Stonar School

Stonar School is located at Cottles Park, Atworth, Wiltshire, SN12 8NT, United Kingdom. The campus is in Atworth, a village in Wiltshire, and the school runs bus routes from nearby places including Bath, Chippenham, Marlborough, Malmesbury, Bradford-on-Avon, Calne, Warminster and Devizes.

Stonar is structured as Nursery ages 2–4, Prep ages 4–11, Senior School ages 11–16, and Sixth Form ages 16–18. The school also offers boarding from ages 9–18.

Stonar is a co-educational day and boarding school for pupils aged 2–18. Boarding is available for pupils aged 9–18, with boarding houses for different age groups.

Stonar provides Individualised Learning for pupils who need additional support, including differentiated teaching in class and specialist teaching for special educational needs or English as an Additional Language. In Prep, support can include targeted small-group intervention for English, Maths or social communication; in Senior School, pupils may receive small-group or individual lessons focused on identified needs such as literacy.

Stonar does not state a formal affiliation with a particular country on the school website. It is a UK independent school in Wiltshire and follows a British school structure from Nursery through Sixth Form.

The school has no religious affiliations.

For boarders, the school day starts at 7:00am, with breakfast from 7:45–8:15am, tutor time from 8:30–8:45am, and lessons from 8:50am–4:00pm. Break is 10:45–11:10am, lunch is 1:05–2:15pm, and pupils then have tea followed by clubs or free time from 4:15–5:30pm.

Yes, Stonar offers a school bus service. Routes serve areas including Bath, Chippenham, Marlborough, Malmesbury, Bradford-on-Avon, Calne, Warminster and Devizes, with listed stops such as Laura Place in Bath, Waitrose in Malmesbury, and Chippenham FC. Families can book a bus place through the school’s bus booking link, and routes are reviewed each year according to demand.

Stonar’s curriculum follows a British school pathway from Nursery to Sixth Form: Nursery is for ages 2–4, Prep for ages 4–11, Senior School for ages 11–16, and Sixth Form for ages 16–18. In Prep, the school uses an enquiry-led Primary Curriculum with thematic units, including creativity, sport, outdoor education and international-mindedness; thematic learning continues in Years 7–8 through the Stonar Diploma. In Years 9–11, pupils move into GCSE study, with the school noting that Senior pupils choose from a broad range of GCSE subjects; its GCSE options include areas such as sciences, mathematics, languages, creative arts, sport and other academic subjects. In Sixth Form, students usually take the equivalent of three A Level subjects, with more than 20 course options including Fine Art, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Design & Technology, Drama & Theatre, Economics, English Literature, Geography, History, Mathematics, French and Spanish, Music, Philosophy, Religion & Ethics, Photography, Physics and Psychology. Stonar also offers Level 3 Diploma/BTEC or Cambridge Diploma routes in Business, Equine Management, Fashion Design & Textiles, and Sport & Exercise Science, with options equivalent to one, two or three A Levels depending on the course. Overseas students may also have the opportunity to take an A Level exam in their native language, as well as IELTS and other English qualifications, with additional fees possibly applying.

1. Enquiry and visit
Parents can contact the Admissions Team to ask about entrance procedures, arrange an individual tour, or attend an open day. Stonar says families can visit throughout the year and meet the Headmaster, teachers and pupils; international families may also use online arrangements where travel is not practical. The usual entry points are Nursery, Reception, Year 7, Year 9 and Lower Sixth, although other year groups may be considered if places are available.

2. Registration and application documents
Parents should complete the Stonar application form and send it to the Admissions Team. The school asks for a recent school report, ID authentication, and a non-refundable application fee; for international applications, parents are also asked to provide copies of parents’ passports. The application form states that registration does not secure a place, but means the child will be considered for selection, with offers subject to availability and admissions requirements.

3. Assessment and taster arrangements
For Prep entry, places are offered subject to availability after successful taster days and, where relevant, reports and references; pupils entering Key Stage 2 complete Maths and English assessments. For Senior School entry, pupils normally spend a day in school, have an informal interview with the Head or a senior academic member of staff, and complete an online academic assessment. If an overseas pupil cannot visit in person, Stonar says the assessment can be carried out online under test conditions at the pupil’s current school, with the interview conducted by Zoom or Teams.

4. Sixth Form and international entry checks
Sixth Form applicants are assessed through their latest school report, a reference from their current school and an interview; pupils taking GCSEs are normally offered places subject to satisfactory mock examination results. Stonar says Sixth Form pupils are normally expected to achieve at least six GCSEs at grade 5 and above, including at least a grade 6 in GCSEs relevant to their course choices, or as stated in the Sixth Form Options Booklet. International applicants sit an online examination, an informal interview, and an English as an Additional Language assessment, with offers also subject to a satisfactory report and reference from the current school.

5. Offer, acceptance and deposit
Stonar says offer and scholarship letters are normally sent within three weeks of completing the admissions process. Parents are asked to return the acceptance form and pay the acceptance deposit within two weeks, unless stated otherwise; if no response is received within three weeks, the school may assume the offer has been declined. For international applicants, places are normally offered within two weeks of assessment and interview, and should be accepted within four weeks of receiving the offer.

Stonar offers scholarships for entry into Year 7, Year 9 and the Sixth Form in academic, art, drama, music, sport and riding. Candidates may apply for a maximum of two scholarship awards, and the school requests supporting teacher or coach reports as part of the application process. Scholarships are not means-tested and are awarded to candidates of exceptional ability; Year 9 scholarships are usually for external candidates, although current pupils may be invited by the Headmaster where there is clear evidence of outstanding achievement or potential.

For Sixth Form, scholarships are open to both new applicants and pupils progressing from Year 11. The Sixth Form Academic Scholarship is for candidates expected to achieve at least five GCSEs at grades 8–9, and involves a cognitive abilities assessment, predicted grades, a school reference, and an interview with the Head and Head of Sixth Form. Art, Drama, Music and Sport Scholarships are assessed through interview performance, academic assessments and evidence of talent, while Riding Scholarships may provide subsidised or free group riding lessons, or discounted livery and lessons for Performance Rider awards.

Stonar also offers means-tested bursaries for families unable to afford the full fee, where the school considers that the child would benefit from Stonar and contribute to school life. Bursary applications require full financial disclosure and supporting documents, and parents may be interviewed by the Head. The school states that priority is likely to be given to applicants of scholarship standard.

Stonar’s website refers to a waiting list, but it does not publish a detailed pool-style admissions system. The admissions policy says letters are sent to parents whose child has not gained a place and to those whose child’s name has been placed on the waiting list. For international applicants, Stonar says that if an offered place is not accepted within four weeks, the school reserves the right to offer places to candidates on the waiting list.