Dauntsey’s has been classed as ‘Excellent’ by the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate (ISI) in a recent inspection.
Head Master's Welcome
I hope our website gives you a sense of what it’s like to be at Dauntsey’s and whether your son or daughter would be happy here.
Mercers' Lectures
We have assembled a fascinating array of speakers for our 2018/2019 lecture series, covering topics ranging from adventure, history, space flight, journalism and sport.
Our Community
Parents and pupils often remark on the warm and welcoming atmosphere at Dauntsey’s; but what is the secret of Dauntsey's positive and distinctive spirit?
The Spirit of Dauntsey's
We hope that our website portrays the warmth,
energy and spirit of our community. It should give you a flavour of Dauntsey's and a sense of the pride we have in the achievements of our pupils.
Parents' Area
Essential School information for parents can be found here.
Visit Us
Please do come and see Dauntsey's for yourself; we will be delighted to welcome you.
Latest News
Twenty five pupils from the Upper Sixth and two staff members spent five days on a Geography fieldtrip to Iceland during the Autumn half term break.
This year’s Battlefields trip was a roller-coaster of emotions and fascinating throughout
Our Sixth Form pupils of Spanish had a fabulous week in Barcelona over half term living with a host family
Over half-term 25 Fourth and Fifth Formers spent a thoroughly enjoyable week in Bamberg in Northern Bavaria.
Congratulations to Izzy for her performance of 'Your Daddy’s Son' (from ‘Ragtime’) by Stephen Flaherty which won the Lower School Music Competition.
17 years after first being staged here at Dauntsey’s, Edgar Allen Poe’s gothic horror story “The Fall of the House of Usher” was once again performed to appreciative audiences.
On Friday 9 November we will be holding an exciting netball masterclass here at Dauntsey's for Lower School pupils.
It was a great honour to have Dr David Starkey CBE come to Dauntsey’s to converse with us on October 15.
Libby Jackson, one of the most down to earth people we have met, has always had her head in the stars.
A group of International Pupils enjoyed an Exeat weekend away from school during which they were able to eat, sleep, socialise, shop, rest and have excitement all in appropriate measures!
On Monday 1 October, all of the First Form headed to Brenscombe Outdoor Centre, near Corfe Castle in Dorset for 24 hours of adventure!
On Friday 28 September, just before the start of the Exeat weekend, over half the school community took part in the annual Inter-House Cross Country and Minor Sports Festival.
Last week our AEGON Team Tennis players competed in the Regional Finals having won their respective County divisions in the summer term. With over 100 schools entering this competition, it is an excellent achievement.
A Play written and directed by one of our Sixth Form pupils.
On 20 September 2018, Adventurer, Marine Biologist and ex Marine, Monty Halls visited Dauntsey’s to give an inspiring and intriguing lecture.
On Friday 14 September over 300 pupils from the First, Second and Third Form enjoyed an evening of outdoor entertainment organised by the Lower School prefects.
A team of eight Dauntsey’s biologists and two staff went on a fascinating conservation trip to Madagascar over the Summer break.
On Sunday, 9 September, twelve members of the Climbing Club headed to the South Coast for a taste of climbing above the sea.
Dauntsey's School have been supporting the Nightingales Children's Project for over 12 years.
This summer, Jolie Brise our world famous pilot cutter competed in the 2018 Tall Ships Races. Four fantastic cities and two challenging races across the North Sea made these races a spectacular event.
Dauntsey’s show-jumping team has won the National Schools’ Championship at the All England Showground at Hickstead, beating schools from across the country in an exciting jump-off.
Our pupils have achieved excellent exam results this year in both their A levels and GCSE's.
Most of our Fifth Form pupils returned to School after their GCSE's for a range of extra-curriculum courses that make up the School’s extensive post-GCSE programme
A group of ten Sixth Formers have enjoyed sunny Thursday afternoons this term rowing from Bradford-on-Avon Boathouse.
Sermon for Dauntsey’s School Leavers, All Saints’ Parish Church, July 2018 - The Chaplain
The Art School Summer Exhibition opened on Monday evening, the glorious weather allowing for guests to spill into the gardens where Upper Sixth had displayed sculptures too large for the gallery.
Saturday 30 June was a very special, memorable day for many of our pupils...
The Art Applications course provided students with a glimpse in to the creative industry.
Last weekend, sixteen Lower Sixth pupils took part in the annual Brecons Challenge, an adventure race for teams of two in which the pupils run over three mountains, cycle through the forests and kayak along the canal, ending in Brecon.
On 11 June 2018, the entire Third Form departed for Aberdovey in Wales for the Moonrakers Camp.
Our annual Manor Fête was on Sunday 10 June, with all proceeds going to our school charity, Malayaka House in Uganda.
A group of First and Second Form pupils enjoyed a fabulous trip to the Rhineland at the start of the half-term holiday.
“I was moved to forgive”, he mused, “so I could live in peace”; but he would never forget. Last Thursday, the Third Form witnessed an extraordinary speaker: Holocaust Survivor Steven Frank.
Twenty-six Art and Art History pupils enjoyed four inspiring days in the vibrant city of Florence, at the start of the Easter holidays.
Thursday 8 March 2018 saw the arrival, at Dauntsey’s, of Jo Fairley, Green & Black’s Co-Founder, Speaker and leading entrepreneur, for the latest in the Mercer’s Lecture series.
The few nights that 2018’s U6th history students shared in the centre of Paris was a weekend few of us shall ever forget.
Pupil summary reports from days 6 and 7 in Sweden.
Pupils summary reports from days 3 - 5 in Sweden
Twelve of our Second Form pupils are currently in the North of Sweden having an 'Arctic Adventure' of a lifetime. Pupils are writing reports each day, and days one and two are below.
On Tuesday 6 February, Nigel Owens came to Dauntsey’s and gave a captivating and inspiring talk about how he became who he really is, talking about his mental health issues alongside his prolific refereeing career.
Our Spanish pupils have recently returned from a brilliant week in Granada. It’s said each trip, but our pupils were fabulous - even Spanish airport security complimented them on their polite Spanish!
On Thursday 14 June, the Mathematics Department hosted the final round of the Dauntsey's Dodecahedron Competition, welcoming 30 top young mathematicians from across the South West region to Dauntsey’s.
At the end of the half-term break, 23 pupils from the Fourth Form undertook the School’s Trek to the Stones expedition.
On Sunday 20 May, 30 brave Manorites and a number of enthusiastic parents and staff gathered for an early start at Bath Abbey.
It has been another brilliant season for our athletes.
The quality and breadth of the entries to this year’s Third Form Project prize were outstanding.
The Girls' Cricket Club at Dauntsey's was started in 2014 by Art Teacher Sarah Rountree, who has been running the club since then.
Two Upper Sixth Formers here at Dauntsey's have landed much sought-after Apprenticeship and Year in Industry offers from leading companies including Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Airbus and Jaguar Land Rover.
On Friday 27 April, Dauntsey’s welcomed the 2 x Olympic champion, Heather Stanning to give a lecture on her experiences in both her military and rowing careers.
On Sunday 29 April, 43 spirited competitors took part in the Dauntsey’s Triathlon competing in both individual and team events.
45 pupils from Fourth Form to Upper Sixth performed in the highly energetic and exciting Upper School Dance Show 'Step Up', an adaptation of the well known film.
At the start of the Easter holidays, 17 of our footballers visited Eindhoven for an end of season tour, staying in the excellent Hotel Carlton de Brug in the suburb of Mierlo.
Guy King-Reynolds, Head Master of Dauntsey’s School from 1969 to 1985, died on 9 March 2018 at the age of 94.
On 24 March, 37 Lower School pupils plus eight staff and family set out on the long journey to Pila in Northern Italy for a great week’s skiing.
An adaptation of the classic story written by E. Nesbit, The Railway Children was originally performed in 2008 in association with the National Railway Museum.
Manor's Got Talent was an action packed night at the Lower School boarding house, The Manor.
On Wednesday 7 March, the whole school came together for our Commemoration Service.
Rockfest was met with a welcoming reaction once again this year. The concert was split into two performances as so many pupils signed up to perform in the event, all limited to a four minute set.
At the end of each half of term we like to put together a summary round-up and picture gallery of some of the fun activities that our Manor pupils have enjoyed.
This has been a busy week for Dauntsey’s Table Tennis, with plenty of action and success for our youngsters.
Dauntsey’s has kicked off 2018 with a literary theme as the School has welcomed three popular authors to talk to our pupils about books and the joys of reading.
On Thursday 8 to Friday 9 February, 85 Sixth Form pupils and 7 staff members took part in a 24 Hour Runathon to raise money for the School Charity, Malayaka House.
We are delighted to have received some superb EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) results this year for the Upper Sixth Form.
On the Friday afternoon of the January Exeat a group of International Students, accompanied by Rev and Mrs Johnson and Mr Holland set off for London.
This past Sunday, fourteen of our Devizes to Westminster paddlers took part in the first Waterside race of the year, from Great Bedwyn to Newbury.
This week, more than 200 pupils took part in Dauntsey’s annual Lower School Dance Show.
Dauntsey's Upper School academic scholars had the opportunity yesterday evening to meet and mingle with a wide range of guests.
At a wet and windy Bournemouth this weekend, our U14A squad took on the best of the South West of England.
On Saturday 20 January, 23 Dauntsey’s runners represented Kennet in the County Schools Cross-Country Championships, held at Sheldon School over a wet and muddy course.
Last week, Upper Sixth History of Art pupil Hermione took to the lecturn to represent Dauntsey’s at the South-West regional heat for the ARTiculation Prize, held at St Swithun’s School, Winchester.
On Friday 15 December, our group of Religious Studies pupils set off on an adventure to India.
Below is the address given by our Chaplain, the Reverend David Johnson, at our School Carol Service that traditionally marks the end of Dauntsey's Autumn Term.
A cast of 150 Dauntsey’s pupils, supported by a large backstage crew and full orchestra has delighted sell-out audiences with an inspiring and dramatic production of Les Misérables, the hugely successful stage adaptation of the novel by French poet and novelist Victor Hugo.
Congratulations to Sixth Formers Robert, Rachel, Shu and Rini who recently represented the school in the regional final of the Senior Team Maths Challenge in Chippenham.
The music ensembles and Dauntsey’s Choral Society gathered on Thursday 17 November for a sparkling evening of performances from all the large ensembles across all ages of the school and the Dauntsey’s Choral Society.
The annual Dauntsey’s School Parents’ Association (DSPA) Travel Scholarship has been awarded to Josh Evans and Annabel Crichard who intend to explore Sri Lanka’s sights, assist at a Children’s project and cycle through the Knuckle Mountains. They have been awarded £1,000 to go towards the costs
On Sunday 19 November, Dauntsey’s hosted an NSEA Inter-schools’ Show Jumping competition at the West Wiltshire Equestrian Centre.
On November 9, Dauntsey’s hosted the highly anticipated Jazz Night in the Pavilion. It was an amazing display of musical talent which was thoroughly enjoyed by all the parents, pupils and staff who attended.
Based on the critically acclaimed book by Malorie Blackman, Noughts and Crosses was first brought to life by Dominic Cooke and the RSC in 2007. Unable to put race at the core of our production, we focused on the deep divisions that are ever-present in today’s society.
The Dauntsey’s Sports Outreach Programme involves members of the Dauntsey’s sports staff travelling to primary schools in the community, providing regular, hourly timetabled sports coaching sessions to over 300 children. This term’s hockey coaching culminated in the Primary Schools' Mini-Hockey Festival on Saturday 18 November.
A new generation of Dauntsey’s pupils have been welcomed on board for their first taste of the sailing life.
There was a lovely buzz in The Manor leading up to bonfire night as the pupils spent the weekend preparing toffee apples, cupcakes and cookies, to sell on the Sunday evening.
Of 148 university applicants this year, the majority were able to take up their first choice of university, with Exeter, Birmingham and Bristol the most popular, but with good numbers also heading further afield to Cardiff, Durham and Leeds amongst others.
On November 2, a small group of Dauntsey's pupils travelled to The Hague for a Model United Nations conference. The pupils represented either Mali or Turkey in various committees such as: human rights, disarmament and G20 all aimed at combating a wide range of issues. It was a great opportunity for us to debate international politics, and improve our public speaking skills.
Pupils and members of the local community were treated to a passionate and inspiring talk from Steve Backshall this week. Steve is recognised as one of TV’s busiest presenters and a BAFTA award-winning wildlife expert, known and loved by many of the younger audience for presenting BBC TV's ‘Deadly 60’.
Twenty four Upper Sixth Formers and two staff members spent five days on a Geography fieldtrip to Iceland during the half-term break.
On Sunday 5 November the U14 netball team travelled to Swindon to take part in the County Tournament. The tournament comprised of a round robin competition with the Runners-up and Winners going through to represent the South West in the Regional Round in January.
A group of Upper Sixth Physics pupils has just returned from a trip to CERN (the European Organisation for Nuclear Research) in Geneva.
Art and Art History students enjoyed a trip to London this week, where they were given the opportunity to explore the Tate Britain and the V&A.
Betrayed by my Mind is a piece of theatre conceived and directed by Upper Sixth pupil Charlie Hinton, that ran here at Dauntsey's for three days from Monday 2 October.
On Monday 2 October, all of the First Form headed to Brenscombe Outdoor Centre, near Corfe Castle in Dorset for 24 hours of adventure!
Pupils and staff recently had a taste of the future of travel when inventor Richard Browning visited the School to demonstrate the world's first jet-engine human suit named ‘Daedalus’.
On Monday 2 October, all of the First Form headed to Brenscombe Outdoor Centre, near Corfe Castle in Dorset for 24 hours of adventure!
This summer, Jolie Brise our world famous pilot cutter competed in the International Rendez-vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta – a 10,000 nautical mile transatlantic race.
Many congratulations to Upper Sixth pupil, Polly Maton who stepped up on to the podium in July at the World Para Athletics Championships in London to receive her Silver Medal.
This year, the Richard Sandbrook Award has been shared between two applicants: Old Dauntsiean Charlotte Colquhoun and Upper Sixth pupil Charlie Wilks.
Adventure
Sam Moore, Head of Adventure Education
Adventure is an important strand of an education at Dauntsey’s - trying new activities, pushing your boundaries and working together to meet every challenge. The effect can be transformative.
Film Library
We hope you enjoy our collection of short films which are intended to demonstrate the energy and spirit of Dauntsey's ...
Billy Elliot - The Making of
The Jolie Brise
Jolie Brise, arguably one of the most famous tall ships in the world, has been sailed and maintained by pupils from Dauntsey's School for 38 years
Our world famous, gaff-rigged pilot cutter