St Nicholas' School, St. Nicholas' School

• Location: Fleet, Hampshire, England,
• Year of foundation: 1935,
• Number of students: approximately 370,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of education: coeducational in primary school, girls only — in secondary and senior schools.

St Nicholas' School — an independent school for girls aged 3-16 and boys aged 3-7. The institution offers programs covering almost all stages of school education: kindergarten, preschool preparation, primary, middle and high school.

With a history spanning more than 90 years, St Nicholas' School has survived several global changes, which today allows it to offer high-quality education for the rising generation. Located in the southern part of the small town of Fleet, the school provides pupils with a comfortable, safe and vibrant atmosphere for academic and personal development. Thanks to the high qualifications of teachers and focus on the individual characteristics of each student, students achieve excellent results, and St Nicholas' School — holds positions in national and international rankings of leading schools.

A distinctive feature of St Nicholas' is its focus on preparing girls: they study together with boys in preschool and primary departments, then move to middle school and concentrate on the scientific areas that they like — this approach helps girls not to look at gender stereotypes and prepares them for a successful career from an early age.

The school consists of four academic departments:

• Nursery — from 3 to 5 years old,
• Infant School — from 4 to 7 years old,
• Junior School — from 7 to 11 years old,
• Senior School — from 11 to 16 years old.

St Nicholas' does not provide accommodation on or off campus and does not have its own residences.

Students from all academic departments visit the large dining hall, which serves hot and cold meals, snacks and drinks. A varied menu provides a balanced diet, including seasonal vegetables and fruits, vegetarian and vegan dishes.

The extracurricular development and entertainment program offers students of all school divisions a fun and rewarding pastime. The youngest students can stay on campus after lessons to engage in art, science, and sports in extended day groups. Students in elementary, middle, and high school have a wider selection:

• The professional visual arts program led by artist Lee-Anne Hampson: an extracurricular course that helps students prepare for admission to art colleges, support and develop their talent in drawing and photography,
• Thematic classes in art, textiles, and design studios: under the guidance of teachers, students can develop their skills in any of the available creative areas, try new materials and techniques, and implement ideas using modern technologies. Participation in creative courses allows students to participate in regular exhibitions on campus and competitions outside of it,
• Music classes: they are held in specialized halls with a full range of necessary instruments and technologies. Students choose the most interesting and suitable direction for themselves, such as participation in an ensemble, choir or solo performance. More than 160 lessons take place weekly in music classes, and more than 60% of students take lessons playing at least one musical instrument,
• Performing arts closely cooperates with the music department and gives students the opportunity to realize their ideas and talent on stage. Extracurricular activities include developing self-confidence, studying acting skills, dance training, participation in theatrical productions and much more,
• The Duke of Edinburgh's Award program: students engage in volunteering, sports and develop their strengths to earn an award of one of two levels: bronze or silver,
• Sports is included in the core curriculum of all classes and is also taught outside of school hours. From a young age, students can join one of the sections: football, netball, hockey, swimming, athletics, etc., to not only maintain physical activity but also achieve personal success,
• STEAM courses: studying science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics in after-school clubs. Under the guidance of qualified teachers, students will broaden their horizons beyond the standard curriculum and learn more about botany, ecology, genetics, computer science and other sought-after areas of modernity.

Almost all students participate in campus events throughout the year. The calendar includes various events: from sports competitions and cooking days to charity runs and long excursions. Extracurricular activities also occupy a special place in the extracurricular life of St Nicholas School pupils — thanks to trips, they have the opportunity to enjoy natural beauty, explore attractions, visit restaurants, cafes and entertainment centers. Trips around the region are organized for students in junior and middle school, while high school girls have the opportunity to spend several weeks abroad.

• Member of many associations, including QSA, ISC, NACE,
• Safe campus with modern infrastructure for comprehensive development,
• Numerous extracurricular activities, including creativity, sports and participation in olympiads,
• Excellent results of high school students: the exam pass rate reaches 97%.

St Nicholas' School is located in the large village of Church Crookham, in the southern part of the town of Fleet. The school grounds cover 30 acres and accommodate several buildings, each prepared for teaching children of a certain age.

A safe environment has been created for the youngest pupils, including classrooms and specialized areas for games and scientific experiments. Older students already have access to facilities such as:

• Classrooms with interactive whiteboards,
• Children's and adult libraries with reading rooms,
• Natural science laboratories,
• Computer room,
• Music studios, drama studio, fine arts studio.

All students attend the dining hall and can walk around the open playgrounds. Sports activities are held in specialized facilities:

• Sports center with halls for team sports,
• Stadium with a long jump area and competition field,
• All-weather AstroTurf pitch for football, hockey and netball training,
• Netball and tennis courts,
• Running track in a green area.

The campus also features a Forest School — this is a special outdoor place where classes are held to develop life skills, research, and games within the framework of a specific lesson.

The school academic calendar includes three trimesters:

• Autumn: September-December,
• Spring: January-March,
• Summer: April-July.

Each trimester includes one- or two-week vacations. Students rest on weekends and holidays, and lessons are held on weekdays in the first half of the day.

Additional expenses:

• Registration fee, deposit,
• Meals,
• Childcare before/after classes,
• Excursions, some extracurricular activities and individual lessons,
• School uniform,
• Rental of musical instruments and other school equipment,
• State exams, preparatory courses for them,
• Materials for projects and research,
• Medical care,
• Personal expenses.

Before submitting an application, the staff offers parents of prospective students to visit the campus to inspect its infrastructure, meet with the principal and teachers, study the academic plan and extracurricular opportunities. The admission process consists of several stages:

• Completing an online application form,
• Paying the registration fee,
• Attending a trial school day, undergoing an interview and subject tests,
• Receiving an official letter with an offer of admission,
• Making a deposit to reserve a place in the class,
• Arriving on campus at the beginning of the trimester.

Every year, St Nicholas' School senior students achieve excellent results when taking GCSE exams: 97% of students pass their subjects successfully and then enroll in leading institutions across the country. The list of educational establishments that have accepted school graduates includes:

• Charterhouse Sixth Form Godalming,
• Farnborough College of Technology,
• Guildford College,
• HSDC Alton College,
• Queen Mary's College Basingstoke.

All incoming students are considered for a scholarship if they meet the eligibility criteria. Students already studying at St Nicholas’ School can also apply for financial support if their circumstances have changed.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision