Hello from cold, sunny Oxfordshire!

Our 2019 is getting off to a good start. Last week our consultant Dorothee Hawkins paid a visit to Bradfield College, a boarding school von Bülow Education has had the pleasure of working with for over 20 years.

Dorothee came back with lots of impressions from her visit that we will share here.

The Setting

Bradfield College is located in the small village of Bradfield, five minutes from Reading, 30 minutes from London Heathrow airport and one hour from central London. The location of the school is absolutely stunning - green fields, rivers, trees as far as the eye can see. And the school itself? Think Hogwarts and you'd be getting close!

The Academics

A thriving IB Programme.

In parallel with the A-Levels, Bradfield has been running a very successful, ever growing International Baccalaureate programme. In fact one third of its 6th Form is headed for an IB finish.

Bradfield has the results to show for it: an average of 36 out of 45 points in 2018, 6 points above the world average.

The fact that 80% of Bradfield's teachers live onsite obviously helps: teachers are available to help pupils whenever they need it.

The Extracurriculars

Lots and lots of great sports!

Bradfield, whilst offering lots of extracurricular activities, is still first and foremost about sports. Football, tennis and golf are exceptionally good here. Currently Bradfield is in the final of the U18 football championship and due to meet Repton School for a showdown in a few week's time.

But it doesn't stop here - from cricket, lacrosse and shooting, to more exotic sports like rounders and Zumba, Bradfield has something for everyone.

Bradfield's sporting facilities are fabulous. The modern indoor swimming pool, the indoor tennis courts, 9-hole golf course and acres of immaculately kept sports fields make Bradfield one of the UK's top sports schools.

Theatre!

Another stand-out feature is Bradfield's amazing Greek Theatre, a 1000-capacity amphitheatre, where the school regularly performs the greek tragedies and other theatre productions.

Here is also where the Handshake happens: at the beginning and at the end of the term everyone at Bradfield shakes everyones' hand. With over 700 pupils and 200 staff this, as you can imagine, takes a little while...

Great arts, design and music

Bradfield is sometimes depicted as a sports school. We disagree. The creative activities easily match the sports in breadth and quality.

We saw a stunning arts department with outstanding student art. Same applied for the product designs we spotted in Bradfield's Design & Technology department.

Bradfield's new director of music is set to revolutionise the school's music department. Already over 50% of the school's pupils play an instrument.

Our view

Bradfield College is the epitome of what we at von Bülow Education can call an all-rounder school: great academic quality combined with top notch sports, music, drama and art. We love this school!