St Leonards, Scotland
St Leonards is a coeducational day and boarding school for pupils aged four to 18 in the heart of St Andrews. It is Scotland’s only school to offer the full International Baccalaureate continuum, taking pupils from the primary years programme through to the diploma. The results are impressive. This year, 88 per cent of higher-level grades were awarded at 7-5, equivalent to A*-B at A-level, while pupils achieved an average diploma score of 35 points – roughly equivalent to three As. Headmaster Simon Brian says pupils leave not only with strong results but ‘the skills and attributes needed to genuinely flourish at university and in life beyond’. Fees start at £7,466 per term for day pupils and £14,933 for boarders. It was named Scottish Independent Secondary School of the Year for Academic Excellence by the Sunday Times this year.
Cranleigh, Surrey
Cranleigh School is an independent coeducational day and boarding school for pupils aged three to 18 in Surrey. Its aim is to provide its students not just with a school, but a culture in which pupils are bold in their aspirations but also look out for others. The school has been described as ‘an all-rounder’s paradise’ where ‘the academic offering can stand up to almost any school in the land’. Last year, 72 per cent of GCSE grades were 9-7 while 83 per cent of A-levels were A-B. Pupils also take the Cranleigh Diploma, which has seen them conduct research, compete in debating challenges, and develop, pitch and sell their own products and services in entrepreneurship contests. Fees at Cranleigh start at £60,540 a year for boarders and £34,815 for day pupils. The school also offers a 20 per cent discount for a third sibling, rising to 30 per cent for subsequent siblings.
St Edward’s, Oxford
Founded in 1863, St Edward’s occupies a 100-acre estate in Oxford’s Summertown and is built around the second largest quad in the city (it is surpassed only by Christ Church). The school has just over 800 pupils aged 13 to 18, with most boarding either weekly or full-time. Academic ambition is cultivated here, with a super-curriculum of guest lectures for further enrichment. In the Fourth and Fifth Form, pupils can take ten or 11 different GCSEs, or they can substitute for the school’s own award-winning Pathways and Perspectives courses. The sixth form splits evenly between A-levels and the International Baccalaureate – this year nearly half of all grades across Higher Level IB and A-level were A*/A or 7/6. Sport gets a real showing here too, with the boat club having won gold at the National Schools Regatta and strong performances at Henley.
Lancing College, West Sussex
Nestled in the South Downs with views across the Adur Valley, Lancing College is a coeducational day and boarding school for pupils aged 13 to 18. Founded in 1848 by the Church of England priest Nathaniel Woodard, it was established to provide an education rooted in ‘sound principle and sound knowledge’. Today, that proud tradition is matched by ambitious investment in the school’s future. Lancing has announced £6.5 million for sports facilities, including the complete refurbishment of its swimming pool, a new multi-sport indoor facility and, subject to planning permission, an all-weather Astro pitch. The school’s academic results are equally impressive: nearly a fifth of this year’s GCSE grades were 9s, while 82 per cent were in the A*-B equivalent range.
Comments