Stonyhurst College
Clitheroe, Lancashire, England
Stonyhurst College
Clitheroe, Lancashire, England
Overview
Stonyhurst, founded in 1593, is one of the oldest Jesuit schools in the world. Excellent facilities and beautiful historic buildings, along with impressive co-curricular opportunities, encourage each pupil in this vibrant, happy and diverse community, whether Catholic or not, to achieve their best and play a full part in school life. “Outstanding personal development....is a clear indicator of how the school prepares them spiritually and emotionally to provide leadership” ISI report 2016.
At a glance
Academic
Stonyhurst offers both A Levels and the IB Diploma, and teaching is highly personal and tailored, aiming to educate the whole person. The unique Stonyhurst collections provide wonderful focal points for teaching whilst small tutor groups, learner profiles and individual attention ensure pupils achieve excellent academic results – around 70% achieve A*/B at A level. Personal tutors help pupils settle in, encouraging and challenging in equal measure, and are on hand for the big decisions.
Boarding
Boys board in year groups known as playrooms, allowing them to gain confidence and mature at their own pace. Girls board as Lower Line (years 9 to 11) or Higher Line (Sixth Formers). Two thirds of pupils board full time; all Sixth Formers have their own rooms and a new en-suite boys’ boarding house opened in 2013. Weekend activities include theatre visits, sports events and day trips whilst the wide-ranging Interline competitions foster competitive spirit and engagement across the year groups.
Sports
Sport is an essential part of life at Stonyhurst. Extensive playing fields are complemented by a golf course, a tennis bubble, sports halls and a shooting range, whilst the range of sports includes fencing, badminton, water polo, archery and horse riding. As county cup winners for 6 consecutive years, Stonyhurst has a national reputation for rugby, and a number of alumni play at international level. Hockey, netball, swimming, badminton, basketball and tennis also have strong reputations.
Creative arts
Arts Council England awarded Stonyhurst “Artsmark Gold” Status because of the depth, breadth and quality of its creative arts. Supported by an artist-in-residence, art students choose from photography, textiles, DT and fine art. The Dance Academy offers accredited ballet, contemporary, tap and more. Musicians regularly tour to Europe and the Far East. Drama is strong, with many students participating in outstanding school performances and some achieving nationally recognised arts awards.
Did you know?
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame is an alumni, as is Charles Waterton, the naturalist upon whose collection Charles Darwin based much of his theory of evolution.
- Amongst 50,000+ rare objects, the Stonyhurst Collections include a Shakespeare First Folio, a 1st edition of Mozart’s Requiem, paintings by Turner and artefacts from Pompeii.
