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Our View of Dauntsey's School
Dauntsey’s never loses sight of the importance of childhood as pupils move up through the years, throwing themselves into all the opportunities on offer. Academics are strong, but perhaps more notable is the way pupils enjoy learning and the holistic weaving in of co-curricular. The school’s motto ‘Be ambitious, brave and compassionate in all that you do’ perfectly sums up what you see on the ground when you visit.
Where is Dauntsey's School?
Set in over 150 acres, Dauntsey’s occupies an enviable position in the stunning Vale of Pewsey, five miles south of Devizes, in Wiltshire. Importantly, there’s a plethora of local village pubs, perfect for a parental pre-match Saturday lunch or some army tank and Apache spotting on nearby Salisbury Plain.
Access by road is straightforward, with Bath, Salisbury and Swindon all within 40 minutes and London only 100 miles by road or easily reached from one of three local train stations. Overseas pupils can hop on the RailAir bus link at Reading station to ferry them to Heathrow. The school also runs 15 bus routes to bring in day children from the surrounding towns and villages.
Headmaster
John Davies took over the headship in September 2024 arriving from Kingswood School, Bath, where he’d been senior deputy head and vice principal for seven years. Before that he was director of teaching and learning at Abingdon and he’s also worked in the state sector in Newcastle and Sunderland. Chatty and down-to-earth, he’s a real joiner inner, refereeing rugby matches, playing football and guitar, treading the boards, even baking bread. He loves that Dauntsey’s shares his all-rounder ethos. ‘I want children to like coming to school,’ he tells us. ‘At Dauntsey’s, it feels like children are having a childhood.’
Admissions
Dauntsey’s prides itself on allowing individuality to shine – and while it’s not known for its selectivity, competition to get in is strong, with more applicants than available places at 11+. Candidates sit papers in creative writing, verbal reasoning, comprehension, puzzles and problem solving, and spelling and grammar, and they are invited to an interview too. Roughly 50 per cent of pupils arrive from prep schools and 50 per cent from primaries, meaning that with about 60 schools feeding into the pot, it’s a blank canvas with no cliques or large groups dominating the settling in.
For the 35 or so pupils joining at 13+, selection is based on the ISEB Common Pre-Test as well as an interview. Applications can be made in Year 6 or Year 7, and for those not at prep school, there is the option to sit the school's own assessments. It’s worth noting that only boarding places are available at this entry point, and new starters join boarders at The Manor (where the lower school boards) for one year before moving up to the senior houses in Year 10.
Open to both day pupils and boarders, sixth-form entry is based on predicted grades, school references and an interview. About 35 pupils join at this stage, bringing the head count to around 860.
A range of scholarships and awards are available at all three entry stages, as well as a scholarship supplement for families of scholars needing fee assistance.
Academics and destinations
Learning here is bold and immersive (science teachers have even built bespoke catapults to bring their experiments to life), and the school has worked hard to create an 'adventurous education' – be it through a physics lesson on board the Jolie Brise (more on that below) or a musical-theatre performance in the West End.
Class sizes are relatively small, averaging 16 for a GCSE class and nine for A-levels – and although pupils do very well here, it’s clear that academic results are only part of the picture. It’s giving your best to learning that really matters. It's also worth knowing that this is a six-day-week school, with a full morning of academic lessons on Saturdays (Years 7 and 8 have a slightly shorter morning), followed by afternoons packed with sports matches and activities.
Although Dauntsey’s is less selective than local grammars, its results are better, with 64 per cent of GCSE grades marked 9-7 in 2024. A-level grades are similarly solid, with around 74 per cent securing A*-Bs. The most popular subjects at A-level are maths and chemistry, closely followed by business, economics, psychology and geography.
About 75 per cent of leavers go to the top 15 of Russell Group universities, but other paths are well trodden too; last year one pupil achieved the highest scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, another won a sports scholarship to Harvard, and another took up an apprenticeship at GlaxoSmithKline.
Co-curricular at Dauntsey's School
Art, music and drama all thrive at Dauntsey’s and there’s no sign of any loss of momentum. Art is housed in its own standalone building, which is open until 10pm every evening and at weekends – which the arty pupils adore. They also love the trips – art students went to Italy last year.
About 40 per cent of pupils have individual music lessons in at least one instrument and host an impressive number of concerts every year, from choral recitals to jazz and rock evenings. Access to a musical education is an important principle here, with GCSE music as well as music and music-tech A-levels on offer. The head is a great believer in the power of singing to boost wellbeing and bring people together, so we’re expecting a rollout of choirs in the not-too-distant future.
Dramatists are kept busy with at least seven productions a year, all of them open to the public – one of the many ways in which Dauntsey’s makes itself an integral part of the local community. The quality of these shows is jaw-dropping, and you have to pinch yourself to remember that the actors are not genuine West Enders. Previous billings include Footloose and Chicago.
Dance is compulsory for the first two year groups, who learn street and hip-hop as a creative way to promote self-confidence and teamwork. We particularly loved the cheekily titled GNI, the boys-only dance group throwing some serious shapes with just one polite request: ‘Girls Not Invited’. The
annual school dance show is also a key part of the Dauntsey’s calendar.
Sport is incredibly inclusive and, with over 700 matches taking place each year, everyone has the opportunity to take part – the school is keen to support athletes at every level and not just the elite, although the latter also receive top-class supervision with bespoke strength, conditioning and nutrition programmes for those who want them. This has led Dauntsey’s pupils to a flurry of achievements – including 1st place at the
European 400 metre hurdles and
national equestrian success.
Rugby, football, hockey, basketball, tennis, athletics, cricket and netball are the main sports, although there are opportunities to represent the school in swimming, rifle shooting, fencing and equestrianism too. Dauntsey’s also promotes lots of non-competitive pursuits to keep children healthy and active, and the extracurricular programme boasts everything from karate to trampolining.
The adventure programme is as much a part of life here as classroom learning, and no review would be complete without a mention of the
Jolie Brise. One of the most famous tall ships in the world, it has been sailed and maintained by Dauntsey’s pupils for over 40 years, during which time she has sailed the Atlantic six times, crossed the Bay of Biscay 10 times and navigated 200 miles inside the Arctic Circle. It is a beautiful vessel and a unique asset, especially for a landlocked school. But in true Dauntsey’s style, the Jolie Brise is not for show – it is part of the experience that makes this place very special.
The school is a keen advocate of adventure and exploration as a means to teach pupils the valuable skills of teamwork, risk management and communication. Orienteering, self-defence and survival skills take place weekly, and the fabulously titled head of adventure education has been instrumental in organising the Devizes to Westminster canoe race and a dazzling selection of trips to Iceland, Sweden’s Arctic territory, Bhutan, Mount Kilimanjaro and beyond.
Boarding
Boarders account for about 40 per cent of pupils at Dauntsey’s. Strictly speaking there’s no flexi option, but boarding is very flexible and boarders can return home each weekend or go out or home for supper with parents mid-week, if they are local. The boarders tell us that after the day buses leave at 5.20pm, the vibe instantly changes from school to ‘home’, which helps them all switch off. The school’s location makes it attractive to forces families who, like all parents of boarders, can be reassured that about three-quarters of the boarding fraternity stay in over the weekend. There’s certainly no mass exodus and the range of high-adrenaline to chilled-out weekend activities are all well attended.
The Manor is a co-ed boarding house and home to lower-school pupils in Years 7 to 9; it has a homely energy, with a relaxed and natural communication between the year groups. Upper-school boarders are accommodated in single-sex houses, two for boys and two for the girls. The houses differ slightly in style, personality and facilities but all ooze charm.
Senior boarders take responsibility for a great deal of their own downtime activities (just under half of sixth-formers board), although the sixth-form socials at weekends are laid on at the school’s 17 Club. Sixth-formers are allowed two drinks a week and, while this is carefully logged, there is little need for such checks as the students respond so positively to the trust placed in them. Being a sixth-former here really does feel like a special privilege, offering the joys and opportunities of the Dauntsey’s bubble alongside a carefully crafted and grounded preparation for the real world – such as doing their own laundry from time to time. We loved the relaxed and comfortable interaction between our sixth-form guide and the house staff we met, all adding to the very homely vibe.
Dauntsey's School community
Pastoral care is excellent here, with tutor/pupil/parent relationships both important and effective. There are two school counsellors, each house has six tutors and there's a superb student-led listening service where pupils volunteer to be listeners and take a course that teaches them how to best offer support to their peers. Student voice too is vitally important here and is seen as a real strength by the pupils themselves.
The school is heavily invested in the local community, interacting with over 400 primary-school children every week by visiting them in their own schools or welcoming them to use Dauntsey’s facilities. The hardworking parental body forms a strong core and the parents’ association organises a plethora of fund-raising events, from summer festivals to bonfire nights.
And finally....
A wonderfully warm school with a happy, down-to-earth atmosphere and a real can-do attitude. There’s no siloing here, with everyone getting involved in everything. The only thing that Dauntsey’s doesn’t have is a big name, and that in itself is very much part of its charm. For parents who want inquisitive and grounded children who appreciate their opportunities and surroundings, we think we’ve found just the place.