Blundell’s is a thriving co-educational day and boarding School combining strong academic achievement and excellent co-curricular activities in a secure and happy environment. The deep friendships that are formed at Blundell’s fostered by the great community, together with the intellectual, physical and cultural interests, provide pupils with skills for life. The School was built and endowed in 1604 at the sole charge of the estate of Mr Peter Blundell, Clothier, of Tiverton, by his executor the Lord Chief Justice, Sir John Popham. In 1882 the School was moved to its present site on the outskirts of Tiverton.
Admission. Entry is at 11, 13 and 16 for most pupils. This is via the Blundell’s Entrance Test or the Common Entrance Examination. Most join the School in September, though a January entry is welcome.
Numbers. There are 620 pupils of whom 270 are girls; 350 board (full, weekly, flexi). There are three boys’ Houses and two girls’ Houses for Years 9–12 and a separate Upper Sixth House. Years 7 and 8 have a separate House with separate pastoral and academic leadership.
Fees per term (2025–2026). Full Boarding £12,960–£19,128; Weekly Boarding £11,112–£15,804; Day £7,422-£11,202. Flexi boarding is also available.
Scholarships and Bursaries. Open Scholarships and Exhibitions: Up to half of the chosen designation fee (i.e. boarding, weekly, flexi, day) are offered on the basis of our own examinations held in January (13+) and November (Sixth Form). Awards for Art, Music, Drama, Sport and All-round ability are also made. At 11+ Junior Exhibitions only are awarded for academic and musical ability (January examination) and are deducted from the basic tuition fees.
Services Package available to the children of serving members of the Armed Forces and Diplomatic Corps.
Awards may occasionally be supplemented by means-tested bursaries at the discretion of the Head.
Full details of all scholarships and bursaries are available from the Registrars’ Office.
School Work. There are four forms at age 11 and five at age 13. During the first three years, pupils follow a broad and balanced curriculum including Art, Biology, Chemistry, Design & Technology, Divinity, Drama, English, French, Geography, History, Information Technology, Mathematics, Music (Class), Personal & Social Development, Physical Education and Physics. Latin, Greek, German, French, Mandarin and Spanish are also available.
Blundell’s pupils achieve strongly across a wide range of academic disciplines. In one recent year alone, pupils were awarded an outstanding 7 Gold, 23 Silver and 43 Bronze certificates in the UK Mathematics Challenge. Success extends across the sciences: a Blundell’s pupil was recently honoured at the British Physics Olympiad Awards at the Royal Society in London, following high achievement in both Physics and Astronomy & Astrophysics Olympiads. The School consistently ranks among the top 100 nationally in Maths, Chemistry and Physics Olympiads, with five pupils qualifying for the UK Chemistry Olympiad Round 1 in recent years.
Blundell’s academic outcomes remain strong: the School was named among the Top 20 Senior Boarding Schools in the UK for 2025 by Education Choices Magazine, with 38% of A-Level grades at A/A* and 33% of GCSE grades at 9-8 and 52% 9-7. Pupils regularly secure multiple Oxbridge offers, including a year in which six pupils received offers from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Beyond STEM, pupils have also achieved success in national poetry competitions, including recognition in the prestigious Christopher Tower Poetry Competition at Oxford.
During the GCSE years the range of subjects remains broad. Extensive advice is provided by the School to assist both GCSE and A Level choices.
At Sixth Form, pupils can create a tailored and flexible programme of study. Most will choose three A levels, while some may opt to take four. In addition to A levels, pupils can also select from our BTEC subject options, enabling a broad combination of academic and vocational pathways.
A level and BTEC subjects available:
Art • Biology • Business Studies • Chemistry • Classical Civilisations • Computer Science • Design Technology • Drama • Economics • English • French • Geography • German • History (Modern & Early Modern) • Latin • Mathematics • Further Mathematics • Music • Music Technology • Physical Education • Physics • Psychology • Politics • Religious Studies (Ethics) • Sociology • Spanish • plus a range of BTEC qualifications.
Mark Orders, Tutorial System and Reports. Good communication is a central concept. Parents receive termly formal written feedback. There are regular parents’ meetings and information forums.
Music and Drama. Music at Blundell’s is vibrant, ambitious, and consistently outstanding. Our choirs, orchestras, and ensembles perform to the highest standards, with many students progressing to leading conservatoires and universities. We welcome dedicated musicians who are eager to push their boundaries and achieve their full potential under the guidance of our expert educators and conductors.
At the heart of our musical life is a commitment to excellence through participation. Whether in performance, composition, or music theory, students who fully engage in their musical journey unlock their true potential. Our extensive choral and instrumental programmes support and inspire musicians at every stage, ensuring that all students, regardless of their starting point, have the opportunity to thrive.
Collaboration is central to our ethos, with ensemble work fostering both technical skill and an appreciation of music’s role in society. Beyond the notes, music at Blundell’s nurtures creativity, discipline, and teamwork, equipping students with invaluable experiences that prepare them for life beyond school. Our musicians leave us not only with exceptional skills but also with a lifelong love of music and a deep sense of what it means to be a part of a thriving musical community. Singing is at the heart of life at Blundell’s, from congregational hymns to competitive house singing and seven thriving Senior School choirs. The Chapel Choir stands out as a beacon of excellence, performing regularly at prestigious venues such as Exeter Cathedral, Bath Abbey, and Westminster Abbey. Recent highlights include a summer tour to Venice, where they sang Mass in St Mark’s Basilica.
The excellent Ondaatje Hall, a purpose-built theatre, provides the home for the very popular Drama Department. Pupils study Drama as part of the whole school curriculum, and they are provided with a rich and diverse experience of the historical, cultural and practical aspects of Drama and Theatre Studies. Drama is offered at both GCSE and A-level. Drama classes are taught in specially equipped teaching spaces by staff who are either subject specialists in their own right or who have undertaken additional training in the teaching of Drama.
There are three major school productions per year: a School House production, a Year 9 & 10 production, and a Senior School production. Open auditions are held for these. The plays are directed by a member of the Drama Department and are supported by the expertise of other staff members as well as external professionals with specialist skills such as choreography, set design or make-up.
Pupils are also encouraged to stage their own productions using the Drama Department’s resources and with staff support. They also have the opportunity to take part in various clubs during activity time, whether honing their performance skills or learning new skills in set building, lighting, sound or costume.
Games and Physical Training. Sport plays a central role at Blundell’s, with a broad programme that encourages participation, enjoyment and high performance across all age groups.
Autumn Term: Rugby is a major focus in the Autumn Term, alongside a full girls’ hockey programme. Recent Tour: The Girls’ Hockey squads undertook a highly successful pre-season tour to the Netherlands, training and playing fixtures with Dutch clubs including H.C. Rotterdam and H.C. Alecto. Spring Term: Sports in the Spring Term include cross-country, squash, rugby (including Sevens), fives, hockey, football, fencing, basketball and netball. Recent Tour: The Football programme completed a performance tour to Madrid, Spain, training with Real Madrid coaches and competing against local opposition. Summer Term: In the Summer Term, pupils participate in cricket, tennis, swimming, athletics and golf. Recent Tour:
The Cricket programme embarked on an overseas tour to Sri Lanka, combining competitive fixtures against local teams with opportunities to immerse themselves in the vibrant culture of the region. Facilities & Training: The Sports Hall, three all-weather floodlit pitches and a modern Fitness Suite provide exceptional training spaces throughout the year. Two state-of-the-art golf simulators enhance the golf programme, and elite performers are supported with specialist strength and conditioning in our advanced fitness environment. A variety of additional sports such as clay pigeon shooting are also offered through the wider activities programme.
Computing and Technology. BYOD All pupils have access to the school IT network and will develop a range of skills during their time at school to support their studies.
Recent New Facilities. Music School, SPorts hall golf simulator, gym. Substantial investment in renewable technologies. Refurbished boarding houses. Ian Barnes
With Blundell’s Preparatory School on site, the whole campus provides education from the age of 3 to 18 years. Blundell’s has been undergoing a transformative period of development, with significant projects across 2025 and 2026 enhancing sports and activity facilities. The Hockey Astro Pitch has been replaced, new cricket nets and all-weather wickets added, the Sports Hall upgraded with a new gym and flooring, and a Multi-Use Games Activity Centre with extended netball courts created at the Prep.
while plans for a new Cricket Pavilion on Big Field, supported by an alumnus, has provided modern teaching spaces, improved changing facilities, and a versatile venue to celebrate Blundell’s sporting legacy. Together, these projects have transformed the school’s landscape, ensuring outstanding facilities for every pupil.
Community Service. The School is involved in a wide variety of activities, both local and national, and pupils regularly raise around £20,000 per annum for a range of charities, as well as taking part in practical community tasks. Blundell's makes full use of Dartmoor, Exmoor, and the nearby coastline and rivers for academic fieldwork and adventure training. The school has a long and established history of entering teams into the Ten Tors Challenge, with participation stretching back over forty years, regularly fielding teams across the 35, 45 and 55-mile routes. The school also has a strong record in The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, with
38 Gold Awards achieved in the last year, 56 Gold Awards in 2023, and 49 Gold Awards in 2022. Pupils additionally take part in Blundell’s Exhibition Trips, which provide immersive cultural and academic experiences. Recent and forthcoming examples include a Year 9 History trip to the First World War battlefields of northern France and Belgium, specialist departmental visits such as the Classics trip to the Roman Legion exhibition at the British Museum and Product Design visits to Morgan Motor Company and JCB, as well as longer-haul expeditions like the World Challenge expedition programme to Nepal.
CCF. Combined Cadet Force (CCF). All pupils in Year 10 serve for a full year in the Combined Cadet Force, meaning that around 120 pupils participate annually. From Year 11 onwards, involvement becomes voluntary, and a strong core of senior cadets continue, taking on responsibility as NCOs (Non-Commissioned Officers). These senior pupils lead training, support field exercises and play a key part in maintaining the high standards of the Contingent. Blundell’s maintains close links with the 18 Cadet Training Team (Derriford) and the Rifle Volunteers, ensuring excellent instruction and access to specialist training opportunities. The school also has a thriving Royal Marines Section, offering an additional challenge through enhanced physical training and commando-style fieldcraft. The CCF competes annually for the Pringle Trophy, an inter-section competition that tests fieldcraft, navigation, leadership, first aid, drill and teamwork. It is a highlight of the CCF calendar and fosters strong camaraderie and healthy rivalry. Blundell’s teams have performed strongly in recent years, regularly placing highly and securing victories in several disciplines. Pupils also attend a range of CCF Camps, including fieldcraft camps, leadership development camps, Royal Marines training days, and summer residentials, all of which help build confidence, independence and practical skills.
Boarding. Blundell’s is built around the ethos of boarding and all pupils (full boarding, weekly, flexi boarding and day) are accommodated in one of seven houses on the campus. A full range of weekend activities is offered. Ten Tors, sport and a range of local trips and activities.
Religion. The School has a long Christian tradition, and our Chapel sits at the heart of school life. It’s a place where the whole community comes together for reflection, shared values, and a moment of calm in a busy day. We warmly welcome pupils of all faiths and none, and many enjoy the sense of belonging and togetherness these gatherings create. Pupils attend weekday morning Chapel, and boarders also join the School Service on Sundays, where themes focus on character, wellbeing, and community as much as faith.
Accessibility. Blundell’s is close to the M5, and is served by Tiverton Parkway Station, under two hours from Paddington, London. Airports at Bristol and Exeter are close at hand.
Prospectus. Fuller details of School life are given in the prospectus, available from the Admissions. Prospective parents are invited to visit the School, when they will meet the Head and a Housemaster or Housemistress and have a full tour of the School with a current pupil. The Blundell’s website (www.blundells.org) is regularly updated throughout the academic year. Preparatory School. Blundell’s Preparatory School for children aged 3 to 11 years is part of the site at Blundell’s. For further information see our website www.blundells.org/experience-prep.
(See also entry in IAPS section). Charitable status. Blundell’s School is a Registered Charity, number 1081249. It exists to provide education for children.
Governors & Staff:
Board of Governors:
Mr Nigel Hall, MA FCA
Rt Rev’d Nick McKinnel
Dr Sarah Ansell, BM BCh MA FRCGP
Mr James Beckly, BSc (Hons) MRICS ACIArb
Ms Anna Crosse, LLB
Mr Simon Crew, BSc (Hons) MEcon
Mr Graham Howe, FCA CTA
Olivia Pinkney CBE QPM DL
Mr Michael Huntingford, ACA BSc
Mr Matthew Lovett, BA (Ed) Hons
Mr Leigh Menheneott, BEd, MBA
Josh Papanicola MBA FCMI CMgr
Mrs Daya Rees, BA (Hons) CPE/Dip Law
Dr Andy Smith, BSc MB ChB DCH DRCOG MRCGP
Mr Ian Thomas, AFPS STEP CFP
Mrs Jo Thomson, BA (QTS) MBA FRSA
Professor Mark Wood, BA MA DPhil
Mr Charles Maunder, LLB
Honorary Governor Emeritus: Sir Christopher Ondaatje, OC, CBE
Bursar and Clerk to the Governors: Sophie Coryton
Head: Mr Bart Wielenga
Second Master: Mr Chris Filbey
Senior Deputy Head (Innovation): Mr Charles List
Deputy Head (Academic): Dr Jonathan Ratcliffe
Deputy Head (Co-curricular): Mrs Adele Worsley
Deputy Head (Operations): Mr Andrew Berrow
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Mrs Nicky Klinkenberg
Director of Development: Mr Tom Cowle
Director of Marketing: Mr Dylan Smart
Head’s PA: Mrs Mariko Kaneko-Warburton
Head of Admissions: Mrs Abi Beszant
Preparatory School
Headmaster: Mr Andy Southgate