Th e boys and girls of St Leonards are being prepared ‘for life’ in its fullest sense; a life of challenges and opportunities. St Leonards is Scotland’s leading independent school. For three years running, St Leonards has also been ranked Situated in a beautiful campus in the inspiring university by the Sunday Times as the Top Independent School Sixth town of St Andrews, St Leonards is a forward-thinking Form in Scotland for IB/A Level results, with leavers going boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 5-18. on to study at top universities around the world. Our aim is to provide an outstanding education, off ering Editor, Alastair McCall, has commended the school for its both academic and co-curricular opportunities for every recent academic success: “No Scottish independent school pupil to excel, in an unrivalled location. can match St Leonards’ achievements in the sixth form averaged over the past four years”. We inform and inspire, with learning at our heart, both inside and outside the classroom. We off er deeper learning, We continue to invest, not only in our pupils, but in wider options and richer minds. the facilities we off er. All three boarding houses have recently undergone an extensive £4 million refurbishment, St Leonards is the fi rst school in Scotland to be accredited creating smart yet homely social spaces and modern study as an all-through IB school, delivering the globally- bedrooms. recognised curriculum from Year 1 through to Year 13. St Leonards is a valued part of the St Andrews community It is a consistent and coherent learner journey, starting at a number of levels; primarily as a centre of educational at age 5 with the excellent Primary Years Programme excellence but also as a contributor to the social and and culminating in the Diploma Programme in the cultural life of the town. Th e school has excellent relations Sixth Form. It is an approach fi t for the 21st century, with the University of St Andrews, opening up further internationally recognised, not hamstrung by the opportunities for our pupils. unnecessary narrowing of options at too early an age. Learning really is for life and all its unpredictable twists St Leonards is truly an exceptional place to learn and grow. and turns, and the style of learning exemplifi ed by the IB embodies this far better than anything else. Every day is an open day. We hope to welcome you to St Andrews and to see our school in action. We are truly fortunate to have as our motto ‘Ad Vitam’, which we interpret as meaning ‘for life’. Th e boys and Dr Michael Carslaw BCs, MBA, PhD girls of St Leonards are being prepared ‘for life’ in its Headmaster, St Leonards School fullest sense; a life of challenges and opportunities. Founded in 1877, spanning almost 150 years of history, St Leonards continues to develop and progress, and this year has been no exception: we are immensely proud to have been named as Scotland’s Independent School of the Year 2019, by the Sunday Times Schools Guide. 3 ETHOS Th e curriculum is underpinned by well-established values that permeate the school from start to fi nish. From the youngest pupil in our Junior School to the oldest Sixth Former, St Leonards students are guided by the enlightening principles of the International Baccalaureate Learner Profi le. We aim for children to become communicators, inquirers, risk-takers and thinkers who are balanced, caring, open-minded, principled, knowledgeable and refl ective. Our goal is to bring out the best in each pupil by recognising, encouraging and developing their unique skills. We treat our students as individuals who think for themselves, with their own aspirations, potential and talents. St Leonards off ers unrivalled opportunities for sport, music, drama and art, and we have an extensive programme of co-curricular activities. 4 5 CAMPUS St Leonards boasts one of the most impressive campuses in the UK, with a beautiful set-up in the heart of St Andrews, incorporating historic landmarks, purpose-built facilities, vast green playing fi elds, a 25m swimming pool and magnifi cent views of the sea and the surrounding town. On one side the pupils look on to St Andrews Bay, and on the other, the ancient ruins of St Andrews Cathedral. Th e campus is bounded by medieval walls which once marked the perimeter of the ancient town priory, providing our students with a safe, secure and serene environment in which to learn. Everything is within walking distance of the school: three minutes to St Andrews Castle, two minutes from the beach and one minute from our favourite ice cream shop! Th e old cobbled streets of St Andrews are lined with shops, restaurants and cafes, a cinema and theatre, museums, and seven championship golf courses, all on the school’s doorstep for pupils to enjoy. 6 7 LOCATION Th e university town of St Andrews is situated on the coast, north-east of Edinburgh in the ‘Kingdom of Fife’. St Leonards is well served by public transport with regular local bus services and Leuchars railway station, which is on the East Coast Mainline and just ten minutes away. Th e school is conveniently located just 20 minutes from Dundee, home to the V&A, 60 minutes from Edinburgh and 90 minutes from Glasgow. Th e school runs its own subsidised bus services from surrounding towns and villages including Cupar, Dundee, Kirkcaldy, Perth and the East Neuk. St Andrews is within easy reach of the international airports of Edinburgh, which fl ies to over 150 destinations worldwide, and Glasgow. 8 9 JUNIOR SCHOOL 10 11 JUNIOR SCHOOL ST LEONARDS PROSPECTUS | JUNIOR SCHOOL ‘ Education is not the fi lling of a pail, but the lighting of a fi re’. With family fi rmly at the heart, and with the support of an immensely talented, caring and imaginative team of staff , our ethos at St Leonards Junior School is simple: to provide a nurturing, relaxed, yet ambitious and innovative education for children aged 5-12. In a culture of testing and assessment in UK schools, we have a rare opportunity to off er children the chance to guide their own learning, both in and out of the classroom. Learning is meant to be fun, and we want to instil a passion for life-long learning in all our children, whilst giving them the chance to explore and experience a feast of exciting opportunities, both within the classroom and across all areas of school life. Th rough our leading curriculum, the International Baccalaureate Primary Years and Middle Years Programme, we foster curiosity, risk-taking and discovery, skills that will remain with children for life. St Leonards off ers the children an opportunity to experience a breadth of education that encompasses a creative curriculum, and a thrilling array of sport, music, drama, art, design and activities. School should be a place of adventure, and our programme of outdoor education makes full use of our unrivalled location, set on the stunning St Andrews coast. Most important, however, is the happiness of each child. Happy children succeed, and at St Leonards we place the relationships between staff , children and parents at the forefront of our ethos for education. We are proud to have a team who care deeply about children, and have a commitment to fi nding each individual child’s strengths thereby developing their self- esteem. We would be absolutely delighted to welcome you and your family to St Leonards in the near future to tour the grounds, meet the staff and, most importantly, the children, who make this school the special community it is. 12 13 JUNIOR SCHOOL ST LEONARDS PROSPECTUS | JUNIOR SCHOOL COMPASSION AND KINDNESS Whilst the emphasis on the academic side of school life is vital, it is the happy atmosphere of St Leonards which makes an immediate impact on visitors. Our caring, committed staff gently guide the children in forming positive relationships with one another. We place great importance on traditional values such as kindness, courtesy and good manners. Our nurturing environment supports and builds the children’s understanding of how they fi t into the school community and wider world. Developing a child’s self-belief and confi dence is crucial in providing an outstanding education for life, and we truly feel a happy and confi dent child will succeed in all areas. 14 15 JUNIOR SCHOOL ST LEONARDS PROSPECTUS | JUNIOR SCHOOL CHALLENGING AND INQUIRING Our highly creative Primary Years curriculum provides children with experiences that encourage a life-long love of learning. Th rough imaginative teaching and learning, our pupils are challenged to think outside the box, have a fearless approach to making mistakes and take their own learning in exciting new directions. Aiming high in everything we do sits at the heart of life inside the classroom, and we are academically very ambitious for our children. Within very small classes, we encourage the girls and boys to build a strong work ethic and to set the bar high to realise their ambitions. In the Lower School (Years 1-3), the emphasis is on raising the children’s literacy and numeracy levels, and through our phonics, reading and maths programmes, we build solid foundations for them. “A signifi cant number of children particularly at the early and middle stages are working beyond expected levels in reading and writing at St Leonards.” HMI Inspection extract (2017) 16 17 JUNIOR SCHOOL ST LEONARDS PROSPECTUS | JUNIOR SCHOOL In the Middle and Upper School (Years 4-7), we see the children build up a range of skills necessary for life.