Ampleforth College

Ampleforth, York YO62 4ER

Forward-thinking head Father Gabriel Everitt has been at Ampleforth for 20 years. His mantra for the school is based on the 3Hs: happy, holy and hardworking. In this spirit, it takes a broad spectrum of academic abilities, and the focus is on giving pupils a unique moral and spiritual compass rather than being top of the dreaded league tables. ‘The pupil who comes bottom of the Latin or maths class may well excel on the sporting fields or in the art studio,’ says one old boy. Monks teach, and students are encouraged to discuss the big questions of life and religion with them. It’s not all smells and bells, of course: sport is hugely important (the rugby teams are particularly successful) and there are two shooting ranges, a nine-hole golf course and a fishing lake in the woods. Ampleforth went co-ed 10 years ago – word has it that the monks were more positive about this change than some of the older members of staff – and girls now make up more than a third of the pupils. There is talk of a new equestrian centre and an AstroTurf, but these have been shelved for the time being – the school is aware that crunch-stricken parents want value for money rather than major spending.