Founded in 1923, it stands in a magnificent 250-acre park, close to both Wimborne Minster and Bournemouth. The river Stour forms a boundary and there are splendid formal gardens and playing fields. The oldest part of the buildings is a fine medieval hall (known as John of Gaunt's Kitchen); part of the present building is Georgian, the rest was designed by Sir Charles Barry in 1847. There have been many modern additions to provide excellent facilities, including an art and design centre, music school, sports centre and theatre. The school became fully co-educational in 1995, having taken girls in the sixth form since the sixties. A very favourable staff:pupil ratio of about 1:8. Examination results are very good and academic performance is strong. Emphasis is placed on individual development both within and outside the classroom. Religious education is an important part of the curriculum. Many services (C of E) are held in the Norman church of Canford Magna in the school grounds. Music, art and drama are particularly strong. Games and sports are an important part of school life, with many teams competing at county and regional level and some at national level; facilities include a 9-hole golf course in the grounds and one of the few real tennis (or royal tennis) courts in the country. An unusually wide variety of extra-curricular activities include a flourishing CCF contingent, and pupils take part in local and international community services. Considerable enterprise has been shown in overseas expeditions to many parts of the globe.
Pupils: Age range 13-18; 630 pupils, 211 day (127 boys, 84 girls), 419 boarding (246 boys, 173 girls). Entrance: Main entry at 13 and 16. Common Entrance and own entrance/scholarship exam used. For sixth-form entry, school exam, good school report and 42 points on best 7 GCSEs. No special skills or religious requirements; school is C of E but pupils accepted from other denominations and faiths. State school entry approx 10 in main intake (plus few to sixth form).
40 pa scholarships (30 at 13, 8 at 16): academic, music, art; also Assyrian (for non-academic excellence in the sixth form) and Royal Naval. Also Canford assisted places. Parents expected to buy sixth-form textbooks; extras £175 average.
Up to 40% live within 30 miles.
Headmaster: John D Lever, in post since 1992. Educated at Westminster and the universities of Cambridge (geography) and Oxford (education). Previously Housemaster at Winchester. Teaching staff: 68 full time, 11 part time. Annual turnover 5%.
GCSE: 119 pupils in the fifth: 100% gained at least grade C in 9+ subjects. A-levels: 135 in upper sixth. 9% passed in 4+ subjects; 90% in 3 subjects. Average final point score achieved by upper sixth formers 366.
98% of sixth-form leavers go on to higher education (43% after a gap year), 10% to Oxbridge. 10% took courses in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science, 30% in science and engineering, 51% in humanities and social sciences, 6% in art and design, 1% in music and drama.
GCSE, AS and A-levels/Pre-U offered. 21 AS/A-level subjects. Sixth form: Most sixth formers take 4 subjects at AS-level, 3 at A-level; in addition, all pupils take Connections, a non-examined course encompassing PSE, citizenship and general studies and option of the Extended Project. 30% take science A-levels; 35% arts/humanities; 35% both. Special provision: Support for Learning unit. Languages: French compulsory in Year 9 and one language (French, German, Spanish) to GCSE; all 3 languages offered to GCSE and A-level. Regular exchanges (France, Germany and Spain). ICT: Taught both as a discrete subject and across the curriculum. 101 wireless laptops and 350 networked PCs for pupil use (14 hours a day), all with email and internet access. Many pupils have their own computer; wireless internet access in all boarding houses.
Music: 50% of pupils learn a musical instrument; instrumental exams can be taken. 15 musical groups - orchestras, bands, choirs, string quartets, jazz bands, rock groups. Evensong in cathedrals. Drama: Drama offered. Many pupils involved in house/other productions. Art and design: On average, 50 take GCSE, 18 A-level. Design, pottery, photography, sculpture, textiles and mixed media work also offered. Some 8 pa go on to art colleges.
Sport: Rugby, hockey, rowing, cricket, lawn tennis, netball are major sports. Minor sports: squash, cross-country, real tennis, athletics, swimming, golf, sailing, aerobics. Some pupils members of national teams in rugby, hockey, sailing, real tennis, golf; several in regional/divisional sides; regular members of county/area teams in rugby, hockey, cricket, cross-country, squash. Activities: Pupils take bronze and silver Duke of Edinburgh's Award. CCF optional at age 14, community service at 16. Links with several local schools including Langside School (Dorset SCOPE); regular participation in Kielder Challenge (for mixed teams of able/disabled young people) and links with specific orphanages in India, Argentina and Tanzania. Up to 30 clubs including debating, orchestra, table tennis, juggling, literary, fishing, chess, canoeing, bridge, bell ringing, art, choral.
Uniform: School uniform worn throughout. Houses and prefects: Head boy/girl prefects, house prefects and house captains appointed by the Head. School Prefects Committee. Religion: Church of England school. Attendance at religious worship compulsory. Social: Joint orchestral concert with local school annually. Trips abroad: trekking (eg Borneo, Nepal); rugby (eg South America, Canada); cricket (South Africa, Barbados); biology (Malay Archipelago, Red Sea); cultural (Russia, Jordan, Eastern Europe); skiing (France); geography (France, Morocco); history (France); art (New York, Berlin); physics (Cern). Pupils may bring own bike to school; day pupils may bring own car with permission. Meals self-service. School shop. Sixth formers attend occasional meals where alcohol is available, with staff supervision.
A clear discipline hierarchy runs from the Headmaster down through the school. Pupils are expected to maintain high standards of manners, decency and consideration for others, to heed the dictates of common sense and to uphold the good name of the school.
20% have own study bedrooms; 60% share with 2-4; 20% in dormitories of 6+. Single-sex boarding houses of 60-65, mixed age groups. Qualified nurse on duty 24 hours/day. Regular exeats (1.5 days). Visits to Wimborne allowed by all pupils; sixth form allowed to Bournemouth.
is run by Karen Hartshorn, Development Director, c/o the school.
Simon Preston (ex-organist, Westminster Abbey); Sir Ronnie Hampel (Chairman ICI); Henry Cecil (race horse trainer); General Sir Brian Kenny; Air Chief-Marshal Sir Roger Palin; Sir Hector Monro (MP); Sir John Drummond (arts administrator); Sir Anthony Bramall (former MP and ILEA Chairman); Sir Derek Bradbeer (Law Society); Lord Maclean (former Lord Chamberlain).
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