10 best UK boarding schools for swimming
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For students passionate about swimming, finding a school that actively nurtures their talent is key. UK boarding schools are renowned for their holistic approach to
Academic Families works with more than 450 schools throughout the UK, and we have become experts at matching children to the right boarding school for them in order to ensure each student thrives.
We're delighted to present one of our partner schools:
St Leonards School in St Andrews, Scotland.
“Our goal is to bring out the best in each pupil by recognising, encouraging and developing their unique skills. Our community is full of caring individuals who have open minds, a shared sense of endeavour and the highest of academic aspirations.”
St Leonards is one of the best schools for International Baccalaureate (IB), both in Scotland and the wider UK. In the junior years, pupils aged 5-12 years learn and develop core skills, following the IB Primary Years Programme. In the Senior School, pupils start with the IB Middle Years Programme and then follow a curriculum of GCSEs and IGCSEs. In the Sixth Form, pupils have a choice of selecting the IB Diploma Programme or the IB Career-related Programme.
The school also offers a Pre-IB one-year programme for international students to help prepare them for success when they reach the Sixth Form.
Almost all pupils at St Leonards continue on to Higher Education institutions with many students going to prestigious universities across the UK and overseas. Some popular university destinations include Durham, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and London.
St Leonards offers pupils the opportunity to participate in a broad range of extra-curricular activities. From debating and drama to chess and musical activities, the options are vast. In sports, the school has a particularly excellent reputation in lacrosse, hockey, golf, tennis, rugby and football. With St Andrews internationally renowned as the ‘Home of Golf’, the school offers outstanding golf opportunities for pupils.
The school also has excellent opportunities and facilities for the creative and performing arts. The drama department stages regular productions and pupils have the opportunity to work towards Trinity Guildhall exams if they wish. For young musicians, St Leonards has a dedicated Music School with impressive facilities for both performers and composers.
The majority of the student body is from Scotland and the rest of the UK. However, the quality of St Leonards’ provisions for the International Baccalaureate attracts students from more than 35 nationalities. St Leonards also offers specialist English as an Additional Language (EAL) classes for pupils whose first language is not English.
St Leonards welcomes boarders from ages 10 – 18. There are three boarding houses – Bishopshall, St Rule and Ollerenshaw – all of them offering a warm and welcoming family atmosphere. During the past five years, the boarding houses have undergone a £4 million redevelopment, introducing new social spaces, modern kitchen facilities and comfortable study bedrooms. St Leonards offers a varied programme of weekend activities, including trips to outdoor adventure centres, shopping, museum visits in Edinburgh, go-karting, paintballing and trips to the cinema.
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