Prior Park College

Prior Park College is a co-educational day and boarding school for students from the age of 11-18. It is set in fifty-seven beautiful acres overlooking the UNESCO World Heritage City of Bath, in the United Kingdom and it offers an exceptional environment for students to study, play and live. It has two boarding houses for up to 150 full, weekly and flexi boarders and students hail from England and approximately 25 other countries. Each boarding house has a dedicated live-in House Parent and a team of residential tutors to ensure the pastoral care and organisation
essential to the community and to every individual. Boarding life at Prior is happy and vibrant. In the evenings and at weekends, boarders have access to many of the on-site facilities, and trips or activities are frequently organised for students which range from cultural and active experiences to opportunities for retail therapy! There are no exeat weekends at Prior Park and each boarding house remains open during each half term holiday allowing students from very far afield, and those with upcoming exams, the opportunity to remain on site. Approximately 18% of their total roll are international students.

They strive to offer a curriculum that both prepares students for future study and their careers and ignites an intellectual curiosity in the world around them. They want students to go deeper into the subjects they have enjoyed before but also balance that with a breadth of education that makes them well rounded people.

Students may be introduced to subjects they have never studied before. It is the schools expectation that students will continue with their Modern and Classical language options from Form 3 (Year 8) however the Classics department will build in more Classical Civilisation to the curriculum providing a further opportunity to study Classical Literature, Art and Ancient History.

All students will study a creative subject with options including Drama, Music, Visual Arts and Product Design. Prior Park's track record in nurturing creativity in every sphere from Arkwright Scholarships to Festival Silverware illustrates that children are helped to excel wherever they have strengths.

They want their children to leave as competent compassionate citizens and so they have designed the Prior 4 Life programme which pulls together topics of study such as Political Citizenship, Entrepreneurship, Careers, Relationships with others, Building and Serving a Community and Mental and Physical Health. This carousel of modules exposes children to more than just the academic knowledge and seeks, through the way it is taught, to encourage collaborative working, oracy and independent thought.

As part of Prior's commitment to a holistic education, there are many enrichment and co-curricular opportunities including House activities and performance and creative options. All students will enrol onto either the Duke of Edinburgh, CCF or a Sports Leader qualification gaining the opportunity to serve others alongside learning valuable skills of leadership, perseverance and time management.

The Sixth Form is a strong community in which an individual’s confidence and talents can grow. It is also a lively, socially enjoyable and intellectually stimulating time in a pupil’s school career.

At Prior Park College they are proud of their Sixth Form, seeing it as a time of preparation for adult life and transition from school to university or the world of work. It is a period of more personalised academic exploration and their curriculum offer provides ample opportunity for all students to develop their unique gifts and talents.

All students are encouraged to pursue their academic interests beyond the A Level course curriculum through competitions, lectures, work experience and private research. However, as part of Prior's commitment to a 'rounded' education, there are many enrichment and co-curricular opportunities including community service, sport, debating, House activities and performance and creative options.

One of the core aims of Prior Park is to enable their leavers to be confident, capable, compassionate and independent-minded. They wholeheartedly support their pupils to this end.