Our most memorable school moments of 2025!

For our year-end newsletter, we have looked back on the past twelve months and on all the schools we have visited. As different as they may be, there are always particular moments or details that resonate with us as a team and leave a lasting impression. 

What follows is therefore not a ranking, but a collection of our favourite moments at these schools. A very personal von Bülow retrospective.

Ferdinand Steinbeis, Managing Director:

One of my most moving moments took place at Wells Cathedral School. Our visit there was simply delightful. Wells is particularly renowned for its outstanding music provision, and we were incredibly fortunate to listen to a young clarinettist perform Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, accompanied on the piano – a true goosebump moment. Beyond the music, the school impressed us with its distinctive West Country charm and the sight of so many genuinely happy pupils. “Our kids like going to school,” Deputy Head Pastoral Martin Ashton told us – and it was something you could feel everywhere.

Dorothee Hawkins, Consultant: 

My favourite school moment was at Clifton College. While the school offers everything one would expect from a traditional boarding school, it was above all the feeling on campus that left a lasting impression on me – that moment when you sense how pupils with a wide range of interests truly find their place here. The breadth of opportunity, from classical languages and a vibrant music scene to excellent sporting provision, felt far more than a list on paper; it was alive across the entire campus.

Equally memorable was the distinctive atmosphere of Clifton itself – a characterful part of Bristol, close to both nature and the sea, yet full of energy. Added to this is the strong sense of community on campus. With around 50 per cent of pupils boarding, there is a palpable feeling of connection, and day pupils are very much part of the boarding house community.

That moment in Clifton showed me just how complete and inspiring school life can be when location, opportunity and atmosphere come together so harmoniously.

Karen Sander, Consultant: 

When visiting schools, I am always particularly curious to see the workshops, and one visit in particular has stayed with me.

At King’s Ely, the school was in the middle of preparing a major Fashion Design exhibition in London. Pupils had designed garments using a wide range of materials, developed material and concept studies beforehand, and then allowed their creativity free rein. The studio was filled with the most imaginative creations, and at the heart of it all stood an incredibly dedicated and enthusiastic teacher. 

We felt that same enthusiasm again in the school’s design workshop. Design & Technology is also a popular subject at King’s Ely, and once again it wasn’t just the facilities that impressed me, but the teacher himself – a true institution at the school, so passionate about his subject that he even opens the workshop at weekends for interested pupils.

For this reason alone, I would wish every German pupil the opportunity to spend a few weeks at a British boarding school. With such a wealth of creative and practical opportunities, young people can discover entirely new talents – beyond the classroom, and guided by truly inspiring and committed teachers.

Vera Hanke, Client Liaison / Brand Consulting:

My most memorable moment during our school visits in 2025 was at Gresham’s, when we walked through the school’s own woodland and emerged into the clearing of the Outdoor Activity Centre. Not only is the school beautifully located, right by the Norfolk coast, it also boasts a truly breathtaking outdoor area – complete with its own high ropes course, zip line, vertical climbing tower and obstacle course – the kind of adventure playground that would make specialist providers envious.

Here, pupils don’t just acquire knowledge in the classroom (the ultra-modern Dyson Building for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics would be reason enough to be impressed); here, nature itself becomes the classroom. Rarely have I seen so vividly how children are encouraged to push beyond themselves in such a holistic way – through sport, team-building and survival skills, but also through the performing arts.

The school’s woodland even includes its own amphitheatre, used for summer productions, concerts and movie nights. Goosebumps – and unforgettable moments – are very much part of the experience.

Leslie Epking-Crane, Summer Schools & Project Management:

Unser Besuch in St. Edward's Oxford am Ende des Jahres hat bei mir einen besonderen Eindruck hinterlassen! Großartige Einrichtungen (Kunst und Rudern sind hervorragend), brillante Schüler und die richtigen Antworten auf jede Frage! Mein Lieblingsraum war der Kunstsaal. Ein wunderschönes, lichtdurchflutetes Studio, in dem ich am liebsten selbst sofort angefangen hätte zu arbeiten. Mein schönster Schulbesuchsmoment des Jahres!

Marita Butterfield, Head of School Liaision:

My favourite school moment was at Wrekin College. The school is a real gem – almost as if it has stepped straight out of a Laura Ashley catalogue. What touched me most was the warmth at the heart of the school: cheerful, open pupils, Shropshire charm in abundance, and an atmosphere in which you feel welcome immediately.

I was also impressed by how naturally international pupils are integrated into school life, regardless of when they join. Wrekin is a school I would confidently recommend to pupils of very different academic abilities.

Sevil Hincal, Client Liaison / School visits:

My favourite school moment was at St Edward’s School. From the moment we arrived, I felt immediately at ease – there is a real sense of community everywhere. I was particularly impressed by how the school combines its traditional British character with a strong IB programme.

Seeing our German student guide Enno rowing nine times a week while still excelling in the IB perfectly illustrates how St Edward’s enables pupils to pursue their passions while achieving academic success.

Nina Slattery, Head of Communication:

My best moment was during our visit to Shrewsbury. It was the first British boarding school I had ever visited, and it completely blew me away – not only because Charles Darwin once studied there, but also because of the inspiring world of boarding life it offers, with its vast range of opportunities, exceptionally friendly pupils, and the open, passionate leadership of Head Leo Winkley (“A busy teenager is a good teenager”).

I was particularly struck by Motte, our German Sixth Form boarder who showed us around the campus. With her blue nail polish, the school’s elegant dress code and her one-to-one Greek lessons, she embodied for me the most wonderful blend of academic learning and growing up.