Head of the Creative Arts Faculty

Battle Abbey School is a mixed, independent day and boarding all-through school for children aged 3 months to 18 years. It is situated in Battle, East Sussex.

The school was founded in Bexhill in 1912 as a family-owned boarding school for senior girls. It moved to Battle Abbey in 1922, changing its name to Battle Abbey School. In September 1989, it became co-educational. The school is now a registered charity, administered by a board of governors known as the Full Court.

Headteacher

Hannah Blake

Values and vision

It combines the modern with the traditional in terms of facilities and academic outlook and has an innovative and engaging approach to teaching and learning. In addition, the promotion of soft skills, self-confidence, concern for others, personal responsibility and leadership means that the School provides a first rate all-round education where students feel they belong and where they invariably develop academically, socially and emotionally.

Students enjoy the friendly and purposeful atmosphere at Battle Abbey and have a real affection for the School. From the very start at the Prep School, they learn to be inquisitive and creative individuals who are challenged to do their best. They learn the rewards that are the result of hard work both in and out of the classroom. They learn to compete hard in all areas of school life but also to serve, support and think of others. They learn how to develop as people and to become better team players and that manners and good conduct matter. They learn how to interact with students from all over the world as well as with people of all ages. They make great friends along the way, have lots of fun in a safe environment and develop very strong relationships with their motivated and supportive teachers.

Both the Senior and Prep Schools have a proven track record of achieving strong academic results and a well-deserved reputation for adding significant academic value in a mixed ability setting. We also have a unique enrichment programme which sees students introduced to subjects, topics and issues that are not covered in a typical exam syllabus. Furthermore, we are very good at finding skills and aptitudes in students that they don’t always know that they possess and we try very hard to develop those newly found strengths and interests. Academic success is something we value highly, but we are proud of the achievements of our pupils in all fields. Our pupils invariably achieve their best because we believe the pastoral care and the relationships that exist are exceptional.

In essence, the School aims to create passionate and enthusiastic life-long learners and also to inspire its young people to become positive and engaging members of their communities – locally, nationally and globally.

ISI report

"Pupils' attitudes to learning are excellent. Pupils appreciate the supportive atmosphere in lessons, where well-planned activities enable them to work both independently and collaboratively as appropriate to the task."

"Pupils are extremely self-confident, aware of their own abilities and able to identify those areas in which they need to improve. The highly effective tutor programme includes regular assessments and target setting, which the pupils value greatly."

View Battle Abbey School's latest ISI report