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The international reputation of the School attracts pupils from all over the world who find a happy atmosphere in a large musical family. Our aim is to provide comfortable homely surroundings that the pupils can identify as a place of their own. Pupils sleep in single or shared rooms and are cared for by the Headmaster and his wife, resident House Staff, the Matron and Assistant Matron who are qualified nurses, and the School Doctor. There is a warm relationship between staff and pupils. There is no school uniform, but pupils are expected to wear appropriate clothing. Special attention is paid to diet, with an emphasis on wholesome fresh food with plenty of fruit and fresh vegetables. There are three main meals each day and light refreshments in breaks between main meals.
We appreciate that it is a difficult decision to take to send a child away from home, but we believe that it is important for children to start serious instrumental training when they are young so that they learn good habits. For this reason we accept children into the School from the age of eight.
Ever since the School was founded by Yehudi Menuhin in 1963, we have been concerned to ensure that the children in our care maintain contact with home and parents. Boarding should be a positive and enriching experience so that the children at the School have the best opportunity to develop their musical and academic talents while still enjoying a close relationship with their parents.
Our small, international community of about sixty pupils is well suited to caring for young talented people who are away from home. Staff families live on campus and their doors are always open. The School is an extended family that cares for all its members because we believe that a child’s ability to make real progress is in direct proportion to his or her happiness and motivation.
Any child attending the School is free to go out from the School with parents or with family friends or relations from Saturday 1.00pm until Sunday 6.00pm unless he or she has a School Concert in which to perform. The youngest children may also be free to leave for home from Friday 4.15pm depending on School commitments.
Just under half of the school remains in school during the weekends. The boarding staff offers a range of activities and entertainments. Pupils may use the facilities on site, such as swimming, tennis or football, and a shopping trip is offered each Saturday. In the evenings videos are rented; however, pupils often cook, have a fondue party or themselves arrange a disco or even a fashion show. Trips out on Sunday may include cinema, travel to London, castles or local parks.
We welcome informal visits to the School before parents commit themselves to presenting their child for audition and we hold Open Days every term during which there is ample opportunity to see the School in action and to ask questions. Prospective pupils are invited to stay at the School for a few days, as we believe it important for parents and their children to see and feel for themselves the unique atmosphere of the School.
There are two guest rooms at the school available for those parents from overseas wishing to visit their children.
Situated in beautiful grounds in the Surrey countryside, the School is close to London with all its cultural resources, and with easy access to the airports of London Heathrow and Gatwick.
