Abbotsholme School is an independent day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 2 to 18, situated in wonderful rolling hills and meadows on the border of Staffordshire and Derbyshire, close to the magnificent Peak District, in the UK. Our 140-acre campus offers the perfect environment to learn, achieve and enjoy a special education that focuses on academic success and character development. With superb facilities, all of our pupils from Nursery through to Sixth Form, have the opportunity to participate and excel in an extensive programme of sports, outdoor education, agriculture and equine activities as well as the creative arts, music and drama. Abbotsholme aims to prepare each pupil for the whole of life through a balanced, flexible and challenging curriculum fostering a sense of self-worth, enthusiasm for learning and ambition for the future.
ISI Inspection. Following the recent inspections by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, it was reported that at Abbotsholme the ‘quality of the pupils’ personal development is excellent’, ‘pupils have positive attitudes towards learning’ and ‘academic and other achievements are good’.
Special Characteristics. Membership of the Round Square organisation (www.roundsquare.org) provides a strong international perspective. A worldwide and unique association of schools committed to personal growth and responsibility through service, challenge, adventure and international understanding, members share one aim – the full and individual development of every pupil into a whole person. Abbotsholme offers an IDEALS programme where pupils understand and learn more in-depth about these values. Our outdoor education programme is both well known and well regarded. Its pioneering principles inspired such organisations as the The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. With adventures both close to home and internationally, it presents pupils with personal challenges, both physical and mental, and teaches them the importance of taking responsibility for themselves and others. Many pupils are involved in The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme and all participate in summer camps and autumn hikes each year.
Abbotsholme is one of the very few schools in England to have a working farm upon which pupils are able to learn about animal husbandry and crop management and gain a healthy respect for the environment. In addition to the 70-acre farm, our British Horse Society approved Equestrian Centre is a popular place to be for our horse enthusiasts, who happily involve themselves in the upkeep of the stables and yard and can study for BHS exams.
We believe that the physical and mental disciplines of working together in a team are very important. Sport teaches the art of winning and losing with equally good grace, self-reliance and leadership, and the opportunities to compete are grasped by many of our pupils. The main sports at Abbotsholme include: hockey and cricket, with additional sports being football, netball, rugby, tennis, swimming, athletics, cross-country, badminton and basketball.
All pupils are encouraged to appreciate Music in some way, either by learning to play an instrument, entering the Musician of the Year competition or joining in with the inter house school singing competition.
Performing Arts flourishes, in and out of the classroom, with performances in the 120-seat theatre always oversubscribed. All pupils who are keen to be involved, whether on stage or behind the scenes, find regular opportunities to experience the fun and self-discipline characteristic of performance and improvised theatre.
The influence of the Art department is evident throughout school, where pupils’ painting, drawing, pottery and ceramics are permanently on display. In addition many pupils enjoy the facilities of the Design and Technology department, which provides excellent opportunities for developing creative design into quality manufacture and 3D creations. There is an opportunity to help build electric cars in the Automotive Engineering Club and race them at places like Silverstone and Rockingham. Photography is a real strength of the Art department and pupils have access to a traditional darkroom as well as cutting-edge editing equipment.
Curriculum. Abbotsholme caters for a broad ability range. Academic standards are high with the majority of sixth formers going on to their first-choice university. Breadth and balance shape the curriculum, which aims to develop critical and creative thinking and self-discipline across a wide range of subjects at GCSE and A Level.
Activities. Abbotsholme firmly believes that a school should have a greater purpose beyond preparing students for College or University. As a result we seek not only to help all pupils realise their individual academic potential but also to develop in everyone a sense of responsibility for themselves and others through active participation within the community as well as a sense of adventure through challenges in and beyond the classroom. A comprehensive range of compulsory activities is integral to the curriculum as part of our carousel programme. Each half-term's activities alternately include Outdoor Education, Farm/Equestrian work and Performing Arts. Wednesday afternoons are home to sports fixtures and an array of other activities, such as equestrian, walks, rock climbing and other activities.
Home from Home. The boarding experience at Abbotsholme is a happy one, where staff and pupils know each other well and where every individual shares equal responsibility for the community’s well being and progress. Small, friendly homes are run by resident houseparents as family units. Younger boarders share bright and comfortable dormitories in threes and fours whilst older pupils have single or shared study-bedrooms. A log cabin village has been added for sixth formers giving them opportunities to experience a greater degree of independence and privacy. Weekly boarding has become a popular option for families with busy lives and for our full boarders, a full programme of weekend activities provides plenty of choice and lots of fun, balancing academic work with social time. Our modern approach to boarding means that sleepover and flexi boarding are also options.
Facilities. These include: dedicated classroom areas for each subject, including specialist science laboratories, art, music, design and two IT classrooms, a purpose-built studio theatre for performing arts, sixth form centre, log cabin complex, indoor climbing wall, 70-acre working farm, equestrian centre and manège, a modern, multi-purpose sports hall, synthetic pitch, extensive playing fields and outdoor swimming pool, traditional dining hall and a chapel, which combines as the venue for morning assembly as well as concerts.
Fees per term (2023-2024). Day £3,390–£8,395; Weekly Boarding £6,995–£10,245; Full Boarding £9,295–£12,595; Occasional Boarding: £55 per night (please see full fees here: www.abbotsholme.co.uk/admissions/fees) The Abbotsholmians’ Club. The Club currently has some 2,000 members and is run by a Committee of Old Abbotsholmians, elected yearly. Members receive regular mail-outs, which give contact addresses and details of the adventures of OAs, young and old. There are also regular invitations to events, to help them keep in touch with each other and with current developments at the school. An enormous amount of networking takes place between OAs, often facilitated by the Club, ensuring that friendships are sustained and memories are relived. Website: www.abbotsholmians.co.uk. The Club operates a small Bursary fund specifically aimed at helping to educate sons and daughters of OAs at Abbotsholme.
Abbotsholme Arts Society. The School is host to one of the most respected concert presenters in the country. Although embracing jazz, poetry and drama performances, its core programme of chamber music has brought a Who’s Who of big-name musicians to the school over the years – Ashkenazy, Brendel, Galway, Hough, the Amadeus Quartet to name just a few. Pupils are able to attend any of the Arts Society concerts free of charge. Website: www.abbotsholmeartssociety.co.uk. Abbotsholme Parents’ Association. Run by parents, for the benefit of parents, children and school, the Parents' Association (APA) aims to help new families settle in and become quickly familiar with Abbotsholme and all that it has to offer. Keen to promote active parental involvement in the school, members regularly organise social activities and fundraising events.