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Ashfold School, Aylesbury

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Ashfold School details

Address:
Ashfold School
Dorton, Aylesbury, Bucks HP18 9NG
Telephone:
01844 238237
Fax:
01844 238505
Email:
hmsecretary@ ashfoldschool.co.uk
Website:
www.ashfoldschool.co.uk
Authority:
Buckinghamshire
Admissions:
Selective
Gender of entry:
Mixed
Age range:
3-13
Number of students:
268
Affiliation:
IAPS
Last inspection:
March 2006. Read the full inspection report.

Find a school:

ISC accredited

General information

Headteacher: M O M Chitty, appointed in September 1997.

Staff: 19 (men 10, women 9).

Background: Ashfold was founded in Surrey in 1927. In 1957 it moved to Dorton House, a 'magnificent' Jacobean mansion set in 30 acres of parkland in the heart of the Buckinghamshire countryside outside Oxford. 'Sympathetic conversions of outbuildings' into a music school, art school, DT and ICT rooms, together with a brand new suite of junior school classrooms in the main manison, 'maintain the beauty of the environment whilst offering first rate facilities for curricular and extra-curricular activities'. Facilities for sport are 'outstanding' and include a sports hall which was completely refurbished in 1996. 'Excellent' sports coaching is augmented by 'close' links with local club and county coaches, and girls' sport from a recently appointed head of girls' games who recently toured New Zealand with the England ladies' netball squad. Ashfold pupils are consistently the top prep school clay pigeon shooters in the country. Scholarships have been gained to Radley, Stowe, St Edward's and Bloxham in recent years. The school raises money for charities such as the World Wildlife Fund.

Approach to discipline: 'Children are taught high standards of behaviour, regularly reinforced by diligent staff, which helps to foster a school culture of respect for each other and self. In such a climate, self-discipline becomes the norm, rather than the exception.'

Uniform: Boys: burgundy blazer, burgundy jersey, grey shorts/trousers. Girls: Burgundy blazer, burgundy jersey, tartan kilt, striped burgundy/white dress in summer. 'Children are expected to travel to and from school wearing blazers and willingly do so because they like looking smart.'

Inspection: March 2006: 'The school is very successful in meeting its aims and aspirations. It is an exciting, vibrant and happy community. It provides a broad range of subjects and activities, with good opportunities for all pupils to achieve their potential. Pupils? achievements throughout the school are often considerable in academic subjects, as well as in sport and the creative areas of music, art and drama. These high achievements are mainly due to high quality teaching, exemplary leadership from the head, strong and successful management by the ADC, the heads of the pre prep and junior departments, the governors, and the efficient structures and systems that support pupils? learning. Nevertheless, the collection and use of data on what pupils have learned is not as effective as it should be. The headmaster, teachers and staff are committed and very hard working; they ensure that the best interests of the pupils are at the centre of everything they do. The pupils are a real credit to the school and to their parents; they are pleasantly self-confident, behave very well and are responsible members of the school community. They are proud of their school and thrive in an environment that ensures they are well cared for, but not overly cosseted; provision for their personal development is highly successful, as is that for boarding. The quality of pastoral care and the boarding provision is exemplary. Strengths found at the time of the last inspection have been successfully built upon further to become even stronger; weaknesses have been tackled, though as the school is aware, one issue is still in the process of being addressed, namely the redesignation of year two into the pre-prep department, which is due to happen in September 2006. The school meets all the regulatory requirements.'

Secondary schools: Boys; Radley; Stowe; St Edwards; Aylesbury Grammar.

Boys' age range: 3 to 13.

Girls' age range: 3 to 13.

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