School Choice and School Placement
What are school choice and school placement services?
Nosce Education is one of the UK’s leading educational consultancies. We specialise in providing advice, guidance and advice to families all over the world. Our consultants provide families, companies and individuals with honest and unbiased advice relating to Independent school searches and placement.
We are practical but instinctive, we get to know you and then work with you to make sure that you are well placed to visit, apply and attend schools in which your child will absolutely flourish. There is such a temptation, now more than ever to pick a name from the Times top 100 and assume that they will deliver a stellar education , but selection is so much more complex than that – your child is one in a million and schools are equally unique .Our consultants have had thousands of hours of school matching experience , and pride ourselves on getting it right.
The majority of our consultancy relates to helping students achieve places at schools , but we offer ongoing mentorship , tuition and support from the very first school visit all the way to revision for A Levels.
Meet the Team
Dr Hua Guo
CEO & Founder
MSc (Oxon) PhD (IOE)
Miss Oriel Eden Octave
Head of Nosce UK
London Office
Dr Ying Chen
Head of Nosce China
Shanghai Office
Mr Simon N
Previous Head at Dulwich College
Mrs Jacqueline N
Previous Deputy Head at City of London
school for Girls
Mr Tommo F
Westminster & St Paul’s Specialist
Why Nosce?
Between us, we visit over 200 schools every other year, our advice is based on what we have seen as well as the relationship with current parents and teachers we work so hard to maintain. If there is something new in the pipeline, we make sure we know about it, so our families do too.
We have long standing working relationships with many reciprocal schools , including Caldicott, Clifton College and Cheltenham Ladies’ College and have worked consistently with heads of Admissions all over the country to make sure that our specialist Admissions tuition support is second to none.
What advice do I need?
Nursery (Up to 3 years)
Choosing the right nursery is crucial and often overlooked. Competitive nurseries lead to top prep schools. Whether you prefer adventure-based “Little Forest Folk” or arts-focused “Pippa Pop-ins,” we’ll ensure you start right.
Prep School (Age 3-8)
Pre-prep schools take children from ages 3-4 and prepare them for prep school by age 7-8, with some spots at 9-10.
What advice do I need?
Senior School (Age 11-13)
Top schools admit most girls at age 11 (Year 7) and boys at age 13 (Year 9).
IGCSE Courses (Aged 15)
Some top schools offer one-year IGCSE courses for international students to ease their transition to the UK education system.
Sixth Form (Age 16-17)
Highly competitive for international students, with a 1:5 to 1:20 success rate. Prepare at least 2 years in advance for the best results.
School Tours , open days and visits
After you have been given your schools shortlist and talked it through with your school search consultant a school visit itinerary can be designed for you – so you can meet and chat with staff at your chosen schools and have a look round before deciding where you would like to direct your final applications.
8 steps to success
Our consultants will learn as much as possible about a child’s background and suitability to particular schools. This consultation may take place in London or at a family home outside London (we travel extensively in the UK and overseas). A more rigorous assessment of the children may also be carried out if necessary.
We provide a post-assessment report that includes a list of possible schools, both of which form the basis for an extensive discussion and exchange of ideas between parent, child, and consultant.
Our consultants prepare a shortlist of schools with a detailed report on each suggestion. These are then presented to the family for further discussion and any questions or concerns can be addressed, it is after this that we make our final choices, and contact with chosen schools can begin.
Nosce acts as liaison between your family and the shortlisted schools, dealing both with the pragmatics of application and ensuring there is a mutual understanding between the parents’ expectations of the school and the school’s expectations of the child.
We organise and accompany you for visits to as many as seven prospective schools. Being there with you in person helps provide an impartial introduction to each school along the way, and keeps us well informed of what feels like a good fit for your family.
We organise for a child to sit the appropriate school entrance exams – either at home or at the school, and offer extra support if needed, providing tuition services that ensure your child feels confident and prepared. We also advise on scholarship exams and bursaries.
A child may be given an unconditional offer or placed on a waiting list for a first choice school. If that happens, we then do all we can to find movement within that list. Hopefully, a child will be offered a place in which case we assist with the acceptance documentation and any visa work if required.
AS FEATURED IN
Accessing Excellence worldwide
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Basset
House
Philippa Cawthorne
Knightsbridge
School
Shona Colaço
Norland Place
school
Patrick Mattar
St James Junior
School
Catherine Thomlinson
Sussex House
School
Nicholas Kaye
Westminster
School
Neil McLaughlan
List of school
| Title | Review | Location | Head | Pupils | Faith | Ages | Term-fees | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basset House | A hidden gem in Notting Hill that was founded with the aim of providing an environment for children to learn through self-discovery. Leavers from this non-selective school not only have a real zest for life, but they also care about their table manners (a golden spoon is awarded to the most polite eaters). Bassett House does well academically and saw unbeaten seasons in netball last year, but may we also draw your attent- ion to the clubs: a barbershop group called the Bassettones, Strictly Scottish Dancing, Artrepeneurs (where children create imaginative objects that are sold for charity), a radio show and Cooking by Numbers, which caught the eye of both Nigella Lawson and Nadiya Hussain on Twitter. Bassett House is quickly becoming one of the most nurturing and creative prep schools in west London. | 60 Bassett Road, W10 6JP | Philippa Cawthorne | 190 day: 95 boys, 95 girls | Non-denom | 3-Nov | £6,150 | bassetths.org.uk |
| Broomwood Hall | Lovely Broomwood, with its committed family vibe (don’t bother applying unless you live within a mile of the school), cosy tartan carpets and relaxed, country-prep feel. It’s academically strong without being nose to the grindstone, and girls win scholarships to the likes of Benenden, Marlborough and JAGS, having been thoroughly prepared for both the 11+ and 13+. Head Carole Jenkinson ‘dedicates her life to the school’, which is underpinned by delightfully traditional values but has a sensibly modern outlook (iPads are compulsory from Year 4). Space is at a premium but Clapham and Wandsworth Commons are just around the corner and girls team up with the boys of Northcote Lodge for concerts and trips. News of the long-awaited and enthusiastically anticipated senior school hasn’t changed – sadly it’s still tied up in red tape. | 68–74 Nightingale Lane, SW12 8NR | Carole Jenkinson | 450 day girls (210 boys in pre-prep) | C of E | Apr-13 | £6,595 | broomwood.co.uk/ |
| Bute House | Bubbly head Helen Lowe is ‘a breath of fresh air’ according to a head of one of the UK’s top girls’ public schools. We agree. Loved by pupils, she is famously bossy to parents who consider a place at Bute guarantees one at St Paul’s Girls. It doesn’t – though the school does annually send a good number of girls there. Notoriously, applications here are by ballot. Around 400 apply for the golden 22 reception places, with well over 200 for the 44 selective places at 7+ and celeb status won’t buy you any favours. Ms Lowe’s motto is ‘every girl runs her own best race’, and there’s no streaming or academic awards. As one pupil mused to us: ‘Bute is trying to be non-competitive – except perhaps for netball and swimming.’ | Luxemburg Gardens, W6 7EA | Helen Lowe | 318 day girls | C of E | 4–11 | £5,486 | butehouse.co.uk/ |
| Dulwich Prep London | Just to remind you, DPL has nothing to do with Dulwich College. Instead, it’s a splendid, standalone prep in a smart red-brick building, with 25 acres of playing fields in a lovely leafy London suburb. Head Michael Roulston is fab – he’s hands on, knows all the children by name and, despite the school’s size, has kept the vibe cosy and relaxed. These boys are the brightest of buttons, setting a new scholarship record last year of 59 – to Alleyn’s, Westminster and Harrow among them. Plenty of national sporting honours too; they’re particularly big on swimming. Every boy in Years 3 to 8 now gets his own iPad, and last term DPL hosted its very own TED talk. Children’s mental health charity Place2Be pops in regularly to offer pastoral support, and although the weekly boarding house closed its doors at the end of last term, the school’s Day Boarding means pupils can stay till 7.30pm – a real bonus for busy parents. | 42 Alleyn Park, SE21 7AA | Michael Roulston | 850 boys (10 girls in nursery) | C of E | 3–13 | £6,438 | dulwichpreplondon.org/ |
| Eaton House the Manor Schools | Sarah Segrave, head of the boys’ school, is enjoying a period of consolidation after more than 10 years of building on their beautiful, Tardis-like site on the edge of Clapham Common. Sport is a big deal here – that carpet of green on their doorstep means no ferrying around is necessary, and they field around 20 teams a week. PSHE and drama lessons have been thrown into the mix and boys hop off to the best London (King’s and Dulwich) and boarding (Eton and Radley) options. Meanwhile the girls are flourishing, and Head Olivier Snowball is ‘a leader without an ego’, praises one parent. He’s introduced adventure books to push the girls to think outside the box, STEM subjects are on the up and cricket and football are brand new. Boys and girls head off on residential trips together to Norfolk, to give them the co-ed experience. ‘It’s the best of both worlds,’ says our reporter. | 58 Clapham Common Northside, SW4 9RU | Sarah Seagrave (boys), Oliver Snowball (girls) | 415 day: 215 boys, 200 girls | C of E | 8–13 (boys), 4–11 (girls) | £6,581 (boys), £5,381 (girls) | eatonhouseschools.com/ |
| Eaton Square School | Brand Eaton Square is spreading its educational wings across London – the new Upper School in Mayfair is ticking along nicely and Hyde Park School has become Eaton Square Kensington. Boys and girls can now join one of the non-selective nurseries at 2½, and stay all the way to 18: it’s ‘a cohesive unit,’ says Head Sebastian Hepher. The Eccleston Square prep is still refreshingly normal and while the interiors are a tad tired, the little poppets that fill its classrooms are buzzing away – there were 15 scholarships, to the likes of Alleyn’s and Francis Holland last year. ‘We are fantastic in water,’ says Mr Hepher, and we can second that – they hold an unbeaten seven-year streak in inter-school swimming galas and four records at IAPS. The PTA has an international feel and is ‘all over it’, says one mother – £100,000 was made for charity in one evening last year. | 79 Eccleston Square, SW1V 1PP | Sebastian Hepher | 497 day: 298 boys, 199 girls | Non-denom | 2–13 | £7,300 | eatonsquareschool.com/ |
| L’Ecole de Battersea | The most ‘British’ of the French schools in London, L’Ecole largely follows the French curriculum but adds several British twists, for example art classes, netball and a house system (‘Go Vikings!’ says our pupil insider). Register from the maternity ward because there’s a 300-strong waiting list, but don’t worry if your sprog is not bilingual on day one – they will be by Year 6. It’s a discreet location with a bright, light feel inside – they repaint top-to-toe every summer. Most parents are local and there’s a daily bus from South Ken and Fulham. EPC (English Preparation Courses) are on offer for the roughly 40 per cent of pupils who don’t go on to the French Lycée. ‘What’s next?’ we asked Principal Brisset. ‘Survive Brexit!’ she replied. | Trott Street, SW11 3DS | Frédérique Brisset | 258 day: 128 boys, 130 girls | Non-denom | 3–11 | £4,260 | lecoledespetits.co.uk/ |
| Falkner House | Falkner House has two parts: the longstanding girls’ school on Brechin Place and the newly launched boys’ school on Penywern Road. It’s a lovely family-run operation – the two brilliant heads, Flavia Rogers and Eleanor Dixon, are sisters, and offer ‘academic excellence within a family atmosphere’. And it’s proved immensely popular – the girls’ school has eight applicants per place and the boys’ (only two years in) has five. Of the 21 girls who left last year there were four academic and two music scholarships – let’s hope the boys follow suit in years to come. They’re sporty, too – the girls are ISA netball and swimming national finalists, while the boys learn martial arts once a week. And they’re so tech-savvy they’ve been filmed by Apple. Everyone comes together for events such as a Remembrance Day service, Burns’ Day reeling and a memorable Christmas reindeer race. | 20 Penywern Road, London SW5 9SU; 19 Brechin Place, SW7 4QB | Eleanor Dixon (boys), Flavia Rogers (girls) | 238 day: 88 boys, 150 girls | C of E | 4–11 | £6,630 | falknerhouse.co.uk/ |
| Fulham Prep School | There’s change afoot at Fulham Prep. Neill Lunnon becomes the new Headmaster this year, and Will le Fleming joins from St Paul’s Girls as Executive Head of the pre-prep, prep and the brand new senior schoool, which has just celebrated its first successful year. We salute outgoing head Neil Brooks for shunning selection at reception because, as he says, ‘honestly, what do you look for in a three-year-old?’ Quite. Although do get names down at birth or try your luck with the strong sibling policy. Elsewhere, it’s business as usual: scholarships to Bradfield, Charterhouse and City of London Girls, a showstopping performance of Annie, chamber choir singing at St John’s Smith Square and – what we love – healthy rough and tumble in the playground. Parents take note, we hear the social scene is pretty raucous too. | 200 Greyhound Road, W14 9SD | Neil Lunnon | 704 day: 440 boys, 264 girls | Non-denom | 4–13 | £6,583 | fulhamprep.co.uk/ |
| Garden House School | You get the best of both worlds at Garden House: single-sex education in a co-ed environment. The boys and girls at this warm and buzzy school are taught separately but join up for lunch and extracurr- iculars. About two thirds of boys leave at eight, mainly to top London preps like Westminster Under and Sussex House, while the girls whizz off at 11 to Wycombe Abbey, St Mary’s Ascot and Francis Holland. Academics are strong, but so too is the extracurricular programme. The school runs 55 clubs (from Taekwondo to French cookery), and there’s a big focus on ballet and swimming. School plays are at the Royal Court, concerts are at Cadogan Hall, and the kindness code is king, in and out of class. | Turks Row, SW3 4TW | Annie Lee (girls), Christian Warland (boys) | 480 day: 200 boys, 280 girls | Non-denom | 3–11 | £7,600 | gardenhouseschool.co.uk/ |
| Glendower Prep School | Register ‘within two months of birth’, Glendower advises, if you want your daughter to be assessed for a maximum 36 reception places – doubtless already with your eye on them high flying off to St Paul’s Girls, Wycombe Abbey et al. Impressive Headmistress Sarah Knollys is ‘decisive, maximises the return you get from the school and doesn’t believe in tutoring’, one parent summarises. You name it, Glendower girls excel at it and, as our insider marvels, they ‘do it with gusto’, be it foil fencing (they’re national champions), netball, chess, poetry, youth orchestra, Mandarin or philosophy (they’ve just started their own club). These pupils are so keen they even told us they ‘can’t wait’ to go to double science. It’s not often we hear that. | 86–87 Queen’s Gate, SW7 5JX | Sarah Knollys | 239 day girls | C of E | 4–11 | £6,400 | glendowerprep.org/ |
| The Hall School | The Hall’s mission is crystal clear: ‘to provide exceptional teaching to some of the brightest boys in London’. Head Chris Godwin says he can spot a potential Westminster/Eton/St Paul’s pupil from Year 3 and duly dispatched 19 to the latter school last year. However he’s heartened more parents are becoming open to the boarding option. Academic progress is very carefully monitored and tracked: one set of exams each year plus modular assessments. Music – always good – has grown even more and sport is catching up – though some parents mutter that it’s ‘a bit alpha male’. The boys we’ve encountered are polished, competitive and intensely focused. ‘The Hall nurtures curious, resourceful young minds,’ a mother tells us. | 23 Crossfield Road, NW3 4NU | Chris Godwin | 460 day boys | C of E | 4–13 | £6,455 | hallschool.co.uk/ |
| Hornsby House | A top London day school describes Hornsby House as ‘non-selective co-education at its best’. Which means register at birth, or possibly before, because there’s a 300-strong waiting list. Discreetly nestled in residential Wandsworth, this small, polite, gentle school was founded by a leading speech and language therapist/dyslexia specialist and bubbles over with fun. They’ve just started a comedy club for budding stand-ups, learning the ukulele is very popular and the 2017 Christmas treat saw the three kings riding into the school playground on real live camels. Around 80 per cent of leavers go onto the ‘big six’ of nearby day schools, including a record 17 to Alleyn’s last year, with a historical haul of 49 awards and scholarships to boot. | Hearnville Road, SW12 8RS | Edward Rees | 431 day: 221 boys, 210 girls | Non-denom | 4–11 | £5,115 | hornsbyhouse.org.uk/ |
| Kensington Prep School | It pains us to write that hero Prudence Lynch is off. New head Caroline Hulme-McKibbin has large shoes to fill, but we’re sure she’s up to the challenge. This is a school for enthusiastic girls who want to learn more than just the curriculum. New spaces have been developed for Ken Prep’s specialty: self-directed learning. The library has been transformed, creating areas to encourage curiosity, and girls have recorded their first podcast in the multimedia studio and are using the eco greenhouse and high-tech Explore Floor. Our parent mole says: ‘the school has embedded a deep love of learning, a confidence to ask “why?” at every turn, and – almost incidentally to that – has taken 11+ to the highest possible levels.’ There is no better example of the focus on the extracurricular being what equips children for happiness and success. | 596 Fulham Road, SW6 5PA | Caroline Hulme-McKibbin | 295 day girls | Non-denom | 4–11 | £5,731 | kensingtonprep.gdst.net/ |
| Knightsbridge School | ‘It’s a great place to be a kid,’ enthuses one parent of this vibrant, community-minded school with an international flavour. Run by Principal and founder Magoo Giles and Head Shona Colaço, KS seeks out ‘interesting and interested’ children, fostering character, confidence and academic achievement – and even a little naughtiness (‘We love naughty boys and girls,’ Mr Giles says). School life is busy and broad; a much-praised new Perspectives class encompasses philosophy, theology and free-thinking; digital citizenship, teaching children to be aware and sensible online, launched in 2017; and there’s a biennial entrepreneurship competition. More than 60 clubs nurture all manner of passions, and pupils are regularly singing, performing and raising money in the community. There’s no playground, so they make creative use of local spaces such as St Columba’s church opposite, and Battersea Park. It’s a close-knit family – and that includes the parents, who even field their own football and netball teams for matches against staff. | 67 Pont Street, SW1X 0BD | Shona Colaço | 420 day: 210 boys, 210 girls | Non-denom | 3–13 | £6,900 | knightsbridgeschool.com/ |
| Newton Prep School | Four all-weather pitches! Three sports halls! Two dance studios! A cutting-edge science lab! A new lower-school library! A 300-seater auditorium! A 120-seater Recital Hall! Much like prospective parents, we were blown away by Newton’s facilities and space. ‘It rivalled anything I’d seen in public schools,’ said our reporter. What goes on inside is equally impressive: a pupil parliament; a charity committee; and the Newton Diploma, which incorporates a radical new humanities curriculum. Sport is a focus: there’s a sports leadership course for Year 8s and Newton has become a hub school for the Gymrun Colours fitness movement. ‘We are aiming to become the fittest prep in London,’ says Head Alison Fleming. Pupils are kind, not to mention bright. A third of leavers won some sort of scholarship last year, with 41 awarded to 21 different schools (everywhere from Eton to ArtsEd): it was the best haul to date, coming, appropriately, in Newton’s Silver Jubilee year. | 149 Battersea Park Road, SW8 4BX | Alison Fleming | 629 day: 309 boys, 320 girls | Non-denom | 3–13 | £6,024 | newtonprepschool.co.uk/ |
| Norland Place School | Weekly yoga lessons, mindfulness, lunchtime quizzes and philosophical debates keep pupils happy and healthy at this dynamic school that promotes traditional values alongside independence and creative thinking. Families are local (hence the bulging scooter park) and organised: the best chance of entry is to register your child at birth for one of four places allocated per month. Music and drama are woven into the curriculum: the 2017 production of Oliver! was a highlight. One 2017 leaver won a performing-arts scholarship to St George’s Ascot, while others received academic awards for North London Collegiate and St Mary’s Ascot. Pupils are positive and happy: ‘You know they are doing something right when the Year 6 leavers are weeping their eyes out on the last day,’ says one parent. ‘No one ever wants to leave!’ | 162–166 Holland Park Avenue, W11 4UH | Patrick Mattar | 230 day: 84 boys, 146 girls | Non-denom | 4–11 | £6,024 | norlandplace.com/ |
| Northcote Lodge | ‘The whole child is the whole point,’ says Clive Smith-Langridge, new head of this south-west London school with the ethos of a country prep. (He succeeds Mark Smith who retired in July 2018.) Here, the parents of Nappy Valley get an unashamedly traditional education without the need to send their ] [boys away. Priority goes to children from the pre prep of sibling school Broomwood Hall, leaving five to 10 places for external candidates. Days are long (8am-5.25pm), but ‘homework’ is done at school so boys can relax with their families once at home in Wandsworth, Fulham or Chelsea. They use individual iPads and learn to fly drones in tech club; sport is big, with triathlon, shooting and karate enhancing the core; drama is outstanding. Leavers head for Eton, Harrow and Marlborough armed with a yearbook packed with snaps and stories of all that has happened during their time at school. | 26 Bolingbroke Grove, SW11 6EL | Clive Smith-Langridge | 260 day boys | C of E | 8–13 | £6,595 | northcotelodge.co.uk/ |
| Notting Hill Prep School | Pupils say NHP actually stands for No Happier Place – and that’s about spot on. Led by visionary head Jane Cameron, this is a ‘thinking school’ that uses its NHP Thinking Skills Toolbox full of strategies such as lateral thinker Edward De Bono’s coloured hats, and is accredited by Exeter University. The aim is to drive academic achievement while prote- cting the joys of childhood. Children study philosophy and embrace taking risks with their learning; dynamic application of ideas is in evidence everywhere (we love the sound of the ‘extreme reading’ challenge, in which pupils took a photo of themselves reading in an off-the-wall situation). Creativity is also applied to space challenges: a woodland area hosts a forest school and chickens, and there are beehives on the roof. A dedicated site for Years 7 and 8 opened in 2017 with an Early Years facility planned for 2020. Leavers head to leading day and boarding schools in London and the South-East. Parents are gushing in their praise. One says: ‘If Jane Cameron is running it, get on board!’ | 95 Lancaster Road, W11 1QQ | Jane Cameron | 370 day: 180 boys, 190 girls | Non-denom | 4–13 | £6,600 | nottinghillprep.com/ |
| Orchard House School | ‘Getting my kids into Orchard House has been an absolute dream,’ says a mother. Each morning, the streets of Chiswick turn into a sea of blue jumpers, scooters and dogs; there’s a real villagey, local vibe here. To be in for a chance, it’s names down at birth (or even before), and last year’s leavers won more than 15 scholarships – to the likes of Downe House, St Paul’s and Latymer Upper. Maths is impressive and technology is embraced, with compulsory iPads from Year 5. Head Maria Edwards is a keen sportswoman and last year the Year 4 football team enjoyed an unbeaten season. Pupils are bright and enthusiastic; there’s enough whooping and cheering in Friday ‘recognition’ assemblies to bring the house down. ‘The children are incredibly happy, and the rest follows,’ says a parent. | 16 Newton Grove, W4 1LB | Maria Edwards | 285 day: 125 boys, 160 girls | Non-denom | 3–11 | £6,150 | orchardhs.org.uk/ |
| Pembridge Hall | We like Pembridge Hall’s Head Henry Keighley-Elstub enormously, as do his pupils. ‘He’s supportive and helpful – my daughters love him and I have a lot of respect for him,’ a mother tells us. And there’s no question that his school is as popular as ever. Send in your application form from the delivery suite: places are allocated by calendar month. Some girls hop off to Bute House at 7+ but most stay on until 11+. They’ve seen a marked increase in girls opting to go on to boarding schools in recent years, and their senior-school fair, in association with the GSA, was one of the best we’ve attended. Girls are encouraged to get stuck in on the cricket pitch and football field as well as the netball court. | 18 Pembridge Square, W2 4EH | Henry Keighley-Elstub | 415 day girls | C of E | 4–11 | £7,415 | pembridgehall.co.uk/ |
| Prospect House School | Head Mr Hodge (aka ‘the Hodgemaster’) is settling in well. Parents are beside themselves with praise for the seamless transition and how ‘he has filled his predecessor’s shoes as if they were made to measure’. Although sports facilities could do with a spruce and a school minibus wouldn’t go amiss, according to one parent, our mole was blown away by the sheer amount of IT kit – there are MacBooks in every classroom and each pupil in Years 5 and 6 has their own iPad. Pupils win places at London’s top day schools and there were six academic scholarships last year. This cosy south-west London prep is ticking all the boxes – genuinely non-selective, plucky staff (special mention to Mr Baker the marvellous music teacher) and no hothouse pressure. Where do we sign up? | 75 Putney Hill, SW15 3NT | Michael Hodge | 319 day: 166 boys, 153 girls | Non-denom | 3–11 | £6,150 | prospecths.org.uk/ |
| Ravenscourt Park Prep School | ‘My children are blissfully happy at RPPS,’ says a mother. ‘Wonderful staff, superb facilities and a friendly, local community – I can’t praise it highly enough.’ Head Carl Howes is properly into his stride, with another cracking set of 11+ results last year and pupils heading off to competitive London day schools. They’re a confident, ever-smiling bunch: each child is given every chance to shine, from class assemblies to concerts to drama and dance productions. And lucky children to have the glorious acres of Ravenscourt Park as their playing fields: sport is strong here, with one pupil winning Individual National Gold in the IAPS U10 breaststroke last year and tournament successes for both boys’ and girls’ football teams. It’s non-selective: get your child’s name down on their first birthday and cross your fingers that their name is pulled out of the hat. | 16 Ravenscourt Avenue, W6 0SL | Carl Howes | 416 day: 204 boys, 212 girls | Non-denom | 4–11 | £5,857 | rpps.co.uk/ |
| St James Junior School | St James was mastering wellness ‘before it became in vogue’, as the school says. This is a place that’s consistently described as having a warm, friendly atmosphere, and is focused on mindfulness, wellbeing and unity. They achieve this environment partly by ‘pausing’ at the beginning and end of lessons. We’re not sure how they manage to find the time to stop – between all the sports (every day for all classes), the drama performances, the Shakespeare festival and the Sanskrit conversation club, this school is brimming with activities. It’s all to encourage creative expression and a strong growth mindset – every pupil has a speaking role in each theatre production, for example. Not only does this camaraderie enable everyone to get involved but, ‘more importantly, they want to get involved’. There are quite a few applications per place, however, so it’s worth putting your child’s name down at birth. | Earsby Street, W14 8SH | Catherine Thomlinson | 250 day: 110 boys, 140 girls | Non-denom | 4–11 | £5,474 | www.stjamesschools.co.uk/ |
| Sussex House School | Sussex House is going ‘swimmingly well’, says registrar Rosemary Herbert. Last year was a record for Eton places (16 boys made the cut), and eight pupils achieved Grade 8 distinctions in a ‘golden year for music’, says Head Nicholas Kaye. Cricket is played all year round (the 1st XI were unbeaten last season) and fencing is popular – 80 boys at the last count, with medals won at national and international competitions. Mr Kaye has been ruling this Grade II-listed roost for 24 years and, in his own words, ‘continuity means no false starts’. The boys’ creativity is flourishing – on our last visit impressive models of Blackpool Tower and Brighton Pier adorned the ballroom, and they have an art teacher who specialises in the teaching of oil painting, with impressive results. There are no plans to grow in size: ‘we have a luxury formula,’ says the school. | 68 Cadogan Square, SW1 X0EA | Nicholas Kaye | 183 day boys | C of E | 8–13 | £6,915 | sussexhouseschool.co.uk/ |
| Thomas’s Battersea | This school rocks – we could have spent all day in Mr Hartshorn’s fascinating science classroom. Head Simon O’Malley told us he was ‘attracted to the atmosphere and values that permeate Thomas’s Battersea – it’s an extraordinary, massively positive place.’ His philosophy is ‘better never stops’: the whole school gleams from floor to ceiling, with colourful, inspiring wall displays (curated by art teacher Mrs O’Malley) everywhere you look. As with all the Thomas’s schools, pupils are assessed for 4+ entry but it’s very gentle – and yes, lower school head Helen Haslem can spot a tutored child a mile off, so don’t even think about it. There’s stacks of music (almost everyone plays an instrument); sport in Battersea Park and at Barn Elms (cricket in summer, football in winter); and drama in the swanky new rehearsal studio. Pretty much everyone stays here until the age of 13, before hopping on to all the top day and boarding schools. | 28–40 Battersea High Street, SW11 3JB | Simon O’Malley | 566 day: 316 boys, 250 girls | C of E | 4–13 | £6,956 | thomas-s.co.uk/ |
| Thomas’s Clapham | Sorry Prince George – we think we’ve found the jewel in the (very sparkly) Thomas’s crown. As well as having a super sense of humour, head Phil Ward gets his pupils to all the top senior schools, with endless scholarships to boot. It’s worth registering at birth; waiting lists are capped and families are resoundingly local. Throw in the enviably spacious site, the endless extracurricular opportunities (Airfix modelling’s the most popular, ‘because I run it!’, jokes Mr W), the ex-professional rugby players in the sports department and the new £100,000 cricket facilities on the other side of Wandsworth and you’ve got all the trimmings of a country prep. They’re big on social responsibility – pupils sourced Christmas lunch from local businesses for over 100 homeless people last year – and they make time for mindfulness. ‘The best ambassadors are the children themselves’, says a mother. | Broomwood Road, SW11 6JZ | Phil Ward | 650 day: 343 boys, 307 girls | C of E | 4–13 | £6,506 | thomas-s.co.uk/ |
| Thomas’s Fulham | Without the presence of Years 7 and 8, Thomas’s Fulham feels like a true primary. The site is roomy for the location, with a newly Astroturfed playground, superb facilities for drama, music, ballet and pottery and a strong sports and outdoor education programme (which now also includes the group’s own ski chalet, Thomas’s Daheim, in Austria). Under the leadership of head Annette Dobson the approach is broad and blended. Mandarin lessons were introduced for Year 4 in 2017; a new Learning Habits programme helps pupils understand how they learn. Thoughtful timetabling encourages a wide range of interests, allowing the boys and girls to do sports, drama, music and maths without a conflict. Ms Dobson spends 60 per cent of her time on pupils’ onward journey: leavers head for Thomas’s Battersea or (more usually) Thomas’s Clapham for years 7 and 8, or to top 11+ day and boarding schools. ‘The children are encouraged to do as much as they can in a variety of areas,’ says one happy parent. ‘A great lesson for the future.’ | Hugon Road, SW6 3ES | Annette Dobson | 435 day: 218 boys, 217 girls | C of E | 4–11 | £6,672 | thomas-s.co.uk/ |
| Thomas’s Kensington | Head Jo Ebner is a ‘visionary’ coos one mother. Her forward thinking and background in counselling are assets to this cosy west London prep. Pastoral care is a pivotal part of school life and Ms Ebner is conscious of the pitfalls of ‘affluent neglect’: ‘children are nurtured, not hothoused’, says the school. There were scholarships to Benenden and Putney High at 11+ last year, and others headed off to Thomas’s Battersea for the final two years. Shiny new sports have hit the timetable – tag rugby and football for the girls, hockey for the boys – and drama is the bee’s knees, with weekly lessons and a number of performances throughout the year. Facilities may not be the USP here but the theatre dazzled us. The school scored a top-marks hat trick from Ofsted last year (their third inspection in 12 years), confirming what all the parents believe – it really is outstanding. | 17–19 Cottesmore Gardens, W8 5PR | Joanna Ebner | 382 day: 188 boys, 194 girls | C of E | 4–11 | £7,263 | thomas-s.co.uk/ |
| The Village School | ‘Everyone has a sense of belonging and independence born of self-confidence’ at the Village School, they tell us. There is a real emph- asis on encouraging childrens’ curiosity and thirst for learning. This could certainly be because of the perfectly teeny class sizes, which allow a proper focus on the individual pupil and their needs. But that’s not to say that team spirit is lacking: all girls, including the three year olds, take part in the school play, and cricket is quickly becoming a favourite sport, with some pupils being selected to train at county level. A special high five from us for forming the eco team, which is working hard to make the school a plastic-free zone. | 2 Parkhill Road, NW3 2YN | Carol Gay | 100 day girls | Non-denom | 3–11 | £5,515 | thevillageschool.org.uk/ |
| Westminster Cathedral Choir School | Stunning architecture surrounds the school, including Westminster Cathedral, which is linked by passageways and where choristers are present at every service. Around 80 per cent of the boys are Catholic, with choristers (28 in total) the only full-boarders; their fees are kept down with the help of fundraising by the well-oiled parents’ association, making chorister education a ‘vehicle for social mobility’, says friendly Head Neil McLaughlan. The school’s liberal arts education focuses on going beyond the curriculum, with additions such as Chaucer in Year 6, and the philosophy of English. There are two large, all-weather playgrounds, and these boys won both the U11 and U13 Thomas’s football tournaments last year. Pupils go on to the likes of Eton, Harrow and Tonbridge, and at the other end of the spectrum the new pre-prep for 30 boys opened last year in a Grade-II-listed building across the road. | Ambrosden Avenue, SW1P 1QH | Neil McLaughlan | 230 boys, day and boarding | RC | 4–13 | £6,194; boarding (choristers only): £3,249 | choirschool.com |
| Wetherby Prep School | Praise the school gods, Wetherby Prep is knocking through to next door – upping its classroom tally, adding art rooms and a shiny new dining room and increasing pupil numbers to 420. Head Nick Baker has successfully set the new Wetherby Senior School on its way (the first GCSE results are good) – around a third of the boys head off there each year, as well as to other London day schools. That said, Mr Baker is a ‘huge advocate of boarding’ and 50 per cent of boys pack their trunks for places such as Wellington, Eton and Harrow. The school is keen to ‘quash a sense of entitlement’, so while boys may holiday in the Maldives, the end-of-term trip to Margate cues mass hysteria. Rugby and football, played at a North Ken sports centre, are in fine fettle. | Bryanstone Square, W1H 2EA | Nick Baker | 360 day boys | Non-denom | 7–13 | £7,525 | wetherbyprep.co.uk/ |
| Title | Review | Location | Head | Pupils | Faith | Ages | Term-fees | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldro | ‘A total boys’ paradise,’ says a parent – and we can’t argue with that. Aldro is a breath of fresh air for families joining the London exodus – in fact, it’s pretty handy for anyone the length and breadth of the A3 corridor. There’s not an ounce of urgency for boys to grow up; the focus is on rope bridges, tree houses and the ever-popular Lego club, with a first-class education in the classroom too. We’re excited about the brand new Aldro Baccalaureate, which gives pupils the chance to shine in subjects beyond the confines of the CE curriculum. Leavers hop off to Charterhouse, Wellington and Tonbridge, with lifelong friend-ships made. Boarding is full or ‘family-friendly’ (part-time), music brilliant, and all of the U10 sports teams were undefeated last year. ‘Boys are able to be boys – and learn to be mini gentleman at the same time,’ enthuses a mother. | Lombard Street, Shackleford, Surrey GU8 6AS | James Hanson | 200 boys, day and boarding | C of E | 7–13 | Day: £6,243; boarding: £8,103 | aldro.org/ |
| Ashdown House | ‘Ashdown House maintains the perfect balance between learning and fun…’ If that’s not a parental endorsement, we don’t know what is. On the learning side, pupils head to Eton, Wellington and Winchester, with a handful going to the more local King’s Canterbury, Eastbourne and Benenden. Year 7 spends half a term in France, and pupils can try their hand at everything from playing in an orchestra to learning Mandarin. The school has its fun, kooky side, which, we’re told, ‘the children adore’ – our researcher reports having been assailed by a veritable menagerie on previous trips to Ashdown, ranging from the prep school’s black Lab to a hawk, and on this occasion she was accosted by a turkey. ‘One of the most charming and wonderful prep schools I’ve had the pleasure of visiting,’ says our slightly battle-weary researcher. | Forest Row, East Sussex RH18 5JY | Mike Davies | 155 day and boarding: 95 boys, 60 girls | C of E | 4–13 | Day: £6,700; boarding: £9,150 | ashdownhouse.co.uk/ |
| Bishopsgate School | A happy, friendly, local school, Bishopsgate can smugly report waiting lists for every year group. ‘We love sport,’ pupils tell us, and there’s loads to do, including rock climbing, sailing and yoga, with regular national success in swimming, netball and football. While not overly academically focused, the pupils achieve annual scholarships to the likes of Abingdon and Marlborough, while others head to Wellington and Lady Eleanor Holles. Cheery Head Rob Williams, a family man with a background in marketing and an enthusiasm for PSB, has overseen upgrades to the music house, classrooms and libraries in his three years in the job; the sports hall and performance spaces are next up. | Bishopsgate Road, Englefield Green, Surrey TW20 0YJ | Rob Williams | 372 day: 223 boys 149 girls | Non-denom | 3–13 | £5,126 | bishopsgate-school.co.uk/ |
| Brambletye | This picturesque Victorian hunting lodge was once West Sussex’s best-kept secret; one parent, when pressed for something to complain about, said, ‘Too many people have found the school!’ Husband-and-wife team Will (‘approachable and popular’) and Amelia Brooks (‘a tremendous asset’) are a beneficent force to be reckoned with. The school celebrates its centenary next year just as two major projects (for which £2m was raised) take shape – a creative-learning centre and an artificial pitch. Wonderful flights of imagination happen among Brambletye’s 140 acres, including a production of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Musical, to which Tatler was exceedingly keen to snaffle tickets. Here’s to another 100 years of Brambletye. | East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 3PD | Will Brooks | 300 day and boarding: 154 boys, 146 girls | C of E | 2 1⁄2 – 13 | Day: £6,910; boarding: £8,425 | brambletye.co.uk/ |
| Bruern Abbey | Head John Floyd says that Bruern Abbey is ‘known for what we do for dyslexics – and our food’. BA prides itself on being able to bridge the gap between potential and attainment. Every member of staff is trained to better help boys with learning difficulties, but the route to success is not just via the classroom. Boys have a 90-minute outdoors slot scheduled each day, all the better to make the most of the school’s BMX bike track through the woods, climbing wall and three interconnected tree houses. Pupils are given their own laptops (though mobiles are banned), and learning is fun (coordinates in maths involves a game of battleships). The food is phenomenal: think duck breast and red cabbage or slow-cooked lamb followed by mango roulade. Good news: a sister school for girls is in the pipeline. | Chesterton, Oxfordshire OX26 1UY | John Floyd | 150 boys, day and boarding | C of E | 8–13 | Day: £8,430; boarding: £10,420 | bruernabbey.org/ |
| Caldicott School | New Head Jeremy Banks has inherited a school in fine shape after a year in the very capable hands of Ma’am Naidoo. ‘A joy of life pervades the place,’ said a recent ISI report. Its 40 acres are just a coach ride from the capital – little chaps hop on in west London at 7.20am, and return in time for bed, with homework polished off and plenty of fresh air in their lungs. All boys board in Years 7 and 8 in preparation for their top-notch senior schools, like Harrow, Eton and Radley. Sport is superb, with regional champions across athletics. Robotics and coding – the Lego League Challenge and BBC micro:bit – are huge. Most important of all, the boys’ impeccable manners are renowned on the prep-school circuit. | Crown Lane, Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire SL2 3SL | Jeremy Banks | 250 boys, day and boarding | C of E | 7–13 | Day: £6,260; boarding: £9,229 | caldicott.com/ |
| Cheam School | Cheam’s all-singing, all-dancing exterior is deceptive; inside, it’s a wonderfully down-to-earth place, with chatty, happy children and charming parents to match. Head Martin Harris has been busy ‘tweaking and improving’ since his arrival last year – one of his biggest tasks is ‘spreading the net’ on where his pupils head off to. They’re one of Marlborough’s biggest feeders, but an even longer list of schools (and scholarships) is coming onto the radar. Registration is chronological, ‘so the earlier the child is registered the better’; three quarters of families are London exiles and ‘bonkers things’ go on in the boarding houses in the evenings – games of skeleton trays along the corridors are the cause of much mirth. Almost everyone here learns an instrument, and neighbour Lord Lloyd-Webber invited pupils to perform School of Rock last year – the first school in Europe to do so. What a coup. | Headley, Newbury, Berkshire RG19 8LD | Martin Harris | 408 day and boarding: 225 boys, 183 girls | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £6,590; boarding: £9,210 | cheamschool.com |
| Chesham Prep | his partially selective school prides itself on being ‘a sporty, creative, adventurous family’, and there are few things these busy pupils don’t get an opportunity to try. Beyond Chesham’s strong academic record (two-thirds of its pupils pass the 11+; several have won scholarships to top independents), an emphasis on competitive sport means children are encouraged to develop ‘character and determination’. (They’re certainly not squeamish: one girl remarked: ‘Science has been amazing; my favourite activity was dissecting an animal’s ] [eye.’) Drama, art and music are other passions, with pupils recently delivering a joyful production of The Lion King. The school is next to a working farm – perfect for a spot of daydreaming, watching the tractors and chatting to the cows. | Two Dells Lane, Orchard Leigh, Chesham HP5 3QF | Jonathan Beale | 405 day, 231 boys and 174 girls | C of E | 3–13 | £4,800 | cheshamprep.co.uk |
| Christ Church Cathedral School | ‘Music permeates and enriches every aspect of school life,’ wrote the ISI of Christ Church, whose rich musical heritage goes back to 1546, when it was founded to train choristers. The majority of boys will learn to play an instrument – a staggering 76 per cent of recent music exam results were merits or distinctions. The school’s academic success is also noteworthy, and springs from an invigorating attitude that regards learning as a lifelong joy. Even the Head of Drama, Nicholas Richards, writes his own scripts and produces hilarious plays for the boys to act in. Two thirds of leavers gain scholarships or exhibitions to senior schools. | Oxford OX1 1QW | Richard Murray | 152 boys, day and boarding | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £7,470; boarding (choristers only): £11,480 | cccs.org.uk/ |
| Cothill House | The self-declared ‘last bastion of all-boys boarding’, Cothill inevitably attracts major interest from the international set, but parents here predominantly work in London and have country pads spread far and wide. The dorms are immaculate, the adored teachers just the right level of eccentric and the grounds buzzing with happy boys chasing each other and mucking about – ‘the epitome of what an all-boys, full-boarding school should be like,’ reports our pleased mole. Cricket, hockey and particularly tennis are firmly on the cards, as well as rugby and football. Popular Head Duncan Bailey is himself an old Cothill boy turned Etonian – the preferred path of his charges, who also favour Winchester, Harrow and Radley, with Marlborough the go-to co-ed option. | Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX13 6JL | Duncan Bailey | 205 boys, all boarding | C of E | 8–13 | £9,500 | cothill.net/ |
| Cottesmore | The ethos at Cottesmore, a charming Edwardian jumble of chimneys and red brick designed by architect and Royal Academician Sir Ernest George, is small and family-oriented. Around 80 per cent full board with exeats every two or two-and-a-half weeks; others stay up to three nights a week. Our reporter was particularly impressed by the creativity on show in the art and DT classrooms, but pupils’ achievements are spread across a vast range of activities. This is reflected in the facilities on offer: alongside the requisite playing fields, woods and boating lake, pupils have access to a bowling alley, shooting range and 36 holes of golf. Last time we visited, the football 1st XI, U11 netball team and U9 rugby boys had all cele brated unbeaten seasons. Is there anything they can’t do? | Buchan Hill, Pease Pottage, West Sussex, RH11 9AU | Tom Rogerson | 150 boarding: 90 boys, 60 girls | C of E | 4–13 | Boarding: £9,095 | cottesmoreschool.com/ |
| Cranleigh Prep | Cranleigh Prep has thrived under outgoing Head Michael Wilson, who parents describe as ‘sensible but creative’. The school aims to instil values, he says, that will take root whether they go on to become ‘millionaires or teachers’. The day is long (8am to 5pm), but our parent informant stresses that it’s not a hothouse. Art is huge – the school is lined with creations by pupils – and the last we heard, four students were heading off on art scholarships. Food tech is similarly first-rate: the school runs a MasterChef competition, and pupils learn to cook a range of dishes, from pizza to curry. Don’t be alarmed if anyone asks if you want to eat ‘muck’ – it’s what they call the evening snack for boarders. | Horseshoe Lane, Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 8QH | Neil Brooks | 342 day and boarding: 194 boys, 148 girls | C of E | 7–13 | Day: £6,695; boarding: £8,085 | cranprep.org/ |
| Cumnor House | All is ticking along nicely at this cheery Sussex number, a gulp of fresh air for all those Londoners fleeing the pressure of city life. Children zip around the 60 acres in home-made go karts, chase the sun in all-night orienteering bonanzas on the South Downs and bundle into the lake via the rope swing. Childhood is nurtured and mental health is taken very seriously. There’s no proper home- work until the top years, and next year Saturday school is being scrapped in favour of optional clubs and matches. There is a strong parent community, built over an almond croissant and flat white in the swanky bistro. Leavers hop off to a number of senior schools, with 33 awards in tow last year. On top of it all, Head Christian Heinrich is utterly charming. | Danehill, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 7HT | Christian Heinrich | 380 day and boarding: 194 boys, 186 girls | C of E | 2–13 | Day: £6,510; boarding: £7,750 | cumnor.co.uk/ |
| Dragon School | One year in, and the Dragon’s Head Crispin Hyde-Dunn, an articulate academic, is still in listening mode. This large Oxford co-ed is hugely popular, with long waiting lists, so register early. Just over a third of pupils full-board, with the majority leaving at 13 destined for the top public schools. They’re proud of their sport, and rightly so: the philosophy is one of participation and excellence, and they regularly put out more than 28 teams on any given match day. Athletics is a particular strength and they were the top-medalling school at last year’s National Prep Championships. No wonder, with the Dragon’s marathon sports ‘day’ that runs over three days with 73 different events. As you’d expect in a school of this size, there are clubs galore, and the bridge club beat Eton to finish third in the UK Young Bridge Challenge last year. | Bardwell Road, Oxford OX2 6SS | Crispin Hyde-Dunn | 824 day and boarding: 490 boys, 334 girls | Non-denom | 4–13 | Day: £7,045; boarding: £10,205 | dragonschool.org/ |
| Edge Grove | Bye bye polluted London, hello 48 acres of beautiful Hertfordshire countryside. Demand is soaring for this idyllic prep, with waiting lists for most year groups; admission is ‘gently selective’. Energetic Head Ben Evans is a master at dealing with north London tiger parents, who should be greatly appeased by a record level of scholarships (nearly 30) to the likes of Harrow, Eton and Habs last year. There’s a proud sporting tradition across the full range of co-ed options, and they also host the IAPS Table Tennis Championships. A school for confident, smiley types who are given space to roam and to ‘flounder intelligently’ (an Edge Grove term for ‘lateral thinking’). Check out their shiny new local pre-prep too. | Aldenham Village, Hertfordshire WD25 8NL | Ben Evans | 502 day and boarding | Inter-denom | 3–13 | Day: £5,645; boarding: £7,905 | edgegrove.com |
| Elstree | Our researcher left Elstree beaming – ‘What an utter joy’. Boarding is growing like a beanstalk; pupils used to come from a sub-hour catchment area, but the ‘Sid Inglis effect’ is pushing those boundaries. After all, he does preside over impressive grounds, a nine-hole golf course and two kayaking lakes. Music is flourishing in the new music school (how many schools can boast a bagpipe band?), and the Elstree Award (their own mini D of E) gets boys out clearing brambles in a churchyard or reading to pupils at pre-prep Home Farm. It’s worth registering at birth; boys whizz off to Radley, Winchester and Bradfield – and three cheers for their literacy drive; we spied huddles of pupils hunkering down with paperbacks after lunch. There’s a tremendous amount of sport on offer, and tours to the Isle of Wight and Canterbury, rather than any- where glitzier – which sums up the incredibly lovely, down-to-earth vibe of the place. | Woolhampton, Reading, Berkshire RG7 5TD | Sid Inglis | 235 boys, day and boarding | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £7,000; boarding: £9,100 | elstreeschool.org.uk |
| Farleigh School | What an inspirational man!’ gushed our researcher, after meeting Farleigh’s Head, Father Everson. The school’s Catholic ethos gives it, he says, a ‘Mediterranean warmth’, so there’s a real culture of kindness. It’s got the much-coveted balance of the facilities of a public school with the gentleness of a country prep; the slick veneer does little to hide the happy faces. Names go down at birth and pupils are quietly driven, bagging scholarships to schools such as Sherborne, Downside and Marlborough. Outside, there’s Fortress Farleigh and woods to let off steam in. By Year 8, most board (lots of military families), and last year’s U12 netball girls were IAPS national runners-up. There are more than 25 musical ensembles, and the annual Summer Soirée is the hot- test ticket on the school calendar – quintessential Britain at its best as parents picnic on the lawn, siblings cartwheel and pupils perform. Anything you’d change, we asked one student? ‘Nothing, it’s already perfect,’ came the reply. | Red Rice, Andover, Hampshire SP11 7PW | Father Simon Everson | 460 day and boarding: 219 boys, 241 girls | RC | 3–13 | Day: £6,530; boarding: £8,495 | farleighschool.com |
| Feltonfleet School | High praise for Feltonfleet’s new Head Shelley Lance. ‘Dynamic but fair, authoritative but warm, progressive but realistic,’ says a mother. Parents are nodding in approval at the ‘subtle and not-too-subtle’ changes being made. Feltonfleet offers serious acreage close enough for a daily commute from SW London. There’s no hothousing – just happy children hopping off to a broad range of senior schools, with 21 scholar-ships last year. Boarding is super flexi, and parents can call up for a bed on the day. The U9 rugby team was unbeaten last year, and they’re total ninjas at rifle shooting (five national titles in 2017). Cap that off with sleep-outs in the woods, the tree-house classroom and zero pretension – ‘no one’s bothered by what mummy drives or daddy does,’ says a father – and you can see why families are lining up. | Byfleet Road, Cobham, Surrey KT11 1DR | Shelley Lance | 398 day and boarding: 210 boys, 188 girls | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £5,775; boarding: £7,017 | feltonfleet.co.uk |
| Godstowe School | Head Sophie Green has just finished her first year in the top spot, and sensibly she’s sticking to the ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ method. Quite right, because Godstowe’s one of only a handful of all-girls, full-boarding preps. It’s non-selective yet hugely successful, and as interested in teaching girls life skills as it is fractions. It may be in more of an urban setting than others, but it still pulls off slick facilities and plenty of space; next up, the opening of an indoor swimming pool. Art is outstanding (lots of scholarships), and the biannual lacrosse tour to the USA is a hit; girls are pretty fierce on the cross-country course too. Boarding houses are gorg eously homely, with dogs in the common rooms, and older girls love heading down to pre-prep The Lodge to help supervise playtime and sort out friendship niggles, so Mrs G’s got it spot on. | High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP13 6PR | Sophie Green | 435 girls, day and boarding | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £5,540; boarding: £8,215 | godstowe.org |
| Hall Grove | You forget that you are just off the A30 when entering the beautiful pastoral landscape of Hall Grove’s grounds. The gardens are so impressive that they are opened to the public in May. Being family-owned, the school is not led by a board of governors, and can escape the bureaucracy found elsewhere. Pupils here are confident, chatty and mingle easily between academic years. They are not afraid of getting their hands dirty, making compost and pressing apples at Young Farmers Club. Head Alastair Graham has been in charge for more than 30 years, and still makes sure he has time to get involved: this year he aims to teach Years 5 to 8, and he can often be found mowing the school lawns. | Bagshot, Surrey GU19 5HZ | Alastair Graham | 453 day and boarding; 290 boys, 163 girls | Non-denom | 3–13 | Day: £4,900; boarding: £6,225 | hallgrove.co.uk/ |
| Handcross Park School | This West Sussex co-ed prep is, says a mother, ‘simply magical – an enchanting place for your children to grow’. Head Richard Brown is making a great impression and is well-liked by pupils and parents. He is, quite rightly, ambitious for his school – his new marketing line is ‘dream big’, and he practises what he preaches (leadership is included in the curriculum). The children sleep in lovely colourful dorms with inspirational names such as Achieve, Believe and Destiny. There is no Saturday school, so weekly boarders are home on Friday evenings, homework done, ready to enjoy their weekend. Handcross is a Google Reference school, so they get to make full use of snazzy virtual-reality teaching tools like Google Expeditions. Half of last year’s leavers won scholarships, and around a third of pupils head to Brighton College – Handcross is a member of the Brighton College Family of Schools | Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 6HF | Richard Brown | 382 day and boarding: 205 boys, 177 girls | C of E | 2–13 | Day: £6,360; boarding: £8,130 | handcrossparkschool.co.uk |
| Highfield | Work has picked up on Mr Evitt’s 10-year development plan (it had stalled due to the school’s protected location in the South Downs National Park). A new all-weather pitch, sports hall and performing-arts centre are on the shopping list, and the goal is for the school to be self-sufficient (the solar panels and biomass project are already doing a cracking job). Squash has never been so popular, and the U10B rugby team were unbeaten last season with a smash- ing total of 74 tries. Demand for places is sky high, and boys and girls pop out the other end with scholarships to Rugby, Cranleigh and Marlborough. We love their Steps to Boarding programme that gives pupils a nudge into school sleepovers from Year 4. Our researcher was blown away by the bursary fund, ‘rarely seen at prep-school level’. More of the same please, Mr Evitt. | Highfield Lane, Liphook, Hampshire GU30 7LQ | Phillip Evitt | 293 day and boarding: 159 boys, 134 girls | C of E | 8–13 | Day: £7,175; boarding: £8,750 | highfieldschool.org.uk |
| Holmewood House School | Children leave Holmewood House brimming with confidence, out- going Head of seven years James Marjoribanks told Tatler when we last saw him. Incomer Scott Carnochan, who started last year, has continued in the same vein, and is well-respected among the pupils that we spoke to. Food at Holmewood is consistently described in superlatives (pupils even sing the praises of the humble tomato soup), and Try Something New Tuesday encourages them to expand their culinary horizons. Holmewood House’s Year 8 pupils won 28 scholarships last year, including 11 academic, six drama, six music and three sport – one pupil even won three scholarships to Eastbourne College. Pupils com- pete at county level in various sports, including cricket and cross country. ‘A super prep with charming, polite pupils,’ according to our researcher. | Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 0EB | Scott Carnochan | 485 day and boarding: 275 boys, 210 girls | Non-denom | 3–13 | Day: £6,295; boarding: £7,950 | holmewoodhouse.co.uk |
| Horris Hill | ‘All-boys heaven’ is how our spy describes Horris Hill. That means rooms in houses named after ski resorts, fighter jets and the like, and essential learning beyond the classroom such as how to use a washing machine, iron shirts and sew on a button. This is a no-devices school, so hand in the iPads at the gate, please. Instead, there are lovely little idiosyncrasies, like the train-set room (Head Giles Tollit knows of no other one in the country), wearing their own ties and a system of ‘colours’ rather than houses. Despite this being a single-sex school, increasing numbers of boys are going on to co-eds such as Charterhouse and Wellington, with old staples Eton, Winchester, Harrow and Radley still well represented. And let’s not forget the anarchic game called triple ball – in essence, it’s inter-age football with three balls and a sin bin, and it gets extremely tactical. | Newton, Newbury, Berkshire RG20 9DJ | Giles Tollit | 120 boys, day and boarding | C of E | 7–13 | Day: £5,600; boarding: £9,150 | horrishill.com |
| Lambrook | What made you choose Lambrook, we asked a parent. ‘Location, facilities and reputation…’ Head Jonathan Perry has done great things here, and the growing crew of London families has brought a new dynamic to this buzzing co-ed prep. Mr Perry is, says a pupil, ‘a very nice man – he’s always there to greet us in the mornings’. His pupils go on to Wellington, Eton, Downe House et al, with a large proportion of scholarships. There’s an amazing array of sports, clubs and activities on offer, from fencing and trampolining to archery and synchronised swimming, and the school works hard to draw out each child’s strengths. They’ve recently invested in a £6m upgrade to the classroom infrastructure, with a state-of-the-art building just completed. The 52 acres of grounds give plenty of room to run around – ‘I love the fact that my children have a healthy glow!’ says a mother. | Winkfield Row, Bracknell, Berkshire RG42 6LU | Jonathan Perry | 549 day and boarding: 326 boys, 223 girls | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £6,579; boarding: £7,888 | lambrookschool.co.uk |
| Lockers Park | Last year, we noted the ‘organised chaos’ of Lockers Park, and the school retains the energy and freedom that Head Christopher Wilson describes as ‘forward-thinking’ and ‘kinaesthetic’. Behind this zest for life is a strong academic record: 17 boys left this Hertfordshire school in 2017 and all went to their first-choice seniors, including Harrow and Eton. To be treated like an adult, the ethos goes, one has to be able to handle responsibility. So after sports matches, the boys host tea with the opposing side. Last year, the cricket team toured South Africa and the science club went to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. Boys cook, hike and camp, and help out in the community as part of the school’s Beaver, Cub and Scout troops. But fun remains at the core of the school: just look at the annual whole-school Dark Tower game, ‘where the entire school is plunged into darkness and the boys have to find treasure, all the while evading the night riders and witches’. | Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP1 1TL | Christopher Wilson | 171 boys, day and boarding | C of E | 4–13 | Day: £5,795; boarding: £8,350 | lockerspark.herts.sch.uk |
| Ludgrove | ‘Ludgrove boys are constantly at the ready to give everything a go,’ says one insider of this traditional family-run prep with a strong full-boarding ethos. ‘Everything’ includes brilliant music facilities, the best theatre we have seen in any prep and two Eton fives courts – to ensure those who go on to Eton (12 from the last cohort of 43) know how to play when they arrive. Others depart for Radley, Winchester and Harrow. Far from feeling old fashioned, there are fortnightly exeats and a homely, nurturing feel. Boys have a clear sense of belonging; the name of each is painted onto the walls in the dining room when they join to ensure they feel part of it from the start. (‘To have Princes William and Harry above your head as you munch sticky toffee pudding is quite something,’ says one visitor.) There’s real camaraderie, and lifelong friendships are sealed at this ‘magical place to spend five years of childhood’. | Wokingham, Berkshire G40 3AB | Simon Barber | 198 boys, all boarding | C of E | 8–13 | £9,150 | ludgrove.net |
| Milbourne Lodge | Set near the heart of Esher, with a convenient daily bus into Wimbledon, this is a school that offers lots of outdoor learning. The eight-and-a-half acre site has a stream, a woodland glade and the Centenary Garden, where most of the drama productions are performed. Sport is an every-day activity. The art is phenomenal, and this year they embraced the theme of ‘animal idioms’ to enter the highly competitive David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation global art competition. From 4,500 worldwide entries, Milbourne Lodge was chosen as one of the 15 finalists to exhibit at the Natural History Museum, where they were duly awarded the sponsors’ Personal Choice Winner. The entry was amazing and didn’t just involve lots of pretty pictures. Instead the school combined art with IT and scanned their sculptures to produce a fantastic augmented-reality project. | Arbrook Lane, Esher, Surrey KT10 9EG | Judy Waite | 276 day: 232 boys, 44 girls | C of E | 4–13 | £4,888 | milbournelodge.co.uk |
| Moulsford | Moulsford boys are ‘extraord inarily polite’, noted our mole. ‘Their smiley faces greeted me ] [everywhere I went’. No surprise when cheery Head Mr Beardmore-Gray is in charge – he welcomes boys and parents every morning at the local zebra crossing. Last year a new curriculum was introduced, to move away from the CE slog and encourage more creativity and collaboration. The school day has had a reshuffle, with all prep polished off in the day and more time for music, drama and art. Boarding is not the main selling point here, but there is capacity for around 45 flexi and weekly boarders a term. More importantly, there is no Saturday school. Rugby is top notch (the tour to South Africa is the hot ticket) and with the Thames on their doorstep, river-based activities are plentiful. Boys go on to seniors such as Abingdon, Radley and St Edward’s. | Moulsford-on-Thames, Oxfordshire OX10 9HR | Ben Beardmore-Gray | 365 boys, day and boarding | C of E | 4–13 | Day: £5,685; boarding: £7,120 | moulsford.com |
| New College School | Sitting among the dreaming spires of Oxford, New College School entwines itself with the university. From the age of four, under the steady guidance of pre-prep Head Rosemary Cox, the boys have chapel at the university every Wednesday, use its sports facilities and take part in ancient traditions including the triennial Inspection of the City Walls. One mum told us that ‘being so close to Oxford University from such a young age gives the boys the belief that they, too, will go to a university like this.’ This is a very small school and all the staff know their pupils well. ‘The music is phenomenal,’ according to one mum, and the music scholarships to both Eton and Winchester reflect this. | Savile Road, Oxford OX1 3UA | Robert Gullifer | 160 day boys | C of E | 4–13 | £5,317 | newcollegeschool.org |
| Papplewick | Where other schools have the chess club and cross-country club, Papplewick has an antiquarian book club and herpetology… It may be small, but this sought-after prep is anything but ordinary. Charming Head Tom Bunbury selects boys with character (enth usiasm, energy, team players). That their happiness comes first is evident in his leadership and among his inspiring, often eccentric, team. ‘So long as they are fed and exercised well, then everything falls into place,’ he says. It works: leavers head for Eton, Harrow and Charterhouse. A new boarding house and classrooms for Year 8 recently opened and new art, design and ICT facilities are planned – welcome boosts for the outdated buildings. Space may be a little cramped but, wow, do they use every inch. ‘There is something here for everyone,’ Mr Bunbury says. Did we mention the snakes? | Windsor Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7LH | Tom Bunbury | 215 boys, day and boarding | C of E | 6–13 | Day: £7,395; boarding: £9,630 | papplewick.org.uk |
| The Pilgrims’ School | It’s cool to be musical at Pilgrims’. It is, after all, a double choir school – it has Winchester Cathedral choristers and Winchester College Quiristers. You can identify them by the colour of their jumpers. At least a dozen boys a year get music scholarships to public schools, 84 per cent of students play an instrument and 42 per cent play more than one. But there’s much more to Pilgrims’ than the music. Every boy gets the chance to represent the school at sports, they can learn film-making and graphic design and can take paper aeroplane construction as an extracurricular. What’s more, the boys are very academic and most of them go on to Winchester College or Eton. Full-boarding is offered, and ‘the dorms are the nicest I’ve seen’, says our researcher. | The Close, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 9LT | Tom Burden | 270 boys, day and boarding | C of E | 4–11 | Day: £6,415; boarding: £8,110 (choristers, £4,866) | thepilgrims-school.co.uk |
| Saint Ronan’s School | The sign – ‘Beware: free-range children’ – on the muddy approach gives a flavour of the humour and sense of adventure with which learning is embraced at this creative co-ed. Set in 249 acres, with extensive sports fields, woodlands (used for bushcraft and mountain biking) and pupil allotments, Saint Ronan’s is just 54 miles from London and 20 minutes from two commutable stations. There’s even a farm, where three new donkeys are in training for the Nativity: ‘What other school sends children for pig-rearing classes?’ says very personable Head William Trelawny-Vernon who, one parent told us, ‘runs the whole school like a giant family’. There is real warmth here – pupils are happy, confident and kind – with a clear commitment from staff to nurt uring, not hothousing, the mix of pupils (children of Old Ronians, doctors, film directors; lots of cross-fertilisation with Benenden). ‘No one goes unnoticed,’ says another parent – and boards in the dining room announce where every past pupil has gone on to, not just the scholars, numerous though they are. | Water Lane, Hawkhurst, Kent TN18 5DJ | William Trelawny-Vernon | 441 day and boarding: 225 boys, 216 girls | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £5,984; flexi-boarding: £38 a night | saintronans.co.uk |
| St Andrew’s Pangbourne | There can be few schools that actively encourage tree climbing quite as much as St Andrew’s. All the woods and copses are given names like Monkey Base and Ghost Town. The biggest and oldest tree is Jelly Guts, which has a sign saying ‘Climb’ and then, further up, ‘Stop’. There are, of course, some rules to adhere to: the pupils must always climb in threes and standing on a branch thinner than your wrist is discouraged. But this is a school that relishes its rural position, while being easily accessible to London and the M4 commuter belt. Sport is a great strength here, and there is huge excitement about the new £3.5m sports hall. Academics are also thriving, with the majority of pupils heading off to neighbouring Bradfield, Pangbourne, Teddies or Marlborough. | Buckhold, Pangbourne, West Berkshire RG8 8QA | Jonathan Bartlett | 293 day and boarding: 154 boys, 139 girls | C of E | 3–13 | £7,185 | standrewspangbourne.co.uk |
| St Hugh’s | The food, the teachers and the lessons all get the thumbs up from one pupil at St Hugh’s that we quizzed. So that’s pretty much everything. St Hugh’s, under the auspices of Head Andrew Nott (sadly leaving at the end of this year), has all bases covered: the chamber choir toured Venice, the swimmers go from strength to strength, and the summer of 2018 saw the most scholarships won in the school’s history. Classes are noticeably small and teachers have genuinely personal relationships with parents. Every pupil takes part in their forest school and older children perform Hamlet or The Taming of the Shrew in the two acres of woodland. Pupils with green fingers grow vegetables (later made into soup) in the old walled garden, and trips to the nearby Ashmolean Museum in Oxford are always on the cards. The only weakness our insider parent can muster up is practically laughable: ‘My son says the cricket pitch isn’t very smooth.’ | Carswell Manor, Faringdon, Oxfordshire SN7 8PT | Andrew Nott | 351 day and boarding: 199 boys, 152 girls | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £6,695; boarding: £8,005 | st-hughs.co.uk |
| St John’s Beaumont | St John’s Beaumont manages to fly slightly under the radar, which is bewildering considering the calibre of visitor they’ve welcomed in the past. Princess Haya bint al-Hussein of Jordan swung by a while back, the Pope usually drops in when he’s in the UK, and they have no trouble getting the Queen to open buildings for them. For entry, being Catholic is a plus, but not a requirement. The aim is to instil responsibility and open-mindedness: ‘I want boys who think for themselves,’ says Head Mr Delaney. SJB boys regularly go on to Eton and Harrow, and there is an longstanding association with Stoneyhurst. Aside from academics, the standard of art is ‘incredible’, according to our spy, and a gorgeous indoor pool is being put to good use. Charity is emphasised too, with the Friends of Saint John’s Beaumont doing good work raising money and encouraging boys to use their entrepreneurial spirit to do so too. | Priest Hill, Old Windsor, Berkshire SL4 2JN | Giles Delaney | 300 boys, day and boarding | RC | 3–13 | Day: £6,244; boarding: £9,576 | sjb.community |
| Shrewsbury House School | ‘This school is run with the same precision and efficiency as the top-notch businesses for which many of its pupils’ parents work,’ says one such mum of this SHS Trust traditional boys’ prep with sizeable grounds in leafy Surbiton. Led by passionate and well-connected Head Kevin Doble, ‘they work hard and play hard’, another parent tells us. Boys go on to top (mainly all-boys) public schools including Eton, Tonbridge, St Paul’s and Winchester – seven with sports scholarships last year. Facilities include a World Rugby-standard, all-weather surface, and the school fields more than 1,000 fixtures a year under the direction of former England rugby professional Billy Davison. Last year he led parents on an expedition to summit three Alpine peaks in three countries. A fleet of minibuses makes commuting from SW London easy. | 107 Ditton Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 6RL | Kevin Doble | 340 day boys | C of E | 7–13 | £6,225 | shrewsburyhouse.net |
| Summer Fields | A delightful traditional Oxford pre-prep and prep set in 70-acre grounds. Sports are big here – the school motto is ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body’, and boys take part in physical activity every day. On the musical front, over 80 per cent of pupils learn an instrument, there are two orchestras and the chapel choir went on tour to Malta last year. No wonder then, that these well-mannered boys bag a number of scholarships to top schools like Oundle, Radley and Winchester each year. Around 80 per cent of students board (full, with optional weekend leave), and take part in all sorts of activities from coding to bee-keeping and golf on their nine-hole course. Put your son’s name down early – they’re usually oversubscribed by 20 per cent. | Mayfield Road, Oxford OX2 7EN | David Faber | 240 boys, day and boarding | C of E | 4–13 | Day: £7,053; boarding: £10,120 | summerfields.com |
| Sunningdale School | Acquired in 1967 by twins Tim and Nick Dawson, Sunningdale is now run by Tim’s son Tom, though the elder Mr Dawson still lives on-site with his wife Prue, and cuts the grass. ‘Traditional’ is the name of the game, so there’s lots of sport and surnames used throughout. More unusual is the system that sees boys move on to the next class as they develop academically, rather than by age. This, we’re told, means each pupil has an ‘individual, tailored path’ and that they are ‘kept interested, not bored or scared’. The school is small but punches up – there are only about 22 boys per academic year, yet they still take on Eton at football, despite being a year or two younger than their opponents. | Sunningdale, Berkshire SL5 9PY | Tom Dawson | 110 boys, day and boarding | C of E | 7–13 | Day: £6,570; boarding: £8,400 | sunningdaleschool.co.uk |
| Twyford School | It’s no surprise that academic scholarships to Winchester, just down the road from Twyford, are commonplace – Head Dr Steve Bailey taught at the school for 29 years before taking up his current position in 2010. The result is a place where high-fliers will prosper and are given every opportunity to stretch themselves. Last year, leavers went on to 15 different schools, including Eton and Marlborough. Sport is excellent; one Year 8 pupil says,‘If we win or lose, we always have the best time ever.’ (They don’t lose very often.) Every child has a dedicated drama lesson each week, and one in three plays two or more instruments. The 80 or so local and national trips throughout the year and a tradition dating back to the 1850s in which all children from Years 3 to 8 come together to play what’s known as ‘court cricket’ top off a well-rounded school. | Twyford, Winchester, Hampshire SO21 1NW | Dr Steve Bailey | 395 day and boarding | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £6,503; boarding: £8,184 | twyfordschool.com |
| Walhampton | ‘Walhampton is quite simply a magical and unique place,’ says a parent. A distinct Swallows and Amazons spirit pervades; their position on the Solent (spectacular views of the Isle of Wight from the library) means they are big on sailing. The annual arts festival is great fun, with Shakespeare recitals up a tree or in a boat on the lake. There was a bumper crop of scholarships last year to Canford, Harrow and Marlborough. Social responsibility is taken seriously, with trips to local care homes and an exchange with an inner-city London school. Dorms are some of the loveliest we’ve seen, and the Walhampton Express is a bonus for London parents, ferrying children back and forth at weekends. ‘We moved 100 miles for this school,’ says a mother. Need we say more? | Walhampton, Lymington, Hampshire SO41 5ZG | Titus Mills | 370 day and boarding: 212 boys, 158 girls | C of E | 2–13 | Day: £5,875; boarding: £8,250 | walhampton.com |
| Wellesley House | This ‘zippy Kent prep’, as our scout brands it, is hidden in plain sight – it’s bang in the middle of Broadstairs, but you’d never know it. A big, old house with beautifully manicured lawns, Wellesley is described by one school insider as ‘a Tardis in the middle of the city’. The sandy beaches just down the road give the school a secret weapon: they recently acquired their own beach hut and make a beeline there for games, rock pooling, beachcombing, beach cricket, cross country and building sandcastles. Head Gavin Franklin has settled in after joining from Wellington in 2017, and the school goes from strength to strength: 70 per cent of children learn an instrument and sport is all-inclusive. The very first junior girl member of the nearby Royal St George’s Golf Club was a Wellesley pupil. Girl power! | Ramsgate Road, Broadstairs, Kent CT10 2DG | Gavin Franklin | 125 day and boarding: 79 boys, 46 girls | C of E | 6–13 | Day: £6,495; boarding: £8,584 | wellesley.kent.sch.uk |
| Westbourne House | This is a big school with wide open spaces enjoyed by outgoing, energetic children. Walking around, you can see the many benefits of its size, for example the science department with three separate labs, one for each subject, and an abundance of sports facilities. Both girls and boys play county cricket, individuals represent nationally at golf and they’ve won the Godfray Racket real-tennis tournament five times in a row. Leavers trot off to every top public in the south. Head Marin Barker is admired for being ‘approachable’, ‘dry-humoured’ and ‘on the ball’ by this close-knit community of local parents. We asked Westbourne what they were looking for in a candidate. Their answer: ‘A willing attitude and a smiling face.’ | Shopwyke, Chichester, West Sussex PO20 2BH | Martin Barker | 405 day and boarding: 223 boys, 182 girls | C of E | 2 1/2–13 | Day: £5,995; boarding: £8,035 | westbournehouse.org |
| Windlesham | ‘It’s the school you dream you went to yourself,’ says one parent of Windlesham; and we couldn’t agree more. It’s full boarding only, with two exeats per term, and has the feel of a large country house with the hospitality to match. Richard and Rachel Foster are big on manners – their mantra is ‘be kind, be kind, be kind’, and they encourage pupils to try everything and anything. Leavers from this non-selective school go on to Bryanston, Malborough and Eton (with two King’s Scholarships last year). They seem to win – a lot – in every sport going, and have a European champion coaching their karate lessons. Natch. Around 80 per cent of pupils play a musical instrument, and they put on five huge stage productions last year, because, well, not everyone loves Chicago. | Washington, Pulborough, West Sussex RH20 4AY | Richard Foster | 340 day and boarding: 204 boys, 136 girls | Non-denom | 4–13 | Day: £7,686; boarding: £9,272 | windlesham.com |
| Woodcote House School | All schools think they’re special, but Woodcote really is – ask any old boy. This small, all-boys boarding and day school has been run by the Paterson family since 1931. Head David Paterson is an old-fashioned schoolmaster in the best possible sense: engaging, thoughtful and inspiring, and an expert in finding the best-fit senior school for his charges, whether it be Sherborne, Oundle or Harrow. Boys are a well-rounded and cheerful bunch, a third of whom come to school on the bus services from south-west and west London. Woodcote’s sporting achievements are formidable for a school of this size, as are its music and drama. There are clubs to suit all tastes: we’d like to join the Turf Club boys, who have a share in a racehorse, and the Nutritional Ninjas’ healthy cookery classes. | Snows Ride, Windlesham, Surrey, GU20 6PF | David Paterson | 103 boys, day and boarding | Non-denom | 7–13 | Day: £5,950; boarding: £7,950 | woodcotehouseschool.co.uk |
| Title | Review | Location | Head | Pupils | Faith | Ages | Term-fees | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaudesert Park School | Farewell to the legendary James and Fiona Womersley, who have run this top Gloucestershire prep for 21 years, and welcome to Chris and Harriet Searson, who arrive from Highfield School, Hampshire. Our mole tells us that Mr Searson is a ‘good chap’, and we forecast a smooth transition. Beaudesert is, in Mr Womersley’s words, ‘the premier prep in the county’, popular with families relocating from London. Boarding is flexi or weekly only; no one stays in school on a Saturday night so this isn’t one for the international crowd. There’s lots of sport, played on Minchinhampton Common, a short walk from the school, and plenty of music and drama in the super-shiny new performing-arts centre. Pretty much everyone stays until 13, when they depart for all the best boarding schools. | Michinhampton, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL6 9AF | Chris Searson | 449 day and boarding: 250 boys, 199 girls | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £5,887; boarding: £7,599 | beaudesert.gloucs.sch.uk/ |
| Chafyn Grove | Mr Head is a ‘lovely man’ says one father, ‘very involved and present’, and his lively newsletters go down a treat. His popularity has hit new heights thanks to the arrival of Peggy, the golden retriever puppy. Serious ground has been gained since his arrival in 2016 – Reading Passports have been issued (children cross borders by reading books of their choice), Saturday school has been abolished for Year 4 and below, and the Chafyn Challenge introduced (pupils learn lambing and how to sew on a button). Eight sports teams were undefeated last year (bar a single game), and sailing has been reintroduced. The choir toured Barcelona, and art and DT are ‘mindblowing’ noted our spy. Parents like the down-to-earth feel, even if it ‘isn’t as glitzy as its razzamatazzy competitors’, says one mother, although the USB charging plugs in Year 8 bunk beds are pretty snazzy. Leavers head to West Country faves and, in the words of one registrar, ‘We want more Chafyn children’. | Bourne Avenue, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 1LS | Simon Head | 265 day and boarding: 155 boys, 110 girls | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £5,765 boarding: £7,965 | chafyngrove.co.uk/ |
| Hanford | It’s not just the rural setting and abundance of ponies that make Hanford the fantasy prep for young girls – they manage to make school work enjoyable too. As our junior source tells us, ‘I’m working harder than I’ve ever done before, but it doesn’t feel like a slog.’ Parents enthuse about the all-round education and the school’s ability to allow the girls to be children for longer, while matching the academic standards of any London prep school. The array of scholarships – including two Richard Hunter Scholarships to Bryanston and an academic award to Bedales – and the notable sporting successes reinforce our parents’ view that Head Rory Johnstone is doing an excellent job of guiding Hanford from strength to strength. | Child Okeford, Dorset DT11 8HN | Rory Johnston | 110 girls, day and boarding | C of E | 7–13 | Day: £6,250; boarding: £7,500 | hanford.dorset.sch.uk/ |
| Hatherop Castle | The red kites soaring over Hatherop Castle must be coasting on the new buzz in the air with the arrival of Nigel and Jo Reed from Walhampton. Mr Reed is, says a parent, ‘a superb leader’; ‘an injection of fresh thinking and innovation,’ says another. And, goodness, the man has plans: an Astroturf in the walled garden, new dorms, a new timetable (with ‘individualised learning’ slots for each child, to focus on strengths and tackle weaknesses). We had hot chocolate with the school council, who were overflowing with enthusiasm for their school’s friendliness, the music and the improvement in sport since Mr Reed’s arrival. There’s no Saturday school, boarding is full, flexi or weekly, and Londoners can hop on the Cotswold Flyer escorted train service. Anything you’d change, we asked? ‘Mend the swimming pool.’ We’re sure it’s on the list. | Hatherop, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 3NB | Nigel Reed | 237 day and boarding; 125 boys, 112 girls | Inter-denom | 2–13 | Day: £4,645; boarding: £6,995 | hatheropcastle.co.uk/ |
| Hazlegrove | ‘We want a child to feel everything is possible,’ says Head Mark White – and this school delivers on that. It’s all about breadth and depth. Children are encouraged to have a go at everything and anything, whether it’s a STEM competition to design a new aircraft carrier or trying their hand at laser-pistol shooting. The strong community of full- and flexi-boarders all look out for each other, with lots of Forces families and growing numbers of London émigrés. Academically, Hazlegrove is flying high: please note 30 scholarships from a year group of 51. The food is sublime: catering manager Boney Sebastian’s curries are legendary. ‘It’s a wonderful place to be as a child and a parent,’ says a mother. ‘My three love every second, and are excelling both in their school work and socially.’ | Sparkford, Somerset BA22 7JA | Mark White | 289 day and boarding: 154 boys, 135 girls | C of E | 2 1/2-13 | Day: £5,937; boarding: £8,787 | hazlegrove.co.uk/ |
| King’s Hall | At first sight, King’s Hall seems a very traditional country prep school. It has a gorgeous Georgian main building and is set in 50 acres of countryside in Somerset’s Quantock Hills. The children are encouraged to climb trees, run around and make the most of their onsite forest school. However, this belies the place’s modern and far-reaching outlook. There is the new science faculty that’s twice the size of the previous one and considered one of the finest in the south-west. There are also King’s Hall’s two international sister schools – one in Qatar, another in India. Clocks around the school are set to world times so that boarders from Hong Kong and the US can feel connected with home. | Kingston Road, Taunton, Somerset TA2 8AA | Justin Chippendale | 304 day and boarding: 161 boys, 143 girls | C of E | 2–13 | £5,500; boarding: £7,995 | kingshalltaunton.co.uk |
| Kitebrook | Thanks to a little help from the Cothill Trust, things are looking up at Kitebrook, set in picture-perfect Moreton-in-Marsh. Numbers have surged by 40 per cent, the academic profile is soaring (leavers now hop off to the likes of Radley, Wycombe Abbey and Cheltenham Ladies’) and news from the front line impresses: a pupil accepted into the National Youth Choir, a visit from Prue Leith, success in the model UN and participation in the BBC’s young reporters programme. Devoted Head Susan McClean champions ‘TLC mixed healthily with common sense’, so there’s tree climbing, limited screen time and each day begins with prayers outside, whatever the weather. Families are from the local Cotswolds posse. ‘I’m a massive fan of the school!’ gushes one mum. | Moreton-In-Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 0RP | Susan McLean | 179 day and boarding; 80 boys, 99 girls | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £4,350; boarding: £44 a night | kitebrookhouse.com/ |
| Knighton House | Only girls with a dollop of joie de vivre need apply to this ‘lovely little gem of a school’ as it’s described by one parent. And it’s not just about red dungarees and cute ponies; the 30-strong chapel choir is outstan ding, meditation is taking the school by storm and an exchange trip to Madrid is on the cards. New Head Robin Gainher is ] [making his mark – CE is being phased out, day fees have been lowered and his weekly blog is a must-read. Mr and Mrs Gainher have three daughters, so they know what they’re doing – and cooking with Mrs Gainher is very popular. Around half the school board, and dorm makeovers are next on the list. The school is experiencing a ‘renewed sense of “it can be done”’, says a father. Watch this space. | Durweston, Blandford, Dorset DT11 0PY | Robin Gainher | 101 girls, day and boarding | Non-denom | 3–13 | Day: £4,750; boarding: £7,600 | knightonhouse.co.uk/ |
| Perrott Hill | There are not many small country schools that can boast their own Children’s Literary Festival, but Perrott Hill is an establishment that punches above its weight. Parents rave about the beautiful setting and the wonderfully warm and supportive atmosphere. Sporting successes are varied and impressive, but the school insists that ‘each child’s individual progress is more important than the team winning’. The selection of scholarships suggests that this is a high-achieving place, and art seems a particular strength following head of department Mrs Palmer’s open-door policy. If there were prizes for innovative extracurricular clubs, Perrott Hill would be winning with their Space Agency, which plans to send a balloon into orbit to collect data. New head Alexander McCullough and his wife Helen have a lot to live up to, as parents loved the interim double act of Bryan Kane and Will Silk. | North Perrott, Crewkerne, Somerset TA18 7SL | Alex McCullough | 186 day and boarding: 108 boys, 78 girls | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £5,435; boarding: £7,845 | perrotthill.com/ |
| Pinewood School | Energy emanates from every atom of Head Philip Hoyland, who covers the grounds of his ever-growing school at such breakneck speed our Tatler researcher wishes she’d worn her Fitbit. His va-va-voom is infectious. ‘I felt as though I’d stepped into a present-day Enid Blyton book – jolly, adventurous children with bags of energy,’ she says. There’s no Head Boy/Girl or prefects, to promote a spirit of equality, but there is a competitive edge at sport where – bucking the trend – they choose teams based on ability. In our poll of pupils, sport and boarding topped the fave things about Pinewood, with breakfast a close third – the indefatigable Mr Hoyland often serves that too. | Bourton, Near Shrivenham, Wiltshire SN6 8HZ | Philip Hoyland | 400 day and boarding; 212 boys, 188 girls | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £5,965; boarding: £7,420 | pinewoodschool.co.uk/ |
| Port Regis | The Rolls-Royce of preps, with gleaming paintwork everywhere you look and boarding houses furnished to World of Interiors standard. And, wow, what facilities – we had to keep reminding ourselves that we were at a prep school, and could have spent all day in the DT workshops. The school is flying under Stephen and Amanda Ilett’s leadership, with a host of new staff appointments and pupil numbers up 10 per cent. Mr Ilett has a wealth of experience with senior-school transition, and his pupils go on to all the best publics (21 scholarships to 11 schools this year). Sport is competitive and highly successful, with a vast array of sports awards. Just over half of pupils board, full, weekly or occasional (two/three nights a week). The best thing about PR? ‘The teachers and the lessons,’ says one pupil. | Motcombe Park, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 9QA | Stephen Ilett | 310 day and boarding: 190 boys, 120 girls | C of E | 2–13 | Day: £6,450; boarding: £8,950 | portregis.com/ |
| Sandroyd | Surrounded by 500 acres of fields, woods and parkland, this exceptionally friendly school is firing on all cylinders with a brilliant new team at the top. Alastair Speers was Senior Houseparent at Oakham; his wife, Alice, taught in a big comprehensive in Uppingham – together they make a great team. Pupils have academic lessons in the morning, followed by afternoons packed with sport, music, drama and the unique Strive programme (taken from the school motto: ‘Strive to shine’), which encom passes such wide-ranging, useful subjects as map-reading, public speaking and cryptic crosswords. Everyone in Years 7 and 8 full-boards, with lots of flexi-boarding lower down the school. Leavers head to Marlborough, Bryanston and the Sherbornes. The girls have led the sporting triumphs, with an unbeaten netball season in 2017; they’ve also joined the boys in the 1st Cricket XI. | Rushmore Park, Tollard Royal, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP5 5QD | Alistair Speers | 228 day and boarding: 138 boys, 90 girls | C of E | 2–13 | Day: £7,000; boarding: £8,470 | sandroyd.org/ |
| Sherborne Prep | The vibe might be non-pressured and the parents refreshingly unpushy, but Sherborne gets the bigger picture – ‘It’s uplifting,’ says our reporter. ‘Children will absolutely thrive here and not get lost in a sea of other children.’ Though sandwiched between the wonderful old buildings of Sherborne School at the bottom of the town and overlooked by the playing fields of Sherbourne Girls from above, this prep is completely independent of both and doesn’t see itself as a feeder for either (though it pretty much is), with leavers also heading to Eton, Winchester, Harrow and elsewhere – typically sporting a nice shiny scholarship. There’s no compulsory Saturday school, but 90 per cent of children come in for activities anyway. Music is booming and the art department creates magic courtesy of acclaimed ‘philosophical artist’ Mr Valazquez. | Acreman Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3NY | Nick Folland | 290 day and boarding: 168 boys, 122 girls | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £5,710; boarding: £8,180 | sherborneprep.org/ |
| Title | Review | Location | Head | Pupils | Faith | Ages | Term-fees | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abberley Hall | ‘It’s hard to find anyone who wasn’t happy here,’ head Will Lockett gleefully announces (he should know, he is an old boy). A love of the great outdoors is essential – mountain biking with head torches, beekeeping and rifle shooting are all part and parcel of activities at Abberley. Even the less sporty children have six matches a term, and the girls are bossing cricket (‘rounders is not cool anymore’, whispers one). Saturday school is still a staple (though parents are less keen) and around 70 per cent of boys and girls board in their final two years. An impressive 22 pupils gained 52 scholarships and exhibitions between them last year, to the likes of Marlborough, Harrow and Cheltenham Ladies’. The new treehouse was opened with a fanfare of hot dogs and mulled wine – our kind of party. | Worcester WR6 6DD | Will Lockett | 252 day and boarding: 143 boys, 109 girls | C of E | 2–13 | Day: £6,470; boarding: £8,125 | abberleyhall.co.uk/ |
| Beachborough School | Jeremy Banks has gone south to Buckinghamshire to take the lead at Caldicott (his wife Sophie is now head of Eton End prep in Datchet), leaving Beachborough in robust shape. Last year’s scholarship haul was a school record for the fourth year in a row. Roughly a quarter of leavers head to Stowe, others to the Oxford schools or Tudor Hall. The ethos is work hard, play hard, with vibrant art everywhere you look and children charging around the grounds at breaktime in their outdoor-wear boilersuits. It’s Monday to Friday only; boarding is flexible and geared to meet the needs of working parents. The new TED centre (technology, engineering, design) is hugely impressive – smarter than those we’ve seen in any other prep and most senior schools. Huge thanks to the four TED ambassadors who patiently answered our Luddite questions and showed off their homemade space rocket, with a detonator made from a violin (called a ‘detolin’, obvs). | Westbury, Brackley, Northamptonshire N13 5LB | Christian Pritchard | 370 day and boarding: 185 boys, 185 girls | C of E | 2 1/2–13 | Day: £5,615; flexi-boarding: £35 a night | beachborough.com/ |
| Beeston Hall | ‘Beeston children do great things,’ declares head Fred de Falbe. ‘Some of them even in classrooms!’ We love the way they roll up their sleeves and get on with life at this beachside Norfolk co-ed, whether it’s sailing every week on Wroxham Broads, competing in the Shetland Pony Grand National or learning circus skills with the juggling, fire-eating Head of Drama. They ace all the regular, classroom-based stuff too: pupils go on to a wide range of senior schools, from Oundle and Uppingham to Eton and Tudor Hall. Director of sport Bob Hammond is a legend and the hockey teams are on a winning streak (everyone plays, with 110 matches across the season). Boarding is increasingly popular – full, weekly or flexi – with beachcombing and orienteering on the weekend lineup. | West Runton, Cromer, Norfolk NR27 9NQ | Fred de Falbe | 151 day and boarding: 80 boys, 71 girls | C of E | 4–13 | Day: £6,090; boarding: £8,180 | beestonhall.co.uk/ |
| Bilton Grange | Life in the Warwickshire countryside is magical, especially for Harry Potter fans: new recruits at Bilton Grange undergo a sorting ceremony before a candlelit dinner in the staggeringly beautiful Pugin mansion. Pupils here are always ready to get stuck in, dashing from the 90 acres of woodland to the vegetable patch and back to the classroom, where they’re busy notching up scholarships to Uppingham, Harrow et al, with half heading off to Rugby (BG is its main feeder). The fabulous Director of Performing Arts is keeping things on song; meanwhile, on the pitches, the U11 boys’ hockey team qualified for the National finals and the U9 girls’ netball team had an unbeaten season. Parents rave about head Mr Osiatynski’s ‘impeccable pedigree’; ‘he’s very mature and funny’ chimes a smaller critic. Boarding numbers have skyrocketed; no wonder, with special themed weekends on the calendar. Pupils are known far and wide for their spotless manners. | Dunchurch, near Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 6QU | Alex Osiatynski | 287 day and boarding: 168 boys, 119 girls | C of E | 4–13 | Day: £6,480; boarding: £8,830 | biltongrange.co.uk/ |
| The Croft | We were tickled by the plastic sheep lining the drive to the lovely converted farmhouse the Croft calls home – just one of the school’s many delightful quirks, like the geology museum, motte and bailey castle, model railway and three new pygmy goats. You might even spot the odd sign in French – just to keep the linguistic cogs whirring outside the classroom. Despite the school being non-selective, pupils win scholarships galore to their senior schools – and, squeezed middle take note, lots go on to the excellent local grammars. Head Marcus Cook (‘tall, understanding and fair’, is one pupil’s neat summary), is an ex rugby pro, so sport is a big thing – pupils played 290 matches in the past year alone. And we’re big fans of the Great Croft Cook Off, the school’s search for its own Star Baker – Mary Berry would be impressed. | Loxley Road, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV3 77RL | Marcus Cook | 395 day; 241 boys, 154 girls | C of E | 2–11 | £4,071 | croftschool.co.uk/ |
| The Elms | ‘Just the best school on the planet,’ says a mother – and they could well be right. This small-ish prep has its heart firmly in the right place: we’re always charmed by the polite, unaffected pupils (they’ve really got the door-opening thing nailed here), the fabulous staff and the stunning setting, surrounded by the Malvern Hills. New head Chris Hattam and his wife Jess have hit the ground running with a slew of smart initiatives, and there’s a new dynamism in the Elms’ air. You know about the farm and the riding, of course – but look at the scholarships (a total of 23 last year from 33 leavers, including Harrow’s top drama award and a record number of art scholarships); the sensational music and drama (the musical theatre teacher is so brilliant, there’s a waiting list for lessons); and the sporting achievements at all levels (every child represents the school at a sport at least twice a term). What really stands out, though, is the sense that everyone, staff and pupils alike, is having so much fun: we’re rather envious. | Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire WR13 6EF | Chris Hattam | 167 day and boarding: 91 boys, 76 girls | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £6,500; boarding: £8,160 | elmsschool.co.uk/ |
| Foremarke Hall | Farewell to Head Richard Merriman, who is off to pastures new after seven years. Robert Relton joins from partner school Repton Abu Dhabi; we remember him from his Ravenscourt Park Prep days, and are sure he’ll do great things. Foremarke is after children with ‘a zest for life and twinkle in the eye’ – a penchant for ‘traditional sports and offbeat activities’ helps. There are a number of of ex-professional sports coaches, and three cheers for the Warhammer team, who qualified for national semi-finals. The new space-age glass dining room is a winner – don’t panic, Historic England were consulted. Most leavers head to Repton, with a smattering to Eton and Uppingham. | Milton, Derbyshire DE65 6EJ | Robert Relton | 453 day and boarding: 227 boys, 226 girls | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £6,620 boarding: £8,573 | foremarke.org.uk/ |
| King’s College School | Sad times for the choristers as they prepare to say goodbye to Stephen Cleobury CBE, director of the King’s College Choir, who has been at the helm for 35 years. The choir, and the 16 chorister pupils, are the public face of this central Cambridge co-ed – new head Yvette Day glories in the title Master over the Choristers. It goes without saying that the music is sublime: last year’s leavers bagged music scholarships to Uppingham, Eton, Oundle and Stephen Perse (and there were academic awards to the Perse and St Mary’s). But there is more: the U11 hockey girls won the national championships and the squash team have been IAPS champions for the past two years. | West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DN | Yvette Day | 416 day and boarding: 255 boys, 161 girls | Inter-denom | 4–13 | Day: £5,185; boarding: £8,070, choristers £2,665 | kcs.cambs.sch.uk/ |
| Maidwell Hall | Our scout was very impressed with the Maidwell pupils she met: ‘outgoing and outward-looking, engaged and engaging – they asked as many questions as they answered.’ There was nothing but praise for the supportive teachers, the mix of cultures at the school and (most vocally) the food, especially the bacon rolls for breakfast. For Head Robert Lankester, Maidwell offers ‘holistic education at its very best’.The vast majority full-board, so families come from far and wide, with increasing numbers of Londoners escaping the urban pressure cooker. Leavers head on to Uppingham, Oundle, Stowe et al. Every child plays an hour of sport every day, and almost everyone was involved in last year’s spectacular production of The Wizard of Oz – ‘an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza,’ says our mole. Problems are sorted out over hot chocolate at Mrs Lankester’s kitchen table. | Maidwell, Northamptonshire NN6 9JG | Robert Lankester | 134 day and boarding: 79 boys, 55 girls | C of E | 7–13 | Day: £5,835; boarding: £8,960 | maidwellhall.co.uk/ |
| Moor Park | We were amazed to discover that Moor Park has reduced its fees, yet there’s no obvious cost cutting in sight. It’s a polished, refreshingly unflashy sort of place (lots of muddy Land Rovers in the car park), with gorgeous dorms, 85 acres of assault courses, trees to climb and resident chickens and deer. There were 35 awards for 35 leavers last year, to the likes of Radley, Cheltenham Ladies’ and Winchester. They’re top of their game in triathlon, Greek club proved such a hit that it’s now part of the curriculum and we’d like to have a go at Cranky Club, where pupils build their own go-karts to race around the pitches. The ribbon’s just been cut on a shiny new performing-arts centre and life is underpinned by the school’s quietly confident RC beliefs. And we’re hugely impressed by head Charlie Minogue. ‘Pupils delight in the small things,’ says a mother, ‘with a sort of innocence you don’t get at other prep schools. | Richard’s Castle, Ludlow, Shropshire SY8 4DZ | Charlie Minogue | 190 day and boarding: 108 boys, 82 girls | RC | 3–13 | Day: £5,745; boarding: £8,530 | moorpark.org.uk/ |
| Old Buckenham Hall | Considerable disappointment that the dynamic Tom O’Sullivan is already leaving for a headship at Cheltenham College Prep (his home town), but we’re reliably informed that ‘everyone seems super pleased’ with newcomer David Griffiths. Boarding is lots of fun here, with themed activities like The Great Chariot Race and plenty of expeditions, campouts and trips to the beach. Everyone plays sport, and from Year 3 upwards they have a minimum of five fixtures per term. There’s an incredible elite sports coaching programme too, with an impressive list of visiting international players. It’s no wonder they’re winning sports scholarships to the likes of Winchester, Rugby and Oakham. The academics are roaring, with awards to Downe House and Oundle. The production of The World’s Worst Kids, featuring every pupil from Year 1 to Year 8, sounded highly entertaining. | Brettenham Park, Ipswich, Suffolk IP7 7PH | David Griffiths | 196 day and boarding: 114 boys, 82 girls | Non-denom | 3–13 | Day: £6,424; boarding: £8,369 | obh.co.uk/ |
| Orwell Park | At Orwell Park they’re busy packing away the bunting after a bumper year of 150th birthday celebrations. Aesthetically, it’s magnificent: an 18th-century mansion with its own observatory and sailing at nearby Alton Water. We love the juxtaposition of old and new: wood-panelled classrooms, roaring fires and 1:1 iPads. The new hockey coach is a 2012 Olympian and there’s a nine-hole golf course to boot. The DT room is one of the most dazzling we’ve seen in a prep, and 12 lucky pupils visited Mayo College in Rajasthan in February – lots more exciting trips like this in the pipeline, we’re promised. Bright, sunny dorms are undergoing rolling refurbishment and boarding is a hit with London commuter parents. Pupils disperse all over at age 13 – to Oundle, Uppingham, Winchester et al – with a superb 24 scholarships awarded last year. | Nacton, Suffolk IP10 0ER | Adrian Brown | 307 day and boarding: 132 boys, 175 girls | C of E | 2 1/2 – 13 | Day £6,230; boarding: £8,667 | orwellpark.co.uk/ |
| Packwood Haugh | When you’re a lofty Year 8, with CE looming, you have to find light relief where you can. Packwood’s pupils recently broke up the studiousness with Fitness to Music, performed in their most outlandish kit. For the boys, says head Clive Smith-Langridge, ‘pants worn outside trousers seemed especially popular, perhaps helping them channel their inner Superman.’ It certainly worked: they bagged 28 scholarships to a host of impressive senior schools last year. This rural Shropshire co-ed has excellent facilities for a prep and sport is a particular strength: rugby for the boys, lacrosse for the girls, cricket for both (with mixed senior teams – go, girls). Half of pupils board, with more than a third staying in school on Sundays. ‘I left with a big smile on my face,’ says our informer. ‘Lucky things, they’re in a very good place.’ | Ruyton XI Towns, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 1HX | Clive Smith-Langridge | 205 day and boarding: 144 boys, 61 girls | C of E | 4–13 | Day: £6,110; boarding: £7,810 | packwood-haugh.co.uk/ |
| S. Anselm’s School | ‘There is a general consensus among the children that more fun is to be had at school than at home,’ says one S. Anselm’s parent. The school is set in the glorious Peak District and cross country is a big deal – from the S. Anselm’s Steeplechase to the Brailich Hill Run, in which the whole prep school takes part as parents ring cowbells in support. The opening of a new Astroturf pitch has been ‘transformational’, and the school’s six netball teams had unbeaten seasons last year. Head Peter Phillips has ‘apparently limitless energy’, placing a huge focus on STEM teaching – students are taught technology, coding and robotics in the Lego Innovation Studio. And leavers go on to all the top publics, such as Uppingham, Eton and Winchester. | Bakewell, Derbyshire DE45 1DP | Peter Phillips | 265 day and boarding: 142 boys, 123 girls | C of E | 3–16 | Day: £6,600; boarding: £8,300 | sanselms.co.uk/ |
| St Faith’s | If your child is destined for Silicon Valley, this is probably a good place for them to start. It’s a trailblazer of a school, where pupils study engineering from Year 3 and spend free time stargazing from the new multi-million-pound STEM hub. Schools from across the country and beyond flock to learn about their innovative use of tech and computing. St Faith’s has close links with the university and all the opportunities that come with it and there’s no surprise that it’s heavily oversubscribed. There are plenty of academics’ offspring here, but others commute up to 25 miles. The scholarship haul is mighty: 29 last year, with a hefty cohort hopping across the road to the Leys (which shares the same foundation). There’s heaps of acreage just minutes away and 14 sports teams reached the national finals in 2017. The breakfast club is a hit with busy working parents and families alike: ‘75 families join us each day,’ says the school. ‘St Faith’s encapsulated everything we were looking for,’ says a mother. | Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 8AG | Nigel Helliwell | 540 day: 312 boys, 228 girls | C of E | 4–13 | £5,315 | stfaiths.co.uk/ |
| St John’s College School | ‘This school is magical,’ says a smitten mother. ‘Its approach is gentle but the results are high. Children remain children, yet become confident, intelligent, well rounded, compassionate individuals.’ It’s non-selective: for 4+ entry parents are interviewed, rather than children, to check ‘their interest in the school and its ethos’ – essentially, will you get it? The Emotions for Learning programme is still key to St John’s success, and they’re hot on words like ‘metacognition’ – improving children’s ability to understand how they learn (you knew that). Music and drama are standout: they put on more than 12 productions a year, ‘plays created on a foundation of playfulness’, which is real luvvie-speak but just as it should be. Families are spread out within an hour’s radius of Cambridge, but we’re told it’s a ‘very sociable school’ with a ‘very active parent’s association’. | Grange Road, Cambridge CB3 9AA | Neil Chippington | 477 day and boarding: 278 boys, 199 girls | C of E | 4–13 | Day: £5,110; boarding: £8,070 (choristers £2,690) | sjcs.co.uk/ |
| Winchester House School | Since taking over in 2014, Emma Goldsmith has proven herself to be a popular leader. And she’s keen on instilling these skills in her students with a Learn to Lead programme. Last year leavers won scholarships in all fields – academic, sport, music, drama, art and computing – to schools like Oundle, Rugby and Radley. WHS is known for its sporting prowess, putting out a minimum of 10 boys’ teams and 10 girls’ teams a week, with outstanding results – the U11 rugby team won every match this year and qualified for nationals, and the girls U11 were IAPS hockey finalists. Over a third of students board (either occasionally or weekly) and boarding activities include zorb football, paintball, ice-skating and in-school laser tag. And from September 2019, no more Saturday school for Years 5 to 8! | High Street, Brackley, Northamptonshire N13 7AZ | Emma Goldsmith | 307 day and boarding: 178 boys, 129 girls | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £6,410 boarding: £8,110 | winchester-house.org/ |
| Witham Hall School | Wonderful Witham,’ beams one satisfied parent. This Georgian gem has been buoyed by healthy entry lists and it is a popular choice for London families relocating. Head Mr Welch likes his school’s ‘discreet profile’ – ‘We strive for word-of-mouth recommendation,’ he says. Mr and Mrs W are sports mad and the new sports centre’s dance studio and fitness suite are ‘unbelievable facilities for a prep school’ says one mother. Days are chock-a-block, with homework done at school and supper and evening activities thrown in at no extra cost. All boarders go home after sport on Saturday (but not before Steph the Chef’s legendary match tea) and return on Monday morning. Last year’s 18 scholarships included Oundle, Stowe and Uppingham. | Witham on the Hill, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 0JJ | Charles Welch | 250 day and boarding; 140 boys, 110 girls | C of E | 4–13 | Day: £5,360; boarding: £7,230 | withamhall.com/ |
| Title | Review | Location | Head | Pupils | Faith | Ages | Term-fees | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ardvreck | This small but mighty Perthshire gem sees half its leavers achieving scholarships. It currently has eight prospective art scholars who, our insider tells us, are sent out in all seasons to recreate the incredible scenery. In fact head Mr Davey grasps every chance to get his students outdoors. They’re strong on the rugby pitch, with pupils on the Scotland Prep schools team, and are not afraid of a challenge: their pipe band not only took part in a Royal Mile parade in Edinburgh last year, it also played at the top of Ben Nevis. It’s lucky they have cosy dorms to warm up in after embracing the elements. | Crieff, Perthshire PH7 4EX | Dan Davey | 113 day and boarding: 51 boys, 62 girls | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £4,987; boarding: £7,495 | ardvreckschool.co.uk |
| Aysgarth School | Aysgarth is one of a small handful of schools still doing that all-boys, full-boarding thing – and doing it brilliantly. ‘These boys have such self belief,’ says a mother. ‘And they truly muck around as boys should.’ Head Rob Morse, sporting jaunty purple trews when we visited, aims to give his charges ‘the time and space to make the very most of their talents.’ Leavers go on to everywhere from Eton and Harrow to Oundle and Fettes, with an impressive scholarship haul, and a record number of attempted sports scholarships this year. More than 100 boys stay in school on Sundays – ‘the highlight of the week’, we’re told, with baking, swimming, shooting on the school range, climbing and, weather permitting, waterslides. And yes, they do still play corridor cricket, despite the six-figure dorm upgrade, and they enjoy clubs from croquet to ferreting to the Meat Appreciation Society (in which Italian cured meats are ranked and burger battles enthusiastically waged). | Bedale, North Yorkshire DL8 1TF | Rob Morse | 168 boys, day and boarding | C of E | 8–13 | Day: £6,630; boarding: £8,630 | aysgarthschool.com |
| Belhaven Hill | ‘Arguably the most popular prep school in Scotland,’ beams our spy. Belhaven is flying high with Henry Knight now two years at the helm. Boarding is their forte and the boys’ house has had a revamp – girls’ next. Around 70 per cent board and love it (‘it’s cool,’ says one girl). They punch above their weight for their size on the Edinburgh sporting circuit, with an unbeaten season for Rugby 1st XV. Parents tell us Mr Knight is a ‘wizard’ at choosing senior schools and last year’s 16 leavers won an incredible 12 scholarships. Most importantly, pupils depart knowing their Gay Gordons from their Dashing White Sergeant – reeling is a big deal. | Dunbar, East Lothian EH42 1NN | Henry Knight | 134 day and boarding: 66 boys, 68 girls | Non-denom | 6–13 | Day: £5,281; boarding: £6,481 | belhavenhill.com |
| Cargilfield School | ‘What’s the best thing about Cargilfield?’ we asked a pupil. ‘Small classes – more attention,’ he replied, with commendable brevity. Every second of the long school day is crammed with activity – when we visited, pupils were spending their 50-minute morning break absorbed in everything from DT projects to pipe-band march- ing practice to ping-pong (the sensible ones were curled up with books in front of the library’s log fire). Boarding is flexi or weekly, overseen by the ‘wonderful’ matron, Heather. Pupils bounce on to all the best schools, with scholarships to Eton, Harrow, Fettes et al. The sports teams are pretty formidable: well done to the under-11 hockey girls who came second in the IAPs nationals last year. Head Rob Taylor is, says a father, an ‘absolute star’ (‘very enthusiastic – talks too much,’ says our succinct pupil source). | Gamekeeper’s Road, Edinburgh EH4 6HU | Rob Taylor | 313 day and boarding: 190 boys, 123 girls | C of S | 3–13 | Day: £5,281; boarding: £6,481 | cargilfield.com/ |
| Cundall Manor School | In the words of one staff member, there’s ‘a cacophony of activity’ at Cundall Manor. We love the sensibly relaxed attitude to risk (ask them about the trebuchet, the go-karting, the axe-throwing – yes, really), and the children thrive on it, with two thirds of them staying on until 16. Our spy was impressed by the successful partnership between joint heads Amanda Kirby and John Sample. Boarding is weekly or flexi – no one stays on Saturday nights. The under-13 hockey girls are national junior champions for the second year in a row; the swim squad reached the national finals; and one 12-year-old equestrian claimed the national under-14 title. Pupils wax lyrical about the freedom, the friendships, the small class sizes and the fact that ‘no one is ever left out’. | Cundall, North Yorkshire YO61 2RW | Amanda Kirby and John Sample | 95 day and boarding: 230 boys, 165 girls | C of E | 2–16 | Day: £5,204; boarding: £6,843 | cundallmanorschool.com/ |
| Mowden Hall School | A warm family atmosphere and a healthy emphasis on outdoor life (they say you can see the Northern Lights from behind the top pitches) characterise this happy, caring Cothill Trust co-ed. Every child plays an instrument and a parent tells us that legendary head of drama Mr Hampton is just as enthusiastic as when he taught them some 30 years ago. The school is small, but numbers are growing. There’s absolutely no pressure to board – there’s a daily bus from Newcastle – but Head Neal Bailey believes that ‘parents are often surprised to realise that choosing boarding could even improve family relationships’. His wife Nici, a SEN specialist, is head of pastoral and their sons both attend the school. Few leave at 11, possibly because of the cherished Year 7 term in France – it’s either that or the addictive rice pudding. | Newton, Stocksfield, Northumberland NE43 7TP | Neal Bailey | 182 day and boarding: 96 boys, 86 girls | Non-denom | 3–13 | Day: £5,720; boarding: £7,900 | mowdenhall.co.uk/ |
| Queen Mary’s School | ‘A place where girls can learn, grow, and get muddy’, says head Carole Cameron, and it’s true that they get stuck in: zip-wiring into the River Swale, scaling the climbing wall and pheasant-plucking are all part of daily life here in the glorious Yorkshire Dales. And girls get down to business in the classroom too: admission is ‘diagnostic rather than selective’ but GCSE results were 78 per cent A*–B last year and a handful of sixth-form scholarships to Uppingham and Queen Margaret’s are the norm. Music is a highlight and around half of pupils ride (netball and hockey are still the premier sports). Though full boarding is on offer, girls mainly go weekly or flexi (‘it’s like running a hotel!’, says the school); plenty of socials with the Aysgarth lads too. ‘It’s very homely and wholesome,’ says our mole. ‘What’s not to like?’ | Baldersby Park, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire YO7 3BZ | Carole Cameron | 210 girls, day and boarding | C of E | 2–16 | Day: £6,325; boarding: £8,630 | queenmarys.org/ |
| St Mary’s Melrose | St Mary’s is full to the brim and firing on all cylinders. The only private school on the Scottish Borders, it attracts a far-flung crowd as well as locals. Staff are inspi rational and academic excellence abounds. Pupils scatter everywhere that’s anywhere – albeit reluctantly. ‘Our leavers frequently ask to come back and help – we can’t get rid of them!’ the school tells us. Houses (known as ‘squads’) play a big part in daily life – they compete against each other with pupils taught to win and lose with grace. There are fab new buildings and the art is inspirational: ‘no basic painting and gluing!’ lauds a parent. Firm but fair head Liam Harvey always looks like he is up to mischief – but Oscar, his noble yellow Lab, keeps him in check. | Abbey Park, Melrose TD6 9LN | Liam Harvey | 172 day and boarding; 91 boys, 81 girls | C of S | 2 1/2–13 | Day: £5,194; boarding: £5,994 | stmarysmelrose.org.uk/ |
| Terrington Hall | ‘From mucking out chickens to conjugating Greek verbs, with everything in between,’ says head Stephen Mulryne. His pupils are a multitalented bunch (‘hard-working doers,’ he calls them), nailing netball and cricket (unbe aten seasons for both), giving a standout performance of The Tempest and winning scholarships to the likes of Queen Margaret’s and Repton. This is a happy school with a down-to-earth, family atmosphere and, says our insider, ‘a positive, forward-thinking feel.’ Numbers are up and they’re seeing increased demand for nursery and reception places, so register early. Mr Mulryne has his long-coveted Astro; the dorms have plush new carpets (boarding is flexi or weekly); and music and drama have been revitalised by the school’s director of performing arts. We’d like to have been there for basketball baking night – pupils had to shoot hoops to win ingredients. | Terrington, York, North Yorkshire Y060 6PR | Stephen Mulryne | 180 day and boarding: 97 boys, 83 girls | C of E | 3–13 | Day: £4,665; boarding: £6,210 | terringtonhall.com/ |
| Title | Review | Location | Head | Pupils | Faith | Ages | Term-fees | Oxbridge | Registration | Admission | Alumni | Prep Head | Prep Pupils | Prep Ages | Prep Term Fees | Website |
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| Alleyn’s School | The Dulwich Estate may be celebrating 400 years in 2019, but its co-ed offering, led by engaging head Dr Gary Savage, is about as unstuffy as you could hope for. In fact, in the words of one parent, ‘the atmosphere at Alleyn’s is so ridiculously cool, kind and supportive, that life afterwards can come as a shock!’ Word of the school’s excellent academic standards and supportive environment extends well bey ond its traditional Wandsworth/Clapham/Beckenham catchment area, making competition for entry at both 11+ and 13+ ‘eye-wateringly fierce’. Winning a place at the junior school – which offers automatic transfer to the senior – is the golden ticket. This is a highly selective school but weight is placed on the interview, to ‘strip away the tutoring’ and discover pupils’ interests and natural curiosity. Drama is a forte – Alleyn’s was founded by actor Edward Alleyn way back in 1619 and in our opinion offers the best drama facilities of all the Dulwich Estate schools. Music and dance are strong, with a gospel choir, a sinfonietta and at least 500 individual music lessons held every week. The school emphasises the importance of learning outside the classroom as well as in – a long list of clubs, many student led, includes the radio club (broadcasting weekly) and the Dystopian Literature Society. Deputy Head Andy Skinnard leads the pastoral care provision, with support from Chaplain Anthony Buckley, who is on hand all hours – for both pupils and parents. We found the Alleyn’s pupils we met to be genuine, courteous, positive and, though they wear them lightly, to have talents in abundance. | Townley Road, SE22 8SU | Dr Gary Savage, PhD, since 2010; previously under master at Westminster School | 997 day: 451 boys, 546 girls | C of E | 11–18 | £6,617 | 17% | By November of year before entry; £100 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Florence Welch, Ed Simons, Sir Henry Cotton | Simon Severino | 240 day: 113 boys, 127 girls | 4–11 | £6,027 | alleyns.org.uk |
| Bancroft’s School | Sign outside a Bancroft’s physics lab:‘Mr Ceeraz’s Classroom of Joy and Learning.’ They should trademark that and emblazon it across their wrought-iron gates, because joy and learning is what this place is all about. New head Simon Marshall is, says a colleague, ‘big on the idea that you can have it all – education in the broadest terms’. Pupils are an ambitious, competitive bunch: 90 per cent A*–B at A-level last year; a record 25 Oxbridge offers; and the ‘absolutely brilliant’ maths department sets the academic pace. But Mr Marshall is keen ‘to educate families that school is not just about nose to grindstone. It’s about enriching students as human beings.’ Evidence: the grinning sixth-former bounding past us on the art-room stairs wearing a paint-splattered apron over his camo-print CCF uniform. Almost everyone does CCF at some point – don’t get them started on the joys of Night Ex and Sniper Stalk. Drama is fab, and pupils love the annual Taal performance put on by the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Muslim Society. The house system is a core strand of Bancroft’s DNA, and integral to the strong pastoral-care system. Get into the prep at 7+ and you’ll have automatic transfer to the senior school at 11. But don’t tutor: ‘We have turned children away because we just didn’t hear their voice – the tutor got in the way,’says prep head Joe Layburn. PS: Don’t be fooled by that Essex postcode – it’s at the end of the Central line and there’s a bus from Woodford station. | Woodford Green, Essex IG8 0RF | Simon Marshall, MPhil, since 2016; previously head of the English School in Prague | 896 day: 458 boys, 438 girls | C of E | 11–18 | £5,794 | 10% | By December of year before entry; £60 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Former tennis player Sam Smith, author Hari Kunzru, actress Samantha Spiro | Joe Layburn | 259 day: 136 boys, 123 girls | 7–11 | £4,718 | bancrofts.org |
| City of London School | When City boys speak of ‘our art gallery’, what they are talking about is actually Tate Modern, which is visible from their classrooms on the north bank of the River Thames. It’s one of a host of well-utilised cultural attractions on the doorstep for these streetwise, independent boys who commute from all over London and are highly engaged with the dynamism and diversity of the city around them. Reflecting that diversity is one of City’s commitments and great strengths. Its broad socioeconomic mix is achieved, in part, through strong bursary provision (40 per cent of pupils benefit), lower fees than comparable schools and thorough outreach. Head Alan Bird, who joined from Brighton College in January 2018, praises the school’s ‘liberal and open-minded values’, while Coco Stevenson, the warm and friendly Deputy Head Pastoral, describes the school as ‘a place for everybody’. There are close links with City of London School for Girls. Tardis-like behind a modest façade is a wealth of facilities, including a theatre, a refurbished library overlooking the Millennium Bridge, a rooftop Astroturf pitch and a bookshop. Boys are thoughtful and not at all pretentious, despite outstanding academic abilities: 27 leavers headed off to Oxbridge this year; 88 per cent go to Russell Group universities, while a small but significant number pursue a vocational education in art, drama and music. | Queen Victoria Street, EC4V 3AL | Alan Bird, MSc, since 2016; previously Deputy Head of Brighton College | 920 day boys | Inter-denom | 10–18 | £5,967 | 27% | One year before entry; £160 fee | School’s own exam, ISEB pre-test and interview | Julian Barnes, Daniel Radcliffe, actor Joe Alwyn | clsb.org.uk | ||||
| City of London School for Girls | CLSG is in the heart of the Barbican opposite the Medieval church of St Giles’ Cripplegate and within spitting distance of the Barbican Centre, the Museum of London and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. There’s not a blade of grass to be seen, but the site is looking spruce and shiny after a recent refurbishment, with new lighter and more spacious classrooms brightening up the Barbican brickwork. Entry is via the school’s own exam (and yes, they’ll spot tutoring a mile off) –they’re looking for girls who are truly interested and confident of their own potential. CLSG’s popularity is soaring, so if you’re offered a place, snap it up without delay. They do pastoral care very well here, and are open about the need to tackle issues head on – there’s an all-pervading air of tolerance. Despite the lack of green space, these girls like their sport: the small all-weather pitch is used for everything from netball to hockey to summer fetes. The U13 gymnastics team took a place on the podium for the second year running; in cross-country, CLSG U15 are English Schools National Champions. There is loads of music, with informal concerts in St Giles’, collaborations with Freemen’s and City of London Boys, choirs and scholar concerts. They also join forces with the City boys for drama productions. Pupils are sparky, interested and academically astute, and results are absolutely outstanding (85 per cent A*–A grades at A-level last year). As one girl told us, ‘The conversations I have here are amazing. There is no box to fit in to at City.’ | St Giles’ Terrace, EC2Y 8BB | Ena Harrop, MPhil, since 2014; previously director of studies | 732 day girls | Non- denom | 11–18 | £6,128 | 29% | One year before entry; £125 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Romola Garai, Dido, Claudia Winkleman, actress Ella Purnell | Rachel Hadfield | 93 day girls | 7–11 | £6,128 | clsg.org.uk |
| Dulwich College | ‘I love Dulwich College’, declares our reporter. It’s got all the frills of a boarding school, including the listed buildings and 75 acres of greenery – yet it’s just 12 minutes by train from central London. While only 10 per cent of pupils board, you wouldn’t know it from the 24/7 buzz. Savvy parents pop their babes in at six months old, then they can stay all the way up to 18 (provided they pass the 11+ entrance exam). Boys come out as ‘confident, polite, well-rounded men’, says a mother. It’s the school’s 400th anniversary this year; to mark the occasion, there’s an ongoing refurbishment of the whole site, and another round of the Dulwich Olympiad, where pupils from the ‘commonwealth’ of DC International schools (outposts in China, South Korea, Singapore and Myanmar) compete in sport, drama and music. Rugby and football are mega: last year, they became the first school to win two major schools’ rugby tournaments, the Champions Trophy and the Schools Cup. Boys shine in the classroom (87 per cent A*–B at A-level last year) and collaborate with JAGS girls outside – in drama, music and sport. Head Joe Spence champions ‘free learning’, fusing the curricular and the extra, and he’s on a drive to widen bursarial provision; one of the school’s most outstanding features is its diversity – both culturally and economically – and pupils’ commitment to social responsibility. And with the impending celebrations to organise, there’s no sign of the momentum waning: ‘I could wax lyrical about the place for ever!’ says a parent. | Dulwich Common, SE21 7LD | Dr Joseph Spence, PhD, since 2009; previously Head of Oakham School | 1,395 boys: 1,261 day, 134 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £6,816; boarding: £14,227 | 11% | By November of year before entry; £100 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Rupert Penry-Jones, PG Wodehouse, Graham Swift | Dr Toby Griffiths | 221 day boys | 7–11 | £6,816 | dulwich.org.uk |
| Emanuel School | Emanuel does a sterling job of turning out ‘incredibly nice men and women’, says our insider. This vibrant, purposeful place, a short distance from Clapham Junction station, has appeal London-wide. Entrance has always been a bit of a bun fight; registrations are capped at 11+ (though the plan is for this to change from 2020) so that every candidate can be interviewed before sitting the exam. A-level results last year were 76 per cent A*–B; rumours abound of a surge on the academic front under young and ambitious new head Robert Milne, fresh from KCS Wimbledon, but it’s the all-rounder ethos that defines Emanuel. Sport is superb, with enviable facilities (they’re one of a tiny clutch of day schools to play Eton Fives), and rowing is based at a fabulous boathouse in Barnes. On site, the eye-catching Dacre Centre for Arts & Humanities has just flung open its doors; with it comes a film studio and the launch of Emanuel TV – with a helping hand from the BBC’s Gordon Corera. Taking performances to the Edinburgh Fringe is the norm, and pupils sing evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral at Christmas. Recently, the owner of a venue where an Emanuel pupil’s 18th-birthday party was held wrote to the parents: ‘What a lovely group of teenagers,’ they said. ‘I think that’s typical of both the school and its pupils,’ says a mother. | Battersea Rise, SW11 1HS | Robert Milne, BA, since 2017; previously Deputy Head at King’s College School | 907 day: 480 boys, 427 girls | C of E | 11–18 | £6,194 | 5% | Two years before entry; £145 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Michael Roux Jr, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, actor Joseph Quinn | emanuel.org.uk | ||||
| Francis Holland School, Regent’s Park | Head Charles Fillingham is in his third year and is a big hit. ‘He makes a real effort to get to know us all,’ says one pupil, citing his open-door policy and how he greets people at the school gates every morning (‘even when it’s really cold’). Among his initiatives is the Spirit of Internationalism programme, with its teacher exch anges, work-experience placements abroad and the development of a study centre in France. It’s been hugely popular, as have the Women of Influence lecture series – which saw visiting speakers such as Diane Abbott – and the school lizard Leo. They’re a brainy bunch here: 82 per cent A*–B at A-level last year, with 10 per cent leaving for Oxbridge, and – after winning an international competition – a group of FHS girls went to the NASA Space Centre in Houston, Texas. They’re high achievers in other areas too – the U12 netball A and B teams had unbeaten seasons, the school art Instagram account is gaining followers and the Entrep reneurship Fortnight encourages pupils to develop business skills (though these girls are no stranger to initiative, having set up a feminist society themselves). It’s no wonder, then, that they’re so oversubscribed. The school just celebrated its 140th birthday. Here’s to the next 140 years. | Ivor Place, NW1 6XR | Charles Fillingham, MA, since 2016; previously Deputy Head at City of London School | 515 day girls | C of E | 11–18 | £6,680 | 10% | By November of year before entry; £100 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Jackie and Dame Joan Collins, Emilia Fox | fhs-nw1.org.uk | ||||
| Francis Holland School, Sloane Square | Head Lucy Elphinstone has made it her mission to prepare her girls for the digital age. The axiom around here is ‘creativity, innovation and enterprise’ – they’re building a Centre for Creative Enterprise for the whole school as well as a sixth-form centre, where they’ll teach new A-level subjects such as computer science. This is no longer a ‘cosy safety school’, and the academic bar has been raised high. FHS SW1 celebrated its highest-ever GCSE results last year (85 per cent A*–A), while plenty of leavers went to Oxbridge and Russell Group universities and 15 per cent to the US and Canada, one on a £30,000 scholarship to study film in LA. In sport, they dominate on the netball court: the U14s had an unbeaten season, and the U15s and U13s are off on a tour to South Africa. Mean- while the choir went on tour to Athens and the school production of The Snow Queen played for one night only to the public in the West End. Tons of clubs include our favourite, the Festival Challenge Club, in which girls make recyclable rainproof clothing to wear to music festivals. Last year saw a record number of applications to the school, and the entry process for September 2019 has changed, with a cognitive ability test replacing the ‘damaging effect’ of 11+. | 39 Graham Terrace, SW1W 8JF | Lucy Elphinstone, MA, since 2012; previously Senior Leader and Head of Sixth Form at Downe House | 408 day girls | C of E | 11–18 | £6,970 | 10% | By November of year before entry; £100 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Jemima Khan, Vanessa- Mae, Sienna Miller | Caroline Spencer | 162 day girls | 4–11 | £6,160 | fhs-sw1.org.uk |
| The Godolphin & Latymer School | Godolphin girls admitted to us that ‘they are always being told they are amazing’ – well, that’s because they are. Dolphins are adventurous, fun, do well because they love it and, unlike some top academic hothouses, ‘we don’t take ourselves too seriously.’ How refreshing to hear from a top London day school. Godolphin remains committed to interviewing all applicants – no small task when numbers have soared to over 850 (for 115 places). ‘We are highly selective,’ they tell us, rather unsurprisingly. IB average was up to 41 last year, A-levels down a smidgen at 88 per cent A*–B, but not for long given they trumpet ‘our best-ever results’ for GCSEs at 97 per cent A*–A. Head Dr Frances Ramsey told us that ‘at Godolphin we foster high performance in a wide range of areas (academic, sporting, creative), but this is done in a warm, supportive and inclusive atmosphere, which bolsters the girls’ confidence.’ The girls we spoke to agree. Sport is very much a feature: the sports hall has netball courts, a climbing wall and a trampoline, and there’s an Astro on site too. They are regional finalists at netball and hockey, and their rowers are regularly invited to GB trials. There are too many other fabulous opportunities on offer to list here… A top-flight, nurturing school, where every girl will find her niche. | Iffley Road, W6 0PG | Dr Frances Ramsey, DPhil, since 2017; previously principal of Queen’s College | 800 day girls | 11–18 | £6,978 | 15% | By November of year before entry; £125 fee | School’s own exam and interviews | Baroness Susan Greenfield, Julia King, Sophie Ellis-Bextor | godolphinandlatymer.com | |||||
| Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School | Habs Boys was the Sunday Times’s Independent School of the Year for 2017 – and you don’t have to look too hard to see why. On our visit, as we weaved through a joshing, bantering, horsing- around horde of teenage boys, our guide asked one what all the excitement was about. ‘IMC,’ came the answer – Intermediate Maths Challenge. It takes a very particular kind of boy to get this excited about a maths exam – but, to quote head Peter Hamilton, at Habs ‘it’s absolutely cool to be in love with maths to the nth degree. We do a really good line in slightly quirky, unusual boys. ’Get your boy into the prep and he’s pretty much guaranteed a place at the senior school – they’re looking for ‘engagement, inquisitiveness, intellectual curiosity’. If he doesn’t get in at 5+ or 7+, don’t despair, says MrHamilton: ‘It’s not that they’re not good enough, it’s that they’re not ready.’ They may well ‘sail in at 11 or 13’. The academic pace is brisk, and yes, there is pressure to achieve (98 per cent A*–B at A-level last year), but we’re told repeatedly that the pastoral care is ‘absolutely amazing’ and that boys soon get up to speed. Plenty of joint co-curricular activities with Habs Girls next door keep life interesting, and, of course, there’s the famous bus network – ‘Many a match made on the Harrow coach,’ says Mr Hamilton. After 16 years in the job, he retires next summer, when Gus Lock will arrive from Warwick School. | Butterfly Lane, Elstree, Hertfordshire WD6 3AF | Peter Hamilton, MA, since 2002; previously head of King Edward VI School, Southampton | 1,142 day boys | Inter-denom | 11–18 | £6,490 | 23% | By November of year before entry; £100 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Sacha Baron Cohen, Matt Lucas, Simon Schama | Matthew Judd | 291 day boys | 5–11 | £6,490 | habsboys.org.uk |
| Hampton School | Hampton’s (justified) reputation for sport should not detract from its academic excellence, its considerable success in drama and music and its talent for cultivating a love of learning in all areas. We found a smorgasbord of cultures, characters and passions (including a maths-challenge expert, a drama aficionado and an accomplished musician who waxed lyrical about Hampton being an ‘all Steinway school’), with pupils hailing from Surrey to Windsor, Ealing, Chiswick and Wimbledon. These boys are all united by a bright-eyed enthusiasm and an understated charm: there is a distinct lack of arrogance. That Hamptonians look out for and care for each other is something that popular, and visible, head Kevin Knibbs insists on. Pastoral care is superb and mental wellbeing is taken seriously: the school was one of the first to put Oxford Mindfulness Centre courses on the compulsory curriculum. They are big on digital awareness (every child is issued with an iPad on entry) but also on nurturing a love of reading (‘the librarian is really helpful,’ says one boy); lunch breaks are deliberately long, to allow time for clubs and interests – including sport. And it is sport that reigns supreme: boys have 17 to choose from, with courts and pitches – including a 3G all-weather surface – spread over the 27-acre grounds; the boathouse is 10 minutes away on the Thames. There are 25 Sat urday fixtures and the list features all the South East’s top public schools; a number of pupils play at county and national level. With demand high – and rising – look to the prep, where there’s the chance of moving up via the Assured Place scheme. | Hanworth Road, Hampton TW12 3HD | Kevin Knibbs, MA, since 2013; previously Deputy Head | 1,270 day boys | Non-denom | 11–18 | £6,685 | 10% | By autumn of year before entry; £125 fee | School’s own exams, interviews and previous school’s report | Cricketer Toby Roland-Jones, Olympic medallists Greg & Jonny Searle | Tim Smith | 230 day: 227 boys, 3 girls | 3–11 | £4,645 | hamptonschool.org.uk |
| Harrow School | You’d be hard pressed to find a more blue-chip, traditional school than Harrow, part of the dying breed of all-boys, full-boarding schools. Academics are superb (70 per cent A*–A at A-level last year) and pupils take elective courses alongside their GCSEs to encourage critical analysis of the world around them. They welcome speakers from Katie Hopkins to Sir David Attenborough, practically every night of the week, and there’s a non-stop timetable from dawn ’til dusk. The entrance procedure isn’t for the faint hearted: there’s a pre-test in Year 6 to ‘filter out the weakest academically’, and last year 800 applied for the 160 places up for grabs at 13+. Choosing the right boarding house is crucial; boys spend their entire school career in the same one, with older pupils acting as ‘managers’ for the younger boys. Sadly, wonderful Mr Hawkins has left, but we hope to see a continuation of his philanthropic ethos: hosting summer schools for state-school Oxbridge applicants, partnering with the London Academy of Excellence in one of the city’s most deprived suburbs and sponsoring promising pupils from state primaries through a Harrow education. They’re a big singing school, according to our pupil guide, and the 1st XV rugby team enjoyed an unbeaten season this year. | 5 High Street, Harrow-on-the-Hill HA1 3HP | Mel Mrowiec (interim head) | 825 boys, all boarding | C of E | 13–18 | £13,350 | 10% | By May of Year 6, £300 fee | ISEB pre-test, school’s own assessment, CE or school’s own exam, previous school’s report and interview | King Hussein of Jordan, Anthony Trollope, Benedict Cumberbatch | harrowschool.org.uk | ||||
| Highgate School | Tell us the three best things about your school, we asked Sian, a Highgate pupil. ‘Can I do four?’ she asked. ‘The great facilities and the central location, which feels so rural; the liberal ethos, which embraces diversity; the lack of pressure; and the incredible sport – their mission is to find a sport for everyone.’ She goes on: Head Adam Pettitt is ‘very welcoming, friendly and likes a good firm handshake. He is also a keen runner and can be seen tearing up the hills on Hampstead Heath.’ Oh, and the food ‘deserves a Michelin star’. Highgate is a vast school that has pupils aged from three to 18, and includes a stunning, spacious, sculpture-filled junior school. Pretty much everyone transfers seamlessly from the junior to the senior school, a short walk up the hill. The house system, which stems from Highgate’s early days as a boarding school, is integral to the excellent pastoral care. We’re impressed by the philanthropy and the outward-facing attitude (lots of volunteering opportunities), and by the scholarly teaching and academic aspiration. Pupils are self-motivated with a strong work ethic, and confident of their abilities (38 per cent A* at A-level or the pre-U equivalent last year, up five per cent on the year before). Last word to Sian: ‘We have gender-neutral toilets that even have automatic doors.’ | North Road, N6 4AY | Adam Pettitt, MA, since 2006; previously Second Master at Norwich School | 1,202 day: 615 boys, 587 girls | C of E | 11–18 | £6,990 | 15% | By autumn of year before entry | School’s own exam, assessment, reference from previous head and interview | John Betjeman, actors Geoffrey Palmer and Freddie Highmore, Phil Tufnell | Mark James | 523 day: 265 boys, 258 girls | 3–11 | £6,410 | highgateschool.org.uk |
| Ibstock Place School | ‘I was sold by the sheer space of IPS,’ says a mother blown away by the leafy surroundings a mere eight or so miles from central London. It’s a mish-mash of old and new with eye candy everywhere, be it the out-of-this-world theatre with its bucolic views of Richmond Park, or just the freshly cut lilies at every turn. Head Anna Sylvester-Johnston has been here for donkey’s years and she’s no-nonsense, super old school and a stickler for manners; the last hurrah of her 10-year plan comes to fruition next year when the swanky new dining room opens. She’s upfront about getting in; there’s no ‘safe passage’ from the prep, whose pupils tough it out via the same competitive entrance exam as everyone else. But being here pays off: A-level results last year were their second-best ever, at 84 per cent A*–B. Virtually all sixth formers take the EPQ, and Question Time was broadcast live from the theatre the day after the general election – a serious coup. Student-led The Wall magazine won an award for best editorial content in a nationwide comp- etition last year. Impressive sports facilities are all minutes from the main campus and Olympic gold medallist Crista Cullen recently dropped in for a hockey master class. Pupils come from all pockets of London and parents are a mix of professionals, internationals and, so says the grapevine, a sprinkling of celebs. | Clarence Lane, Roehampton SW15 5PY | Anna Sylvester-Johnson, BA, since 2000; previously Head of ArtsEd Schools | 670 day: 335 boys, 335 girls | C of E | 11–18 | £6,690 | 4% | By November of year before entry; £150 fee | School’s own exam, interview and reference from previous Head | Emily Blunt, Suki Waterhouse, Iris Murdoch | Marion MacDonald | 300 day: 150 boys, 150 girls | 5635 | ibstockplaceschool.co.uk | |
| James Allen’s Girls’ School | News that JAGS’ chaplaincy Basset hound, Lina, has her own Twitter account (@LinaHound) seems entirely in keeping with the spirit of this enthusiastic, high-achieving independent that places great store on creative thinking, innovation and finding joy in learning. ‘Sensible, articulate and confident, without an ounce of arrogance,’ is how one insider describes JAGS girls, whose strong work ethic is as positive and pervasive as their commitment to social responsibility. Art, drama and music are JAGS’ heartbeat. Talents are fostered early, in the prep and pre-prep schools, and corridors are lined with quality, often unusual, artworks; last year, 11 girls had their work selected for showcase at the Royal College of Art. A professional-standard theatre offers opportunities both on and off stage and a number of students have obtained sought-after design and technical places at top drama schools. Pupils are set to benefit further from the Community Music Centre, opening as we speak, with 15 practice rooms and a 500-seat auditorium, named after composer Vaughan Williams, JAGS’ director of music in 1904. Sports are big too: eight netball and four hockey teams in each year group train regularly; rowing has returned (sharing the Dulwich College boathouse); and sailing, zumba, spin, climbing, kick boxing and BMX have been added. Four A-levels are the norm and JAGS girls take it all in their stride, knowing support is available from Head Sally-Anne Huang (‘mother of the school’), Cécile Schnyder, JAGS’ first school chaplain – and Lina the Basset hound, of course. | East Dulwich Grove, SE22 8TE | Sally-Anne Huang, MA, since 2015; previously Head of Kent College, Pembury | 800 day girls | C of E | 11–18 | £5,997 | 11% | By October of year before entry; £100 fee | Assessment day, school’s own exam and interview | Sally Hawkins, Charlotte Ritchie, Anita Brookner | Finola Stack | 300 day girls | 4–11 | £5,215 | jags.org.uk |
| King’s College School | We’re not allowed to have favourites, but if we were, KCS would be right up there. It’s everything a school should be: modern, high-achieving and forward-thinking, with just enough pomp and circumstance to keep life interesting but not to slow the pace down. Its exceptional results (98 per cent A*–B at A-level or the IB equivalent, with a whopping IB average of 42 points) made it the highest-performing boys’ and co-ed independent school in the country last year and The Sunday Times crowned it London Independent Secondary School of the Year. Over 300 pupils have won Oxbridge places in the past six years, and it was the top independent school in the UK for value-added last year. Applications have soared, and they now receive eight or nine for every place at 11+ and 13+. Head Andrew Halls is, to quote one boy, ‘incredible’. Says another: ‘he cares greatly about every single student, understands teenagers’ problems and anxieties and deals with situations in the best interest of the pupils.’ King’s is a kind, compassionate place: every Friday afternoon, more than 350 pupils take part in community projects, including mentoring in local primary schools. This vast (for London), peaceful site gives them the space to do sport properly – pupils compete against other schools in 18 different sports, with huge success. And the music and drama? You’ve guessed it: superb. The new, state-of-the-art music school and concert hall has just opened, and they’ve now started work on a second sports hall and swimming pool. You get the gist: it’s exceptional. | Southside, SW19 4TT | Andrew Halls, MA, since 2008; previously Master of Magdalen College School | 976 day: 874 boys, 102 girls | C of E | 11–18 | £7,200 | 23% | Three years before entry; £150 fee | Pre-test for 13+, CE or school’s own exam and interview | Chris and Xand van Tulleken, Marcus Mumford, Nadhim Zahawi MP | Dr Gerard Silverlock | 437 day boys | 7–13 | £6,510 | kcs.org.uk |
| The Lady Eleanor Holles School | ‘LEH girls are high-achieving without being neurotic,’ says Heather Hanbury, the maternal head of this sought-after independent set in 24 acres in Hampton. Renowned for her commitment to pastoral care, and her straight talking on the thorny subjects encountered by teens (and their parents), Hanbury inspires and empowers her ‘bright, motivated and intellectually curious girls’ to excel academically and to make their mark on the school community and the world around them. There’s a proud sporting tradition: the lacrosse 1st team are county champions and LEH rowers dominated the podium at the National Championships at almost every level last year (every year, LEH rowers trial for the GB team and several go on to represent their country). Drama and music offerings ‘are at least as good as sport’, and there’s growing interest in technology and robotics, with a new sixth-form STEM scholarship. GCSE computer science and A-level product design are new options taught in state-of-the-art computer and product design suites in the new Gateway Building, which also houses the refurbished swimming pool and a studio with a sprung floor overlooking the lacrosse pitches. Across the sports field is the junior school, whose girls are guaranteed a place in the senior. Both schools share coaches with Hampton School next door, with 22 routes ferrying children to places such as Windsor, Chiswick, Oxshott and Pyrford. From this year, LEH will restructure its day to enable more extracurricular activities to take place jointly with Hampton at lunchtime, so that the girls (and boys) can benefit from the best of both worlds. | Hanworth Road, Hampton TW12 3HF | Heather Hanbury, MA, since 2014; previously Head of Wimbledon High School | 900 day girls | C of E | 11–18 | £6,732 | 8% | By December of year before entry; £100 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Vanessa Kirby, broadcaster Annie Nightingale, Lynn Barber | Paula Mortimer | 192 day girls | 7–11 | £5,577 | lehs.org.uk |
| Latymer Upper School | At last year’s TES Independent School Awards, Latymer carried off three prestigious prizes, including Senior School of the Year and Independent School of the Year. This is a truly remarkable, unpretentious, highly academic co-ed day school. But what really sets Latymer apart is its bursary programme, which provides financial assistance to a whopping 12 per cent of pupils; by the school’s 400th anniversary, in 2024, they plan to have doubled bursary support, with one in four children on fee-assisted places. Head David Goodhew exudes a quiet confidence – ‘his jokes get all the laughs,’ pupils told us. He’s launched a groundbreaking 21st-Century Learning programme, with a unique World Perspectives course for Years 10 and 11, and a new Global Goals course for Year 9. Staff here are truly inspirational, and this is reflected in the stellar exam results (74 per cent A* and A grades at A-level last year). Director of Admissions Catriona Sutherland-Hawes steers parents calmly and kindly through the admissions process. Yes, it’s competitive and oversubscribed, with more than 10 applicants per place. The sports programme is incredibly diverse, and there’s an impressive culture of participation, with A to F teams for the younger year groups; the rowers are particularly successful, regularly winning multiple medals at the National Schools Rowing Championships. Music and drama are, we’re told, ‘fabulous’. A mother says, ‘It’s an overwhelmingly happy school, which achieves the best from its undoubtedly able students – the embodiment of successful, harmonious and intellectually stimulating co-education.’ | King St, W6 9LR | David Goodhew, MA, since 2012; previously Deputy Head of Durham School | 1,220 day: 603 boys, 617 girls | Non-denom | 11–18 | £6,710 | 17% | By October of year before entry; £125 fee | School’s own exams and interview | Actors Ophelia Lovibond, Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman | Andrea Rutterford | 169 day: 93 boys, 76 girls | 7–11 | £6,110 | latymer-upper.org/ |
| Merchant Taylors’ School | ‘Civilised’ seems to be the buzzword at MTS: it cropped up from parents, pupils and the local grapevine when we did our homework on the school. The boys we met were calm, polite and worlds away from the bedlam of some boys’ schools. It’s a sort of hybrid London/country school; a rural idyll of 280 acres (100 of which are dedicated to sports facilities alone), but with the same down-to-earth social diversity you’d expect to find in more urban parts. Bus routes ship pupils in from areas like Beaconsfield and all the way to Wembley. There are some seriously bright minds here; academic success is par for the course and last year’s cohort bagged an impressive 69 per cent A*–A at A-level. Pastoral care is top notch; boys have the benefit of the same tutor the whole way through their time here, and the strong house system mimics a boarding-school structure. Their cricket reputation is unrivalled – the U17 team are national champions and MTS is the home of Middlesex Youth Cricket (the Australian test team drop in for practice whenever they’re in town for the Ashes). Since the merger with Northwood Prep in 2015, MTS has been an all-through school, taking boys from age three (with an internal assessment to progress to the next stage), and pupils team up with sister school St Helen’s for drama, CCF and the all-important socials. | Sandy Lodge, Northwood HA6 2HT | Simon Everson, MA, since 2013; previously Head of Skinner’s School, Tunbridge Wells | 900 day boys | C of E | 11–18 | £6,899 | 10% | By October of year before entry; £100 fee | School’s own exams and interviews | Riz Ahmed, Michael McIntyre, Sir John Sulston | Dr Karen McNerney | 330 day boys | 3–13 | £5,153 | mtsn.org.uk |
| More House School | ‘We are not a hothouse, we are a greenhouse,’ says Amanda Leach, the down-to-earth Co-head of this small but perfectly formed independent with a truly family feel. Leach, who is now joined by former Deputy Head Michael Keeley as fellow Co-head, adds, ‘we provide the opportunity to learn in a nurturing environment that is high in challenge but low in stress.’ The pupils clearly flourish: those we met were confident and well-rounded. ‘The school looks after you,’ said one – its size, house system and homely setting make this possible. ‘Girls learn the importance of supporting other women,’ enthused one parent. Artists succeed here, and the school has strong ties with foundation courses such as that of Central Saint Martins. Music and drama thrive too. Extracurricular activities include at least seven music groups and all kinds of clubs (robotics, foreign films, how to speak French like a Canadian). Sport has improved dramatically over the past few years, driven by Head of PE Miss Minto: games in Battersea Park, climbing at Imperial, swimming at St Mary’s Paddington, rowing at Fulham Reach Boat Club. In 2017–2018, the Years 7 and 8 netball teams won the RBKC Netball Championships. While some girls head off to college for sixth form – which can leave their own feeling a little depleted – many regret moving and find the ‘different dynamic’ a challenge, such is the strength and warmth of the More House embrace. | 22–24 Pont Street, SW1X 0AA | Amanda Leach, BSc, since 2014; previously Deputy Head; and Michael Keeley, BMus, since 2017; previously Deputy Head | 206 day girls | RC | 11–18 | £6,550 | Occasional | By September of year before entry; £125 fee | North London Girls’ Schools’ Consortium exam and interview | Classicist Dr Naoise Mac Sweeney | morehouse.org.uk | ||||
| North London Collegiate | An amazing school with a university feel, NLCS goes out of its way to woo high-calibre staff. The latest signing is brand new head Sarah Clark who, our insiders report, is ‘strong, capable, friendly and funny – the girls love her.’ Mrs Clark is a great believer in the transformative power of harnessing natural enthusiasms and interests (she herself is a passionate bell ringer), which chimes well with this school’s enduring ethos of a love of learning for its own sake. Fabulous all-round opportunities and dedicated pastoral programmes abound. ‘North London is much more than just top grades,’ a mother reassures us. ‘It’s about giving them the support and confidence they need to think outside the box.’ Those grades literally are top: last year NLCS was crowned the top-performing IB school in the country with an average score of 42.4 (plus 43 per cent A* at A-level or equivalent at Pre-U). Most go all-through from juniors (the handful of leavers heading to either St Paul’s or state schools), which means almost 500 applicants battle it out for 60 places at 11+. Fees are consciously ‘affordable’ to maintain an inclusive social mix. The 30 acres of beautiful green parkland are a big selling point too, the trade off being the commute: ‘clogged up roads and not enough on site parking’, grumbles one parent. | Canons Drive, Edgware HA8 7RJ | Sarah Clark, MA, since 2018, previously, Head of the Queen’s School, Chester | 785 day girls | Non-denom | 11–18 | £6,676 | By November of year before entry; £125 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Dame Anna Wintour, actor Victoria Blackburn, structural engineer Roma Agrawal | Jo Newman | 313 day girls | 4–11 | £5,641 | nlcs.org.uk/ | |
| Putney High School | There’s something brilliant happening at Putney High. Head Suzie Longstaff is a human dynamo, and with the rebranding of the GDST there’s a freshness and vibrancy in the air. They’re shooting stars academically, of course (another record-breaking set of GCSE results, with 63 per cent A* grades, and 92 per cent A*–B at A–level last year), but there’s so much else going on besides. Take the Putney Ideas Exchange programme’s PIE2, an entire day off-timetable with an array of inspirational speakers: ‘an opportunity to wonder at “cool stuff” simply for the fun of it.’ There’s a new focus on STEM careers, too. ‘Girls are inspired to think differently, to find their voice and to achieve their goals within school and beyond,’ they tell us. They’re adding Arabic and Italian to the curriculum, and plans are in the pipeline for the building of a new science, music, drama and debating block. There’s a multitude of sport: netball, tennis and gymnastics are strong, but they offer everything from golf to pilates. Rowers have their own boathouse on the Tideway – we salute the J16 coxed four, who set a new course record at women’s Henley. | 35 Putney Hill, SW15 6BH | Susie Longstaff, BA, since 2014, previously Deputy Head | 700 day girls | Non- denom | 11–18 | £6,064 | 6% | By November of year before entry; £100 fee | School’s own exam and interview | designer Emma Hill, Camilla Cavendish, author Sophie Kinsella | Pippa Daverson | 320 day girls | 4–11 | £5,212 | putneyhigh.gdst.net/ |
| Queen’s College | ‘Our penthouse on Harley Street,’ is how Queen’s girls proudly describe the cutting-edge sixth-form centre that was built onto the top of this small but impressive school in 2017. It offers state-of-the-art classrooms, a spacious common room and private study spaces, all with stunning views across central London. The personable head Richard Tillet, who arrived in September 2017, is sharpening up the standards and day-to-day running of the school with a new dynamism and senior team. Sport has been energised under Director of Sport Rebecca Argent and with new facilities – ‘a million times better’ – at Paddington Recreation Ground. A house system has been installed too (with names Austen, Parks, Pankhurst and Seacole democratically chosen), helping girls to mix across the years. The emphasis is firmly on participation and fun, in keeping with the non-competitive ethos. For the sixth form, the flashy new infrastructure is just the beginning; compulsory work experience and voluntary work for every student is being introduced along with mandatory sport and a new curriculum with more time for study and developing skills for work. Class sizes are still small; English and art remain strong; and closer links are being forged with the prep. As one parent puts it: ‘QCL is a school that is going places in a positive and effective way.’ | 43–49 Harley Street, W1G 8BT | Richard Tillet, MA, since 2017, previously Senior Deputy Head at Harrogate Ladies’ College | 381 day girls | C of E | 11–18 | £6,375 | By November of year before entry; £150 fee | School’s own exam, interview, and previous school’s reference | Amber Rudd, Emma Freud, Gertrude Bell | Emma Webb | 224 day girls | 4–11 | £5,945 | qcl.org.uk | |
| St Paul’s Girls’ School | SPSG’s new Head Sarah Fletcher has been a huge hit. ‘She’s settled in well,’ says our mole. ‘The parents have welcomed her, and they like her understated confidence.’ Entry to this all-girls west London power- house is super-competitive, with five or six applications for every place: there are two exam stages and only the most promising candidates are invited for interview. Once you’re in, though, the pressure is off: ‘it’s very relaxed, very liberal,’ says our insider, ‘but both girls and parents are highly motivated.’ Results are stratospheric: 85 per cent A*–A grades at A-level/pre-U last year, and 85 per cent of pre-U entries achieving D1 or D2 grades – the equivalent of an A* or higher. Check out that Oxbridge percentage; interestingly, almost a fifth of girls headed to American universities last year. They’re similarly high-achieving in the music rooms – most pupils play at least one instrument (Mrs Fletcher plays her clarinet in the school’s concert band) – and on the sports pitches. The senior 1st netball team are Middlesex champions; the U15A lacrosse team are county champions for the fourth year in a row; and the senior rowers made school history by becoming the first squad to qualify for the Henley Royal Regatta in the Diamond Jubilee Cup. The new stone, glass and bronze senior school Garden Building is sensational. Sum up your school in a sentence, we asked. The reply: ‘A kind and exciting place to learn, dedicated to the joy of scholarship for its own sake.’ | Brook Green, W6 7BS | Sarah Fletcher, MA, since 2017; previously Head of City of London School | 760 day girls | Non- denom | 11–18 | £8,927 | 36% | By November of year before entry; £125 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Imogen Stubbs, Natasha Richardson, Rachel Weisz | spgs.org/ | ||||
| St Paul’s School | Everything seems to run a mile a minute at St Paul’s. Boys do 11 GCSEs, and conquering four or five A-levels is not discouraged. But if you can keep up, why not? 97 per cent of A-level results were A*–B last year. But this school is in no way merely a results factory: ‘talk to the boys and parents, and what they most value is the interaction with other boys and staff, and opportunities outside the classroom,’ says High Master Mark Bailey. The boys have a full two hours over lunch to get involved in all the extracurricular activities, of which there are plenty: Formula 24, where pupils build their own racing cars, and Knit Soc, where pupils build their own jumpers, are favourites. Curiosity is what Prof Bailey is most interested in, and he attributes the school’s success to having pupils who ‘want to be here’. Competition isn’t encouraged (year-group exam results are not shared), but instead the boys are asked to fulfil their individual potential. They’re clearly competitive at sports though – the rowing crew destroyed the Henley Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup record by 11 seconds. Lots of leavers make their way to Oxbridge, but more and more are heading across the pond to the top Ivy League universities, for which the school now has a full-time advisor. | Lonsdale Road, SW13 9JT | Prof Mark Bailey, PhD, since 2011; previously Head of the Grammar School at Leeds | 956 boys: 928 day, 28 boarding | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £8,344 ; boarding: £12,537 | 34% | Three years before entry; £175 fee | ISEB pre-test, CE, interview and previous school’s report | Musician Winston Marshall, George Osborne, Samuel Pepys, Dan Snow, Ed Vaisey | Maxine Shaw | 460 day boys | 7–13 | £6,670 | stpaulsschool.org.uk |
| University College School | ‘We’re informal, not laidback,’ says one pupil at this famously liberal, high-achieving Hampstead boys’, with co-ed sixth form. ‘We’re not stuffy,’ adds head Mark Beard, but, ‘we expect boys to be civil, punctual and to do their homework.’ UCS champions independent thinking, intellectual curiosity and breadth of study – the curriculum squeezes in everything from dialectics (a cross-curricular philosophy course) for Year 7s to GCSE and A-level Mandarin. Leavers go on to top universities, including an increasing number to the US (UCS is a certified SAT centre). Drama is strong and growing in popularity, as is music, and the school now employs a musician in residence. The past 12 months have seen improvements to the facilities too: social sciences recently got a dedicated centre, named after late Headmaster Kenneth Durham; a bursary for sixth-form students was also launched in his memory. This year a state-of-the-art Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching is being unveiled for use by all departments for project work. Newly redeveloped, the 27 acres of playing fields now match the imp ressive Sir Roger Bannister sports centre. Parents praise the school for ‘focusing on what really matters for a well-rounded education’. One says: ‘UCS gives the boys freedom to explore their passions, ensuring they graduate into the world knowing who they want to be and where they want to go next.’ | Frognal, NW3 6XH | Mark Beard, MA, since 2013; previously Deputy Head of Brighton College | 870 day: 780 boys, 90 girls | Non-denom | 11–18 | £6,776 | 15% | By autumn of year before entry; £125 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Sir Roger Bannister, Hugh Dennis, actor David McCallum | Lewis Heyward | 240 day boys | 7–11 | £6,263 | ucs.org.uk |
| Westminster School | ‘You have to wax lyrical about Patrick Derham,’ instructs a parent. ‘He has a super-dry sense of humour and is doing great things for Westminster.’ From day one, he has been on a mission to broaden the access to this superb school: last year, four new sixth-form girls were presented with Queen’s Scholarships for the first time. He has also launched an educational programme, Platform, to help state primary-school pupils access bursaries to a range of independent schools, including his own. Westminster is a kind, inclusive place, unashamedly academic and intellectual – the perfect school for a naturally bright child, but not for one who has to be tutored to the eyeballs to get in. Results are, in the words of one onlooker, ‘just bonkersly brilliant’: 98 per cent A*–B (or equivalent) at A-level and pre-U last year. The range of sports on offer is exceptional, from football and hockey to fencing, Fives and real tennis. Tuesday and Thursday afternoons are dedicated to ‘stations’, as they call it here. Music is superb: Westminster won the 2017 Pro Corda National Chamber Music Festival, and has more pupils playing in the National Youth Orchestra than any other non-specialist music school. There’s a strong boarding-school ethos: evenings see masses of enthusiastic- ally attended, student-led societies and a vast array of visiting speakers. No surprise then, that even London pupils choose to weekly board. | Little Dean’s Yard, SW1P 3PF | Patrick Derham, MA, since 2014; previously Head of Rugby School | 761. Day: 495 boys, 79 girls; boarding: 130 boys, 57 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £9,058; boarding: £13,084 | 48% | Four years before entry; £160 fee | ISEB pre-test, CE or school’s own exam and interview | Dido, Louis Theroux, Helena Bonham-Carter | Mark O’Donnell | 282 day boys | 7–13 | £6,448 | westminster.org.uk |
| Whitgift School | We always get a buzz out of visiting this big, fabulous school where the pace of change and innovation is terrific. Whitgift offers what it calls a tailor-made education: ‘I thought that was maybe a cliché,’ admits one mother, ‘but it couldn’t be more accurate.’ We hear that, rather than charge in with significant changes, new head Christopher Ramsey has been biding his time and listening well and widely. Some parents we spoke to hope he will address what’s perceived as a ‘growing problem’ of securing the boys places at the top universities – and these boys certainly earn them. Whitgift was ranked best all-boys school in the UK last year at IB with an average of 39.7, and achieved an accompanying 88 per cent A*–B at A-level. Note the relatively unusual multiple entry points at 10+, 11+, 12+, 13+ and 14+, and demand for boarding is massively oversubscribed. They are national champions several times over at both hockey and basketball and the spirit behind their artistic triumphs is best summarised by the opera critic Owen Davies, who wrote: ‘for a school to take on Eugene Onegin might seem over-ambitious madness – Whitgift School has done just that and made a storming success of it.’ As they do of everything else. | Haling Park, CR2 6YT | Christopher Ramsey, MA, since 2017; previously Head of Kings’School,Chester | 1,488 boys: 1,378 day, 110 boarding | Non-denom | 10–18 | Day: £6,712; boarding: £12,622 | 4% | By November of year before entry; £100 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Derren Brown, Danny Cipriani, rugby player Elliot Daly | whitgift.co.uk | ||||
| Wimbledon High School | On a previous Tatler visit we were presented with a bag declaring ‘Something SPECIAL is happening in SW19’. You don’t need a bag to point that out. As the ever-soaring applications attest (over 10 per place at 11+), Wimbledon High under Jane Lunnon is proving an exciting place. She is smart, fun and has astounding energy to burn (she even directed last year’s Year 8 Shakespeare Schools entry of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the New Wimbledon Theatre). An ONL (that’s Old North London Collegiate), she is evangelical about the positives of single-sex education and highly ambitious for her school. There’s a stimulating emphasis on cross-curricular learning – eg, fine drawing the results of your dissection – and a FailBetter week, where girls can have a go at failing at t’ai chi or stand-up comedy. Not that there’s much failing going on: last year’s A-levels were 89 per cent A*–B. This school always has new excitements to report: a student exchange with Japan; scoring Scotland and GB hockey player Louise Gordon as its ace new Director of Sport; a Year 8 student’s design for an asthma pack picked up for development by the NHS. All that and they get to be ball girls at Wimbledon. We’re tired out just thinking about it. | Mansel Road, SW19 4AB | Jane Lunnon, BA, since 2014; previously Deputy Head of Wellington College | 970 day girls | Non-denom | 11–18 | £6,270 | 9% | By November of year before entry; £110 fee | School’s own exam and assessment day | Dame Margaret Rutherford, Rosie Millard, Lara Croft | Kate Mitchell | 320 day girls | 4–11 | £4,874 | wimbledonhigh.gdst.net |
| Title | Review | Location | Head | Pupils | Faith | Ages | Term-fees | Oxbridge | Registration | Admission | Alumni | Prep Head | Prep Pupils | Prep Ages | Prep Term Fees | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abingdon School | A commendable mission statement from Team Abingdon, who ‘eschew the flashy, the false and the arrogant’. These are boys who have confidence, but are low-key with it. There is test-free entry from the prep at 13, if the school thinks it’s appropriate. There’s also a large intake from local primaries at 11+. The boys did brilliantly at A-level last year (84 per cent A*–B), and 22 are headed for Oxbridge (London is also a popular choice). There’s nothing ‘extra’ about activities (known as the Other Half) at Abingdon – they’re fully integrated into school life. A staggering 120 clubs at last count, including 34 sports and eight student-led publications. The school fielded 11 international sportsmen last year, and the U15 XV rugby team were unbeaten for the second consecutive season; no wonder – their sporting facilities are some of the best we’ve seen. There were seven stage productions last year, and A-level drama is paired with the St Helen & St Katharine girls. The Beech Court development, which will house the sixth-form centre, art space and library, has been unveiled. A new careers programme starting in the second year has been launched; it includes CV and cover-letter writing, and a wide variety of talks by working professionals. Very handy. Head Michael Windsor has settled in well and is ‘getting the job done’, says one parent. | Park Road, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 1DE | Michael Windsor, MA, since 2016; previously Head of Reading Blue Coat School | 1,000 boys: 862 day, 138 boarding | Non-denom | 11–18 | Day: £6,650; boarding: £13,250 | 11% | Three years before entry; £150 fee | Pre-test for 13+, CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Tom Hollander, Toby Jones, all five members of Radiohead | Craig Williams | 250 day boys | 4–13 | Day: £5,540 | abingdon.org.uk |
| Ardingly College | Ardingly’s World Ready project is an innovative way of educating pupils in real-life skills. Introduced by Head Ben Figgis, it sees students undertake everything from learning how to unblock a sink and how a mortgage works to attending mock interviews (basically, all the things we wish we’d known before we were thrown unceremoniously into adulthood). The school body is just as outward-looking: ‘The community is made up of families from the next village as well as others from Munich and Sydney,’ says our contact in West Sussex. These parents are a close bunch too, with dog walking after drop-off in the morning, as well as wine tasting and other shared events.) This is a school with strong academic results, offering both A-levels and IB. The pupils do well on the football and hockey pitches, and the school has inspirational art exhibitions and drama productions that involve the whole pupil body. It’s fair to say that Ardingly offers a holistic education. The only downside? One parent notes that with so much going on, ‘all-rounder children can find themselves pulled in lots of different directions by competing demands from various departments’. However, we’re thinking that learning to make good choices is probably on the curriculum here too. | Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 6SQ | Ben Figgis, MEd, since 2014; previously Deputy Head of Oakham School | 581. Day: 172 boys, 117 girls; boarding: 150 boys, 142 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £7,870; boarding: £11,970 | 3% | By December two years before entry; £120 fee | Pre-test, CE, interview and previous school’s report | Ian Hislop, racing driver Max Chilton, Neil Gaiman | Harry Hastings | 345 day and boarding: 173 boys, 172 girls | 2 1⁄2 – 13 | Day: £5,250; boarding: £6,350 | ardingly.com |
| Bedales | When you visit Bedales, don’t expect the usual tour of the classrooms or sports hall. They’re much more interested in showing you their collection of gorgeous beamed barns housing fresh eggs, shop-ready yarn, bread ovens and a blacksmith’s workshop. Outside, you’ll glimpse busy and purposeful teenagers herding alpacas, newborn lambs and piglets. Bedales has a distinctly non-conformist vibe: no uniform, no pupil hierarchy and teachers called by their first names. Students take a pick ’n’ mix of GCSEs and Bedales Assessed Courses, the school’s own, more avant-garde options, like building timber frames, philosophy and ethics – universities see them as a ‘point of difference’. The school is a magnet for unstuffy, inspirational teachers, who fuel pupils’ entrepreneurial spirit; its founders’ vision was an education of ‘head, hand and heart’. It’s an extraordinarily creative place; many pupils go on to study art and drama, inspired perhaps by the new art and design building which won a RIBA award last year. Boarding’s now up to 70 per cent, and pupils adore their mixed-aged dorms – just the ticket for forming lifelong friendships. Bedales’ longest-serving Head, Keith Budge, retired in the summer; Magnus Bashaarat takes over, joining from Milton Abbey. | Church Road, Steep, Petersfield, Hampshire GU32 2DG | Magnus Bashaarat, from September, previously Head of Milton Abbey | 463. Day: 74 boys, 71 girls; boarding: 129 boys, 189 girls | Non-denom | 13–18 | Day : £9,505; boarding: £12,095 | 6% | 2 1⁄2 years prior to entry; £200 fee | Assessment day, school’s own exam and interview | The Earl of Snowden, Kirstie Allsopp, Lily Allen, Cara Delevingne | Colin Baty | 290 day and boarding: 140 boys, 150 girls | 3–13 | Day: £7,405; boarding: £8,810 | bedales.org.uk |
| Bedford School | Last year, Bedford held their first Sleep Week, dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of a good night’s rest in order to improve mental and physical performance. This forward-thinking approach appears to be paying dividends – students went on to achieve their strongest academic results on record, with 59 per cent of IB and A-levels graded at A*–A or IB equivalent. Bedford offers a myriad of attractions, including a ‘through education’ (around two thirds arrive from their prep), a nearby sister school, a town campus, an off-site nature reserve and an observatory, so boys are literally taught to fix their sights on the stars. Bedford tell us that they are one of the country’s strongest three or four sporting schools, and their results read like a veritable individual champions’ league. Rugby: the Schools Champions Trophy – 2015 winners, 2016 and 2017 finalists. Rowing: Head of the River – 2017 winners. Hockey: National Indoor Championships – 2018 finalists. Other talents are encouraged too. Last year, 14 boys represented the school at national level in orchestras, choirs, drama and, unsurprisingly, sports. A third of boys play an instrument, and the art department is impressive – plenty of budding architects here. CCF remains the most popular club – ‘Nothing to do with the fact this is done with Bedford Girls’ School,’ winks our researcher. | De Parys Avenue, Bedford MK40 2TU | James Hodgson, MA, since 2014; previously Usher at Magdalen College School | 694 boys: 463 day, 231 boarding | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £6,344; boarding: £10,730 | 8% | By December of year before entry; £100 fee | ISEB pre-test, CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Alastair Cook, Lord Ashdown, Al Murray | Ian Silk | 403 boys, day and boarding | 7–13 | Day: £5,387; boarding: £8,689 | bedfordschool.org.uk |
| Benenden | ‘A complete education’ is the Benenden strapline. We’re huge fans of Head Sam Price, who’s into her fifth year in charge of this all-girls, full-boarding school, set in 250 acres of glorious Kent countryside. Numbers here are booming, with three applications for every place at 11+, four at 13+ and higher at sixth form; they tell us they’re looking for ‘capable girls with evident potential, who want to enjoy learning and be part of a modern boarding school’. That last part is key: all girls here board full-time, with ‘long home weekends’ and two or three optional weekends each term. Around two thirds of girls are in school on any given weekend, and are kept entertained with a packed programme. Girls leave with more than just stellar exam results (81 per cent A*–B at A-level last year); the professional-skills programme, for example, teaches sixth-formers tangible business expertise for the workplace and life. Music is more than hitting the right note: 203 girls performed in the gala concert that closed the 2017 arts festival, and there was a ‘breathtaking’ production of The Sound of Music. Sport is strong too: they’re national lacrosse champions – the new, state-of-the-art, all-weather pitch is obviously proving a worthwhile investment. (NB, the lacrosse 3rd team are national champions.) | Cranbrook, Kent TN17 4AA | Samantha Price, MA, since 2014; previously Head of Godolphin | 550 girls, all boarding | C of E | 11–18 | £12,650 | 4% | Three to four years before entry recommended; £200 fee | ISEB Pre-test, CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | The Princess Royal, Baroness Shackleton, Rachel Weisz | benenden.kent.sch.uk | ||||
| Berkhamsted | A ‘very large school made up of small schools’, is how Head Richard Backhouse describes his considerable empire, in which he oversees six heads in six schools, educating just under 2,000 pupils (mostly day, but with 100 per cent lexible boarding). Despite its size, each house fosters ‘a great sense of community’, as one girl put it. Indeed, never mind what parents say, the pupils are mad about the place. Each one we cornered gave it a glowing end-of-year report, and one sixth-former urged new entrants to ‘get involved in as much as possible as there’s so much on offer – push yourself outside your comfort zone’. Exam results are strong. Girls at GCSE broke records in 2017, while four per cent of all sixth-formers went on to Oxbridge, 47 per cent to a top 20 university, and 70 per cent to a top 30. Berkhamsted has also co-pioneered the UK’s first sixth-form Mini-MBA, which encourages decision-making skills. Its reputation for sport now includes the top spot in Eton fives (it was national champion). Music is a particular strength, and special mention goes to one boy, who gained his LTCL diploma – the equivalent of a degree – in piano at the age of 15. | Castle Campus, Castle Street, Berkhamstead HP4 2BB | Richard Backhouse MA, since 2016; previously Principal of Monkton Combe School, Bath | 1,193. Day: 619 boys, 499 girls; boarding: 48 boys, 27 girls | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £6,880; boarding: £11,530 | 4% | At least one year before entry; £100 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Dame Zaha Hadid, Talulah Riley, TV presenter ohn Bly | Jamie Hornshaw | 337 day: 174 boys, 163 girls | 3–11 | £4,990 | berkhamstedschool.org |
| Bradfield College | Bradfield is surging in the popularity stakes – and for good reason, according to a recent glowing ISI report. Head Dr Christopher Stevens has been busy completing many of the changes instigated by his predecessor Simon Henderson (now Head of Eton College), but despite the spike in admissions he has no plans to raise the 55 per cent CE passmark, because he wants Bradfield to remain a ‘family school’. They talk about ‘the Bradfield bubble’ in this leafy Berkshire village, but pupils are actually a normal, down-to-earth bunch, rather than ivory-towered types. Around 60 per cent live within 30 miles of the school, with ever-increasing numbers coming from London and 15 per cent from overseas. This is very much a boarding establishment, with 150–200 pupils staying in school on weekends. Weekly boarders leave after matches on Saturdays and return on Sunday evenings – there are coaches to Hammer-smith, Wandsworth and Reading. Sport is compulsory until the sixth form, and is taken very seriously. It’s a football school (not so much rugby) – the football 1st XI reached the ISFA cup final, the hockey teams are notoriously strong and golf is very popular. Mums tell us that the pastoral care here is ‘exceptional’ and the college’s ethos that ‘values and human relationships are central to our aim to provide an education for life’ appears to run true. | Bradfield, Reading, Berkshire RG7 6AU | Dr Christopher Stevens, DPhil, since 2015; previously Deputy Head at Marlborough College | 777. Day: 42 boys, 24 girls; boarding: 431 boys, 280 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £9,975; boarding: £12,468 | 2% | At least three years before entry; £175 fee | ISEB Pre-test, CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Louis de Bernières, Tony Hancock, astronomer Sir Martin Ryle | bradfieldcollege.org.uk | ||||
| Brighton College | Brighton College is brilliant at grabbing the headlines. Their latest scoop? The announcement that they’ll go totally plastic-free within the next two years – anyone caught flouting the ban will be banished to the beaches for a clean up. Then there’s the gender-neutral uniform, the new mixed boarding house, the Syrian refugee who won a scholarship to Brighton and is now heading to Oxford, and the float entered at the city’s famous Pride event – flanked by the 1st XV rugby team in psychedelic tunics. What head Richard Cairns is particularly good at is ‘bringing out the best in people’, says his deputy. The camaraderie around the campus is palpable, and they host anti-homophobic-bullying conferences and equality weeks. Mr Cairns’ tenth new building in 10 years opened recently – the super-slick Kai Yong Yeoh hub, designed to mimic the creative workplace of the future. Our mole declared it offers the best example she’s seen all year. Next up, the unveiling of the £55m sports and science centre, complete with rooftop running track and botanical garden. They’re hugely competitive on the rugby pitches; Eddie Jones often drops by with the England squad for a spot of training. And then there’s the glittering results; a sensational 96.3 per cent A*–B at A-level last year. Unsur prisingly, registrations were up 30 per cent last year, but they claim to be much less selective than comparable schools. | Eastern Road, Brighton BN2 0AL | Richard Cairns, MA, since 2006; previously Usher of Magdalen College School | 1,095. Day: 421 boys, 297 girls; boarding: 213 boys, 164 girls | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £8,180; boarding: £13,190 | 16% | By December of Year 6; £120 fee | ISEB pre-test, CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Sir Michael Hordern, cricketers Matt Prior and Clare Connor, Sir John Chilcot | John Weeks | 295 day: 160 boys, 135 girls | 8–13 | £6,450 | brightoncollege.org.uk |
| Caterham School | Stressed London parents, we have two words for you: Caterham School. It has all the benefits and the fancy facilities of the super-competitive London day schools and academic results up there with the best of them (89 per cent A*–B at A-level last year; the GCSE results were the best ever), but set in 120 acres of beautiful woodland – they even have their own high-ropes climbing course. It’s only a short train ride from London – so a growing gaggle of pupils catch the train from Clapham Junction and are at their desks a mere 32 minutes later. No wonder the school is receiving record numbers of applications. Head Ceri Jones is a star: ‘He sets the perfect balance,’ says a parent; ‘Approachable, authentic and motivational,’ says a pupil. Sport has always been strong: Matt Dawson opened the brand new state-of-the-art sports pavilion in October; he met the nationally renowned lacrosse team too, and scored his very first lax goal. There are new hockey, netball and swimming academies for elite performers. But Mr Jones reassures us that he is ‘as proud of our D and E teams as I am of our 1st XV and 1st XI squads.’ The performing-arts centre is incredibly impressive too. And they’re way ahead of the game on the tech scene – Caterham won the best use of technology award at the 2018 TES Independent Schools Awards. In the words of one father, this school is ‘high on ambition, low on stress and big on innovation – and fun!’ | Horestone Valley Road, Caterham, Surrey CR3 6YA | Ceri Jones, MA, since 2015; previously Second Master at Tonbridge School | 915. Day: 382 boys, 377 girls; boarding: 97 boys, 59 girls | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £6,300; boarding: £12,190 | 10% | By October of year before entry; £100 fee | Assessment day, school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Angus Deayton, conductor Geraint Jones | Howard Tuckett | 282 day: 154 boys, 128 girls | 3–11 | £5,020 | caterhamschool.co.uk |
| Charterhouse | Charterhouse has always been a perfectly good school with perfectly good results, but in the words of new head Dr Alex Peterken, ‘the sleeping giant is awakening’. He taught here for 11 years before moving to Cheltenham College, so knows the school inside out. He is enthusiastic and compassionate, very aware of the school’s heritage, but unafraid to reappraise every aspect in the interests of its future. Top of the agenda: a move to full co-education. Girls have been in the sixth form since the Seventies, but the first cohort of fourth-form (Year 9) girls arrives in 2021, and the school will be fully co-ed from 2023, with pupil numbers increased from the current 818 to 1,000 (we hear there’s much interest from London and the Home Counties). Lots of building work too, with a new science centre, dining hall and boarding houses. No plans to change the school’s full-boarding culture: there is flexibility at the weekends, but everyone has to be back for chapel on Sunday evenings. They offer pre-U and the IB here alongside A-levels, as well as their own Charterhouse Literature Certificate, which is, they tell us, far more rigorous than GCSE English Lit. Sport is a big thing too, with hotly contested interhouse competitions and a renewed emphasis on developing girls’ sport. Hats off to the pupil who completed the gruelling, 156-mile Marathon des Sables during the Easter holidays in aid of Walking with the Wounded – the race’s youngest-ever competitor. | Godalming, Surrey GU7 2DX | Dr Alex Peterken, EdD, since January; previously Head of Cheltenham College | 818. Day: 21 boys, 3 girls; boarding: 647 boys, 147 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £10,788; boarding: £13,055 | 10% | Three years before entry; £250 fee | ISEB pre-test, CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | David Dimbleby, Robert Graves, Cathy Newman, Ralph Vaughan Williams | charterhouse.org.uk | ||||
| Christ’s Hospital | Many schools purport to be unique, but Christ’s Hospital really is. They’ve got the blue and mustard-coloured uniform and the marching band, but they also provide more fee-assisted places than any other school in the independent boarding sector – just 17 per cent pay the full whack. Pupils come from every back-ground imaginable; the appeal, says a mother, is ‘not just the academics, but the people you meet along the way’. Entry is more complex than elsewhere (pros-pective pupils spend two days on a residential assessment), and necessarily so; Head Mr Simon Reid sees it as an ‘extraordinary privilege’ to have over 500 applicants for 100 places. Talking of Mr Reid, he’s got off to a good start after arriving last year from Gordonstoun. ‘He’s really involved and approachable,’ says a pupil. CH is a funny mix of grandiose and functional (when we visited, the ribbon had just been cut on the latest new-build), with 1,200 acres and super views over the South Downs and beyond. Results last year were a solid 77 per cent A*–B at A-level, and an average IB score of 36, but Mr Reid is focusing on developing a more challenging curriculum tied to ‘a spirit of expedition and self-discovery’ – we’re looking forward to seeing the results. | Horsham, West Sussex RH13 0YP | Simon Reid, BA, since 2017; previously Head of Gordonstoun | 882. Day: 38 boys, 30 girls; boarding: 397 boys | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £7,470; boarding: £11,480 | 5% | By September of year before entry; £65 fee | Residential assessment, school’s own exam and interview | Samuel Taylor Coleridge, conductor Sir William Glock, Charles Lamb | christs-hospital.org.uk | ||||
| Downe House | A huge sigh of relief from the DH girls ‘fed up of looking like Christmas trees’ – the new uniform has arrived and it’s a pared-down, sleeker look. There are many new and exciting things going on at this Berkshire power-house. The opening of the new Centre of Learning is a game changer. It’s now the largest building on campus, and houses a library, a 250-seat auditorium, learning pods, an art gallery, school shop and, crucially, a bustling café. This is a high-achieving group of girls and not just in the academic arena (although last year’s cohort smashed a number of records for results, with one girl gaining an incredible seven A* grades at A-level); one pupil ran the marathon for disadvantaged children, another cut 22 inches of hair off for the Teenage Cancer Trust, and one won a Channel 4 commission to make a three-minute film for its Random Acts series. And there’s more – the singers in Holcombe House recorded a CD of their a cappella songs; a lower-sixth pupil organised a charity fashion show enlisting Stowe boys as models; and some more girls organised a charity gala raising £10,000 for a prostate cancer charity. The only constant at this dynamic school is the staff; Head Emma McKendrick recently celebrated 20 years at the top, along with a number of her loyal staff. | Cold Ash, Thatcham, Berkshire RG18 9JJ | Emma McKendrick, BA, since 1997; previously Head of the Royal High School, Bath | 577 girls: 554 boarding, 23 day | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £9,165; boarding: £12,510 | 17% | By June of year before entry; £200 fee | CE or school’s own exam; assessment day and interview | Clare Balding, Miranda Hart | downehouse.net | ||||
| Eastbourne College | Anticipation reached fever pitch this year as the final stage of the ambitious £33m Project 150 was completed. Eastbourne now boasts 32 new classrooms, a swanky dining room, school shop, sports centre, cricket pavilion, and much more besides. Their facilities are now some of the best in the country, notes our researcher. Building aside, their 150th anniversary was celebrated with concerts, fireworks, a lecture by Lord Winston and a visit from the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. Eastbourne is ‘down to earth in an unflappable and caring way’, says a parent, and the pastoral care is second to none. Tutors and house staff rally around pupils with a ‘360-degree’ support system, says one mother. Head Tom Lawson is doing a stellar job, cracking down on the school uniform and upping the academics; special mention to his entertaining letters to parents and his boxer dog, Roy. Sport is phenomenal with 900 annual fixtures across 20 disciplines. They are the most successful Sussex hockey school for the past 15 years (their Director of Hockey is an ex-Olympian), and equestrianism is hugely popular. A drama trip to New York is planned, and we love the names of their music bands, Testostertone and Decibelles. Results last year were a nudge below their 78 per cent seven-year average, with 67 per cent A*–B at A-level. Parents are keen for the school to shout about its achievements – ‘It is quite a gem,’ says one. | Oldwish Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 4JY | Tom Lawson, MA, since 2016; previously deputy head at Christ’s Hospital | 608. Day: 189 boys, 138 girls; boarding: 175 boys 106 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £8,500; boarding: £11,885 | 5% | Two to three years prior to entry advised; £75 fee | Pre-selection, CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Eddie Izzard, Michael Fish, John Ryley, cricketer Ed Giddins | eastbourne-college.co.uk | ||||
| Eton College | Eton’s head Simon Henderson is understated, unshowy and funny. He impressed us last year at Tatler Schools Live with his empathic approach to choosing a school. ‘Think about the right place for your child – not the most distinguished or impressive-sounding name,’ he urged. ‘Choose a school with academic standards that match the needs of your particular child.’ And for a particular type of boy, Eton is absolutely the right school. In the words of admissions tutor Peter McKee, they’re looking for ‘a child whose eyes light up about something’ – one who will take full-boarding in his stride and make the most of all the opportunities available to him. Eton’s bursary programme is virtually unparalleled, with a fifth of boys receiving some form of financial support. Here, they prefer to talk about co-curricular, rather than extracurricular, seeing music, drama, sport et al as integral parts of the curriculum. ‘Young people learn as much, if not more, outside the classroom as within,’ Mr Henderson points out – and the facilities here, and freedom to use them, are unrivaled. ‘Eton is the opposite of a snake,’ Mr Henderson told our Schools Live audience. ‘A snake sheds its skin but stays the same on the inside. Eton stays the same on the outside – its funny uniform, strange language, games that didn’t catch on beyond Eton for inexplicable reasons – but it evolves from within.’ We look forward to the next stage of that evolution. | Windsor, Berkshire SL4 6DW | Simon Henderson, BA, since 2015; previously Head of Bradfield College | 1,320 boys, all boarding | Inter-denom | 13–18 | £12,910 | 38% | By the age of 10 1⁄2; £340 fee | ISEB pre-test, school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report at 11, CE at 13 | Ian Fleming, Tom Hiddleston, David Cameron | etoncollege.com | ||||
| Headington School | Never make the mistake of trying to pigeonhole a Headington girl. The school prides itself on being a ‘non-girly’ girls school, which means it encourages young women to achieve their potential ‘free from prejudice and stereotypes’. Easier said than done, but this cheerful place is notable for producing girls who are confident and relaxed. They are encouraged to push themselves, even in their weakest subjects. So despite its drama department producing a Hollywood star (Emma Watson) and girls being selected for the National Youth Theatre, ‘participation is key’. There are dance clubs for girls ‘who just can’t dance’ and running clubs for ‘rubbish runners’. Head Caroline Jordan believes passionately in teaching girls that dreams can be realised, and has said that she considers certain sections of the #MeToo movement have painted a ‘jaded picture of hopeless despair’ for women, which she’s keen to dispel. Her motivating ethos is reflected in the results: 83 per cent of GCSE grades were A–A*, while 62 per cent of grades at A-level were A–A*; 10 per cent of students head to Oxbridge. Facilities are mindblowing, from the theatre and library to the dance studio and gym, which is packed with rowing machines (its rowing team is legendary). There is also a new science wing and the tired sixth-form centre is being revamped. The school is proudly international – 46 nationalities at the last count – and offers flexible boarding. | Headington Road, Oxford OX3 7TD | Caroline Jordan, MA, since 2011; previously Head of St George’s Ascot | 800 girls: 600 day, 200 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £5,884; boarding: £11,628 | 10% | By autumn term prior to entry; £125 fee | ISEB pre-test at 13+, CE or school’s own exam and interview | Emma Watson, Baroness Young, Julia Somerville | Jane Crouch | 250 day girls | 3–11 | £4,694 | headington.org |
| Heathfield School | The Heathfield girls who kindly told us about, and showed us around, their school were an absolutely charming bunch. ‘Everyone always makes you feel at home and, as it gets to the end of term, you don’t want to leave’; ‘The teachers are very supportive and helpful towards our learning and exams.’ The girls were also they’re the only school in the world to use digital learning in this way. Pupils recently took up football – ‘everyone loves it’, says one – borrowing the Dragon’s pitches at the end of the road. The art room is a hub of wonderfully organised chaos. Meanwhile, a clever app keeps a beady eye on pupils’ mental health. | London Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 8BQ | Marina Gardiner Legge, MA, since 2016; previously Director of Studies | 176 girls: 13 day, 163 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £7,395; boarding: £12,210 | Occasional | By September the year before entry; £200 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Princess Alexandra, Sienna Miller, Isabella Blow, Tamara Mellon | heathfieldschool.net | ||||
| The King’s School | King’s lives and breathes the philosophy of the whole child,’ remarked one admiring parent. Lots of schools might say that, but this one actually delivers. This stunningly beautiful institution (it’s a World Heritage Site, with its own bowler-hatted Beadle, who ensures that pupils are dressed correctly and get to lessons on time) operates a flexible admissions procedure, so it’s not reserved solely for academic stars. Parents like it for its ‘unpretentious, down-to-earth’ approach, and the fact it is not particularly hierarchical but still strives for excellence in all things, from science to music, sport to theatre. Facilities are spread out around the city, and impressive new drama and science spaces are about to open. With its strong ecclesiastical tradition, it’s not surprising that 44 per cent of pupils learn an instrument – performing to great acclaim in Canterbury Cathedral. Every year, in the last week of summer term, students stage the splendid, beg-for-a-ticket King’s Week arts festival for parents and friends (who needs Hay and Glyndebourne?). Creative talents have recently received Bafta nominations for their film work and become BBC Young Musician of the Year finalists. At A-level, 60 per cent of students gained A–A* grades, and nearly 70 per cent A–A* at GCSE. King’s makes room for both the late-developers and for the high-achieving all-rounders, so seven Bs at GCSE are acceptable for sixth-form entry. Proudly international in its outlook, King’s is to develop its first overseas school in Shenzen, China, with a pre-prep school expected to open in 2019. | Canterbury, Kent CT1 2ES | Peter Roberts, MA, since 2011; previously Head of Bradfield College | 819. Day: 98 boys, 66 girls; boarding: 334 boys, 321 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £9,165; boarding: £12,485 | 6% | Three years before entry minimum; £200 fee | CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | David Gower, Christopher Marlowe, Sir Michael Morpurgo, Orlando Bloom | Emma Karolyi | 368 day and boarding: 199 boys, 169 girls | 3–13 | Day: £6,245; boarding: £8,750 | kings-school.co.uk |
| Lancing College | Lancing Head Dominic Oliver began his career as a lecturer in English at Oxford, so it is somewhat appropriate that when you walk into his office you’ll find him ensconced behind his desk on OL Evelyn Waugh’s old reading chair, recovered in funky fabric. The revamp is an apt metaphor for the school as a whole – Lancing returned to Tatler Schools Guide last year and is continuing on an upward trajectory. In practice, that means that alongside the stunning neo-gothic Grade I-listed chapel is the exciting equestrian centre completed last year. It consists of converted flint barns and new builds, which provide stabling for 20 horses. Results have been improving too, with 76 per cent at A-level and 82 per cent at GCSE achieving grades A*–B. Parents say Mr Oliver is a fantastic communicator, and he has brought a cosmopolitan outlook to the South Downs since he arrived from Bedales in 2014; 32 nations are represented among the pupils, and school buses run at exeats, half terms and on holidays. Lancing is developing a strong reputation in women’s cricket, and the first female cricket scholar has joined the college. After a look around the grounds, our scout was treated to lunch with the staff – it’s a welcoming place like that. | Lancing, West Sussex BN15 0RW | Dominic Oliver, MPhil, since 2014; previously Managing Head at Bedales | 585. Day: 145 boys, 89 girls; boarding: 205 boys, 146 girl | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £8,190; boarding: £11,995 | 5% | At least two years prior to entry; £100 fee | CE and interview | Sir Tim Rice, equestrian Richard Meade, Evelyn Waugh | lancingcollege.co.uk | ||||
| Magdalen College School | Sum up your school in a sentence, we asked MCS. The answer sounds like our dream date: ‘Approachable, fun, frank and unashamedly intellectual.’ It’s all true, of course. Pupils – it’s boys only until the sixth form – at this Oxford day school strike a perfect balance between stellar academic achievements and extracurricular success. Last year’s GCSE results broke school records (97 per cent A*–A grades); 82 per cent A*–A at A-level. Entry is by pre-test and interview – they’re looking for ‘well-rounded, inquisitive pupils with intelligence and potential’. Pupils come from a wide catchment area around Oxford – they’re part of the Oxford Schools’ Bus Partnership with 10 routes around Oxford. On the sports fields, three quarters of the lower school compete in A to E teams with increasingly competitive fixtures against Eton, Radley and Abingdon. They have drama partnerships with the Oxford Playhouse and Pegasus Theatre, and pupils put on 12 shows last year, including a production at the Edinburgh Fringe which received a five-star review from the British Theatre Guide. All staff and pupils got together for a magnificent, whole-school performance of John Rutter’s Gloria at the Sheldonian Theatre (watch the video on the school website). They’ve just opened a super-smart sixth- form centre, a four-storey social and study complex with class- rooms, work space, plus a central common room and café. MCS is a high-octane, cosmopolitan environment, which wears its proud traditions lightly and keeps in touch with its university and grammar-school roots. | Cowley Place, Oxford OX4 1DZ | Helen Pike, MA, since 2016; previously Head of South Hampstead High School | 764 day: 655 boys, 109 girls | C of E | 11–18 | £6,159 | 32% | By October of year before entry; £75 fee | Pre-test, CE or school’s own exam and interview | Sam Mendes, Ivor Novello, Sir Thomas More | Tim Skipwith | 134 day boys | 7–11 | £6,159 | mcsoxford.org |
| New Hall School | The magnificent Tudor palace of Beaulieu is a pretty awe-inspiring place to spend your schooldays; with its breathtaking setting and mile-long approach, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled across a National Trust property. New Hall is one of the oldest Catholic schools in the UK; religion isn’t a prerequisite, but pupils must sign up to the whole, holistic package, which translates as a gung-ho attitude towards voluntary service and a full-time resident chaplain at the forefront of all things pastoral. Head Katherine Jeffrey is impressive, oozing confidence and efficiency; she’s a pioneer of the diamond model, whereby boys and girls join forces in the prep and sixth form, but are taught separately for the years in between. Last year’s A-level results were a solid 76 per cent A*–B. Sport is inspirational, with potential nurtured from the off; a number of boys are selected for the elite pathways of Saracens rugby and Essex Cricket Academy, and, not to be outdone, girls’ rugby sevens is gaining pace. Choir is compulsory in Year 7 to eke out more talent, and pupils recently staged a pop-up exhibition of their artwork on Smeaton’s Pier, St Ives. Only about a third board (the 35-minute fast train to Liverpool Street Station ups the attraction for Londoners), but the numbers grow steadily as you go up the school. ‘Other schools better watch out!’ warns our researcher. | The Avenue, Boreham, Chelmsford CM3 3HS | Katherine Jeffrey, MA, since 2001; previously Deputy Head of the Marist School, Ascot | 840. Day: 314 boys, 310 girls; boarding: 109 boys, 107 girls | RC | 11–18 | Day: £6,626; boarding: £10,227 | 6% | By October of year before entry; £100 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Anya Hindmarch, journalist Christiane Amanpour, artist Leonora Carrington | Alastair Moulton | 347 day and boarding: 173 boys, 174 girls | 3–11 | Day: £4,826; boarding: £6,587 | newhallschool.co.uk |
| Oxford High School | OHS got their first Headmaster in 142 years last year – Dr Philip Hills from the equally brilliant Hampton School, so we know the place is in good hands. The school is honest with prospective parents – ‘it’s a pacey and rigorous place’ – and they’re committed to finding the right girl. At 11+, half the intake arrives from the junior school (though entry isn’t automatic), and last year’s A-level results were an impressive 72.9 per cent A*–A; they also had the highest number of Oxbridge offers in the whole of the GDST. The girls we met were charming, witty and creative, assuring us that ‘the only pressure we feel comes from us’. ‘We run a lot of the school,’ they explained, whether they’re busy leading clubs or organising and chairing ethics and technology forums with leading business speakers. Then there’s the joy of Oxford itself: performances at the Sheldonian and neighbouring colleges, a diverse parent and pupil body, and trailblazing innovation. They’ve just launched a new online sixth-form course in partnership with the Open University to teach the skills needed to thrive at university and beyond, and ][they’re the only school in the world to use digital learning in this way. Pupils recently took up football – ‘everyone loves it’, says one – borrowing the Dragon’s pitches at the end of the road. The art room is a hub of wonderfully organised chaos. Meanwhile, a clever app keeps a beady eye on pupils’ mental health. | Belbroughton Road, Oxford OX2 6XA | Dr Philip Hills, PhD, since 2017, previously Deputy Head of Hampton School | 580 day girls | Non-denom | 11–18 | £5,182 | 20% | By September of year before entry; £100 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Emma Bridgewater, Dame Maggie Smith, Mel Giedroyc, Cressida Dick | Kate Gater | 300 day girls | 4–11 | £3,889 | oxfordhigh.gdst.net |
| Prior’s Field | We asked Prior’s Field to reveal their perfect hashtag – #achieving, they fired back. Their goal is to educate ‘whole people for their whole lives’, focusing on nurturing girls to be the best they can. Results took a slight dip last year, but there are systems in place to improve this. The huge availability of helpful workshops and drop-in sessions means there’s plenty of opportunity for pupils to seek help if they’re struggling. The school’s best ever science GCSE results coincided with the opening of the new science, technology and music centre (PF’s largest project to date), and the food-tech kitchen was a hive of activity when we visited. (One girl joked, ‘There’s too much cake’, but that’s a rather nice problem to have.) Former UAE Davis Cup captain Jorge Munoz Martin leads the tennis academy and last year’s members were crowned Surrey U15 champions. Over in the theatre, girls follow in the footsteps of such glittering thespian alumnae as Victoria Hamilton and Lily James. Boarders may be a smallish cohort (around 20 per cent), but Head Tracy Kirnig insists that this is very much a 24/7 school; lots of staff live onsite, with plenty of cats and dogs in tow. We poked our nose into plenty of swanky en suite bedrooms; in the sixth form, girls do their own laundry and social lives are kept active with regular get togethers with Eton and Charterhouse. | Priorsfield Road, Godalming, Surrey GU7 2RH | Tracy Kirnig, MA, since 2015; previously Acting Head of Caterham School | 523 girls: 443 day, 80 boarding | Non-denom | 11–18 | Day: £6,125; boarding: £9,975 | Occasional | By October of year before entry: £100 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Lily James, Baroness Warnock, Victoria Hamilton | priorsfieldschool.net | ||||
| Queen Anne’s School | ‘The list of what I love about this school is endless,’ marvels our researcher, and she’s certainly not the only fan of Queen Anne’s – they’ve had a 40 per cent upswing in applications over the past two years. So where to begin? The girls are absolutely charming, polished and look instantly employable. Sport is extremely well timetabled (so that girls can easily fit in being on several teams) and led by a dynamic head who really does believe that it’s just as important to encourage girls to do a Zumba class as it is to play lacrosse (main lax rivals are Downe House). The food, taken in the slick dining hall, is delicious. And as for The Space, their award-winning sixth-form centre: ‘I’ve never seen such a motivating building,’ exclaims our spy. Results edge ever upwards: 66 per cent A*–B at A-level last year. Head Julia Harrington is a whirlwind, who combines a motherly affection for her girls with a neuroscientific approach to learning called Brain Can Do. ‘I want to see my girls tread a path that nobody has trodden before them,’ she tells us. Parents appreciate the lack of Saturday school (unless there’s a match) and a flexible approach to boarding, though the number of exeats was recently reduced at the borders’ request – they obviously prefer to stay at their ‘home from home’. ‘Much less academically pushy than London,’ approves a relocated mother (she was referring to the other parents). | Henley Road, Caversham, Berkshire RG4 6DX | Julia Harrington, BA, since 2006; previously Deputy Head of Prior’s Field | 460 girls: 279 day, 181 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £8,045; boarding: £11,860 | Occasional | By October of year before entry; £100 fee | Pre-test and CE, interview and previous schools’ repor | Illustrator Posy Simmonds, Jenny Seagrove, rugby player Tamara Taylor | qas.org.uk | ||||
| Radley College | Slowly but surely, John Moule is easing Radley into the 21st century. Old Radleians need not panic: this will still be the Radley they knew and loved, with all the same traditions (all-boys, full-boarding – and, yes, they still wear gowns and have chapel every day). But it will be slightly larger – up to 750 boys when the 11th Social (boarding house) opens in 2020 – and rather more international. Radley is looking for a boy with an inquisitive mind and an enthusiastic approach to life – one boy talked about his prep school’s fish pie for 10 minutes (he got in). Selected applicants sit the ISEB Pre-test and attend an interview. The Warden’s List has now been scrapped, and the school operates an Open Entry system, for which boys can be registered any time up to the Lent term two years prior. They’ve seen a big increase in applications, with four or five boys for each Open Entry place. Academically, 90 per cent achieved A*–B at A-level last year: importantly, they don’t discourage boys whose GCSE results aren’t up to scratch – ‘We believe that as long as each boy is making the most of their time with us, a Radley education is for five years.’ There’s a strong ethos of sport for all, with 20 rugby teams and over 35 other sports teams across the school. The rowing 1st VIII were finalists at Henley, and boys are national champions in real tennis. ‘A Radley education is about academic ambition, independent thought and learning with enthusiasm,’ the school tells us. | Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 2HR | John Moule, MA, since 2014; previously Head of Bedford School | 686 boys, all boarding | C of E | 13–18 | £12,775 | 8% | From birth; £100 fee | ISEB pre-test, CE, interview and previous school’s report | Andrew Strauss, Peter Cook, Jamie Laing | radley.org.uk | ||||
| Reigate Grammar School | Considering Reigate Grammar consistently hits over 90 per cent A*–B grades at A-level, and sends 10 per cent of its sixth-formers to Oxbridge, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this is a bit of a hothouse. You’d be wrong, however. Those who excel at exams also tend to be the ones smashing it on the sports field, with 41 RGS pupils representing their sport at county level. They have incredible facilities, especially for a day school, including seven rugby pitches, two hockey Astros, four netball courts, an indoor swimming pool, four cricket squares and no fewer than 12 tennis courts. New head Shaun Fenton says that the pupils are challenged to become intelligent, thinking athletes, and learn to express themselves as they do so. Speaking of expressing oneself, all staff here are trained in mindfulness with the focus, above all, on ensuring that children are developing the resilience to cope with change. Three cheers from us for making digital detoxes and digital sunsets cool. We’re looking forward to hearing more about the new partnership with Kaiyuan Education Fund to open five schools in China, which promises to provide visits and exchange opportunities for the pupils. All that mind-expanding travel holds huge appeal. | Reigate Road, Reigate RH2 0QS | Shaun Fenton, MA, since 2012; previously Head of Pate’s Grammar School, Cheltenham | 1,008 day: 507 boys, 501 girls | C of E | 11–18 | £6,240 | 10% | By November of year before entry; £100 fee | Pre-test, school’s own exam and interview | David Walliams, Ray Mears, Norman Cook | Marcus Culverwell | 343 day: 186 boys, 157 girls | 3–11 | £4,950 | reigategrammar.org |
| Roedean School | Roedean reports a ‘dramatic’ increase in applications of late. It could be the exodus of families leaving London for Brighton, or the chaperoned trains to and from the capital for weekly boarders, which have been a big success. Alternatively, prospective parents may be swayed by the compelling head Oliver Blond (‘I really look forward to his addresses,’ admits one fan), or the smart renovations he’s instigated to facilities. Or it could simply be that everyone’s cottoned on that Roedean, with its stunning clifftop views and welcoming atmosphere, is a lovely place to live and learn. ‘I am actually jealous when I drop my daughter off there every day,’ a mother admits to us. With more applications comes increased competition. However a parent is pleased to note that Mr Blond ‘seems to focus on the individual rather than academic results and doesn’t feel the need to shout about success.’ So we’ll do it for him – Roedean reported its best GCSE results ever last year (50 per cent A*), though A-levels are down a smidge at 80 per cent A*–B. Pastoral care is ‘exceptional’ says one mother: ‘Any issue that a child has is taken seriously.’ ‘I felt more at home at Roedean after one term than at my prep school after five years,’ a pupil confides. ‘No cliques, no atmosphere… Considering it’s all girls, everyone gets on so well.’ | Roedean Way, Brighton BN2 5RQ | Oliver Blond, BA, since 2013; previously Head of Henrietta Barnett School, London | 563 girls: 264 day, 299 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £6,955; boarding: £12,480 | 2% | By October of year before entry; £150 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Beatrix Ong, actress Honeysuckle Weeks, Tessa Dahl, Baroness Chalker | roedean.co.uk | ||||
| St Catherine’s Bramley | A hop, skip and a jump from London, St Cat’s is ‘tailor-made for girls’; a safe, rural bubble with tip top academics, a wonderful alternative to the oversubscribed options in the big smoke. They’re looking for academic potential; results last year were a superb 91 per cent A*–B at A-level, and take up of STEM subjects has never been stronger. They tell us excitedly of their plans for the CATalyst, a new building dedicated to science, technology and digital learning to prepare girls for the careers of the future. Boarding numbers are smallish, but grow by the sixth form, and there’s a minibus to and from Putney for those who prefer the weekly option. The school community is made up of a ‘wonderful mix of families from all walks of life’, according to one father. Concerts and plays are live-streamed, like last year’s sell-out West Side Story, so boarders’ parents can enjoy them too. Girls raise heaps for charity, and praise the leadership opportunities as they rise up the school. Lax players listen up: St Cat’s is mad on the sport, and last year both the U15 and U19 teams were national champions – netball teams are consistently county finalists. Head Alice Philips is, says a mother, ‘a fantastic role model for the girls: confident, sharp, witty and proactive’, and a great advocate of single-sex education. ‘There’s no competition, no arguments and you can be relaxed and focused on the important things,’ says a pupil. | Station Road, Bramley, Guildford, Surrey GU5 0DF | Alice Phillips, MA, since 2000; previously Deputy Head at Tormead School, Guildford | 650 girls: 522 day, 128 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £5,965; boarding: £9,830 | 10% | By November of year before entry; £100 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Davina McCall, Fay Maschler, Juliet Stevenson | Naomi Bartholomew | 256 day girls | 4–11 | £4,925 | stcatherines.info |
| St Edward’s Oxford | There is something very special about Teddies. There’s the sublime Oxford location with acres of playing fields, and the ever-improving results; but that doesn’t explain the abundance of happy Teddies faces radiating around the shops and cafés of Summertown. ‘It’s just such a friendly, welcoming school,’ says our insider. Take the letter (and sweets) they sent their prospective pupils sitting CE: ‘Please try not to be too nervous or get yourself too worried. Remember, the papers are not there to trick you, but for us to see what you know…’ They’ve also gone out of their way to familiarise their prospective pupils by inviting them for sleepovers, at which they can have fun with bucking broncos and giant inflatables. The facilities are top notch and, very importantly to the school ethos, shared with the locals – no living in a ivory tower here. The school’s North Wall theatre is very much a part of the city – it hosts touring theatre companies, musicians and a number of public events. A word of warning; since becoming a viable co-ed day option with pupils able to finish at either 6.30pm or 9pm – running along-side the options of full or weekly boarding – Teddies’ popularity has gone through the roof, especially for sixth form, when the lure of city living becomes especially attractive to teenagers. | Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 7NN | Stephen Jones, MLitt, since 2011; previously Head of Dover College | 687. Day: 81 boys, 36 girls; boarding: 342 boys, 228 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £9,755; boarding: £12,190 | 5% | At least 18 months before entry advised; £100 fee | CE or school’s own exam and interview | Emilia Clarke, Holly Branson, Kenneth Grahame, Jon Snow | stedwardsoxford.org | ||||
| St George’s Ascot | Twitter-whizz Head Liz Hewer is hugely popular with girls and parents alike, and has energised this small and individual-focused school. Although Georgian girls are no slouches on the academic front, with a respectable 72 per cent A*–C at A-level, the school is especially proud of its value-added and works in partnership with the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre to help those that need it. Art is a particular strength here, and we love the idea of the ‘creative-arts carousel’ for the younger years, which gives them the chance to try a range of mediums including printmaking, sculpture, textiles and cookery. There are a fantastic 82 extracurricular clubs on offer, including Space Invaders Club (run by a teacher who visited NASA’s Space Camp in Houston), Amnesty International, LGBT+ and beginner’s ukulele. These are intrepid girls who last summer went on a three-week expedition to the wilds of Borneo. Plans are in place to explore Indonesia next. Parents are delighted to hear that the new 25m indoor swimming pool has finally got the go ahead, and they’re looking forward to an update on the sixth-form accommodation. Last year’s whole-school performance of Cats was a particular success, and our reporter loved the theatre. Drama is particularly popular with the girls – we’re wondering if the opportunity to act in Eton’s plays has anything to do with it? | Wells Lane, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7DZ | Elizabeth Hewer, MA, since 2016; previously Deputy Head at St Mary’s Ascot | 280 girls: 160 day, 120 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £7,600; boarding: £11,820 | 2% | By September of year before entry; £125 fee | Pre-test for 13+, CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Princess Beatrice, Kirsty Gallacher, Lady Rose Gilman | stgeorges-ascot.org.uk | ||||
| St Helen & St Katharine | While they’re undeniably academic, HelKat girls also have an enormous amount of fun and this radiates from the school and its delightful head, Rebecca Dougall. The facilities are amazing, and they have possibly one of the most structurally beautiful modern libraries in England. Having the Abingdon boys on their doorstep comes in very useful – the girls get to train in their spectacular 25m swimming pool, and they integrate with the boys for drama, sports, socials, some A-level subjects and, most importantly (for the teens at least), the daily bus journey. We are reliably informed that this is where all the important discussions of the day take place. But it’s not all fun and games as the St Helen’s girls are focused and high achieving. Sixth-formers are offered a dizzying selection of subjects including Arabic, Mandarin, coding and Cambridge Pre-U in global perspectives. With 11 per cent of the girls winning Oxbridge places and a large proportion of them going on to study sciences, engineering and medicine at university, Mrs Dougall tells us ‘this is a place that celebrates female success in the 21st century’. SHSK offers many opportunities to learn abroad, including an exchange programme with a school in Vancouver, a physics trip to CERN in Switzerland and volunteer programmes in Swaziland and Kenya. The entry procedure is rigorous, and a large number of girls come from the high-achieving Manor Preparatory School next door. | Faringdon Road, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 1BE | Rebecca Dougall, MA, since 2015; previously Head of the Royal School, Bath | 735 day girls | C of E | 9–18 | £5,490 | 11% | One year before entry advised; £100 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Samantha Cameron, journalists Alice Thomson and Gillian Orr | shsk.org.uk/ | ||||
| St Mary’s Ascot | Sad news at St Mary’s – the inestimable Mary Breen, Head since 1999, is leaving. ‘She undoubtedly made the place what it is today,’ says one recent graduate. St Mary’s is so popular it could double in size, but sticks to its ethos of taking no more girls than the chapel can house. Get your daughter’s name down early – they close the books once they have two applications per place. Usually only Roman Catholics are considered – so there are lots of Europeans, and many of the girls are bilingual. Chaplain Father D is immensely popular, even blessing the pets the girls bring to school. The pupils are charming, articulate and engaged, and although academic ability at entry is mixed due to a strong alumni and sibling policy, their results are incredible – 76 per cent A*–A grades at A-level, and 12 per cent of leavers won Oxbridge places last year. St Mary’s has the some of the finest facilities on the all-girls circuit, and the brand new sixth-form boarding house, with 64 en-suite rooms, is no exception. SMAS is full-boarding, and in addition to set exeats pupils can take a floating weekend – but they often don’t as the weekend activities are such fun. We’re talking clay pigeon shooting, giant volleyball, sailing, polo, sushi-making and Krav Maga (an Israeli form of self-defence), cooking pizzas in the woods… and socials, of course. | St Mary’s Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 9JF | Mary Breen, MSc, since 1999; previously Head of Physics at Eton College | 386 girls: 21 day, 365 boarding | RC | 11–18 | Day:£9,210; boarding: £12,930 | 12% | At least two years before entry; £200 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Louise Minchin, Baroness Hogg, Lady Amelia Windsor | st-marys-ascot.co.uk | ||||
| St Swithun’s School | St Swithun’s motto and values are ‘Caritas, humilitas and sinceritas’, which they (indirectly) translate as: ‘Kindness, genuineness and an understated confidence and determination’. This all-girls school has a ‘strong feminist atmosphere’, according to its pupils, promoted by Head Jane Gandee, who teaches Spanish, leads current-affairs assemblies and played women’s football at Cambridge. ‘Sport is quite a big thing here,’ a lower-sixth girl told us; this is an understatement. Lacrosse and netball are compulsory for the first three years, and many girls continue playing further up the school. The highlight of the sporting year is ‘The Game’, a whole-school tag competition. Around 55 per cent of girls are day pupils, with the remainder full or weekly boarding. There are no Saturday lessons, but there are plenty of sports fixtures. Admissions are by pre-test and academic assessment; interestingly, they don’t interview prospective pupils but make offers to those who can keep up with the academic pace (88 per cent A*–B at A-level last year). Pastoral care is all about the individual: ‘You can never have too many adults on your daughter’s side,’ we’re told. Our mole enjoyed her lunch with the ‘charming, chatty’ Head Girl’s team enormously. As one parent says, ‘We were overwhelmingly impressed – the girls are free to be themselves and refreshingly seem to be in no hurry to grow up.’ | Alresford Road, Winchester, Hampshire SO21 1HA | Jane Gandee, MA, since 2010; previously Director of Studies at City of London School for Girls | 518 girls: 288 day, 230 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £6,855; boarding: £11,200 | 7% | By June of Year 5; £200 fee | CE or school’s own exam and previous school’s report | Actress Emma Chambers, designer and author Arabella Pollen | Rebecca Lyons-Smith | 192 day girls | 3–11 | £4,657 | stswithuns.com |
| Sevenoaks School | Sevenoaks is inundated with accolades and awards. And well deserved they are too; it’s one of the world’s leading (and the UK’s largest) IB schools, with lavish facilities, world-class teachers and hair-raising results – last year, 24 students gained the maximum 45 points, and there was an average score across the year group of 40.6. Instead of GCSEs, there’s the UCAS-recognised Sevenoaks School Certificate, and homework’s been slashed in half to allow more time for co-curricular activities and just ‘being young’. It’s a ‘fast-paced environment’, that, for the right child, offers an unbeatable experience. Students give over 600 hours to the local community each week, and relations with the town are excellent (when it last snowed, pupils rallied round to clear public paths). Art, drama and music are superb, often to degree standard, and last year 87 pupils were selected at county, regional or national level in a range of sports. The new science and technology and global studies centres have opened – both stunning pieces of modern architecture – and the next phase of development focuses on increasing bursary provision and boarding capacity. Head Dr Katy Ricks prefers a ‘residential education’ – where pupils learn from living with each other – to full boarding. Her charges mix with over 40 different nationalities: ‘It’s a microcosm of the real world.’ The school is oversubscribed at all entry points. Says a mother, ‘You hear a lot of parents say, “I wish I’d had the chance to come here.”’ | High Street, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1HU | Dr Katy Ricks, DPhil, since 2002; previously Deputy Head of Highgate School | 1,080. Day: 355 boys, 377 girls; boarding: 172 boys, 176 girls | Inter-denom | 11–18 | Day: £8,841; boarding: £13,488 | 19.50% | By September one/two years before entry; £100 fee | CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Sir Daniel Day-Lewis, Sir Timothy Laurence, Elisabeth von Thurn und Taxis | sevenoaksschool.org | ||||
| Stowe School | A resounding three cheers for unspeakably charming Head Dr Anthony Wallersteiner, art historian and networker supreme – Stowe to his very core. His pupils love his maverick charm and his tendency to go off-piste with his speeches. Numbers are healthy; in a smart move, Dr Wallersteiner is addressing the changing needs of parents by introducing two new houses just for day pupils. Academic results are ever-improving (71 per cent A*–B at A-level last year, up eight per cent on 2016’s results): there’s a real buzz around the new state-of-the-art Worsley Science Centre, in particular, with exciting STEM initiatives, Oxbridge chemistry places and a very popular Quantum Society. Sport is strong – ‘there is a sport and team for everyone no matter what their interest or ability,’ the school tells us. Cricketers picked up the Schools Arch Trophy, rowers headed to Boston for the Head of the Charles race and the polo team made it to the finals of the National Championships. The new music school has to be seen to be believed. Our mole was blown away by the quality of performances in the music lessons they were lucky enough to overhear, and by the recording facilities (Stowe has its own record label). Congratulations are also due to Stowe’s CCF and its leader, the inspirational Major Jan de Gale, on a glowing biannual inspection report. | Stowe, Buckingham MK18 5EH | Dr Anthony Wallersteiner, PhD, since 2003; previously Head of History at Tonbridge School | 800. Day: 60 boys, 62 girls; boarding: 434 boys, 244 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £8,785; boarding: £12,220 | 5% | Three to four years before entry advised; £200 fee | ISEB pre-test, CE or school’s own exam; interview and previous school’s report | Sir Richard Branson, Hugh Grant, Henry Cavill, Matthew Vaughn | stowe.co.uk | ||||
| Tonbridge School | We gave Tonbridge’s outgoing Head, Tim Haynes, our Best Head of a Public School award last year – and you may well ask, what took us so long? All-boys Tonbridge is soaring, with impressive academic results (last year’s GCSE results were some of the best ever; over three quarters of A-level grades were A*–A), strong demand for boarding places and a new surge in applications from London families. Prospective pupils sit the ISEB Pre-test, and everyone is interviewed, regardless of result – they have no plans to change this system, despite the rising numbers of applicants. There’s no intention to change the mixture of 40 per cent day and 60 per cent boarding pupils, either; 10 per cent come from overseas. ‘Tonbridge excels at looking after boys,’ we’re told – the strong pastoral care is rooted in the house system, and all boarders eat in their houses. Each house links up with a house at Benenden for socials. Sport is central to the school’s success, literally as well as metaphorically: the 1st XI cricket pitch (The Head) takes pride of place, flanked by the 1st XV rugby pitch (The Fifty). Mr Haynes retired last summer; new Head James Priory joins from the Portsmouth Grammar School. The new £20m science centre will, we’re told, ‘modernise the way science is presented, learnt and understood’, putting Tonbridge ‘at the cutting edge of school science both nationally and inter-nationally’. Its doors are set to open next year. | Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1JP | James Priory, from September, previously Head at the Portsmouth Grammar School | 785 boys: 326 day, 459 boarding | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £10,114; boarding: £13,482 | 20% | At least three years before entry; £200 fee | ISEB Pre-test and interview, CE or school’s own exam | Frederick Forsyth, EM Forster, Dan Stevens, Lord Cowdrey, Norman Heatley | tonbridge-school.co.uk | ||||
| Tudor Hall | ‘True grit’ on the playing field is one of the qualities Tudor Hall says it cultivates in its girls, but this charming Oxfordshire school couldn’t be further from the Wild West, clad as it is in lovely old Cotswold stone. Head Wendy Griffiths says girls are special ‘in a myriad of different ways’, and the destinations for girls leaving Tudor Hall paint as varied a picture as she claims. Leavers in 2017 went on to do everything from art foundation at the Royal Drawing School and social and political sciences at York to architecture at Bath. Girls come from further afield than the south-east: just ask the Chinese students who took the initiative to set up Chinese for beginners, and taught the students and staff how to speak and write basic phrases. Girls head abroad too, with an art trip to New York last year. The big undertaking at Tudor Hall is the new teaching centre that, alongside eight new classrooms, will have purpose-built textiles and ceramics spaces, a photography studio (which is on offer as an A-level subject) and a professional kitchen for home economics. And for canine lovers, there are so many staff-owned dogs that there’s an annual dog show in September, which acts as a lovely ice-breaker for new students and teachers. | Wykham Park, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX16 9UR | Wendy Griffiths, BSc, since 2005; previously Director of Studies at St Catherine’s, Bramley | 330 girls: 82 day, 248 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £7,365; boarding: £11,870 | Occasional | At least two years before entry advised; £100 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Penelope Chilvers, banker Nichola Pease, Dame Julia Peyton-Jones, Davina Combe, shirtmaker Emma Willis | tudorhallschool.com | ||||
| Wellington College | Outward-facing and modern, Wellington is clearly a leader in the world of education. Exuberant Master Julian Thomas’ ethos remains in line with Sir Anthony Seldon’s, his legendary predecessor, however insiders remark there’s been a definite ‘shift in tone’ since he ascended to the throne in 2015. He is ‘very different’ a sixth-former tells us, citing a perceived shift in the push from getting straight A*s towards ‘values and being inclusive’. That said, WC reported to us (since Mr Thomas has removed Wellington from the league tables) their second-highest tally of A*s at A-level ever at 29 per cent, with a second-best high at IB too (average 39.2), with four pupils achieving 45 points, putting them in the top 0.3 per cent for IB worldwide. Elsewhere, the U16 girls hockey team were national champions last year, as were the U15 boys rugby team. Even non-sporty types get stuck into ‘Be the Duke’, the traditional mass-participation, two-day, college-wide game of tag, involving staff and pupils. In Mr Thomas’ view, ‘half of students will become entrepreneurs’, so Wellingtonians are trained to develop independent TLC (thinking, learning and coping). Service is highly valued too – ranging from the school’s glitzy international Global Social Leaders programme, where pupils create and run innovative social action projects, to the homelier hedgehog champions challenge, a conservation project in which pupils crafted houses for the little creatures during Lent term. | Crowthorne, Berkshire RG45 7PU | Julian Thomas, MBA, since 2015; previously Head of Caterham School | 1,040. Day: 120 boys, 75 girls; boarding: 515 boys, 330 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £9,680; boarding: £13,250 | 9% | By June of Year 5; £300 fee | ISEB pre-test, assessment day, CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | George Orwell, Will Young, Sebastian Faulks, Rory Bremner, Peter Snow | wellingtoncollege.org.uk | ||||
| Winchester College | You don’t have to be a genius to study at Winchester, but it certainly helps, as the boys’ grades will attest. Last year 92 per cent of pupils gained A*–A at IGCSE, and 84 per cent of those who sat pre-U gained the equivalent of A*–A in A-level. But it’s not all study and hard work. The school has recently introduced a sports scholarship, and the successful candidates are offered an impressive sporting programme and specialist coaching sessions at the college’s expense. In conjunction with this, the sporting facilities are getting a major facelift and soon Winchester will have a brand new 25m six-lane swimming pool with tiered seating for 150 spectators. Extracurricular clubs are also encouraged, and the introduction of the school’s natural-history club by the notable English naturalist, TV presenter and natural-history fellow Nick Baker has been hugely popular. The boys work alongside the Zoological Society of London’s conservation department and have placed cameras around the college grounds and its nearby nature reserve, capturing footage of deer, otters and kingfishers. While the school is full-boarding and has a busy timetable from Monday to Sunday morning, the boys are encouraged either to spend time with their families on Sunday afternoons or to head out into Winchester. The college is rightly proud of its generous £3.1m a year bursary programme – currently 122 boys receive some level of help with their fees. | College Street, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 9NA | Dr Timothy Hands, DPhil, since 2016; previously Head of Magdalen College School | 700 boys, all boarding | Inter-denom | 13–18 | £13,304 | 35% | By end of Year 5; £200 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Lord Clark, Lord Howe, essayist Sydney Smith, Anthony Trollope | winchestercollege.org | ||||
| Woldingham School | With a train station in its grounds – it’s just 25 minutes to Clapham Junction – Woldingham provides an all-girls traditional country experience without the need to board. But many girls may want to – such is the strength of their lovely community. This is, in part, thanks to inimitable head Alex Hutchinson, whose optimism is contagious – each morning she hands out Post-it notes with a bright idea for the day to the pupils. ‘The most caring and lovely teacher you will ever meet,’ says one pupil. ‘And yet appropriately scary.’ In charge since 2016, Hutchinson says her ideal pupils want to ‘throw themselves into everything… girls with ideas and passion, because, after all, endeavour takes one a long way.’ We couldn’t agree more. Woldingham girls can jump through the exam hoops (84 per cent A*–B at A-level last year), but are also prepared for the many other facets of life, thanks to their Café Scientifique speaker events and the Futures careers programme. They also go to networking events, get involved with business projects with Gatwick Airport and work alongside Oxford University’s Student Consultancy for schools scheme. Drama is strong, and facilities are top notch. Best of all, pupils seem to be genuinely happy. So says our mole: ‘Pupils: divine. Head: adored her. Food: delicious.’ Oh, and happy 175th birthday, Woldingham! | Marden Park, Woldingham, Surrey CR3 7YA | Alex Hutchinson, MA, since 2016; previously Deputy Head | 541 girls: 285 day, 256 boarding | RC | 11–18 | Day: £7,480; boarding: £12,150 | 3% | By September of the year before entry; £100 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Clarissa Dickson Wright, Carey Mulligan, TV presenter Victoria Fritz | woldinghamschool.co.uk | ||||
| Worth School | There are many things that stick in your mind when you visit Worth, but first and foremost is the beautiful setting and incredible 500 acres of grounds. At certain vantage points, you can look out across fields and trees and not see another building, despite being so close to Gatwick Airport. This Roman Catholic school has the ‘heart and soul’ of its pupils as its focus. The recently introduced beginner’s Arabic club is taught by a staff member aided by two Syrian refugees. Worth is actively involved in reaching out to the refugee population at the nearby Gatwick detention centre, with pupils teaching IT and English language skills there. Academic attainment is steady, and IB is very popular, especially among the strong European cohort, who benefit from the school’s proximity to the airport. Director of Sport David Bruton tells us that Worth’s ‘strength lies in the opportunities provided and attitude with which we play’. There’s a talented-athlete support programme for high achievers – it’s no wonder the U15 rugby team is all-conquering. Music is an integral part of life at Worth with 40 per cent of pupils either playing an instrument or taking singing lessons. There are biennial choir trips to Rome and Vatican City, where they sing with the Sistine Chapel Choir at Papal Mass in front of 80,000 people. | Paddockhurst Road, Turners Hill, West Sussex RH10 4SD | Stuart McPherson, MA, since 2015; previously housemaster and teacher at Eton | 600. Day: 150 boys, 90 girls; boarding: 230 boys, 100 girls | RC | 11–18 | Day: £7,910; boarding: £11,230 | 4% | Two years prior to entry; £100 fee | Pre-test, CE or school’s own exam and interview | Robert Bathurst, England rugby player Tom Mitchell | worthschool.org.uk | ||||
| Wycombe Abbey | Wycombe describes itself to us as ‘a world-class establishment that strives to provide high academic achievement and a holistic, enjoyable educational experience.’ Note those final three words. Over the past five years, parents and pupils alike have been talking about the ‘oneness and joy’ (as our researcher puts it) that’s been introduced under head Rhiannon Wilkinson. Applications are up 124 per cent at 16+. Wycombe are looking for ‘fresh, earnest girls who are not too cool for school’. These articulate specimens are a self-motivated bunch, who tell us they love the integrated mixed-year boarding, and prefer to sort out any issues between themselves rather than turn to teachers. They lead the field at sports, where the PE department includes two members of England’s World Cup medal-winning lacrosse team and they were independent school ski champions last year. The chapel choir had the honour of singing Mass in Rome last year, then gave four other sell-out, roof-raising cathedral concerts while they were at it. Of course, you already know they are among the brainiest girls in the country, achieving a phenomenal 85.6 per cent A*–A at A-level last year. We love hearing that for 2½ hours every week girls are taught ‘applied life skills’, which include creating a personal budget and organising a black-tie event. | High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP11 1PE | Rhiannon Wilkinson, MEd, since 2013; previously Head of Harrogate Ladies’ College | 611 girls: 51 day, 560 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £9,735; boarding: £12,980 | 34% | By June of year before entry; £250 fee | Assessment day, CE or school’s own exam and interview | Polly Stenham, Baroness Butler-Sloss, Sally Phillips | wycombeabbey.com | ||||
| Title | Review | Location | Head | Pupils | Faith | Ages | Term-fees | Oxbridge | Registration | Admission | Alumni | Prep Head | Prep Pupils | Prep Ages | Prep Term Fees | Website |
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| Badminton | Badminton girls sound right up Tatler’s street. One told us that her favourite thing about school was the enormous volume of tea that they are able to consume, while another said the only thing she would change is: ‘the sixth-form blazers – the sky-blue lining mixed with the greyish tweed is definitely not chic in my eyes!’ Badminton is a city school with a country feel. The grounds are immaculate, as are all the buildings and diverse facilities. It houses a seriously bright and high-achieving bunch of girls. Around 16 per cent headed to Oxbridge last year, and almost all secured a place at their first-choice university, be that a UK-based Russell Group institution or the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Sport is a major strength and the list of county and national achievements is impressive. We love the sound of the new part- nership with Hartpury University Centre for the sports scholars too, which ensures that they’re given guidance on how to balance the pressures of academic and sporting success, while making sure they understand the importance of nutrition, conditioning and sports psychology. Pupils describe music as ‘the soul of Badminton – it is like the undercurrent through us all’ – the 85 per cent of pupils playing an instrument reflects this. The art department particularly impressed our visitor, and parents are roped in with regular art workshops where they learn the finer points of everything from ceramics to batik. | Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS9 3BA | Rebecca Tear, MA, since 2012; previously Deputy Head of Wycombe Abbey | 303 girls; 116 day, 187 boarding | Non-denom | 11–18 | Day: £5,475; boarding: £10,765 | 16% | No deadline but a year before entry advised;£150 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Indira Gandhi, Dame Iris Murdoch, Rosamund Pike, Princess Haya bint al Hussein | Emma Davies | 147 girls, day and boarding | 3–11 | Day: £3,745; boarding: £7,280 | badmintonschool.co.uk |
| Blundell’s School | ‘I honestly couldn’t find anything negative about this school’, enthused our mole, after a delicious lunch (cooked by a MasterChef finalist, no less) and an audience with four sparky and engaged pupils. Blundell’s is a reassuring mix of the traditional (it’s been around for more than 400 years) and an on-the-pulse modernity, with bright, homely dorms and polished facilities. Boarding is a hit with families who have second homes in the lovely Devon and Dorset countryside, and results are sound (68 per cent A*–B last year), with ‘not an ounce of that London hothousing’, according to one mother. Oxbridge numbers have skyrocketed in the past few years, but, says a parent, ‘the school’s greatest strength is the all-rounder element’; there are music scholars in the 1st XV rugby team and a whole roster of opportunities from surfing to quad biking to fives. News of pupil Barrie Karea’s magnificent solo try in the U18 Champions Trophy made it as far as New Zealand (seriously, Google it) and girls’ rugby took off with a bang last year, when the team reached the finals of the Rosslyn Park Sevens tournament. Sadly, ‘truly inspirational’ head Nicola Huggett departed for Cheltenham College in the summer – the good news is Second Master Bart Wielenga has just stepped up. Parents have historically referred to the duo as the ‘dream team’, so we’ve no doubt the place is in good hands. ‘We don’t take ourselves too seriously,’ says the school. ‘Life is for living, after all.’ We couldn’t agree more. | Tiverton, Devon EX16 4DN | Bart Wielenga, BComm, from September; previously Second Master | 598. Day: 117 boys, 81 girls; boarding: 228 boys, 172 girls | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £7,470; boarding: £11,735 | 2% | One year before entry; £100 fee | CE or school’s own exam and interview | RD Blackmore, former Archbishop of Canterbury William Temple, rugby player Jack Maunder, cricketer Hugh Morris | Andy Southgate | 210 day: 113 boys, 97 girls | 2 1⁄2–11 | £4,065 | blundells.org |
| Bryanston | ‘Bryanston is malleable to the individual needs of a pupil,’ one happy mother told us. The school rightly prides itself on the one-to-one nature of the education it provides, and on entry pupils are carefully allocated a tutor with whom they’ll meet every week for their next five years at school. Parents can easily keep up to date with progress by logging on to their child’s eChart, which features their weekly effort marks, grades and tutor comments. Bryanston boys and girls are supported to find their niche: ‘They’re encouraged to be individuals and use their formative teenage years to find out who they are,’ says one mum. The school has an idyllic location on a 400-acre North Dorset estate by a stretch of the River Stour, but there are fast trains to London, and more local bright lights. The list of creative outlets is long, with 15 to 20 drama productions a year, a thriving art school, numerous choirs (over a quarter of pupils are enrolled in at least one) and the opportunity to flex journalistic muscles writing for school magazine The Brogue. Sporting endeavours are encour- aged as much for the health and wellbeing benefits as for the achievement of excellence, but for the elite sportspeople there is now an impressive Performance Sport Programme. Headmistress Sarah Thomas, the winner of the 2017 Tatler Best Head of a Public School award, has recently announced she’s leaving after 13 years. Mark Mortimer will be arriving from Wiltshire (Warminster School) in September 2019. | Blandford, Dorset DT11 0PX | Sarah Thomas, BA, since 2005; previously Deputy Head of Uppingham | 676. Day: 46 boys, 46 girls; boarding: 322 boys, 262 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £10,437; boarding: £12,728 | 3% | Three years before entry advised; £200 fee | ISEB pre-test, CE or school’s own exam and interview | Sir Terence Conran, Ben Fogle, Emilia Fox, Lucian Freud, Jasper Conran | bryanston.co.uk | ||||
| Canford | In what one might call a ‘chall enging’ era for British boarding, Canford delightedly reported its highest number of students ever last year, and pointed out that ‘less than three per cent of the pupil roll are resident abroad, non-British, non-native English speakers’, suggesting a strong local feel. About 70 per cent board (no flexi) and, wow, we wish we could. Set in the picturesque Dorset village of Canford Magna, the River Stour meandering through its 250 acres of landscaped parkland (check out that ancient arboretum), this is undoubtedly one of the UK’s most ravishing schools. Facilities are stunning too: a sports centre with two gyms; a 25m indoor pool; a nine-hole golf course and one of the only original Real Tennis courts in the country. But dynamic head Ben Vessey isn’t content to let Canford rest on its decorative laurels. Pupils are capable and switched on, with nearly 50 per cent A*–A at A-level, and a traditional incline towards medicine and maths. The 1st XV rugby celebrated their finest season in history last year and the girls compete nationally at hockey and netball. Main points for entry are at 13+ and 16+ and do register early (ie Year 5 or before) if you have a particular house choice in mind. Personally, we’d pick Lancaster: they baked a Ford DFV engine entirely out of cake for last year’s inter-house competition, and it tasted divine too. | Wimborne, Dorset BH21 3AD | Ben Vessey, MBA, since 2013; previously Senior Deputy Head of Christ’s Hospital | 652. Day: 139 boys, 93 girls; boarding: 241 boys, 179 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £9,241; boarding: £12,410 | 6% | Two years before entry; £200 fee | Pre-test and interview at 11, CE or school’s own exam | Sir Henry Cecil, General Sir Brian Kenny, Alan Hollinghurst, Ore Oduba | canford.com | ||||
| Cheltenham College | It’s all change at Cheltenham College. Not only has the marvellous Nicola Huggett arrived from Blundell’s, but Tom O’Sullivan from Old Buckenham Hall has taken up the reigns at Cheltenham Prep (around 50 per cent of pupils come up from the prep to take a spot at the big school). Parents are delighted by this impending ‘dream team’, and are hoping they’ll mantain the ‘not London facing’ vibe: while the academically able are pushed – a record 82 per cent A*–B at A-level last year – the aim is ‘well-balanced young adults’, says the school. The rugby season was one of the best yet, with 1st XV and Yearlings A teams both unbeaten. Girls did brilliantly at the National Schools’ Racket Championships, taking away the U18 and U16 doubles titles. The Talented Athlete Programme ensures the elite squads are mentored and trained to reach the starry heights of international sport. The boathouse on the banks of the River Severn is being renovated and football has made its debut for boys and girls. Around 80 per cent board and College Lawn, the new day and boarding house for girls, has flung open its Regency doors. The coffee shop is rammed and the dining room (and food) have had a much-needed revamp – ‘phew’ says one pupil. We’ve heard great things about their wellbeing programme, Floreat: ‘highly impressive’, says one father. | Bath Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 7LD | Nicola Hugget, MA, from September; previously Head of Blundell’s School | 699. Day: 68 boys, 63 girls; boarding: 321 boys, 247 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £9,525; boarding: £12,590 | 5% | Three years before entry advised; £150 fee | CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Michael Rose | Tom O’Sullivan | 375 day and boarding; 203 boys, 172 girls | 3–13 | Day: £6,105; boarding: £7,930 | cheltenhamcollege.org |
| The Cheltenham Ladies’ College | We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: for the right girl, Cheltenham Ladies’ is a phenomenally good school. As one prep-school head puts it: ‘For a bright, go-getting girl – wow, the opportunities.’ Head Eve Jardine-Young is a star: young, dynamic and ambitious for her girls but realistic about the pressures they face from them- selves, their families, each other and the world at large. CLC’s academic results are excellent (84 per cent A*–B at A-level in 2017, and an IB average of 39.9 points), but the firm message to the girls is: ‘You don’t have to go after the grades – they will take care of themselves.’ The largest intake is at 11+, when 70 girls (45 boarders, 25 day girls) join the school; another 45 boarders come in at 13+, two-thirds of whom have taken the early entry route, sitting an exam in the January of Year 7. The new health and fitness centre is superb, and the rolling programme of house refurbishments continues: we were shown St Austin’s, which is boutique-hotel immaculate. Houses are allocated by what Ms Jardine-Young calls ‘the Harry Potter sorting hat thing’ to avoid cliques – you can express a preference for a particular house, but there are no guarantees. She describes the pastoral care as ‘high frequency, light touch’ – there’s no question that rock-solid systems are in place, but we’re still hearing a few murmurs from parents now and then. | Bayshill Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3EP | Eve Jardine-Young, MA, since 2011; previously Director of Studies at Blundell’s School | 850 girls; 170 day, 680 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £8,270; boarding: £12,315 | 11% | December of the year before entry; £250 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, Bridget Riley, Dame Mary Archer, Amanda Wakeley, Amber Rudd | cheltladiescollege.org | ||||
| Christ College Brecon | Christ College might be a new entry for Tatler but is, in fact, the oldest school in Wales. It was founded in 1541 by Henry VIII and the dining room and chapel have both been in use since the 13th century. But you’d be wrong to think this is a school that’s stuck in the past, because for all its history this is a very forward-thinking place. Headmaster Gareth Pearson was a housemaster at Wellington College under Sir Anthony Seldon and was at the forefront of the growth of the wellbeing programme there – he has been quick to introduce similar learning at Christ College. There is also an impressive roll call of building work, including a centre for creative arts that houses a 400-seat auditorium, a new junior school for Years 3 to 6, a newly completed sixth-form centre and a recently refurbished swimming pool. However it’s the close links this ancient Welsh college has formed with Asia that really impressed us. They have just opened a sister school called King Henry VIII College in Kuala Lumpur. They also have an annual exchange programme with pupils from the Meikei School in Tokyo, and this year they are starting a new exchange programme with Feng Xian High School in China. Hopefully the exchange students will be able to enjoy the beautiful surrounds of the Brecon Beacons National Park. There’s a strong music department and the choir has toured throughout Europe. | Brecon, Powys, LD3 8AF | Gareth Pearson, BEng, since 2017; previously Senior Deputy Head at Lord Wandsworth College, Hampshire | 371. Day: 102 boys, 63 girls; boarding 113 boys, 93 girls | C of E | 7–18 | Day: £5,996; boarding: £9,264 | 2% | One month before assessment; £50 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | MD of Savills Sir Simon Hughes, artist James Dickson Innes, Richard Rees | christcollegebrecon.com | ||||
| Clayesmore | ‘You must, must, MUST put this in your Tatler Schools Guide!’ we always get told by anyone who’s been to Clayesmore. As if we needed persuading. Everyone is known and everyone is noticed at this friendly, all-through (boarding from Year 3), non-selective Dorset gem where the emphasis is on time: time to help every student to flourish. But let’s be clear: this is not just for pupils who require special learning support. A bright child will fly here (A*s, Grade 8s and national sporting triumphs are present and correct) while a less-able child will end up doing extremely well too. There’s no stigma attached to asking for help (we all need it) and the school’s main mantra is ‘have a go’. Head Jo Thomson is ambitious, intell- igent and loved by pupils, and focuses on the long-term view – ie looking beyond ‘what did you get for A-levels?’ to turning out people one might want to employ. Popular BTECs can be taken alongside A-levels and as for their business centre – ‘WOW,’ exclaims our seasoned researcher, who writes: ‘This has been the most impressive careers forum I have come across.’ Creative juices are flowing at this school and the DT projects are impressive: pupils recently designed a super-slick tree-trunk coffee table that went on to grace the Head’s drawing room – she didn’t want to let go of it. | Iwerne Minster, Blandford, Dorset DT11 8LL | Joanne Thomson, MA, since 2016, previously Senior Deputy Head at Christ’s Hospital | 462. Day: 139 boys, 85 girls; boarding: 146 boys, 92 girls | C of E | 12–18 | Day: £8,740; boarding: £11,910 | Occasional | 18 months before entry; £100 fee | CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Tony Hart, Edward Ardizzone, novelist Julian Rathbone | William Dunlop | 231 day and boarding; 139 boys, 92 girls | 3–13 | Day: £6,250; boarding: £8,370 | clayesmore.com |
| Clifton College | The tide is turning at Clifton, and Head Dr Tim Greene has taken the helm with ease. A ‘super chap’ says one father; ‘he’s pretty amazing,’ beams a pupil, but most importantly he is a teacher first – A-level chemistry is his forte. The school’s soaring gothic brickwork is ‘postcard perfect’ says our admiring reporter, and a major refurb has commenced on the original buildings. The houses are a school within a school and competition is fierce. To celebrate 30 years of girls at the college, Holland’s House opened its doors last year, bringing the total to 20 houses (that’s 20 school ties). Sport is big – the directors of hockey and rugby are ex-international, and accolades come in thick and fast. The past year saw county champions in all three age groups in girls’ hockey (one alum won gold in Rio with Team GB) and four former pupils signed to professional rugby contracts. The science school is a three-storey extravaganza with a dedicated library (there are two Nobel Prize-winning scientists among the school’s alumni). A-level results were a touch down, to 76 per cent A*–B, but seven smarties skipped off to Oxbridge. Half of pupils board, and one insider says the integration between boarders and day pupils is the best around. A few grumbles from parents, of staff over-promising and tradition getting in the way, but in the words of one satisfied mother, ‘they find a spark and they expand it.’ | Guthrie Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3EZ | Dr Tim Greene, DPhil, since 2016. Previously Deputy Head Academic | 720. Day: 196 boys, 159 girls; boarding: 224 boys, 141 girls | Inter-denom | 13–18 | Day: £8,230; boarding: £12,390 | 3% | A year before entry; £150 fee | Pre-assessment, CE, interview and previous school’s report | Lily Owsley, John Cleese, Sir Michael Redgrave, John Pinkerton | Jim Walton | 489 day and boarding: 270 boys, 219 girls | 2–13 | Day: £5,820; boarding: £9,550 | cliftoncollege.com |
| Dauntsey’s School | It’s incredibly refreshing when a school tells us they’d rather accept happy and spirited children over hothoused academic ones. At Dauntsey’s, the interview is the clincher, even if the entrance exam didn’t quite go to plan. It’s a school full of quirks – take the Head of Adventure (surely the coolest job title ever?), an embodiment of Dauntsey’s go-for-it attitude, and Jolie Brise, their very own tall ship, which last year went transatlantic, steered by a crew of sixth formers. The arts are incredible – catch the drama department performing in the West End – and there’s a brand-new ballroom dancing club, not forgetting the longstanding, hilariously named all-boys dance group, GNI (Girls Not Invited). The art department, with its four (yes, four!) 3D printers was a hive of activity on our visit. A-level results were an admirable 76 per cent A*–B last year and pupils and teachers share a ‘courteous infor- mality’. Ex-Saracens player Marcus Olsen heads up the sports department and the long-awaited athletics track is finally under construction. Boarding is 24/7, with a full timetable on Saturdays; what the purpose-built accomm- odation lacks in charm it makes up for in modern touches and 13 different bus routes ship the huge cohort of day pupils back and forth. Head Mark Lascelles is, says our sleuth, ‘charming, honest and great fun’ – though a word of advice if you do visit: pack your warmest layers – the school’s in the middle of nowhere with a chill wind flying straight off the Salisbury Plain… | West Lavington, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 4HE | Mark Lascelles, BA, since 2012; previously acting Head at the King’s School, Canterbury | 820. Day: 261 boys, 258 girls; boarding: 146 boys, 155 girls | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £6,330; boarding: £10,480 | 4% | By autumn of two years before entry; £100 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Author the Rev Wilbert Awdry, former president of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed, co-founder of Friends of the Earth Richard Sandbrook | dauntseys.org | ||||
| Dean Close School | We’re big fans of Dean Close. This small-ish Cheltenham co-ed might not hit the academic heights of some local rivals (73 per cent A*–B at A-level last year), but it’s the top school in Gloucestershire for value-added – and that, says Head Bradley Salisbury, is ‘the biggie.’ All the pupils we met praised the strong pastoral care, and the rock-solid tutor system (‘so, so helpful’). Around 60 per cent board; some go home at weekends but the boarding houses are still nicely full – no silent Sundays here. Some of the accommodation is a bit tired but there’s a rolling programme of renovation and plans for a ‘day house village’ with space for socialising and study, along with new homes for the maths, humanities and science departments. DC ‘makes no bones about being a Christian school, but welcomes all comers,’ said our pupil guide; the whole school meets in the beautiful chapel three times a week. Music is impressive – our chaperone was on course for a Cambridge choral scholarship. In the art block, we were blown away by the GCSE coursework on show, particularly one sculpture of a huge golden Buddha-baby. Hockey is very much the sporting thing here, but the rugby teams are catching up fast and there are plenty of options for non-hearty types. The new Warden of the Dean Close Foundation, Emma Taylor, is a whizz, full of warmth and vivacity – she talks at the speed of light and filled the pages of our notebook with excitement and vision and good sense. Message for prospective pupils? ‘You will be welcomed with open arms,’ one girl told us – and yes, that’s just how it felt. | Shelburne Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL51 6HE | Bradley Salisbury, MEd, since 2015; previously Deputy Head | 476. Day: 123 boys, 92 girls; boarding: 136 boys, 125 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £8,200; boarding: £11,939 | 5% | Early registration advised; £100 fee | Pre-test, CE or school’s own exam and interview | Brian Jones, Francis Bacon, actor Will Merrick | Paddy Moss | 309 day and boarding: 171 boys, 138 girls | 7–13 | Day: £6,250; boarding: £8,455 | deanclose.org.uk |
| Godolphin | ‘If I were to pick one word to describe this school, it would be joyful’ says a mother who relocated her daughter to Godolphin from another, unnamed, school where she had suffered from anxiety and a ‘total lack’ of confidence. ‘Within 24 hours of her arriving at Godolphin I saw a glimmer of her old self; within a few weeks, she was back to being confident and happy.’ All schools tell us they want to bring out the best in pupils, but Godolphin really does it. Applications for this non-selective all-girls’ day/flexi/boarder have rocketed 30 per cent over the past three years, so register as early as possible if you hope to see your daughter clad in that iconic pinny. The pastoral is ‘amazing’ according to another parent, and ‘they get good results without too much pressure’. A-levels were 71 per cent A*–B last year, and 90 per cent gained a place at their first-choice university. Their lacrosse prowess is legendary and CCF is hugely popular too: 10 girls completed the mighty Ten Tors challenge last year and the CCF cadet of the year gets to wear a special camouflage pinafore. What would you change about the school? We asked pupils: ‘More socials – especially with Eton and Radley,’ said one. Even parents say that a little more interaction with boys would be desirable. But the food gets a thumbs up: ‘Delicious!’ | Milford Hill, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 2RA | Emma Hattersley, BA, since 2014; previously Pastoral Deputy Head at Sherborne Girls | 400 girls: 160 day, 240 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £7,030; boarding: £10,675 | Occasional | At least 18 months before entry ; £100 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Jilly Cooper, Deborah Meaden, Minette Walters, TV presenter Louise Beale | Julia Miller | 100 girls, day and boarding | 3–11 | Day: £4,645; boarding: £8,410 | godolphin.org |
| Marlborough College | There can be few co-ed boarding schools so perfectly situated for teenagers. Not only can they enjoy the acres of playing fields surrounded by beautiful Wiltshire countryside, but they can also easily meander in and out of Marlborough town to shop and eat out. As a result of this, and its top-class facilities, Marlborough College has an ever-increasing number of applicants per place. This year Louise Moelwyn-Hughes returns to the college as its first female Master. She previously taught Latin and Greek there and was a housemistress, and is seen as a very safe pair of hands to take things forward. A-level and GCSE grades were ever so slightly down last year but the school still sent 10 per cent on to Oxbridge and maintains that its value-added is significant. The sports facilities are jawdropping, and include a swimming pool with a movable floor to alter its depth and a sparkling new fitness complex. However, the focus isn’t entirely on pupils’ numerous national and regional successes, as the sports department believes in ‘strength in depth’, as evidenced by its winning B, C and D teams. They’re proud of their full-boarding status and feel that it really sets them apart, allowing them to offer a vast selection of co-curricular activities ranging from beagling to astronomy – weekends are flat out with sports fixtures, trips, drama, music, art and the odd social. The art department is particularly busy, overseen by the Head of Art Edward Twohig, and there have been a number of popular exhibitions at the College’s Mount House Studio. | Bath Road, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 1PA | Louise Moelwyn-Hughes, MA, from September; previously Head of St Edmund’s, Canterbury | 970. 550 boys, 420 girls | C of E | 13–18 | £12,605 | 10% | By November two years before entry; £250 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Siegfried Sassoon, William Morris, the Duchess of Cambridge, Jack Whitehall, John Betjeman | marlboroughcollege.org | ||||
| Millfield | Millfield is famous for its sporting supremacy. As one mum told us: ‘Our A teams are all playing county level or above, so it’s our B teams that play other schools’ A teams.’ Last year they had call-ups for two pupils, two staff (coaching roles) and two former pupils to represent their countries at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. But there are opportunities for all, and the school encourages children to specialise in their chosen sports or to experiment with finding new ones. Students have performed alongside some of the world’s finest musicians, including the BBC Big Band, and the sixth-form EAGLES programme promotes altruism by giving pupils the opportunity to work with local, national and international communities. But it was the wide-ranging academic support measures that our mums were most happy about. They told us about the school’s banding system and the consensus is that it’s sensible, and adaptive to the pupils’ abilities. A mix of GCSEs and BTECs are on offer, while class sizes are small (eight to 12), meaning extra attention per child. There is a strong international feel, with 20 per cent coming from overseas, and a large proportion of locals join from the well-respected Millfield Prep. | Street, Somerset BA16 0YD | Gavin Horgan | 1,224. Day: 170 boys, 151 girls; boarding: 543 boys, 360 girls | Non-denom | 13–18 | Day: £8,535; boarding: £12,870 | Occasional | At least two years before entry advised; £150 fee | Pre-test, CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Chris Robshaw, Ella Eyre, John Sergeant, rower Helen Glover | Shirley Shayler | 378 day and boarding: 208 boys, 170 girls | 2–13 | Day: £6,235; boarding: £9,460 | millfieldschool.com |
| Milton Abbey | There’s change afoot at Milton Abbey and parents and pupils couldn’t be happier with this beautiful Dorset school. Judith Fremont-Barnes has recently become its first female head and she is being joined by an ever-increasing number of girls who are making the most of the newly opened second all-girls boarding house. Parents report that Milton Abbey is a place that really gets the best out of all its pupils, including the ones who are ‘often overlooked at other schools’. While results are on an upward trajectory and last year saw pupils’ highest number of A/A* grades in seven years, the school also prepares some of its students for a more vocational route. No independent school offers a greater number of BTEC courses and as a result they now have a big intake in the lower sixth. One mother tells us how her son’s BTEC in countryside management gave him 300 hours of work experience, including working alongside farmers during lambing season. The Entrepreneur in Residence scheme, this year with jewellery designer Annoushka Ducas, is another hugely popular way of preparing pupils for their future careers. Cycling has become a major school obsession and a team of specialist coaches makes the most of the local hills to prepare keen bikers for comp- etitions. The rural location has another bonus: there is no mobile phone reception so, as one boy told us, ‘We have to make the effort to talk to each other and make our own fun.’ | Blandford Forum, Dorset DT11 0BZ | Judith Fremont-Barnes, MA, since August; previously Head of Duke of Kent School, Surrey | 251. Day: 23 boys, 14 girls; boarding: 154 boys, 60 girls | Inter-denom | 13–18 | Day: £6,750; boarding: £12,850 | Occasional | Two years before entry; £100 fee | CE or school’s own exam and previous school’s report | Alastair Bruce, Rupert Evans, Mark Shand | miltonabbey.co.uk | ||||
| Monmouth School | ‘If my sons turned out anything like them, I’d be delighted,’ said our visitor of her pupil guides, who were charming, grounded and full of praise for their time at Monmouth. The school’s motto is ‘smart apart, better together’, so students here get all the benefit of a single-sex education with the added bonus of the sister school, Monmouth School for Girls, just down the road: they join forces for CCF, drama, dinners and trips, and for lessons in the sixth form. Around half of the boys arrive from the foundation’s prep, the rest from a ‘broad catchment’ in the Welsh borders and beyond. A-level results hit a five-year high last year with 76 per cent A*–B. Music is sensational; Director David Lawson achieved his ultimate bucket-list goal recently after leading a magical choir performance at St Peter’s in Rome – it was ‘everything I could have wished for’, he tells us. They’ve got facilities a go-go (shared with the town, with whom pupils have a faultless relationship), and marvellous sport; legendary British Lions and Wales player John Bevan still coaches rugby. Boarding houses are fresh from a multimillion pound facelift and boys rave about the plush upper sixth university-esque accommodation, where they’re encouraged to cook for themselves. You’d think head Andrew Daniel – relaxed, twinkly, enthusiastic and positive – would be the icing on the cake. But no, there’s more: just take a look at those fees. We’d sign up on the spot. | Almshouse Street, Monmouth NP25 3XP | Dr Andrew Daniel, PhD, since 2015; previously Deputy Head of Wellington School, Somerset | 643 boys: 476 day, 167 boarding | C of E | 7–18 | Day: £5,272; boarding: £9,994 | 3% | By December of year before entry; £60 fee | CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Rugby player Eddie Butler, Rolls Royce CEO Warren East, Sir John Beddington | Neil Shaw | 127 day boys (5 boarding) | 7–11 | Day: £3,697; boarding: £6,760 | habsmonmouth.org/boys |
| St Mary’s Calne | Highly desirable and oversubscribed, Calne is fundamentally a boarding school, but if day pupils want to sleep over (and many often do) there’s always a groovy futon (as opposed to an aged z-bed) free, blurring the day/ boarding divide. This is a place for clever girls: 70 per cent A*–A last year (up on an already impressive 54 per cent the year before). Very sporty girls too: the 1st Lacrosse Team are South West champions, and last year they turned out five national players. Given the school’s central locale, it’s mind-boggling how they pack their increasingly glitzy facilities into such a compact space. They’ve just cut the ribbon on a brand new £2.55 million sports complex (this in addition to their indoor pool, gym and full-sized Astro) and the boarding houses have just had a welcome £11.5 million facelift to keep up with the lavish sixth-form digs. Next up: a new library. As to Head Dr Felicia Kirk, we are fans of her enthusiastic American directness and her determination to battle the female demon of perfectionism. To her, a Calne girl should be good at relation- ships, be kind and look out for her fellows. Many of the older girls also run clubs for the smaller ones, Year 12 girls, for example, teach Year 7’s how to cook, and the unusual horizontal house system (boarding arranged in year groups) is very popular. Sidenote: houses are called ‘companies’ before you get confused. | Calne, Wiltshire SN11 0DF | Dr Felicia Kirk, PhD, since 2013; previously Head of Sixth Form at Ipswich High School for Girls | 365 girls: 75 day, 290 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £9,675; boarding: £12,975 | 10% | Three to five years before entry; £250 fee | CE or school’s own exam and assessment day | Dressage rider Laura Tomlinson, author Eva Rice, journalist Roya Nikkhah | stmaryscalne.org | ||||
| Sherborne Girls | A traditional girls-only boarding school that’s all about generosity of spirit and the work/play balance. ‘Possibly not the place for a girl who doesn’t like the countryside and is only happy with a shopping mall near,’ muses our mole, happy to spot some juniors making daisy chains and holding handstand competitions. Sherborne is an idyllic Dorset location blessed with several other excellent schools, placing this friendly, nurturing full-boarder within a wider community. Girls visit the Gryphon School fortnightly for Oxbridge club and naturally there are plenty of strong links with Sherborne School just around the corner: drama, dances, concerts, socials etc. The school’s main entry point was traditionally 13+, but it’s increasingly at 11. Results are back on the up again: 74 per cent A*–B at A-level last year and an IB average creeping up to 34.8. Sport is everywhere, the £10 million arts centre will open early next year, the new Adventure and Leadership programme is forging ahead and somehow, in between all that, the girls are all expected to do their own laundry (‘three cheers!’ say parents). As one sixth former told us: ‘the only real downside is there is so much to do!’ After 12 excellent years, much-admired Head Jenny Dwyer has stepped down, leaving Sherborne Old Girl Dr Ruth Sullivan to slip into her shoes. Will she be as strident in her commitment to full boarding? | Bradford Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3QN | Dr Ruth Sullivan, PhD, from September, previously Deputy Master at Haileybury College | 488 girls; 35 day, 453 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £7,095; boarding: £11,960 | 9% | Two to three years before entry advised; £100 fee | CE or school’s own exam and previous school’s report | Sophie Kinsella, Maria Aitkin, Santa Montefiore, Camila Batmanghelidjh | sherborne.com | ||||
| Sherborne School | Sitting in the beautiful Dorset town that shares its name, Sherborne School enjoys the charms of both town and country, and this full-boarding boys school also benefits from close links and collaborations with the nearby Sherborne Girls. The two schools share a number of lessons and an active social programme so the boys get both a single-sex and, in parts, a co-ed education. Academically the school is thriving, with last year’s A* attainment level of 23 per cent breaking the school record for A-levels. Sherborne is quick to point out that it has been in the top five per cent for the Department of Education’s 16 to 18 value-added tables for the past two years. The sports department prides itself not just on its number of wins, but also on the variety offered. Boys can do yoga, clay-pigeon shooting, scuba diving, fives or sailing. They’ve had a big year for skiing, with their U18 team winning the Grand Slalom at the British Schools Championships in Wengen. It seems that almost every pupil at Sherborne is integrated into the music department, which is run by the hugely popular James Henderson: there are 230 boys in the choral society, 107 singers in the choir and 87 instrumentalists in the wind band. Co-curricular activities run to an almost never-ending list, and we loved the idea of the boys broadcasting live on Radio Sherbs under the watchful eye of an ex-BBC journalist turned philosophy teacher. | Abbey Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3AP | Dr Dominic Luckett, DPhil, since 2016; previously Head of Mill Hill School, London | 600 boys. 50 day, 550 boarding | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £10,125; boarding: £12,500 | 5% | Three years before entry advised; £150 fee | Pre-assessment day at 11; CE or school’s own exam and previous school’s report | Hugh Bonneville, Alan Turing, Chris Martin, Jeremy Irons | sherborne.org | ||||
| Westonbirt | When it comes to jawdropping buildings, Westonbirt is a winner. The 150-year-old Grade I-listed mansion and surrounding 210 acres of parklands are stunning, but the girls here take the setting in their stride. Despite the school having an essentially non-selective adm- issions process, students go on to great things brimming with confidence. Around 50 per cent went to Russell Group universities in the past two years, but there is also a strong art contingent gaining places at Central Saint Martins and the Glasgow School of Art, and more vocational BTEC courses are also now offered. Sport is a strength and accolades are many, especially on the lacrosse field. Three girls have joined the U19 England lacrosse academy and one has joined the Scottish equivalent; this year the lacrosse players are heading Stateside for a tour of the East Coast. Horse riding is also a firm favourite and one pupil has been selected for the GB Pony Progress Squad. Westonbirt was one of the first schools to boast a nine-hole golf course and the game is becoming increasingly popular among the girls. Drama is big too, and pupils are able to perform Shakespeare outdoors in their own amphitheatre. There are strong international links as Westonbirt has partner schools in China, Japan, India and Sierra Leone. | Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8QG | Natasha Dangerfield, BA, since 2013; previously Deputy Head of Harrogate Ladies’ College | 173 girls: 95 day, 78 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £4,995; boarding: £9,750 | Occasional | Early registration advised; £100 fee | CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs, TV presenter Ruth Watson, Betty Baden-Powell | Sean Price | 169 day; 71 boys, 93 girls | 3–11 | £3,865 | westonbirt.org |
| Title | Review | Location | Head | Pupils | Faith | Ages | Term-fees | Oxbridge | Registration | Admission | Alumni | Prep Head | Prep Pupils | Prep Ages | Prep Term Fees | Website |
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| Bromsgrove School | ‘Grounded’ and ‘unpretentious’ are terms synonymous with these well- turned-out pupils. ‘They don’t have airs and graces,’ a teenage peer tells us, ‘and they’re really, really good at rugby.’ In fact, Bromsgrove is really, really good at lots of things – and we’re not just referring to other sports, although the girls’ netball teams are legendary. Another splendid 86 per cent A*–B at A-level to report this year, and the IB results are soaring ever upwards with a new 39.1 point average. That is testimony to the zeal and commitment of Head Peter Clague, a chatty Kiwi whose twin passions are IB and the performing arts. The school’s mindblowing £10 million performing-arts centre, which has a 300-seat theatre and a 300-seat concert hall, was unveiled by Viscount Cobham and Julian Lloyd Webber recently. Full use is made of all the fantastic facilities (did we mention the 25m pool, two Astroturfs, a stunning DT centre and the airy IT block?) thanks to the no-exeat policy. The majority of pupils come up through the prep (a school bus collects students from up to 20 miles away), and there is a big influx into the 6th form, which holds 400 students. Wide-ranging A-level choices are further extended by a brilliant Saturday programme, which offers everything from sub-aqua diving to ceramics – and quite possibly a combination thereof. ‘They don’t try to push children into a mould,’ a grateful parent tells us. | Worcester Road, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire B61 7DU | Peter Clague, BA, since 2014; previously Principal of Kristin School, Auckland | 908. Day: 228 boys, 229 girls; boarding: 243 boys, 208 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £5,555; boarding: £12,430 | 3% | No deadline but early registration advised; £100 fee | CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Rugby players Andy Goode and Ben Foden, AE Housman | Jacqui Deval-Reed | 505 day and boarding: 267 boys, 238 girls | 3–13 | Day: £5,035; boarding: £9,965 | bromsgrove-school.co.uk/ |
| Ellesmere College | Ellesmere is ‘deliberately’ non-selective, and they assure us that they’d turn down a brighter pupil for one who had registered first. We’re big fans of their approach: rather than getting hot and both ered about league tables, they’re more concerned with nurturing struggling pupils (they have one of the best learning-support teams in the country) and stretching the talented through the endless opportunities of their academic enrichment programme. There’s a choice of A-levels, IB and BTEC in sport. Set in bucolic Shropshire countryside, the school ‘opens a lot of doors’, says a pupil – not just in the classroom, but with endless sports academies (ex-England player Gareth Barry heads up the football one) and the opportunity to train in virtually every Olympic discipline. They’re the first independent school with an Artsmark Platinum award, and drama productions are taken on tour to the Tabor Academy in Boston. The student body is made up of more than 30 different nationalities, giving the school a global outlook; Head Brendan Wignall (who’s been in situ for over 20 years and assures us he has no plans to go anywhere) is working on a franchise deal to establish Ellesmere College International. Around 40 per cent board, and there’s a hugely fierce house spirit. ‘The only option not available at Ellesmere is to do nothing,’ says Mr Wignall. | Ellesmere, Shropshire SY12 9AB | Brendan Wignall, MA, since 1996; previously Registrar and Head of English at Denstone College, Staffordshire | 416. Day: 130 boys, 52 girls; boarding: 151 boys, 83 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £6,123; boarding: £10,977 | Occasional | No deadline; £50 fee | School’s own exam and interview | RFU chairman Bill Beaumont, Lady Edwina Grosvenor, Duke of Westminster | Sharon Owen | 123 day and boarding: 79 boys, 44 girls | 7–13 | Day: £4,293; boarding: £8,796 | ellesmere.com |
| King Edward’s School | Surrounding schools look on enviously as so many of the top pupils flock to KES, flagship to Birmingham’s nine King Edward foundation schools. No wonder, when it can boast the ‘cool’ factor as well as stratospheric rankings. This is probably Britain’s most diverse public school. Over 60 per cent of pupils are from ethnic-minority backgrounds and around £1million a year is allotted for assisted places. But with seven applicants per place (drawn from over 330 different schools) you really do need to be a brainbox to thrive here. A comprehensive pastoral safety net is in place to help pupils cope with any pressure. There’s always a shiny new building project shooting up when we visit – be it a new international-standard athletics track or the £5m sports centre. KES offers an abundance of clubs, including a medieval re-enactment society, but the real showstoppers here are the drama productions – some of the best in the country. Note, this is a bullishly IB-only establishment and half the boys regularly score an incredible 40 points or above (last year three gained the maximum 45) which, the school says, ‘shows a commitment to an education, rather than qualifications, an inter- national perspective and a desire to prepare our boys for the world.’ | Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham B15 2UB | Dr Mark Fenton, PhD, since 2016; previously Head of Dr Challoner’s Grammar School, Amersham | 879 day boys | Non-denom | 11–18 | £4,410 | 12% | By September of year before entry; £25 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | JRR Tolkien, Bill Oddie, BBC director-general Lord Hall, Jonathan Coe | kes.org.uk | ||||
| The Leys School | ‘You’ve got to be very bright to get into The Leys these days,’ says our mole. ‘It’s really come up in the league tables.’ We pay no attention to those, of course, but there’s no denying that results are rocketing at this central Cambridge co-ed. Last year’s A-levels were the best in the school’s history, with 80 per cent A*–B grades, up from 74 per cent in 2016. Getting in isn’t the breeze it once might have been: they receive six applications for every day place and three for each boarding place. Head Martin Priestley describes The Leys as a ‘big small school’, and assures us that he has no plans to increase its size, despite the demands of Camb ridge’s ever-expanding population. For him, the school’s strength lies in the personal relationships (all the pupils we met, young and old, boys and girls, commented on this) and the pastoral care, masterminded by the housemasters and housemistresses (HsMs). Half of pupils are full-boarders; a fifth are what they call ‘home boarders’, staying at school for supper, prep and after-school activities but going home to sleep – thereby sparing their parents the hell of Cambridge traffic (‘most families live within a 90-minute rush-hour drive,’ they tell us). Sport is a major part of life here, and teams enter every competition going. ‘The Leys has been amazing for my daughter,’ a mother tells us, ‘encouraging, supportive, engaging.’ | Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 7AD | Martin Priestley, MA, since 2014; previously Head of Warminster School | 558. Day: 122 boys, 75 girls; boarding: 211 boys, 150 girls | Methodist | 11–18 | Day: £7,345; boarding: £10,975 | 3% | By October of year before entry; £100 fee | School’s own exam and interview | JG Ballard, Martin Bell | theleys.net | ||||
| Malvern College | Malvern is incredibly popular right now, with waiting lists at every level (register at least two years ahead). It’s easy to see the appeal of a very happy, non-selective country school that breeds smiley, resilient all-rounders. ‘My daughter has loved it from the moment she walked through the door,’ a smitten mother tells us. ‘Lovely’, ‘calm’, ‘friendly’, ‘organised’ and, above all, ‘exceptional pastoral’ are reasons other parents picked Malvern. Family backgrounds here are a blend of Euro chic and English homeliness. Both A-levels and IB (and GCSEs/iGCSCEs) are on offer and, as our insider diplomatically puts it, they will ‘get the results if the pupil wants to get them’. Around 10 per cent of leavers receive Oxbridge or Ivy League offers. Hardworking Head Antony Clark is off to South Africa to take up the reins at boys’ boarding school Michaelhouse – Keith Metcalfe, currently Deputy Head at Harrow, will take his place in April 2019. When Tatler asked pupils to nominate their favourite teacher, they each raved about someone different – testament to a universally popular staff. Art is perhaps the weakest area, unlike more hearty pursuits. Student gripes? ‘Less sport, more sleep’ pleaded one. After a bout of heavy snowfall, the intrepid Head of Outdoor Pursuits even led a team of pupils out to kayak on the Malvern Hills. A new category for the Winter Olympics perhaps? | College Road, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 3DF | Antony Clark. From April 2019, Keith Metcalfe, MA, previously Deputy Head of Harrow | 650. Day: 86 boys, 75 girls; boarding: 268 boys, 221 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £8,485; boarding: £13,153 | 5% | At least two years in advance advised; £135 fee | CE or school’s own exam and interview | CS Lewis, Jeremy Paxman, Monty Don | malverncollege.org.uk | ||||
| Moreton Hall | Jonathan Forster has been at the helm here for more than a quarter of a century, but he’s got no intention of going anywhere. Moreton is, he says confidently, ‘a school that knows its business’, and right he is: the entrepreneurial spirit here in the Shropshire hills is second to none. Girls are confident, at ease with themselves, unfazed by the feat of turning over £50,000 through their unique business venture, Moreton Enterprises, or inviting speakers like Lord Hague and Xavier Rolet to their networking lunches. Entrance is increasingly selective (though it’s automatic from the on-site prep, Moreton First), but girls of all abilities are welcomed: last year they smashed a 100 per cent A*–B pass rate in all three separate sciences at GCSE. They are fanatical about lacrosse – all teams finished in the top 16 in the UK last season – and they’re upping the ante in cricket with the arrival of new indoor nets. The grand opening of the performing-arts centre will coincide with the launch of a new community-theatre project and, most impressively, they’ve gained Centre of Musical Excellence status. The food is ‘like fine dining’, and girls forge strong friendships with the Shrewsbury boys just down the road. ‘We’re very lucky to be here’, says a pupil. | Weston Rhyn, Oswestry, Shropshire SY11 3EW | Jonathan Forster, BA, since 1992; previously Housemaster at Strathallan | 340 girls: 81 day, 259 boarding | Non-denom | 11–18 | Day: £9,575; boarding: £11,625 | 15% | Early registration advised; £150 fee | CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Editor-in-chief of The Economist Zanny Minton Beddoes, retired High Court judge Dame Linda Dobbs | Catherine Ford | 108 day and boarding: 43 boys, 65 girls | 3–11 | Day: £8,850; boarding: £11,005 | moretonhallschool.com |
| Norwich School | This Norfolk day school has all the bells and whistles of a boarding school, at a fraction of the cost (check out those fees – amazing value for money). Entry is competitive, with two applicants for every place; they’re looking for ‘able children who are willing to try new things’. Most in the lower school segue smoothly on to the senior school, so sign your babes up for the brand-new pre-prep quickly. The majority of pupils are East Anglia born and bred, but there’s a handful of international students who live with local families. This lot are able all-rounders – ‘smart, grown-up and purposeful’, observes our spy. ‘They learn to be independent quickly and are not cosseted,’ although there’s a cohesive network of housemasters and tutors on hand to provide TLC when needed. For Head Steffan Griffiths, school is about ‘helping pupils find their route in life’, as well as equipping them with the academic qualifications to reach their destination (86 per cent A*–B at A-level last year). Norwich is high-achieving and competitive on the pitches as well: there’s an elite sports academy for the highest fliers, and a ‘potted sports’ programme to encourage reluctant team players. Music plays a huge part in school life, from the sublime (daily assemblies in the Norman cathedral) to the, er… marginally less sublime: last year’s school musical, We Will Rock You, was ‘a wonderful mix of comedy, outlandish costumes and memorable performances,’ reports our front-row critic. | The Close, Norwich NR1 4DD | Steffan Griffiths, MA, since 2011; previously Deputy Head at Magdalen College School | 896 day: 498 boys, 398 girls | C of E | 11–18 | £5,404 | 9% | By December of year before entry; £95 fee | School’s own exam, interview and assessment day, previous school’s report | Lord Ashcroft, Admiral Lord Nelson, Humphry Repton | John Ingham | 195 day: 128 boys, 67 girls | 4–10 | £4,925 | norwich-school.org.uk |
| Oakham School | ‘Nice school, nice kids,’ is one mother’s succinct summary. ‘Like a very good state school that you pay for,’ says another – and she means this in the most positive sense. This big co-ed feels very ‘normal’, without arrogance or smugness. Having said that, Head Nigel Lashbrook is no slouch at singing his school’s praises: for him, Oakham is all about ‘learning beyond the classroom. It’s the richness of opportunity at all levels that we do exceptionally well.’ The IB results are consistently excellent: last year’s average points score was 36.1, with nearly a quarter of pupils gaining 40 points or more and one achieving the magic maximum 45. At A-level, 73 per cent of grades were A*–B. Oakham’s reputation for rugby is well established (Uppingham, down the road, is its main rival on the pitches), but it’s also increasingly strong at hockey. Less sporty pupils aren’t neglected, and the D teams’ fixture lists are as busy as those of the A teams. Drama is broad church too: each year, a studio production runs concurrently with the main school offering, so pupils can opt for either. (The actor Matthew Macfadyen appeared in 18 plays while here – a great back catalogue from which to launch his career.) Did we mention the superb music? One scholar won the BBC Proms Inspire competition; another the Royal Opera House Fanfare competition. Mr Lashbrook will retire in July 2019, and Henry Price arrives from Wellington School in Somerset in September 2019. | Chapel Close, Market Place, Oakham, Rutland LE15 6DT | Nigel Lashbrook, BA, since 2009; previously Head of King’s School, Bruton | 1,031. Day: 254 boys, 217 girls; boarding: 287 boys, 273 girls | C of E | 10–18 | Day: £6,846; boarding: £11,220 | 5% | Early registration advised; £100 fee | Pre-test for 13+, CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Matthew Macfadyen, Stuart Broad, Olympian Crista Cullen | oakham.rutland.sch.uk | ||||
| Oundle | ‘How refreshing for a school to be championing traditional full boar- ding,’ says an insider. Oundle has a healthy 77 per cent opting in and is one of the biggest boarding schools in the country. Pupils come from far and wide: 120 feeder schools in the UK and pupils from 20 different countries at the last count. Registrar Gary Phillips has done a wonderful job and is sadly retiring next summer. The school effortlessly blends into the market town and big respect for its Community Action programme, which involves 320 pupils, 50 staff and over 100 projects on a weekly basis. The school paper, the Oundle Chronicle, sparkles at the Shine Media Awards every year and OSCAR, the school radio station, celebrates 20 years on air in 2018. The staff are glowing about their prodigies – ‘they’re such good company’, says one. Girls adore their baggy culottes and it does wonders for body image (as well as enabling sneaky wearing of pyjama bottoms all day). Sarah Kerr-Dineen, the first female head in the school’s 450-year history, is ‘a breath of fresh air’, says one mother. The last set of A-level results were down for the first time in five years, but still a smashing 81 per cent A*–B. Sports facilities are dazzling and an all-singing, all-dancing sports hall complete with 50m pool, eight indoor courts and fitness suite is due to open its doors at the end of 2019. | Oundle, Peterborough PE8 4GH | Sarah Kerr-Dineen, MA, since 2015; previously Warden of Forest School, London | 1,114. Day: 129 boys, 122 girls; boarding: 524 boys, 339 girls | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £7,595; boarding: £11,855 | 9% | No deadline but early registration advised; £125 fee | CE or school’s own exam and interview | Richard Dawkins, Cecil Lewis, WWF founder Sir Peter Scott | oundleschool.org.uk | ||||
| The Perse School | Head Ed Elliott describes the Perse as ‘the John Lewis of public schools’: high quality, but much better value for money than its Harrods equivalent. It’s a tardis of a place, an unassuming entrance off a Cambridge dual carriageway hiding 26 acres of playing fields and top-notch facilities. At 11+, half the intake comes from the prep (a hefty majority stays the whole way, from the pre-prep up to 18), and results are sensational: 88 per cent A*–A at A-level or Pre-U last year, with 51 Oxbridge offers and another 39 to medical school. ‘We don’t just want brains on sticks, though,’ says Mr Elliott. The school makes use of its privileged location and priceless links with the university and local industry, and the ‘42’ lecture series hosts speakers like Rowan Williams. Hockey is huge: four teams reached the national finals last year, coached by Olympians Helen Richardson-Walsh and Glenn Kirkham, and across the pitches lies the Exploration Society HQ, ‘the jewel in the Perse crown’, where pupils hatch expeditions to anywhere from the Bolivian Andes to Ladakh in Northern India. When we visited, students were putting the final flourishes on a production of Billy Elliot; the shiny new Peter Hall Performing Arts Centre hosts an auditorium that could have been plucked from the West End, as well as countless exhibition spaces and a swanky café. The student body is a socioeconomic mix; the school is big on philanthropy, dishing out more than £1 million in bursaries each year – something they’re rightly proud of. This is a down-to-earth sort of place, where clever cookies will thrive. | Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 8QF | Ed Elliott, MA, since 2008; previously Head of Sixth Form | 1,186 Day: 738 boys, 448 girls | Non-denom | 11–18 | £5,774 | 29% | No deadline but early registration advised; £125 fee | CE or school’s own exam and interview | Sir Peter Hall, actor Marius Goring, David Gilmour | James Piper | 290 day: 153 boys, 137 girls | 7–11 | £5,235 | perse.co.uk |
| Rugby School | ‘We’ve never regretted our decision to drive the extra distance,’ says a non-local parent when discussing Rugby, where ‘the whole person is the whole point’, the school tells us. Pupils are achieving big things; they’re celebrating a run of cracking academic results (82.8 per cent A*–B at A-level last year), but that’s just one part of the package. Head Peter Green is hugely proud of the school’s history and they’ve just celebrated their 450th birthday, marking the celebration with a supercharged game of their eponymous sport. This was live-streamed to over 300,000 people across the globe and saw 12 international teams join rugby greats like Martin Johnson and Jason Leonard. Sports facilities are quite something – pitches for everything, Astros, floodlit tennis and netball courts, polo pitches, sports centre… – and it’s been a bumper year for the choir, who toured New York, recorded a CD, and then broadcasted live on BBC Radio 4. All in a day’s work. The drama department celebrated their debut at the Edinburgh Fringe and Dame Judi Dench is one of the glitterati supporting the school’s annual arts festival. Boarding houses are scattered around the town (so, says a pupil, ‘the real world is on our doorstep’), and there’s a ‘tribal’ sense of camaraderie in each – boarding is 24/7 and pupils eat in their individual houses. And for Londoners thinking Rugby is too far away: there’s an excellent 50-minute train service from Euston. So do take a look. | Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 5EH | Peter Green, MA, since 2014; previously Head of Ardingly College | 803. Day: 77 boys, 76 girls; boarding: 354 boys, 296 girls | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £7,479; boarding: £11,920 | 2% | Two years before entry; £150 fee | CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Neville Chamberlain, Lewis Carroll, Polly Stenham | rugbyschool.co.uk | ||||
| Shrewsbury School | ‘It feels confident, modern, go-ahead,’ summarises our reporter. ‘Nothing like a provincial country school.’ Sadly the days of putting your heir’s name down at birth are long gone (though that doesn’t stop parents doing it). Shrews, est. 1552, is now broadly selective and oversubscribed, with 78 per cent A*–B at A-level last year. The spacious campus, set high above the River Severn, is utterly lovely – no wonder the students barely leave it. Edwardian buildings cluster around the Top Common, which comes complete with first XI cricket pitch, bestowing a village-green vibe. Plenty of staff live on site so there are ‘lots of people keeping an eye on you’, a pupil tells us (music to parental ears), and also lots of daily walking required across the 105 acres – no wonder they’re so hot at cross-country. Sport abounds at a national level and two pupils are on the Junior GB rowing team; the music department is legendary; and there’s a notable penchant for quirky, student-driven clubs – reeling is the new craze, apparently. Girls are still a relatively new addition – the school has recently celebrated its first fully co-educational cohort – but they already feel fully integrated. We were very envious of their stunning Cath Kidston-bedecked boarding houses, as are the boys apparently. New Head Leo Winkley has certainly inherited a tightly run ship – where will he steer it next? | The Schools, Shrewsbury SY3 7BA | Leo Winkley, MA, from September; previously Head of St Peter’s, York | 792. Day: 113 boys, 62 girls; boarding: 432 boys, 185 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £8,745; boarding: £12,540 | 8% | Two years before entry advised; £100 fee | CE or school’s own exam and interview | Charles Darwin, Michael Palin, Lord Heseltine | shrewsbury.org.uk | ||||
| Stephen Perse Foundation | ‘We’re proud to do things differently,’ says Stephen Perse Principal Tricia Kelleher, who is hugely personable, incredibly buoyant and rightly proud of what she’s done with the school since arriving 17 years ago. iPads are used as ‘virtual satchels’, and the newly opened learning and sports building (already up for several awards) was conceived entirely around digital learning, with green screens, breakout spaces and walls for scribbling on. In this central Cambridge location, space is at a premium: but ‘the whole city is our campus’ – so they swim in the Leys’ pool and play sport on Gonville & Caius College’s pitches. The new rooftop Astro is a hit with the girls, and boys – last year’s Year 7 intake started the process to make the senior school completely co-ed, but lessons are still run on a single-sex model for Years 5 to 9. Pupils, who come from a highly academic gene pool, can choose between A-levels or the IB – last year 91 per cent of all grades were A*–B (or the IB equivalent). Our visitor was blown away by the standard of work on display in the visual arts centre, and by the innovative Project Runway-inspired fashion course, where girls design an outfit from recycled materials against the clock. The Year 11 Wellbeing Committee recently opened a relaxation room and the music and drama departments regularly join forces for showstopper musicals. ‘The best thing about the school is its appreciation for diversity: pupils are encouraged to be their unique selves,’ says a parent. | Union Road, Cambridge, CB2 1HF | Tricia Kelleher, MA, since 2001; previously Deputy Head of Brentwood School, Essex | 606 day: 82 boys, 524 girls | Non-denom | 11–18 | £5,850 | 18% | By December of year before entry; £75 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Pentathlete Stephanie Cook, racing driver Vicki Butler-Henderson | Katie Milne | 314 day: 131 boys, 183 girls | 3–11 | £4,600 | stephenperse.com |
| Uppingham | Uppingham Head Richard Maloney charmed our audience at last year’s Tatler Schools Live, speaking about the benefits of a full-boarding education – everyone present was tempted to sign up their offspring on the spot. ‘We are educating pupils for the modern world,’ the school tells us. Example A: Dr Maloney’s drive to promote the benefits of good-quality sleep and to introduce healthy sleep habits in his pupils (and staff). He’s also changed the school’s email culture, so staff and pupils are not obliged to read emails after 8pm – instead of peering at the blue light of electronic screens, they’re encouraged to read books. How sensible. Prospective pupils come from more than 130 different schools covering the length and breadth of the United Kingdom and abroad. Academic results are solid (80 per cent A*–B at A-level or the pre-U equivalent last year), and Uppingham’s music is as sublime as ever. The rugby first XV play Oundle for the Silver Boot trophy each year (‘our equivalent of the Calcutta Cup!’) and this year the Uppingham XV were victorious – new Director of Rugby Nick de Luca, a former Scotland International, is clearly making his mark. Uppingham is proud to be genuinely full-boarding, with all the 98 per cent of pupils who board staying at weekends. ‘The co-curricular programme is taken very seriously,’ they tell us – activities on offer range from bee-keeping to the motor workshop. | Uppingham, Rutland LE15 9QE | Dr Richard Maloney, PhD, since 2016; previously Head of St Bede’s, East Sussex | 795. Day: 4 boys, 9 girls; boarding: 460 boys, 322 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £8,771; boarding: £12,530 | 6% | Two years before entry; £125 fee | Pre-test, CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Rick Stein, Stephen Fry, Jonathan Agnew | uppingham.co.uk | ||||
| Milton Abbey | There’s change afoot at Milton Abbey and parents and pupils couldn’t be happier with this beautiful Dorset school. Judith Fremont-Barnes has recently become its first female head and she is being joined by an ever-increasing number of girls who are making the most of the newly opened second all-girls boarding house. Parents report that Milton Abbey is a place that really gets the best out of all its pupils, including the ones who are ‘often overlooked at other schools’. While results are on an upward trajectory and last year saw pupils’ highest number of A/A* grades in seven years, the school also prepares some of its students for a more vocational route. No independent school offers a greater number of BTEC courses and as a result they now have a big intake in the lower sixth. One mother tells us how her son’s BTEC in countryside management gave him 300 hours of work experience, including working alongside farmers during lambing season. The Entrepreneur in Residence scheme, this year with jewellery designer Annoushka Ducas, is another hugely popular way of preparing pupils for their future careers. Cycling has become a major school obsession and a team of specialist coaches makes the most of the local hills to prepare keen bikers for comp- etitions. The rural location has another bonus: there is no mobile phone reception so, as one boy told us, ‘We have to make the effort to talk to each other and make our own fun.’ | Blandford Forum, Dorset DT11 0BZ | Judith Fremont-Barnes, MA, since August; previously Head of Duke of Kent School, Surrey | 251. Day: 23 boys, 14 girls; boarding: 154 boys, 60 girls | Inter-denom | 13–18 | Day: £6,750; boarding: £12,850 | Occasional | Two years before entry; £100 fee | CE or school’s own exam and previous school’s report | Alastair Bruce, Rupert Evans, Mark Shand | miltonabbey.co.uk | ||||
| Monmouth School | ‘If my sons turned out anything like them, I’d be delighted,’ said our visitor of her pupil guides, who were charming, grounded and full of praise for their time at Monmouth. The school’s motto is ‘smart apart, better together’, so students here get all the benefit of a single-sex education with the added bonus of the sister school, Monmouth School for Girls, just down the road: they join forces for CCF, drama, dinners and trips, and for lessons in the sixth form. Around half of the boys arrive from the foundation’s prep, the rest from a ‘broad catchment’ in the Welsh borders and beyond. A-level results hit a five-year high last year with 76 per cent A*–B. Music is sensational; Director David Lawson achieved his ultimate bucket-list goal recently after leading a magical choir performance at St Peter’s in Rome – it was ‘everything I could have wished for’, he tells us. They’ve got facilities a go-go (shared with the town, with whom pupils have a faultless relationship), and marvellous sport; legendary British Lions and Wales player John Bevan still coaches rugby. Boarding houses are fresh from a multimillion pound facelift and boys rave about the plush upper sixth university-esque accommodation, where they’re encouraged to cook for themselves. You’d think head Andrew Daniel – relaxed, twinkly, enthusiastic and positive – would be the icing on the cake. But no, there’s more: just take a look at those fees. We’d sign up on the spot. | Almshouse Street, Monmouth NP25 3XP | Dr Andrew Daniel, PhD, since 2015; previously Deputy Head of Wellington School, Somerset | 643 boys: 476 day, 167 boarding | C of E | 7–18 | Day: £5,272; boarding: £9,994 | 3% | By December of year before entry; £60 fee | CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Rugby player Eddie Butler, Rolls Royce CEO Warren East, Sir John Beddington | Neil Shaw | 127 day boys (5 boarding) | 7–11 | Day: £3,697; boarding: £6,760 | habsmonmouth.org/boys |
| St Mary’s Calne | Highly desirable and oversubscribed, Calne is fundamentally a boarding school, but if day pupils want to sleep over (and many often do) there’s always a groovy futon (as opposed to an aged z-bed) free, blurring the day/ boarding divide. This is a place for clever girls: 70 per cent A*–A last year (up on an already impressive 54 per cent the year before). Very sporty girls too: the 1st Lacrosse Team are South West champions, and last year they turned out five national players. Given the school’s central locale, it’s mind-boggling how they pack their increasingly glitzy facilities into such a compact space. They’ve just cut the ribbon on a brand new £2.55 million sports complex (this in addition to their indoor pool, gym and full-sized Astro) and the boarding houses have just had a welcome £11.5 million facelift to keep up with the lavish sixth-form digs. Next up: a new library. As to Head Dr Felicia Kirk, we are fans of her enthusiastic American directness and her determination to battle the female demon of perfectionism. To her, a Calne girl should be good at relation- ships, be kind and look out for her fellows. Many of the older girls also run clubs for the smaller ones, Year 12 girls, for example, teach Year 7’s how to cook, and the unusual horizontal house system (boarding arranged in year groups) is very popular. Sidenote: houses are called ‘companies’ before you get confused. | Calne, Wiltshire SN11 0DF | Dr Felicia Kirk, PhD, since 2013; previously Head of Sixth Form at Ipswich High School for Girls | 365 girls: 75 day, 290 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £9,675; boarding: £12,975 | 10% | Three to five years before entry; £250 fee | CE or school’s own exam and assessment day | Dressage rider Laura Tomlinson, author Eva Rice, journalist Roya Nikkhah | stmaryscalne.org | ||||
| Sherborne Girls | A traditional girls-only boarding school that’s all about generosity of spirit and the work/play balance. ‘Possibly not the place for a girl who doesn’t like the countryside and is only happy with a shopping mall near,’ muses our mole, happy to spot some juniors making daisy chains and holding handstand competitions. Sherborne is an idyllic Dorset location blessed with several other excellent schools, placing this friendly, nurturing full-boarder within a wider community. Girls visit the Gryphon School fortnightly for Oxbridge club and naturally there are plenty of strong links with Sherborne School just around the corner: drama, dances, concerts, socials etc. The school’s main entry point was traditionally 13+, but it’s increasingly at 11. Results are back on the up again: 74 per cent A*–B at A-level last year and an IB average creeping up to 34.8. Sport is everywhere, the £10 million arts centre will open early next year, the new Adventure and Leadership programme is forging ahead and somehow, in between all that, the girls are all expected to do their own laundry (‘three cheers!’ say parents). As one sixth former told us: ‘the only real downside is there is so much to do!’ After 12 excellent years, much-admired Head Jenny Dwyer has stepped down, leaving Sherborne Old Girl Dr Ruth Sullivan to slip into her shoes. Will she be as strident in her commitment to full boarding? | Bradford Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3QN | Dr Ruth Sullivan, PhD, from September, previously Deputy Master at Haileybury College | 488 girls; 35 day, 453 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £7,095; boarding: £11,960 | 9% | Two to three years before entry advised; £100 fee | CE or school’s own exam and previous school’s report | Sophie Kinsella, Maria Aitkin, Santa Montefiore, Camila Batmanghelidjh | sherborne.com | ||||
| Sherborne School | Sitting in the beautiful Dorset town that shares its name, Sherborne School enjoys the charms of both town and country, and this full-boarding boys school also benefits from close links and collaborations with the nearby Sherborne Girls. The two schools share a number of lessons and an active social programme so the boys get both a single-sex and, in parts, a co-ed education. Academically the school is thriving, with last year’s A* attainment level of 23 per cent breaking the school record for A-levels. Sherborne is quick to point out that it has been in the top five per cent for the Department of Education’s 16 to 18 value-added tables for the past two years. The sports department prides itself not just on its number of wins, but also on the variety offered. Boys can do yoga, clay-pigeon shooting, scuba diving, fives or sailing. They’ve had a big year for skiing, with their U18 team winning the Grand Slalom at the British Schools Championships in Wengen. It seems that almost every pupil at Sherborne is integrated into the music department, which is run by the hugely popular James Henderson: there are 230 boys in the choral society, 107 singers in the choir and 87 instrumentalists in the wind band. Co-curricular activities run to an almost never-ending list, and we loved the idea of the boys broadcasting live on Radio Sherbs under the watchful eye of an ex-BBC journalist turned philosophy teacher. | Abbey Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3AP | Dr Dominic Luckett, DPhil, since 2016; previously Head of Mill Hill School, London | 600 boys. 50 day, 550 boarding | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £10,125; boarding: £12,500 | 5% | Three years before entry advised; £150 fee | Pre-assessment day at 11; CE or school’s own exam and previous school’s report | Hugh Bonneville, Alan Turing, Chris Martin, Jeremy Irons | sherborne.org | ||||
| Westonbirt | When it comes to jawdropping buildings, Westonbirt is a winner. The 150-year-old Grade I-listed mansion and surrounding 210 acres of parklands are stunning, but the girls here take the setting in their stride. Despite the school having an essentially non-selective adm- issions process, students go on to great things brimming with confidence. Around 50 per cent went to Russell Group universities in the past two years, but there is also a strong art contingent gaining places at Central Saint Martins and the Glasgow School of Art, and more vocational BTEC courses are also now offered. Sport is a strength and accolades are many, especially on the lacrosse field. Three girls have joined the U19 England lacrosse academy and one has joined the Scottish equivalent; this year the lacrosse players are heading Stateside for a tour of the East Coast. Horse riding is also a firm favourite and one pupil has been selected for the GB Pony Progress Squad. Westonbirt was one of the first schools to boast a nine-hole golf course and the game is becoming increasingly popular among the girls. Drama is big too, and pupils are able to perform Shakespeare outdoors in their own amphitheatre. There are strong international links as Westonbirt has partner schools in China, Japan, India and Sierra Leone. | Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8QG | Natasha Dangerfield, BA, since 2013; previously Deputy Head of Harrogate Ladies’ College | 173 girls: 95 day, 78 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £4,995; boarding: £9,750 | Occasional | Early registration advised; £100 fee | CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs, TV presenter Ruth Watson, Betty Baden-Powell | Sean Price | 169 day; 71 boys, 93 girls | 3–11 | £3,865 | westonbirt.org |
| Title | Review | Location | Head | Pupils | Faith | Ages | Term-fees | Oxbridge | Registration | Admission | Alumni | Prep Head | Prep Pupils | Prep Ages | Prep Term Fees | Website |
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| Fettes College | A Scottish institution like no other, Fettes gives you ‘a family for life’, ie a kind of McMafia – but in a good way. Standing tall in central Edinburgh, it looks definitively Victorian (if you like turrets you’re in for a treat) but feels increasingly cosmopolitan, with 38 countries represented among current pupils, 40 per cent of whom now come from outside Scotland. ‘We are proudly Scottish but not parochially Scottish,’ the school tells us. ‘Both academic and athletic standards were rigorous,’ fictional Fettesian old boy James Bond recalls in You Only Live Twice, and he was spot on – standards remain high, as (some parents grumble) do the fees. Nearly half of those taking GCSEs got A* last year and 17 per cent got A* at A-level or 7 at IB. Note that 80 per cent of pupils board, and don’t bother asking about flexi: it’s all or nothing with two exeats offered per term. We look forward to meeting new head Geoffrey Standford, who got stuck in this past year, but we have no doubts about his leadership: as an Oxford classicist/former Army man/strategy consultant/investment banker turned teacher – who also plays the French horn – he’s surely equipped for anything Fettes can throw at him, including the obligatory spot of piping. | Carrington Road, Edinburgh EH4 1QX | Geoffrey Stanford, MBA, since 2017, previously Deputy Head of Sevenoaks School | 544. Day: 89 boys, 71 girls; boarding: 198 boys, 186 girls | Inter-denom | 13–18 | Day: £9,400; boarding: £11,600 | 4% | Early registration advised; £100 fee | CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Tony Blair, economist Sir Angus Deaton, industrialist Sir Bill Gammell | Adam Edwards | 213 day and boarding; 107 boys, 106 girls | 7–13 | Day: £5,500; boarding: £8,070 | fettes.com |
| Giggleswick | Giggleswick has pulled its academic socks up and A-level results are at a record high, with 70 per cent A*–B last year and GCSEs following suit (41 per cent A*–A). Head Mark Turnball is delighted, and while the school is about far more than results he believes ‘you need to have academic credibility’. Northern charm and hospitality radiate from every corner, with the ‘refreshingly down-to-earth pupils’ parading around in their cherry-striped blazers. We love the sound of their comedy nights and house joke competitions. Gigg’s celebrated 40 years of co-education last year and the girls are as punchy as ever – U13 county hockey champions and a British Judo Champion last year. CCF is compulsory in Year 10 and fell running and cross-country are having a moment – it helps that the Yorkshire Dales are on the doorstep. The school has a rich 500-year history; Virginia Woolf penned her first published piece in the headmaster’s house. In more recent years, their stunning 250-seat theatre, named after much-loved alum Richard Whiteley, has taken pride of place. Around 60 per cent take the full or flexi boarding plunge, enjoying shiny new facilities with university-style rooms. On the subject of all things new, a high-tech digital suite and a gym have recently been added too. | Settle, North Yorkshire BD24 0DE | Mark Turnbull, MA, since 2014; previously Deputy Head of Eastbourne College | 365. Day: 75 boys, 65 girls; boarding: 118 boys, 107 girls | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £6,995; boarding: £11,250 | Occasional | No deadline; £150 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Soprano Sarah Fox, Richard Whiteley, golfer Gary Wolstenholme | James Mundell | 80 day and boarding: 43 boys, 37 girls | 3–11 | Day: £4,255; boarding: £7,080 | giggleswick.org.uk |
| Glenalmond College | Glenalmond is about as traditional as a public school gets, and sits in 300 acres of breathtaking Perthshire countryside, with its magnificent central quad exuding confidence and grandeur. It offers ‘proper’, seven-day-a-week boarding, with activities such as wood-chopping and small-bore shooting and almost an entire teaching staff living on site. Last year, we commented that there was room for academic improvement: it seems they listened, and A-level results took an impressive leap up to 68.6 per cent A*–B – what’s more, they’re frequently lauded as one of the top-performing co-ed schools in Scotland at GCSE. To top that, registrations have almost trebled over the past year, and pupils can now opt for Scottish Highers too, which greatly broadens the range of subjects on offer. Houses are mixed age for the most part; one small gripe from a (male) pupil that ‘the boys houses are nothing compared to the girls!’ Music is outstanding (the pipe and highland drum bands have performed for the royal family), and the 1st XV rugby team were runners up in the Scottish Schools Cup at Murrayfield (for which their neighbour Strathallan is still berating them). Pupils won places on national teams for everything from water polo to eventing, and a team of extreme sixth formers took on the formidable Scottish Islands and Peaks Race (Google it, and you’ll see how awe-inspiring that is). Says a pupil: ‘I can’t emphasise enough what an amazing place Glenalmond is.’ | Glenalmond, Perth PH1 3RY | Elaine Logan, since 2015; previously Deputy Head of Loretto | 390. Day: 49 boys, 41 girls; boarding: 165 boys, 135 girls | Inter-denom | 12–18 | Day: £7,501; boarding: £11,502 | 5% | No deadline but early registration encouraged; £100 fee | CE or school’s own exam and interview | Robbie Coltrane, film director Kevin Macdonald, Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia, Lord Falconer | glenalmondcollege.co.uk | ||||
| Gordonstoun | Gordonstoun’s founder, Kurt Hahn, believed in learning through experience and pinging pupils out of their comfort zone (not that he would have called it that). For him, the beautiful Morayshire landscape and the sea were extensions of the classroom, and today’s pupils think nothing of sailing the school’s boat to the Arctic or scaling snowy mountain ridges in the Highlands. The eight compulsory outward bound expeditions for the senior school ‘generate love and hate in equal measure,’ we’re told. Head Titus Edge is an Old Gordonstounian (as is his wife Marina) so ‘gets’ the school and is hugely enthusiastic. Principal Lisa Kerr is passionate about equipping pupils with skills for their working life – she describes Gordonstoun as ‘a world leader in character education.’ Academically it’s a broad church, with emphasis on maximising each pupil’s potential. Community service is huge: everything from conservation projects to search-and-rescue missions with the local coastguard service. A third of pupils come from Scotland, a third from the rest of the UK and a third from overseas (Inverness and Aberdeen airports are within easy reach), with almost 90 per cent of pupils full-boarding. ‘It really has a global feel, without any cliques,’ says our scout. One parent praises the ‘extraordinary’ pastoral care – ‘our daughter has really blossomed and has learnt to do things for others – not normal teenage practice!’ And three cheers for the new ban on mobile phones during the day: ‘pupils are adjusting surprisingly well’, we hear. | Elgin, Moray IV30 5RF | Lisa Kerr (Principal), since 2016; Titus Edge BA (Head) since 2016; previously Head of the senior school | 416. Day: 42 boys, 27 girls; boarding: 210 boys, 137 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £9,455; boarding: £12,765 | Occasional | No deadline but early registration advised; no fee | CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | The Prince of Wales, Zara Tindall, Olympic rower Heather Stanning | Robert McVean | 121 day and boarding: 63 boys, 58 girls | 6–13 | Day: £4,787; boarding: £7,786 | gordonstoun.org.uk |
| Kilgraston | We’re rather taken with Kilgraston and its handsome red-stone mansion, where girls’ ponies graze in the parkland (it’s the only school in Scotland to boast its own equestrian centre) just a short hop from Perth. It’s known for its small, friendly vibe, and is proud of its Sacred Heart credentials, which quietly underpin daily life. ‘The relationship between staff and pupils is a very special one,’ gushes a parent. Academically, Kilgraston punches well above its non-selective weight (92 per cent A–C at Advanced Highers last year, leaps ahead of the 80 per cent national average) and there’s a particularly outstanding STEM department. There’s also a distinctly Scottish vibe; lots of bagpipes and clarsach lessons and most opt to stay local for university (natch, with no tuition fees), but around 14 different nationalities keep things global. Lucky boarders (around 40 per cent, flexi or full) have glorious views from their newly spruced dorms, and pupils rave about the BFG (Big Friendly Girls) buddy system that encourages inter-year bonding. A handful of alumnae play GB U23 hockey and there was well-deserved victory in the U15 Scottish schools tennis competition last year, while over a third ride weekly. And despite the all-girls lessons, it’s not a totally testosterone-free zone – plenty of cavorting with the Merchiston Castle boys, we’re assured. ‘I could not have asked for a better environment to learn and grow in,’ says a pupil. | Bridge Of Earn, Perth PH2 9BQ | Dorothy MacGinty, BEd, since 2015, previously Head of St Francis’ College, Hertfordshire | 210 girls: 130 day, 80 boarding | RC | 12–18 | Day: £5,880; boarding: £10,045 | Occasional | No deadline; £100 fee | Previous school’s report and interview | Jockey Lucy Alexander, artist Leonie Gibbs | Anne Fidelo | 50 girls, day and boarding | 4 1/2-12 | Day: £4,600; boarding: £7,675 | kilgraston.com |
| The King’s School, Chester | A glowing report card for new head George Hartley: ‘Initial impressions are excellent,’ says our mole. ‘He seems to have created a more relaxed atmosphere around the school without compromising discipline or academic achievement.’ Pupils come from far and wide to this academic, co-ed day school on the outskirts of Chester. Entry is selective, with two applicants for every place at 11+. Around 60 per cent join from King’s own junior school, although transfer is by no means a given. Pupils consistently hit the academic heights (87 per cent A*–B at A-level last year) while juggling a busy programme of sports, music and drama. Rowing is ‘huge’, pupils tell us; football is the sport of choice for the boys (no rugby); the girls triumph at hockey and netball. They play a huge number of fixtures, with A, B and C teams in most cases, so even the less sporty have the chance to represent the school. The new £4.5 million sports hall will provide much-needed on-site training facilities. Our mole was impressed by the smartly blazered, well-mannered girls and boys, who opened doors, made eye contact and smiled (you’d be surprised how many don’t), and who were full of enthusiasm for their school and their teachers. ‘A dynamic environment where pupils are encouraged to challenge themselves,’ says a parent. ‘Our experience is that Kings over-delivers on all counts.’ | Wrexham Road, Chester CH4 7QL | George Hartley, MSc, since 2017; previously Head of Elizabeth College, Guernsey | 737 day: 474 boys, 263 girls | C of E | 11–18 | £4,505 | 3% | By January of year of entry; £50 fee | School’s own exam, interview | Olympic rower Tom James, actor Nickolas Grace, Thomas Brassey, Matt Hancock MP | Margaret Ainsworth | 365 day: 228 boys, 137 girls | 4–11 | £3,454 | kingschester.co.uk |
| Lathallan School | ‘Lathallan doesn’t set out to be slick or anything other than outdoorsy,’ reports our observer, and learning outside the classroom is a top priority (they’ve even won an award for it). The 60 acres that surround the 19th-century castle are filled with zip wires, a hugging tree, a walled garden and the burgeoning school farm, home to two new pigs. In the words of unflappable head Richard Toley, we are ‘small yet perfectly formed’, with numbers never nudging over 250 (including the prep) and class sizes at a cosy average of 12. Results were down a touch to 61 per cent A–B in last year’s Highers. The school punches well above its weight in the sporting arena, with 20 per cent of pupils representing a sport at regional or national level. Rugby is smashing – they won the Hutchesons’ 7’s last year – and the netball ladies brought home the Scottish Schools Silver Cup. D of E has the highest take up of any school in Scotland and a group of pupils scaled Mount Kilimanjaro last year. Friday afternoons focus on civilianship with activities like knitting with matron Margaret and fly fishing. Boarding is a small slice of pupils – around 30 per cent – and there is no Saturday school, to the delight of parents. Extra Tatler brownie points to the pupils, who, inspired by Blue Planet II, are spearheading beach cleans. | Johnsaven, Angus DD10 0HN | Richard Toley, MA, since 2009; previously taught classics | 192. Day: 96 boys, 66 girls; boarding: 17 boys, 13 girls | Non-denom | 12–18 | Day: £6,310; boarding: £8,650 | Occasional | By December of year before entry; £35 fee | Assessment day at all entry levels | Actress Sophie Kennedy-Clark, rugby player Rob Wainwright, businessman Sir David Reid | James Ferrier | 73 day and boarding: 44 boys, 29 girls | 5–12 | Day: £5,232; boarding: £7,572 | lathallan.org.uk |
| Loretto | Its pupils rocking their distinctive red blazers like a badge of honour, Loretto is proud to be the oldest boarding school in Scotland. This is very much a proper boarding school with well-integrated day pupils, not vice versa, and its remarkable location provides endless opportunities: a beach here, a ski slope there and the bright lights of Edinburgh just up the road. They follow the English curriculum (A-level results took an encouraging leap last year to 66.8 per cent A*–B), but more importantly they’re in the top seven per cent for value added. Around a quarter arrive from their delightfully named junior school, the Nippers. Heaps of students play at national level in hockey, rugby, lacrosse and tennis; ex-Scotland rugby captain Jason White has just joined the sports department and the jewel in the crown is, undoubtedly, the state-of-the-art golf academy – one of the country’s finest. Good news for the nimble-footed: the Expressive Arts centre has had a refurb, and now meets the standards of the Royal Academy of Dance. A special mention to Artistic Director Mr Lowe – so passionate and inspirational that he’s been known to bed down in the school theatre. The fabulously unique Borealis Society, meanwhile, sees sixth formers train for a five-week expedition – Iceland last year, Greenland next. ‘The emotion and friendship displayed over the leavers’ weekend tells you all you need to know’, gushes a parent. | Linkfield Road, Musselburgh, East Lothian EH21 7RE | Dr Graham Hawley, PhD, since 2014; previously Head of Kelly College, Devon | 394. Day: 84 boys, 72 girls; boarding: 142 boys, 96 girls | Non-denom | 12–18 | Day: £7,775; boarding: £11,420 | 3% | No deadline; £50 fee | CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Andrew Marr, Lord Darling, Hugo Rifkind, composer Robin Orr | Andrew Dickenson | 200 day and boarding: 110 boys, 90 girls | 0–12 | Day: £5,300; boarding: £7,445 | loretto.com |
| Merchiston Castle School | Unique in being the only all-boys boarding school in Scotland, Merchiston attracts an increasingly global clientele (its Chinese offshoot opens September 2018). No chance of this one going co-ed, but it’s not wall-to-wall testosterone: around 45 per cent of the staff are female. A non-selective school, Merchiston tells us it looks for a ‘spirit of adventure’ in its applicants. Last year pupils scored 47 per cent A*/A grades at A-level, but, as one parent puts it, this is ‘Not an academic hothouse, but a school that helps boys discover their talents and achieve’. Extracurricular is at the core of learning here, and we’re not just talking about rugby. But, to be honest, these boys are rugger mad. Merchistonians currently represent in every single one of the Scottish National Rugby Teams – though the school also boasts intern- ationalists in cricket, tennis, golf, shooting and skiing. Amazing facilities, loads of music, thriving drama – Merchiston offers the full package. Boys are encouraged to ‘beat their own best’ in all their efforts and there’s a heartening emphasis on building confidence ‘but certainly not arrogance’, several parents confirm. Outgoing Head of 20 years Andrew Hunter will be sorely missed: ‘a great ambassador and a true gentleman’, sighs a grieving parent. Jonathan Anderson has some sizeable brogues to fill. | Colinton Road, Edinburgh EH13 0PU | Jonathan Anderson, from September, previously Housemaster at Bradfield College | 350 boys: 53 day, 297 boarding | Inter-denom | 12–18 | Day: £8,070; boarding: £10,970 | 7% | Early registration advised; £100 fee | CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Physician Sir Donald Acheson, businessman Sir Peter Burt | Niamh Waldron | 90 boys, day and boarding | 7–12 | Day: £5,660; boarding: £8,170 | merchiston.co.uk |
| Queen Margaret’s | We love the sound of QM’s annual staff panto – head Jessica Miles comes on at the end to wave a magic wand and restore order and harmony. Nice metaphor, that: in real life, she’s had a similar fairy-godmother effect on this North Yorkshire all-girls school. Our scout was impressed by her megawatt dynamism and by the happy, active girls who throw themselves into everything from academic study to sport to charity work with alacrity and enthusiasm. There’s no such thing as a typical QM girl, we’re told – ‘they’re all passionate about different things and very supportive of each other’s interests.’ This might be the last all-girls, full-boarding school in the north of England, but numbers are good and pretty much everyone stays on for sixth form. Three-quarters of girls are full-boarders (around a quarter of pupils are international), so friendships are firm and there is, says Mrs Miles, ‘a huge sense of community and family. It’s very nurturing without wrapping the girls in cotton wool.’ They’re only seven miles from York (which is, in turn, only two hours by train from London), but the atmosphere is rural and calm. Mrs M wants to prepare her girls for life, so there’s a new QM diploma for sixth formers and a new focus on careers. She’s tightened up the academics, too: last year’s GCSE results were the best in recent years; 70 per cent A*–B at A-level. And did we mention the food? ‘Delicious fish pie,’ reports our spy. | Escrick Park, York YO19 6EU | Jessica Miles, MA, since 2015; previously Deputy Head of Leweston School, Dorset | 302 girls: 92 day, 210 boarding | C of E | 11–18 | Day: £7,090; boarding: £10,800 | Occasional | By September of year before entry; £100 fee | Assessment day, school’s own exam and interview | Opera singer Sarah Connolly, businesswoman Amanda Staveley | queenmargarets.com | ||||
| Robert Gordon’s College | Impressive’ is the word ringing in our ears from parents, pupils and insiders who are familiar with the charms of this Aberdeen institution. RGS has an unrivalled urban location – ‘a wraparound city school’ in their words – and our observer was in awe of the majestic quad and the seamless blend of old and new. The college is Tardis-like and filled to the brim with stimulating spaces. Take the science and technology block, the largest of its kind in the UK. They’re a brainy bunch too, with results last year the best yet, a cracking 87 per cent A–B at Highers. Head Simon Mills is a ‘human dynamo in an understated way’, according to one parent, and relishes ‘the opportunity and diversity of a big school with the support and community of a small one’. Families are a melting pot of oil-industry expats (37 nationalities are represented) and the local Aberdeen clan. There is a strong charitable ethos and one in seven pupils are on the bursary programme. Boys and girls are bussed 10 minutes up the road to their 38-acre sports facilities – a new indoor sports space is next on the agenda and there are a mammoth 14 rugby teams. One mother was glowing with compliments for the ‘sheer happiness RGS has brought us’. | Schoolhill, Aberdeen AB10 1FE | Simon Mills, MA, since 2014; previously Head of Lomond School, Argyll and Bute | 1,130 day; 613 boys, 517 girls | Non-denom | 11–18 | £4,376 | 2% | By January of year of entry; £30 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Michael Gove, rugby player Chris Cusiter, singer Sandi Thom | Sarah Webb | 488 day: 285 boys, 203 girls | 3–11 | £3,820 | rgc.aberdeen.sch.uk |
| St George’s School For Girls | We asked St George’s to sum up their school in a sentence. ‘Yes She Can!’ came the answer, in bold letters. ‘Educational excellence for girls’ is the strapline at this forward-thinking, all-girls powerhouse and wow, do they deliver. Pupils come from Edinburgh, the Lothians and further afield; the furthest-flung (around 10 per cent of the senior school) board; with full, weekly or flexi on offer, and around half of the boarders are in school at weekends. Head Alex Hems (ex-Wycombe Abbey) is, says a pupil, ‘so friendly and welcoming, genuinely concerned about all the girls in our school. However, I can imagine she’d be quite scary if you got on the wrong side of her!’ A-levels are on offer as well as Scottish Highers, with consistently good results in both. The international exchange programme is exceptional: every year, students jet off to all corners of the globe. In a shrewd move, they’ve merged the art, IT and DT departments into one interconnected Faculty of Art and Creative Technologies, enabling exciting opportunities for animation and film projects. The ‘Yes She Can’ mindset extends to the sport too, with compulsory PE for everyone, including the lofty sixth formers. But don’t worry: there are plenty of gentler options for non-competitive types. Last year’s dramatic highlight was a production of A Doll’s House – we think poor Nora, Ibsen’s heroine, could have done with a term or two at St George’s. | Garscube Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 6BG | Alex Hems, MA, since 2017; previously Deputy Head of Wycombe Abbey | 400 girls; 352 day, 48 boarding | Non-denom | 13–18 | Day: £4,625; boarding: £9,670 | Occasional | No deadline; £75 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Marie Stopes, Lady Ogilvie, sculptor Kathleen Scott | Sue Hay | 400 girls, day and boarding | 2–13 | Day: £4,150; boarding: £9,195 | stge.org.uk |
| St Leonards School | There’s something special about St Leonards. Actually, make that many special things. The magnificent location, for starters: golden sands, ancient buildings, world-class golf courses. Then there’s the school community: ‘a wonderfully friendly mix of families’ who come from more than 25 different countries, giving pupils the opportunity to meet and make friends with their peers from around the world. Head Michael Carslaw sets the tone: he is approachable, passionate about his school, constantly looking for ways to improve and innovate – ‘really wonderful,’ says a mother. Admission is first-come, first-served, so it pays to register early – at the most popular entry points, they have three applicants for every place. Sixth-form entry is particularly buoyant – this is the only school in Scotland that offers the IB, and it’s been The Sunday Times’s top independent sixth form in Scotland for IB/A-level results for the past three years. Last year’s IB average was 33 points, the equivalent of A*AB at A-level. The sporting heritage is rich: golf, with St Andrews Links courses on the doorstep, is phenomenally strong (Dr Carslaw reports with pride a victory over UK champions Loretto in the Independent Schools Golf Association competition), as is rugby (one boy has been selected for the Scotland U16 squad, a St Leonards first). A third of pupils board; girls’ house Bishopshall has had a £3m refurbishment and the new common rooms in boys’ house Ollerenshaw will have ‘Axminster carpet in a subtle ancient tartan made from hand-dyed yarn’. Smart. | St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9QJ | Dr Michael Carslaw, PhD, since 2008; previously Deputy Head of Ardingly College | 371. Day: 118 boys, 127 girls; boarding: 60 boys, 66 girls | Non-denom | 12–18 | Day: £4,736 boarding: £7,582 | Occasional | No deadline but one year prior to entry advised; £100 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Tennis player Kitty Godfree, Stella Tennant, Betty Archdale | William Goldsmith | 170 day and boarding: 95 boys, 75 girls | 5–11 | Day: £3,889; boarding: £7,582 | stleonards-fife.org |
| St Peter’s School | This school is fearsomely popular, so be sure to register your interest early: pre-prep Clifton followed by junior feeder St Olave’s is undoubtedly the preferred route, though a handful each year at 13+ hail from Terrington, The Minster and beyond. St Peter’s is unusual for its superb city-central location, which means Peterites aren’t eternally yearning to escape to the bright lights. Freedom at sixth form is largely respected, and there are very few issues with (and zero tolerance towards) smoking, drugs and alcohol. Instead, working hard is the norm among these mature, levelheaded pupils. They enjoyed another record pass rate at GCSE last year, with 44 per cent at A*, and the slight drop at A-level to 77 per cent A*–B they say is due to a shift to the linear model. Mr Mallard is considered a fave teacher because ‘he never lets us out of lessons early’, but don’t go thinking they’re bookworms. We asked pupils to name their top three things about the school and ‘sport’ was number one every time. It’s possibly not the school for the quiet, shy, retiring type. They recently cut the ribbon on a £5.1 million maths and modern languages building and in January will welcome new Head Jeremy Walker, whose two children will join the school. Pupils are all hoping he does something about the food. The curry is ‘very average’, we hear. | Clifton, York YO30 6AB | Leo Winkley, MA, since 2010, previously Managing Head at Bedales | 567. Day: 255 boys, 181 girls; boarding: 76 boys, 55 girls | Non-denom | 13–18 | Day: £5,850; boarding: £9,720 | Occasional | At least a year before entry; £75 fee | Ce or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Guy Fawkes, John Barry OBE, Greg Wise | Andy Falconer | 348 day and boarding: 193 boys, 155 girls | 3–13 | Day: £4,840; boarding: £8,270 | stpetersyork.org.uk |
| Sedbergh | ‘Northern gold,’ says our insider. How’s that for a soundbite? Or, as a parent puts it: ‘a magical school nestled between very large hills, which the children are regularly required to run up!’ Sedbergh is a small, warm-hearted place in the most spectacular location: sandwiched between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales. It’s one of the few genuine 24/7 full-boarding schools left in the country – there are no fixed exeats, so 400 or so pupils are in school every weekend, with no fewer than seven social events every Saturday night. Exam results are steadily improving: 64 per cent A*–B at A-level last year (up from 55 per cent in 2016). And, of course, there’s the sport: they’re the number-one rugby school in the country, and the current under-18 national cricket champions. Pupils have won national and international honours in everything from fly fishing to equestrianism to shooting. But really, it’s just about getting on and joining in: from the first XI hockey stars to the U14C rugby team, from taekwondo to mountain biking, the emphasis is on the individual rather than the elite. The extracurricular programme is phenomenal and, as the school points out, full-boarding offers ‘the best value for money’. Back to our parent mole: ‘Sedbergh breeds truly hardworking alumni who have a strong sense of loyalty and integrity. They readily do 15-hour days and scarcely have time for TV and electronic gadgets. A godsend for parents!’ | Sedbergh, Cumbria LA10 5HG | Andrew Fleck, MA, since 2010; previously Head of Ashville College, Harrogate | 542. Day: 6 boys, 8 girls; boarding: 323 boys, 205 girls | C of E | 13–18 | Day: £8,305; boarding: £11,280 | 4% | Two years before entry advised; £125 fee | School’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Rugby players Will Carling and Will Greenwood, pianist Roger Vignoles, screenwriter Simon Beaufoy | William Newman | 228 day and boarding: 120 boys, 108 girls | 3–13 | Day: £5,395; boarding: £7,970 | sedberghschool.org |
| Strathallan | ‘Their nurturing culture and absolute commitment to providing the best opportunity for each child sold Strathallan to us,’ a mother tells us. Other parents similarly praised the impressive menu on offer at this cosy co-ed community nestled in the heart of Scotland. We’ve yet to meet new head Mark Lauder, but spies tell us he has ‘zillions of ideas’ and has been pleasingly visible thus far, constantly striding around these 150 immaculate Perthshire acres. Admissions remain buoyant – around five applicants per place – and academically we’re talking A-level results of 75 per cent A*–B. A recent sellout production of Les Misérables (complete with support from the current West End cast) reportedly blew one’s sporran off, while the sporting achievements remain endless and phenomenal. Strathallan were last year’s U18 Scottish Schools’ Rugby Cup winners, but that’s hardly headline news in a school where one in 10 pupils represent nationally. One hundred per cent up to fifth form represent the school in team sport, with an astonishing 87 per cent still doing so at sixth form. Strathallan considers this ‘key to our ethos’. Even the physics teacher is a former Scotland rugby player (he coaches the 1st XV), while the Bursar runs a fly-fishing club. When it snows heavily they declare a ‘ski day’ and pupils get to swish off to Glenshee for a few hours on the piste. | Forgandenny, Perthshire PH2 9EG | Mark Lauder, since 2017; previously Head of Ashville College, Harrogate | 437. Day: 89 boys, 61 girls; boarding: 169 boys, 118 girls | C of E | 9–18 | Day: £7,470; boarding: £11,000 | Occasional | Early registration advised; £95 fee | CE or school’s own exam, interview and previous school’s report | Historian Tessa Dunlop, Colin Montgomerie, Olympian Duncan Scott, JJ Chalmers | strathallan.co.uk | ||||
| Withington Girls’ School | ‘It’s cool to learn; it’s cool to do well,’ a Withy girl once told Tatler, which makes these ladies among the coolest teens in Britain. This Manchester powerhouse regularly produces some of the top results in the country (a mindblowing 31 per cent A* at A-level last year), but don’t go assuming this means it’s an exam machine. At Withington the pleasure of learning is considered its own reward: they don’t offer schol- arships and there are no in-school prizes. A spirit of elitism and academic competition is not cool, man. Instead, collaboration, pers- onal challenge, diversity and inclusion are order of the day. One in six girls are on bursary support and, harmoniously, around one in six girls are annually offered places at Oxbridge. Entrants at Year 7 come from more than 130 different schools, so forget about a feeder and, pushy parents beware, everyone offered a place is interviewed first to ensure that they haven’t been tutored to within an inch of their life. You need to be the ‘right’ kind of brainy to thrive here. Though being A* at netball too wouldn’t hurt – they are county and regional champions: extra impressive given their year groups are typically half the size of their rivals’. They represent nationally at lacrosse too. Let’s face it, pretty much anything you can do, Withy girls can do better – and probably backwards, while playing the harp. | Wellington Road, Fallowfield, Manchester M14 6BL | Sarah Haslam, BA, since 2016, previously Deputy Head | 545 day girls | Non-denom | 11–18 | £4,330 | 17% | By December of year before entry; £50 fee | School’s own exam and interview | Sarah Burton, playwright Julia Britton | Kathryn Burrows | 135 day girls | 7–11 | £3,311 | wgs.org |