Clayesmore School A GSG School
- Clayesmore School
Iwerne Minster
Blandford Forum
Dorset
DT11 8LL - Head: Mrs Joanne Thomson
- T 01747 812122
- F 01747 813187
- E mmccafferty@clayesmore.com
- W www.clayesmore.com
- A mainstream independent school for pupils aged from 13 to 18 with a linked junior school
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: Dorset
- Pupils: 483; 251 full boarders; sixth formers: 181
- Religion: Church of England
- Fees: Day 25,020; Boarding £34,110 pa
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
- ISI report: View the ISI report
- Linked schools: Clayesmore Preparatory School
What The Good Schools Guide says..
A level theatre studies and three major school productions a year part of varied and inventive menu. Many pupils get involved on technical side; costumes department particularly professional and is overseen by ex-Star Wars wardrobe mistress. Auditioning for Hairspray when we visited and puppets hanging up in green room were for enacting Russian folk tales – quite a skill manipulating puppets. The Capital is sixth form social area with a café (open from 10.30am for paninis, milk shakes etc) down in the London underground-themed basement of main house. ‘Watching TV after games a favourite form of relaxation,’ sixth formers told us...
What the school says...
Clayesmore is a thriving, forward-looking boarding and day school where both prep and senior pupils share the same idyllic setting. Clayesmores all through provision means that pupils can make a worry free step up to senior school accompanied by a sense of familiarity, but with a change in staff, timetable and buildings that marks a new stage in their education. It also means siblings can go to school together; an added advantage much appreciated by busy parents.
Clayesmore Senior School has been deemed excellent across the board following a recent Independent Schools Inspectorate inspection. A wide range of activity, both in and out of the classroom, gives the school a real buzz and provides a wealth of opportunity. Academic results for a mixed ability school are impressive at all levels and the highly regarded learning support department offers individual attention, exam strategies and effective study skills.
When you add to the mix some welcoming boarding accommodation, nurturing pastoral care and boundless opportunities to shine, its clear that Clayesmore offers a winning combination. Clayesmores range of A-level subjects is also expanding and it now offers Psychology and Photography as well as new BTECs in Hospitality, Sport and ICT. Along with these impressive improvements, the majority of students also get into the university of their choice.
Providing a seamless education from 3-18 years, Clayesmore is a flourishing school offering excitement, opportunity and a confidence boosting family atmosphere. ...Read more
What the parents say...
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Other features
All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.
Sports
Fencing
What The Good Schools Guide says
Head
Since September 2016, Joanne Thomson, previously senior deputy head at Christ's Hospital School. Degree from Warwick, where she captained the 1st XI hockey for three years; masters from Keele. Has been head of English and head of girls' games at Foremarke Hall, ran a boarding house and held various senior posts at Aiglon College in Switzerland. A keen skier, she and her husband Frank (also a teacher and former deputy head) have two teenage children.
Academic matters
‘Not in business of boosting league table positions,’ says school, though both GCSE and A level results exceed admission level expectations. In 2016, 29 per cent A*/A at A level; 46 per cent A*/A at GCSE. Year groups of around 100, six sets in core subjects. Interesting variation in English (not met elsewhere) where both top GCSE sets in...
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Special Education Needs
The Learning Support Centre is an integral part of the school's academic provision. We work sensitively to develop academic abilities, enabling pupils to grow in self-esteem and achieve optimum results in exams. All pupils who receive learning support follow a mainstream academic programme, taking both GCSE and A level examinations in due course. Therefore, individual learning plans are tailored to developed the unique gifts of every girl and boy, enabling them to be proud of their talents and achievements. We are a CReSTeD school, category DU, that is we have a dyslexia unit that provides specialist tuition on a small group or individual basis, according to need. Nov 09.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | |
| Aspergers | |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | |
| CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | Y |
| Dyscalculia | |
| Dysgraphia | |
| Dyslexia | |
| Dyspraxia | |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | |
| Genetic | |
| Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory | |
| Has SEN unit or class | Y |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | |
| Hospital School | |
| Mental health | |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | |
| Natspec Specialist Colleges | |
| Not Applicable | |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | |
| Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| PD - Physical Disability | |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty | |
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health | |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
| Special facilities for Visually Impaired | |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| VI - Visual Impairment |
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