Aerial view of Dunottar School, Reigate, Surrey

WHAT? WHERE?

Dunottar School is a town-centre school tucked away in a leafy part of Reigate close to the border with Redhill. It sits in 15 acres of gardens and woodlands, with a handsome mansion house built in 1867 as the centrepiece, once the home of Reigate’s fourth Mayor. The estate was originally called High Trees, and it’s pretty easy to see why. It’s almost hidden away here, adjacent to Redhill Common, with plenty of greenery.

Originally an all-through girls’ school, Dunottar fell on hard times and in 2014 almost closed down. But the community had more fight in them than that, and local parents and governors got involved to save the school. It was taken over by United Learning, a national education group that also includes Banstead Prep, Coworth Flexlands and Guildford High School, among others in its stable. And the rest, as they say, is history.

The past six or seven years have seen massive change, as you’d expect. The junior school closed, and boys were introduced making it a full co-ed senior school. Numbers – then at 180 girls – have now grown to 460 in total, and there’s an equal mix of girls and boys. Quite a turnaround!

Despite the massive growth, Dunottar is still a reasonably small school and it’s holding tight to the strong sense of community, the family vibe and the nurturing culture that’s long been part of its character. This is what the school has been known for, and the demographic still speaks to this with most pupils living within a 4-mile radius. There are a few who commute from the likes of Dorking, Banstead, Caterham, Horley and Kingswood, but most live in Redhill or Reigate.

Whilst entry is selective, it’s not academically so, with skills such as curiosity, tenacity, aspiration and creativity deemed to be as valuable as high academic vigour. It’s what they call Warrior Learning (more on that later), and it’s a Warrior Learner who will fit in well at Dunottar. The school is proud to say that half of their new starters come from local prep schools and half from local state schools.

FACILITIES

Swimming pool at Dunottar School, Reigate, Surrey

In a nutshell, they’re impressive thanks to some serious investment from United Learning. In April 2019, a brand new £2.2m Sixth Form Centre was opened giving the school’s most senior pupils their own dedicated space which includes a chill-out space, a pool room and a café, plus study areas and classrooms.

Less than two years later came The Castle Performing Arts Centre – a £4.5m arts space with a 500-seat auditorium, a drama studio, individual music studios and all the techy mod-cons that come along with it like professional lighting rigs, great acoustics, and moveable stages.

There’s also a large sports hall, an indoor heated swimming pool, DT and food tech suites, art studios, technology suites, and impressive science labs.

Sports wise, there are three outdoor netball and tennis courts (plus an indoor court in the sports hall) and training grounds for lacrosse, rugby and football – all on site. Off site, the school has use of the pitches at the Old Reigatians RFC, and this is where the school’s sporting fixtures are played.

SPORT

Girls playing netball at Dunottar School, Reigate, Surrey

The main sports are football, cricket, rugby, lacrosse and netball – and fixtures are played in these against other schools – along with swimming, athletics and cross country. In addition there are more than 45 different co-curricular clubs including many sporting clubs, which give the pupils the opportunity to try their hand at something different including target shooting, rock climbing and water polo.

THE ARTS

Pupils on stage performing Sister Act at Dunottar School, Reigate, Surrey

If the arts weren’t strong before – although they’ve always been solid – they certainly are now that there’s a big fancy performing arts centre on site. Each year, the school produces a whole-school musical and it’s open to any pupil who wants to be involved. This year, they’re staging Grease, and already there’s a cast of 90 spanning all ages. Last year, it was Sister Act, and despite Covid and all the challenges that created, the show still went on. It’s that tenacious Warrior Learner thing, we mentioned earlier.

The visual arts are strong here too – and it’s evident all round the school where you see incredible artwork pinned to the walls. And as you’d expect from a school that has the latest whizz bang music facilities, this too is solid. There are three choirs, a Senior Orchestra, Chamber and Jazz Ensembles, as well as less formal musical bands.

SIXTH FORM

Pupils in a classroom at Dunottar School, Reigate, Surrey

Numbers drop off slightly in the Sixth Form, with some pupils moving on to the much larger Reigate Sixth Form College to take up more specialist subjects. But the Sixth Form is growing, and the plan is to continue that growth.

ACADEMICS

Pupils laughing with a teacher at Dunottar School, Reigate, Surrey

In 2023, there was a 100 per cent pass rate at A level and 61 per cent of pupils achieved A*-B. Not bad for a school that’s not academically selective. At GCSE, 38 per cent of pupils gained the top grades of 9 with 53 per cent achieving 9-7.

Most leavers go on to continue their education at university going to a mix of Russell Group and non Russell Group universities. There are also some who take up apprenticeship programmes and others who go directly into employment. The aim at Dunottar is to help pupils find the path that is right for them. In recent years, pupils have taken apprenticeships at companies including Ernst & Young, Unilever and Grant Thornton, and accepted places at universities including Bath, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Brighton, Durham, Essex, Exeter, the University of East Anglia, Kent, Reading, Royal Holloway, Surrey, Sussex, Warwick, Southampton, York and Winchester.

PASTORAL CARE

Pupils climbing trees at Dunottar School, Reigate, Surrey

It’s been said already, and it’s true that pretty much all schools will talk about the importance of pastoral care. But here at Dunottar it authentic and a real priority. Dunottar was described to me during my tour as a ‘fun family school’ and I can see that. The pupils genuinely look like they’re enjoying themselves, they’re engaged in lessons and there’s a camaraderie amongst the pupils that also extends to the teachers. Warrior Learning feeds into this too – it’s a Dunottar thing that encourages creativity, curiosity, tenacity, independence, inclusivity and collaboration across all parts of their lives, not just in the classroom.

THE HEAD

Mark Tottman, headmaster at Dunottar School, Reigate, Surrey

Mark Tottman has been the headmaster at Dunottar since 2017 – the first male head in the school’s history. He’s dynamic, forward thinking and charming in a down-to-earth, take-me-as-I-am sort of way. His path to educational leadership has been an unusual one – starting his career in industry and business management after a Modern History degree at Oxford University, then abruptly changing course in his mid 30s and giving up the jet-set lifestyle to train as a teacher. He had a young family by then, and both of his parents were teachers, he says, and were happy people. So he took their cue – and he hasn’t looked back since. He took a position at Dean Close School in Cheltenham teaching economics and business, and during his 13 years at the school held various roles including Head of Department, Boarding Housemaster and Head of Rugby. He came to Dunottar from Dean Close.

At Dunottar, there’s no doubt that Mr Tottman’s business management skills have come into play, and while he has no dramatic plans for the school in the immediate future, he’s keen to see progress continue. It’s been a crazy few years to be fair – during which time he’s seen pupil numbers double, multi million-pound investment in the school’s infrastructure, and overseen the management of a global pandemic. So for now, he’s keen for the school to just ‘be’.

And yet when asked what the school’s biggest boast might be, his reply is simple: “We don’t brag. We’re quite understated, and we just do what we do.”

QUIRKS

Smiley pupils at Dunottar School, Reigate, Surrey

Bees and honey! Dunottar School has its own beehives, producing Dunottar honey. That’s not something you see at every school. Oh, and there’s the Warrior Learner model – which is also unique to Dunottar.

WRAP AROUND CARE

The co-curricular programme offers about 45 different clubs, classes, spots and societies, ranging from badminton, book club and basketball to scuba diving, shooting and singing. Clubs are held before school, at lunchtime and after school each day.

ISI REPORT

Boys playing cricket at Dunottar School, Reigate, Surrey

In September 2019, Dunottar was inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate for a full inspection. It found the quality of pupils’ personal development to be excellent and academic achievement to be good. It also found that pupils were highly tolerant and respectful of others, embracing the ethos of a happy and collegiate community. The full report can be see here.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Phones are not permitted to be used during school time, although the rules relax the further up the school you go. Every pupil is given their own iPad when they start at the school, so there is no need for phones to be used in classrooms.

TRANSPORT

There are seven coach routes which bus pupils in and out from Belmont, Kingswood, Chipstead, Hooley, East Grinstead, Crawley, Epsom, Tadworth, Holmwood, Horley, Leatherhead, Dorking, Oxted and Caterham.

FEES

2023-24: Termly fees are £6,880 for Years 7 to 13 if payments are by monthly or termly by Direct Debit. Termly payments by BACS or credit card are £6,970. There’s a compulsory £265 lunch fee each term. Daily coach travel (per return journey) is from £6.20 to £8.95.

WORD ON THE GROUND

One parent we spoke to was impressed with the school’s ability to balance the academics with pastoral care, pointing out that education is about the whole child – not simply academics or pastoral. She felt the school did well with both. Another parent said the school’s biggest strength was in the pastoral care, and the school’s ability to support children to help them grow in confidence and thrive.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

A boy playing the cello at Dunottar School, Reigate, Surrey

Good for: All rounders who will thrive at a smaller school with a strong community feel. There’s a chance for every student to have a go at Dunottar and the teachers pride themselves in knowing every child individually, and creating a nurturing and supportive environment.

Not for: The school is all about inclusivity and giving everyone a go, so super competitive types might feel a bit constrained.

Dare to disagree? Be my guest. There are open days on Thurs 19 Sept, Tues 15 Oct and Thurs 21 Nov. Book here.

Dunottar School, High Trees Road, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 7EL. Tel: 01737 761945

Dunottar School, Reigate

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