Edgeborough School A GSG School

What The Good Schools Guide says

Head

Since April 2022, Mr Daniel Cox. Formerly deputy headmaster and 'future schools lead' of Lambrook School in Berkshire. Prior to joining Lambrook, Mr Cox spent 11 years at Churcher’s College in Hampshire, a school for pupils aged 3-18, most recently as senior teacher and a member of the senior management team. While there, he completed an MSc in education and management.

Mr Cox’s early teaching career had a strong sports focus, and he was both head of rugby and director of sport at Churcher’s College. He has played representative rugby at a regional level and is a keen sailor, cricketer and golfer. Unsurprisingly therefore, he is a strong proponent of a rich and varied co-curriculum that provides children with the broadest range of opportunities. He also has a firm belief that to be truly successful an independent school needs to be outward-looking, and he was been responsible for developing Lambrook’s very effective outreach and partnership programme.

Married to Lucy with two young daughters.

Entrance

Gently selective. Around 20 pupils join reception each year and there’s another intake at year 3 to form three classes for this age group. Will accept applications into other year groups if vacancies occur. Since August 2021, Edgeborough is part of the Charterhouse family of schools.

Exit

Some pupils go at 11+ but most leave at 13+ to a good variety of day and boarding senior schools including Bryanston, Canford, Charterhouse, Churcher’s College, Frensham Heights, Hurstpierpoint, KESW, Lord Wandsworth College, Millfield, St Edmund’s, Tonbridge, Wellington College and Winchester College. In 2023, 10 scholarships.

Our view

Edgeborough started life as a ‘coaching establishment’ in 1895 and opened in Guildford as a boys’ boarding school in 1905. Moved to its current site – 50 wooded acres that look out over the Surrey hills – in 1939. Main house, Frensham Place, is a sturdy Victorian mansion that was once home to newspaper magnate and founder of the Daily Express, Sir Cecil Arthur Pearson. The head’s secretary at the time spotted the building and thought it might be suitable; shortly afterwards it was purchased by the school for £7,000. Co-ed since 1992.

Nursery and pre-prep are housed in Scandi-style wooden chalets with generous covered outdoor play areas, little raised gardening plots and extensive grounds beyond. Every other Friday the youngest children head off into the forest for ‘woodland activities’. Apparently, London escapee parents (of whom there are increasing numbers) can’t get over how much space their children have to play and learn in.

A feature of the nursery classrooms was pointed out to us (if an absence of something can be called a feature): there are no teacher desks, everything is at child level. It sounded like a good idea at the time, but what’s the theory behind it? Is there proof that full-size furniture inhibits early learning and, if so, how did we all cope? Perhaps it’s nice for the children, if they actually notice, but we felt a bit sorry for the teachers. Those tiny chairs must take a toll on adult backs.

Parents can find out what their children are up to (and comment) via the Tapestry App, an online early years ‘learning journal’. Mini trips to investigate things like the postal sorting office or supermarket (Waitrose, naturally) are followed up by role play and other activities. We crept in to get a preview of rehearsals for the nursery nativity play – confident singing and a very good year 8 narrator.

Big emphasis on sharing ‘positive praise’ – not just from teachers, parents can also give stars when their child does something noteworthy at home. Recognising individual achievements, however ‘normal’ they may seem to others, is a big part of the Edgeborough culture and starts early.

Everything we saw in the prep was as it should be, from the merry, paint-spattered art room to the very impressive science labs. The labs (one brand new) are designed so that they can be reconfigured every term according to which science is being studied; wooden benches appear to have made a comeback, apparently ‘it’s a much better surface for chemistry’. Upstairs is food technology and science equipment used by the younger children when they come over from the pre-prep. In DT pupils were working on a sofa for the new year 8 common room and we admired Ferris wheels controlled by computer programmes, all designed and built by the children. Testing for SEN as and when required from reception onwards; parents say problems are picked up quickly and learning support (known as Leap) is very good.

Music teaching described as ‘absolutely incredible’, one even went so far as to call it ‘miraculous’, with reports of harmonious noises being coaxed from the most unpromising sources. Every single reception pupil learns the violin but there’s no need for parents to buy earplugs: ‘They don’t have to practise at home,’ we were told, ‘it’s done to get them all playing something together.’ Music for all is the theme, but there’s plenty of scope for variations and solo talents with four choirs and lots of instrumental ensembles. The same goes for drama – we heard no complaints about parts always going to the select few.

Sport is a big part of Edgeborough life and as one might expect the onus is on fun, fitness and team effort; on playing the game as much as hammering the opposition (fortunately both are achieved). ‘Children are developed and stretched, whatever their ability,’ one parent told us. Girls and boys play hockey and cricket; rugby, football, lacrosse and netball divide along gender lines. There’s specialist sports coaching for all from nursery upwards. Dance (street, tap, modern and ballet) is a popular extracurricular option as are judo, gymnastics and climbing. Plenty of pitches, an Astro and an adventure playground, pool is outdoors and getting that covered seems to be high on children’s and parents’ wish list.

Nice old-school dining room (rather dramatic fireplace, honours boards, long tables); ‘family style service’ - prep children can choose where they sit and staff ‘dot about’. ‘You’re never hungry here and our match teas are the best,’ we were told. We can vouch for both friendly, informal atmosphere and delicious food. Days are fun, busy – and quite long, with a 4.20pm finish; older pupils can stay on for prep, supper and activities until 7.30pm. ‘Great for logistics,’ said one mother, ‘but exhausting at first.’ She felt that children needed to have ‘lots of energy’ and to be ‘well organised’. Nothing but praise for school’s pastoral care: ‘staff know the children so well’, ‘they really help children grow in confidence and self-esteem’.

Close to Camberley and Aldershot but no significant numbers from military families - ‘we’re not reliant on that,’ says head; more likely that one or both parents are working in London. Quite a lot of parents were brought up round here, moved to London for work and have returned, hoping to give their children a bit more green space and a lot less school pressure. They approve of Edgeborough’s traditional values, several singling out pupils’ smart appearance and good manners: ‘they look you in the eye’. They love the small classes (average of 14) and want their children to do well – but not at any cost. That’s why they’re so supportive of the school's attitude - ‘They tell children not to worry about exams, that they’ll get into the school that’s right for them. Teachers want them to work hard but also to learn from things that go wrong. It takes the pressure off them.’

Boarders

No Saturday school, boarding is Monday to Friday only. Can board from year 3 although majority start from year 5. Most do from one to three nights but odd night's ‘hotel boarding’ also available. Everyone has their own bed, even if they only stay one night a week. As usual, dorms occupy what were once servants’ quarters at top of main house, boys and girls at either end. Rooms, named after leaders, Nelson, Drake, Churchill etc (great chaps all of them, but bit of a boys’ school hangover, we wondered?), are warm and brightly decorated; corridors feature lots of photos and well-kept, informative noticeboards. Rule is no individual screens – phones are handed in; contact with outside world is via landline. Nice, homely kitchen with sofa where boarders can make tea and toast. After supper there’s a choice of indoor and outdoor activities (day pupils can stay for these) until 7.30pm after which boarders can watch films in the common room, ‘do baking’ or just spend time with friends; ‘there’s always someone to talk to’.

The last word

'Make the most of every opportunity and enjoy every second,’ staff tell pupils, and Edgeborough is just the place to do it. Inclusive, ambitious, just the right balance of traditional and modern – and a huge amount of fun.

Special Education Needs

At Edgeborough around 10 per cent of pupils have been identified with a specific difficulty, which ranges from dyslexia, dyscalculia, processing difficulties, ADD, a hearing or a visual impairment, or mild speech and language difficulties. The LEAP (Learning Acceleration Programme) Zone consists of five teachers who have additional teaching qualifications in specific learning difficulties and who work one-to-one with pupils. They may also support the class/ subject teacher in the classroom and take individual groups of children for targeted work. In addition the school has at least one teaching assistant supporting the teacher in the classroom from reception to year 5, depending upon where the need is greatest, who also offer small group interventions such as support in literacy and mathematics, guided reading sessions and handwriting activities. There are currently a handful of children who have English as an additional language and they are supported within the class setting.

Leavers' destinations

Who came from where