Shebbear College

Shebbear College – A boarding school located in Shebbir, Devon. The school was founded in 1841 and is set in 210 hectares of beautiful Devon countryside, close to national parks and fantastic seaside surfing beaches.

The school treats each student as an individual, sees his potential and knows how to light a spark in him – this is what makes the school special and sets it apart from other schools. Thanks to its small size (the school has about 300 students), teachers know all the students and can truly provide personalized instruction.

The school's excellent location allows for a significant focus on learning outside the classroom, in the open air, and this is integrated into the curriculum. All children take part in these lessons in all weathers: wilderness survival skills, leadership, orienteering, hiking, sailing, rock climbing, kayaking, rowing, surfing and mountain biking.

Outdoor learning develops key life skills, not only physical abilities and coordination, but also social skills such as resilience, self-confidence, decision-making, and teamwork. Children learn to overcome fear, anxiety and physical stress when they step out of their comfort zone and learn to take controlled risks.

Director (for 2024)

Charlie Jenkins, education - University of Exeter, BA in Geography; Cambridge University, postgraduate certificate with the right to conduct teaching.

Famous school graduates

• John Cather, actor (series “Jeeves and Wooster”, “Doctor Who”)
• James Duncan, politician and lawyer
• Steve Drown, jockey, winner of Ascot in 2000
• Sir Alfred Earle, Deputy Chief of Defense, Royal Air Force, Director General of British Military Intelligence 1966-1968
• Thomas Hobbs, politician
• John Pryor, British trade unionist
• Sir Frederick Richards, lawyer
• Sir Ivan Stedeford, Chairman and CEO of Tube Investments, leading British industrialist
• Sir Samuel Way QC, Chief Justice, Lieutenant-Governor of South Australia
• Hugh Durrant-White, pioneer of probabilistic methods for robotics
• William Woolcock, MP

Key factors

• Shebbear College develops a wide range of student skills, whether it be surfing during extra-curricular activities or participating in a school theater production – The school creates a supportive and caring environment for children to develop.
• Teaching takes place in small classes, compassionate teachers and a personalized approach mean that the school works with each child individually to achieve what they thought was impossible.
• For students aged 16 and over, the school has a vocational education program for university entrance. It includes advice on writing an application to a university, choosing a specialty and university, visiting presentations from international universities and presentations by invited experts.
• The school helps students with internships and volunteer activities, which are of great importance when applying to any university.
• Students seeking entry to Oxford, Cambridge, and medicine, dentistry or veterinary sciences have access to a dedicated school program that offers personalized application support to these universities and specialties.

Equipment

The school has excellent equipment:

• Numerous sports grounds and tennis courts
• All-weather sports ground
• Cricket field
• Indoor sports hall
• Gymnastics hall
• Dance studio
• Two concert halls with sound and lighting systems
• Computer classes
• Modern Science Laboratories
• Art studios
• Studios for design technology classes
• Pottery workshop
• Kitchen for cooking classes
• Excellent selection of musical instruments, including Steinway Pianos
• The specialist music school is superbly equipped with the latest equipment, including music technology facilities, classrooms and numerous rehearsal rooms, a soundproof recording studio with audio mixing technology, computers with music editing software 

GCSE

Two-year program to obtain a certificate of general secondary education. 6 subjects are required to study, 3 subjects are studied optionally.

A-level

Two-year program to prepare for entering the university. Students choose 3 or 4 subjects for in-depth study.

BTEC

An alternative to the A-level program: a pre-university training course with maximum emphasis on the development of practical skills and the application of theoretical knowledge in real life. You can obtain a BTEC qualification in the following specialties: rural management, creative digital media production, performing arts and sports.

Accommodation and accommodation

Accommodation in a residence on the school grounds, in one of 4 houses.

School food is healthy, fresh and tasty. The school uses local suppliers and fresh ingredients whenever possible. A team of chefs is working to create new and interesting dishes. In addition to chef's specials and vegan/vegetarian options each day, lunches include grab-and-go options, fresh homemade bread, daily soup and salad bars and fresh fruit. Students enjoy a variety of breakfast options, including fresh fruit smoothies and breakfast specials, which the chefs change daily to add variety to their morning meal.

Sport

Sport plays an important role in the development of students. In 2021, Shebbea college became a finalist in the prestigious Independent Schools of the Year award. in the category "Sporting achievements" from hundreds of schools across the country, and was again shortlisted for this award in 2022.

Main sports: rugby, hockey, netball, football, basketball, cricket, tennis and athletics. The school has specialist coaches in the main sports, and the list of matches is very large.

Students are also offered other activities to choose from: swimming, martial arts, dancing, gymnastics, surfing, horse riding, hiking, table tennis, badminton, rowing and trampoline.

The school offers athletic scholarship opportunities, and successful applicants, as well as all talented athletes throughout the school, have the opportunity to participate in an elite athletic program. Each athlete is given their own unique training plan tailored to their needs and goals, from diet to strength training, specialized coaching, mental and physical development. The selection is based on the athlete's character, performance and potential (based on a study of his psychological and physical characteristics).

Students in this program participate in special weekly classes as part of their school schedule. These activities will support, challenge and create opportunities to develop each student to excel in their chosen sport.

Schoolchildren aged 11-18 can take part in a school sports tour to other countries: Barbados, Sri Lanka, Dubai, South Africa. These tours are run during the holidays for school sports teams and provide students with incredible experiences and emotions, the opportunity to combine training and matches with local teams while getting to know the sights and culture of a new country.

Additional activities

Shebbear College pays great attention to the extracurricular program, offering students a choice of more than 70 clubs. Activities change every semester, but the possibilities are endless and there is always something for every student. From sports teams to bands, surfing, drama, film making, cooking, pottery, debating, Duke of Edinburgh competitions, programming and much more.

The school organizes study tours throughout the UK and abroad. Recently, schoolchildren visited Kenya and Poland, and went to a ski resort in Italy.

Creativity – one of the main school values. Performing arts and theater are an important part of life at Shebbear College and the school offers a varied program of extra-curricular activities. Students have the opportunity to develop and excel as performers, directors and writers through the creation of school plays and concerts. Several performances are held annually, including generalSchool musicals and plays, in which up to 40 students participate as actors and technical crew.

All pupils are encouraged to develop an understanding of music, and the school has many choirs, instrumental ensembles and orchestras. There are specialized teachers for flute, clarinet, saxophone, strings, brass and wind instruments, guitar, percussion, and piano. You can practice singing. Official concerts provide an opportunity for gifted and capable musicians to perform solo. The school provides opportunities to perform at local venues and encourages participation in music festivals.

School art and design studios – These are creative spaces where students can express their intellectual and creative skills. All students study art up to grade 9, many choose this subject at GCSE and A-level programs.

Students have access to art studios and sculpture classes, as well as pottery and textile workshops. They study a range of disciplines, developing skills in drawing, painting, sculpture, mixed media and photography, as well as experimenting with different techniques and materials. Each high school student has his own workplace where he can leave work and return to it; this space can also be used outside of class. As part of their art classes, students visit art galleries and museums, as well as master classes with artists and photographers.

Life skills development program

High school students participate in the Life Skills program, where students are given a safe space to talk about important things in life and are helped to learn their worth and make good decisions in life.

The program covers areas such as:

• Mental health and wellbeing
• Selecting a university and submitting an application
• Healthy relationships with others
• Life choices and work-life balance
• Professional behavior in the work environment and self-presentation on social networks
• Making the right decisions in risky situations
• Drug and Alcohol Awareness
• Political activism and global events
• Healthy lifestyle and managing financial obligations
• Development of personal qualities (self-confidence, taking responsibility, communication skills)
• Respect for other cultures and religions
• Cooking for students
• Training to drive a car

Cost, 2023-2024

£13,225 per semester.
There are 3 semesters in the academic year.

Included in price

• Training
• Accommodation and meals

Additional charge

• Air travel
• Transfers to/from/airport
• Visa
• Educational company services
• Selection of a guardian, which is a mandatory requirement of a British school

Paradise Education London services and fees 

How to choose a school