Dear Parents,
A very warm welcome to St Aubyns School. I would like to invite you to come and visit our school, to meet children and staff from the Pre-Prep and Prep Departments, see our 11 acres of grounds, look at our considerable range of facilities, and begin to understand our very special, distinctive ethos.
St Aubyns is a family-centred school which has been preparing children for British senior schools since 1895. Uniquely in the Brighton area we are independent from any senior school and will be able to prepare your son or daughter for the school which you choose for them as they approach 13. Our aim is to make the children feel happy, secure and valued, and to foster each individual child in developing their individual strengths. Our extended school day allows us to offer a wide range of creative, sporting and academic extras in addition to a broad academic curriculum. The creative arts are flourishing at St Aubyns and all the children are encouraged to develop their potential in this area.
Central to our educational success is a very low pupil to adult ratio, and a committed and well-qualified team of teachers who are passionate about teaching, nurturing and motivating children. Through pastoral care in small tutor groups throughout the school and an emphasis on developing good social skills we aspire to create confident and well-mannered children. Each pupil receives individual guidance and as a consequence our children are confident and polite, and achieve outstanding results in a range of fields at 13+.
Our recent Independent Schools Inspectorate Report (2007) highlights a "stimulating and tolerant atmosphere", "outstanding" pastoral care, and our focus on personalised learning as "an area of outstanding practice". "Achievement in drama, art and sport ... is outstanding for a school of its size", the report states. The behaviour of the children and the excellent relationship between pupils and staff are also singled out for praise. Our Nursery Inspection (Ofsted 2008) emphasises the outstanding nature of the provision at that level. The boarding provision was judged to be outstanding in our Boarding Inspection (Ofsted 2009). A recent press article described the school as having 'the intoxicating combination of small classes and a big heart". We welcome pupils from overseas and recently received a UK Border Agency A-rating when we gained our Sponsor Licence.
I hope very much that you will be intrigued by what you read here and then arrange to pay us a visit either at our next Open Morning on Saturday, 18th September, or by making your own appointment through the school office.
Simon Hitchings,
Headmaster