Alexandra and Albert School

Royal Alexandra and Albert School

www.gatton-park.org.uk  The Royal Alexandra and Albert School is one of the few state boarding schools in the country. It has 400 boarders and 300 day pupils from ages 7-18 and enjoys an enviable location in the 260 acre parkland of Gatton Park in Reigate, Surrey. The school was formed through the amalgamation of two historic charity orphanages, and it continues to provide a free education for a number of Foundationers (children with subsidised or even free boarding places at the school because their home circumstances are such as to make boarding desirable), alongside fee-paying boarders and day students.  The School, which owns its own stables, horses and outdoor sand school (an indoor school is built and opens in September 2007), is unusual in the fact it not only offers horse riding as a PE option for its students (and indeed some from other local schools who express an interest in the sport), but it also recognises and promotes the developmental and therapeutic benefits of riding.  Horse riding is available to students within the PE National Curriculum and is offered through private lessons, at a very reasonable rate, as an after-school activity. This promotion of riding as a legitimate part of the PE curriculum is rare enough, but the real achievement of the Royal Alexandra and Albert School lies in its recognition that horse riding can offer significant benefits to young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.   

The fact that the school takes in Foundationers, many of whom come from very deprived or difficult family backgrounds, means that it has a significant proportion of students with such difficulties.  The school has, however, recognised that riding has real potential to help in such circumstances through building self confidence and developing fundamental personal skills, such as coordination and spatial awareness. Over the past few years, they have seen cases where real improvements have been achieved in both the emotional and academic development of students which have been directly attributable to their exposure to riding and working with horses.   One child, for example, came to the school with a low level of academic achievement  combined with an extreme lack of confidence, which resulted in some behavioural difficulties. Through discovering a love of horses and some talent for riding, she has gained new self confidence and emotional strength, and now commands respect from her peers during riding lessons and around the stable yard. This new-found confidence has also translated in to her academic life and attitude to study, and her school work has improved as a direct result of her passion for riding. Pupils from a local Pupil Referral Unit, which educates pupils who have been excluded from school, have also had two very successful weeks riding and working with the horses.   

The Royal Alexandra and Albert School has its own resident, qualified instructor and an experienced stable hand, although the students are encouraged to get involved in looking after the school’s 14 horses and ponies. Students also compete in local shows both as individuals and in team competitions, which gives them a real sense of achievement as well as valuable experience team working.  The Head Master, Paul Spencer Ellis said “We encourage all pupils to have a healthy lifestyle and to take up sporting activities that suit them, varying from the traditional team sports to individual activities such as aerobics, riding and archery.  Pupils from all social backgrounds share a common interest in riding.”  

The Royal Alexandra and Albert School is testament to what can be achieved through riding and association with horses, and how participating in riding activities can improve students’ social skills and educational attainment, while also contributing beneficially towards their personal development.