In an increasingly complex world we are in desperate need of simplification. Nothing needs this more than education, where teachers, pupils and parents are caught between reform, fad and the crushing influence of relentless assessment and league tables.

The great Victorian educational reformer Thomas Arnold believed education had three essential pillars: ‘first, religious and moral principle; second, gentlemanly conduct; third, academic ability’.

When updating this we might state that the pillars of a modern education are ‘giving our young the tools to make better decisions, good citizenship and intellectual rigour’. Llandovery College seeks to focus on these fundamentals by placing all that it does on one or more of these three pillars.

Choosing to live in a community as close as that of Llandovery College and one with a clear ethos of inclusivity, tolerance and compassion develops the ability to make better decisions.

A strong Combined Cadet Force and Duke of Edinburgh Scheme demands discipline and loyalty and offers opportunities for responsibility and decision-making.

Llandovery College prepares young people for a life of involvement in society. House-based activities, a Community Volunteering programme and a wide ranging extra-curricular programme nurture a strong sense of belonging, so important to good citizenship.

The college boasts an envious academic record and last year secured two Oxbridge places. Intellectual rigour is noticeable throughout the school and value-added performance - when pupils achieve exam results beyond expectation - is impressive, with 95 per cent of pupils at GCSE securing a grade per subject higher than externally provided predictions.

Come and visit Llandovery College on Open Morning, Saturday, March 12, 2016, at 9.30 am.

Please contact the admissions registrar, Vicky Douch, on [email protected] or 01550 723 005.