Vinehall School is a co-educational day, boarding school and nursery located near the town of Robertsbridge, East Sussex. It takes children from ages 2 to 13. The school received an Independent Schools Inspectorate Report in January 2018. The School was judged to be 'Excellent' in every area. The inspection report is available on the School website. https://www.vinehallschool.com/about-us/inspection-reports/ The school received an Intermediate Inspection of the Early Years Foundation Stage and of Boarding by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in January 2015. The School was judged to be 'Outstanding' in every single EYFS category area. Vinehall School was also judged to meet all the requirements for the National Minimum Standards for Boarding. The school received a full inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in February 2012, achieving the highest possible grading in all areas. Vinehall School was inspected by Ofsted in 2011 and given an overall quality rating of "outstanding".
History
Vinehall is a country house with a central building constructed in the late 1830s. When Lady Ashton died in 1938, the estate was sold and Vinehall started its life as a country preparatory school, opening with six local children. The first headmaster was Robert Jacoby. During the Second World War, the school was evacuated to Killerton Park in Devon along with a local girls’ school. The school returned to Robertsbridge after the war and in 1946 was bought by Major Tom Stuart-Menteath and his wife Kitty. He ran the school until 1957, at which point it was handed down to his stepson, Richard Taylor and his wife Patricia. With the help of his assistant headmasters H.S. Bazire and Tom Gilbart, the school went from strength to strength. Several new buildings were added, including a new classroom block, science labs, theatre, and indoor swimming pool. Much of the school's culture dates from that period. Richard and Pat Taylor handed the school over to their son-in-law David Chaplin in 1977. He and their daughter Sally remained until 2002. In the recent past, the purpose-built Pre-Prep was added as was a theatre, sports hall and in 2000, the Millennium Library and classroom complex. In 2002, the Chaplins handed over the school to Mrs Julie Robinson, who was Head until summer 2010. Richard Follett is the one of the Headmasters, taking up post in January 2011. He left in Summer Term 2017, with the current Headmaster being Joff Powis. In more recent years the school theatre has been refurbished and re-opened as the 'Chaplin Theatre' in honour of David Chaplin, who became headmaster on Richard Taylor's retirement.
