Taunton School

Information

Taunton School is a lively, international community where we aim to challenge, nurture and inspire young people to succeed in a global community. We nurture the individual in a friendly and broad-minded atmosphere, equipping our young people with the life skills to enable them to shape the world in the 21st century.

Pupils leaving Taunton School go on to top universities including Oxbridge. We offer the very successful IB Diploma alongside A-levels and Level 3 BTEC Diploma in Business and in Sport & Exercise Science as well as a Pre-foundation and a Foundation year.

Taunton consists of a caring and experienced Nursery and Pre-Preparatory School, inspiring Preparatory School and an innovative Senior School and International School, which all share the same spacious campus, as well as Taunton School International Middle School which is located in The Grange, a beautiful, traditional manor house close to Taunton School.

Taunton School aspires to offer a complete journey of education and growth to all children and young adults, unearthing and nurturing the talent within every individual. Taunton School believes that education should be thought of as a structure with five pillars – Academic, Pastoral, Co-curricular, Community and Global Outlook – and we challenge our staff to aim for excellence in each of these areas.

Excellent Boarding

The School offers a supportive boarding environment for children from 7 to 18 years. At the Preparatory School level (aged 7–13 years), boarding life is very much an extension of family life, with small dormitories for girls and boys and excellently equipped common rooms and recreational areas. At this level, focus is on support for the children to learn to do things for themselves and become more confident, ready for the exciting challenges ahead. In the Senior School boarding environment, our young adults have access to abundant cultural and sporting activities. With close friends at hand, they have the opportunity to develop life skills within a relaxed but well-controlled atmosphere. In the Sixth Form, the boarding life encourages each pupil to make the most of the wide range of opportunities available to allow them to move smoothly towards higher education and the world of work. Although the emphasis is on academic study, at Taunton we ensure that our older individuals have ample opportunities to take responsibility, while not losing their social interests.

Taunton School International (TSI)

Taunton School International was established in 1996 and provides GCSE and Foundation programmes for up to 85 boys and girls aged 14–18.

Our GCSE/Pre-IB programmes offer over 23 examinable subjects and are the ideal preparation for students wishing to go on to the Sixth Form to study A-levels, IB, BTECs or the Foundation programme. Our Foundation programmes are designed for those students with a keen interest in the world of business and who are looking for an alternative and more focused route to university. At Taunton School International, we encourage all of our students to fully involve themselves in the Taunton School community and beyond. There are more than 100 clubs and societies on offer which provide many opportunities for our International students to integrate with the British students, including sports teams, orchestras, performing arts, after-school clubs, weekend trips and numerous inter-house competitions which run throughout the school year.

Taunton School International Middle School (TSIMS)

TSIMS is the newest addition to the Taunton School family and was established in 2012 to provide the crucial stepping stone into the British education system for younger international students. TSIMS has up to 60 places available for students aged between 8–14 years old. TSIMS students are provided with an intensive education designed to meet all their educational needs. TISMS is the perfect choice for students whose level of English is not yet good enough to access the Prep School, Senior School, TSI or indeed, any other British boarding school.
Integration with the British students, both at the Prep School and Senior School, is a core part of the educational experience at TSIMS, and we encourage all of our international students to involve themselves fully in the extensive range of extracurricular activities available, ensuring each child is leaves TSIMS with a very well-rounded and broad education.

TSIMS is located a short distance from the main school campus in the beautiful village of Kingston St Mary. Known locally as The Grange, the buildings have architectural features dating back to the 15th century and have been beautifully renovated to provide educational facilities and modern amenities to the highest standard.

Students have access to the stunning ornamental garden, outdoor play areas and a multi-purpose Forest classroom as well as the many outstanding facilities at Taunton School, including science labs, indoor swimming pools, climbing wall, tennis & squash courts, sports pitches, sports halls, fitness suite, theatre and music school.

Summer School

Taunton School has been running its own summer schools for more than 20 years and over that time, we have seen the variety of courses on offer expand significantly. We believe there is something for everyone on our summer schools, where we combine the very best quality English teaching with a broad range of exciting and inspirational offerings.

All our summer programmes have 3 hours of English lessons and 2 hours of further tuition each day, taught by experienced and well-qualified teachers in groups of no more than 12 students (average class size is 8). Students can attend for between 2 and 6 weeks.
Our prices are genuinely all-inclusive with all courses offering a wide range of sports, activities, trips, excursions and cultural experiences.

Exceptional academic results

As a completely non-selective school, Taunton School has achieved consistently excellent GCSE results and some of the most exceptional A-level and International Baccalaureate results in South West England. Approximately 96% of all Sixth Form leavers usually take up university or college places. The school usually sends three or four students per year to Oxford or Cambridge although the number has been as high as seven.

Scholarships, bursaries and awards

Human potential is such a valuable asset. At Taunton School we expect our scholars to develop in their chosen specialist areas. Taunton offers a rich programme of intellectual activities for our academics (whether scholars or not) to develop independent minds. Extended opportunities are available to star in music, drama and art, testing skills to the full, and in sport we have introduced a new programme of sports development which looks beyond simple training to develop knowledge of how the body and mind work together to achieve sustained success.