For children, school should be a place of growth, comfort, and security. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the reality. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 report revealed that 10% of students feel unsafe, and 1.14 billion face food insecurity, factors that impact their mental and physical health, engagement, and attitudes toward learning.
Such challenges highlight the importance of schools that foster a positive sense of belonging and focus on well-being as essential factors for success. In schools where students feel valued, they experience less stress, more satisfaction, and an eagerness to learn. For example, studies show that students with accessible teachers scored higher in mathematics, and 75% are confident about using digital platforms in self-directed learning.
Here are three schools providing young learners with a safe and supportive environment that inspires growth.
Whether your child is into track and field, rugby or sailing, St. David’s has the support and facilities to unleash their inner athlete. Source: St. David’s College
St. David’s College
Located in scenic Llandudno in North Wales, St. David’s College has shaped the lives of scores of students since its founding in 1965. It empowers each student with the freedom to flourish through an “extensive range of engaging, enriching and authentic learning experiences,” as described in the Estyn Inspection Report, January 2024.
That vast range of offerings is for all students. The college embraces and celebrates the ability of all its students. Here, opportunities are equal and staff are committed to meeting the physical, emotional and intellectual needs of all students – and that includes their language needs. Hence why it runs an English as an Additional Language (EAL) programme, that’s conducted by specialist EAL staff. There are one-on-one sessions, group lessons, and exam prep for IGCSE in EAL. For those ready to take on greater challenges, the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course sharpens academic skills for GCSE and A-Level success. Sixth Form students can even prepare for university with dedicated IELTS classes.
Beyond academics, St. David’s offers an Association of Heads of Outdoor Education Centres (AHOEC) Gold Standard Outdoor Education programme. Every fortnight, pupils from Year 5 to Year 10 embark on new adventures, climbing the peaks of Snowdonia, kayaking on lakes, or sailing the Menai Straits. These experiences shape their resilience and confidence and their ability to take on whatever life throws at them. And the adventure doesn’t stop when the school week ends – weekend activities and Sixth Form expeditions keep the spirit of exploration alive, whether it’s husky sledding in the Arctic or diving into new waters.
With highly skilled instructors based in a purpose-built log cabin and a natural playground right on their doorstep, St. David’s is where the outdoors becomes a majestic classroom. The school itself is equipped with a bouldering wall, a fleet of sailing dinghies, kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards – with all the necessary equipment and safety requirements in place at all times. It even has its own powerboat, which students can use to earn their Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Level 2 Powerboat Handling qualification. Learn more about St. David’s pioneering teaching that enables pupils to reach their full potential.
Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate is the first school in the UK to receive the QEGUK Quality Assurance Validation award. Source: Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate
Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate
Originally founded in 1912, Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate (QE) has proven itself to be an educational establishment worthy of the QEGUK Quality Assurance Validation – an award only bestowed on schools committed to the highest standards of performance where international student provision is concerned. It is the first school in the UK to have achieved this.
Here, the Collegiate and its unique four-school model welcome girls and boys from as young as three months to become successful independent adults who are well-prepared for the future. Lessons at QE are designed to meet the needs and strengths of students. These include practical investigations, debates and discussions, individual research and group projects. Coupling this with residential trips and charitable endeavours helps to develop personal and social skills that pupils will benefit from for the rest of their lives.
In a 2019 report by Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), QE was awarded the top grade of “Excellent” across all schools and areas. The success of its students reflects this – students in the College achieved 85% A*/A at A Level, and many go on to attend Russell Group universities upon graduation.
In 80 years, Gordonstoun School has evolved, blending historic structures with modern amenities, including a Sports Centre and Performing Arts department with a studio theatre and dance studios. Source: Gordonstoun School/Facebook
Gordonstoun School
For over 80 years, the Gordonstoun School has been preparing students for life. Here, they indulge their curiosity. Collaborate and innovate. Develop intellectually, emotionally, physically and spiritually. The school’s location on the Moray Coast in the North of Scotland provides a peaceful and safe campus experience that allows them to do all the above and more.
At this school, described as “Outstanding” and “Sector leading” by HM Inspectors in 2019, pupils — including three generations of the British royal family — follow the English GCSE and A Level curricula. They do so in small classes, with a student-to-teacher ratio of 7:1, allowing space and time for extended learning and in-depth exploration of subject matter.
Learning continues outside the classroom through an extensive array of athletic, artistic, and extracurricular opportunities, which include distinctive offerings such as sailing, expedition and community service. Plus, as the only school in the UK to have its own Fire Engine, students get to work with rescue service personnel on real emergencies too.
Another key feature? It’s big on pastoral care. HM Inspectors judged it to be “a model of best practice” and “outstanding”. Activities like the School Pipe Band allow older children to guide and lead younger children and help them feel that they’re part of the GS family. After Gordonstoun, students move on to university — including Oxford, Cambridge, Central Saint Martins, MIT and the Northern School of Music — and into the world with confidence.
It’s no surprise, then, that Gordonstoun won the Independent Boarding School of the Year Award at the Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2021.
*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International
