Somerhill School: Is this the perfect educational model?
In this totally unique set up, boys and girls pretty much mix in every aspect except for actual academic lessons. Could it be we have stumbled across the perfect school structure?
WHAT, WHERE?
Set in a Grade 1 listed Jacobean, striking stone mansion, Somerhill is one school comprised of three sections – across which there’s a total of 596 pupils currently on roll. Starting with the co-ed Pre-Prep, the school takes children from 2 (and a half) in the co-ed Pre-Prep to 11 years (for girls) 13 years (for boys).
You’ll find it just outside Tonbridge, conveniently located just moments from the A21. It’s an impressive site and sits in 150 acres of stunning parkland, (see pic below). They offer some stonking facilities, a wide range of opportunities and have a strong record of academic success placing children in both grammar and independent schools at 11/13+.
WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL?
Some parents opt for single-sex education where children can try new things in their own space free from inhibitions and distractions. Others prefer a co-educational environment which mirrors the real world and which they hope will produce more rounded individuals.
But what if you could have BOTH – in one school? Somerhill is just this – offering the benefits of both co-ed AND single-sex schooling under one roof. Making it a truly rare offering – it’s certainly the only school structured this way in Kent.
WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE?
Somerhill comprises three sections within one school – the co-educational Pre-Prep, then Yardley Court (for Boys), pictured above, and Derwent Lodge (for Girls), pictured below.
Starting with the co-ed Pre-Prep (the school takes children from 2 and-a-half) girls and boys learn together when small, pictured below. Then, from Year 3 onwards, they take separate lessons either in Yardley Court (for Boys) or Derwent Lodge (for Girls).
This structure, which came about when three schools merged into one, celebrates the different learning styles of boys and girls, providing a single-sex education in the classroom. While also maximising the benefits of a co-educational community experience in the school as a whole.
HOW DOES THIS BENEFIT PUPILS?
So, in their academic subjects children are taught separately, allowing them to focus in the learning environment, but in all other ways they come together – whether that’s through orchestra (pictured above), drama club or the many co-curricular options.
A mixed co-educational and single-sex school offers a unique blend of educational opportunities that cater to various learning styles and preferences.
For a prospective parent, this setup provides the best of both worlds, allowing their child to benefit from the collaborative and inclusive environment of co-education while also experiencing the focused and tailored approach of single-sex education.
Classes are small and the teaching is recognised as ‘exceptional.’ It’s no coincidence that Somerhill is one of the largest grammar school feeders in the whole of Kent.
Put all this together and you have the dream model for your boy or girl and – with strong success at 11+ with as many as 17 of the 64 children that took it last year scoring over 380 points (pretty impressive). Plus, every year, there’s a long list of scholarships (for Academics, Sport, Drama and Art) given to Somerhill boys and girls from the best Senior schools – the results speak for themselves.
SO WHO IS WHO?
With the unique structure of three sections rolled into one there’s a unique SLT structure to match. The three sectional leads are Amanda McKnight, who is Head of Somerhill Prep-Prep, then Alex Holmes, who is Lead at Yardley Court (for the boys) and Sian Lambert, who is Lead at Derwent Lodge (for the girls). Plus, there’s the over-arching Headmaster, Duncan Sinclair (pictured above).
So while the school is three sections in one the support structure means that each child is well known and supported within their individual educational setting. And all this within a stunning space that balances nature, technology and tradition.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE SETTING?
The huge space here allows plenty of room for the three-sections-in-one model. As well as the blend of co-educational and single-sex education the incredible grounds also allow for the perfect balance between indoor and outdoor learning.
Headmaster Duncan Sinclair says: ‘With 150 acres of spectacular parkland there’s no limit to what you can offer the girls and boys here, and there’s no question that its facilities are one of Somerhill’s massive selling points.’
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
Such a school fosters diversity, encourages teamwork, and promotes individual growth, ensuring that each child receives a well-rounded education that prepares them for future success academically, socially, and emotionally.
This ‘best of both worlds’ model strikes the perfect balance between academic focus and social development. Watch here for more details.
GO FOR SEE FOR YOURSELF: Attend their Stay and Play for Pre-Prep (aged 3-6) on Sat 20 Apr 2024.
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