Educational Melting Pot

A school where past meets future, West meets East and where each individual embarks on their own unique learning journey. Serena Templeton investigates

Founded in 1583, St Bees School has a rich and proud history as an independent day and boarding school extending over 438 years.  A school where past meets future, West meets East and where each individual embarks on their own unique journey, it provides an experience unlike any other.

With a present roll of under 100 students aged 11 to 18, St Bees is a small, family-oriented school with big ambitions. The village itself lies on the western coast of Cumbria, on the fringe of the UNESCO World Heritage Lake District National Park – one of the safest and most beautiful places to live in the UK. The location of the school offers students the very best environment to participate in a full and varied co-curricular programme, including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and many sports and activities.

As the UK’s only ‘Fusion School’, St Bees students follow the English National Curriculum, which is further enriched with elements from the East, specifically China. Their unique Fusion Maths programme (in partnership with Durham University’s School of Education) in addition to teaching Mandarin as a first foreign language from the age of 11, offers students the chance for a one-of-a-kind education that will put them head and shoulders above their peers in the future. Preparing students for a global, international tomorrow lies at the heart of St Bees, alongside the concept of ensuring IQ and EQ (character) are developed in equal balance.

St Bees’ mission is to prepare students with the skills and understandings required for success in an increasingly globalised world and they do this on a remit which differs markedly from that of a traditional independent school.  Through small class sizes, an intensive mentoring programme, excellent facilities, 250-acres of land and phenomenal teaching, St Bees are able to clearly show the advantages of providing a holistic, rounded education, identifying and fulfilling every individual child’s potential.

Achieving educational success for every child does not happen by chance. It’s the result of the creation of a matrix of interconnecting components designed to develop every facet of a young person’s profile across the years. In this way, a St Bees student stands out from the crowd - academically successful, mature and confident.

www.stbeesschool.co.uk