The Spectator

School portraits | 7 September 2017

From the perfect jockey training grounds to a New Forest idyll with stables

issue 10 September 2017

 

Walhampton School

 
The ethos at this prep school on the edge of Hampshire’s New Forest is very much one of living life to the full; history lessons involve re-enactments of the Battle of Hastings on horseback or the Battle of Trafalgar on a lake. Every year pupils go to ‘camp’ for a week at the end of the summer term; activities include day trips to RNLI stations, visits to local historical sites and a week on the Isle of Mull. Horse riding is also part of the curriculum, with a stable-full of ponies available for lessons. Walhampton describes itself as encompassing the ‘Swallows and Amazons spirit’, and aside from its fantastic location, it’s easy to see why. While outdoor activities and sports form a vital part of school life, academic studies are important, too.

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