Stonar A GSG School
- Stonar
Cottles Park
Atworth
Wiltshire
SN12 8NT - Head: Dr Sally Divall
- T 01225 701741
- F 01225 790830
- E admissions@stonarschool.com
- W www.stonarschool.com
- An independent school for boys and girls aged from 2 to 18.
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: Wiltshire
- Pupils: 340; 92 full, 2 flexi boarders; sixth formers: 42
- Religion: Non-denominational
- Fees: Day £8,250 - £15,990; Boarding £19,950 - £31,275 pa
- Open days: September, October, March, May
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
- ISI report: View the ISI report
What The Good Schools Guide says..
As the number of boys grows, more upgrades and developments are inevitable. But the head aims to keep the school ‘family-sized.’ One girl told us, ‘it really isn’t a case of just going to school and then going home at the end of the day; it’s a whole community thing – there’s much more going on than just school.’ Since 2013, NACE has been funding Stonar as its flagship English school and pupils are now benefitting from an exciting programme of cultural, academic and…
What the school says...
A British school with a global perspective, Stonar develops the talents of every pupil through small class sizes, excellent teaching, high expectations, individual support and an exceptionally wide range of opportunities. Our pupils are active, ambitious and energetic – they pack a huge amount in to their busy days. With a well-established culture of care and attention to the individual, Stonar pupils do more, and do better, than they ever thought possible.
We excel at ‘adding value’ to a child’s education, which means pupils generally score up to one grade higher than predicted at GCSE. This puts Stonar in the top 10% of schools throughout the UK in terms of pupils’ academic progress. Those who respond to Stonar’s thoughtful and personal approach know they are doing better than they would at five out of six other independent schools.
Pupils’ achievements shine in many areas – academic, riding and sports, performing and visual arts, community spirit. Our pupils become accomplished in tackling challenges, team working, leadership, building strong relationships and move on to achieve success and fulfilment in a huge range of university courses and careers. As part of NACE Schools, Stonar has international partner schools with whom we collaborate to offer a unique educational experience, including academic projects, exchanges and joint music, drama and sporting festivals.
Set in 80 acres of stunning parkland and gardens, excellent sport and arts facilities include an indoor pool, floodlit AstroTurf, tennis courts, sports hall, fitness suite, dedicated music school and drama hall. A superb Sixth Form and Arts Centre comprises a social centre, seminar room, study centre and art studios. Stonar’s renowned Equestrian Centre offers pupils the chance to ride, whatever their level of expertise, and has stabling for up to 70 horses. ...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
Equestrian centre or equestrian team - school has own equestrian centre or an equestrian team.
What The Good Schools Guide says
Head
Since 2015, Dr Sally Divall MA PhD PGCE, previously deputy head academic. Originally from north London, Sally gained a PhD in natural sciences at Cambridge before working at BP, the Bristol Exploratory, as a visiting lecturer at UWE and as a research fellow at Bath University. As a scientist she was inspired by the ‘hands-on approach to learning’ and teaching seemed to be a natural progression. Sally joined Stonar as head of physics in 1999 and has absolutely no intention of leaving. Parents are more than happy about this, one telling us, ‘Dr Divall is an inspiring headteacher and very approachable.’
Head of prep since 2008, Mr Mark Brain BA (Ed), formerly deputy head of Kelly College Prep (now Mount Kelly Prep). Also an independent schools inspector, Mark lives on...
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Special Education Needs
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | |
| Aspergers | Y |
| Aspergers Syndrome [archived] | |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | Y |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders [archived] | |
| CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | |
| Delicate Medical Problems [archived] | |
| Dyscalculia | Y |
| Dysgraphia | |
| Dyslexia | Y |
| Dyspraxia | |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | Y |
| Epilepsy [archived] | |
| 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 | |
| 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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GSG provides a very good overview of the school. The transformation of our daughter (boarder) in terms of academic achievement, motivation and self confidence since joining 2 1/2 years ago in year 10 has been quite astonishing. We agree that some of the buildings and boarding facilities need a spruce up. However, we didn't choose Stonar for its 5* accommodation but for its ability to extract individual potential, whilst fostering a deep sense of community, team work and responsibility in the wider world. With his prior experience, popularity and understanding of all aspects of the school, we very much welcome the appointment of Mr Nutt, who we hope will re-establish mission and leadership, whilst maintaining Stonar's ethos and core values. Being a fanatic equestrian family, of course our (our daughter's!) decision to choose Stonar was swayed by the fantastic equestrian facilities, but to be honest we were initially a little disappointed with this side of things. We are today happy to report that things are now much better with recent noticeable improvements to the yard management, lessons, competition opportunities etc. If we have any gripes I guess it's in terms of parent representation and consultation, particularly for those of us overseas that only get to the school perhaps once a year. More needs to be done to improve transparency and communication in respect of the board of governors meetings and decisions, and there should be more involvement of rank and file parents in decisions impacting school life. More use of social media that encourage regular discussions and comment between parents, teachers, head and governors could be one way to improve things. In summary, a great school with great teaching and sense of community that provides our daughter with all the opportunities and facilities to let her "blossom" and develop to her maximum potential.
Commented on 13th Feb 2013