Welcome to our third issue of Pure Education, the guide to independent schools in the South West, produced in association with Devon Life, Somerset Life, Cornwall Life and Dorset and Wiltshire magazines.

It's a competitive...

Welcome to our third issue of Pure Education, the guide to independent schools in the South West, produced in association with Devon Life, Somerset Life, Cornwall Life and Dorset and Wiltshire magazines.

It's a competitive world and every parent is concerned that his child gets the best start in life possible. With over half a million pupils educated in the schools represented by the Independent Schools Council, the sector is going from strength to strength, and we look at what is it that makes the independent school stand out from the alternatives.

Of course choosing a school means attending an Open Day or two, and since this occasion is a powerful marketing tool for the school, how does it promote itself and what can you absorb from this accelerated experience?

Results are important but so too is the 'learning journey', and nowhere is this more evident than at Prep School where young minds are nurtured and inspired while they investigate the world around them and their place in it. And that move from Junior to Senior School is a critical one too, so how best should you handle that transition?

We examine the issues around relocating to another part of the country for your chosen school, and also consider boarding as an option.

Care and passion runs through the articles in this issue, each written by experts in their field. The Headmasters and Headmistresses are ready to welcome you and your child to their schools, so pick up the phone and go and visit some of them. The South West is a glorious region with a great deal to offer.