48 Tatler Schools Guide 2020 tatler.comPHOTOGRAPHS: JAMES MCMILLAN48Hockey’s U16 team, two students
signed contracts with Gloucester
Rugby and the school was crowned
national field and arena champions
in polo and won the Crabbies
National Rugby School award.
But it’s not just on the sports field
where CC impresses. In 2018,
over two-thirds of pupils achieved
A* or A at GCSE, 48 per cent of
grades at A-level were A*–A with
66 per cent of pupils heading to
Russell Group universities and,
last year, seven students received
Oxbridge offers. The curriculum is
supplemented by a mini-MBA
elective and the opportunity to
learn a language. Meanwhile,
pupils from the prep school
competed in the IAPS ski
championships and reached the
IAPS U11 national netball finals.
When they’re not busy defeating
sporting rivals, Prep Head Mr
O’Sullivan’s door is wide open for
a chat or quality time with Scooby
the Great Dane.CHELTENHAM
LADIES’ COLLEGE
Bayshill Road, Cheltenham
GL50 3EP
Website cheltladiescollege.org
Head Eve Jardine-Young, MA,
since 2011; previously Director of
Studies at Blundell’s School
Pupils 845 girls: 169 day, 676
boarding Faith C of E Ages 11–18
Term Fees Day: £8,580; boarding:
£12,780 Oxbridge 23%
Registration By December of the
year before entry Admission School’s
own exam and interview
Alumnae Dame Kristin Scott
Thomas, Bridget Riley, Amber Rudd
With an average IB score of 38,
Cheltenham Ladies’ College is
one of the most consistently high-
performing IB schools in the
world. The results translate into
an impressive 573 university offers
from Russell Group universities,
38 offers to study at Ivy League
colleges and other prestigious US
institutions while 23 per cent of
girls secured Oxbridge offers. There
is no shortage of musical talent
here: over the past year, the choirs
have sung in St Paul’s Cathedraland St George’s Chapel, Windsor,
and there are biennial overseas
choir and orchestra tours. These
creative students are also busy
bringing textiles into the modern
age: last year’s Upcycled Fashion
Show saw curtains, trampoline
nets, used stamps, old tights and
loo rolls transformed into rather
avant-garde ensembles. Popular
Head Eve Jardin-Young is com-
mitted to improving the college’s
environmental footprint with her
‘Green Space’ initiative, which in-
cludes guest speakers, projects,
workshops and activities including
BioTech Club and Greenpower Car
Club. All are very impressed to hear
about The Cybirds, a peer
mentoring group run by Year
13 students who work with
younger pupils to suggest apps
and other means through which
they can monitor and regulate
their personal social media and
online usage. The new Health and
Fitness Centre, housing two
sports halls, climbing wall, a
25-metre pool, a multi-purpose
activity studio, five squash courts
and a 58-station fitness gym,
ensures that the #thisgirlcan spirit
reigns supreme.CHRIST COLLEGE
BRECON
Orchard Street, Brecon,
Powys LD3 8AF
Website christcollegebrecon.com
Head Gareth Pearson, BEng, since
2017; previously Senior Deputy
Head at Lord Wandsworth College
Pupils 385. Day: 101 boys, 74
girls; boarding: 123 boys; 87 girls
Faith C of W Ages 11–18 Term Fees
Day: £6,399; boarding: £10,020
Oxbridge 8% Registration
Preferably by April of year before
entry; £50 fee Admission School’s
own exam Alumni rugby player
Jamie Owen, lawyer and judge Lord
Atkin, cricketer Andrew Davies
PREP Head Julie Lewis Pupils 25
day and boarding: 14 boys, 11 girls
Ages 7–11 Term Fees Day: £3,962;
boarding: £6,053
According to Head Gareth Pearson,
a core tenet of the Christ College
philosophy is developing its pupils
as a whole, rather than focusing on
academics (which nevertheless are
excellent with an eight per cent
Oxbridge acceptance rate). This
broad outlook involves what
Pearson calls a ‘second curriculum’:
a combination of mountain biking,
chapel services (often pupil-led),compulsory CCF (there are strong
ties with local barracks) and hearty
D of E expeditions – there’s even
talk of introducing Adventure Races
with other schools. Clearly, this
school is not for the faint-hearted,
but that’s not to say it doesn’t have
a softer side. Parents are regularly
treated to live-streamed talks, with
subjects including ‘The Social
Media Minefield’ (cue cringing
students), and pupils attest to the
fact that they feel well looked after.
Steeped in history, the college was
founded in 1541 by Henry VIII,
but it reaches far beyond its Welsh
roots to Malaysia, where its sister
school in Kuala Lumpur fuses
‘British education pedigree and
Welsh spirit’. Various pupils have
already visited, and there will soon
be post A-level and post university
work opportunities for Christ
College’s future global citizens.CLAYESMORE
Iwerne Minster, Blandford
Forum, Dorset DT11 8LL
Website clayesmore.com Head
Jo Thomson, MA, since 2016;
previously Senior Deputy Head at
Christ’s Hospital Pupils 435.
Day:123 boys, 79 girls; boarding:
138 boys, 95 girls Faith C of E
Ages 13–18 Term Fees Day:
£8,915; boarding: £12,148
Oxbridge 5% Registration By
September two years before entry;
£100 fee Admission CE or school’s
own exam, interview and previous
school’s report Alumni Author
Julian Rathbone, artists Tony Hart,
Robyn Denny and Edward Ardizzone
PREP Head Jonathan Anderson
Pupils 240 day and boarding: 120
boys, 120 girls Term Fees Day:
£6,375; boarding: £8,537
A gem of a school in the heart of
Dorset; non-selective Clayesmore
has everything going for it. Known
for its excellent learning support,
this is a school that nurtures the
whole spectrum of ability: one
parent comments that her children
are ‘both high-fliers and are certain-
ly being challenged and stretched’.
Head Joanne Thomson, described
by parents as ‘approachable and
calm’, has a long-term aim: for herThe new Health and Fitness Centreensures that the #thisgirlcan spirit reignssupreme at Cheltenham Ladies’ CollegeCHELTENHAM
LADIES’ COLLEGE10-19-Schools-Guide-PublicSouthWestNEW.indd 48 14/08/2019 13:38