad marches on
TWO DECADES DOWN
The world according to Richard Cairns
International
Tailored
not uniform
When it comes to a good education, one size does not necessarily fit all. MPW is one of the UK’s leading independent fifth- and sixth-form college groups, offering a distinctive alternative to traditional schools. Our colleges blend a highly flexible curriculum and unparalleled individual support with a socially relaxed, mature environment. A levels and GCSEs in over 40 subjects, plus Easter Revision courses, retakes and Year 12 transfers Outstanding 1:1 academic and pastoral support Oxbridge-style tutorial groups with nine students or fewer Excellent results and progression to top tier universities Easter Revision courses Best in class inspection reports from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) Discover MPW for yourself Visit www.mpw.ac.uk or call us to book your visit.
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Support for students is ‘tailored not uniform’. Teachers make the most of the very small class sizes to provide individual feedback. MPW London Independent Schools Inspectorate Report
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CONTENTS SCHOOL HOUSE INTERNATIONAL 2026/27
Up Front 12
16
20
Lunch with School House Patrick Kidd tucks in with Rick Cross, head of Reddam House Berkshire Behind the Gates Alice Smellie heads to Porto to explore one of Dukes’ newest schools Off Games Class in the mountains? Eleanor Doughty gets to know Aiglon College
Regulars 24 26
31
36
71
School News The Trailblazer The world according to Richard Cairns, by Julia Llewellyn Smith The Best School... Architecture Evie Calver travels the world in search of beautiful buildings Insiders’ Guide Experts share the ins and outs of applying to British boarding schools from abroad with Róisín Teeling My Favourite Teacher Polar explorer Pen Hadow remembers his prep school geography teacher
Features 42
49
54
60
65
Life Lessons Annabel Heseltine explores Green School Bali, where the jungle is the classroom To Have & To Hold How are new traditions born at satellite schools, asks Alice Smellie Bang on Brand What’s in a name? Eleanor Doughty discovers what it takes for British schools to go global Past Matters Learning about global history has never been so vital, finds Kat Brown Testing the Water The immersion programmes offering a bite of Britain, by Alice Smellie
ON THE COVER Brighton College Rome, opening in 2027.
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EDITOR’S LETTER
49 EDITOR’S PICKS
1
3 2
1. The Better Known podcast, which I had the pleasure of being on last year. It’s compulsive listening. Host Ivan Wise asks people for six things they wish were better known; one of my picks was ‘thank you’ cards. 2. Baron Bigod brie from Fen Farm Dairy in Suffolk, perfectly paired with a hunk of French baguette from Lincolnshire bakery Grain of Truth. Totally moreish. 3. My new Ninja BlendBoss. I had no idea I was a smoothie-making kind of girl and after a few duff attempts, I’ve got a new breakfast menu. It feels very luxurious indeed.
T
he world is exploding – but worry not, it’s with schools bearing British names and their esteemed pedigrees. This much I had a wonderful time exploring for this magazine, looking at the past, present and future of British education abroad and how it remains one of our greatest exports. For the inaugural issue of School House International we’ve all had our maps out, looking around the world at the amazing education that is taking place – up mountains, on beaches and out at sea. It’s an exciting one and we’re delighted not only to showcase the highlights of some of the world’s best education, but some fantastic journalism too. Julia Llewellyn Smith travelled to Brighton to see Richard Cairns, head of Brighton College for the last 20 years and now principal of its global group, to hear what makes him – and the school’s rapidly expanding empire – tick (p26). Meanwhile, Patrick Kidd sat down for a satisfying lunch at Reddam House (p12). And, as ever, we are so glad to feature artwork by a pupil: this time, Reddam House’s head was sketched by Romilly Haworth (p12). On page 60, Kat Brown investigates the thorny question of history and politics teaching around the world: how do you solve a problem like Korea in history classrooms worldwide? And on page 31, Evie Calver travels the world to find some of the best and most beautiful school architecture. From Kimbolton School in Cambridgeshire – which this year is celebrating the tricentenary of its architect Sir John Vanbrugh – to the quiet elegance of Malvern College Chengdu, we have all been inspired by the incredible buildings that add to the global educational offering. As always, we’ve gone behind the scenes: this issue, Alice Smellie headed to Porto to get the lowdown on Dukes Education’s new school, CLIP Oporto (p16). And I had a blast interviewing polar explorer and celebrated conservationist Pen Hadow about a very inspiring prep school master for My Favourite Teacher (p71). This issue has been such a riot to put together – a genuine journey around the world. We hope you love it as much as we loved making it.
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CONTRIBUTORS Rachel Hosie
Tell us about a memorable school trip...
A choir tour to Tuscany. We sang in churches and piazzas, ate delicious food and went to Montepulciano just after Twilight: New Moon was filmed there. I’m sure it was exactly the type of rich culture our teachers hoped we would appreciate.
What’s the most interesting non-British tradition you’ve encountered abroad?
The schools where you can ‘try before you buy’, p65
In Bavaria, I encountered a small town’s Schützenfest, where a Lederhosen-clad marching band walks the streets to celebrate the new village king. I drank my favourite Bavarian autumnal drink, Federweisser, ate Wurst and walked with the parade while holding a fire stick.
Applying to British boarding schools from abroad, p36
Róisín Teeling
If you could live abroad, where would it be and why? I would love to live in Japan
to drop off the face of the earth and take on a long-distance hiking challenge.
What’s the most interesting non-British tradition you’ve encountered abroad?
Julia Llewellyn Smith
The Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong is magical. The entire city lights up with lantern carnivals and fire dragon dances, and everyone gathers to share lotus paste and salted egg yolk mooncakes under the full moon.
What’s the most interesting non-British tradition you’ve encountered abroad?
I’ll never get over Spanish fiestas, where health and safety mean nothing as fireworks are chucked into the seemingly unbothered crowd. Tell us about a memorable school trip... A cruise on the SS Uganda; we
visited Venice, the Peloponnese and the pyramids before the Falklands War broke out. We were on the news, pulling faces behind Kate Adie. If you could live abroad, where would it be and why? Los Angeles. Sunshine,
beaches, mountains, quirky characters, and far more culture than people realise.
The story of Richard Cairns and the Brighton College empire, p26
Kat Brown
Pie, flapjacks and chats with the principal at Reddam House, p12
What’s your best memory of school? I
adored the anticipation of September: new term, new possibilities, conker battles, trips to WHSmith for new stationery and so on. Even now it’s very much still the ‘new year’ for me rather than bleak old January.
If you could live abroad, where would it be and why? Anywhere that wouldn’t
There’s more to history class than the past, p60
mind me inflicting my very creaky French or Italian on them – and letting me ride a horse somewhere lovely would be heaven. The world has so much beauty in it and so many funny, brilliant people to speak to.
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Patrick Kidd
What’s the most interesting non-British tradition you’ve encountered abroad?
I adore boule de fort, played mainly in Maine-et-Loire, France. It feels like the world’s slowest sport, with plenty of time for a glass of wine between each shot.
Tell us about a memorable school trip...
In sixth form I went on a fortnight-long guided tour around the Peloponnese. As someone who wanted to read classics at university, it was a real blessing.
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Eleanor Doughty Editor Camilla van Praagh Publisher Editorial Director Lucy Cleland Deputy Editor Lucinda Baring Sub Editor & Production Assistant Evie Calver Features Writer Tessa Dunthorne Creative & Production Director Parm Bhamra Design & Production Manager Mia Biagioni Contributing Editors Patrick Kidd, Kat Brown, Alice Smellie, Rachel Hosie, Julia Llewellyn Smith, Róisín Teeling, Annabel Heseltine Digital Director Rebecca Cox Digital Editor Ellie Smith Digital Style Editor Charlie Colville Digital Assistant Isabel Dempsey Social Media Manager Chloe Robinson Publisher, Country & Town House Ellie Rix Head of Fashion Emma Marsh Head of Beauty Bandi Manzini Head of Interiors Emma Redmayne Senior Account Director, Homes & Interiors Olivia McHugh Account Director Serena Knight Junior Account Director, Hotels & F&B Cosima Woodard Digital Business Development Director Joey Goldsmith Project Management & Sales Support Executive Charlotte Ryan Technical Director Mark Pearson Chief Financial Officer Gareth Morris Finance Controller Lauren Delgado Finance Administrators Ria Harrison & Klodi Sade Human Resources Consultant Zoe Jones Chief Commercial Officer Tia Graham Chief Operating Officer James Thrower Managing Director Jeremy Isaac Editorial enquiries eleanor@schoolhousemagazine.co.uk Advertising enquiries camilla@schoolhousemagazine.co.uk SCHOOL HOUSE is a biannual magazine published with Country & Town House magazine and distributed to AB homes in Barnes, Battersea, Bayswater, Belgravia, Brook Green, Chelsea, Chiswick, Clapham, Coombe, Fulham, Hampstead, Highgate, Holland Park, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Marylebone, Mayfair, Notting Hill, Pimlico, Putney, Richmond, South Kensington, St John’s Wood, Wandsworth and Wimbledon. It is also on sale at selected WHSmith, Sainsbury’s, M&S, and Waitrose stores and independent newsagents nationwide. School House is published by Country & Town House Ltd, Studio 2, Chelsea Gate Studios, 115 Harwood Road, London SW6 4QL (tel: 020 7384 9011). Registered number 576850 England and Wales. Printed in the UK by William Gibbons and Sons Ltd, West Midlands. Paper supplied by Gerald Judd. Distribution by Letterbox. Copyright © 2026 School House. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Materials are accepted on the understanding that no liability is incurred for safe custody. The publisher cannot be responsible for unsolicited material. All prices are correct at the time of going to press but are subject to change. While every care is taken to ensure all information is correct at the time of going to press, it is subject to change, and School House takes no responsibility for omissions or errors.
What to do with School House when you’ve finished reading it... Ideally, we’d love you to pass it on to a friend or a community place that might enjoy it (doctor or dentist surgery, community centre etc.), but also rest assured that your issue can be recycled. The magazine (including cover) can be disposed of in your paper waste recycling bin.
PEFC/16-33-97 This product is from sustainably managed forests, recycled and controlled sources. www.pefc.org
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Please recycle
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CHAMPIONING KINDNESS
ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE
London co-education from 3 - 18
BE KIND. BE YOU. BELONG. BE THOMAS’S.
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UP FRONT SCHOOL PET
L
Lexi and Amber, Shetland ponies at Milton Abbey School
exi (left) and Amber first arrived at Milton Abbey eight years ago, given to the school by an elderly woman in the nearby Milton Abbas village who was no longer able to look after them. The two miniature Shetlands settled in within no time, quickly discovering a fondness for two things in particular: attention from anyone and everyone, and stealing crunchy apples from the trees that grow on the school farm. When the pair aren’t in their farm stables, they can be found in their field which, says head of equine Karen Toombs, they share with Rooney, one of the school’s two riding horses. ‘The three are very much in love with each other! Amber [16] is almost always angelic, whereas Lexi [14] is slightly more naughty – kind, but
cheeky and full of life.’ Once, after a pupil fell during a high jump with Lexi in hand, the pony immediately stopped to make sure she was OK – and even gave her a comforting lick on the cheek. Both patient and gentle, Lexi and Amber regularly star in animal care classes, equine management lessons and even the school’s mental health awareness programme (though they are happy to provide ‘cuddle therapy’ at any time). Pupils often take them for walks – and in Amber’s case, pony trap rides – too. ‘The loveliest part of the ponies’ role is seeing students grow in confidence,’ says Toombs. ‘Those who initially handle them tentatively often become completely confident, forming a strong bond with Lexi and Amber along the way.’ Evie Calver ■
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UP FRONT
T
here are few more imposing school buildings than the one that confronts you at the end of an avenue of giant sequoias near Wokingham. Nikolaus Pevsner described the Berkshire edifice now known as Reddam House as ‘one of the major Victorian monuments of England’, while his fellow country house critic Mark Girouard said the impression it gave was ‘as if Highclere had been sent on a weightlifting course’. The house – then called Bearwood – was built from thunder in the 1860s as the country home of John Walter III, owner of The Times when it was the British Empire’s paper of record. Today, it has a more gentle, youthful echo. Reddam House Berkshire, which has just marked its tenth anniversary, is one of England’s fastest-growing independent schools. ‘It’s a school that has grown in confidence and size over those ten years and continues to have ambitions for the future,’ says Rick Cross, principal for half of Reddam’s existence. After the Walter family sold the building in 1919, it became a British Merchant Navy orphanage and then a fee-paying school, which was renamed in the 1960s as Bearwood College. When
that failed, the estate was purchased by Inspired Education Group and reborn as part of the global Reddam House network, with 13 other schools across South Africa and Australia. ‘We have gone from a school that needed significant repairs and to restore its name in the market, with 200 or so children remaining from the Bearwood days, to more than 800 a decade later,’ says Cross. Its intake runs from three-month-old babies, whose early years unit is in a charming stable block, to sixth formers. About 100 are boarders. There is still much about the school that reminds me of a country house, from Cross’ wood-panelled study with a glass cabinet of shells from around the world in the corner – a relic of the Walter family’s travels – to the large, top-lit gallery that once held Flemish Masters, and the magnificent golden staircase. Extra bedrooms have been added at the top of the mansion to supplement the original boarding houses, Drake and Blake. Yet for all the stately grandeur, there is something about Reddam’s dining hall that reminds me of its previous life as an orphanage when we go in for lunch. Not, I stress, because of any miserable faces among the children or stern beadles to chastise
ILLUSTRATION BY ROMILLY HAWORTH
LUNCH WITH SCHOOL HOUSE
Patrick Kidd chats to Rick Cross, principal of the storied Reddam House, over a slice of school pie
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ILLUSTRATION BY ROMILLY HAWORTH
FROM TOP: The Reddam Adventure Department teaches outdoor skills; pupils range from three months to 18 years old; the majestic house was once a navy orphanage
them. Instead of thin gruel, you could start with a rich tomato and bean soup – and ask for more. The large stone fireplace, old floorboards and weathered long tables, which seem to have been here a long while, speak of a time when this was not a place of privilege – and that is a good thing. ‘Our students and their parents know how lucky they are, and that only hard work will bring rewards,’ Cross says. An upright piano in the corner is often used by the flamboyant head of music to get the children singing as they eat. Food, glorious food? It was certainly very decent for a school lunch: I had the chicken, leek and tarragon pie, with a light and flaky pastry top, while Cross had a lentil and aubergine parmigiana (which I felt looked more appealing than its description of ‘plant protein’ on the menu). There is a large, fresh salad bar, and pudding is yoghurt with a flaked flapjack topping. As we eat, Cross explains why he had been tempted to move from his deputy headship at Bedales – which followed his time as a history and politics teacher at Alleyn’s in Dulwich and The Perse in Cambridge – to take on a new school built inside an old house. ‘The first thing that attracted me was, of course, the building,’ he says. ‘It’s gorgeous. And I liked the support that Inspired was going to give me.’ One advantage of being part of a large group is that Reddam was able to absorb VAT when it was first introduced instead of having to raise fees. Last academic year the school added 8.5 percent to bills rather than the full 20, and has done the same this year. ‘Before the VAT [policy], we were level pegging with what many schools around here charged. They have now started to pull away and as a result, we see parents coming to us.’ There is a third reason why Cross came here: ‘I really liked its potential,’ he says. ‘Rather than shepherding a school that’s been here for 400 years and already has all its traditions, this felt like a school that had its story still to write.’ He is building a new sports hall and plans to expand the nursery and create a sixth form centre. The school was founded on three core pillars: academic strength, enthusiasm for the performing arts (its theatre is named after Dame Harriet Walter, distinguished actress and descendant of the house’s former owners), and outdoor pursuits. Cross has a fabulous view from his study across 150 acres of woodland and a lake – something he was always determined to exploit. ‘In my first year I was sitting at that desk, looking out at that lovely view, and found myself thinking: “How do I get education from those woods?”’ he says. ‘From that seed, we created our Reddam Adventure Department.’ All children in years five to eight have a RAD lesson in the woods each week, in which they are taught a programme that includes survival skills, building, cooking, ecology and teamwork. ‘At the end of year eight pupils graduate into the Combined Cadet Force and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award,’ Cross adds. It is a lovely concept and as he shows me the grounds after lunch, I can see its strength. Children have built dens in a clearing on the edge of the woods, using an old sail as the roof of a shelter and other recycled pieces of junk for a playground. ‘It’s all about encouraging them to use their imagination,’ Cross says. ‘We never want to stifle that sense of wonder.’ For all the majesty of Reddam’s home, nothing will give a child so much simple joy as being encouraged to explore the great outdoors. ■ countryandtownhouse.com/schools ——
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I BUILDING ON HISTORY Dukes Education introduces Kneller Hall, a nature-filled school with a fascinating past
f you regularly visit Twickenham in southwest London, the chances are you’ve walked past a majestic Victorian country house on Kneller Road. For 150 years, this Grade II-listed mansion was home to the Royal Military School of Music, training musicians for the British Army before relocating to Hampshire in 2021. Now, Kneller Hall enters a monumental new chapter as Dukes Education prepares to open its first purpose-built school on the 30-acre site. Kneller Hall School will open in September 2027 as the new home – and name – of Radnor House Twickenham, a coeducational setting that first opened in 2011. The school, which will educate boys and girls aged four to 18, boasts something rarely found in other London day schools: an abundance of green space on site. More than half of the estate is Metropolitan Open Land, meaning the area is protected against urban development thanks to its ecological and historical importance. Acre
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SCHOOL HOUSE PROMOTION
upon acre of green space is preserved for pupils to play in and explore as part of an educational experience that goes far beyond academics. ‘In an increasingly fast-paced digital world, giving children space to connect with nature, creativity and physical activity has never been more important,’ says Amy Cavilla, principal of Kneller Hall School. ‘A dedicated forest school and nature reserve will form part of everyday school life, giving pupils the opportunity to explore, learn and build confidence through outdoor education.’ This is perfectly balanced with an ambitious and supportive academic culture, carefully built over a decade and a half at Radnor House. Last year, Radnor House was ranked in the top one percent of all schools in England for value added at A level, with just under 80 percent of pupils achieving A*-B grades in a wide array of A level subjects. Teachers are highly trained and deeply caring, encouraging pupils to aim high and believe in their abilities. As a result, over 80 percent secure offers each year to their first choice universities, with the majority going on to Russell Group institutions. The large campus opens up boundless possibilities for learning. There is a host of dedicated, purpose-built teaching spaces, such as DT suites, performing arts studios and science labs. Naturally, the site lends itself well to sports provision too, with extensive playing fields, an all-weather pitch and a multi-use games area as well as an indoor sports hall. With Twickenham and Whitton stations just a few minutes away, families from Twickenham and further afield have easy access to the school and its impressive range of facilities. ‘It is a privilege to help shape the future of such a historic and well-loved local landmark while building on a strong and successful educational foundation,’ says Cavilla. ‘We believe children thrive when they are known and encouraged as individuals, and at Kneller Hall School, we promote a values-based approach that places kindness, confidence and compassion at the heart of success.’
CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT: Kneller Hall was built in the mid-1800s; the school site is 30 acres; outdoor and indoor sports provision is aplenty; principal Amy Cavilla (left) with head of Kneller Hall Junior School Sasha Davies
Stay updated on Kneller Hall’s upcoming open days at knellerhallschool.org
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REGULARS
BEHIND THE GATES
Alice Smellie visits CLIP Oporto International School, a multicultural institution in the heart of Portugal’s second city
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CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE LEFT: CLIP educates students aged three to
C
LIP (Colégio Luso-Internacional do Porto), also known as Oporto International School, is in the northwest of one of Portugal’s most beautiful, historic and culturally rich destinations: the vibrant city of Porto. The campus is vast and impressive, with sweeping modern buildings, and is surrounded by extensive sports grounds. Outside, under bright blue skies, students of all ages chat and laugh. There is a cheerful hum inside as they move between classrooms and clubs; the atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming.
18; more than 20 cocurricular activities are on offer; the school is a new member of the Dukes Education family
What is it? Founded in 1990, CLIP is a
coeducational school serving students from ages three to 18, and has a reputation for being one of the best international schools in Portugal. Currently looking ahead to even greater achievement and international recognition, the school joined Dukes Education in May 2026, expanding the group’s international family of leading academic institutions.
What’s the ethos? At the heart of CLIP are three core values: respect, kindness and inclusivity. These principles permeate and shape every aspect of school life – from classroom interactions to relationships between students, staff and families – fostering an environment in which every child feels valued and supported. CLIP celebrates diversity and encourages students to develop empathy, open-mindedness and a genuine appreciation for other cultures.
Academic ambition is balanced with a strong commitment to personal growth, wellbeing and social responsibility, ensuring students grow into confident and compassionate global citizens while enjoying success in their studies. Whether in the classroom, on the sports field or in wider life, collaboration and mutual support are actively encouraged. This collective spirit is best captured by CLIP’s guiding phrase, ‘we are one’, and is demonstrated in every interaction with the school’s polite, confident and smiling students. Who’s there? Although most of the 1,200 students live within a few miles, it’s a remarkably multicultural community, with 56 nationalities represented. What are they learning? Lessons are based on the English National Curriculum, which has been modified to suit the school’s Portuguese setting – a hybrid that combines the strengths of a British education with the opportunities and outlook of an international environment. Students study in English from the early years through secondary school. There are 25 A level subjects available for study, and preparation is given for universities and higher education institutions around the world. countryandtownhouse.com/schools ——
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REGULARS
What about cocurricular? The grounds and facilities include a 25m heated indoor pool, a multipurpose custommade pavilion, basketball courts, a climbing wall, and a magnificent 200-seat auditorium. More than 20 activities are offered as part of the cocurricular programme. Sport is a priority – especially basketball, football and swimming – but there are also circus skills, chess and ballet clubs, as well as opportunities to work on STEM projects. The media club is especially hands-on: The school’s pupils act as photographers at school events, supportive spirit and produce and livestream the annual is demonstrated graduation ceremony on YouTube. Music is a big focus; the school recently in every invested in its music department, which interaction takes the form of a smart-looking circle of with its polite, soundproof practice rooms packed with drummers and violinists. It’s a registered confident and Trinity College London music exam centre, smiling students meaning pupils can sit assessments on campus – much to the relief of parents accustomed to driving for miles. What’s on the menu? The main canteen is bright with daylight thanks to a large arc of windows serving as a roof. Even though 1,500 people are served daily, meals are cooked on site and there’s an emphasis on healthy eating. Every day there are four choices: meat, fresh fish, vegetarian and a diet option. There’s always sopa (soup) and typically one Portuguese style meal, too – not a stodgy English pudding in sight.
Who’s in charge? Head of school Isabel Morgado leads
CLIP with a calm commitment to academic excellence, pupil wellbeing and community spirit. I visit the school on the day it joins Dukes Education, during which the group’s founder, Aatif Hassan, takes questions from parents and staff. In one answer he explains that working with new schools is a ‘partnership’ and that, per the Dukes ethos, each individual school retains its identity as well as maintaining the excellence that defines the Dukes family. Being under the Dukes umbrella means CLIP pupils now have access to the benefits of the group’s consulting arm, Dukes Plus. This provides university application support to those applying to top institutions and courses – whether that’s Oxbridge, medicine or law – as well as access to the world’s biggest work experience programme for 12 to 18-year-olds. ‘The school already has a very international flavour about it, and we [at Dukes] will bring the best of what we have here,’ says Hassan.
What about alumni? Once a Clipper, always a Clipper, they say. A list of universities attended by previous pupils is displayed in the large and welcoming reception area, and it’s an example of CLIP’s global success; many pupils choose to study in Portugal, but others attend leading universities across Europe, the UK and the US. Alumni include engineers, medics and lawyers as well as singer-songwriter Lotty Carrington. Don’t forget... The school is phenomenal at basketball,
and has produced national-level athletes who have played for their country. ■
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Open Events
Entry into Reception (4+), Year 1 (5+) and Year 2 (6+) Entry into Year 3 (7+), Year 4 (8+) and Year 5 (9+) Entry into Year 7 (11+), Year 9 (13+) and Year 12 (16+)
Full and Weekly Boarding available
Book your place dulwich.org.uk/admissions Bursaries of up to 100% and Academic Scholarships of up to one third of full fees are available.
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UP FRONT
P
OFF GAMES Eleanor Doughty gets the lowdown on Aiglon’s highest form of education: mountain school
FROM TOP: Skiing is on Aiglon’s timetable in the winter; the school is partnered with Bear Grylls Survival Academy; observing nature, animals and changing seasons is part of mountain school at Aiglon
icture the scene: a group of eight-yearolds are learning about the water cycle. They might be, you would suppose, in a classroom, books at the ready. But this is not so at Aiglon College in the Swiss alpine village of Chesières – instead, you’ll find them kitted out in their outdoor gear, tracing the water course down the side of a mountain. This is Aiglon Mountain School, a new programme introduced last year as part of the junior school’s curriculum. It is, says Stuart Hamilton, director of the junior school, ‘forest school, ten times’. Aiglon, predominantly a boarding school, was founded in 1949 and has taken pupils from year five upwards into its boarding houses since the early 1990s. As expansion into years two and three was mooted, school leadership considered what life at Aiglon would look like for the littlest entrants since, says school director Nicola Sparrow, ‘for most in year five and above, at least every third weekend – if not every other – they’re out on expeditions’. This wasn’t going to work for the smallest children because ‘they need time with their families’ – thus, the concept of mountain school was born. ‘We thought, let’s pull together the mountain environment and our bespoke curriculum to ensure experiential learning is something that grounds them in a love of learning and of Aiglon,’ says Sparrow. The mountain was always going to be part of that; just as the boarding staff are in loco parentis, so too is the alpine environment. The programme incorporates the whole community – and the example of the water cycle is an ideal one. ‘Why talk about that in the classroom when you can walk it?’ says Hamilton. ‘Starting from the glacier, pupils walk their way down, looking at water storage and the farms. They observe dams, animals, the use of water, where animals are based at which time of year, and learn about the business of tourism.’ Mountain school classes are delivered in both English and French and in the winter, lessons are given in the mountain classroom – with skiing on the timetable. In the summer, pupils are ‘in the valley looking at the rivers and the change of seasons. As the year goes on, we move down the mountain.’ But make no mistake: mountain school isn’t an add-on to life at Aiglon. ‘For the younger years, we have tried to not distinguish between what they do on the mountain and what they do in the classroom,’ says Hamilton. ‘The classroom is preparing them for the mountain, and the mountain is preparing 0them for the classroom.’ It’s hard, he adds, to quantify how much time children spend ‘doing mountain stuff, because the curriculum is so linked. It isn’t like forest school where you go into the woods for two periods on a Wednesday afternoon.’ Aiglon doesn’t refer to extracurricular activities, per se. Instead, says Sparrow, ‘we talk about our character programme’. She is proud of Aiglon’s academic results, but ‘the character education piece is integrated into the life of the school – and mountain school just forms a part of who we are’. ■
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Alexandre, 17, Rugby School Japan
alf French, half Japanese and studying at a British boarding school near Tokyo, Alexandre is naturally well-versed in a variety of cultures. ‘I’m fascinated by how societies and systems work,’ he says, ‘and seeing if they can be changed for the better. Studying PPE, which I hope to do at university, seems like a good way to learn how to do that.’ The 17-year-old – who is both an academic scholar and head of School House, one of six boarding houses on campus – was one of Rugby School Japan’s first students when it opened in 2023. ‘I’ve really enjoyed my time here. As cheesy as it sounds there is nothing more important to me than the people around me; I am always so grateful to have met the friends I have here.’ Having
watched the school’s traditions grow since the beginning, the keen cellist is a particularly big fan of the annual house music competition – although, he admits, ‘School House’s results have remained remarkably consistent in last place’. Alexandre’s future looks bright: he has helped organise geopolitics events in Paris and recently undertook an internship at the University of Tokyo, researching the political implications of school lunches in different countries. When it comes to getting the most out of school, his approach is simple. ‘Try basketball, debating, anything and everything you think you might like – even if, like me, you end up tripping after trying to run and jump at the same time. Don’t be afraid of looking stupid.’ Evie Calver ■
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SCHOOL NEWS
What’s going on around the globe? By Evie Calver
A BEAR-Y THRILLING ADVENTURE →
Aiglon College (Switzerland) kicked off the new school year with the ultimate adventure: a mountain expedition with Bear Grylls OBE. As part of the school’s partnership with Bear Grylls Survival Academy, the beloved British explorer trekked across Col de Bretaye with the junior school pupils, tackling an altitude of almost 1,800m in the pouring rain. ‘At Aiglon we’re built tough, inside and out,’ Grylls told the children before setting off. ‘We always respect Mother Nature, but we’re not scared. We embrace it. Some days, you’re going to be facing the storm, into the rain. So we walk into it well-prepared, side by side.’ Along the hike he taught the pupils how to tie rope knots before everyone happily had a taste of Grylls ‘favourite survival food’: dried maggots.
Dukes Education has expanded into North America with MacLachlan College, an all-through, coeducational school in Ontario founded in 1978. International School Westpfalz also joined the group recently, becoming its first institution in Germany and 53rd in Europe.
← A ROYAL WELCOME
Prince George has started senior school, following in his father’s footsteps to attend Eton College (UK). The 13-year-old, who went to prep school at Lambrook nearby, will board at the historic allboys institution for the next five years – an experience his father, Prince William, ‘really enjoyed’ in the 90s.
PHOTOS: ISTOCK; MATT PORTEUS/KENSINGTON PALACE
← GLOBAL MILESTONES
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PHOTOS: ISTOCK; MATT PORTEUS/KENSINGTON PALACE
↑ CULTURE SWAP
Headington School (UK) recently welcomed 50 students from South Korea for a day of cultural celebration. They played Korean games, wore traditional hanbok dress, learned hangul and debated which country had better biscuits.
↑ NETBALL NUMBER ONES
↑ GROWING GROUP
Recent additions to the Inspired family include Island Primary and Island Montessori (Cayman Islands), and International School of Querétaro (Mexico). In 2027 the group opens Inspired Edge Academy, an AI-enhanced primary in London.
In June, the first VII netball team at Gordon’s School (UK) claimed the coveted title of U19 champions at the sixth World Schools Netball Cup. The tournament welcomed 350 players from 26 schools across the globe, with Gordon’s securing gold after a tense final against All Saint’s School (Australia). Two Gordon’s girls were also awarded MVP prizes, given to the top-performing players in each age category. ‘Competing against schools from other countries with different playing styles meant we really had to adapt,’ said Anna, MVP and U17 captain. ‘We kept working hard and really enjoyed the whole competition.’
HEADS ON THE MOVE Nina Kingsmill Moore joins Papplewick School (UK) from Wetherby Prep.
WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER →
Brighton College Madrid (Spain) welcomes George Hartley from The King’s School Chester in September 2027.
Earlier this year, young pianist and Charterhouse School (UK) student Sam travelled to Germany to perform at the Berliner Philharmonie. The sixth former played Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 22 for a 2,400-strong audience with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Junghyun Cho. ‘I chose the piece because I find it fascinating,’ explained Sam. ‘I felt that if I was going to play in such a special place, I should perform something that means a lot to me.’ Now in his final year at Charterhouse, Sam has performed at venues across the world, including in Austria, China and Italy.
Alan Bird joins Magdalen College School (UK) from City of London School in August 2027. Wells Cathedral School (UK) welcomes James Davies from Halliford. Simon Watson joins Rugby School Hanoi (Vietnam) in August 2027 from St Christopher’s School Bahrain. Brighton College Rome (Italy) welcomes James Hodgson from Bedford School in September 2027.
countryandtownhouse.com/schools ——
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THE TRAILBLAZER Over two decades, Richard Cairns turned Brighton College into an global powerhouse. Julia Llewellyn Smith learns his secrets to success
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ABOVE: Richard Cairns has transformed Brighton College over the past 20 years FAR RIGHT: Brighton College in the UK features a building named after Richard Cairns
ichard Cairns occupies a vast, stylish office with views in one direction across the English Channel, and in the other of pupils coming and going across the school quadrangle. It lies within a Victorian Gothic gatehouse tower at Brighton College – at least, the style is Victorian Gothic; it was designed in 1880. ‘During building, they ran out of funds and it became a home for the seagulls,’ says Cairns, the college’s principal. But in 2014, an anonymous donation allowed the building to finally be finished. ‘It was a physical sign. Brighton College was back.’ There could be no better-fitting monument to Cairns, who over the past 20 years has transformed Brighton ‘from a middle-ranking Sussex school’ to a highly sought-after, league-topping, international institution. ‘When I started here, Brighton ranked 147 in the league tables,’ he says. ‘Now we’re always in the top ten. It’s very, very unusual for a school to break out of where it’s sat for the past 50 to 100 years. We are the exception.’ The walls leading to the Harry Potter-esque dining hall are lined with plaques celebrating successful Oxbridge candidates. In 2006, there were five. This year 45 pupils won places, while another 30 went to US universities including Stanford, Yale and Columbia. Academics aside, more than 30 Old Brightonian sportspeople have represented their country in the past decade, including England Rugby player Marcus Smith, England cricketer Matt Prior, and Clare Connor, who captained the England women’s cricket team. Brighton has twice been named The Sunday Times’ Independent School of the Year, and in 2020 was declared its UK School of the Decade. Cairns, meanwhile, is the only person to twice receive Tatler’s Head of the Year award. Parents have more than taken note and, despite the recent imposition of VAT on independent school fees, Brighton is flourishing. Since Cairns arrived, pupil numbers have almost doubled, soaring from 697 to 1,295.
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Boarders have quintupled from 100 to 500 (two new boarding houses, currently being built, plan to take another 150). Of these, around 300 are weekly boarders, many from London. ‘A lot of schools were very slow to move towards weekly boarding, keeping Saturday lessons and chapel on Sundays. But for working parents it’s ideal, and kids love it. They spend Monday to Thursday here and go home to their families on Friday evening.’ Cairns, 60, is now principal and CEO of the Brighton College Group, which encompasses three prep schools in Sussex and one in London – not to mention three campuses in the United Arab Emirates, two in Bangkok, one in Vietnam, one in Singapore, and three more opening next year in Rome, Lisbon and Madrid. Just after Cairns and I meet, it is announced that yet another three are in planning, in India, Japan and Riyadh. ‘Countries all over the world are asking us to set up Brighton Colleges,’ says Cairns. ‘When you think of a quality car, you think of a German car; when you think of a quality school, you think of a British school.’ He is frustrated the government isn’t making more of the UK’s ‘quality brand’. ‘The British economy is not in a great shape. It really should be thinking: “How can we celebrate this? How can we monetise it?” Organisations like ours are effectively major exporters. Equally, international boarders are spending money here on British services, shops and people.’ Curious yet relaxed in manner, Cairns, who likes to spend school holidays walking in the mountains, is a passionate believer in uncovering each pupil’s potential. The second of
four boys, he was born in Nairobi, Kenya, where his father was working as a banker and his mother at the British embassy. The family moved every few years, so aged eight Cairns was sent to Winterfold House Prep (now Bromsgrove School Winterfold) in Worcestershire. ‘It was Dickensian. We never had enough to eat. It was cold. The teaching was variable, but I made some good friends.’ He shrugs. ‘You just got along with it, didn’t you?’ After this, he moved on to The Oratory School in Berkshire. ‘What I learned from both my schools was that I want the kids to be happy and fulfilled, so what environment do I need to create? I wasn’t disadvantaged, but I definitely did not have inspiring teachers or an environment that encouraged you to be yourself, in which you were not constantly watching out for bullying, for unpleasantness.’ When Cairns applied to Oxford to read history, he chose the formerly all-female college Lady Margaret Hall, one of the very few at the time with a 50/50 gender balance. ‘It wasn’t a fashionable college, but I didn’t care. It was the best thing I ever did. Being with girls meant a whole world of conversation and interests opened up.’ On graduating with a first class degree, Cairns received a letter inviting him to come for a chat at the Secret Intelligence Service, aka MI6. He had fun with the ‘intellectually challenging’ application process, but by the time he was was invited to the final stage he was enjoying teaching back at his old school. ‘I thought, why jump into something that sounds glamorous but probably isn’t really, when I was doing something I loved and also felt I was good at?’ He moved on to another then-all-boys’ establishment,
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REGULARS CLOCKWISE: The original school in Brighton takes advantage of its lively city location; Brighton College Vietnam opened in 2023
‘When you think of a quality car, you think of a German car. When you think of a quality school, you think of a British school. Countries all over the world are asking us to set up Brighton Colleges’ Richard Cairns
Stewart’s Melville College (now Erskine Stewart Melville) in Edinburgh, and then to Magdalen College School in Oxford. But it was when he arrived at Brighton – already ahead of most schools of its kind, having gone fully coeducational in 1988 – that Cairns finally found his fit. ‘As a coed school, Brighton was a less pressured place, more natural. At boys’ schools, boys create a social hierarchy based around whether you’re in the first XV, whose boys are demigods. That’s very hard to budge. Even though schools say, “we value music, we value drama”, the boys always think differently. I’ve always found that difficult – then I came here and saw girls weren’t that interested in whether a boy was in the first XV.’ Cairns continued by jettisoning several public school traditions in favour of a more inclusive ethos. ‘We’re an academic school; we’re smart and tidy, but we’re liberal. We were the first school in the UK to have a float in a pride parade.’ He continues: ‘We’ve tried to create a world in which being in a play or a music performance is equally good as being in an A-team for sport. We don’t have special stripy blazers or ties or anything for the first teams. A mother contacted me yesterday to say, “My daughter’s got a netball first VII jumper, but she’s not allowed to wear it at school.” I wrote back, “That’s good. Glad to hear it.” We’re trying to tell every child that whatever you’re doing, do it to a high level – push yourself. But being the head of robotics club is as important as anything else.’ This isn’t to say sporty children won’t fit in at Brighton; the school’s fabulous facilities include a 25m pool, a double-height indoor hall and an 80m rooftop running track. Yet there’s also university-standard science labs, an atrium dominated by a whale skeleton and a greenhouse of rare plants. And the Richard Cairns Building, opened two years ago, houses a 400-seat theatre, dance studios and a music department (arty alumni include Oscar-winning film director Chloé Zhao). All occupy a series of stunning new edifices that have garnered multiple Royal Institute of British Architects awards. Cairns, whose partner is an architect and who admits to a passion for design, funded the building project through increasing boarding numbers and international expansion. ‘When I arrived, the facilities were appalling. Embarrassing,’ he says. Prospective sixth formers are wooed with a café and
common room that looks like a boutique hotel lobby; Cairns explains such gloss is vital to prevent defections to excellent local colleges. ‘But it’s also about potential teachers. The first thing I built was a nice teachers’ common room as a way of saying, “you matter”.’ Indeed, ‘inspirational’ staff is key to Cairns’ mission. He’s capitalised on the city of Brighton’s lively reputation to lure bright young teachers. ‘When I arrived we were a bit embarrassed about Brighton. It can be a bit scruffy; someone once said it was a city that’s permanently helping the police with their inquiries. But I thought, “Let’s focus on the fact it’s a young city.” If you’re 23 and right out of university, you want to be somewhere happening – not in a country estate boarding school miles from anywhere, where your only friends are your colleagues and you’re sharing the pub with the sixth form.’ During his first year as head, he went around local pubs sticking up recruitment posters, as well as student bars in Oxford, Cambridge and London. ‘We said, “You don’t need qualifications – we’ll train you.”’ Having helped establish the London Academy of Excellence – a state-funded sixth form in London’s most deprived borough, Newham – which this year received 62 Oxbridge offers, Cairns is unimpressed by the government’s mission to insist all teachers receive official training. ‘Schools improve when heads are given the freedom to do what they want, including employing who they like. It’s made such a difference.’ And making a difference is what Cairns is all about. ■
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The Best School...
ARCHITECTURE From Cairo to Cambridgeshire, it’s a treat to study in these beautiful buildings every day, finds Evie Calver
↑ KIMBOLTON SCHOOL
← COLÉGIO JÚLIO DINIS
Cambridgeshire, UK
If you can’t live in a castle, what’s the next best thing? Deep in the countryside, 350-year-old Kimbolton Castle welcomes hundreds of pupils each day as the longstanding home of Kimbolton School. Among the castle’s crowd of notable past residents is Katherine of Aragon, who was banished there in 1534 upon refusing to give up her royal title after separating from Henry VIII. She died two years later in what is now the headmaster’s study; today, the school holds an annual service in her honour. While the bones of the once-moated castle have stood since the 13th century, it was Sir John Vanbrugh who gave it its current appearance. The renowned English Baroque architect was determined to give Kimbolton a dramatic ‘castle air’ after decades of mismatched renovations, incorporating battlements, towers, and grand halls among other ambitious additions. Pupils learn, play and socialise within the castle’s walls; there is even a room of artefacts in its medieval basement. Kimbolton still opens biannually to visitors and, in July, hosted workshops for local primary pupils as part of Vanbrugh 300, a nationwide project marking three centuries since the architect’s death.
Porto, Portugal
When Colégio Júlio Dinis (CJD) moved from Paranhos to Campanhã in 2023, the goal was to create a modern campus intertwined with Portuguese history. The site’s traditional clay-tiled buildings were once home to the Antigo Hospital Rodrigues Semide – a 1920s sanatorium that later became a public hospital – before being taken over by Lusíada University and, finally, CJD. The old white structures still stand today (including an original brick chimney) alongside a number of purpose-built additions, forming a school ‘village’. Standing front and centre is the entrance hall, a modern, window-covered building providing access to vast gardens, outdoor sports areas and learning spaces. ‘When construction was completed, the school community left its mark on CJD’s new chapter by creating a collective handprint mural,’ says school director Marco Carvalho. ‘Also featuring our official motto, “together we’re extraordinary”, it became a symbolic gesture of belonging, participation and shared identity.’ countryandtownhouse.com/schools ——
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← BRADFIELD COLLEGE Berkshire, UK
Can a breathtakingly beautiful study space inspire students to revise for their exams? If there were ever a place to test this question it would be the St Andrew’s Study Centre at Bradfield College, a 14th-century former parish church with stained glass windows, ornate stone arches and an original Victorian clock tower. The Grade II-listed structure was extended by Bradfield founder Thomas Stevens four centuries after it was first built – but its link to the school is ‘far more than architectural’, says headmaster Jeremy Quartermain. ‘Stevens’ wish to strengthen the church is said to have inspired him to establish St Andrew’s [now Bradfield] College in 1850, and it remained closely woven into college life until our own chapel opened in 1901.’ Exactly 120 years later, the church began its two-year transformation into an invaluable extension of the school. In its centre sits the original baptismal font, preserved in its Early Modern stone – a perfect illustration of Bradfield’s mission: ‘We want to keep this historic building alive, purposeful and inspirational for generations to come.’
CHARTERHOUSE SCHOOL →
PHOTOS: UGO DE BERTI; JIM STEPHENSON
Surrey, UK
Since its founding in 1611, Charterhouse has been through countless expansions and renovations – including its move from London to Godalming in 1872, where it remains today. The school’s latest and most ambitious architectural venture, though, was the completion of its Art and Design Engineering Centre last year. Led by Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt, the project involved refurbishing the existing studio from 1957, a modern creation standing stark against the surrounding Victorian Gothic structures. To connect the buildings – stylistically and physically – an extension (right) and walkway were added between them. ‘Its vertical clay tiles reference the striped clay roof tiles found throughout the Charterhouse estate,’ explains head Alex Peterken. Rightly for a 21st century development, the centre was created with sustainability in mind. Intended to operate with net zero carbon, its passive environmental design ensures it stays at a comfortable temperature by utilising the sun, insulation and ventilation, while rooftop solar panels generate clean energy for school-wide use.
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PHOTOS: UGO DE BERTI; JIM STEPHENSON
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↑ ICS MILAN Lombardy, Italy
ICS Milan’s Symbiosis campus is often likened to a spaceship. It’s easy to see why: in addition to its unique rounded corners and sloped roofs, the five-floor structure is covered in floor-to-ceiling windows that reflect the sky and surrounding urban landscape. Inside, 36 classrooms, 13 labs and numerous multi-use spaces are built atop one another to form a high-ceilinged ‘vertical school’, complete with a lush rooftop terrace. One of three ICS campuses across Milan, Symbiosis was built in 2020 for students aged five all the way up to 18 – all of whom were directly involved in the design process. ‘Architects asked the students: “How would you like your ideal school to be?”’ says head Luke Osborne. ‘Their answers all pointed to one wish: for school life to continue after the bell rings.’ As a result, the campus – built by Barreca & La Varra, the studio behind Milan’s famous Vertical Forest – is filled with communal areas, relaxing loggias and 6,000 sq/m of outdoor activity space.
← UPPINGHAM CAIRO New Giza, Egypt
Seven sleek buildings comprise the Uppingham Cairo campus, set across ten acres with breathtaking views of the Pyramids of Giza. In a nod to the original Uppingham School in Rutland, multiple buildings are named after significant British figures – among them Elizabeth II, Victorian revolutionary educator and headmaster Edward Thring, and Robert Johnson, who founded Uppingham UK in 1584. The Egypt school’s English roots are embedded deeper still into its layout. ‘Inspired by the traditions of British boarding schools, the campus was designed to provide an extended day educational experience,’ explains headmistress Emma Webb. ‘As boarding schools are not part of the Egyptian education system, extracurricular programmes and social spaces encourage pupils to remain long beyond the academic day.’ Pupils might spend time post-classes decompressing in the plant-filled garden, playing tennis or squash with friends, rehearsing in the performing arts centre, or exploring the school’s golf simulator. There’s even a pool house and mini beach – why would you ever go home? countryandtownhouse.com/schools ——
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REGULARS MALVERN COLLEGE CHENGDU → Sichuan, China
‘Our ambition with our campus in Xinjin was to bring together our British heritage, the local landscape and the everyday needs of pupils and teachers,’ explains Jacqueline So, co-founder and CEO of Malvern College Chengdu. Such is clear in the smallest of design details: English red brick walls, pretty roof gardens, multi-use outdoor courts. The distinctive domed library is the campus’ heart, located at the end of the main drive – otherwise known as the ‘axis’ of the college’s architectural concept, ‘one axis, two belts, multiple clusters’. From the library, the campus splits into two ‘belts’, or paths: one leads to the active zone (swimming pool, sports areas, theatre), the other to the quiet zone (classrooms, study spaces, relaxation areas). Meanwhile, the ‘clusters’ are inspired by the British boarding house system, with different age groups living and learning in separate buildings before coming together in communal social spaces. Masterminded by the Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua University, the scattered design ensures students are never far from nature, as trees and flowers readily bloom in the expansive open spaces between clusters.
← RIKKYO SCHOOL IN ENGLAND West Sussex, UK
One of just three full-time Japanese schools in the UK, Rikkyo has built traditional concepts such as nagomi (calmness and balance) and wa (harmony) into daily school life. Its living areas are no exception: the new Sycamore House, officially opened in April, is a calm, red-brick building that looks out onto ponds and cherry blossom trees. ‘It was named for the sycamore tree, known for spreading its branches wide as it grows, with the hope that the students will similarly grow up healthy and strong,’ explains headmaster Toru Okano. The three-floor, 14-bedroom residence is the most modern-looking of the school’s 15 buildings, and stands alongside three other boarding houses with similar nature-themed names: Maple, Oak and Garden.
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INSIDERS’ GUIDE Heart set on a UK boarding school? Róisín Teeling consults a panel of experts on how international families can navigate the process of applying and moving from abroad
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REGULARS When do families typically start planning a UK boarding school placement? The strategic
advice is to start a school move at least two years in advance, and with some families we go back even earlier. That two-year window exists mainly because of entrance assessments; the UK curriculum tends to run about a year ahead, so there needs to be time to assess a child properly. The majority of our work happens on much shorter notice, as for international families the reason for a move can be much more urgent than for London-based families. Nathaniel McCullagh
THE PANEL NATHANIEL MCCULLAGH
Managing director, Simply Learning Tuition & Consultancy
HANNAH BARNETT Immigration lawyer, Mishcon de Reya
ALASTAIR CHIRNSIDE
Warden, St Edward’s School Oxford
Why might a student visa application be delayed or refused? Most of the time, it comes
down to documentation. There are very specific documents required, and translation particularly around the financial requirements is where it gets technical. Families have to show they can cover course fees and support themselves; the Home Office sets figures based on age, whether the child is boarding, and whether a parent is moving to the UK too. Crucially, funds have to be held for a full 28-day period by the right person, and the balance can’t drop at any point during that window. It isn’t just about the start and end figures. Hannah Barnett
What does the admissions process look like for an international applicant? In practice,
it’s identical for UK and international families; the only real difference is logistical. If a child’s current school doesn’t run a test centre for either ISEB or CAT4, the exams will be invigilated remotely. There are also subject papers depending on age, an interview, and a review of school reports. Interviewing in person is good, since it gives both sides a better sense of the other, but it isn’t essential. We don’t fill all our year nine places at once, so it’s never too late to start thinking about us at St Edward’s. Alastair Chirnside How might families choose between schools when they haven’t visited the UK? We gently
advise families on potential schools by working on the basis of best fit and understanding the child’s interests and abilities. We then build a sensible list with the parents, who are often more flexible than they expect once they understand the caveats of different schools. Most families arrive with the same handful of prestigious names, and we’re always honest even when it risks disappointing a family. It’s not just about whether a child can get into a school, but whether they’ll thrive there. Nathaniel McCullagh
FROM LEFT: Top UK schools look for what a child will bring to the community, not just their academic ability; St Edward’s Oxford makes an effort to involve international families in school life
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REGULARS At St Edward’s, the admissions process is identical for UK and international applicants
LAST WORD What’s one thing every international family should know before starting the process?
What do families need to know about the financial requirements? It’s specific
to each family’s circumstances. What I would recommend, especially for families planning a staggered move where only some of the household relocates at first, is to plan for the biggest figure the situation could realistically require. Anything less than that becomes a nice surprise rather than a shortfall. Hannah Barnett
How do schools support children through the adjustment of arriving in the UK? At St Edward’s, we run a series
of familiarisation events spread across the year, so missing one doesn’t mean missing out. Once term starts, our year nine induction runs a week ahead of the rest of the school, allowing new pupils to arrive without older children already filling the space around them. International boarders benefit from that gentler start. Alastair Chirnside How has demand from international families changed in recent years?
There’s a constant tension around how many international students a school can take, and where these students come from. With the recent addition of
VAT on school fees, schools have had to open their doors more widely. In theory there are more spaces, but the vetting is stricter if anything, because schools are managing the balance of their cohort. Nathaniel McCullagh Has demand changed on the visa side? Student visas are down overall;
there isn’t always a route for a parent to accompany a child over the age of 12, which puts some families off. Schools have become much stricter about who they’ll issue a CAS [Confirmination of Acceptance for Studies – a document needed to apply for a UK student visa] to because the Home Office has tightened requirements, and schools are wary of anything that could jeopardise their sponsor licence. Hannah Barnett
Is there anything international families often don’t expect about life at a UK boarding school? People imagine that
you drop your child off and pick them up or they fly home, and that isn’t true here anymore. We see it as a partnership with parents, not a service we provide instead of them, so we make a real effort to involve non-UK families in school life. Alastair Chirnside ■
It’s a journey. Most families do end up at their first-choice school because they’re usually well informed by the time they get to us. Starting early doesn’t just mean sorting the school side – it means giving a child the space to build confidence for interviews and entrance tests, so a strong candidate doesn’t miss out simply for lack of practice. The focus should be on what the child needs, not what’s convenient for the parents. Nathaniel McCullagh Everything takes longer than you think, particularly with the Home Office, so preparation is key. If you can start the process a year in advance, that gives you time to get every document watertight, rather than scrambling as deadlines approach. Don’t assume an administrative review or appeal is the answer: these routes with the Home Office can take six to 12 months, by which point a school place is long gone. Hannah Barnett Most families focus on the academics since that’s where the anxiety about getting in sits, but that’s only one part of the process, and children can end up under real pressure from sitting multiple tests. We’re genuinely interested in who a child is and what they’ll bring to the community, not just how they score, so being strong in other areas matters just as much as being drilled for tests. Parents can afford to take some of that pressure off. Alastair Chirnside
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“Freemen’s is a poster school for achieving outstanding academics through stellar pastoral care.”
Think you know Freemen’s? Think again.
Talk Education
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British schools. Global outcomes. Where today’s explorers grow into tomorrow’s role models.
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Investing in their future
Excellent exam results
From 6 months 18 years
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Awardwinning schools
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FEATURES SCHOOL HERO
E
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Catarina Gaspar, teaching assistant supervisor at ISS Lisbon
hen Catarina Gaspar, 41, reflects on her last 17 years at the International Sharing School in Oeiras, Portugal, gratitude and pride are front of mind. ‘I started as an early years’ teaching assistant in 2009, when the school was known as Colégio Taguspark,’ she says. ‘The little children who were once running around my classroom are now becoming adults and building their own lives. To have been a tiny part of their journey is something I will always treasure.’ Back then, the school was Portuguese-speaking and Gaspar’s role was to support four and five-year-olds as they learned. ‘I was young, I was learning, and I was discovering what it meant to be a part of a school community.’ Today, the motorcycle-obsessed
mum-of-two still works in the classroom supervising teaching assistants, but has also taken on the giant responsibility of organising after-school activities, holiday camps and staff events. When the school transitioned to an international one in 2018 and became ISS Lisbon, it was a big adjustment. ‘I had to adapt to a completely different environment and also develop my English to a much deeper level,’ Gaspar says. ‘I learned by doing: I said things completely wrong, felt embarrassed, then tried again. I realised you cannot be afraid of mistakes if you want to learn.’ She adds: ‘Working with families from so many cultures has taught me different ways of seeing and understanding life. The school has changed enormously, but so have I.’ Evie Calver ■
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The great outdoors is a classroom at Green School Bali, which educates more than 500 students from 50 countries
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FEATURES
Life Lessons At Green School Bali, real-world learning rooted in nature comes first, finds Annabel Heseltine
M
y arrival – weaving down precipitous slopes through magnificent, lush jungle on the back of a motorbike, my son on another one behind me – was entirely apposite. It was 2014 and I had been invited to visit Green School Bali, but the institution was so sympathetic to its environment that it was proving hard to find. Then we saw them: domed bamboo buildings rising in arcs, dominated by the Heart of School building, which was at the time the largest bamboo structure in the world. It’s since been challenged by the sustainability winner of the 2021 Dezeen Awards – another Green School building fittingly named The Arc, its bamboo arches spanning 19 metres without conventional steel beams. Both were designed by Elora Hardy, whose company Ibuku has defined bamboo horizons. It was her parents, John and Cynthia Hardy, pioneers of the sustainability movement, who founded Green School in 2008. This is a school that defines the green-standard of holistic ecological sustainability in education. Inspired by Al Gore’s film An Inconvenient Truth and unable to find a school in Bali with the right credentials to educate Elora and her siblings, the Hardys decided to build one. Every day those buildings made from bamboo, mud and grass invite the children, their parents and visitors to imagine what is possible if we work with nature rather than against it. Everything has purpose at Green School. A lava path, viciously sharp underfoot, encourages a meditative approach, forcing exuberant children to slow down and walk carefully. Gardens have meditative names, such as ‘Peace’. There are small learning pods, a huge mud bath and an organic kitchen. Children play and learn in the spiritual Ayung River or in magnificent buildings without walls. Everything underscores the countryandtownhouse.com/schools ——
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FEATURES
all-important message that we are a part of nature, not apart from it. It is intriguing, exciting, perfectly attuned with nature – and a wonderful playground. But, as I was once reminded by a wise parent, you don’t experiment with your children’s education. Has Green School Bali stood the test of time? Has it held its own in the wider world? I went back for another look. Twelve years later, Green School has grown from an intriguing experiment into an established international school, with more than 500 students from 50 countries. It’s a member of Round Square, an international network of over 280 schools – including Gordonstoun in the UK – guided by Kurt Hahn’s IDEALS (‘International understanding’, ‘Democracy’, ‘Environmental stewardship’, ‘Adventure’, ‘Leadership’ and ‘Service’). After following the WASC-accredited high school programme, students attain a US high school diploma. Green School has a clear message: children need academic knowledge, but also the ability to use it. They need independence, but also structure. They need to understand the natural world, but also understand their place within it. And perhaps most importantly, they need to leave school believing they are capable of doing something with what they have learnt. Green School’s message is one that smart, affluent, creative and successful parents are signing up to, voting with their feet and moving to Bali from Southeast Asia, Australasia and beyond. Some buy within the Green School jungle campus of exquisite bamboo buildings; others put down roots in nearby Ubud, the creative heart of Bali, to send their children to day school in the jungle. Lancashire-born Will Travis, CEO of the pioneering retreat and leadership platform Elevation Barn, has a particularly long view. His stepson Michael was one of Green School’s first graduating cohort, and his daughter Bella, 15, has been there since the age of three. ‘She wasn’t happy in New York. Her school was highly focused on academics and ignored the factor of creativity and childhood system,’ says the branding guru, who has worked with household names such as Netflix, Toyota and Sony. Green School follows a structured curriculum in mathematics, science, literacy, research and critical thinking, alongside its interdisciplinary and experiential approach. Teachers are co-creators of the curriculum within the WASC framework. Students are expected to develop academic proficiency, but to apply it rather than simply accumulate it. For older students, the work becomes increasingly demanding. In their last year in the middle school, grade eight students
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Hands-on learning is key at Green School Bali; students undertake practical projects, building things using the nature around them; Heart of School is one of the world’s largest bamboo buildings
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Everything at Green School underscores the all-important message that we are a part of nature, not apart from it
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FEATURES undertake Quest, developing an individual project around a personal interest with an environmental or social sustainability dimension. In grade 11, students work on a Greenstone, a capstone project spread over their final two years at the school. They take an idea into the real world, researching, developing and presenting it to an audience of hundreds. These projects are not theoretical exercises. Past students have created recyclable surf helmets, regenerative tourism initiatives and water filtration systems using mycelium. Scarlett, a grade 12 student who moved to Bali from England at 16, is currently researching the relationship between access to safe drinking water and plastic pollution in Indonesia. There is a practical reason for this emphasis on realworld investigation. Green School is trying to prepare students for a world in which the traditional definition of a career is changing as rapidly as the environment around them. Artificial intelligence is one part of that. Rather than rejecting AI, the school’s approach is to use it as a tool while retaining the skills it believes technology cannot replace: critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, and the ability to work with other people. Travis sees this as increasingly important, believing that as technology takes over more specialised skills, qualities such as curiosity, creativity, kindness and the ability to connect across cultures will become more valuable. Children, he says, learn to talk to people from very different backgrounds and find their place within a genuinely international community – and this is one of the school’s less obvious forms of preparation for adult life, one in which university is not the only destination. Since the first graduating class in 2013, more than 250 students have completed Green School’s high school programme. Almost 70 percent go onto universities in over 45 countries – including Cornell, the University of Amsterdam and the University of Auckland – but graduates have also gone into entrepreneurship, NGOs, social impact initiatives, travel and
other forms of strongly purpose-driven work. The important point for a parent is that the Green School vision of education does not preclude entry through more conventional doors. Its ethos of connection is now fanning out to other schools in Bali and students beyond. In 2008, the Green School Foundation was established as a local scholarship programme; today, it provides access to Indonesian students working with local schools and communities around sustainability, farming and regeneration. Satellite Green Schools are now open in South Africa, New Zealand and Mexico. The school has also developed The Bridge, a co-learning space for parents and the wider community – also known as ‘Green School for grown-ups’. More than 300 talks and workshops have been hosted through the programme, bringing educators, speakers, parents and students into the same learning environment. In February 2027, Green School will present its approach on a much larger stage. Its conference ReGeneration27, running from 24 to 28 February, will be a global gathering about the future of education, bringing together educators, researchers, students and young leaders to discuss regenerative education, climate change, technology and the changing role of schools. Among its four guiding voices is Clover Hogan, British climate activist and founder of Force of Nature, whose work focuses on youth agency and climate anxiety. She will appear alongside philosopher Báyò Akómoláfé, environmental professor Sandra Wooltorton, and regenerative design specialist Daniel Christian Wahl. Green School Bali is no longer simply proposing that children should be educated differently. It is facilitating a conversation about how education itself needs to change, moving from sustainability to regeneration, asking: how do we create systems that restore, renew and strengthen the communities and environments of which we are part? And this re-examines the most important question of them all. What is the purpose of education? ■
Students often do litter picks and river clean-ups, learning about pollution and the environment
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SCHOOL HOUSE PROMOTION
HIGH HOPES Turn dream university offers into reality with Crimson Education
W
hen autumn rolls around, the start of a fresh academic year goes beyond new books and a clean calendar for ambitious students. Instead, it offers a vital strategic window to hone in on future plans – specifically, those that involve Russell Group and Ivy League universities. ‘While the early years of secondary school are about discovery, the transition into years ten and 11 requires a shift from passive participation to active, targeted focus,’ explains Rebecca Pretorius, regional director at Crimson Education. The consultancy helps highaiming students secure places on their dream university courses through unparalleled coaching by a host of experts, many of whom are former admissions officers for top destinations such as Oxbridge and Harvard. At this point, what does building a strong application look like? ‘Crucially, it is no longer enough to simply take part in school clubs,’ says Pretorius. ‘This is the vital moment for students to hone their profile by looking beyond the school gates.’ Essay competitions, research projects and leading school societies are all a great place to start, but Crimson’s experts offer a clear path to success tailored to each students’ strengths and
goals. With thousands of first-choice offers under their belts, they are perfectly placed to advise students on the best extracurricular pursuits to supercharge their applications, ensuring they sit at the very top of the pile. Navigating this highly competitive landscape is overwhelming, and is even more difficult when done alone. Connecting with a Crimson expert early allows students to build crucial confidence as they work with someone who believes deeply in them and their academic aspirations. Backed by a strong track record, including 1,731 Ivy League and 460 Oxbridge offers, Crimson Education provides the supportive, strategic guidance needed to turn high aspirations into world-class admissions. Make your child’s university application count with Crimson Education at crimsoneducation.org n
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Scan the QR code to start you Shrewsbury journey
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To Have Many of Sherborne’s 500-year-old
traditions are carried across
continents to its Qatari outposts
& To Hold What happens to centuries-old traditions when a school opens a brand new outpost abroad? Alice Smellie investigates countryandtownhouse.com/schools ——
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CLOCKWISE: Chengdu, China is home to one of Malvern College’s nine global schools; Concord College International School is known as ‘Concord, but Malaysia’; Concord’s traditions are created by students themselves
‘We bring the values; the students create the traditions and the culture’ Philip Outram, Concord College International School
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erhaps the defining characteristic of Britain’s great independent schools is not the architecture, exam results, or famous alumni, but the traditions that have been built up over centuries of rich history. These rituals, ceremonies and peculiar turns of phrase form the fabric of the schools. They are the things that fascinate parents around the world, and what pupils remember decades later. But what happens when those schools establish satelitte sites thousands of miles from British shores? Do they faithfully retain their original, home traditions, or do they create new ones? The answer lies somewhere in between. Sherborne Boys in Dorset, with its warm, honey-coloured Hamstone buildings gathered around the majestic abbey, is more than 500 years old, with an identity steeped in history and continuity. The school’s traditions are woven into daily life, from the formal structures of houses and chapel, to the punctuation marks of the year: commem, lists (prize-giving), and leavers’ celebrations. And then there’s the unique language: The Carmen is the school song and ‘blues’ refers to the school uniform. In recent years, the Sherborne brand has expanded with the Sherborne Schools Worldwide family. The group, which now comprises five schools, was founded in 2017, its foundations centred on the 500-year-old inheritance of the Dorset setting and its ethos carried overseas from the buildings in southwest England’s rich green countryside. ‘We maintain links with the UK through governance and
educational oversight, which hold us to the standard the Sherborne name carries,’ says Jane Goldsack, chief education officer at Sherborne Qatar. In the Middle East, the house system so familiar at the Dorset schools is followed, albeit with a Qatari feel. At Sherborne Qatar School for Girls, three houses are named after notable British women in STEM and three after pioneering Qatari women. On the calendar every year is a spring fair – even if spring is somewhat different in Doha than in Dorset. ‘All five schools are involved and there is a spring bonnet and flower bouquet parade, which is a charming and very British spring tradition,’ says Goldsack. Community service is another tradition that has crossed continents, with Qatar also marking remembrance; in Dorset, the names of more than 400 Shirburnians who died in the two world wars are set into the wall of the staircase leading to the chapel. ‘Our pupils wear the red poppy, learn what it stands for and join the moment of silence,’ says Goldsack. Even afternoon tea has survived the journey. ‘This is one of the most enduring of British customs, and we keep it as a fixture in our school calendar,’ she adds. ‘Hosted by the senior leadership team, it welcomes our parents for an afternoon of tea, cake and conversation. It is a small, warm occasion, and a reminder that a Sherborne community is built as much over a cup of tea as it is at any grand event.’ Sherborne isn’t the only UK school to have found its culture transplant happily beyond our shores. Founded in 1843, coeducational boarding school Marlborough College, in Wiltshire, was established to educate the sons of Church of England clergy and is accordingly steeped in ritual. More than 6,000 miles away is the award-winning Marlborough College Malaysia in Iskandar Puteri, where more than 1,000 pupils aged three to 18 across 46 nationalities are educated. Ethos-wise, both schools – at home in Wiltshire and in Malaysia – are aligned; indeed, monthly meetings are held to this end. ‘We have the three ‘C’s, which they also have at Marlborough in the UK: compassion, companionship and conversation,’ says Suzannah Denness, director of admissions, marketing and development at Marlborough College Malaysia. ‘Many of our traditions are based on those in the UK.’ Boarding houses such as New Court and Mill Mead are modelled after UK buildings, and the uniform is the same. The college also follows the vocabulary of the Wiltshire school. ‘Beak’ is
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Marlborough College operates around the ‘three Cs’ of compassion, companionship and conversation in both the UK and Malaysia
teacher, ‘shell’ is year nine, ‘remove’ is year ten, ‘prep’ is homework, and ‘gation’ is a punishment where a pupil is gated, or confined to the boarding house. As well as this, adds Denness, ‘we have the classic British-style rituals such as annual prize-giving and speech day, we celebrate Burns Night and Bonfire Night, and even host our own pancake race – all adding to the authentic British boarding experience.’ Such events are rightly supported with celebrations of local culture – not just Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, ‘but Hari Raya, at the end of Ramadan; Malaysian public holidays; and our own vibrant Nations Day, which showcases the school’s 46 nationalities’. The traditions of Malvern College in Worcestershire – the result of 160 years of British boarding school history – have also gone global. In 2012 the first Malvern College outpost abroad opened, in Qingdao. Now, explains Wayne Maher, director of education for the Malvern College family of international schools, there are ‘nine international schools across five countries: China, Egypt, Hong Kong, Japan and Saudi Arabia’. Though plenty may differ territory to territory, the continuity established by Malvern itself is ‘vital’, adds Maher. ‘Parents appreciate traditional British culture, and it’s why a lot of them are drawn to us. They may see some of our British traditions as more valuable than we appreciate.’ In the UK, the house system underpins both community and pastoral care, with pupils in every country attached to houses that shape their daily life, events and identity. Certain details travel almost intact, with shared terminology like ‘big school’ for the theatre and ‘the grub’ for the cafeteria – not to mention the annual cross-country race. ‘This is called the
Ledder, because the original route is from Ledbury to Malvern. It makes sense in the UK – less so overseas,’ says Maher. ‘But it still prompts curiosity among the pupils about the school’s heritage and history.’ At the same time, each school layers on its own cultural markers, from Tokyo’s Sakura festival and boarding houses named after figures such as writer Kazuo Ishiguro, to Egypt Day with traditional dances. Together these create a blend of British public school tradition and local identity. At Malvern College Hong Kong, the pupil and parent-led festival Culturama celebrates the school’s multinational community. ‘We have what we call the Friends of Malvern groups, like a PTA,’ says Maher, ‘who come in and help run these events. In Hong Kong there are parents of 35 nationalities, and at Culturama they come to put on their own stalls and celebrate their own culture.’ Underpinning all of this are the Malvern Qualities, a shared ethos of character education that runs through every campus. ‘This is often prized by parents as much as academic results,’ adds Maher. At Concord College in Shropshire, tradition takes on a slightly different face given its context as an international school in both the UK and abroad. It may be relatively young at 76 years old, but, says UK principal Michael Truss, its traditions have grown organically out of its defining ethos rather than being inherited from centuries-old public school culture. The focus, he explains, is on helping a highly international student body feel quickly at home and part of a shared community. ‘In the first week, there are no academic lessons so students can immerse themselves in games, team-building and making friends rather than studying.’ The most memorable of these is the ‘high five’ game, where new arrivals run between rows of their peers and high five every other student in the school – literally a physical welcome into the community. At the end of this first week is British Day, which is not so much a celebration of Britishness as it is a celebration of being together in Britain, complete with ice creams, fairground rides and a relaxed atmosphere. Throughout the year, Concord’s traditions focus on collective experience – from an international food fair where national societies cook and share dishes from home, to music and dance showcases that give students the chance to present both traditional and contemporary culture. There is an iconic red telephone box on the UK campus, and this is decorated for everything from Valentine’s Day to major festivals. At Concord College International School in Malaysia, which opened in 2024, the school’s culture has been built on this template but in a new context. ‘We say “Concord, but Malaysia”,’ says principal Philip Outram. ‘The house system – and particularly the student-led house arts competition of song, spoken word and dance – has been adopted almost unchanged. It reflects the inclusion of a primary school in Malaysia, reinforcing the idea that culture and tradition are created by students rather than imposed on them.’ There are shared practices such as Saturday tests – ‘so they learn to prepare for real exams’ – and the Frank Bell Prize, which honours the former prisoner of war who organised a ‘secret university’ while in captivity in Borneo during the Second World War and, crucially, bought Concord College in 1969 and moved it to Shropshire in 1973. But Outram is clear: Malaysia is not copying an English boarding school playbook so much as exporting a culture of inclusion and re-expressing it in a different country, where its own flavours and rituals are added. ‘We bring the values; the students create the traditions,’ he says. And really, isn’t that what it’s all about – wherever in the world a school is? ■
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SCHOOL HOUSE PROMOTION
WHAT LIES WITHIN At Cobham Hall School, students unlock talents and achievements they never thought possible
B
ehind the proud red-brick façade of Cobham Hall lies a warm, supportive school with a remarkable heritage. Dating back to the 1580s and once the family residence of the Earls of Darnley, the Kent estate is now the happy home of 120 kind, driven and resilient students aged 11 to 18. The well-roundedness of each Cobham Hall boy and girl is a credit to the school’s educational approach, which motivates students to aim high by helping them feel understood and supported. ‘This is a place where every student is known, valued and encouraged to become the very best version of themselves,’ says Lauren Giffard, admissions and marketing lead. ‘At Cobham Hall, education is never one-size-fits-all.’ By taking the time to understand individual strengths and goals, teachers unlock hidden talents and ambitions, aptly embodying the school’s motto: ‘There’s more in you than you think.’ The results speak for themselves, with every 2026 leaver securing a place at their first
choice university, half of which were Russell Group. Beyond the forward-looking academic curriculum, which focuses on developing critical minds and global perspectives, Cobham Hall’s 40+ clubs and activities mean every student can pursue their passions. From Model UN to pantomime, badminton and chess, there is something for everyone – and endless scope to fall in love with something new. With opportunities to move into club leadership positions and take part in charity projects, too, students of all ages develop responsibility, confidence and a community-minded outlook. Having joined Mill Hill Education Group in 2021, Cobham Hall is part of a valuable global network of schools that share its educational philosophy. With a collaborative inter-school approach, each member of the group –from Mill Hill International School in Thailand to Bligh House SEND Centre on the grounds of Cobham Hall – benefits from joint trips, latest educational research, and partnerships with distinguished organisations. Student opportunities are unmatched and grow still by the day, forming characterful young people who leave Cobham Hall not only ready, but excited to make a real difference in the world. Experience Cobham Hall’s magic for yourself by registering your interest in its March 2027 open day via cobhamhall.com or admissions@cobhamhall.com n
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Bang on Brand What’s in a name? Eleanor Doughty discovers how Britain’s biggest schools break into new markets
T
there was a time when independent schools were mononymous. Rugby, Harrow, Dulwich: everyone knew their name, they didn’t need any explanation. But today, there are considerably more Rugbys, Harrows and Dulwichs around: Rugby Thailand, Harrow Dubai, Dulwich College Seoul. They are the branded schools, the satellite schools, the international outposts of the most famous schools in the world. Call them what you like – their global domination continues at pace. The phenomenon began in 1996 when Dulwich College, the south London boys’ school founded in 1619, opened a coeducational school in Phuket. There was some scepticism, to say the least; as someone who was there at the time recalls, ‘People said: “You can’t replicate good schools overseas in that way.”’ But soon enough, other schools caught on. Two years after Dulwich Phuket opened, Harrow School opened a branch in Bangkok. Today, according to a 2025 Private Education Policy Forum report, 50 British independent schools were operating 151 satellite campuses across the world in 2024-25, an increase of almost 20 percent over three years. And earlier this year, the Financial Times reported that 23 British independent schools opened branches overseas in 2025 alone. One might reasonably ask why – after all, don’t many of the biggest schools have generous endowments and vibrant portfolios? Well, yes. But the independent sector must diversify if it is to survive today’s domestic political environment. Schools are increasingly run not only by classics beaks, but by business development managers too. Charities many of them may be, but their business interests are key – not just in supporting the built estate at their heart, but in finding ways to support themselves without
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FEATURES Each of Wellington College’s 12 global schools feels distinctly and ‘authentically Wellington’
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leaning too heavily on domestic parents. And this means looking beyond our shores. ‘We have avoided the word “international” in our branding as we think “global” is more of an inclusive term,’ says Neil Hampton, CEO of Rugby School Global, which oversees the Warwickshire school’s five international outposts. ‘We don’t want to be seen as different from Rugby School in the UK – just a global extension.’ The opportunities that have come with the move into new markets are numerous, and not just for the global marketing reach. ‘Since we opened some of our branch campuses in other countries,’ says Hampton, ‘more people from those countries have shown an interest in coming to the UK school. That brand awareness has been an unintended consequence.’ A more intentional one has been the boon these global networks are to pupils. The Royal Grammar School Guildford (RGS) opened its first school abroad in Qatar in 2016 and now has four global satellite schools. Last year, a group of 120 year seven pupils from its Dubai outpost visited Surrey and spent ‘a week immersing themselves in the school’, says Alastair Morrison, managing director of RGS Guildford International. And over the summer, a group of lower sixth boys from the Guildford school went with staff to RGSG Nanjing as part of an ambassador programme, leading workshops with younger pupils and ‘representing us in the best way possible’. In 2023, RGS opened a school in Oman. When staff went over for a visit, they took with them a set of postcards from the Surrey prep school that featured some questions about life in the desert, ‘and the class in Oman wrote a response, which we took back’, says Morrison. ‘It was a small thing, but the younger children loved it. They realised
then that there’s a sister school – another RGS, where the children proudly wear the same rose and crown on their uniform.’ Initiatives such as these, he adds, form part of the school’s desire to show its home community the benefits of being part of a global structure. ‘With conf lict in the world, having an international awareness and empathy for people from other cultures is going to be more and more important.’ And it’s a net positive for the school’s offering to Surrey parents: ‘We have a network that not all schools do – certainly one that our competition locally don’t have.’ At Wellington College International, the global wing of the Victorian Berkshire boarding school with ten outposts beyond UK shores, managing director Paresh Thakrar is keen to impress upon parents the sense of family and inclusion in the group. ‘We want them to feel they are joining a school that is authentically Wellington, a school that can only feel like a Wellington College when you walk in.’ Each of these must have a relationship with the others. ‘We talk about a family of schools; to us, it genuinely is a family,’ says Thakrar, who visited the group’s four schools in China four times last year. A cynic might assume that, despite earnest talk of inclusion, these new schools are simply a cash cow for UK public schools and that the formation of these global groups is a franchise idea on steroids. This is not the case, says Hampton. ‘We’re not doing this quickly, or for just anybody. We’re doing it with partners that we respect and trust, and who share our educational values. We’re not just sticking a badge above a door, walking away and saying, “That’ll cost you X percent.” Every year we have a colloquium for the global principals and heads to discuss education in the round. We’re not sitting here in Warwickshire telling our schools what to do – it’s a meeting of minds.’
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FEATURES
‘With conflict in the world, having an international awareness and empathy for other cultures is more and more important’ Alastair Morrison, RGS Guildford International
ABOVE LEFT: Royal Grammar School Guildford welcomes visits from pupils studying at its international outposts and vice versa RIGHT: Rugby’s global schools are marketed as ‘extensions’ of its UK base, rather than separate institutions
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FEATURES Rugby School Global expansions are completed alongside partners that share the group’s educational values
At RGS Guildford, Morrison stresses the importance of the equal partnerships sought. ‘It’s not the British side imposing whatever it is we’re bringing; it’s “you can bring this, we can bring that”.’ RGS’ partner in India, Ryan Group, with whom it will open a branch in Bengaluru in 2028, has hundreds of schools across the nation: ‘they understand the market really well. To have coverage of such a complex and diverse country is great for us.’ It is no longer a given, though, that just having an old British name will suffice – even in East Asia where, says Hampton, ‘there is an enormous respect for antiquity’. After all, the global market now has a bit of experience under its belt. ‘You have to be able to articulate what your value added is,’ says Morrison. ‘British education does carry a certain amount of weight, but parents with the means to send their children to independent schools are increasingly savvy.’ At the top end of the market, where Thakrar positions Wellington – ‘we want to be able to give the Bentley service’ – this is even more acute, since ‘we’re always going to be at one of the highest fee points’. Most curious of all, though, is where and why new markets are emerging for such schools. Of the total satellite schools abroad, half are in China and Hong Kong and more than 20 percent are in the Middle East – not just the UAE, but also Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Oman. But now other nations are moving into view. Japan, for instance, has seen four British satellite schools open in as many years. This market has presented specific challenge to UK schools, particularly when it comes down to interpreting the ‘deep pastoral care and wellbeing agenda’, says Dr Hampton. ‘It’s not something that happens in the Japanese system to the same degree, so we’ve had to translate that.’ Nigeria, set to become the third most populous country in the world by 2050, has also had a run of school openings in recent years: Charterhouse in 2024, Rugby in 2025 and Wellington College Lagos, set to open in 2027. And for good reason. ‘Nigeria is under-resourced
in terms of its school provision at the premium end, and we would see ourselves at the super-premium end of the market,’ says Hampton. ‘It’s untapped.’ Plus, he adds, ‘Nigerians are familiar with the UK style of education already, so it’s not a hard sell.’ It combines the best of both worlds, as Ijay Uwakwe-Okoronkwo, founder of Nkuzhi Learning Foundation, told the BBC in 2025: ‘African parents love the fact that they are giving their children international standing so they can compete with their counterparts in any other part of the world, but they also don’t want their children to lose their African-ness.’ If this is the defined direction of travel, what’s next – or rather, where’s next? One thing is fairly sure: it won’t be the US. Although 2025 saw the opening of coeducational Harrow International School New York, a 170-acre campus between Manhattan and the Hamptons, the US market proves trickier for UK schools. ‘The difficulty a lot of the British brands face is that no one has heard of us in the US,’ says Hampton. ‘Why would they have? We can be confident that there are swathes of the Commonwealth that will have heard of us, but with the US you’re breaking into a market with no brand awareness whatsoever.’ What’s more, the US system already supports super-premium independent schools. Within relatively easy reach of Harrow New York are the renowned and rival schools Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and Phillips Academy Andover near Boston, as well as Milton Academy in Massachusetts – all of whom, in line with Harrow’s own fee structure, charge up to $80,000 a year for boarding. But beyond the US, there is endless scope. In Saudi Arabia, more opportunities will likely be created thanks to the government’s Vision 2030 initiative, which includes a ‘big strategic drive for education’, says Morrison. This environment, he adds, is ripe for disruption. ‘It’s a place where there are predicted population explosions coupled with expanding middle classes. Where you have these very large populations, even if it’s a small part of that population [that can afford a premium independent school], it’s still a significant chunk of people who want that opportunity for their children.’ The list of schools on global expansion journeys grows ever by the day. The King’s alma mater, Gordonstoun, opens a campus in Abu Dhabi next year, and St Paul’s Girls’ School opened SPGS International School Bangkok this summer with the aim of providing, as it describes, ‘a holistic education that balances academic excellence with exceptional pastoral care and a rich cocurricular offering’. Cheltenham College has a school in Oman, recently opened another in Malaysia, and work is ongoing at its Italian outpost in Lombardy. Wycombe Abbey opened its first international school in 2016, in Changzhou, and when its Singapore location opens within the next two years it will have six. This expansion forms part of the group’s vision to be ‘recognised globally [and] to generate additional sources of income to help fund the school’s bursary and estates strategies, thereby reducing reliance on income from school fees’. The aim to gain global recognition has also been adopted by Queen Elizabeth’s School in Barnet, north London. Founded in 1573, it was named the best state school in the country by The Sunday Times in 2025 and the joint-sixth best school overall in the country the same year. Without an endowment available or the ability to use public funds to set up satellite schools, it is working with global education company GEDU on its two new schools in India and Dubai. ‘If it’s possible and right for independent schools to be thinking in this direction, I don’t see any different as to why state schools should not,’ Queen Elizabeth School’s headmaster, Neil Enright, said in July. As for Rugby, ‘we will be opening a few more’, says Hampton. ‘But we’re not going to grow so quickly that we lose our ethos and dilute the brand.’ Thakrar can see the future and it is good; he has high hopes for Wellington abroad. ‘My ambition is for us to have a school on every continent,’ he says. ‘That would be a tremendous boon for our schools – and for our pupils.’ ■
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The Pursuit of Excellence The Spirit of Adventure
Bradfield, a Place That Stays With You Many schools sit in beautiful surroundings. Bradfield’s environment actively shapes its culture. An independent boarding and day school for girls and boys aged 13 to 18.
Berkshire RG7 6AU | admissions@bradfieldcollege.org.uk www.bradfieldcollege.org.uk
“
My advice for those wanting to follow their passion for art is to experiment with your work. At Tonbridge inspiration is never far away and there is limitless opportunity to create. From Tonbridge to Oxford University, discover Ben’s journey into Fine Art.
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Charterhouse’s historic roots work well to teach students about significant events, such as the First World War
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FEATURES
Past Matters A
Studying global history is more important than ever, cutting through the noise of our factually fractured age, finds Kat Brown
s an International Baccalaureate school, being internationally minded is something Charterhouse School expects of all its students, regardless of whether they take the IB or A levels. ‘About 25 percent of our students get on a plane to come to school; we have a very diverse community,’ says Catherine McDonald, director of IB and head of history. As a result, the school tries to think about that in terms of looking outwards from within. ‘You can be internationally minded, with global ambitions and global reach, even if you’ve grown up in Surrey.’ Every student, wherever they go to school, comes with their own attitude to learning – sometimes drawn from family, sometimes cultural. Jenni Foley has taught primary and secondary students and is now deputy head at Rikkyo, a bilingual primary and secondary boarding school in West Sussex teaching the Japanese and English curriculums. ‘Japanese teenagers often like being told what to think, because it’s easier – just do an exam, tick some boxes at the end – but they do also love to be challenged, even if they don’t realise it until they are,’ she says, arguably echoing sentiments felt by many students (and teachers) the world over. ‘Asking them to question what history is and how it has impacted people at various times – taking a medical conflict or political theme, for example – is really interesting for them.’ Stories are an excellent way into history, Foley adds. And it’s not only the younger students who enjoy them: ‘The year 11s love the playground antics,’ says Gabi Benton-Stace, head of history at Roedean. ‘The tit-for-tat of the start of the Cold War, for instance: Stalin being paranoid, the Western powers having conferences without him and not telling him what they were discussing. They find it hilarious, which is great. It’s a brilliant way to get them into some complex 1950s politics.’ At Charterhouse, McDonald similarly grounds history in story with an annual year nine archive project, in which pairs are assigned Old Carthusians and learn about their life, school days and death. ‘Charterhouse lost more boys than any other single school in the First World War because junior officers led from the front, and schools like ours sent junior officers to the Western Front to be mowed down. It’s overwhelming to think about a global war across one
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set of four years, but you can look at it through the lens of an individual.’ Such projects bring the past alive while giving students a grounding in open-mindedness and multiculturalism, which can help with understanding today’s political climate, McDonald says. ‘Particularly now, when immigration is so prominent in the news, it gives the children a way to contextualise some of those thorny issues and to discuss something that might otherwise feel quite politically charged.’ This is invaluable in getting students more involved in their studies, and gives them some degree of ownership over them, too. Along with developing independent thinking and research, examining history in this way develops additional qualities that will see students through their future careers. ‘Any school can teach you how to sit an exam and get an A, but then what do you do with that knowledge? How do you transfer those skills or make links with other disciplines?’ says Jo Evans, head of Charterhouse Malaysia. Here, every student from year nine onwards takes on an independent learning project each year to identify, research and solve a problem. ‘We’re constantly talking about what’s happening globally, and we’re quite bold about it,’ adds Evans. ‘I worked in China where you had to be very careful about what you could and couldn’t say. In Malaysia, if it’s on the news and available to students, we talk about it.’ That includes every journalist’s nightmare: reading the comments. ‘I’ve talked to students about this, too: yes, read the news articles, but then look at what people are saying about it,’ says Evans. ‘We’ve got access and a voice in a way people never had before. So don’t just read the story. What are people saying about it? How are they interpreting it?’
The TV in the lobby at Charterhouse Malaysia is tuned into different news channels throughout the day using YouTube Live. ‘Sky, BBC, Al Jazeera, CNN, even Fox for a small amount of time, so students see the different ways things have been reported by different sources. They’re not all standing around gawping at the news, but if it’s there in the background, it starts to build awareness. Seeing different versions of footage of the same event from different angles is often just enough to trigger something.’ For Benton-Stace, students asking questions inspired by what they’ve seen in the news offers a valuable opportunity to connect two distinct timelines. ‘We’re teaching history as politics in the past, really, and that lets them make those links,’ she says. ‘There are moments where I realise we have abandoned the lesson for the last 20 minutes because we’ve been having an in-depth conversation about, say, the death penalty. But often those are the bits students find really relevant. It sparks that realisation: “That’s where that began, and that’s why this is happening today.”’ The fundamentals of history and politics – who said this and why – are vital for our online age, where the internet, social media and now AI are putting the accuracy of sources under the spotlight as never before. ‘We’re in an era where we are potentially at risk of not understanding misinformation,’ says Foley. ‘Previous generations placed a real emphasis on understanding source materials and trying to establish some truth or facts – always a difficult thing to tease out. I’ve spoken to young people – 17, 18, 19 – who listen to fewer voices than we ever did. Because there’s so much noise out there, learning how to pick it apart is more important than ever.’
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FEATURES
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Linking present news with history and politics is key at Roedean; Charterhouse Malayasia students are well versed in current affairs as well as Charterhouse history; studying history builds empathy and creativity for Rikkyo students
This doesn’t just apply to students. Charterhouse Malaysia has a staff AI literacy programme to ensure teachers understand the latest developments. ‘As adults, we don’t know anywhere near as much as the young people; I don’t think we’re anywhere near as far ahead as we should be,’ says Evans. ‘We’ve also got champions placed around the school in different subject areas, so we’ve hopefully got it covered until everything changes again next week.’ The school uses Mindjoy, an AI platform programmed by educators that teaches students how to prompt safely from approved sources. There has also been significant discussion around deepfakes. In June, Malaysia passed the Cybercrimes Bill, imposing huge penalties on anyone who disseminates an AI-made image of another person for the purpose of committing a crime, such as identity theft or harassment. ‘Because they’ve grown up with this technology, our students don’t seem to realise that some of the images they’ve been sharing – as innocent as they might seem, like putting someone’s head onto something else – could land them in prison for a long time in Malaysia,’ says Evans. ‘There was a case at another school where someone had taken an image from the school website and used AI to make it look like people were kissing. Since we’re such a small, international school community here, it spread like wildfire. That generated a lot of talk about deepfakes, which fed into other discussions.’ Disinformation has been threaded throughout history. It all remains relevant and up for discussion, both at home and at school. Period dramas or theatre shows such as Six and Operation Mincemeat are terrific for giving a sense of place and engaging you in that narrative, says Benton-Stace. ‘It’s the same with historical sites. You really feel what it was like to be in the shoes of those people.’ All four teachers are agreed on the importance of studying history to build empathy and thinking skills. ‘History located at home is helpful to understand our roots and identity,’ says Foley. ‘But empathy outside of ourselves is really crucial as a human being, and history is very good at teaching that. Those years of learning how to think critically, synthesise, empathise, be creative and innovative, and consider other perspectives are extremely useful for all subjects – and for life after school.’ ■ countryandtownhouse.com/schools ——
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FEATURES
PHOTOS: XXXXX XXXXX XXXXXX
Testing the Water Rachel Hosie takes a peek inside the immersion programmes offering a taste of British schooling countryandtownhouse.com/schools ——
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‘Existing pupils benefit enormously from welcoming young people from all around the world into their school community’ Karen Semple, St George’s School Ascot
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A
FEATURES
s a French 13-year-old, arriving at a UK boarding school is a daunting prospect, even if you’re only staying for a few weeks. But if there’s one thing that will help ease the transition, it’s a croque monsieur – or perhaps a crêpe. This is just one of the ways in which Kingham Hill School in Oxfordshire welcomes its international short-stay pupils: with a taste of home made by the catering staff. Kingham Hill is one of many British independent schools that welcomes international students for as little as a couple of weeks to as long as two terms. A traditional British boarding school education has long held appeal abroad. At Bryanston School in Dorset, there are two distinct types of prospective pupil for its short-stay experience: those seeking specialist provision in areas their home education system does not offer (such as art, music, DT or sport), and those seeking a fully immersive try-before-you-buy experience of British boarding school life, be they UK-based or international. Bryanston relaunched its
short-stay programme earlier this year, with its most recent cohort including pupils from Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany and South America. At St George’s School, Ascot, the international immersion programmes developed naturally over time. ‘As a school with a long tradition of welcoming international pupils, we have always offered bespoke short-term immersion experiences informally for families looking to experience British boarding education, improve English language skills or prepare for longer-term study in the UK,’ says Karen Semple, director of admissions. ‘Over recent years, we have seen growing demand for these more tailored pathways and have worked across the admissions, languages and academic leadership teams to formalise and expand the provision into a clearer programme structure.’ Regardless of how long pupils are staying at a school, these programmes are generally designed to be fully immersive, with international pupils living in boarding houses and attending classes alongside those attending the school full-time. At Bryanston, both the specialist provision and general immersive pathways can be delivered with or without extra English language support. On the specialist pathway,pupils follow the same academic curriculum as their peers but
FROM LEFT: Students on Kingham Hill’s American Program are immersed in extracurriculars, including sport; Bryanston’s short-stay programme hosts pupils from far and wide
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FEATURES St George’s Ascot has a long tradition of welcoming international pupils
have one hour per subject per week redirected towards their specialism, be that performing arts or sport. Last year, Bryanston hosted a girl who came to the school on a rowing specialism because she was rowing for Switzerland. She’d only ever rowed on a lake before, so had to learn to steer in a different way on a river. Every programme is entirely bespoke. One pupil swapped singing for tennis when it became clear that was where her enthusiasm lay; another was moved out of physics and into entrepreneurship mentoring to better suit his needs and ambitions, explains Anne Megdiche, who runs Bryanston’s international programme. ‘I am their concierge. They tell me what they want; I put it together in a package for them,’ she says. If parents are worried about their child missing out on key parts of their home country’s academic curriculum, they needn’t be – the school will adapt lessons to fit these requirements. At Kingham Hill, the American Program offers a US-style education within a British school setting. Primarily for children of US military families based nearby, it was launched in 2007 in collaboration with the US Department of State to provide an accredited programme for students coming from, or returning to, schools in the US. From years seven to 11 – US grades six to ten – all lessons are in UK classes because the two countries’ curriculums align closely enough. But in the sixth form – grades 11 and 12 in the US – the programme’s pupils take a few dedicated subjects, including US government and politics, and US history. They typically have room to take one or two A level, BTEC or CTEC courses alongside the UK-based pupils too, the aim being to give pupils the best of both educational systems. US pupils currently make up 16 percent of the school roll – so it’s not a small group, and they’re typically in the UK for three years. ‘What makes the American Program at Kingham Hill so special is that students can immerse themselves in a distinctly English setting while being part of a community that truly understands the needs of US students and families,’ says Jonathan Furst, the programme’s director. Total immersion is a key tenet across the board, with short-stay pupils woven into normal school life rather than feeling like they’re at a separate school on the same site. While classes may be separate at times, pupils are all together for extracurricular activities, sport, tutorials and trips. At Wells Cathedral School in Somerset, pupils on two or three-week immersion programme enjoy visits to Cardiff, Westminster, Oxford, Glastonbury, Bath and London – that is, when they’re not in lessons, playing sport or enjoying a movie night. While it might all sound like fun and games, a short-stay programme is ‘not a holiday camp, it’s an academic pathway’, adds Megdiche. But as well as being educational, culturally enriching and jolly good fun for visiting pupils, every school stresses that the benefits are very much two-way. ‘While international pupils gain confidence,
language fluency and cultural understanding, our existing pupils also benefit enormously from the experience of welcoming young people from all around the world into the community,’ says Semple. ‘It brings different perspectives into the classroom, encourages cultural curiosity and friendships, and reflects the increasingly global world our pupils will move into beyond school.’ The Swiss rower at Bryanston? She became an incredible asset to the school’s rowing team. ‘Excuse the pun, but they took to her like a duck to water, and she to them,’ says Megdiche. Whether it’s small class sizes, the array of extracurricular activities on offer or the friendly teacher-pupil relationship, there’s undoubtedly something special about the British independent school experience. For some, pricing is of course a barrier, and that’s where short-stay programmes allow children, both from home and abroad, to get a taste of a special experience without the full commitment. When a short-stay pupil leaves Bryanston, they receive a full written report, a certificate of achievement and an invitation to join the alumni network. Plus, in Megdiche’s own words, a reminder that has stayed with more than one departing pupil: ‘you are an Old Bryanstonian for life now’. ■
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Take a closer look... Independent Co-educational Day and Boarding school 2026 A Level result 58.9% A*- A 2026 GCSE result 56.5% 9 - 8 Find out more at berkhamsted.com 30 mins from London Euston
40 mins from London Heathrow
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CREATIVITY BELONGS IN EVERY CHILD'S EDUCATION. Arts participation is associated with around THREE additional months of academic progress. Give your children space to create.
As the Country & Town House charity partner, Create is offering free creative activities to all readers of the magazine.
SCAN TO GET CREATIVE
Country & Town House Charity Partner
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Source: Education Endowment Foundation, Arts Participation, Teaching and Learning Toolkit.
15/09/2026 17:02
SCHOOL’S OUT
I
joined Temple Grove School in East Sussex in September 1970 when I was seven and a half. Everyone there was a boarder – all boys then. It was a very successful, popular school [since closed] and I savoured its gardens with the spectacular herbaceous borders and yew hedges. I’m still a great lover of rhododendrons and azaleas; the gardens made a lasting impression on me. The school had three lakes: Upper Lake, Middle Lake and Lower Lake, and I was a keen birdwatcher and would take myself off in breaks with my notebook. I built a hide and would clock up which birds I saw. You weren’t allowed on the lakes but there was a great hut culture – you’d go out with your mates and build huts. Every now and again our headmaster would come out at lunchtime when the whole school was assembled in the dining room and declare: ‘Hut warfare has broken out and therefore all huts will be banned until further notice.’ My Latin teacher, Simon Wright – known as Shrew because of his initials, ‘SHW’ – was an astonishingly capable scout master. But my geography teacher Andrew Keith, whom I met in my last year, had the greatest influence on me. He was a Cambridge man, quite young when I first met him, and he lived above the stables with his wife and children. At Cambridge, his research had been to prepare maps of islands in an atoll and I remember how he had had water-painted them with washes of blues and greens reflecting the depths and heights. It really had an impact on me, and I’ve often wondered how much that made me think about exploring the natural world. When he arrived I wasn’t super sporty, but my body soon went through a major change; I became very strong and pretty fast. I began excelling in football and rugby, and I took my cricket seriously – but Keith introduced athletics. Before, no one practiced for sports day – you just turned up. I got into the 400m, 800m and shot put, and would push myself in training sessions devised by Keith, who I asked if he’d let me take three shots home for the Easter holidays. With putting it’s all about speed and power surging from low down, and I practiced this every day for four weeks in our orchard. After a month I was throwing further; it was so exciting. Keith was different: he wasn’t like a master and he wasn’t like a father, but I saw things in his approach that seemed valuable. There was a meeting of minds for me. He opened a window on the real world for me, sowing seeds in quite an explicit way; he introduced me to the benefit of having an appropriate training programme. What I’ve learnt in life is that there is no end to expanding our human capacity – it’s about compliance to the right process over time. Most of my stories about Keith are things that didn’t happen in lesson time – that’s where the value added is in these schools. It wasn’t all the teachers, but some of them had the passion to inspire, and he was one of those. Some years ago, about eight of us got together and met with him. It was really nice to be able to let him know how important he had been to us back then. Such pupilteacher relationships are golden. Eleanor Doughty ■
MY FAVOURITE TEACHER
Polar explorer and conservationist Pen Hadow remembers his prep school geography teacher, Andrew Keith
FROM TOP: Pen Hadow received the Shackleton Medal in 2023 for his dedication to protecting the polar regions; sport was a big part of his time at Temple Grove
Pen Hadow is director of the 90 North Foundation, 90northfoundation.org countryandtownhouse.com/schools ——
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Directory 21
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ACS Cobham Heywood, Portsmouth Road, Cobham, Surrey England KT11 1BL +44 (0)1932 867251 acs-schools.com ACS Egham Woodlee, London Road, Egham, Surrey England TW20 0HS +44 (0)1784 430611 acs-schools.com
Aiglon College Avenue Centrale 61 1885 Chesières-Villars Switzerland +41 (0)24 496 6161 aiglon.ch
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Berkhamsted School Overton House, 133 High Street, Berkhamsted Hertfordshire England HP4 2DJ +44 (0)1442 358000 berkhamsted.com
IBC
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ACS Hillingdon Hillingdon Court 108 Vine Lane Hillingdon, Uxbridge England UB10 0BE +44 (0)1895 259771 acs-schools.com
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Bradfield College Bradfield, Reading Berkshire England RG7 6AU +44 (0)1189 644500 bradfieldcollege.org.uk Broomwood Prep Boys 26 Bolingbroke Grove London England SW11 6EL +44 (0)20 8682 8888 broomwood.com Broomwood Prep Girls 68-74 Nightingale Lane London England SW12 8NR +44 (0)20 8682 8810 broomwood.com Brighton College Bangkok 8/8 Krungthep Kreetha Yaek 4 (Surao Yai) Krungthep Kreetha Soi 15, Hua Mak Bang Kapi District Bangkok, Thailand 10240 +66 (0)2300 9600 brightoncollege.ac.th
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8
39
Brighton College Bangkok Vibhavadi 998/1 Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Lad Yao Chatuchak Bangkok, Thailand 10900 +66 (0)2513 0270 brightoncollege.ac.th Brighton College Vietnam Lot B2-TH01 & B2-CS01 Vinhomes Ocean Park Urban Area, Gia Lam Hanoi, Vietnam +84 (0)1800 6010 brightoncollege.edu.vn Brighton College Prep Handcross London Road, Handcross Haywards Heath West Sussex England RH17 6HF +44 (0)1444 400526 brightoncollegeprep handcross.co.uk Brighton College Prep Hove 190 Dyke Road, Brighton & Hove, East Sussex England BN1 5AA +44 (0)1273 553645 brightoncollege prephove.com Brighton College Singapore 1 Chuan Lane Singapore 553299 +65 (0)6505 9790 brightoncollege.edu.sg Brighton College Dubai Al Barsha Al Barsha South Dubai, UAE +971 (0)4 387 1116 brightoncollegedubai.ae Brighton College Abu Dhabi 175 Das Street Abu Dhabi, UAE +971 (0)2 815 6504 brightoncollege.ae The British School of Amsterdam Havenstraat 6 1075 PR, Amsterdam The Netherlands +31 (0)20 679 7840 britams.nl Bryanston School Blandford Forum, Dorset England DT11 0PX +44 (0)1258 452411 bryanston.co.uk City of London Freemen’s School Ashtead Park Ashstead, Surrey England KT21 1ET +44 (0)1372 822400 freemens.org
53
Cobham Hall School Brewers Road, Cobham Kent, England DA12 3BL +44 (0)1474 823371 cobhamhall.com
10
30
Concord College Acton Burnell Hall Acton Burnell Shrewsbury, Shropshire England SY5 7PF +44 (0)1694 731631 concordcollegeuk.com
48
48
Downside School Stratton-on-the-Fosse Radstock, Somerset England BA3 4RJ +44 (0)1761 235100 downside.co.uk
19
Dulwich College Dulwich Common Dulwich, London England SE21 7LD +44 (0)20 8693 3601 dulwich.org.uk
40
14
5
St Edward’s School Woodstock Road Oxford England OX2 7NN +44 (0)1865 319204 stedwardsoxford.org
2
Stonyhurst College Clitheroe, Lancashire England BB7 9PZ +44 (0)1254 826345 stonyhurst.ac.uk
69
The Downs Malvern Brockhill Road, Malvern Worcestershire England WR13 6EY +44 (0)1684 544100 malverncollege.org.uk
St Paul’s Waldorf School 1 St Paul’s Road, London England NQ 2QH +44 (0)20 7226 4454 stpaulswaldorfschool.org
6
Kneller Hall School 65 Kneller Road Twickenham England TW2 7DN +44 (0)20 8891 6264 knellerhallschool.org
TASIS England Coldharbour Lane Thorpe, Surrey England TW20 8TE +44 (0)1932 565252 tasisengland.org
9
Thomas’s Battersea 28-40 Battersea High Street, London England SW11 3JB +44 (0)20 7046 1457 thomas-sbattersea.co.uk
9
Thomas’s Clapham Broomwood Rd, London England SW11 6JZ +44 (0)20 7326 9300 thomas-sclapham.co.uk
9
Thomas’s College Queen’s Road, Richmond Hill, Richmond England TW10 6JW +44 (0)20 7978 0902 thomas-s.co.uk
9
Thomas’s Fulham 49 Hugon Road, London England SW6 3ES +44 (0)20 7751 8200 thomas-sfulham.co.uk
9
Thomas’s Kensington 17-19 Cottesmore Gardens, London England W8 5PR +44 (0)20 7361 6500 thomas-skensington .co.uk
59
Tonbridge School High Street, Tonbridge Kent, England TN9 1JP +44 (0)1732 365555 tonbridge-school.co.uk
40
Malvern College College Road, Malvern England WR14 3DF +44 (0)1684 581500 malverncollege.org.uk
IFC
MPW London 90-92 Queen’s Gate London England SW7 5AB +44 (0)20 7835 1355 mpw.ac.uk
IFC
IFC
35
22
Rugby School Lawrence Sheriff Street Rugby, Warwickshire England CV22 5EH +44 (0)1788 556216 rugbyschool.co.uk Shrewsbury School Ashton Road Shrewsbury England SY3 7BA +44 (0)1742 280500 shrewsbury.org.uk
MPW Birmingham 16-18 Greenfield Crescent Birmingham England B15 3AU +44 (0)121 454 9637 mpw.ac.uk MPW Cambridge 3-4 Brookside Cambridge England CB2 1JE +44 (0)1223 350158 mpw.ac.uk Queen Ethelburga’s Thorpe Underwood Estate, York England YO26 9SS +44 (0)1423 333333 qe.org Roedean School Roedean Way, Brighton England BN2 5RQ +44 (0)1273 667500 roedean.co.uk
25/09/2026 12:07
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