Round Square | Private School, Dorking

Round Square is a worldwide association of schools who work to prepare their pupils for their life beyond education, providing them with experiences that demand courage, generosity, imagination, principle and resolution.

Round Square Opportunities

Round Square provides opportunities for pupils to participate in global and regional conferences, and enables them to undertake exchanges and projects.

Service projects

Our students have carried out service projects in South Africa for a number of years now, in partnership with the Good Work Foundation. They have assisted in the building of a nursery, a digital learning centre, a raised bed garden with underground irrigation, completing 24-hour house makeovers on local houses and giving the interior of the local church a facelift.

Students also get to relax and enjoy visits and mini trips; a day trip to the tiger sanctuary, a river rafting weekend and a three night stay at the Otterskloof Game Reserve.

Student Exchanges

We are able to offer a number of possible student exchanges within our circle of international Round Square schools. These exchanges are primarily available for students in Year 10 and Year 12, but occasionally shorter exchanges do become available.

History of Round Square

The principles (IDEALS) of Round Square are based on those of Kurt Hahn, who established Gordonstoun in Scotland after fleeing Nazi Germany in 1933 – determined that he would continue to educate children to develop independent thought, courage, principle, imagination, generosity and resolution.

In 1954, Jocelin Winthrop-Young, a former pupil of Gordonstoun and disciple of Hahn’s educational principles, was involved in a reconstruction project organised by the Salem School. The project was such a success that Winthrop-Young was inspired to consider founding a permanent association of schools to provide aid projects for those in need. In 1962/3 he visited ten Hahnian schools (including Box Hill School) to explain his plan, which included an annual conference to discuss and co-ordinate future aid projects.

With HM King Constantine of Greece as President and the Duke of Edinburgh as Patron, the first meeting of this association of schools took place in 1967 at Gordonstoun. It was named the Round Square conference after the campus building of the same name. Initially attended only by Heads and Governors, pupils were invited to attend in 1974, and increasingly played a part in deciding both the conference theme and topics for discussion. In 1980, the Round Square International Service (RSIS) was created to promote and organise overseas voluntary service projects.

There are now 149 member schools around the world. We are proud that Jocelin Winthrop-Young also worked as a governor at Box Hill School, and our Sixth Form building and classroom block is named in his honour.

“Box Hill School was one of the founding schools of Round Square, and it stands for the educational ideals our father cherished. He would be delighted and humbled to know that he is honoured by the school in such a way.” Mark, Sophie and Geoffrey Winthrop-Young

students holding out their wrists to show their matching bands

Round Square Rep Contact Details

Oli Jago
E: jagoo@boxhillschool.com
T: 01372 385016 / 01372 384282