Port Regis is one of the country’s leading preparatory schools; an established and successful, co-educational, day and boarding school for children from the ages of two to thirteen. Located in beautiful countryside on the North Dorset/Wiltshire border, Port Regis offers the perfect environment in which boys and girls can flourish and enjoy school.
Aims & Ethos
Our aim is to provide a first class, all-round education which will set a child up for life. Our vision is for a vibrant school, providing a broad, world-class education that enables each and every child to flourish intellectually, emotionally, physically and personally, preparing them for their future. The School’s ethos values and promotes the qualities of kindness, generosity, tolerance, honesty and friendship and reflects the School motto Altiora Peto (‘I Seek Higher Things’).
Facilities
Port Regis is located in 150 acres of parkland and enjoys a beautiful campus with facilities that are second to none in the Prep school world. Extensive woodland with nature trails sits alongside lawns, several ponds and a lake, so that children can enjoy the space and freedom of the grounds. There are also 35 acres of games pitches, a nine-hole (18 tees) golf course, hockey astroturf, hard tennis and netball courts, a 25m indoor swimming pool, a rifle range and an indoor sports complex, which includes two sports halls. An equestrian centre is conveniently situated close to the School.
Academic
The School’s enviable reputation attracts the best teaching staff from all over the country. We are extremely fortunate to have an immensely accomplished team dedicated to delivering the very best education and who provide the happy, family atmosphere in which a child can realise their full potential.
Port Regis is also extremely proud of its 100% Common Entrance success record and the high number of scholarships and awards won to a wide selection of senior schools every year. A highly respected Learning Support department is available for children with mild-to-moderate specific learning difficulties. The School’s latest Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspection saw it rated ‘Excellent’ in every single judgement.
Extra-Curricular
Extensive opportunities are provided for Music (about three-quarters of the School learn an instrument), Drama (there are up to six productions a year and the opportunity to take LAMDA examinations) and Art (in a wide choice of media) as well as innovative Design & Technology and Craft departments. Riding, dance (modern and ballet), rifle shooting, karate, gymnastics and sailing are included in the broad extra-curricular programme. Sport is also a major strength of the School.
Port Regis has a nationwide reputation for the quality of its sports provision. We are one of the IAPS’s selected venues for its national tournaments in netball and we host a large number of high profile events in rugby sevens, athletics and cross-country. For boys the main sports are rugby, football, hockey, tennis, athletics and cricket. Girls are coached predominantly in hockey, netball, rounders, athletics and tennis as well as lacrosse.
The School’s indoor sports complex serves as a National Centre for Junior Gymnastics. We also have two squash courts, a heated swimming pool, indoor cricket nets, and marked-out courts for judo, karate, badminton, basketball, volleyball and fencing.
Pre-Prep
Port Regis Pre-Prep is the thriving nursery and pre-prep department for children aged 2 to 7 and is the first step in a Port Regis education. As well as sharing the same ethos, the Pre-Prep also benefits from the School’s superb facilities and teaching resources, allowing even the youngest children to explore their academic, artistic, musical and physical talents to the full. In addition, the Pre-Prep also has its own highly qualified staff, dedicated buildings and purpose-built playground, Forest School and Rose Garden.
Guaranteed small class sizes allow each child to develop their own potential under the individual attention and guidance of our committed, energetic and enthusiastic staff. In the Pre-Prep the foundations are firmly laid for the Port Regis tradition of combining hard work with fun.
Forest School
Our Forest School is a unique opportunity to take learning and experiences beyond the classroom. The children have the freedom, under careful supervision, to explore either the Forest School or other parts of the School’s extensive grounds. Through these activities children learn the importance of co-operation, communication and respect for one another, as well as for the environment.
Pastoral Care
We believe the individual care that boys and girls receive at Port Regis is second to none; looking after the children and ensuring they feel safe, secure and happy is at the heart of everything we do. Our dedicated team of staff play an essential role in implementing our carefully structured pastoral programme and each pupil’s well-being and personal progress is carefully monitored.
The children are encouraged to get involved in all aspects of school life, both in and out of the classroom. By doing so they discover their own interests and passions, thus developing their individuality and a healthy self-esteem. We work hard to develop children’s inter-personal skills and there is strong emphasis placed on good manners, kindness, tolerance and consideration for others.
Boarding
There is a thriving and very happy boarding community at Port Regis. We believe that boarding is a fantastic experience that helps children to develop independence and gain confidence, whilst building life-long friendships. In each of our four boarding houses we have a highly committed team of Houseparents, assistant Houseparents, Housemothers and Gaps, all focused on the very highest standards of care. We make sure that, when the academic day is done, the children spend time with their friends and relax.
Every weekend is worth staying in school for, with regular special themed events, discos, games, competitions, outings and opportunities to do something different. Unlike most boarding prep schools, we never close at weekends or exeats, something that our overseas and military parents in particular appreciate. The high standard of boarding provision explains why so many boys and girls choose to board (awarded ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted following the recent boarding inspection).