Wales’s newest private school is bringing a £6 million plus windfall to Denbighshire as it unveils plans for its latest expansion.
Award-winning Myddelton College, Denbigh, which was only founded five years ago, is already up to 281 pupils and has announced plans to open Reception and Years One and Two classes from next September.
That will mean the school will provide a full education for pupils aged from four to 18 and is likely to see numbers go through the 300 mark later this year.
The annual budget for the school is £3 million which includes staff wages, food and drink, furnishings, maintenance and new building costing £2.8 million of that sum and with 75 per cent of that spent locally and each £1 spent three times that’s a £6 million boost to the local economy.
The decision to extend education at the school with the opening of three more prep school classes will add to that local benefit as Myddelton will provide a full education for pupils aged from four to 18.
It’s the latest stage in the development of the co-educational school which only opened in 2016 for day pupils and boarders and which has just been honoured at the prestigious Independent School Association awards.
Myddelton College, which is holding an Open Week at its Denbigh campus from Monday, January 31, opened its prep school opened its prep school for Years Five and Six in 2017 and its numbers have increased from eight to 40 pupils with three full-time staff.
Head of Prep School Katie Gresley-Jones said: “We have grown steadily, starting with a combined Year Five and Six and then adding Years Four and Three so this is a natural progression.
“Due to the expansion of interest last year we added to the teaching staff and the new expansion will add at least one more member of staff to take the Reception Class.
“We use a blended approach to teaching with 75 per cent from their books and also hands-on experience with subjects like computer science and music where we have specialist teachers from the main school who can bring their own expertise.
“That also includes the school’s Spanish teacher which is especially important as primary school children are so receptive to learning languages.
“It means right from the day they arrive they are part of the bigger family of the whole school and are familiar with all of Myddelton College so when they move up to the senior school it’s a much easier transition.
“What we also find is that parents are saying they are pleased that we know the children so well and that with small classes we are able to tailor the lessons for each one individually.”
Myddelton College is also the only school in North Wales to be recognised as a Showcase School by Microsoft, the world’s leading software company.
The school will be showcasing its comprehensive offer including its prep school at the Open Day and Headmaster Andrew Allman said: “The fact that our prep school and senior school run alongside each makes moving up much more seamless.
“We’re delighted to be able to now provide a whole-school education as it makes it much easier for parents if their children of different ages are at the same school.
“The school is much more than an exam factory and we aim to provide an all-round education that helps students achieve their full potential both academically and in terms of preparing them for university and for their futures.
“The foundations have been set very successfully at what is a calm, kind, happy and inclusive school where pupils have mutual respect and can thrive and reach their goals.”
Myddelton College, a co-educational day and boarding school, was the UK’s newest independent school when it opened in the autumn of 2016 and is the only school in North Wales with a 5G network.
The school has just received two prestigious prizes, for Outstanding International Involvement and for Outstanding Sport in a Small School, at the Independent Schools Association Awards where it was the only school in Wales to be honoured.
The Estyn Report issued last year praised the way the school celebrates its diversity, said that pupils’ behaviour was “exemplary” and was also impressed by the high level of support and guidance provided by the “committed staff”.
