Port Regis
Altiora Peto
Founded in 1881 and set across 150 acres on the North Dorset and Wiltshire border, Port Regis offers a genuinely all-round education built on kindness, generosity, and friendship, and guided by its motto Altiora Peto, "I seek higher things". Its grounds are exceptional, taking in a theatre, a dedicated music school, and its own nine-hole golf course, with joy at the heart of school life. With only six headmasters since 1933, it enjoys a rare continuity of leadership.
Key Facts
Location : Motcombe Park, Shaftesbury, Dorset
Type : Co-educational, boarding and day
Age Range : 2 to 13
Pupil Numbers : Approx. 360 pupils
Founded : 1881
Motto : Altiora Peto ("I Seek Higher Things")
Academic Profile
Port Regis prepares pupils for Common Entrance and senior school scholarships, regularly won across academic, art, drama, music, design technology, and sport. Pupils go on to a wide range of leading senior schools, including Eton, Harrow, Radley, Winchester, Marlborough, and Sherborne.
Co-Curricular Life
Port Regis is exceptionally well equipped for the arts and beyond. Music is a genuine strength, with a purpose-built music school and recital hall and most pupils learning an instrument. Drama flourishes in the school's own theatre, where several productions each year are supported by a pupil-run stage crew. Sport and the outdoors are just as strong, from the nine-hole golf course to extensive playing fields, and the Cunningham STEAM Centre supports science and design. A notably wide programme of weekend and hobby activities runs alongside it all.
Admissions Essentials
Families are encouraged to register as early as possible, ideally at least a year ahead of the desired entry date. Candidates are invited to a Taster Day, including a boarding experience where relevant, alongside entry assessments that look for genuine potential, considered together with a current school report. Scholarships are available for those moving on to senior schools, across academic, art, drama, music, and sport categories.
In Essence
For a child ready to aim high and give everything a go, Port Regis matches real academic ambition with an exceptional breadth of sport, arts, and outdoor life, setting each pupil on a confident path to their senior school.
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