Thane won a double scholarship to Great Ballard and joined in Year 9

As well as taking part in team sports, students are encouraged to monitor and improve their fitness as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

When I was thinking about ‘where next?’ after Sompting Abbotts, I looked at several schools with my parents. The main ones on our list were Seaford College, Lancing College, Shoreham College and Great Ballard. 

When we chose Great Ballard (GB) in the end, it was because the mix of pastoral care and academic approach seemed the right balance for me. I felt even more certain after my taster days. I liked that Great Ballard was so similar in those respects to Sompting Abbotts (SA).  

I applied for two scholarships: Academic, and Service & Leadership. These, along with the verbal & non-verbal reasoning tests, made up my application exam day. I’d studied all subjects at Common Academic Scholarship (CASE) level for a year at Sompting Abbotts to prepare for these exams.  

Thane, pictured in the school's own woodland. Outdoor Education is part of the Great Ballard’s unique Learning2Learn Curriculum from Year 3 right through to Year 11, with all students enjoying time outside in the woods

I settled in fast. I had a few friends at the school already and a fellow pupil from SA joined at the same time as me too. So, it was easy to feel comfortable and make new friends. Recently, another friend from my Year 8 class at SA has joined, which has been nice.  

There are 17 pupils, including me in my class. We're all very different, which makes for a good group mix, and we all get along well together. Most pupils have come from independent schools in the Chichester area and some have come from state schools.

Now I’m at Great Ballard, I'm finding the ethos and teaching approach to be very like that of Sompting Abbotts (SA). Here, the class sizes are small too (they’re slightly bigger than at SA but not by much). The teachers are also really passionate and knowledgable about their subjects and lessons are engaging. 

The meals are very good, including our snacks at break and afternoon tea. The sports facilities within the school (plus those of the external providers such as Chichester College which GB uses) are of a high standard and make PE fun and challenging. There’s a good range of extra-curricular activities available in the week and they change termly. Recently, I did mountain biking around Eartham Woods, which was great fun. 

Aerial view of the campus at Great Ballard

I especially love the computer science suite here. (Plus I like that there’s a Pac Man machine. I have the highest score in the school!)

The grounds around the school are spectacular, too. There’s a domed all-weather pool, which means we can swim even in the colder months. I’m in the school swim squad. 

Great Ballard has its main school building, then several small buildings around it for specialised subjects like Science, Art and Music. There’s a church onsite and there are 30 acres of grounds. The school is set in the South Downs National Park and the views are amazing.  

There is a school bus service but I get to school by car. I do car shares with a friend. The day ends at 4.30pm, like at SA, and there’s an optional prep session until 5.30pm.

I feel now that Sompting Abbotts was the perfect school to prepare me for coming here. I’ve found I already have a solid understanding of all subjects at GB. In some subjects, I’ve already covered topics we’re going through. Maths is one – I’m able to apply a lot of the methods I learned at SA.

Service & Leadership

Thane is a Great Ballard Service & Leadership Scholar and acted as a host at the school’s recent Service & Leadership Dinner (he is pictured here with guest speakers Peter King CBE, former CEO of British Cycling, and Nick Higham, of the humanitarian aid charity kidogokidogo.uk. Thane says: “Sompting Abbotts prepared me well for public speaking. As Head Boy at SA, I gained experience of making speeches, and in Year 8, we all gave assembly readings.”

I haven’t chosen my GCSEs yet. I’m thinking of doing French, Triple Science and Sports Science. Nor have I decided my A-level subjects. I think they’ll involve Maths and Science. Careerwise, I like the idea of becoming a game programmer or something to do with Maths, but I don’t know yet.

I’ve so many good memories of Sompting Abbotts. I'll always cherish them and be grateful to the Sinclair family – especially Mrs Sinclair – for the warm and nurturing education SA allowed me to have.

Thane, as Tin Man, at Sompting Abbotts

“I secretly loved, too, playing the part of the Tin Man at Sompting Abbotts in our school play, The Wiz (even if I did hate singing my song!).”

I particularly loved my Scholarship English lessons with Mr Douch. We learned so much but laughed a whole lot more! And I really enjoyed playing mixed year group basketball at breaktimes.

Our brilliant Year 8 residential trip to the Isle of Wight was a special highlight. It was full of exciting activities (and hilarious moments!). It was so great being away from school with my friends and without parents.

Great Ballard

John Catt School Search says: “Great Ballard is an award-winning, co-educational, independent day school for children from Nursery to GCSE, set in 34 acres on the edge of the New Forest and South Coast. New leadership has turned 'excellent & outstanding' (ISI) into exceptional, with pupil numbers at a five-year high. By listening to and working alongside their pupils, providing outstanding opportunities and encouraging them to be the best they can be, Ballard nurtures well-rounded, happy individuals with a healthy outlook on life.”

Set outside Chichester, Great Ballard Senior School is located on the same site as the prep, ringed by the South Downs National Park in the Moore’s International Dark Sky Reserve. Pupils make full use of their rural location. In the classroom, they follow a forward-thinking curriculum, with leadership, problem-solving and entrepreneurial skills. There’s no sixth form. Pupils move on after completing GCSEs.

Since 2020, the Headmaster is Matthew King. He was previously at Framlingham College Prep in Suffolk, part of a 30-year stint in various preps. This is a welcome return to West Sussex for Matthew and his family; he grew up in the area, attending Hurstpierpoint College, played cricket for Sussex Under 19s and enjoyed his first taste of headship at Pennthorpe School in Rudgwick.

www.greatballard.co.uk

Thane, in his Great Ballard uniform

“I’ve so many good memories of Sompting Abbotts. I’ll always cherish them and be grateful to the Sinclair family – especially Mrs Sinclair – for the warm and nurturing education SA allowed me to have.
When we chose Great Ballard (GB) in the end, it was because the mix of pastoral care and academic approach seemed the right balance for me. I felt even more certain after my taster days. I liked that Great Ballard was so similar in those respects to Sompting Abbotts (SA).  ”

— Thane

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Next steps

The journey is far from finished when your child ends their time at our prep. Our children move onto a range of schools, many of them with scholarships, awards and exhibitions. The most frequent independent senior school destinations are Lancing College, Brighton College, Christ's Hospital and Hurst College, among others. The most popular state secondary school destination is Steyning Grammar.Which school will suit your child's strengths and needs best? Our staff are happy to talk your options through with you and guide you. We hope our leaver interviews below will help you, too, in your decision-making.