4 Dauntsey’s Middle School
6 Our GCSE programme
8 Learning in a digital world
10 Beyond academic studies
12 William Dauntsey Award
14 Sporting life
16 Moving to ‘high adventures’
18 New houses mark a new beginning
20 Upper School houses
22 What’s next?
Joining the Middle School at Dauntsey’s is a key moment in a pupil’s journey through the school. At the end of the Third Form pupils say goodbye to their Lower School houses, and the Fourth Form sees them join one of eight Upper School houses.
The freedom and independence that pupils are afforded grows, while academic expectation rises as they study for their GCSEs and even begin to take their first tentative steps towards preparing for A Level study. The average class size drops to 16 and the lessons are personal, engaging and full of positivity, challenge and collaboration.
Outside of the classroom, pupils are stretched and challenged too. Sport continues to play an important part of daily life, with more choice and individual pursuits on offer, alongside our traditional team sports. Opportunities to be involved in performing arts are plentiful, whether in school productions or as part of the curriculum, with dance, drama and music all offered at GCSE level. Everyone is given the opportunity to spend 24 hours aboard the Jolie Brise, which may lead to a life-long love of sailing and adventure, while the adventure programme itself offers more challenge. Whatever the particular interests of a pupil are, now is the time for those to flourish.
The Middle School is an exciting time, providing stretch, challenge and opportunity in and out of the classroom, and I am on hand to support all pupils on this journey.
Will Walker Head of Middle School
Pupils are given the choice of studying nine or ten GCSE subjects, with the majority opting to study nine. English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, and Science (equivalent to two or three subjects) are compulsory and then there is a wide range of optional subjects that pupils can choose freely from.
CORE SUBJECTS
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
ENGLISH LITERATURE MATHEMATICS
SCIENCE - EQUIVALENT TO TWO OR THREE GCSEs
16
OPTIONAL SUBJECTS
ART AND DESIGN
DANCE
DRAMA
FRENCH FURTHER MATHS
GERMAN COMPUTING
SPANISH HISTORY
MUSIC LATIN GEOGRAPHY
CLASSICAL CIVILISATION RELIGIOUS STUDIES
DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Complementary Curriculum lessons are regularly timetabled, giving pupils the opportunity to study and discuss a range of important issues. Topics such as relationships, mental health and well-being are covered over the two years. The safe use of social media is also explored as well as the potential dangers and risks.
Pupils consider life beyond school, their ambitions, expectations and the realities. This involves discussion on work-life balance, stress management and control. In the lead up to the exams, anxiety and relaxation techniques are investigated.
“I felt quite nervous about going up into Fourth Form and starting my GCSEs, as it felt like a big step up. The teachers are so supportive though, and are always there to provide additional help if needed. You also get scheduled study periods which help with managing workloads.”
-Fourth Form boarder
At Dauntsey’s we educate our pupils for the future - giving them the skills, confidence and resilience to be successful in whatever they choose to do.
We recognise the central role that technology will play in the future lives of our pupils and take responsibility for preparing them to take full advantage of this. Interactive and digital technology can enhance pupils’ everyday learning experiences and we are determined that our pupils will benefit from this.
All teachers and pupils are well established on Microsoft 365 and its associated products and apps, all classrooms are equipped with high quality interactive boards and an increasing amount of teaching uses digital technology.
To support this, we require all pupils to bring in their own device. From Middle School, we recommend that pupils should have a Microsoft Surface Pro. These are designed for education and are widely used in schools.
Our pupils do not spend all day looking at a screen and teaching pupils responsible use of technology is essential. We encourage all pupils to use devices positively and for productive reasons, not excessively.
Our pastoral care system regularly addresses e-safety issues in addition to topics such as screen time, managing the pressures of social media and emotional health and general wellbeing.
We very much recognise that personal communication through mobile technologies is an accepted part of everyday life, however we firmly believe there is a need to set clear guidelines and limit use during the school day. In the Middle School phones are handed to House staff on arrival at school, they are then locked away securely in the Houses until the end of the day.
The academic pressure may well grow in these GCSE years, but our co-curricular programme retains its prominence in day-to-day life.
Opportunities for involvement in drama and music are plentiful and many Middle School pupils take on lead roles in plays and performances throughout the year. With growing levels of confidence and ability, pupils also perform regularly at events such as ‘Live@the Pav’ and look to join senior choirs and bands.
Clubs and activities are still an integral part of the school day and a range of new clubs and activities are introduced at this point, such as Debating, Dungeons & Dragons, the Philosophy Society and the Sailing Club. There are also opportunities for students to look to the future with a Medical Focus Group and Amnesty International club.
Opportunities for overseas travel are plentiful; there is the Middle School Ski Trip, a number of sports tours, as well as subject specific trips, such as a History trip to the World War One battlefields.
A popular cookery course, run by Vaughan’s Kitchen, is also offered, and this leads on to a more comprehensive Sixth Form qualification, giving pupils the opportunity to work as a chef in ski chalets, and/or on boats, during Gap years.
Throughout these two years, pupils not only learn and develop numerous life skills, but they also further develop many of their true interests and passions, all of which stand them in good stead as they move into their final two years at school.
What happens outside of the classroom is as important as what happens within when it comes to creating well-rounded individuals. We want to make sure that all pupils make the most of their time at Dauntsey’s, that they take advantage of all the opportunities that are on offer to them and that they learn about the importance of giving back to the community.
The William Dauntsey Award, named after our founder, has been introduced to encourage and celebrate all that pupils do outside of the classroom to support themselves, their friends and their community.
The Award comprises of four different stands: Intellect, Creative, Service and Physical, and pupils can achieve up to three awards throughout their time at Dauntsey’s. Pupils in Middle School will work towards their Silver Award, before progressing on to Gold in the Sixth Form. All pupils are automatically enrolled in the award programme.
Pupils can gain points towards their awards through a wide variety of different activities and tutors and department staff are there to help guide and support with this.
Sport is still an ever-present part of the day for Middle School pupils. As academic pressure intensifies, ensuring that pupils have dedicated time and space away from academic study is crucial.
For keen sports players, the major sports of rugby, football, hockey, cricket, athletics and tennis for the boys and hockey, netball, cricket, athletics and tennis for the girls remain and many matches are played across the year. We do have high expectations in terms of commitment from our team players, but the rewards are plentiful. Strong bonds are created within the teams and these bonds and friendships help to motivate players both on and off the field. Pupils also achieve an enormous sense of pride when representing the school.
For those who are not interested in the main stream sports and who do not play for a school team, there are a number of alternative options for them to choose from, either in the form of sports clubs or options within their timetabled session - these include swimming, squash, fencing, equestrian, rifle shooting, gym sessions and aerobics. This broad offering ensures that all pupils are able and encouraged to include an element of sport into their daily lives.
Sports tours are also very popular, with tours to Spain, Holland and Malaysia having taken place in recent years. Whilst these tours undoubtedly help from a sporting and team building perspective, they also build self-confidence, independence and create memories that stay with pupils for life.
“The big difference for me when I moved up to Middle School was the number of different sport options available. I am not particularly sporty, so suddenly being able to do aerobics, yoga and have access to the gym has been great. There is a nice group of us who join in with similar activities, so it is often one of the highlights of my day.”
-Fifth Form pupil
Adventure steps up a gear, as pupils move from ‘accessible adventures’ towards ‘high adventures’. They begin to take on more challenging activities, testing their personal resilience, strength and determination.
In the Autumn Term, every pupil in the Fourth Form spends a day and a night on the Jolie Brise, this is very much a right of passage for Dauntsey’s pupils. For some this will be their first foray into the world of sailing and for many it is the start of a life-long love of sailing. Whilst on board, pupils learn what life at sea is like; they learn to sail (and quickly put these new skills to test), cook for themselves and importantly bond with their fellow sailors and new house mates. After they have completed their 24 hours on board, they become eligible to join the Dauntsey’s Sailing Club and sign up for the Easter and Summer Cruises that run each year.
“Sailing on Jolie Brise is a big confidence builder. I see our pupils walking taller when they come off the boat.”
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Toby Marris, Head of Sailing
Jolie Brise, arguably one of the most famous tall ships in the world, has been sailed and maintained by pupils from Dauntsey’s for 45 years - pupils have sailed her across the Atlantic six times, crossed the Bay of Biscay 10 times, and navigated up to 200 miles inside the Arctic Circle. She has always played, and continues to play, an important role in the lives of our pupils.
Fourth Form also have the opportunity to participate in our very own Trek to the Stones. This is a self-led independent expedition that sees pupils walking from the school to the famous stone circle at Avebury, camping overnight on the way. Teams choose their own routes, with most opting to cover more than 50km over two days.
The Middle School Adventure Programme allows pupils to start pushing their own personal boundaries, within a safe, structured and challenging framework. Pupils are encouraged to start taking charge and organising things for themselves and in turn becoming more organised; they are taught to understand and evaluate the risks involved in their chosen adventures and they learn the importance of working alongside others in order to increase their chance of success - all important lessons for life.
The house system continues to be central to life at Dauntsey’s throughout the Middle School and the feeling of belonging and collective responsibility that is created in the Lower School continues.
There are four boarding houses and four day houses and a great deal of consideration goes into house allocations to ensure a balance of interests and personalities. Numerous conversations take place between Lower School house staff and tutors to ensure that we balance interests and take into account friendship dynamics. Confirmation of house allocations are sent out in the June prior to moving up in September and siblings follow one another into the various houses.
Although we move to single-sex houses in the Middle School, there are plenty of opportunities to mix as a cohort. There are opportunities for the year groups to come together as a whole at regular afternoon tea socials and there are the more formalised end of exam celebrations after mocks and summer exams. Pupils are free to welcome friends into each other’s house common rooms, ensuring that friendships formed in Lower School continue to develop.
As in the Lower School, house staff remain an important and trusted form of support for pupils. In addition to house staff and tutors, pupils are supported by teaching staff, nurses, counsellors and many others, all ensuring that the mental, physical and spiritual needs of pupils are met.
On arrival in Middle School, pupils will also be allocated a new tutor who will stay with them until they finish their time at Dauntsey’s. At this stage of the school a ‘vertical tutoring’ approach is introduced and pupils’ tutor groups are of mixed ages. This increased interaction with pupils higher up in the school, helps develop the maturity and independence of pupils, whilst also giving them role models to look up to.
8 HOUSES
(4 DAY & 4 BOARDING)
“Senior houses really do feel like a second home. Your house is a safe space to relax with friends on the sofa, make some toast or just get on with school work.”
-Fifth Form day pupil
In response to this heightened maturity, pupils are given increased freedom and independence within the school day and, for boarders, at the weekend. Throughout the day they are allocated numerous ‘private study’ periods to help them manage the increased work load, and at weekends, boarders have the opportunity to participate in a wide-ranging activity and trips programme. These include cinema trips, shopping trips to Bath or Bristol, trips to theme parks, water parks or climbing walls, as well as visits to the seaside and countryside walks.
Girls
Evans House aims to create a warm, secure and caring environment, where everyone is encouraged to reach their full potential, in every aspect of their lives. Evans is a friendly, inclusive house and all its members are valued and respected for being themselves.
Boys MERCERS
Mercers’ boys are encouraged to make the most of all their abilities and the opportunities on offer. The focus is on making each boy feel secure and significant, with the aim being that when they leave Mercers, they will be realising their potential as individuals, and realising that collectively they are even better.
JEANNE
The Jeanne house moto is VICENT QUIS SE VICENT, meaning ‘She who conquers herself, wins’. Jeanne girls are passionate about bettering themselves through creating happiness in their lives. Jeanne girls are inclusive, friendly and keen to make the most of the opportunities presented to them.
Virtute non Verbis – this is on the Fitzmaurice House crest and translates as ‘action not words’; because of this, Fitzmaurice has always been a House with a culture of doing and all boys are encouraged to embody this, making sure they represent themselves and the house in the best possible light at all times.
King-Reynolds has a friendly atmosphere and new girls are made to feel very welcome. It has a strong tradition in music, drama and sport. The girls are encouraged to contribute widely to the school community, to flourish (the motto is Floreat Femina) and to treat each other with kindness and respect at all times.
Farmer House aims to promote a friendly, respectful and supportive environment where everyone is given the opportunity to flourish and develop. Members of the house are encouraged to contribute positively to house life, with the aim of leaving Farmer in a better place for future year groups.
The Lambert motto in Greek, translates as “Good Fortune to the House” and all girls are encouraged to behave in a way that will result in good fortune for the house. Girls are encouraged to be aspirational and to be socially and politically aware as well. Lambert girls past and present describe the House as the ‘LamFam’ (Lambert Family): it is an inclusive, cohesive and happy place to be.
The aim in the house is to encourage the boys to enjoy their school life, and to flourish and develop as responsible and confident young men. The boys are contributors and people who relish every challenge thrown at them, whether in the classroom, on the sports field, on stage, or in competitions such as debates and public speaking.
Time flies in the Middle School and before pupils know it, they are at the end of their GCSE programme and moving into Sixth Form.
Throughout both the Fourth and Fifth Form our Careers Department works closely with pupils and introduces them to the idea of career planning and implementation. All Fifth Form pupils are encouraged to take part in at least one week’s worth of work experience after their GCSE examinations.
Outside providers, such as MyFutureChoice are used to help with Level 3 qualification (A Level, BTEC, T Level, IB, Pre-U) choices as pupils progress through the Middle School. There are also numerous information sessions held at school to help with decision making, such as the A Level Discovery Morning and Subject Fair. A Level options are submitted at the end of January in the Fifth Form.
In the week following the final GCSE examination, we run our ever-popular Post GCSE Life Skills Programme, for the Fifth Form. There are a range of options available, all of which are designed to provide pupils with specific skills and attitudes that will help them as they progress into the Sixth Form. Some of these will be practical, like first aid and CPR, lifeguarding, flying, basic mechanics, sewing or cooking, while others will look to develop other skills and traits such as teamwork and leadership. Above all, they are designed to be fun and this final week, which includes a Fifth Form Ball is a celebration of a busy, memorable and exciting two years in the Middle School.
COURSES OFFERED IN POST GCSE PROGRAMME
“It was hard work, but we definitely had fun along the way!”
-Sixth Form pupil reflecting on Middle School years
