Tatler UK - 10.2019

2828 Tatler Schools Guide 2020

futures by working in the village

shop, bought by the school on be-

half of the local community, and by

taking part in the school’s Profes-

sional Skills Programme that teach-

es how to budget, develop business

plans, put up shelves and maintain

a car. There’s some serious sporting

talent too with lacrosse being a

particular strength: 10 girls are on

the England Regional Talent

Pathway and three have made the

U19 England Squad. Everyone

waxes lyrical about the food – one

mother compared it to a meal at

the Ritz in Paris.

BERKHAMSTED 

Castle Street, Berkhamsted,

Hertfordshire HP4 2BB

Website berkhamsted.com

Heads Richard Backhouse, MA,

since 2016; previously Principal of

Monkton Combe Pupils 1,291.

Day: 666 boys, 536 girls; boarding:

64 boys, 25 girls Faith C of E Ages

11–18 Term Fees Day: £7,140;

boarding: £12,025 Oxbridge 2%

Registration By end of September

of year before entry; £100 fee

Admission School’s own exam and

interview Alumni Graham Greene,

Zaha Hadid, Clementine Churchill

PREP Head Jamie Hornshaw

Pupils 339 day: 161 boys, 178 girls

Ages 7–11Term Fees £5,180

Principal Richard Backhouse has

his work cut out overseeing all six

heads of all six Berkhamsted schools.

Parents describe him as ‘modern

and dedicated’, and pupils sing his

praises. The school buildings are

scattered across the town, through

which the navy blue suit-clad stu-

dents stride purposefully to lessons,

rendering the size of the school not

nearly as daunting as you might

expect. The diamond model of co-

education and single-sex learning

‘simplifies the pupils’ lives’, and

contributes to the feeling that the

Berkhamsted empire is a very large

school, made up of small schools.

The Chaplain plays an important

pastoral role within the school,

always happy to lend a listening

ear, and Chapel Chillout sessions

(complete with hot chocolate) are

a nice touch. The girls have long

been known for their prowess on

the lacrosse field – Berkhamsted’s

is floodlit and Astroturfed – and

equestrianism is growing in

popularity. Academic results are

consistently strong: in 2018, over

40 per cent of A-level grades

achieved by sixth formers were

A*s and As, and 19 GCSE

and IGCSE students achieved a

clean sweep of A*s and 9s. Pupils

are happy and well-rounded,

and leave the decidedly modern

and determinedly successful

Berkhamsted family for top

universities including Oxbridge

and the Russell Group.

BRADFIELD

COLLEGE 

Bradfield, Berkshire RG7 6AU

Website bradfieldcollege.org.uk

Head Dr Christopher Stevens, PhD,

since 2015; previously Second Master

at Marlborough College Pupils 817.

Day: 64 boys, 30 girls; boarding:

432 boys, 291 girls Faith C of E

Ages 13–18 Term Fees Day:

£10,360; boarding: £12,950

BRIGHTON COLLEGE

Oxbridge 2% Registration Three

years before entry; £175 fee

Admission ISEB pre-test, school’s

own assessment, interview and

previous school’s report

Alumni Richard Adams, Sir John

Nott, Nico de Boinville

Parents rave about Bradfield and

are unanimous in extolling its

kind, caring and inclusive ethos.

‘Nothing has been too much trou-

ble. I genuinely cannot imagine

any other school that would care

so much,’ says one mother.

Faulkner’s House is a case in point,

where the entire first year board

together in this homely abode to

encourage bonding across the year

group. Boarding provision is ‘fami-

ly-friendly’ with the flexibility to

go home at weekends, and the

food is so delicious that it has its

own Twitter and Instagram ac-

counts. Academic results are going

from strength to strength with one

pupil achieving 45/45 in their IB

and four students heading to Ox-

bridge. Music is equally brilliant

with one pupil securing a place at

‘Christ’s Hospital is true to its charitable

ethos, having helped students in an

unpublicised way for a very long time’

The Royal College of Music and an-

other accepted by the London

Academy of Musical Theatre. But,

sport is where Bradfieldians really

excel: there are fixtures in 20 disci-

plines; one leaver signed a contract

with Burnley Premiership Football

Club; and three pupils were award-

ed sports scholarships to US univer-

sities. It’s no surprise that Bradfield

applications are on the rise. In the

words of one mother: ‘If your child

is offered a place, grab it with both

hands, you are truly lucky!’

BRIGHTON

COLLEGE 

Eastern Road, Brighton BN2 0AL

Website brightoncollege.org.uk

Head Richard Cairns, MA, since

2006; previously Usher of Magdalen

College School Pupils 1,085. Day:

411 boys, 284 girls; boarding: 223

boys, 167 girls Faith C of E Ages

11–18 Term Fees Day: £8,590;

boarding: £13,990 Oxbridge 17%

Registration By December of year

before entry; £120 fee Admission

ISEB pre-test and school’s own exam

Alumni Marcus Smith, David

Nash, Dakota Blue Richards,

Sir Michael Hordern

PREP Head John Weeks

Pupils 518 day and boarding: 268

boys, 250 girls Ages 3–13

Term Fees £6,780

Brighton College’s gated entrance

hides the beauty, innovation and

modernity within. Shunning

stereotypes and embracing the

individual, BC is going from

strength to strength under the

guidance of Head Richard Cairns.

‘Richard is one of the kindest, yet

most thought-provoking heads I've

ever met. He genuinely cares about

his staff and his pupils,’ says one

source. Kindness is a thread that

runs throughout – Monday morning

assembly ends with the Random

Act of Kindness challenge, where

staff and pupils share their good

deeds. The only intolerance here is

towards bullying: the school hosts

a national homophobic bullying

conference, pupils join staff at the

annual Brighton Pride Parade, and

three teachers are trained Stonewall

Ambassadors. A favoured training

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