We appreciate and encourage individuality, and are anxious not to turn out a type; we try to give equal praise and equal opportunity for every sort of achievement, whether academic, sporting, musical, artistic, dramatic or any other, so that all the children can achieve success and self-respect and learn to aim for excellence.

Cumnor is built on a homely and familial scale.  We try to avoid an institutional character, believing that it is no bad thing for children to be surrounded by good furniture, fresh paint, flowers, attractive pictures, and log fires in winter.

We are a Church of England school, though we welcome other denominations.  The day starts with prayers, and the boarders and local families are welcomed to Mattins in the Barn every other Sunday.  All children become familiar with the Bible stories in their Religious Studies lessons.

In general we set the greatest store on the achievement of happy relations among the staff, between adults and children, and between the children themselves, feeling that most other good things spring from it.  During their time at Cumnor, we want to help children learn the invaluable lessons of community life: unselfishness, courage, thoughtfulness, and the good manners that they produce.  We want them to be able to think for themselves, and to set themselves high standards in everything they do.