independent schools 2019

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Newbury Weekly News

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Independent Schools February 2019

Newbury Weekly News

09:00 - 11:00AM Open Day -!2 0

P I CK YOUR PATH AT. . .

The Mount, Highclere, Newbury, RG20 9PS Tel: +44 (0) 1635 253172 www.thorngroveschool.co.uk

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Newbury Weekly News

Independent Day School Boys 6 months - 11 years

Open Mornings Nursery & Junior School Thursday 14 February 9.30 - 12.00 Senior School & Sixth Form Friday 15 March 9.30 - 12.00

Independent Day School Girls 6 months - 18 years

To reserve your place, please contact - admissions@stgabriels.co.uk

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01635 555680 www.stgabriels.co.uk St Gabriel’s Sandleford Priory Newbury Berkshire RG20 9BD

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Newbury Weekly News

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Thursday, February 7, 2019

Newbury Weekly News

Rookwood School

ROOKWOOD is a co- educational, day and boarding school, for pupils aged two to 16, in Andover, Hampshire. Across the school pupils benefit from high-quality teaching, excellent facilities and small classes. The favourable teacher-pupil ratio ensures that pupils receive individual attention and that teaching can be tailored to meet the needs of all pupils. Set in eight acres, the school has an impressive range of amenities including a state-of-the-art sports hall, outdoor swimming pool, excellent art and sciencefacili- ties and a new music iMac suite. Additionally, there is an ISI-rated ‘excellent’ boarding house, which offers full and flexi- boarding for pupils from Year 3 upwards. It is led by experienced house parents who provide the highest quality of care to pupils around the clock and is noted for its home-from-home atmosphere. While Rookwood is non-selective, it still achieves excellent academic success. In 2018, 97 per cent of pupils gained five or more GCSE grades 9-4 and an outstanding 100 per cent of pupils achieved 9-4 in both maths and English language. However, Rookwood is so much more than exam results. Pupils have many opportunities to experience a broader education than is simply presented on the timetable. School life is rich in experiences and ensures that pupils have a varied and balanced education that not only focuses on

Horris Hill School

a safe and encouraging environment.

education to a wider age group. We will ensure that key reading, writing and handwriting skills, as well as manners and communication skills, are embedded during the formative early years. From age four, every boy will also enjoy a rich tapestry of specialist music, drama, art and sport teaching and will benefit from first-class facilities and extensive countryside grounds in which they will also enjoy outdoor learning, kitchen gardening and bushcraft. To see for yourself what a difference a Horris Hill education could make for your son, please come and visit the school. extra-curricular activity. They will have access to

FROM September 2019, Horris Hill will be offering its unique nurturing and academic experience from reception upwards. The school will welcome boys from four to 13 years of age, with the option to board from Year 4 and upwards. With the advent of changes to senior school pre-testing, it has become beneficial for a boy to start his Horris Hill educational journey at a younger age, in order for him to develop as an individual and be adequately prepared for the competitive 13+ entry process. The school believes that the period from four to 13 years of age are the most critical in any boy’s life. Horris Hill is a special place to be. Nestled in its own 80-acre estate with outstanding facilities, boys can exercise their intellectual inquisitiveness, free to explore all avenues, building self-confidence and awareness in

Horris Hill has a long tradition of educating boys and offers the

gold standard in boys’ preparatory education.

The school’s emphasis is on the development of the whole boy, without compromising the 130- year record of academic excellence. In 2017 and 2018, all senior boys gained entry into their chosen senior school with remarkable scholarship successes including academic awards to Winchester, Eton and Marlborough, an outstanding talent award to Harrow, sports awards to Millfield, Charterhouse and Sherborne and drama to Milton Abbey and St Edward’s Oxford. This demonstrates the breadth of excellence and the capability of the school to deliver across the spectrum within a nurturing and pastorally-guided approach. We are now able to offer the benefits of this exceptional

their understanding. They are encouraged to know and understand themselves and those around them. To recognise that life has its ups and downs and that through knowing themselves they learn to build on their experiences and develop as our future citizens. As a result, students leave Rookwood as confident, resilient and principled young adults, ready for the next stage of their education. To find out more about what a Rookwood education has to offer or to arrange a visit, call (01264) 325910. www.rookwoodschool.org

academic achievement, but also on personal development. There are more than 100 weekly clubs and activities across the arts, sport and science as well as residential and overseas trips. The school also runs a thriving Duke of Edinburgh Awards programme and was recently awarded the prestigious School Games Gold Mark in recognition of its sporting endeavours. Rookwood’s motto is ‘Sapere Aude’, which translates as ‘dare to know’ and is clearly seen in everything the pupils do. Pupils are challenged to have courage¸ to learn new things, develop new skills and deepen

Email the registrar Lisa Lee-Smith at registrar@

horrishill.com to arrange an appointment and the team look forward to welcoming you to Horris Hill.

ROOKWOOD SCHOOL Co-educational | Day & Boarding | 3-16 Years An outstandingly happy and successful school

OPEN MORNING

To book a visit please contact registrar@horrishill.com Saturday 9th March, 10am - 12noon

OPEN MORNING Thursday 2nd May 2019 9.30am-12.30pm To reserve a place contact our Registrar on 01264 325910 School bus route available from Newbury Weyhill Road, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 3AL www.rookwoodschool.org

The gold standard in boys’ preparatory education Day, Transition and Full Boarding places Reception to Year 8 Outstanding academic reputation Huge breadth of co-curricular opportunities

horrishill.com horrishill.com

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Newbury Weekly News

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Newbury Weekly News

The Oratory Preparatory School

ballet and tap-dancing to fencing and cookery at the youngest age, through to archery and clubs for art, science and decoding in the Prep years. An optional Saturday Enrichment Programme broadens the horizons and minds of pupils in Years 5-8. Modules on offer include geology, orienteering, debating, public speaking, life skills, First Aid and philosophy. This programme runs alongside trips to places such as Rome and South Africa. Full, weekly and flexi-boarding is available for boys and girls from Year 4 upwards. The Boarding House is all the richer for its mix of nationalities, with pupils from Spain, France, Nigeria and China. Almost 50 scholarships and exhibitions, ranging from all-round scholarships and exhibitions to academic scholarships and scholarships in music, art, drama and sport, have been awarded to Year 8 pupils over the past three years. In that time, boys have accepted places at schools, including Abingdon, the Oratory School, Marlborough, Wellington College, Radley, Eton, St Edward’s, Pangbourne College, and Bradfield College. Year 8 girls have gone on to St Helen and St Katharine, St Mary’s Ascot, St Mary’s Calne, The Abbey, Headington, Wellington, Queen Anne’s, Bradfield College, Pangbourne College and Marlborough College.

learning about size and measurement in the mud kitchens.

THE Oratory Preparatory School is an independent day and boarding school, providing an enriched and exciting education to boys and girls aged two to 13. Set within 65 acres of beautiful and expansive Oxfordshire countryside, with outstanding facilities, the school nurtures happy, resilient and inquisitive children. The school welcomes both Catholic families and children from all faiths. The values of kindness, compassion and forgiveness are at the heart of the school, to help shape the moral awareness and convictions of its pupils. Staff are committed to the growth and wellbeing of each pupil to ensure they feel happy, safe and confident in school. The Pastoral Care Team includes tutors and a school counsellor, led by the Deputy Head Pastoral, and combined with the use of AS Tracking, better enables the school community to gauge the all-round wellbeing of its pupils and provide timely support. ‘A place with a palpable buzz and vibrancy that gets the balance between giving children the freedom to be themselves, while maintaining a focus on traditional values, excellent manners and respect, absolutely spot on’, defines the school, according to The Good Schools Guide . Outdoor learning and Forest School are key features of Pre- Prep education, from exploring the school’s woodlands and natural habitat in the ponds, to THE Oratory has announced that from September 2020, it will become a coeducational school, welcoming girls and boys from the age of 11 to 18. The Oratory is an HMC Independent Day and Boarding School set in the beautiful Chiltern countryside. Head Master Joe Smith said “We are delighted to be making this announcement and excited to be able to offer families of girls and boys alike our unique Oratory education.” Teaching is second to none and value added results at A-level place The Oratory in the top three per cent of schools nationally. The school is proud of its broad and rich curriculum and strong exam results, however an Oratory education is about developing young people in a much deeper sense than exam results alone can demonstrate. “There is ‘something deeper’ in an Oratory education – hard to define, but undeniable – by virtue of its unique ethos and history as the only school founded by arguably the greatest educational thinker of the Victorian age, Blessed John

During their Prep years, pupils conduct science experiments on the school lawns, engage in art classes in the gardens and perform outdoor musical productions. Learning is stimulating, fun and hands-on. Biology, physics and chemistry classes see the pupils’ curiosity blossom as they hold snakes, investigate mock murder scenes and make their own rockets, while technology is incorporated into many aspects of learning. Two astro turfs are the enviable arena for girls and boys sport, including hockey, football and cricket training, and fixtures against other schools. The school boasts a 25m indoor swimming pool for weekly lessons, galas, and before-school swim squad training, as well as the starting point for inter-house Triathlon competitions from Year 3 onwards. There is also a smaller pool for the kindergarten children to enjoy their weekly swims. There is also a huge passion for performing arts across Pre-Prep and Prep, featuring nativity plays, a range of choirs, individual tuition in more than a dozen instruments, orchestra and bands, musical productions and annual plays. Year 2 children participate in the English Speaking Board (ESB) exam promoting self-expression. This also helps feed the desire to act with significant numbers of Henry Newman” said Mr Smith. An Oratory education gives its young people every opportunity to draw out and find their individual innate talents and qualities and instils in them a sense of joy and a genuine love of learning. At The Oratory everyone will find their place to shine. Strong pastoral care is at the heart of what they do. As a Catholic school, which welcomes pupils of all faiths or none, visitors often comment on the inclusive family atmosphere of the school and it is this supportive environment that nurtures the confidence, self-expression and resilience that are vital for success and happiness in the world today. When pupils leave the school as confident young adults they are equipped not only with a well-rounded education, but compass and lifelong friends. The Oratory team would be delighted to show you around their wonderful school so please do get in touch: registrar@oratory.co.uk. Open morning: March 9, 2019. also a thirst for further learning, a strong moral

boys and girls taking up LAMDA from Year 3 upwards, achieving distinctions across the board in last year’s examinations.

Self-confidence and the willingness to try new things is boosted by the range of opportunities on offer during the

school day and within the Pre- Prep and Prep afterschool activity programmes – from learning Spanish and Mandarin,

The Oratory School The Oratory School to welcome girls from 2020

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Newbury Weekly News

A place with a palpable buzz and vibrancy that gets the balance between giving children the freedom to be themselves, whilst maintaining a focus on traditional values The Good Schools Guide Review2018

OPEN MORNING - SATURDAY 2 MARCH 2019 Goring Heath, nr Reading @ 0118 976 6924 @ registrar@oratoryprep.co.uk @ oratoryprep.co.uk

OPEN MORNING Saturday 9 March 9:30 to 12:30 Coeducational from 2020

HMC DAY AND BOARDING SCHOOL FOR BOYS AGED 11 TO 18 Near Reading @ 01491 683522 @ registrar@oratory.co.uk @ oratory.co.uk

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Newbury Weekly News

Elstree School

ELSTREE is an independent boys’ boarding and day school in Woolhampton. Academically ambitious, it provides a first class all-round education with an excellent track record of boys gaining places at leading senior schools, together with scholarships. It has a co-educational nursery and pre-prep, which caters for around 60 boys and girls aged three to seven. In its magnificent 150-acre setting, children are exposed to a wide range of opportunities including music, art, DT and sport. Two state-of-the-art science laboratories, well-equipped classrooms, a recently opened music school, a full-size all-weather pitch and spacious play areas ensure that the school offers a purposeful, stimulating and supportive environment for children to discover their individual talents. The family-friendly boarding model enables boys to develop life skills that will serve them well at senior school and beyond. This is an exciting time to be at Elstree. The school’s latest ISI Inspection Report (2015) stated: “Elstree School is highly successful in meeting its aim of providing a first class all-round education, while embedding the values of hard work, kindness to others and making the most of opportunities. This is thanks to an excellent curriculum and extra-curricular opportunities and to excellent teaching, which

The closing date is March 9, 2019, and the scholarship assessment morning will be held on March 23. Buses run from Hungerford,

Peasemore, and Basingstoke and after-school clubs are provided. To find out more, please contact the registrar or come and visit

the school at the next open morning on Saturday, March 2. Call (0118) 971 3302 or visit www.elstreeschool.org.uk

inspires and motivates pupils to want to learn.” Foundation scholarships are now available for boys showing

academic, sporting or musical excellence and are available to boys enrolling into Year 3 or Year 4 in September 2019.

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Newbury Weekly News

Thorngrove School

THORNGROVE School is a thriving co-educational day school situated in the beautiful village of Highclere, four miles south of Newbury. Founded in 1988, the school is set in 25 acres of glorious grounds that include its own woodland. Children are able to join at age two-and-a-half years in the Nursery and can continue up to Year 8. The school feeds a wide selection of top independent senior schools. In most years approximately 25 per cent of Year 8 leavers will be awarded scholarships to their chosen senior schools. With the expertise of dedicated staff, Thorngrove children receive an amazing well-rounded education that aims to inspire in every aspect, allowing them to develop their confidence and enjoy their many and varied achievements. Sport is an integral part of the education offered. This year there is a football and hockey tour to Valencia for Year 7 and 8 boys and girls. There are also annual regional tours for rugby and cricket – girls and boys. Apart from the usual extra- curricular sporting activities, others include fencing, dance, roller-skating, golf and fishing. The most recent additions to the sports hub are a three-lane cricket net facility, together with two brand-new coloured tennis courts with a non-slip surface. Drama is taught as a separate

international artist Soraya French. Cecchetti ballet lessons are on the curriculum for Nursery and Reception and offered as an activity for Years 1 to 8. There is opportunity for annual examinations, accredited by the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD). Two children in Year 5 are in the Cecchetti Associates programme and another child attends weekly classes at the Royal Ballet School. There is also an active Brownie pack run by a Thorngrove staff member and the pack is open to all girls in the local area. The Brownies enjoy all the school facilities and, in particular, the amazing outside space. The popular and successful Remote Control Car Club has benefitted from the construction of a new off-road race circuit. The track features ramps and jumps and regularly attracts numerous cars and drivers for the club race meetings on Friday lunchtimes. A drivers’ platform is also planned for the near future. If you would like to visit the school and find out how a Thorngrove education could benefit your child, please call the registrar Bev O’Brien on (01635) 253172. Alternatively, you can call the school office on the same number to book a place at the Open Morning on Friday, March 8, from 9am to 11am.

Devon. Uptake for extra-curricular speech and drama lessons, available to Years 3 and above, is at a record high, with consistent success in LAMDA exams. These lessons cover acting, speaking of verse and prose, mime, devising drama, public speaking and interview techniques. The vibrant music department is always full of activity. Regular informal concerts allow children to develop their confidence playing their instru- ments in front of an audience.

A highlight for this term was the choir taking part in the Young Voices Big Sing at the O2 Arena, involving more than 8,000 children, where they sang with stars such as Tony Hadley. Later in March, there is also the annual music festival, judged by external adjudicators from prestigious senior schools. It is a wonderful celebration of music which encourages individuals and groups to participate and above all, enjoy. These are inspiring times for art at Thorngrove, with the newly refurbished and fully-equipped

art studio offering plenty of space for young artists to get creative. This term the annual art exhibition will showcase selected classroom artwork from Years 2 to 8, displaying the highest standards of skill, expression and creativity. This work will be on display during the Open Day on March 8. It will also include the winning entries from this year’s special art competition held prior to the exhibition. External judges are invited and this year include the famous

subject from Years 3 to 8. The content is rich and varied, with a cross-curricular approach being taught, deepening the pupils’ knowledge of historical and social topics. All pupils have the opportunity to get involved with a production during the year. Past shows directed by head of drama Fiona Sinsbury include Honk, Fiddler on the Roof and The Monster That Ate 3B . Year 5 pupils recently had the opportunity to rehearse and present a Shakespeare play on the beach at Battisborough,

#PickYourPath

www.thorngroveschool.co.uk/open-mornings

Open Morning | 08 th March | 09:00 - 11:00AM

Connect with

/ThorngrovePrep

The Mount, Highclere, Newbury, RG20 9PS, UK | Tel: +44 (0) 1635 253172

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Newbury Weekly News

To celebrate Mother’s Day this year the Newbury Weekly News invites our young readers, (with Dads help!) to send in: selfies, drawings, painƟngs of your mum or a Mother’s Day message. These will be published absolutely free in the NWN o n Thursday March 28th, 2019 in a special pull-out keepsake supplement called MY MUM How to send your pictures and messages:

BY POST: Complete this coupon, together with your own details and your picture/message (maximum 40 words), and send it to : Mother’s Day Message, Newbury Weekly News, Newspaper House, Faraday Road, Newbury, RG14 2AD. By email: email your picture/message (maximum 40 words), along with your own details (including a dayƟme phone number), to: mothersday@newburynews.co.uk ALL MESSAGES AND PICTURES MUST REACH THE NWN BY NO LATER THAN 12 NOON ON MONDAY, MARCH 18TH, 2019

Message (maximum 40 words)

Name: Address: Tel no:

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Newbury Weekly News

Thursday, February 7, 2019

Newbury Weekly News

to advertise in the March edition of Independent Schools please contact Abigail on 01635 886612 or email leisure@newburynews.co.uk