Haberdashers' Monmouth Schools
‘What would your dream school look like? ...This school exists and we've found it.’ – Tatler Schools Guide 2018
The Monmouth Model educates girls and boys through a unique combination of single-sex and co-educational environments at the optimum stages of their academic and personal development. Parents seek the best all-round education for their children; they want to feel confident that their sons and daughters are developing to the full their academic talent, self-confidence, and social awareness. Pupils embark on an educational journey within a distinctive community, refined over 400 years in the heart of the naturally inspirational Wye Valley. They grow into well rounded, refreshingly grounded but also unbounded young men and women, who excel in their chosen paths and who aspire to make a positive difference to society. Pupils thrive at Monmouth, enjoying a wide range of academic subjects, the impressive sports, cultural and arts facilities and links with top universities.
Co-educational teaching in Monmouth Schools Sixth Form brings day and boarding boys and girls together at this final stage of their educational journey with us. We offer 16 to 18 year olds the benefits of co-educational teaching and single-sex pastoral care to ensure a successful transition from school to university life. Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools recognise talent and nurture excellence, providing the best possible springboard for a pupil’s future.
A recent independent inspection rated Monmouth School for Boys and Monmouth School for Girls as excellent in every category – the highest score possible. And thanks to its beautiful scenery and charm, Monmouth was listed in the Sunday Times as the third best place to live in Britain.
Home away from home: The boarding community is an integral part of life for the Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools’ family, with around 250 pupils calling the schools home. Creating a nurturing environment where children feel comfortable, happy and inspired to aim high in everything they do is our main priority. Dedicated boarding houses for juniors, seniors and sixth formers offer all the advantages of single-sex education, with time and space planned for prep in each house. And there is always a busy programme of joint activities, sports and excursions at the weekends. Our boarders form lifelong friendships, lovely memories and a strong sense of society during their time here. We have an exciting cross-section of international boarders from all over the world. Additional support is offered to those for whom English is a second language. All trips to airports are accompanied by a member of staff.
Academic success: With the vast majority of pupils getting their first choice university and 60% of offers to Russell Group universities, the schools recognise the importance of getting the best set of exam results for each boy and girl.
The students showed maturity and commitment throughout the pandemic, which disrupted their studies and caused the postponement of the 2020 summer examinations.
The 2020 results include letter and number gradings with a 9 considered to be a high A*, an 8 a low A*, a 7 the equivalent of an A grade and a 4 the equivalent of a C grade pass.
At Monmouth School for Girls, 81.6% of all GCSE grades were at A* to A and 9-7, while 100% were at A* to C and 9-4.
At Monmouth School for Boys, 80.6% of all GCSE grades were at A* to A/9-7, while 99.7% were at A* to C and 9-4.
Students also celebrated their A level results in 2020 after an extraordinary chapter in their young lives.
This was also the first A level cohort to have been fully integrated in Monmouth Schools Sixth Form since co-educational teaching was launched in September 2018.
A total of 61.8% of all A level grades were A* to A, while 86.8% were A* to B and 96.8% were at A* to C.
Three A level students secured places at Oxbridge.
There is a sport for every pupil at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools: Sport enhances life outside academia, and the schools pride themselves on the number of children representing them. More than 70 pupils have national sporting honours and we list former Olympians among our alumni. Rugby, rowing, football, gymnastics, dance, lacrosse, netball and tennis are just a few of the activities which play an extremely important role in school life. Our exceptional staff is dedicated to achieving excellence within a ‘sport for all’ philosophy, ensuring the B and C teams always feel as inspired and important as the A teams.
Plans for the future: We have completely refurbished our science facilities at Monmouth School for Boys; upgraded boarding accommodation, Sixth Form Centre, artificial sports pitches and created a new suite for fitness training. Having invested in a joint schools’ tennis academy and strengthening links with a local equestrian centre, Monmouth School for Girls now has an impressive new Performing Arts Centre.
"All three of our children are very different in both interests and aspirations, they have all excelled in very different areas and have all been very happy at the schools. They all refer to Monmouth as their home when asked where they come from – a question many forces children struggle to answer!"
- Jayne Hunter, forces parent
"HMSG provided me with friends for life and a belief that if I worked hard enough, I could achieve anything I wanted to. As a boarder, I learnt life lessons about independence, organisation and working and living with others. I think this moulded me into a person who is suited to a career in journalism as you’re constantly having to adapt, communicate and get the best out of the people you’re working with."
- Alexandra Lodge, ITV Wales reporter
"Coming here has given me a new perspective on what life is like on another continent. People here form opinions on things that matter. They actually think about things that could help mankind."
- David Onyemelukwe, Old Monmothian now studying at MIT
For more information, please visit www.habsmonmouth.org . To contact Monmouth School for Girls, please email girls.admissions@habsmonmouth.org or call 01600 711104, and for Monmouth School for Boys, please email boys.admissions@habsmonmouth.org or call 01600 710433.
Rhiannon
Rhiannon, 14, has been a boarder for over two years. Her father works for Aramco in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. She said: “I was worried about being away from my mum and dad, but the girls were really nice straight away and the boarding house feels like home now. The staff are really nice and down to earth. They are fun and talk to you regularly to make sure you are alright. It’s an adventure coming to boarding school. I’ve decided I want to stay for my whole school career. I like the routines they have and the food is really good. We have film nights with the boys in our year at Monmouth School. On a Saturday night they come up to the boarding house. It’s good fun.”
Hadiyah from Saudi Arabia is in Year 10. Her father also works for Aramco. She said: “My brother Usman has been boarding in Monmouth since the beginning of the year. I had no idea what it was going to be like. I was quite nervous about it. But the staff are almost like second parents. They are entertaining and they know what kids are like. Whenever you feel homesick they always help and we can call our parents whenever we want to. At the weekends there are so many things to do that you don’t feel homesick. There’s swimming, climbing, we go to town, play laser tag. The weekends are the best thing about boarding. We have social time with the boys in Year 8 when they come up here to watch films with us. It’s good to mix with boys now and then – it prepares you for real life and they are always quite funny and silly. Boarding is a lot more comfortable for me knowing my older brother is here. It’s good to know that even if my parents have to move around, I always have this base.”
Hadiyah
Usman
Usman, 17, is Hadiyah’s brother. He said: “Boarding has been pretty great, I’ve made lots of friends and you never get lonely here unless you want to. There are lots of opportunities available to us. The teachers are all really supportive, and the tutoring is very helpful. It feels homely in boarding – I think it’s because you bond with people and make good friends through getting involved in all the activities. It creates a family environment. The friends I’ve made are really nice guys; they’ve been great. They have been understanding of the fact I come from a different religious background and always give me space when I needed to be alone. I miss my family but I have never felt homesick at all here. We can go to town and hang out with the girls from HMSG and I visit my sister sometimes, too. It’s nice to know she’s nearby. My favourite sport here is rugby, but I’m playing cricket now because we play different sports during different seasons. All of the opportunities in boarding help create a man out of you.”
Monmouth School for Boys
01600 710433
boys.admissions@habsmonmouth.org
Monmouth School for Girls
01600 711104
girls.admissions@habsmonmouth.org