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Considering a boarding school in the UK? You're spoilt for choice – there's around 500 boarding schools to choose from.
Keep reading to find out more about boarding in the UK and learn which schools top the league tables for 2025.
What are the benefits of boarding schools?
Boarding schools have higher fees, but they can have a positive influence on a child's life – and not just by offering a high-quality education.
Some of the many benefits of boarding schools include:
Developing independence. Living away from home can help prepare children for life at university and beyond.
Access to excellent facilities. Children who board have more time and freedom to use school’s facilities, with a range of opportunities in sports and the arts.
An all-inclusive lifestyle. While boarding schools are more expensive, they cover everything your child will need to live and learn comfortably. This includes three meals a day, on-site wellbeing, laundry, extracurricular activities and more.
Exposure to multiple cultures. Most UK boarding schools are open to international students, as well as students from the UK. This can help children develop cultural awareness and gain a global perspective.
Structured routines. Boarding school provides children with structured living. There are set times for studying, meals and personal fulfilment.
Social confidence. Living with other children helps boost social skills and allows children to build friendships faster.
How to choose a UK boarding school for your child
Boarding schools require a big commitment from both parents and children. If you’re thinking about choosing a boarding school, you’ll want to make sure that it’s the right fit for your child.
You may want to consider the following characteristics when choosing a boarding school:
Pupil demographics: is the school single-sex or co-educational (mixed)? Which do you think your child will be better suited to?
Environment: is the school in an urban or rural location? Would your child prefer the social and cultural opportunities of city life or the open space of the countryside?
Academic ethos: what is the school’s academic ethos and what are exam results like? Will your child be able to maintain the required standard of a highly academic school?
Size: what is the size of the school? Smaller schools might offer more personalised support, while larger schools often have a wider range of co-curricular opportunities
Boarding provision: does the school offer flexi or weekly boarding? Flexi boarding usually means a couple of nights per week, while weekly boarding means that children return home from Friday night to Sunday night. Full boarders stay on-site 24/7 and only return home during the school holidays and for long weekends.
Integration: how well do pupils integrate depending on their boarding provision? Are there lots of opportunities for flexi and weekly boarders to mix with full boarders?
International support: if you’re applying to a school from overseas, check that the school supports international applications. Are there lots of other international students, and does the school have specialist staff to support these children?
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The top 50 boarding schools in the UK in 2025
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| Rank | School | County | Entry gender | A levels (% A*–B) | GCSEs (% 9–7) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Paul's School | London | Boys | 98% | 97.5% |
| 2 | Brighton College | East Sussex | Co-ed | 99.3% | 94.7% |
| 3 | Westminster School | London | Boys | 96.8% | 98.7% |
| 4 | Wycombe Abbey | Buckinghamshire | Girls | 94.7% | 97% |
| 5 | Queen Ethelburga's College | North Yorkshire | Co-ed | 96.7% | 86.9% |
| 6 | Eton College | Berkshire | Boys | 93.6% | 92.7% |
| 7 | Sevenoaks School | Kent | Co-ed | 96.1% | 86.4% |
| 8 | Tonbridge School | Kent | Boys | 94.4% | 89.5% |
| 9 | St Mary's School Ascot | Berkshire | Girls | 93.3% | 91.4% |
| 10 | Concord College | Shropshire | Co-ed | 94.2% | 89.1% |
| 11 | Cardiff Sixth Form College | Co-ed | Cardiff | 96.9% | 81.8% |
| 12 | Winchester College | Hampshire | Boys | 90.4% | 92.1% |
| 13 | Whitgift School | London | Boys | 92.9% | 86.1% |
| 14 | City of London Freemen's School | Surrey | Co-ed | 91.9% | 85.8% |
| 15 | Benenden School | Kent | Girls | 92.7% | 83.3% |
| 16 | Radley College | Oxfordshire | Boys | 91.7% | 85.1% |
| 17 | Cheltenham Ladies' College | Gloucestershire | Girls | 91.1% | 85.8% |
| 18 | Caterham School | Surrey | Co-ed | 91.2% | 85.5% |
| 19 | Abingdon School | Oxfordshire | Boys | 89.6% | 86.4% |
| 20 | Dulwich College | London | Boys | 86.8% | 91.7% |
| 21 | St Swithun's School | Hampshire | Girls | 92.4% | 79.9% |
| 22 | St Michael's School | Carmarthenshire | Co-ed | 96.7% | 70.4% |
| 23 | Epsom College | Surrey | Co-ed | 88% | 82.8% |
| 24 | Wellington College | Berkshire | Co-ed | 87.5% | 83.3% |
| 25 | Hurstpierpoint College | West Sussex | Co-ed | 89% | 79% |
| 26 | St John's School, Leatherhead | Surrey | Co-ed | 88.6% | 79.8% |
| 27 | St Mary's Calne | Wiltshire | Girls | 87.6% | 81.8% |
| 28 | St Catherine's, Bramley | Surrey | Girls | 85.8% | 84.1% |
| 29 | Headington Rye, Oxford | Oxfordshire | Girls | 87.2% | 79.8% |
| 30 | Burgess Hill Girls | West Sussex | Girls | 92.6% | 67.5% |
| 31 | Westbourne School | Vale of Glamorgan | Co-ed | 89.5% | 71.1% |
| 32 | Oundle School | Northamptonshire | Co-ed | 87.6% | 74.2% |
| 33 | Ardingly College | West Sussex | Co-ed | 88.2% | 71.9% |
| 34 | Reed's School | Surrey | Boys | 86% | 75% |
| 35 | The Leys | Cambridgeshire | Co-ed | 87.6% | 71.4% |
| 36 | Chigwell School | Essex | Co-ed | 84% | 77.8% |
| 37 | Roedean School | East Sussex | Girls | 83.4% | 78.9% |
| 38 | The Yehundi Menuhin School | Surrey | Co-ed | 88.5% | 66.3% |
| 39 | Woldingham School | Surrey | Girls | 82.4% | 77% |
| 40 | Marlborough College | Wiltshire | Co-ed | 86.5% | 68.7% |
| 41 | Charterhouse | Surrey | Co-ed | 83.5% | 73.7% |
| 42 | Canford School | Dorset | Co-ed | 83.4% | 73.5% |
| 43 | Downe House | Berkshire | Girls | 82% | 75% |
| 44 | Haileybury | Hertfordshire | Co-ed | 82.9% | 72.5% |
| 45 | Uppingham School | Rutland | Co-ed | 84.3% | 69% |
| 46 | Ipswich School | Suffolk | Co-ed | 84.4% | 67.7% |
| 47 | Kimbolton School | Cambridgeshire | Co-ed | 73.5% | 88.9% |
| 48 | Berkhamsted School | Hertfordshire | Co-ed | 82.1% | 70.6% |
| 49 | Warwick School | Warwickshire | Boys | 78.9% | 76% |
| 50 | St Peter's School | North Yorkshire | Co-ed | 81.7% | 67.5% |
The 10 best boarding schools in the UK in 2025
The following 10 boarding schools had the highest exam results (A level or International Baccalaureate, and GCSE) in 2024.
1. St Paul’s School
© stpaulsschool.org.uk
St Paul’s School is an selective private school in South West London for boys aged 7 to 18. John Colet founded the school in 1509 with the belief that education must be both holistic and academic. Students at St Paul's develop five core character traits: respect, kindness, humility, integrity, and resilience.
Although most boys are day pupils, there is a small and welcoming community of around 30 boarders. Children have daily prep and the freedom to get involved in the school’s many activities on offer. Typical activities include go-karting, indoor skydiving and paintballing. Boarders also have regular weekend trips with experiences such as cooking classes, meals out, and tours of London.
St Paul's is the highest-performing boys' school in the UK based on exam results. Every year, at least 25% of students accept offers from Oxford and Cambridge universities. Many students also leave for universities overseas, including Berkeley, Harvard, MIT and Stanford.
Location: South West London
Setting: suburban
Age range and gender: 13–18, boys only
Number of pupils: 1,500+
Main entry points: 13+ and 16+
Scholarships: academic and music
2024 A level results: 98% A*–B
2024 GCSE results: 97.5% A*/A/9/8/7
National league table rank: 2
2. Brighton College
© brightoncollege.org.uk
Brighton College is a private day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 11–18. It's located by the coast in the southern city of Brighton. Academic results are consistently high, but the school is well known for its strong focus on kindness and happiness.
Boarding has become more popular at Brighton, with the number of boarders trebling in ten years. The school's boarding facilities are award-winning, designed by leading interior designers. Boarders have a full programme of evening activities after prep, including dance lessons, sport, mindfulness, films and board games.
Brighton College has been named 'Independent Boarding School of the Year 2025' by The Times. The school has recently opened a new prep school in Kensington, London for children aged 2–13.
Location: East Sussex (South East England)
Setting: city/coastal
Age range and gender: 11–18, boys and girls
Number of pupils: 1,200+
Main entry points: 11+, 13+ and 16+
Scholarships: academic, all-rounder, art, chess, choral, dance, drama, DT, music, and sports
2024 A level results: 99.3% A*–B
2024 GCSE results: 94.7% A*/A/9/8/7
National league table rank: 3
3. Westminster School
© tatler.com
Westminster School is a private day and boarding school for boys aged 13 to 18, with a mixed sixth form. It benefits from a central London location next to Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. The school is nearly 630 years old and has an impressive list of famous alumni, including architect Christopher Wren, writer AA Milne, and Nobel Prize winners.
Around 180 boys and girls board at Westminster in six boarding houses. Boarders are looked after by a housemaster, resident matron, and a team of tutors. A head of international students supports children who come to board from overseas. Boarders have structured prep every evening and lots of opportunities for fun and relaxation. Activities include Sunday brunch, pizza and film nights, karaoke, group sports, and city trips.
Students at Westminster consistently achieve excellent exam results. University destinations include Oxford, Cambridge, Stanford, Columbia, UPenn and Dartmouth.
Location: City of Westminster
Setting: city
Age range and gender: boys 13–18, girls 16–18
Number of pupils: 750+
Main entry points: 13+ and 16+
Scholarships: academic and music
2024 A level results: 96.8% A*–B
2024 GCSE results: 98.7% A*/A/9/8/7
National league table rank: 5
4. Wycombe Abbey
© gsa.uk.com
Wycombe Abbey is a private boarding school in Buckinghamshire for girls aged 11 to 18. The school is committed to academic excellence and has a long tradition of success. It embodies five key academic qualities: risk-taking, resourcefulness, determination, reflection, and development.
Girls joining at 11+ spend a year in the junior house, before moving into one of nine senior houses. They live in mixed-age bedrooms between the ages of 12–16, making friends with girls in other years. Final year students live in a separate boarding house to develop independence before university. Activities include house outings, dorm feasts, competitions and leisure opportunities. Some socials are shared with boys at Eton College, Winchester College, Radley College and Harrow School. Parents and siblings are also invited to activities including bonfire nights, house dinners and summer BBQs.
Wycombe Abbey is consistently ranked as one of the UK's top girls' boarding schools. Students are offered places at the world's top universities, with around a third going to Oxbridge each year. An increasing number of girls are also offered places at North American universities such as Brown, Harvard, Stanford and Yale.
Location: Buckinghamshire (South East England)
Setting: rural
Age range and gender: 11–18, girls only
Number of pupils: 650+
Main entry points: 11+, 13+ and 16+
Scholarships: academic and music
2024 A level results: 94.7% A*–B
2024 GCSE results: 97% A*/A/9/8/7
National league table rank: 12
5. Queen Ethelburga's, York
© boardingschooladvice.com
Queen Ethelburga's (QE) is a private day and boarding school in York for children from nursery to age 18. There are two senior schools for Years 10–13 – the Faculty and the College. The curriculum at both schools covers GCSEs and A levels, with BTEC courses on offer at the Faculty.
Children at QE live on a campus that occupies more than 220 acres of Yorkshire countryside. Facilities are modern, with air-conditioned bedrooms and private en-suite bedrooms. Sixth formers also have their own cooking and washing facilities to support independence. The food is award-winning (the catering team won an award in 2019) and there are many student cooking clubs. There's also an extensive enrichment programme, with activities including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, CCF, sports, arts, music and drama.
Exam results at Queen Ethelburga's are consistently high and students go on to top UK universities. The Times has named QE 'Independent School of the Year for Academic Excellence in the North 2025'.
Location: North Yorkshire (North East England)
Setting: rural
Age range and gender: 0–18, boys and girls
Number of pupils: 800+
Main entry points: 4+ 10+, 14+ and 16+
Scholarships: academic, sports, music and drama
2024 A level results: 96.7% A*–B
2024 GCSE results: 86.9% A*/A/9/8/7
National league table rank: 21
6. Eton College
© tatler.com
Eton College is one of the most prestigious and historic schools in the UK. Founded in 1440 by King Henry VI, it is located in the town of Eton, near Windsor. The school is an all-boys boarding school, renowned for its academic excellence, traditions, and notable alumni. These include 20 British Prime Ministers, such as Winston Churchill, and many other influential figures in politics, business, and the arts.
Eton’s sprawling campus features impressive buildings, including its iconic chapel and extensive sports facilities. The school places great emphasis on extracurricular activities, offering everything from rowing and cricket to drama and music. Eton’s students, known as "Etonians," wear traditional uniforms, including a black tailcoat and white bow tie, reflecting the school’s long-standing traditions.
The college is famous for its rigorous academics, particularly in preparing students for top universities like Oxford and Cambridge. It offers small class sizes, dedicated teachers, and a rich learning environment. Eton also prides itself on fostering leadership, confidence, and a sense of community among its students.
Location: Berkshire (South East England)
Setting: town
Age range and gender: 13–18, boys only
Number of pupils: 1,300+
Main entry points: 13+ and 16+
Scholarships: King's Scholarships (academic), music scholarships, Rokos scholarships (means-tested)
2024 A level results: 93.6% A*–B
2024 GCSE results: 92.7% A*/A/9/8/7
National league table rank: 24
7. Sevenoaks School
© schoolhousemagazine.co.uk
Sevenoaks School is a private day and boarding school in Kent for boys and girls aged 11–18. It occupies a 100-acre campus in the countryside, just half an hour by train from Gatwick Airport and Central London.
Around 350 children board at Sevenoaks in one of seven boarding houses. Younger pupils share rooms to help them settle quickly and make friendships. Older students usually have single or double rooms to allow for privacy and quiet study. Boarding is fun, comfortable and busy. There's evening prep every day, and a full programme of sports, cultural and social events at the weekend. International students are welcome but need to have an adult guardian living close to the school.
The extracurricular programme at Sevenoaks is vast. The school has 200 sports teams, with 87% of students representing the school in at least one sport. The music department is thriving, with 700 weekly instrumental lessons and 50 annual concerts. Students also benefit from overseas trips, with residential visits to 18 countries every year.
Location: Kent (South East England)
Setting: semi-rural
Age range and gender: 11–18, boys and girls
Number of pupils: 1,200+
Main entry points: 11+, 13+ and 16+
Scholarships: academic, art, drama, music and sport (no financial value)
2024 IB results: 39.6 average diploma points
2024 GCSE results: 86.4% A*/A/9/8/7
National league table rank: 29
8. Tonbridge School
© tonbridgeevents.co.uk
Tonbridge School is a day and boarding school in Kent, located 40 minutes by train from London, for boys aged 13–18. Facilities include an award-winning library, £20 million science centre, and an £11 million sports centre. Over 90% of the school's pianos come from Steinway & Sons, making it an All Steinway School. The school is also recognised as a Microsoft Showcase School for its innovative use of technology.
Boys board at Tonbridge in one of 12 houses. There are around 65 boys in each house, led by a housemaster, tutor team and matron. The house system is central to life at Tonbridge and provides a close-knit community. Students can get involved in house and inter-house activities, including competitions, music, art, debating, sports and drama.
Social responsibility is integral to education at Tonbridge. The school has partnerships with 10 local schools and over 120 boys volunteer in primary and special schools every week. Tonbridge also works with RefugEase Kent County Council’s Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children, who play football with Tonbridge pupils.
Location: Kent (South East England)
Setting: semi-rural
Age range and gender: boys 13–18
Number of pupils: 800+
Main entry points: 13+ and 16+
Scholarships: academic; art; drama; design, technology and engineering; music; and sport
2024 A level results: 94.4% A*–B
2024 GCSE results: 89.5% A*/A/9/8/7
National league table rank: 30
9. St Mary's School Ascot
(c) best-schools.co.uk
St Mary’s School Ascot is a leading independent Catholic boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18. Located in the countryside near Ascot, Berkshire, it offers a peaceful and supportive environment for students to grow academically and personally. The school is known for its strong academic results, excellent pastoral care, and commitment to developing the whole person.
Founded in 1885, St Mary’s is rooted in Catholic values, welcoming girls of all faiths. It fosters a sense of community, kindness, and responsibility. The school aims to inspire a love of learning, encourage independence, and nurture students’ talents.
The campus features modern facilities, including state-of-the-art classrooms, a performing arts center, and sports fields. Girls participate in a wide range of extracurricular activities, from sports and drama to music and debating. The school is also known for its spiritual life, with regular chapel services and opportunities for reflection.
St Mary’s prepares students for top universities and future careers while emphasising personal character and leadership. Its small size ensures individual attention and a strong sense of belonging. With its balance of tradition, innovation, and care, St Mary’s School Ascot offers an enriching education for girls.
Location: Berkshire (South East England)
Setting: semi-rural
Age range and gender: girls 11–18
Number of pupils: approx. 400
Main entry points: 11+, 13+, 16+
Scholarships: academic, all-rounder, art, music, sport
2024 A level results: 93.3% A*–B
2024 GCSE results: 91.4% A*/A/9/8/7
National league table rank: 32
10. Concord College
(c) concordcollege.com
Concord College is a prestigious international boarding school in Shropshire, England, welcoming students aged 13 to 19 from over 40 countries. Known for its academic excellence, the school has a strong focus on science, mathematics, and humanities. Many students go on to attend top universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, and other world-renowned institutions.
Founded in 1949, Concord offers a welcoming and inclusive environment that values diversity. Its campus blends modern facilities with scenic countryside, creating a peaceful setting for learning and personal growth. State-of-the-art laboratories, spacious classrooms, and a performing arts center support a well-rounded education.
The school places a strong emphasis on extracurricular activities, encouraging students to explore interests in music, sports, drama, and more. Leadership opportunities, such as student councils and volunteering, help develop confidence and teamwork skills.
Concord is also known for its pastoral care. Staff provide guidance and support to ensure students feel safe, happy, and prepared for their future. Small class sizes allow teachers to focus on individual progress, helping students achieve their full potential.
With its global community, academic success, and nurturing environment, Concord College offers a unique education that prepares young people to succeed in a competitive world. The Times named the school 'Independent School of the Year in the West Midlands 2025'.
Location: Shropshire (West Midlands)
Setting: rural
Age range and gender: boys and girls 13–18
Number of pupils: 550+
Main entry points: 13+, 14+, 16+
Scholarships: academic
2024 A level results: 94.2% A*–B
2024 GCSE results: 89.1% A*/A/9/8/7
National league table rank: 33
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