Independent Day & Boarding School in England

Stowe School, London:
Stowe School is a co-educational independent boarding school in Buckingham, one hour north of London in the heart of the English countryside. The School enjoys a national reputation and attracts pupils from across the UK; a further 10% of its pupils are international. Nearly 90% of pupils enjoy full boarding, but the School also welcomes over 70 day pupils from nearby towns and villages. We are a wonderful school in the most sublime setting which celebrates youth rather than stifling it. Stowe embodies the English Enlightenment and its ethos continues to be shaped by the people who teach and learn here. We offer an inspiring environment for the education of boys and girls aged thirteen to eighteen in the firm belief that every one of them has the potential for excellence waiting to be unearthed and burnished – the jewel within. Through teaching of the highest calibre, Stoics are encouraged to think for themselves, challenge conventional orthodoxies and pursue their own enthusiasms.

Our supportive family atmosphere and Christian ethos encourage pupils to develop a lasting sense of moral, social and spiritual responsibility. Our house system provides a caring pastoral environment in which Stoics learn to consider the rights and needs of others.

Our commitment to communication, leadership, information technology and international awareness ensures that Stoics are well-equipped to succeed in an increasingly pluralist, complex and competitive adult world. The twenty-first century makes ever greater demands for the qualities and values instilled by an education at Stowe.

In essence, our aim is that Stoics are well-equipped to succeed in an increasingly pluralist, complex competitive adult world. The twenty-first century makes ever greater demands for the qualities and values instilled by an education at Stowe.

The aesthete and the athlete learn to respect each other. This passion for bringing out the unique talents in each pupil lies at the heart of our educational philosophy. Stoics acquire skills that enable them to live happily, work successfully and thrive in their future lives.

Academic Achievement:
The school aims to see every pupil achieve the very best that they are capable of: Stoics are regularly offered places at Oxbridge, and last year 87% of pupils gained places at their first choice university. This academic ethos is balanced by a huge variety of extra-curricular, sporting and artistic opportunities. Stowe sets itself apart in its commitment to nurturing the individual passions and talents of each pupil – wherever these may lie.

Stowe is committed to attracting the finest teaching staff in the country. The ratio of pupils to teachers (marginally better than 8:1) is amongst the lowest of all major independent Schools.

Academic Programmes:
Lower School (3rd-5th Form); Upper School (from 6th Form). Pupils are encouraged to make the most of their academic abilities. Through discussion and guidance from their Tutors, they are set targets and given a clear understanding of our expectations. Subjects include English, math, social studies, science as well as a wide range of artistic and creative subjects such as art, music, design, drama and theatre.

Our House system is at the heart of our pastoral care at Stowe. A happy, settled and secure pupil is more likely to succeed academically and have a positive social and personal life. Our supportive family atmosphere and Christian ethos encourage pupils to develop a lasting sense of moral, social and spiritual responsibility.

Home for Stoics is one of the eight boys' or four girls' houses, either in the Mansion House itself or in more recently built buildings adjacent or close by. Each House has around sixty pupils and becomes the Stoic's 'family.' Houses share common values, whilst also reflecting the characters of the Housemasters or Housemistresses. The Housemasters are supported in their role as mentors both by their families and close-knit staff teams of visiting Tutors and the residential Matrons and Under-Housemasters. The Matrons, as well as looking after the domestic issues, care for the health and well-being of their charges, supported by the Medical Centre staff and School Doctor. There is always someone a Stoic can turn to for advice or encouragement

There is a wide range of activities: dramatic, sporting, artistic, musical and cultural, detailed elsewhere - activities which pupils are expected to select from and participate in each day after lessons and on Wednesdays afternoons when there is a longer period for sports fixtures, games and activities. Evenings and weekends see many activities within the House and as inter-House events.

We actively encourage parents to come to the School to support their children in the sports fixtures, drama or musical performances. Keeping in touch with home is important - each pupil has a personal email and there are Exeat weekends, generally in the middle of each half-term and parents may take pupils out at weekends by prior arrangement.