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Mar 2024

Last Updated: 25/04/2024

Education

The Stray Ferret guide: top independent schools in Yorkshire

by Fiona Callow

| 27 Mar, 2024

(Image: Ashville College)

This story is sponsored by Ashville College, Cundall Manor School and Queen Mary's School.

Ashville College

Ashville College is Harrogate’s only independent co-educational day school for pupils aged two to 18.

Academically ambitious and committed to holistic education, Ashville College strives to support every pupil in their care to fulfil their potential academically and socially, as well as in their co-curricular pursuits, and be 'future ready' for their lives beyond school.

The school recently announced outline plans for the biggest investment in its academic and sporting facilities in its history.

A campus masterplan is being developed that will add pace and scale to the transformation of large parts of the estate ahead of Ashville's 150th anniversary in 2027. This news heralds a new chapter for Ashville as they focus on becoming exclusively for day pupils, who currently form more than 90 per cent of the growing school community.

Rhiannon Wilkinson, head of Ashville College, said:

“We are committed to creating the ‘new Ashville’, the school of first choice in the Harrogate area focused on the future and continuing to meet the needs and expectations of pupils and parents.

“We are very keen that all our pupils flourish in academic terms and have high expectations that they will gain the best possible results they can manage in public examinations.”

In autumn term 2023, Ashville was successful in both its Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) inspections.

ISI commented:

“Leaders’ drive to fulfil the school’s aims is palpable as the school seeks to ensure that pupils are supported to fulfil their potential.”

Speaking to pupils' success, former student Ethan Marshall has accepted an offer to study Engineering at the University of Cambridge this September.

He said:

"I can confidently say that without the incredibly kind help from the Maths, Physics and Computer Science departments at Ashville I would not have received this offer at all."

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"When you join Cundall Manor, you join the family and that’s very much the atmosphere here."

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Along with academic excellence, Queen Mary’s offers exceptional extra-curricular opportunities with over 75 different activities on offer each week including gymnastics, dance, debating and STEM as well as outstanding music and choral provision.

The art studio, swimming pool and sports facilities are popular destinations and Queen Mary’s pupils love to be adventurous on site with canoeing, river swimming and climbing. riders and riding teams from Queen Mary’s equestrian centre have won major national titles.

Some girls choose to make Queen Mary’s their second home by flexi, weekly or full boarding in a 'home-from-home', supportive, family atmosphere.

Elisabeth in Year 10 loves the way in which Queen Mary’s gives pupils freedom; 'the freedom to express ourselves and not fit into a mould'. For one Year 11 parent, the sentiment is unequivocal:

"Queen Mary's is the best decision we made as parents.”

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