Headmaster's Welcome

When we designed our website, we wanted it to serve two main purposes: to keep our school community up to date with what is happening and to communicate to those outside a little more about who we are, what we stand for and what we are up to! Whatever your reason for looking at the website, I do hope that it conveys something of what makes Saint Ronan’s such a special place.

Saint Ronan’s was founded in 1883 in Worthing and moved to Hawkhurst in 1946, after war time evacuation to Devon. Over the years, it has evolved into a co-educational day and flexi-boarding school for children from 3 to 13+. It is set in the magnificent Tongswood estate, which offers 250 acres of excitement and adventure. The centre of it all is Tongswood House, a large and rambling Victorian mansion which was once the home of the Gunther family of ‘Oxo’ fame.

We have been careful to ‘Mind the Magic’ of Saint Ronan’s. At the core, we have been determined to retain the school’s special ethos, its family feel and its undeniable Hogwartian charm but have also invested in bringing the facilities up to the very highest level. In the last two years, we have opened our new Engineering, Art and Computer suites in the ‘Powerhouse’ and have recently opened the Collymore Science Laboratories. These provide four state of the art laboratories for our budding scientists. We are a country school and make the most of our Farm, our Forest and Beach Schools and our continuing and active programme of conservation in the glorious grounds.

We have lots of exciting plans. 2023 will see the opening of our new Dining Room and further investment in boarding, where we enjoy the company of 120 children every week. We have a small group of weekly boarders but are keen to welcome more! We said ‘goodbye’ to Saturday school in 2010.

Our sports provision is strong and, with over 60% of the Prep School children playing a musical instrument, we are blessed with considerable talent and plenty of opportunities to flourish musically. Our scholarship record in both of these areas is testament to our strength.

Most children stay with us until the end of Year 8. Over the past ten years, children have transferred to over fifty different senior schools, many achieving scholarships across all parts of the curriculum. Our aim is to offer an excellent all-round education.

I do hope that you find the website helpful and informative and please do visit.

The school’s a gem!

William Trelawny-Vernon
Headmaster