Tatler UK - 10.2019

tatler.com Tatler Schools Guide 2020 39

SOUTH EAST

PUBLIC

PHOTOGRAPH: ADAM TRIGG PHOTOGRAPHY/NATURALTHEATRE.PHOTOS

take her eyes off it. It’s displayed

on every wall of every building and

the college is right to be proud as

the standard is quite exceptional.

Radleians are also brilliant at mu-

sic and drama and choir members

raised the roof when they joined

forces with the local community

choir society and primary school

choirs to sing with the renowned

King’s Singers in a concert at the

Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford.

There has been some confusion

regarding admissions, so, to be

crystal clear: The List still exists.

Parents can still register their boys

from the maternity ward up to the

grand age of two years with the

benefit of ensuring a less ruthlessly

selective admission process – but

their boys must still show that they

would be comfortable with the

rigorous academic pace at Radley

and that they would enjoy and

benefit from boarding. The List

accounts for 60 per cent of entries.

The remaining 40 per cent need to

be academic high fliers as The

Open Entry process is unasham-

edly competitive. Radley is always

looking to expand the number of

boys receiving financial assistance

and Warden John Moule is keen

for talented boys to apply at either

point, regardless of means.

REIGATE GRAMMAR

SCHOOL 

Reigate Road, Reigate, Surrey

RH2 0QS

Website reigategrammar.org

Head Shaun Fenton, MA, since

2012; previously Head of Pate’s

Grammar School, Cheltenham

Pupils 1,008 day: 509 boys, 499

girls Ages 11–18 Term Fees £6,450

Oxbridge 10% Registration By

October of year before entry; £100

fee Admission School’s own exam

Alumni David Walliams, Ray Mears,

Sir Keir Starmer MP

PREP Head Marcus Culverwell

Pupils 335 day: 168 boys, 167 girls

Ages 2–11 Term Fees £5,100

Reigate gets the grades of a top

London day school, but without

the pressure-cooker atmosphere

(the average A-level grade profile is

three As). ‘The school is selective

and has academically high stand-

ards, but makes every pupil feel

supported and secure,’ says one

parent. Much is made of balancing

work and ‘play’. Most students do

D of E, and those going for Gold

take part in peer-led student lead-

ership as part of their volunteering

which takes the form of teaching

and supervising Bronze groups.

Increasingly, Reigate students are

helping to shape the output of the

Drama department, devising and

writing plays: a sixth form adapta-

tion of The Boy in the Dress, the

bestselling children’s book by Old

Reigatian David Walliams, toured

local primary schools. With seven

rugby pitches, four netball courts

and 12 tennis courts, the sports

facilities are serious, and produce

impressive results: many students

represent their county, region or

country. Equally remarkable is the

focus on pastoral care, which has

won awards for its commitment to

raising awarenesss of mental health

problems, and for providing its

students with a ‘toolkit’ to help

them take on both the challenges

and opportunities of the modern

world. On the subject of awards,

RGS was also recognised nationally

for its engagement and outreach in

the local community, and it was

the first UK HMC school to be

awarded the World Class School

Award by Professor Deborah Eyre

for its work developing high-

performance learning.

ROEDEAN SCHOOL 

Roedean Way, Brighton

BN2 5RQ

Website roedean.co.uk

Head Oliver Blond, BA,

since 2013; previously Head

of Henrietta Barnett School

Pupils 640 girls: 320 day, 320

boarding Ages 11–18

Term Fees Day: £7,165;

boarding: £12,855 Oxbridge 4%

Registration At least 18 months

before entry; £150 fee Admission

School’s own exam and interview

or pre-testing for Year 7 and Year 9

Alumnae Tanya Streeter, Rebecca

Hall, Dame Cicely Mary Saunders

In March this year, 18-year-old

sprinter Amber Anning attracted

attention from BBC commentator

Michael Johnson at the European

Indoor Championships. ‘That is

the way you should run it,’ he said.

‘It shows a tremendous amount of

confidence and potential.’ It

comes as no surprise that Anning

is a Roedean alumna. The consen-

sus among pupils and parents alike

is that the school – on a seemingly

never-ending upward trajectory –

nurtures its pupils, and encourages

a diverse range of pursuits: ‘There’s

always something going on for the

girls to get involved in,’ says one

parent. Following a two-year, £9

million refurbishment of the

boarding facilities, revered Head

Oliver Blond now has plans to

revamp the arts facilities, as well as

adding a multi-purpose dance

facility to accommodate sixth

formers who are desperate to lay

their hockey sticks to rest. Along-

side the vast array of activities, and

an exceptional pastoral care system,

there is still time for academics and

art. Increasing popularity means

it’s now fairly competitive to get

into this 640-strong school with a

finely tuned balance of day

pupils and boarders including

international students, local girls,

and girls from further afield (chap-

eroned weekend trains to and from

London has boosted the intake

from the capital). With all this

positive change in the air, Blond is

coy, but not totally closed, to the

rumours of turning co-ed. They

don’t have plans in place, he says,

‘but it’s an interesting educational

question worth asking’. As it

stands, it’s not just boys who are

clamouring to enjoy the sweeping

sea views and happy, holistic at-

mosphere at Roedean. ‘I am jealous

every day when I drop off my

daughter,’ says one parent.

ST CATHERINE’S

BRAMLEY 

Station Road, Bramley,

Guildford GU5 0DF

Website stcatherines.info

Head Alice Phillips, MA, since

2000; previously Deputy Head

at Tormead School, Guildford

Pupils 650 girls: 525 day, 125

boarding Faith C of E

Ages 11–18 Term Fees Day:

£6,125; boarding: £10,095

Oxbridge 5% Registration

By November of year before

entry; £100 fee Admission

School’s own exam Alumnae

Davina McCall, Lily

Travers, Francine Stock

PREP Head Naomi Bartholomew

Pupils 230 day girls Ages 4–11

Term Fees £5,060

Nestled in the leafy Surrey village

of Bramley, St Catherine’s (or, St

Cat’s) promises an ‘unforgettable

education, encouraging pupils every

step of the way and offering a

wealth of opportunity’. The school

has increasingly caught the eye of

London parents looking to weekly

boarding as a great alternative ]

REIGATE GRAMMAR

SCHOOL

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