Stowe School

Word From The Head

Dr Anthony Wallersteiner

Welcome to Stowe - a unique school in the most sublime setting which celebrates youth rather than stifling it. Stowe embodies the English Enlightenment and the values and ethos of this epoch continue to shape the people who teach and learn here. Intellectual and academic enquiry lie at the heart of a Stowe education and Stoics are encouraged to excel in sport, art drama and music. The School has remained true to its founding principles: each boy and girl is treated as an individual in the firm belief that he or she has the potential for excellence waiting to be unearthed and burnished - the jewel within.

We are fortunate enough to live and work in the most beautiful and inspiring environment in Britain - a ducal palace set within 750 acres of landscaped gardens. We have recently invested more than £30m to enhance our educational and boarding facilities. The Henry Worsley Science Centre will open in 2017 and takes its place alongside the award-winning Music School and recently refurbished Art School and Roxburgh Theatre. New boarding houses include Queen's (opened by Her Majesty the Queen), Stanhope (opened by Sir Nicholas Winton) and West (opened by Viscount Cobham). West is being expanded so that it can accommodate an additional twenty pupils while Cobham will move into a brand new boys' boarding house in Chapel Court in 2018. Our day pupils will benefit from the opening of two bespoke day houses in 2019. Future developments include a state-of-the-art Design, Technology and Engineering Centre as well as significantly enhanced indoor sports' facilities to complement the seventy-five acres of playing fields, all-weather pitches, athletics track, golf course and equestrian centre.

Through teaching of the highest calibre, Stoics are encouraged to think for themselves, challenge conventional orthodoxies and pursue their own enthusiasms. Talent is only the starting point as we push our pupils to achieve their full potential and treat any set-backs as deferred success. A Growth Mindset philosophy of education has seen results improve dramatically and the majority of Stoics secure places at the most competitive Russell Group and Ivy League universities. Pupils rejoice in the differences that exist between them - intellectually, in sporting prowess and in artistic and creative achievements. The aesthete and the athlete learn to respect each other. This passion for bringing out the unique talents in each pupil lies at the heart of our educational philosophy, allowing Stoics to acquire the skills that enable them to live happily, work successfully and thrive in their future lives.

Our supportive family atmosphere and Christian ethos encourage pupils to develop a lasting sense of moral, social and spiritual responsibility. Our house system provides a caring pastoral environment in which Stoics learn to consider the rights and needs of others. Among the charities supported by the School are Children in Crisis, the National Trust, Stowe House Preservation Trust, Medical Detection Dogs, the David Shepherd Wildlife Trust and our partnership with the Dominican Convent School in Johannesburg.

Our commitment to communication, leadership, information technology and international awareness ensures that Stoics are well-equipped to succeed in an increasingly pluralist, complex and competitive adult world. The Twenty-First Century makes ever greater demands for the qualities and values instilled by an education at Stowe. Current and future Stoics will eventually join the pantheon of Old Stoics which includes President of the Old Stoic Society, Sir Richard Branson, and illustrious alumni such as Leonard Cheshire, Kate Reardon, George Melly, Henry Cavill, Marc Koska and David Niven.

We cannot possibly paint the whole picture in these pages, so do come and experience the grandeur of Stowe's architecture, its unrivalled landscape and the vitality of this civilised community.

Dr Anthony Wallersteiner
Headmaster