47SOUTH WEST & WALESPUBLICtatler.com Tatler School Guide 2020Discoveries with a sleek gun dog in
the back, whereas at Blundell’s par-
ents drive second-hand 4x4s with
an ancient mutt in the boot.’
Indeed, the selling point of this
400-year-old Devon co-ed is that
it’s unpretentious, fun and, with its
strong sporting reputation, pro-
duces well-rounded, gutsy pupils
who don’t have to be forcibly co-
erced into the annual Russell (a
cross-country run that makes the
most of the local topography). For
the boys, rugby is a key focus, and
the school punches above its
weight against its rival behemoths.
Hockey looms large for the girls,
who hold GB representation with-
in their ranks. For the more serene
and supple, yoga is on offer and a
new dance studio is in the works.
Don’t forget, there is fun with all
these games, and pupils eagerly
anticipate the Gut – the annual
Christmas dinner. Blundell’s school
trips are far flung and ambitious.
Many pupils speak fondly of the
recent music tour to New York,
where the chamber choir sang
at Carnegie Hall. The students
praise Blundell’s good food and
relaxed, open atmosphere, but
there was one complaint: ‘Could
do with another hour’s sleep.’ With
all the sport, singing (and soon to
be dancing), can you blame them?BRYANSTON
Blandford, Devon DT11 0PX
Website bryanston.co.uk Head
Mark Mortimer, MBA, from
September; previously Head of
Warminster School Pupils 688.
Day: 48 boys, 56 girls; boarding:
332 boys, 252 girls Faith C of E
Ages 13–18 Term Fees Day:
£10,849; boarding £13,231
Oxbridge 4% Registration Three
years before entry; £200 fee
Admission ISEB pre-test, CE or
school’s own exam and interview
Alumni Emilia Fox, Sir Terence
Conran, Lucian Freud
A couple of ancient naysayers have
suggested that Bryanston is ‘not
very academic’, and ‘too liberal’,
but this is absolutely not the case.
‘Bry’, as it is affectionately known,
doesn’t attempt to mould its pupilsCANFORD
Canford Magna, Wimborne,
Dorset BH21 3AD
Website canford.com Head
Ben Vessey, MBA, since 2013;
previously Senior Deputy Head at
Christ’s Hospital Pupils 662. Day:
142 boys, 96 girls; boarding: 245
boys, 179 girls Faith C of E Ages
13–18 Term Fees Day: £9,657;
boarding: £12,696 Oxbridge 4%
Registration By end of Year 5;
£200 fee Admission Pre-test and
interview at 11, CE or school’s own
exam Alumni Sir Henry Cecil, GB
rowers Anastasia Posner and Brianna
Stubbs, The Earl of Shaftesbury
‘Stunning’, says a trusted researcher,
having experienced the golden
splendour of Canford, set in 250
acres of rolling grounds through
which the River Stour gently
winds its way. There is a strong
sense of pupil pride, and they are
acutely aware of how lucky they
are to be here – they are conscious
of life beyond the ‘Canford bub-
ble’ and regularly take part in
community projects, ‘using their
educational experience to make a
real and positive difference to the
lives of others’. Head Ben Vessey is
championed as a ‘brilliant Head:into exact replicas of one another:
they are treated as individuals and
the school is as academic as your
child needs. If a pupil is Oxbridge
material, all the necessary support
is provided, but the school will not
push anyone who does not have a
genuine desire to follow this path.
This makes for extremely self-
motivated young adults who thrive
in the real world. The recently
departed Head Sarah Thomas was
‘amazing’ according to parents, but
they’re confident that her successor
Mark Mortimer will cultivate the
outstanding environment that she
has created. Music plays a big part
here: instrumental or vocal lessons
are compulsory for Year 9s and
there is a new Performing Arts
scholarship available. The one-to-
one tutor system is ‘phenomenal’
and means that each Bryanstonian
has consistent guidance through-
out their school journey, safe in the
knowledge that there is always a
listening ear when needed. Parents
feel that Bryanston succeeds at de-
livering exactly what it promises
and, while they are sad when their
child leaves, they know that the
values instilled at Bry will hold
firm in the years ahead.accountable, bright and trusted’,
and he has built up an excellent
team around him who implement
decisive teaching and a huge range
of extracurriculars. 2018 saw the
school scoop up a whole host of
awards including gold medals at
the Dorset Counties Swimming
Championships and music success,
with one leaver gaining a place in
the National Youth Choir. Pupils’
dislike of the brown tweed blazers
was taken on board: there has been
a uniform update and they now don
a new navy tweed. A whopping 70
per cent of students board, and the
school firmly asserts itself as a full
boarding school, with a packed
seven-day programme of activities.
Boys and girls are more than suffi-
ciently stimulated intellectually,
gaining the results needed for their
futures, and parents describe the
students as ‘very natural and
grounded, with few affectations’.CHELTENHAM
COLLEGE
Bath Road, Cheltenham,
Gloucestershire GL53 7LD
Website cheltenhamcollege.org
Head Nicola Huggett, MA, since
2018; previously Head of Blundell’s
Pupils 710. Day: 133 boys, 116
girls; boarding: 264 boys, 197 girls
Faith C of E Ages 13–18
Term Fees Day: £9,860; boarding:
£13,030 Oxbridge 7%
Registration No set deadline; £150
fee Admission CE or school’s own
exam, interview and previous
school’s report Alumni producer Tim
Bevan, Jack Davenport, polar
explorer Dr Edward Wilson
PREP Head Tom O’Sullivan
Pupils 386 day and boarding: 205
boys, 181 girls Ages 3–13 Term Fees
Day: £6,105; boarding: £7,930
Just one year into her headship,
Nicola Huggett has much to be
proud of – CC’s trophy cabinet is
fit to burst. The budding athletes
are supported by 15 professional
sports coaches and a full rehab
programme in case of injury. Last
year alone, pupils won gold and
silver at the British Alpine Skiing
Championships, one fifth former
was selected to play for England ]Blundell’s produces well-rounded, gutsypupils who don’t have to be forcibly coercedinto the annual cross-country runCHELTENHAM
COLLEGE10-19-Schools-Guide-PublicSouthWestNEW.indd 47 14/08/2019 13:38