Our Heritage

For Woodcote House, being small is actually ‘great’.  Our size allows us to operate as one large family, getting on with life and with each other. The school’s motto is ‘Live to Learn and Learn to Live’ and this is something that the whole school puts into practice.

Woodcote House has been in the Paterson family since 1931, although the school's history dates back to 1816. We believe the guiding principles upon which we run our school are fundamental to the longevity and popularity of Woodcote.

We also believe it is important to generate and sustain self-confidence in each individual in our care and to foster an atmosphere of mutual tolerance, respect and good manners.  Our teaching and pastoral staff know the boys as individuals and take a genuine interest in their welfare. The average class size is kept to just 10 boys ensuring that boys receive individual attention and class discipline is always maintained. Small classes also give all the boys the chance to contribute in lessons – enabling them to listen and to be listened to.

A boarding school that is effectively ‘in loco parentis’ – acting in the place of the parent – must set clear and appropriate boundaries of behaviour; with many years of experience on the staff, we know almost instinctively when boys are happy and when things are going well.

Above all, Woodcote House is a friendly school and we encourage good, clear lines of communication between staff and pupils, and the school and its parents. 

Every boy is important at Woodcote – indeed every boy’s leaver’s photograph is on permanent display.