As a well established boarding school, we operate seven days a week. Lessons take place over a fortnightly schedule from Monday to Friday with a range of activities and recreational opportunities in the evenings and at weekends.

The formal school day starts at 8.20 with roll call, although many day pupils choose to join the boarders for breakfast between 7.30 and 8.00.   Assembly, Chapel or a tutor period in small groups is followed by lessons from 9.05. An hour's lunch break provides an additional opportunity for activities in departments and contact time with teachers if required.

After lessons at 16.15, pupils engage in a wide range of activities from our co-curriculum programme, providing a balance of creative, active and service pursuits. Day pupils may leave from 17.15 or take advantage of supper in the dining room at 17.45.  Pupils complete their homework in houses in the evening where staff and resources are on hand.

Compulsory academic lessons on Saturday mornings were abolished in September 2012 as part of a new-look curriculum and replaced with a broad programme of activities and workshops, sports matches and trips. Boarders are expected to be involved on a Saturday and day pupils where they have a committment (to a sports team, for example) or where the year group as a whole is required. Some weekends will be dedicated to Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions.

On the move away from Saturday lessons, the Headmaster, John Attwater commented: “The great thing is, through careful planning we have been able to ensure that not one minute of academic teaching time is lost, without losing the broad education we have always provided, while actually increasing the activities on offer. I think it’s a significant step forward in recognising the changing demands of family life and also the involvement that pupils have in their local community at weekends.”

That’s not to say the weekends won’t be busy: “Freeing up Saturday morning for sports practice & matches, extra-curricular activities, field trips and private study means that these facets of education can be done better and in greater depth than you can achieve in an hour here or an hour there. But importantly, it also gives us greater flexibility to ensure that our boarding community has as many facilities available across the whole weekend as possible, and at more convenient times so that our day pupils can join in as well as much as they want.”

The Headmaster also believes the move is an important part of teaching responsibility in school. “It is good for pupils not to have all their time directed for them, and to learn that in the real world it is just as much about them making decisions about how they use their time to get the job done. I expect our Sixth Form students, who follow a busy International Baccalaureate programme, will want to come in on Saturdays for private study and to meet their teachers, and to follow their creative, sporting and community service interests too.”