Cumnor House Sussex

Since 2020, Fergus Llewellyn. Married to Tamsyn, with two young children, both at the school. Previously housemaster at St Andrew’s, Turi, Kenya for five years. First career post-university was in musical theatre. Loved it (and still misses it).

While there isn’t a formal entrance test, children must access the curriculum at a broadly age-appropriate level (school plans to make this more explicit on the website as currently says it’s non-selective, which isn’t in fact the case). Priority to

Thirteen-plus is the norm for girls and boys (no grammar schools so 11+ leavers are a rarity). Mix of local schools (Hurst, Brighton College, Ardingly, Bedes and King’s Canterbury) and those a (little) bit further away – Cranleigh, Harrow and

Only flexi boarding available and for years 7 and 8 only. Located in the main house – houseparents, a married couple, live upstairs. Rooms are compact (and unusually shorn of possessions, with scarcely a poster to be seen) but serviceable, clean and

Works with partner senior schools – Hurst, Radley, Benenden among them – to offer fully funded (and means-tested) bursaries that cover education from 4 to 18.

School, which moved to this idyllic 65-acre site from Croydon in 1948, is a happy blend of honesty (not afraid of – rare – criticism; will digest and act) strong teaching, good leadership and an understanding of what pupils need to succeed. Motto,

It’s only by going to see other schools that parents realise just how good they’ve got it here. ‘The thread of the values runs through the school,’ says one. Has the reputation and results but doesn’t trade on either – this is a school that listens