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West Buckland School - Time & Leisure Schools Guide

West Buckland School

West Buckland School, situated near the idyllic North Devon coastline, was founded in 1858 and since then has been a thriving hub of education and success.

Located on the edge of Exmoor and only a short drive from some of Britain’s most outstanding beaches, Headmaster Phillip Stapleton believes that ‘green space equals head space’. This sentiment is supported by scientific studies proving that access to green and open spaces improves mental health and wellbeing. Consequently, our students spend as much time as possible in the fresh air and teachers hone lessons to incorporate learning outside whenever possible. West Buckland’s ‘value-added’ score places it in the top 6% in the country and we believe our location is part of the reason for this.

The school is a co-ed day and boarding school for children aged 3 – 18.  Sixth Form boarding is particularly popular, with the modern Sixth Form boarding house offering 70 single, en-suite bedrooms and modern, spacious social areas.  The school’s campus is a blend of historic buildings and state-of-the-art facilities, with WBS having invested £14m into its facilities in the past ten years. New buildings include the 150 Building, housing art and design studios and a theatre; a fully equipped sports centre and a modern, spacious library complete with IT suite and Sixth Form Study Centre.  Other facilities include pitches for rugby, hockey, football, netball and athletics; tennis and squash courts, shooting ranges and a 25m indoor pool.

West Buckland School - Time & Leisure Schools Guide

The school’s 90-acre site allows children to explore, exercise and expand their knowledge, whether it’s during cross country runs, sports fixtures or outdoor learning adventures. Our proximity to Exmoor National Park means that the school boasts the title of the longest, toughest school cross-country run in the country.  The Exmoor is not for the faint hearted but gives all participants an after-dinner story which can be exaggerated at every telling! 

West Buckland School is a high-achieving school despite being largely non-selective, through managing to bring out the best in all its students. In fact, the school is currently rated number 35 in the Top 40 co-ed boarding schools in the UK for our A-level results, which is a testament to an outstanding approach to teaching and pastoral care. Students are encouraged to work hard in subjects that they enjoy, while at the same time having a balance of sporting, creative, community and well-being enhancing activities.

However, at West Buckland, we believe that education should be part of a child’s development and not separate from it.  As such, we have developed a timetable which allows for every child to explore and experience a range of activities and challenges that cover academic enrichment, arts, action, creativity and service. Despite its idyllic surroundings, the school is far from remote. For our very popular weekly and full boarding, Tiverton Parkway station is only 30 minutes away with its two-hour train connections to London. For students from Devon, we operate an extensive school bus network throughout the region. Buses are timed so that students can take part in after-school activities and still get the bus home afterwards.

West Buckland is a British school with a global community, based in the heart of the countryside, offering the best blend of rural living with a cosmopolitan feel.

www.westbuckland.com