Comprising a magnificent 17th century manor house, outstanding sports and performing arts centres and 230 acres of stunning Cotswolds parkland estate, there's so much on offer to benefit students of all ages at Cirencester's Rendcomb College.
From the academic and co-curricular, to its boarding houses and catering, SoGlos rounds up the facilities at Rendcomb which contribute to giving students a first-class experience, helping them to develop into thoughtful, adventurous and ambitious young people.
Senior school and sixth form
The school boasts fantastic academic facilities for its senior and sixth form students, including inside its historic main college building.
Its state-of-the-art science laboratories and spacious art and design and technology studios are spread across the campus, along with a range of other classrooms, while the majority of subjects are based inside the manor house itself, with its stunning, stained glass window-adorned Clock Hall serving as a hub for the main college.
Sixth formers have their own study centre away from the main college, too, offering a quiet place where students can relax and study between lessons.
Nursery and Junior
With its own dedicated learning spaces connecting to the main college, Rendcomb's nursery, reception and junior school is comprised of light, airy and colourful classrooms where pupils are encouraged to thrive and develop.
Its indoor nursery area is equipped with a range of resources including a role-play area with costumes and props; a sandpit; water table; and a variety of toys and games, while its courtyard garden is a space where children can run around, climb and play with a mud kitchen, sensory garden and a variety of plants and trees to explore.
Sports
Rendcomb offers a fantastic range of sporting facilities, with access for pupils of all ages.
Its 10 acre sports ground, complete with pavilion is used for rugby, lacrosse, cricket, football and athletics — with a clay pigeon shooting field open to sixth formers, too — while an astroturf pitch hosts hockey matches in the colder months before becoming tennis courts in the summer. There's a volleyball court and miles of cross country running routes around the grounds, too.
There's also a state of the art gym equipped with running, rowing and weights machines; a strength and conditioning suite; and a spin bike level on a mezzanine floor, along with a sports hall complete with cricket nets; basket ball court; badminton court and five-a-side football.
Outdoor
The college's 230-acre estate includes a 'woodland wilderness' area that is open to pupils from nursery to sixth form, for a range of outdoor activities.
Nursery and junior pupils can enjoy exploring the woodland in their forest school sessions, allowing them to embrace the natural world in a safe and supportive environment, with the freedom to experience unfamiliar challenges such as fire lighting, shelter building and den making.
Senior and sixth form students have access to a mountain bike track; forest fire pits; climbing ropes; a team building area; and use of the woods for a range of other outdoor pursuits.
Performing arts
Opened in 2017, Rendcomb has its own state-of-the-art performing arts centre, known as the Griffin Theatre, located at the heart of the campus.
Comprising a 350-seat auditorium, industry-standard performance and rehearsal spaces — including a dance studio with a sprung floor, ballet barres and mirrors — along with hospitality and reception areas, the centre is available for all pupils to use for music, dance and theatre practice and performance.
Co-curricular activities
All Rendcomb students take part in a range of co-curricular activities alongside their studies, with the aim of helping them to acquire new friendships, increase their confidence and gain new skills.
Facilities are available for a host of activities which vary for each age group, including sports such as golf, equestrian, sailing, swimming, yoga and much more; performing arts from music production and performance to dance, drama and the more unique with activities like bell-ringing; and creative arts including gaming, a film club and a range of arts and crafts.
Boarding
Providing 'a home away from home' for its senior pupils and sixth formers, Rendcomb College offers a range of options for boarding on campus.
Its homely accommodation for boys and girls aged 11 and over, between years 7 and 13, are comprised of light and welcoming rooms which students can personalise as they wish, with space for studying and downtime along with welfare support from designated house parents, too.
A range of internal and external activities, aimed at encouraging students to follow their passions, are open to boarders of all ages — while for older students in years 11 to 13, there's also an on-campus nightclub, The Crypt.
Food and dining
Rendcomb's catering team serve up a wide range of delicious foods, with lunch inclusive in school fees for all pupils.
Students eat together in the college's dining hall, where options include a fresh salad bar, cold meats, cheese, homemade soup and fruit, with changing hot options and desserts. The catering team prepares special meals and decorates the dining hall for annual events such as Chinese New Year, Thanksgiving and Christmas, too.
Boarders take their meals in the dining hall but also have provisions in their houses which includes bread, spreads and other snacks. In addition to the well-balanced meals on offer, there are also occasions when treat meals are offered at tea time.
Health and wellbeing
The college also has excellent provisions for supporting its students' mental and physical wellbeing.
Its on-site medical centre is available to all pupils, with two sisters on duty at any one time.
Pastoral care is something that all staff see as an essential part of their duties, with dedicated tutors, heads of key stage and house parents taking overall responsibility for the welfare of their houses.
Pupils of all faiths are also welcomed into Rendcomb's on-campus chapel, St Peter's Church, with the school chaplain offering thought-provoking and, when required, comforting words to allow pupils time for personal reflection and spiritual growth.
To find out more about all that's on offer for pupils at Rendcomb College, visit rendcombcollege.org.uk.
