Oundle School

Founded in 1556, Oundle School is one of Britain’s leading co-educational independent schools with a full boarding ethos, situated in the small, charming market town of Oundle, Northamptonshire. Travel from London is less than an hour by train yet the School enjoys a beautiful setting in the heart of the UK countryside. The School and town are closely entwined, with Oundelians taking their place within this wider community, not isolated from it.

Pupils emerge from Oundle as decent, open-minded adults, ambitious about what they can go on to achieve and contribute, but never arrogant. That is not to diminish the School’s academic results which are steadfastly excellent. Last year Oundelians achieved 35% A*, 68% A*or A and 91% A* to B in their A Levels. At GCSE, 43% of grades were 9, 70% were 9 or 8, and 96% were 9 to 6. On average, each year 10% of Oundelians gain Oxbridge offers and most pupils take up Russell Group university places, with increasing numbers looking across the Atlantic for higher education with a more global approach.

The Oundle curriculum equips pupils to think and is driven by learning rather than by assessment. There is a huge breadth of subjects and opportunities to pursue; 8 timetabled languages, 28 A Level options, 26 IGCSE options and over 40 societies. Comprehensive scholarship programmes are offered across Academics, Sports, Drama, Art, Design Engineering and Technology, with the Oundle Scholarship aimed at pupils who demonstrate genuine interest in two or more disciplines.

A vast range of enriching co-curricular opportunities encompass the three development strands of Service, Leadership & Adventure and Creativity & Culture. The School is proud of being the largest Duke of Edinburgh centre in central England and has the largest school Combined Cadet Force in the UK. The Arts also play a huge role in the life of Oundelians, with around 20 School, House and professional touring productions performed annually in the Stahl Theatre, and over 50% of pupils learning at least one musical instrument. Sport is flourishing; the Sports Masterplan has recently been completed and the pursuit of sporting excellence and elite performance sits comfortably alongside a vision for all pupils to benefit from a wide selection of team and individual sporting options.

The House system is at the heart of both school life and pastoral care. Each boarding House is home to those who live and work there, staff and pupils alike, with all meals taken together in House dining rooms. Every pupil is part of a small, carefully structured House tutorial group which spans all years, reflecting a family feel and allowing older pupils to act as mentors to the younger ones. Tutors are a regular and consistent point of contact for both pupils and parents, providing guidance and counsel as pupils grow and progress through the School.