The Prep School is housed in the main mansion where the former reception rooms and bedrooms of the ‘old house’ have been converted to classrooms or dormitories.
Children join the Prep School in Year 3 and progress through the school in year groups. Teaching in Year 3 is largely form-based, with setting first being introduced in Year 4. The scope of the setting is increased in the later years.
The majority of the children leave at 13+ and the school has a very good record in preparing children for their Common Entrance and Scholarship exams, as well as the Cranbrook assessment.
The curriculum is broad, balanced and demanding. As an independent school, we are not bound slavishly to the National Curriculum but aim for the high standards set out in the syllabi published by the Independent Schools Examination Board. An overview of the curriculum is provided in the annual Courses Guide.We look forward to welcoming you to our school.
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The day begins at 8:30am, with a Form Tutor period. Children have the opportunity to prepare for the day ahead, while Tutors can give out notices and lend helping hands. On Mondays and Fridays, an extended tutor period continues until the first lesson begins at 8:50 am. On Tuesdays there are assemblies and on Wednesdays and Thursdays, Chapel services.
Morning lessons run from 8:50am until 1:05 pm, with a break and an opportunity for a snack, drink, and some fresh air between 10:45 and 11:05 am. ‘Big Break’ encompasses lunch and extra-curricular activities.. Academic, sports, drama and music activities rotate, depending on the day of the week.
Afternoon lessons on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays run from 4pm to 5:15 pm while, on Wednesday afternoons, the Senior teams’ sports matches take place and the Junior years take part in their clubs. The day finishes at 5:15 pm, unless children choose to stay for Prep, in which case they stay until 6pm. Year 3 may leave at either 4.45pm or at 5.15pm after additional form time for quiet reading.
The evening starts at 6.15pm with Boarders’ Supper, when the pupils are provided with a hearty meal after an exhausting school day. The boarders have helped design the menus so there is not much food left at the end!
After this, the pupils have free time, with lots of different activities on offer, depending on the time of year. Whenever possible, the children are sent out to play (this has been known to happen in the dark and snow as well!). They can play their own games or use the tennis courts or swimming pool. In the winter, we have the use of the Sports Hall, main house or the Great Space, depending on whether we are playing Wave, Dodge Ball, Spotlight, flipping pancakes or playing Sardines! We have a kitchen in The Snug, where the children can make and bake delicious treats for everyone. The boarding staff are on hand to supervise the activities and often join in themselves. On occasions, we take the boarders out to watch local pantomimes and plays.
At 8pm, all pupils go upstairs. After registration, they shower, change into their PJs, put their underwear in the laundry bag for washing and come into The Snug. The snack is served when everyone is ready. Sometimes a quick game of Bingo or National Lottery is played at this time. The children then relax and enjoy watching TV or using the games room. The bedtime routine starts at 8:30pm for Year 4 and Year 5, with lights out at 8:45pm. Year 6 and Year 7 go in at 8:50pm and Year 8 at 9pm. There is a boarding assistant outside all the dorms after lights out.
The morning routine starts with a wake-up call at 7:15am. Children rise and tidy their bed and the dorm area, clean their teeth and get ready for the day. Once downstairs, there is a delicious full English breakfast to be enjoyed, including croissants, cereals, juices and tea. The children leave for their Form rooms at 8:25am.
All the dormitories are located at the top of the school. Each has its own unique name and character - Crystal Palace, Buckingham Palace, The Mall, Rookery, Ally Pally, Tower and the Savoy. Pupils are placed in a dormitory with children of a similar age where possible.
Each pupil is given a box in which they keep their personal belongings and a hook for their dressing gown. In addition to this, each bed has a small shelf for items such as reading books and watches. They are also allowed to personalise their dormitory space with posters and photographs.
In addition to the dormitories we have The Snug which is where the pupils are able to relax, have some snacks, watch television or play board games before heading off to bed. We also have a games room with a computer, Nintendo Switch, Foosball and a pool table.
Please bring the following named items:
Duvet cover and pillow case
1 Dressing gown
1 Pair of slippers
1 Pyjamas / nightdress
1 Flannel
1 Toothbrush and toothpaste
1 Hairbrush and hairbands to tie hair back
1 Pair of underwear and socks/tights
Cuddly toys, comforters , pictures from home etc
Can I contact home?
“Yes we just ask Mr Yeabsley or M’Julie and they lend us the school phone. Our parents can also call us on the boarding telephone” Wilf W - Year 8
What happens if I feel ill during the night or have medicine to take?
“When we feel ill we just go and see M’Julie and she looks after us. If it is in the middle of the night we can just knock on her door. M’Julie also hands out medicine to the boarders “if they need them”.“ Evie S - Year 6
Will there be a fire practice?
“Yes each term we have a practice,Mr Yeabsley does it as a surprise, normally in the morning when we are still asleep!” Allegra W - Year 7
What if I am worried or have a problem?
“I just go and see Mr Yeabsley or M’Julie and they help me out. There are lots of other staff as well and the older children are helpful too” Jaxson M - Year 4
Is there lots of food?
Yes—we have great food in the evening and we get to choose what we eat. M’Julie always has a snack for us before we go to bed as well” Amelie G - Year 6
The boarding provision is regularly inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. The most recent inspection took place in October 2013, where the quality of boarding was judged to be ‘excellent’.
Here is an insight to boarding at Saint Ronan's School
We love our Chapel and take joy in our services, which are held on Wednesday and Thursday mornings every week. We also meet for two or three Friday Evensongs.
The Chapel is one of the only vestiges left of the original building in Worthing. It was dismantled there and reassembled – brick by brick – where it stands today. In 2014, Old Ronians paid for the Chapel Corridor to be redesigned and created a memorial garden to Old Ronians who were killed in the two World Wars.
With the exception of the Carol Service, which takes place at Benenden Church, virtually all our other services are held in the school’s Chapel.
Music plays a prominent part in the life of the Chapel. We love to sing together, have an exceptional Chapel Choir and enjoy the beauty of hearing the children singing solos or playing instrumental pieces. The children in Year 8 all read in Chapel at least once during the academic year.
Chapel is, and will remain, a much-loved and a very special place in the school. It embodies all that is best about our pastoral approach and what really matters in life.
Saint Ronan’s is set in the 249 acre Tongswood estate. This estate proudly boasts some of the most picturesque Wealden countryside and is, without doubt, a very adventurous place to be young. The centre-piece of the estate is the imposing and impressive Tongswood House, a rambling Victorian mansion which is listed because of its architectural and local historical significance. The Prep School is based in the main mansion, where the former reception rooms and bedrooms of the ‘old house’ have been converted into classrooms or dormitories.
The Pre-Prep and Music departments are housed in the purpose-built Harris Building. Our sports centre, The Founder’s Hall, was opened in 2010 and an Astro added in 2015. The Nursery and Science laboratories are in the elegant Coach House and the former ‘Power House’, historically used for generating electricity, has been converted to provide an extensive centre for Engineering & Design and Art. The 'Power House' was significantly extended in 2020 and the Science Laboratories completely re-vamped in 2021.
The Children’s Farm, sited in the Old Orchard, is much enjoyed, as is the Forest School in Tongswood itself.
Headmaster
Mr William Trelawny-Vernon
Title: Headmaster
Qualifications: BSc (Hons), University of Exeter.
Contact details: [email protected]
Life before Saint Ronan's
After completing a degree in Biology at Exeter University, I worked in Fund Management in the City. After about four years, I decided on a career change and retrained whilst teaching at Stowe. In 1995, I was appointed a Housemaster and in 2003 took up the Headship of Saint Ronan’s. Other experiences include being a Governor of three schools, a School Inspector and a GCSE coursework moderator. For a while I was also a Lieutenant in the Naval Reserve!
Roles at School
Being Headmaster keeps me busy and involved in all that goes on.
Away from the Classroom
I love gardening, walks in the country, local history and spending time with the family.
Deputy Headmaster (Pastoral)
Mr Ross Andrew
Title: Deputy Headmaster (Pastoral)
Qualifications: B.Sc. (Hons), P.G.C.E., University of Plymouth
Contact details: [email protected]
Life before Saint Ronan's
After leaving school I studied Marine Oceanography at Plymouth University. Thereafter I skippered several yacht deliveries before deciding to embark on a career in the City. I completed a Diploma in Technical Analysis before taking up a job on the floor of the London Metal Exchange. It didn’t take long for me to realise that I was not cut out for the city! I returned to the sea as a Hydrographical Surveyor, eventually being responsible for a team producing detailed 3D maps of oil wells. After developing appendicitis whilst three hundred miles off-shore, and all the complications this created, I decided to pursue my lifelong dream of training to be a teacher!
Roles at School
As well as being Head of Chemistry, I am the Pastoral Deputy Headmaster. This involves ‘being in charge of Minuses’ (as the children say!). I am involved in the non-academic side of the day to day running of the school. I also teach games and have been involved in the setting up and running of our very own farm.
Away from the Classroom
I enjoy all outdoor pursuits but most especially sailing and walking. Unfortunately, with three children, the time off I have for these things is limited! I’m a keen, but not very knowledgeable, gardener and like to think I’m pretty good at DIY!
Deputy Headmaster (Academic)
Mr Dale Bright
Title: Deputy Headmaster (Academic)
Qualifications: BSc (Hons), Higher Diploma (Ed), University of Cape Town
Contact details: [email protected]
Life before Saint Ronan's
I grew up on the cricket and rugby fields a few avenues down from Newlands, in the shadow of Table Mountain. I went to Rondebosch Boys Prep School, where I excelled at being naughty. At senior school, both my older brothers were prefects but the only time I visited the Headmaster was for a hiding. During my gap year I delivered pizzas, pumped petrol, coached sport and discovered a passion for white-water kayaking and canoe expeditions. After graduating from the University of Cape Town, I taught at South Africa’s oldest school, SACS, for two years. Highlights of my time at SACS included water polo tours to the Eastern Cape and surf camps up the west coast. I met my wife Andrea on the Orange River in Namibia, where we both led 6-day river expeditions into the desert, sleeping by the fireside under the stars. In 1999 I represented South Africa at the Touch Rugby World Cup in Sydney. In 2001 we moved to London. I was Head of PE and Sport at Fulham Prep School and Andrea taught Reception at the Pre-Prep. Highlights included trips to Rome, France, the Lake District and an annual U10 rugby tour to Cornwall.
Roles at School
In September 2008 I joined the Saint Ronan’s as Head of Geography and in 2009 I was given the additional roles of Key Stage 3 Co-ordinator. I enjoy being part of a busy prep school and so I try to involve myself in many aspects of this great school. A particularly enjoyable activity is being part of the Boarding team – the boys sing “Mr Bright, Mr Bright – has come to turn off the light!” The Games afternoons are another bonus, with football and cricket being particular favourites. I am setting up school swimming squads and am an Upper Form Tutor. Sometimes I even get to go skiing!
Away from the Classroom
I love spending time with Andrea, Rachel and Matthew. In the summer we usually set up our tent on the banks of the Tarn River in France and then explore the Pyrenees or Alps. At Christmas, we try to visit Cape Town to see our families and to catch some surf and sun. I enjoy playing Touch Rugby for England and I like bike-riding in Bedgebury, gathering blackberries, braaing, snorkelling for crayfish, going to church, listening to lions and hyenas during Kalahari nights, star-gazing and watching whales from the cliff path in Hermanus.
Director of I.T.
Mr Ben Clarke
Title: Director of I.T.
Qualifications: B.Sc. (Hons.), M.B.C.S., University of Kent
Contact details: [email protected]
Life before Saint Ronan's
My teaching career began at Saint Ronan’s but before that, I worked at Philips Electronics in their Research & Development Laboratories in Redhill.
Roles at School
Amongst other things I look after the school’s IT systems, edit the school magazine (“The Ronian”) and am involved with all things Alumni related. I also enjoy being involved with the technical side of drama productions.
Away from the Classroom
I have a close connection with South Africa and like to visit every other year or so. Otherwise, I spend much of my time developing my appreciation for Real Ale.
Assistant Headmaster
Mr Timothy Fox
Title: Assistant Headmaster
Qualifications: B Ed (Hons), College of St. Mark
Contact details: [email protected]
Life before Saint Ronan's
I attended the College of St Mark and St John in Plymouth, where I gained my teaching degree. My first job was at Maiden Erlegh School, Reading, where I spent two years before heading to the mountains of France to work for the British Ski Academy in Chamonix. This was a great experience and, as I was keen to explore further, I then travelled to the Southern Hemisphere for another year with Rachel, to whom I am now married. Eventually we decided that we should come home and that decision led to teaching jobs in and around Tunbridge Wells for a few years, before I arrived at Saint Ronan’s.
Roles at School
I am Head of Boys' Games at Saint Ronan's. This has been great fun and the school has grown in size and facilities. After a couple of years, I became the resident Housemaster and it is these two roles that combine to keep me busy. I am also lucky enough to run the Year 8 Leavers' Expedition to Bude every summer.
Away from the Classroom
Being a PE teacher, my interests tend to be on the sporty side! I still try to play tennis once a week and enjoy skiing. Over the last few summers I have been learning to surf and, when I have the time, I love going to watch Brighton and Hove Albion (who I'm sure will be in the Premier League soon!!)
Head of Learning Support
Mrs Lucy Taggart
Title: Head of Learning Support
Qualifications: BA (Hons), PGCE, Oxford Brookes, SEN Diploma
Contact details: [email protected]
Life before Saint Ronan's
I was educated in Shropshire, in a remote boarding school, where I spent many happy days playing the piano and flute and representing Junior England in lacrosse. On leaving, I went straight to Oxford Brookes to read Politics and Music and headed to London in 1993 to do my PGCE at Froebel College, followed by my SEN Diploma in 2005. After teaching in London for ten years, I moved to East Sussex as my husband is a doctor in Rye. I started teaching at Saint Ronan’s in September 2003.
Roles at School
Running the Learning Support Department is an incredibly rewarding job and I love seeing the children progress through the school. I teach English to years four, five and six and help out with girls’ games whenever possible!
Away from the Classroom
When I’m not driving our four children round the countryside to various sporting activities, I love playing the piano and going for the occasional jog. Our annual trip to Spain is the highlight of my year!
Mrs Elizabeth Peacock
Title: Teacher
Qualifications: BSc (Hons), PGCE, University of Oxford Brookes
Contact details: [email protected]
Life before Saint Ronan's
After studying Maths at Oxford Brookes, I went ‘up North’ to Newcastle to do my PGCE Maths teaching qualification. My first teaching job was at Benenden School, where I ended up teaching for 15 years! I also taught at Sevenoaks School for 4 years. Once I discovered Saint Ronan’s, that was it - I joined in 2013 with my four boys and never looked back!!
Roles at School
I love teaching Maths to pupils in Years 4 - 8 and am also a passionate member of Tongswood house.
Away from the Classroom
Out of school, I love playing the piano, listening to Brazilian Jazz and camping.
My children changed schools in yr 2 & yr 4 and they settled in instantly. The school has a lovely family feel, the staff do a brilliant job inspiring the children. Both my girls weren't particularly sporty when they arrived but both grew to love sport and my eldest has carried that through into senior school. The music is also exceptional, you really feel your children come away with a well rounded education not just academic. Both my girls have got into their senior schools of choice and I am sad to say farewell to Saint Ronan's but thank you for all you have done for my children. Highly recommended.
Hayley S
This is a real gem, right at the top of its game. The children are loved and cared for by the entire staff. I wish I had had the opportunity many years ago. They achieve so much by example, gentleness and kindness. Floret St Ronan's and long may you continue to flourish.
Terry D
Saint Ronans is quite unique and magical.. the children work hard and play equally hard... the teachers are approachable and your child will flourish... our daughter has taken every opportunity and through all her own self motivated hard work turned herself into an amazing all rounder who is thriving in sports, academics and music. What’s not to like.
Sharon B
