Stonar School

Mission statement

“Our mission is to prepare each student to live successfully in a globalised world by furnishing them with the skills and attitudes to flourish academically and personally.”

Academics

The small class sizes, individualised learning plans and strong relationships between staff and pupils ensures that pupils at Stonar thrive.  As a Globeducate school, Stonar offers a wide-ranging curriculum with an international outlook. Pupils are strongly supported to work hard and meet realistic, but challenging, academic targets. Stonar is consistently placed in the top 10% of schools for value added at GCSE level, and in 2022 99% of students achieved Grades 4-9. In the same year, there was a 98% pass rate for A-levels and 55% of pupils achieved a grade A*-B. Over 50% of pupils progressed onto study at Russell Group Universities including Durham, Bristol and UCL.

Activities & sports

Stonar recognises that an enriching education requires more than just academics and, as such, offers a strong and varied co-curricular programme.  There are over 20 clubs and activities to choose from each term and these change from termly.

The major sports that take place are rugby, football, swimming, hockey, cricket and tennis for boys, and hockey, swimming, netball, cricket and tennis for girls. Students can take part in these, and other exciting sports such as basketball, horse riding and gymnastics, both recreationally and competitively. This is made possible by the school’s extensive facilities on their 80-acre rural campus. These include playing fields for football, rugby, cricket and athletics, outdoor tennis courts, netball courts, an indoor swimming pool, fitness suite and large sports hall, which holds four badminton courts. There is also an Equestrian Centre at the heart of the school, with two full show jump sets, a hacking trail around the campus and an indoor arena. The equestrian facilities are supported by top equine professionals, and riding is available for students of all skill levels – 40% of pupils at Stonar ride. The Stonar Riding Academy gives riders access to a wide range of competition opportunities.

The school encourages creativity in its students by giving them the opportunities to thrive in the arts. There are many performance opportunities in both music and drama ranging from chamber choir to rock concerts or musical theatre performances. There are chances to take music exams and compete in festivals. Tuition in a range of instruments like piano, woodwind, brass strings and percussion are available, as well as voice lessons. Performing on stage is a big part of school life at Stonar, with annual productions providing opportunities for pupils to get involved both on and off stage – and participation is encouraged for all. A specialist drama teacher is available to coach students who would like to take LAMDA Speech and Drama qualifications.

International student community

Stonar welcomes pupils from more than 15 different countries into their vibrant boarding community. Twenty percent of students are international and, as a Globeducate school, Stonar is truly focused on providing students with an internationally minded school experience. The school provides English as an Additional Language (EAL) lessons for those who are not fluent, ensuring students make the most of their time at Stonar.

Boarding life

Stonar’s boarding community is welcoming and open, providing a home-from-home environment. Every pupil is supported by the dedicated Houseparents, who work hard to build good relationships with boarders. There are activities that happen each weekend (both on site and off site) and after school, so there there is always something for the boarders to do with their friends. The tight-knit boarding community means pupils form bonds that will last a lifetime.