Ballard School, New Milton, Hampshire

As featured in the Good Schools Guide:

The Good Schools Guide

We are delighted to be selected as a Good Schools Guide (GSG) school. Their review really captures the essence of life at Ballard, describing our teaching as ‘inspiring’ and highlighting that our pupils ‘enjoy their learning… and have fun’. 

Do read the full report here!

Meanwhile below are a few highlights:

“The teaching we saw was lively and inspiring… Classrooms are well-equipped – interactive displays everywhere… Pupils were clearly delighted to be back in School… Big drive on literacy, with children encouraged to read for pleasure… Pre-Prep and Lower Prep pupils have Forest School every fortnight… having a whale of a time.

The performing arts are one of Ballard’s strengths – ‘absolutely stunning,’ (Parent)... We watched the dynamic Head of Music and Creative Technology help a group of rapt Year 9s… The children were so engrossed that they didn’t notice us tiptoe in. Ballard believes in sport for all and every pupil gets the chance to represent the School. 130 extracurricular activities a week – from climate change club to raising GCSE attainment sessions.

Pastoral care is a top priority – ‘ ‘The teachers are great,’ said a Year 11. ‘If you have a worry, there’s always someone to talk to.’

Parents told us the School is ‘unpretentious and down-to-earth,’ a place where children can do well academically but ‘get muddy and have fun.’ ‘It was the best thing we ever did sending our son to Ballard... he is so happy here.’ ‘It’s a very caring School. My son really likes the positivity of the teachers. He’s come on leaps and bounds since he started.’”

But don’t just take their word for it - come and visit us for yourselves.

Open Morning – Friday, October 18th

See the School in action, listen to our Headmaster, Mr Andrew McCleave, meet the team and get a personalised pupil tour of our facilities, including a purpose-built Performing Arts Centre, full-sized multi-use Astro pitch, Music School with iMac suite, Dance Studio, fully-equipped DT, Food Tech and Science labs, Swimming Pool and three libraries; all set in our wonderful 34 acres of grounds, playing fields and woodland.

Booking is essential as we aim to match our pupil guides with your child’s areas of interest, so please let us know what their hobbies are. You will find out what we mean by ‘Bespoke Education’ and have an opportunity to talk to other parents and staff about our difference. We will give your child a rich variety of experiences at Ballard, all underpinned by our excellent academic reputation.

All tours (9:00am, 10:00am and 11:00am) must be booked in advance by calling 01425 626900 or emailing our Registrar, Laura Legg: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

There is lots more information on our website too.

About Ballard School

“Simply the best school, every day.” (Parent)  

“A warm, friendly school in a glorious setting, where pupils enjoy their learning, throw themselves into a plethora of activities and have fun.” (Good Schools Guide) 

Ballard is a thriving, award-winning, co-educational day school that provides an ‘excellent’ (ISI) holistic education from Nursery to GCSE. Set in 34 acres on the Dorset/Hampshire border, with fantastic facilities and exceptional teachers, Ballard offers the perfect balance of academic success, proactive pastoral support, and outstanding co-curricular opportunities. They encourage pupils to be the best they can be whilst ensuring no child gets left behind.

Ballard has been shortlisted for the Independent Co-educational School of the Year for the fourth year. A finalist for Sports (2023) and Performing Arts (2022), Ballard is the current Languagenut Primary champion and winners of awards covering, Sport, DT, Art and Eco too.

Ballard believes that all students can flourish when given the right tools and environment, nurturing well-rounded, happy individuals with a healthy outlook on life. Pupils make the most of their opportunities, with alumni that include four athletes competing at the Paris Olympics, three Olympic medallists, world champions, successful authors, actors, an international opera star and a pop band. 

Dynamic leadership and strong governance have allowed Ballard to protect their families by absorbing any VAT costs until September 2025, before phasing it in over the coming years.  and with many exciting plans in place, there has never been a better time to join. 

 Amy’s Story

“There’s so many things I love about Ballard, especially their family ethos. There’s no hierarchy and friendships are made across year groups. Everyone’s included and opportunities to mentor younger pupils create bonds, trust and support for the mentee.

At Ballard, teachers tailor their lessons to the pupils – it’s not ‘one-size-fits-all'. They encourage us to fulfil our potential, but don’t place us under unnecessary pressure. These relationships with teachers are vital to our achievements. Staff always make time to listen, often sacrificing their lunch.

Opportunities at Ballard are countless. The amount of activities is awe-inspiring. There’s an extensive range of trips to cater for all interests, both locally and abroad; creating lasting memories. I particularly loved the Tuscany music trip. We sang in a sacred Florentine church and on-top of the Leaning Tower, as well as dancing with locals to Wonderland in the piazza. These trips shape you; enhancing knowledge and encouraging independence.

I love Ballard’s inclusivity; nobody is left out. You don’t have to be the best – as long as you have a passion or interest, you are welcome. Activities aren’t gender-oriented either, so at Ballard, girls play football and boys play netball. Our amazing productions are ‘West-End worthy’ because we all get involved. Young and old, boys and girls – it takes all sorts to achieve great things. Sport for all, music for all, learning for all.

As I read this back, I wonder how we do it all. My years here have been exceptional and I will miss Ballard immensely.” Amy, a former Head Girl.

Essentially, Ballard is a happy school where all members of our community thrive

We would recomend registering your child early as we have waiting lists in many year groups and pupils registerred already for 2029. Contact Laura, our Registrar for more information, to book into one of our Open Mornings or arrange a private tour. Call 01425 626900 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., we look forward to welcoming you. 

We have a wealth of information on our website including our Virtual Open Day, packed full of videos and useful information. We also have tailored pages for each of our School Sections: Nursery & Kindergarten, Pre-Prep (Reception-Year 2), Lower Prep (Years 3-5), Upper Prep (Years 6-8) and Senior (Years 9-11)

Facilities include

STEM

• Food Tech room
• Recently refurbished, fully equipped Design Technology rooms with a range of 3D printers  2 of which are K1 super fast printers and a new mobile 3D printer that pupils can take home to experiment, a 60watt  laser cutter, three smaller 10watt laser cutters, 2 vinyl cutter, VR head set, 3D printer pens plus all the usual DT equipment and all pupils have CAD/CAM software on their laptops ready to do 2D and 3D design 
• Five Science Labs with technician
• A Junior Science & Food Tech room 
• A Pre-Prep Food Tech room
• 75" top of the range Promethian interactive screens in every classroom plus mobile versions
• Microsoft Edge lap-top leasing scheme from Year 6 onwards, fully loaded with all the programmes your child needs for school
• Banks of iPads for pupils ot use in Nursery, Pre-Prep and Lower Prep

Sport

• Olympic-sized Astro pitch
• Outdoor Basketball Court
• Newly resurfaced outdoor Tennis and Netball Courts
• Outdoor, heated Swimming Pool
• Fully equipped full-size Sports Hall
• Cricket Pavillion, nets and Astro wicket
• Two large fields with pleanty of room for football, rugby, volleyball and athletics
• Partnerships with local clubs 

Arts

• Performing Arts Centre with Green Room and Lighting & Technical box 
• Music building with 'Live Lounge', practice rooms and iMac suite
• Dance Studio
• Two Art Studios, a textiles studio and a technician

Life

• Three Libraries and two librarians
• Forest School
• Ballard Bees & Chickens
• Allotments
• Victorian Water Garden

Find out more about Ballard School on their website: http://www.ballardschool.co.uk/