The February Week 4 2025 Education Roundup

All the latest UK news from schools in the past week can be read below. Alternatively, find the best school for your child here.

Taunton School Announces Development Of New Boarding House

Taunton School has announced the development of a brand-new boarding facility with a capacity to host more than 140 students, with construction set to begin in March 2025 and completion anticipated for February 2027.

The new building will comprise two boarding houses, giving the School seven in total for its senior students.

Find out more about Taunton School here.

ArtsEd Appoints Louise Jackson As Principal

Photo credit: Lucy Davis

ArtsEd is delighted to announce the appointment of Louise Jackson as Principal from July 2025. 

With a distinguished career that includes leadership and teaching roles at BIMM University, Trinity Laban, and the University of Chichester, Louise has a proven track record of driving institutional change and enhancing academic provision. 

In addition to her leadership credentials, Louise’s commitment to teaching excellence has been recognised by the award of a prestigious National Teaching Fellowship, the highest award for teaching in higher education in the UK. Louise’s research focused on developing inclusive approaches to teaching and curriculum and the development of artists who are teaching in higher education.

Scotland U20 International Hosts Rugby 7s Masterclass

Pupils at The Oratory Prep School experienced an exceptional Rugby 7s coaching session led by Noah Cowan, Scotland’s U20 team scrum half and a prominent player at Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Academy. 

Noah Cowan, whose rugby career commenced at Henley Hawks, has progressed through the London Irish youth system and currently plays for the Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Academy as well as the Scotland U20 team and has been playing in this year’s 6 Nations Championship.

The coaching session focused on enhancing player competencies in key areas such as tackling techniques, expansive ball movement and coordinated team defence.

Find out more about The Oratory Prep School here.

Canfordians Secure Over 450 Offers To Top Universities

Canford School in Wimborne has a deserved reputation for high academic achievement and pupil outcomes. It has once again been ranked No.1 across the South West by The Sunday Times’ 2025 Parent Power report for top A Level and GCSE grades among co-ed boarding and day senior schools.

Canfordians have gained 452 offers so far for over 200 different courses, with more than 250 decisions still pending. This is a tremendous achievement and represents 3 offers per applicant to date.

Huge congratulations also go to the seven Canfordians who have navigated the rigorous and challenging Oxbridge entry process, four to Cambridge and three to Oxford reading Classics, History, Natural Sciences and Land Economy and Biological Sciences, History and Theology and Religion respectively.

Find out more about Canford School here.

Sustainable Costume Design At Heart Of Habs Monmouth School’s Production

Haberdashers’ Monmouth School is bringing The Jungle Book to life with a fresh, sustainable twist.

Under the expert guidance of renowned costume designer Alice Sales, students have transformed discarded fabrics and old clothes into stunning, eco-friendly costumes.

Alice, a Bristol Old Vic Theatre School graduate, has led hands-on workshops, inspiring students to reimagine unwanted textiles as intricate designs that elevate the production’s visual storytelling.

The Jungle Book runs on Thursday, 6th, and Friday, 7th March at The Blake Theatre, Monmouth. Tickets are still available—secure yours now via TicketSource.

Find out more about Haberdashers’ Monmouth School here.

Eastbourne College Swimming Success Attracts Olympians for Exclusive Clinic

Eastbourne College’s growing reputation in competitive swimming has attracted a world-class line-up of coaches for an exclusive training clinic on Thursday, 27 February. Elite swimmers from St Andrew’s Prep and Eastbourne Swimming Club will join the College’s top swimmers, offering top-level athletes from the area the opportunity to benefit from the clinic.

The clinic will be led by Mel Marshall, coach to Adam Peaty, who has won three Olympic gold medals and eight world titles. Marshall, a former World No. 1, will join the clinic via Zoom from Australia to share her experience and expertise and to inspire the swimmers on their own competitive journeys. The day will also feature pool sessions and a tailored nutrition workshop to support the athletes’ overall performance. The on-site coaching team also brings a wealth of experience and includes Grant Turner, London 2012 Olympian; Ian Hulme, former international swimmer; performance nutritionist Tiff Williams; Suzanne Gumbrell, Scottish Swimming’s 2023 Development Coach of the Year and Megan Moss, former national swimmer and MMSI Head of Operations.

Find out more about Eastbourne College here.

RHS Announces Exciting Developments To Enhance Pupil Experience

The Royal Hospital School (RHS) in Holbrook, Suffolk, is proud to unveil a series of new changes to its weekend provision, daily structure, Sixth Form offering, and long-term campus development for both its day and boarding pupils.

From September 2025, RHS will launch Super Saturdays, providing an engaging, supra-curricular programme for pupils in Years 9 to 13, stretching pupils beyond the mainstream curriculum. Academic lessons will no longer take place on Saturdays, allowing pupils to participate in a diverse range of activities designed to develop key employability skills.

There’s more. RHS will transition to a refined daily timetable featuring eight 45-minute periods. This structure optimises concentration and engagement while maintaining the same high level of teaching time. Key enhancements include a 50-minute lunch break to support pupil well-being, a 50-minute co-curricular activity slot at the end of the day, sport being integrated into the core timetable and an earlier school day finish, with buses departing at 5:30 pm in response to community feedback.

The RHS Sixth Form experience is also evolving, with the highly anticipated Sixth Form Centre set to open in September 2025. Designed in collaboration with pupils, this cutting-edge space will provide an inspiring environment for independent study, collaboration, and personal development.

And in response to strong interest from Year 11 pupils, RHS is also expanding its A Level subject offerings to include Classics and Sociology, with flexible subject combinations to accommodate diverse academic pathways. 

Finally, with the centenary of RHS at Holbrook on the horizon, the school is launching the RHS 2033: Capital Investment Programme, a bold vision for the next decade. The first phase of this initiative commenced in January 2025 with the refurbishment of senior boarding houses, starting with St Vincent House. Each house will undergo refurbishment within a single term, with temporary relocation to Anson House ensuring minimal disruption. Furthermore, later in the Lent term, RHS will unveil the newly repurposed RHS Clubhouse and a state-of-the-art Sailing Hub at Alton Water. The Clubhouse will serve as a vibrant social space with enhanced facilities for parents, pupils, and staff, while the Sailing Hub will reinforce RHS’s status as a Centre of Excellence for Sailing, providing pupils with an enriched learning environment.

Find out more about RHS here.