Who We Are
ACS offers an education that is rich in experience and opportunity for each child to be the best they can be in a truly international environment.
Our students and staff come to us from every corner of the globe. The result is a wonderfully open-minded, outward-looking culture, with a genuine curiosity about the world. Internationalism is at the very heart of the ACS philosophy; we’re proud of our multicultural identity and commitment to diversity, tolerance and choice. At the heart of our approach is the idea of readiness – we empower our students with the skills and knowledge to thrive in a world that is changing fast.
We know that learning is one of life’s greatest pleasures, so we design our programmes to inspire and instil a sense of wonder, blending the best academic programmes from around the world – including the renowned International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma – with inspiring activities and opportunities to learn outside the classroom. The welcome from our international community is warm and genuine and each new student is a valuable addition to our student body.
Welcome to ACS Cobham where our diverse community creates a culture of global citizenship and academic excellence.
Barnaby Sandow, Head of ACS Cobham
At ACS there’s always someone to relate to. I love the awesome global perspective it gives me. It’s good to understand other cultures, and an international community is the best way to do that. The teachers at ACS really seem to care about their students, which is an invaluable thing to me. The connections I’ve made at ACS with both my peers and teachers will be something I’ll be devasted to leave behind.
Gabe, Grade 12 Student
Sports Opportunities
ACS Cobham offers students a world class range of facilities ensuring each student can indulge their favourite sport. The 130 acre grounds are also widely used both in the curriculum and for after school sports and activities.
- Competition class Sports Centre with 25-metre indoor pool, basketball/volleyball arena, dance studio, fitness suite, and Cougar Café
- Six all-weather tennis courts
- Olympic-sized track
- Playing fields for soccer and rugby
- Baseball and softball diamonds
- Six hole golf course
- Adventure playgrounds
- Woodland classroom
- Nature pond and trail
- Permanent Tom Tent
Performing Arts Opportunities
The latest development on campus is the EJ Poularas Performing Arts Centre with three music classrooms, a music technology suite, practice rooms, two drama studios, performance spaces and a 500+ seat auditorium complete with fly-tower. This impressive addition opened in September 2014.
Key Education Facilities
- Dedicated Early Childhood Village
- Purpose-built Lower, Middle, and High School divisions, each with bespoke learning environments, science labs, libraries, IT hubs, art and music studios
- Multi-functional gym
- 21st Century Interactive Learning Centre
- New Performing Arts Centre with bespoke drama and music spaces, practice rooms, and a flagship 509-seat theatre
Cobham Campus History
ACS Cobham opened in 1975 with 175 Kindergarten to 9th Grade students. The Heywood Estate made a perfect campus location with historic buildings and 128-acres of grounds situated only 30 minutes by train from central London.
Today, ACS Cobham enrols over 1,400 students aged 2 to 18, and offers both the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma and an American curriculum, including the Advanced Placement.
The campus has seen significant investment over the years, reflecting our commitment to providing a full and future-focused education with cutting-edge facilities for teaching and learning.
Significant developments include the opening of a Sports Centre in 2005 with a showcase arena and a 25-metre competition-class indoor pool and the E J Poularas Performing Arts Centre in 2014, which includes a 509-seat auditorium making ACS Cobham one of the only schools in the UK to have a professional fly tower which greatly extends production capabilities teaching students the very latest theatre production skills.
Multi-cultural Ethos
We are proud of our international and multicultural ethos. The diversity of our student body is what makes us different, with 70 different nationalities within the school, internationalism is a part of everyday life. Our students learn how to get on and work side by side, and respect students from many different cultures and parts of the world, as well as local students who also choose to be part of our international community.
There is an abundance of help and support for new students, ensuring they all settle in well, with many making lifelong friends. It’s the exchange of individual experiences and mindsets that makes being a student in this mutli-cultural environment so interesting and a great preparation for the future world of work that awaits them.
STATEMENT ON EQUALITY AND JUSTICE
"Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. And that's the only way forward." - Ijeoma Oluo
We are proud of our culturally-diverse community of students, families, staff and alumni representing over 70 nationalities, and recognise that we have an important role to play in being a positive catalyst for change. As an organisation of four schools, we have taken the time to reflect. We continue to learn and acknowledge that we can do better and will work harder as a community to address inequality and injustice. We listen to members of our community and this has helped us form action plans around a number of themes. Please click here for the full statement from our Chair and CEO.
