WHAT? WHERE?

Stonar is an all-through day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 2 – 18, immersed in bucolic Wiltshire countryside near Bath. It’s famed for its state-of-the-art equestrian centre, the stuff of dreams for any horse-loving child (or adult). It’s surrounded by 80 acres of parkland and rolling fields, yet you can nip into Bath, Chippenham or Devizes in about 20 minutes.

Stonar has seen impressive growth since Headmaster Matthew Way took the helm, in 2019. It now has 438 pupils, of which 29 are in the Nursery, 94 in the prep, 250 in the Senior and 65 in the Sixth Form. While it went co-ed in 2016, girls still make up around 60% of the numbers – a balance the school fully intends to maintain.

The school has stood here since 1939, when it relocated from Kent (it was founded in 1895). It’s now part of the Globeducate group, an international group with over 60 schools across 12 countries, including Spain, Canada and India. Stonar is fiercely proud of its multicultural network, and rightly so. It brings a global mindset to this pretty corner of Wiltshire and gives students opportunities to get stuck into cross-school academic, sport and arts events (both in person and virtually).

There are coveted opportunities to visit sister schools too. A group of pupils recently flew to Barcelona, where they joined forces with 22 other schools at the Globeducate International Music Festival in Barcelona. Stonar has also just launched its summer camps programme, which gives pupils aged nine and up the chance to stay for a themed week at one of the group’s schools in Cyprus or Spain.

FACILITIES

The vista here is pretty special, with an approach that swings past parkland, a series of impressive cross-country jumps and sprawling playing fields. The main building, Cottles House, is an elegant Grade II Listed Georgian mansion with gothic-style parapets and towering windows. The more modern buildings may not have the same period allure, but they are well cared for and there are several shiny new additions.

Creatives are extremely well catered for here, with studios for art, fashion and textiles, as well as a kiln, photography studio and dark room. New additions include a sparkling DT workshop, which is already inspiring an increased uptake at GCSE and A Level, and a Humanities block.

Classrooms are pristine, yet cosy – there’s no lurking about on the back row here, students are expected to work hard and contribute. The new library is modern and light-filled, with plenty of comfy breakout areas to curl up with a book. It’s a relaxed space with plenty of magazines – like The Week Junior and Rugby World – for those who don’t fancy a chunky tome.

Drama is popular at Stonar, and the roomy theatre is well-used for everything from stage productions to talks and assemblies. A new “black box” studio has also just been built – painted black (as you’d expect), this is a stripped back and intimate space, designed for ‘pure’ performance to be explored without the distraction of sets and so on.

Coming soon: A brand new Sixth Form Centre will be unveiled in September 2024. Students have been heavily involved in the design the centre, which is set to be a space where they can study, chill and get guidance on university applications. There are whispers of a café too, although that’s yet to be confirmed.

A self-contained music block is a warren of cosy practice rooms leading to a classroom that doubles as a performance space. Around half the students study an instrument, with chamber groups and ‘Choir Squad’ available. Everyone is encouraged to at least have a go at a trial lesson or learn a bit of piano.

Nutrition is hugely popular, and has its own specialist space with fully kitted out kitchens and a blackboard advertising the week’s creations. It’s a core curriculum subject from Year 7 (what a brilliant idea; all schools should do this!), with GCSE available as well as Leith’s Cookery Classes an optional Sixth Form extra.

EQUESTRIAN

Now for the tour de force. Whether you’re pony mad or not, Stonar’s equestrian centre will stop you in your tracks. The school got its first horse – ‘Tufty’ – in the 1920s, now there are 62 stables, a floodlit outdoor all weather manège and large indoor school with glass-fronted viewing gallery. Oh, and don’t forget the cross-country schooling field, hacking track, plus seven BHS qualified coaches.

Pupils can stable their own horses here or take over responsibility for a ‘loan’ horse (the school has 30 of its own horses and ponies). Lessons (individual or group) are available over lunch, after school, at weekends and you can even choose to ride during PE. There’s also a pony club, plus tons of high-level action for serious riders. Teams compete in a number of National schools’ competitions (West Wilts Equestrian Centre is just down the road), as well as Stonar’s own weekly events.

It’s not all fierce competition though, far from it. Some pupils have never sat on a horse, and others actively prefer to just help out at the stables or pat ponies instead. By 7am though, the yard is buzzing with students mucking out and grooming, come rain or shine. It’s worth knowing that Stonar also hosts residential riding camps in the Easter and Summer Holidays from age 9 up – ideal for anyone who wants to see what it’s all about.

SPORT

Sport aficionados are extremely well provided for at Stonar, with hard tennis courts, rugby pitches, Astros, a pool and gym. There’s also a cavernous sports hall with cricket and badminton nets, plus there’s a tennis coach on site.

Main sports are rugby (boys), football, swimming, hockey, netball, cricket, and tennis, but you don’t need to enjoy team sports to get stuck in. There’s also a carousel of other options, including athletics, gymnastics, volleyball and trampolining, as well as strength and conditioning sessions in the gym. There are table tennis tables dotted around too, which prove popular at lunch time.

Prep sports matches take place on Mondays and Wednesdays, while the senior school has fixtures predominantly on Saturday mornings (there are no academic lessons at weekends). The school hosts regular cross country running competitions too, as well as multiple swimming galas. Stonar takes swimming seriously, and makes excellent use of its 20m pool. Students more than hold their own, as you’d expect.

ACADEMIC

Classes are refreshingly small, with no more than 15 pupils and up to four classes in each year group. In 2023, GCSE results were characteristically strong, with over 30% of the results graded at 9–7 (equivalent to A* / A). At A level, there was a 100% pass rate, with 30% graded A-A* and 60% A*-B.

From the 2023 cohort, 60% went to Russell Group universities and 95% gained their first choice of university. A strong careers programme prepares students for life after school, teaching them about renting properties and financial planning amongst other things.

The school is justifiably proud of its value-added record (the progress pupils make from the time they enter a school to the time they leave). It’s consistently in the top 5% for value-added at A Level, and in the top 10% across the whole school.

There are 21 courses on offer at sixth form, which is impressive for this size school. These are mainly A levels, including photography, psychology, music and computer science. Maths and science are very strong, with around a third of leavers pursuing science, and veterinary science a popular choice.

There’s no IB provision, but students can take Level 3 Diplomas (like BTECs, the equivalent of 2 A levels) in Fashion & Textiles, Equine Management and Sport & Exercise Science.

The learning support department is strong, with a SENCO member of staff even in the nursery. In the senior school, needs catered for include ADD, ADHD, ASD, Asperger’s, dyspraxia, dyslexia and speech and communication difficulties. More complex needs are considered on an individual basis.

In keeping with the school’s international vibe, Spanish is taught three times a week in the prep school. There are a number of overseas trips too, plus plans to offer children the opportunity to study in one of Globeducate’s schools for a term.

ENTRY

Entry points are Years 7, 9 and 12 and it’s extremely rare for pupils not to come on from the Prep. Academic abilities are wide-ranging andwhile prospective pupils take a computerised CAT4 assessment, ‘character and contribution’ are prized over anything else. These are put to the test at an assessment day, which includes maths, science, drama, sport and teamwork. As Headmaster Matthew Way says, anyone can fake it for an hour, but not for a day.

BOARDING

Around 40% of the pupils are boarders, many of which are from military families. Around 20% of boarders are international, hailing from a broad range of countries including Hong Kong, Nigeria, Spain, Cyprus and Germany.

Stonar opts for sports fixtures instead of Saturday lessons, and boarders are free to go home after (many choose to stay). There are two boarding houses (one mixed, one girls-only) for Years 5-11, and a separate girls sixth form boarding house, York, which is one of the cosiest, most homely boarding spaces we’ve seen. As well as a large common room with comfortable squashy sofas, there is a kitchen, study area and a social space.

For younger boarders, there’s a firm emphasis on friendship – they bunk up in rooms of up to six at first, to help them build those all-important bonds. These then reduce to quads, twins and singles, as study commitments increase.

When it comes to weekend activities, Headmaster Matthew Way made it his mission to up the ante, and he’s succeeded. Saturday and Sunday are packed with fun, both at school and beyond. Think kayaking, shopping in Bath, go-karting and trampolining at AirHop in Bristol. A visiting climbing wall experience comes to the school, along with falconers, archery and fencing instructors, plus there is plenty of craft, sport and baking.

HEADTEACHER

Matthew Way took up the headship of Stonar in September 2019, joining the school from Milton Abbey in Dorset, where he was Deputy Head. His impressive track record includes a six-year stint as Housemaster at Stowe School, as well as headship of St Petroc’s Prep in Cornwall.

In a relatively short time, he’s spearheaded a tremendous amount of investment, ranging from “unsexy” but vital things like boilers to the shiny new library and DT workshop. He has also very deliberately engineered the 60/40 girl/boy split and is proud of the impact it has on the school. Boys are as likely to be into robotics as they are rugby, and there’s no “peacocking” or alpha culture. Instead, boys and girls form easy-going friendships, and pupils exude a calm confidence. Romantic relationships are rare, different year groups happily rub along together and there’s no pressure from peers to compete or impress – neatly illustrated by the fact he hasn’t caught a single soul smoking in five years.

There’s a noticeable sense of peace and calm as you wander round Stonar, yet that’s not to be mistaken for a lack of purpose. From the hubbub at the stables to the work on display in the corridors, pupils are clearly ambitious and enthusiastic. While they are expected to work hard, Mr Way is keen to turn out resilient, kind students who are up for trying new things and feel comfortable in their own skin, rather than simply striving for a string of A*s. His own three children have thrived at Stonar, with two now at university (Exeter and Cardiff).

He’s also passionate about the sport agenda, which is perhaps unsurprising given he played hockey at international level. He still plays (for Bath Buccaneers) and sets aside time every week to coach both hockey and cricket at Stonar.

His plans for the future include developing information technology and integrating IT fully with the rest of the curriculum to further enhance learning. His other area of focus is somewhere around that extra-curricular area where outward bound adventure meets charity and engagement with the world. We look forward to this taking shape, and will watch with interest!

ISI REPORT

The school was given an ‘Excellent’ rating in 2018 for both the quality of pupil’s academic achievements and their personal development. See the latest report, from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), equivalent to Ofsted in the state sector, here.

PREP SCHOOL

The Head of Prep, Rob Cunningham, also started in Sept 2019, and was previously Deputy Head of The Mead School in Trowbridge. The department is small, currently 94 children throughout – one class in each year, with two classes in year 6 – and they have a fabulous outdoor play area. Of course, they get to make the most of the senior school facilities too, and children almost always move up to the senior school in year 7. They use the globally focused International Primary Curriculum, senior school specialist teachers for music, PE, drama and Spanish and they’re hot on tech, with the emphasis on pupils being tech creators not just consumers.

LITTLIES

The standalone nursery has 29 pupils, with playgrounds, a sand pit, a nursery sensory garden and access to the forest school. ‘Stonar Sparks’ is an ‘in the moment planning’ curriculum based around the children’s own interests, which results in fun and stimulating lessons. In ‘Tinkering’, pupils use real tools (safely) to create objects from their imaginations. Weekly forest school sessions involve everything from den building to whittling and other outdoor learning.

CO-CURRICULAR

Stonar’s co-curricular offering is impressive, with a list of over 20 clubs and activities. This includes Choir Squad, Lego Robotics, Explorer Scouts, public speaking and even dissection club for anyone wanting to get forensic about creepy crawlies. Other activities include cookery masterclasses, gym, photography, fashion design, Plan Your Own Business, dog walking, meditation, elite swim squad, orchestra, indoor football and trampolining. It’s expected that the younger years will muck in with at least three sessions a week, until buses depart at 5:15pm.

From Year 9, adventurous types can join Stonar’s Explorer Scout group. Think caving, climbing and camping – one particularly popular expedition involves a night hike across fields to the local pizza restaurant. Pupils are encouraged to tackle large-scale adventures too, including the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, DofE and the Ten Tors Challenge.

Pastoral issues are of course taken seriously, and there is a dedicated Health and Wellbeing Centre at the heart of the campus. It’s staffed by fully trained nurses, plus a school counsellor comes in every week. Any pastoral issues can be taken here, to Head of House, or to Deputy Head, Pastoral, Tina Tilley.

WRAP AROUND CARE

Excellent and free of charge from Reception upwards. Even nursery-aged children can stay from 8am to 6pm daily, and this provision continues throughout the school. Tea, snacks and most clubs are included at no additional charge.

MOBILE PHONES/ TECH

Mobiles are not permitted for Prep pupils, and Senior School pupils (Yrs 7-11) can’t use them during the school day. Refreshingly, this extends to sports fixtures and on school trips, which isn’t always the case.

TRANSPORT

With five bus routes, Stonar is well covered for transport – you’ll often see the navy mini buses zipping about. Routes are reviewed yearly, but currently service everywhere from Bath to Chippenham, Devizes, Marlborough and Malmesbury.

QUIRKY BITS

Not sure there’s anywhere else where you’re encouraged to rise at 7am to muck-out the ponies. Heaven for some.

The school has its own parliament and parliamentarians instead of prefects and a school council.

FEES: 2024-2025

Boarding: UK	Per Term	Annually
Years 9 – 13	£13,480	£40,440
Years 7 – 8	£11,010	£33,030
Years 5 – 6	£10,340	£31,020

Boarding: International*	Per Term	Annually
Years 9 – 13	£14,680	£44,040
Years 7 – 8	£12,050	£36,150
Years 5 – 6	£10,830	£32,490

Day	Per Term	Annually
Senior School Year 9+	£7,040	£21,120
Senior School Years 7 & 8	£6,530	£19,590
Prep Years 5 & 6	£4,895	£14,685
Prep Years 3 & 4	£4,240	£12,720
Reception & Prep Years 1 and 2	£3,630	£10,890

Equestrian fees are extra.

WORD ON THE GROUND

Parents heap praise on Stonar for its transformative impact on confidence and self-esteem, as well as the pastoral care. Of course, the horses are a hit too.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Horse lovers, outdoorsy and curious kids who will thrive in a calm, supportive environment. Those who believe that extra-curricular activities and experiences are every bit as important as top-notch grades. Wholesome kids who are just as happy mucking out in wellies as they are taking to the stage in a school play, or giving it their all on the sports field.

Not for: Children who don’t like to get stuck in. Stonar is a school where everyone is expected to take part. Possibly not for students who thrive on intense academic competition or in a larger cohort.

Dare to disagree? Book an individual tour or open day here. Upcoming events include:

Nursery & Prep Open Day – Friday 11 October 2024, 9.30am and Friday 16 May 2025, 9:30am

Year 7 Taster Day for current Y6 pupils – Thursday 17 October

Senior & Sixth Form Open Morning – Saturday 17 May 2025, 10.00am

Read the Stonar Prep School review here.

Stonar School, Cottles Park, Atworth, Wiltshire, SN12 8NT, Tel:01225 701740, www.stonarschool.com

Stonar School, near Bath

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