A Word from Rhiannon Wilkinson

Thank you for your interest in the ‘new’ Ashville. Some might consider ‘new’ to be a contradiction in terms. Ashville has been here since 1877; how can it be ‘new’? The fact that we can justifiably talk about a ‘new’ Ashville encapsulates its recent success, particularly since the impact of the lockdown years. Within and alongside its original, imposing Victorian building, a new heart beats and a new mindset evolves. For Ashville has changed, not just that it has moved with the times, but that it has moved to be ahead of the times.

Education may be learning “the best that has been thought and said”, as Thomas Arnold, a great Victorian educationist put it, but it must also be about what is to come. The ‘new’ Ashville has a sharp focus on preparing its pupils for the future.

We pride ourselves on making our pupils ‘Future Ready’. Indeed, a significant part of what we offer occurs within a Future Ready programme, launched in 2022, which focuses on employability skills and careers for future citizens of the world. Future Ready experiences, across the whole age range from Prep to Sixth Form, place emphasis on developing the values, skills and attitudes that our pupils will need as they shape their lives in the future.

And it is clear values, transferable intellectual virtues and resilient attitudes that people will require in the future. Preparing for a fast-paced, dynamic future, young people will need to learn how to think clearly and how to adapt, because probably the only thing we can say without too much fear of contradiction about the future is that it will encompass a world of change.

Ashville pupils develop an awareness of the importance of resilience and perseverance, of risk-taking and determination, of both being a team player and, when appropriate, of leading a team. They learn the necessity of having high standards and high expectations, and of commitment over time. They are encouraged to learn the importance of clear and persuasive communication as well as skills of debate and oracy."

Our pupils develop intellectual virtues of curiosity, of resourcefulness, of focus and reflection, of critical thinking and open-mindedness. Thus, they can use reason to make judgements which will be wise and creative.

Above all we hope we encourage moral values of integrity, respect, courage, justice, compassion, tolerance, gratitude and trust, which are the basis of ethical responsibility, of doing the right thing.

Fundamentally, schools and education are centred on relationships. We work hard to ensure that teachers know and care for their pupils, that pupils and teachers respect each other, and that they build, together, a climate of trust and working to the same ends. We are aided in this by the fact that we are a medium size school of 800 pupils aged 2 to 18 years. Our size means it is possible for people to get to know each other and, at the same time, be aware of the similarities and differences that strengthen any community. Individuality is able to thrive at Ashville within the context of our community.

We place a strong emphasis on academic success – we have had the best A Level results of any school in Harrogate in the last four years. We are in the top ten independent schools in the North of England in The Sunday Times Parent Power league tables. We offer a wide range of subjects at every level: Prep School, Key Stage 3, GCSE and A Levels. We urge pupils to aim high, and we have high expectations of them, but we are no exam factory. We value academic work for its own sake and we seek to persuade pupils of its intrinsic value. We want their academic experience to be exciting and enjoyable. We support and encourage all in their ambitions, whether they are top-ranking university applicants in the UK or globally, potential doctors, scientists or historians, drama or music students, seeking degree apprenticeships, flying scholarships or trying to make their way in professional sport. Our leavers’ destinations reveal the rich variety of the Ashville experience.

Our pastoral system is outstanding. We recognise that, despite, or perhaps because of, the panoply of attractions and opportunities available to young people, growing up is more challenging now than it has been for some considerable time. We aim to be proactive in our approach to the issues young people face, and we work hard, alongside our parents, to assist them in the challenges they face. Our Heads of Schools and Years are outstanding teacher practitioners and our Health and Wellbeing Centre is a tremendous resource for pupils of all ages.

We believe we offer a rich and truly holistic education at Ashville. Our co-curricular opportunities are truly impressive in their number and variety. We actively encourage pupils to engage in the activities we offer. Our music and drama are excellent. We offer a wide range of sports and, given our size, gain much success in them. Our very popular House system provides opportunities for fierce, but friendly, competition in everything from rugby to singing, from debating to cooking. The Duke of Edinburgh's Award and other outdoor opportunities are widely embraced.

Very importantly, all our teaching and support staff are dedicated to the interests of our pupils. Teachers are well qualified and everyone employed by the School is aware that we aim to provide a community which is inclusive, challenging and safe, and at the same time fun. We want our pupils to really enjoy their childhoods at Ashville and when they leave, we hope they will look back on the school with fondness and pride in their achievements.

In summary, the “new” Ashville is dedicated to nurturing a culture – born from a clear vision and set of values. We are dedicated to creating a culture of responsibility, of inclusivity, of high expectations, of achievement, of involvement."

We value the past, the work of our predecessors. We admire their achievements. And yet, we know that it is the future that really matters for the school, and most of all, for our pupils. Their interests must always be paramount. The ‘new’ Ashville is committed to fulfilling them.

Mrs Rhiannon Wilkinson MA (Oxon) MEd
Head