Milton Abbey School

Since 2023, James Watson, previously senior deputy head and before that head of learning development. Holds a master’s in ancient history and classical archaeology from Edinburgh and a PGCE from Buckingham. Moved into education after a 13-year career

No entrance exams, minimum grade requirements or ‘focus on current attainment’, but school will only take pupils who show commitment to learning and have the potential to benefit from school life and to contribute to it. Prospective students undergo

Around 10 leave after GCSEs and BTEC level 2 exams, almost exclusively due to changing family or personal circumstances. Diverse destinations for sixth form leavers in 2023, from Russell Group universities such as Warwick, Exeter and York, to

School does not publish detailed results, claiming that having small numbers for each subject risks identifying individual results. All they will tell us is 100 per cent of its university applicants secured a place at a chosen university.

School claims it has the ‘widest range of vocational subjects in the independent sector’, and this is where it stands out from the crowd. The mix of GCSEs, BTECs (level 2 for lower school, level 3 for sixth form) and A levels means that there is an

Learning support is at the heart of this school, both figuratively, and soon literally, with plans afoot to move the department to a central location on site. Over half the school’s intake has a registered learning disorder, with the school able to

Plenty of impressive artwork on display in the art studio, and a group of A level students were waiting for the arrival of a model for a life drawing session. An active department, there are timetabled trips to Messum’s gallery, Tate Modern, the

No compulsory sports. It is left to pupils to choose their activities from a list ranging from the traditional rugby, football, hockey, lacrosse and cricket, to offerings that play to its rural location, such as mountain biking, shooting,

Full boarding (no weekly) taken up by 90 per cent of pupils. Each house staffed by housemaster, assistant housemaster, tutor and matron. No chance of complaints about boredom, with full weekend programmes (and exeat programmes for international

Parents say they trust everyone here. Weekly one-to-one tutoring for all. Teachers also spend time each night in houses, seeing pupils in a more informal environment and noting any differing behaviour. Flagging meetings are held each week, and

Given its niche offering, school attracts boarders from across the UK, from Northumberland to Devon. Around a quarter from overseas, anywhere from Dubai to China to Spain. Attempts made not to overload with any one nationality, in order to avoid

Around 40 per cent of pupils receive some form of remission, split equally between scholarships and means-tested bursaries. Scholarships attract 10 per cent fee remission, topped up on a means-tested basis to a maximum of 95 per cent. Generous

There is much to praise here, and not just the beautiful setting. Its small size, approach to learning, full-boarding set-up and extensive mix of vocational and academic subjects make Milton Abbey a unique offering. Fully capable of supporting a