Sunningdale School, Sunningdale Private Boarding School

• Location: Berkshire, United Kingdom,
• Founded in: 1874,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of education: for boys.

Sunningdale School is a small, private, pre-school boarding school that offers a top-notch, well-rounded education for boys ages 7 to 13. A total of 110 students study on campus.

One of the main tasks of the Sunningdale School staff is to build confidence in students' academic abilities. Teachers encourage boys to solve difficult academic problems, not to be afraid of everyday and academic difficulties, to make mistakes and correct their shortcomings.

Classrooms work on the principle of a step-by-step system. The transition between different stages depends not only on the age of boys, but also on their academic development, that is, boys who have high academic performance receive more incentives and tasks for their achievements, and those who find it more difficult to master the school curriculum are given additional hours to study certain topics.

Boys regularly take internal, final and test entrance exams to build a successful academic future.

• In the first year of operation of Sunningdale School, about 30 boys studied here.
• In 2024, the boarding house celebrated its 150th anniversary.

Sunningdale School offers its wards full board and a flexible accommodation system in which students can stay at the school during the week and leave on weekends. On Saturdays and Sundays, 70% of boys stay in the boarding school.

The chefs prepare a wide range of dishes for boarders and day students that are not only delicious, but also healthy. SS has a culinary committee, which includes not only specialists, but also the children themselves: together they make various menu options, make their suggestions, and give feedback to the chefs. If boys have special eating habits or allergies, then parents or guardians should notify the management in advance.

Every semester, the school staff organises a family dinner that takes place by candlelight in the beautiful rooms of the library. Children are looking forward to this day, willingly invite their parents.

On Saturday mornings, lessons or additional classes are held for all age groups. In the afternoons of the same day, there are sports events, and in the evenings there are film screenings in a hall with a large screen with popcorn and cakes, pool parties with students from neighboring schools, theme nights on popular books, films and cultures.

On Sundays, a full English breakfast is organised for the boys, which will energize them for the whole day. After a hearty breakfast, they, together with teachers, go to the city or outside to play laser tag, fish, ride mountain bikes, practice rock climbing or chat at a large picnic.

Other extracurricular activities available to boys at Sunningdale School:

• riding
• polo
• water polo
• chess
• model railway,
• cookery
• model making,
• billiards
• board games.

Events where parents of students can also come:

• an evening of French drama,
• Christmas performance,
• Christmas service,
• Song Festival,
• Charity Day,
• Sports Day.

• All students at Sunningdale School are divided into small classrooms. This factor and the generally small number of boys in school contributes to the fact that teachers and administration are well aware of the interests and strengths of each of them.
• The school offers students an extensive academic program and a long list of extracurricular activities, including sports, art, music and drama. The purpose of the boarding house is to find a hobby for each ward, to help unleash the potential and abilities in various directions.
• The director is fully involved in the life of his wards, he himself conducts some of the lessons and events.
• Each student is assigned his own personal mentor: at first, this role is performed by the class teacher, and later by a tutor. Mentors monitor the boys' progress, extracurricular activities and health.
• The boarding house campus is close to the capital of England, so it is easy to get to.
• The management creates an exceptional environment for study and everyday life: all living and academic premises are well equipped, employees regularly take refresher courses.

The infrastructure of Sunningdale School consists of:

• sports fields and courts for basketball, golf, hockey, fencing, shooting and other active formats,
• a gym that is open all year round,
• indoor heated pool,
• Chapel
• guest house in Normandy, where students go three times during the academic year.

Fall Semester:

• beginning in September,
• completion in early December,
• Short holidays in mid-September, early October and November.

Winter semester:

• beginning in early January,
• completion at the end of March,
• Short holidays at the end of January, September and mid-March.

Summer semester:

• beginning at the end of April,
• completion at the end of July,
• Short holidays in early May and mid-June.

Additional costs:

• payment for singing and instrument lessons,
• tool rental,
• payment for additional English, Chinese and Spanish lessons,
• School counselor fees.           

The administration personally works with each applicant, invites them to participate in scientific experiments, sports competitions, and formats for the development of leadership qualities. After that, the staff evaluates how the boys passed these tests, whether they will be able to study according to the British traditional curriculum. If successful, parents of potential students are made a personal offer for further admission and relocation to the United Kingdom.

When entering Year 5 and beyond, prospective students at Sunningdale School should be prepared for increased competition, which is created by the high demand for limited places. To get into a boarding school, applicants need to pass an entrance exam, provide documents and recommendations from the current school. A good bonus will be the presence of awards and achievements in the academic, sports and creative fields.

Sunningdale School provides scholarships for its wards. Financial aid can be obtained for academic, musical, and athletic achievements. You can apply for a scholarship after you have officially entered the school. The distribution of money takes place in a competitive format, and the criteria for awarding financial assistance are updated annually.

Additional financial bonuses: discounts for student brothers: for the second student from the same family, they give a 7.5% discount on the cost of tuition, for the third - 15%.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision