What? Where?

Bootham School is a Quaker co-ed, all-through boarding and day school for 3-18 year olds slap bang in the middle of York, a mere stone’s throw from glorious York Minster. Not that you sense its city location once you’re on the school campus. The mix of listed Georgian buildings, 19^th century architecture and contemporary buildings spill out onto nine acres of sports courts and green playing fields (with resident foxes) and give the school a spacious campus-vibe and distinctly un-urban feel.

The school celebrated its bicentenary in 2023, and having started in 1823 with 41 pupils, now has 657 across the whole school, with 159 in the Junior School (age 3-11) and the lion’s share of 498 students in the Senior School (of which 161 are in College – that’s Sixth Form).

The popular Junior School is on a separate purpose-built site on Rawcliffe Lane, a 20-minute walk away (although they regularly use the facilities at the senior school) and there are minibus links between the two schools for parental ease. Class sizes are 22 max right across the school so there’s plenty of attention without sacrificing the buzz that numbers bring.

FACILITIES

/SPORT

Girl swimming in Bootham School swim cap and goggles

For a city centre school, there’s an impressive amount of space for sport, and there are plenty of decent facilities, including a sports hall (complete with climbing wall), six tennis courts, two grass pitches, a cricket pitch, an outdoor gym and a swimming pool. Sport is clearly valued and participation encouraged (in recent years the school has turned out a Team GB Modern Pentathlete, a sky diving champion and an Olympic swimmer and cyclist, not bad going!) but there are no plans to upgrade the current facilities with, for example, an astroturf pitch, so bear that in mind if your child is a total sports nut.

/CREATIVE ARTS

Art block at Bootham School in sunshine — The Arts Centre

The swish, contemporary purpose-built Arts’ Centre has 12 teaching spaces, a performance and rehearsal room, light and airy art studios and a library. It’s Bootham policy not to audition any child at any age for music ensembles – everyone is welcome which is a lovely philosophy (and slightly brave on the eardrums?!) . The school puts on two large-scale musicals each year (and some smaller plays and concerts) and again, you can forget about nerve-wracking auditions. Drama more your kid’s thing? LAMDA exams are popular here, with around 50, that’s 10%, signed up across senior school (in the most recent cohort, all but two received distinction).

For those with serious musical talent, there are lunchtime recitals open to the public, scholarships that offer half price fees and opportunities to perform on a national stage. The Senior Choir recently reached the finals of the BBC Songs of Praise Choir of the Year Competition, the cello ensemble and clarinet trio reached the finals of the National Festival of Music for Youth and four students this year alone have been offered places at prestigious music conservatoires. There’s also a popular parent and staff choir which meets every Saturday morning.

Art is taken seriously here too, with all the art teachers practising artists and large, light-filled art rooms where A-level students are given their own personal space for the duration of their course.

/GENERAL

Bootham school with playing fields at front

The school buildings span the centuries, from the Georgian town houses that house the boarders to the Brutalist style theatre and Meeting Hall (designed in the 1960s by renowned architect Trevor Dannatt). There’s even a very cool observatory, a nod to the Quakers’ love of nature, astronomy and belief that pupils should face out into the wider world.

Inside, the mix of styles continues. There’s a grand, marble staircase, Georgian country house common rooms, rabbit-warren corridors leading to old-school style classrooms (science block, that’s you) and big, modern rooms with vast windows and stacks of space.

LITTLIES

three nursery girls in school uniform smiling

Nursery starts from age three and wraparound hours are available if needed from 7.30am to 6pm. There’s a big focus on encouraging healthy eating habits, with teachers sitting down with children to enjoy a home-cooked lunch. The kids can run off steam in the lovely outdoor learning area and one morning a week everyone is taken off-site for Forest School.

SIXTH FORM

Sunny room with large windows and leather sofas

Sixth formers, you lucky things. The newly-refurbished Sixth Form block at Bootham is a delight. Gorgeous, light-flooded common rooms and study areas with big, beautiful windows, leather sofas and huge tables to spread out on. Think sophisticated Dead Poet’s Society vibes. And you can move around depending on your mood. Want to get creative juices going? Head to the warm, comfortable, lofty group study room. Need a laser-focus? Head to a cosier study room with individual work stations or to the larger computer room. Or for those who just want to relax with their mates, head down the elegant Bootham-blue corridor to the common room.

A Levels are offered in all the expected subjects, plus Latin, Classics and Politics and a choice of three languages (French, German and Spanish). Alongside core A-levels and EPQ (Extended Project Qualification), students complete the platinum award in the ‘Bootham Challenge’. A bit like D of E on steroids, there are seven categories and students build up credits for skills from each discipline – from physical and leadership to cultural and creative. In keeping with the Quaker ethos of looking out to the wider world, Sixth Formers are also expected to do a minimum of 50 hours (phew!) of service in the community, whether that’s volunteering, campaigning or charity work.

With strong A-level results, most students go on to higher education, with last year’s cohort getting places at universities ranging from Durham, Warwick and Sheffield Hallam to colleges in the US. In the last three years, seven students have gone to Oxbridge.

ACADEMICS

three school boys doing science experiment with paper ball

The school describes itself as ‘mildly selective’ – which in practice means Year 7 entrance exams that used for guidance (with more emphasis placed on interview and school reports) and minimum grades for Sixth Form subjects (common across both state and private schools). The school passionately believes its pupils are more than ‘grades in waiting’ and says it looks for motivated students who will throw themselves into school life and make the most of opportunities. That ethos appears to be working, judging on the exam results.

The GCSE results for 2024 saw over 52.5% students achieve the highest grades of 9-7. At A-level, over 65% scooped A*-B grades.

There are no target grades at Bootham; it’s more organic than that. Teachers have a significant amount of autonomy to teach in the way that suits them (no wonder staff retention is so good – staff who join the Bootham family tend to stay). The aim is to nurture intrinsic motivation, so that every child learns because they want to and not because they are told to. Don’t expect endless testing here either. There’s only one exam session per year group, which is pretty free and easy compared to most schools. There is rigour, but not to a timetable.

It’s also worth pointing out that kids interact in a different way with teachers here – there’s no sense of the hierarchy (and apprehension) that characterises most schools’ teacher-student relationships. Everyone’s on first name terms which encourages a sense of equality and mutual respect. I was seriously impressed with the easy, respectful way in which pupils and teachers interact.

PASTORAL CARE

Young students wearing rainbow clothes and carrying Pride banner

Quaker schools have been quietly nurturing wellbeing, equality, peace and simplicity for over a century and the Zeitgeist is finally catching up. Long before wellbeing was a buzzword in schools, Bootham was busy tending to it. ‘Meeting’ (a Quaker version of school assemblies) is central to life at all Quaker schools and dovetails beautifully with the aims of pastoral care. It’s like mindfulness meditation. Ten minutes of complete silence; a chance for students and teachers to sit together and reflect. It’s a lovely way to start the day and gives pupils time to mediate, and catch a breather.

Tutor groups are small and tutors are responsible for the wellbeing of each of their pupils. There’s a full-time on-site counsellor, a health centre that covers mental and physical health and a full time Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) who is always accessible. The school also works closely with parents and with external agencies when issues come up. Wellbeing issues are also monitored through tech (online safeguarding software CPOMS is used by all staff to report any concerns).

Parents are recognised as central to a child’s wellbeing, so Bootham caters for them too, laying on a Saturday morning parents’ programme every couple of weeks about wellbeing issues and how parents can understand and help.

BOARDING

The 66 full boarders (55 international students and 11 UK students) rub along happily with the 21 weekly and flexi boarders (all from the UK). Girls are in Rowntree boarding house, year 7-11 boys are in Fox and the Sixth Form boys are together in Evelyn – all three are in elegant Georgian buildings and bedrooms have lovely big windows that let plenty of light in. Each house has its own common room, kitchen facilities for making snacks, and a student laundry. I had a nose around the girls’ boarding house and it’s comfortable, homely and pretty standard. A rolling programme of refurbishment kicked off in 2019, so every area should get some TLC.

There’s a lovely system in place where Bootham recruits Resident Graduates who are fresh out of uni, to live in and act as big brothers and sisters to the boarders. There are currently seven, one of which is also the school’s Artist in Residence. The grad I spoke to was kind, caring and seemed to have a lovely big sisterly relationship with the students.

Flexi-boarding as grown in popularity, here as in other schools, with the occasional night to three or more on offer. Each day pupil is allowed two free nights a term (space permitting), which is fab for boarders who fancy a sleepover with their mates, or pay up an extra £35 a night (there’s room for up to eight extra nights a term) and your child will get to stay over, plus meals, bedding and access to the evening activities.

Once day pupils head home, boarders have supper and supervised prep until 8pm before free time. In keeping with Bootham’s chilled vibe, boarders shuffle across to grab breakfast in the dining hall in their slippers and dressing gowns at weekends.

THE HEAD

New Head Deneal Smith started at Bootham in September 2023 and brings a heartfelt belief that students’ happiness and wellbeing underpins their success both inside and outside the classroom. Cambridge educated (with a PhD in astronomy) he came to Bootham following headships at Warwick School and Bablake School.

QUIRKS

Students outside school with peace banners

Where to start? If you’re not familiar with Quakerism, don’t let it scare you off. It’s an easy-to-love, light touch ethos that sits happily with people from all backgrounds and faiths. The tenets are simplicity, tolerance, equality and peace. The school fosters a strong sense of self-worth and social conscience with the belief that students should be outward-looking.

Tolerant and laid-back, it’s first names for everyone here. Why? It fits with the emphasis on everyone being equal, with an acceptance that both teachers and students are just human and respect comes from actions not titles. Which is why, there’s no uniform after Year 9 either (and before that it’s a pretty relaxed one anyway). This allows students to explore their individuality and the school encourages them to be who they are (within reason!).

How many schools can boast their own observatory? And Bootham’s 120-year-old listed one is a beauty. Fitting with the school’s honed social conscience, Bootham is generous with it too, often sharing it with state comprehensive schools and clubs. The telescope is 167 years old, and still in use, although there is a more swish new one that’s used too. Sixth Formers can have a key and come up to look at the night sky whenever they choose.

The social scene is pretty hot, with a whopping choice of more than 100 activities a week, ranging from the cool (cryptography), the sporty (water polo) to the downright quirky (braiding or cheese dreams club anyone?), plus cool two-day ‘expeditions’ at the end of the summer term (scuba-diving, forensic investigation and horse trekking to name a few).

WRAP AROUND CARE

Need to drop off early? In the junior school, before school care is offered for children from 8am or, for an extra cost, they can have a continental style breakfast in the school library between from 7.30am. After school provision (regular or ad-hoc) runs until 6pm. At senior school, day students can arrive between 8.10am and 8.40am and day students leave (after an hour of fun stuff picked from the activity programme) at 5.15pm. The school can be pretty flexible if you need to drop earlier or collect later, with meals provided if necessary. Got commitments that mean you need the odd night away? All families can use three free overnight stays in the boarding houses per term – brilliant for when life gets busy or your child has late sporting fixtures or performances.

You may find family weekends curtailed, as Saturday school continues at Bootham, with lessons until lunch time before any sports fixtures kick off. But, there’s stacks of activities, lectures and socials laid on for parents then too, so you could fast feel it’s part of your extended family weekend.

SEND

With 86 students on the Learning Support register, support is generally given in class (but not for every lesson as support is limited and rotated as needed).

ISI REPORT

The most recent Independent Schools Inspectorate inspection was in January 2022, with a short visit in January 2023, and the school was found to be excellent in all areas – you can read the report here.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Years 7 to 9 have to leave their phones with reception for the school day. They are given a little more freedom as they grow up. From Year 10 pupils are allowed to keep their phone with them but are only expected to use it at lunch. Boarders have access to their phones but have to hand them in overnight.

TRANSPORT

Because of the central York location, most pupils walk or travel by train (the station is 10 minutes’ walk away) but minibus services also cover all the main areas out to where pupils live. If you’re dropping off, it can get pretty busy at peak times so a one-way, no-waiting system operates during drop-off and pick-up times, but on Saturdays and after school (between 5pm and 6pm, parents can drive into the playground and wait with the engine off.

FEES

Competitive. Day fees set at £5,900 a term for Y7-8 and £6,425 for Y9-13. Full boarders pay £6,885 in Y7-8 and £10,885 in Y9-13. Weekly boarding (four to six nights) comes in at £6,885 for Y7-8 and £9,925 in Y9-13. Don’t need a full week? Fewer nights cost the same fixed price for Y7-8, but £8,635 for three nights and £7,385 for two nights in Y9-13.

WORD ON THE GROUND

Prospective parents seem to discover pretty quickly if Bootham is for their child. Many talk about the relaxed, calm feel of the school (I certainly felt a bit zen when I visited). Of those who decide it’s for them, it appears universally loved. ‘You don’t get an elite side at Bootham,’ said one parent. ‘It is a really nice mix of people and gives an all-round education, not just an academic one.’

Although most families aren’t Quaker, they value and embrace the ethos. So much so that to cope with huge interest, the Head has laid on a 30-minute Quaker Meeting on Saturdays just for parents while their kids are in Saturday school. It’s been a big hit and afterwards they can hang out and socialise together at the parents’ run club, choir, book club and you can even stay for a family lunch. It’s a really nice way to make parents feel like they belong.

Want in? Better get your name on the list quick. The junior school is completely full and the senior school is pretty popular too, with just a few remaining places in Year 7 and Sixth Form.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Parents who want a well-rounded, holistic education for their kids. It’s a school that’s sure of its identity and values, turning out tolerant, socially intelligent, self-motivated students.

Not for: Parents not ready to let go of the reins or who want constant assurance and measurements of achievement.

Dare to disagree? Be my guest! The next Open Days for the Senior School are on Thurs 21 Nov 2024 (College Info Evening) and Sat 26 April 2025. Other Open Days here.

Bootham School, 49-57 Bootham, York YO30 7BU. Tel: 01904 623261.

Bootham School, York

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