Westminster School is an independent day and boarding school for boys aged 13-18 and girls aged 16-18, with a long history, a distinctive ethos, and a unique sense of place in the very heart of London.
Co-Education. From September 2028, girls will be admitted at 13+ alongside boys. At Westminster Under School girls will join boys at 7+ and 11+ entry from September 2026, as well as in a brand new Reception year. By 2030, all year groups across both Westminster School and Westminster Under School will be co-educational, reflecting the School’s dedication to inclusivity and excellence.
About the School. Located in the heart of London, adjacent to Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, the School’s origins can be traced to a charity school established by the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of St Peter. After the dissolution of the monasteries in 1540, King Henry VIII personally ensured the School’s survival. His daughter, Queen Elizabeth I confirmed royal patronage in 1560 and is celebrated as the School’s Foundress.
Westminster is widely recognised as one of the leading academic independent schools in the UK, with a strong international reputation. The School strives not just for excellent examination outcomes but for deep intellectual enquiry, debate, and a broad curriculum. As one parent put it: “Westminster is a school that nourishes young people who are curious about complexity. A young person who thrives there will be academically excellent, but also one who is quirky and passionate about their diverse array of interests.”
Academic. Westminster follows a broad academic programme from 13+ with subjects such as English, maths, sciences, classics, French, history, geography, theology and philosophy, art, drama, music, computer science, and RSHE. In the co-educational sixth form, pupils study four A Levels, which are supplemented by cultural perspectives and options courses of their choosing.
The aim of the School is to instil in our pupils a deep love of learning. Pupils are encouraged to go beyond examination syllabuses, to be open to fresh ideas and innovative ways of thinking and to embrace co-curricular activities, such as mathematics, science and linguistics Olympiads, and debating and ethics competitions.
Pupils achieve top grades, applying successfully to top universities, both nationally and internationally.
Admissions. The two main points of admission at Westminster School are 13+ and 16+. Entry is competitive, with one in four pupils being offered a place at 13+ and one in eight at 16+.
For 13+, applicants register when they are in Year 5 and take ISEB Common Pre-tests in mathematics, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning in Year 6. Interviews follow, as well as further tests in mathematics and English. Unconditional offers are then made for entry into Year 9 aged 13.
Registration for 16+ entry opens in the summer a year before entry. Entry is by competitive examination and interview. Candidates choose four entry examination subjects, usually the four subjects they plan to take for A Level. The offer of a place is conditional on a candidate achieving a minimum of eight (I)GCSE passes at A/7 grade, of which at least four are at A*/8-9, preferably in the subjects to be studied at A Level.
Boarding. Boarding has characterised life at Westminster since the School’s foundation. Between a quarter and a third of pupils board, and international boarders can join in the Sixth Form. Boarding offers an unparallelled experience to live in the UK’s political epicentre and to fully embrace educational and cultural immersion. Six of the 11 houses are boarding houses; five of the six boarding houses are situated around Little Dean’s Yard, some of them with rooms overlooking Parliament and the Abbey, and the sixth boarding house, which sits just outside Dean’s Yard, has a roof terrace with breathtaking views over SW1. Boarders have access to extensive facilities in the evenings and at the weekend, including the sports centre and the library, and can take part in supervised activities, such as table tennis, pizza-making and Karaoke. London’s extensive offering of museums, galleries, theatres, restaurants, parks and more means that Westminster boarders never get bored.
Bursaries and Scholarships. Westminster offers both scholarships and means-tested bursaries, so that academically or musically talented pupils can attend regardless of financial means.
•King Scholarships are awarded at 13+ and 16+. 12 pupils are chosen every year: eight at 13 and four at 16. King’s Scholars board and all belong to College. An examination entitled ‘The Challenge’ is held annually to determine which pupils are elected as King’s Scholars for entry at 13+. For King’s Scholarships awarded at 16+, selection is based on the overall performance in the Sixth Form entrance exam papers and interviews. These can be supplemented by a bursary.
•Bursaries of up to 100% are available and are awarded to pupils according to individual need, at both 13+ and 16+. These are means-tested.
•Music Scholarships (up to four at 16+) and Awards (up to eight at 13+) are also offered annually, including the Henry Purcell Organ Scholarship, which is biennially awarded to a pupil at 16+.
Co-Curricular and Sport. To balance the academic pursuits of our pupils, Westminster offers a wide variety of activities to complement our curriculum.
Tuesday and Thursday afternoons are dedicated to sport, fixtures often take place then too, as well as on a Saturday. The ‘Station’ programme offers a choice of more than 25 different sports across the various terms, including cricket, climbing, cycling, DanceFit, football, judo, netball, pilates and rowing. In addition to the playing fields at Vincent Square, the School’s Sports Centre, which offers over 6,000m² of indoor space, houses a multi-use movement studio, a rowing training suite, fencing pistes, indoor cricket nets, a fully-equipped gym, two climbing walls, a dojo and a table tennis area and courts for basketball, netball, five-a-side football, volleyball, hockey and badminton.
The drama and music departments host shows and events throughout the year, from the Royal Festival Hall concert to the bilingual play, to the whole-school musical to music masterclasses in jazz. The art department runs pupil exhibitions and invites contemporary artists to exhibit and discuss their work through talks and workshops as part of the ARTISTSHOWS programme.
Lower School Activities for Years 9 and 10 and the Options Programme for sixth formers are timetabled and allow pupils to study something different from the norm, e.g. Arabic or British Sign Language, or bookbinding or robotics. Pupil-led societies, such as the Feminist Society and Aviation Society, are a popular and key characteristic Westminster life.
Pastoral care. Pupils at Westminster have a weekly timetabled RSHE and Wellbeing lesson, delivered by trained staff, to help guide them and to help them make constructive choices in their lives. Topics are designed to be engaging, relevant, and age-appropriate, and pupils themselves have had input into the curriculum design and will continue to do so.
The well-established community of houses enables a strong, well-integrated system of pastoral care, to ensure the needs of each individual pupil are addressed, and that all pupils – whatever their age, background or gender – enjoy their time at School. When issues occur, they are communicated swiftly to the housemaster, who talks with the pupil’s parents, teachers and tutor, to devise the best way forward.
All houses have a matron and all pupils have access to our state-of-the-art health centre, run by an experienced Nursing Sister and visited regularly by the school GPs. We have the full-time support of school counsellors, and the chaplaincy also plays an important role in ensuring the welfare of the community. Senior pupils from each house are trained as Peer Supporters to provide additional support and advice.
Community, Partnerships and Charity. Westminster is committed to outreach, widening access and charitable work.
The School’s flagship partnerships programme, Platform works with pupils from state schools in Years 2, 5 and 10, who show exceptional academic potential and energy for learning. Pupils are nominated by their schools to participate in a free one-year programme of Saturday morning sessions, to fuel their ambition and to allow their academic potential to flourish. Teachers from Westminster Under School and Westminster School volunteer to take classes.
Westminster maintains a close connection with nearby Harris Westminster Sixth Form (HWSF), which was created in partnership with not-for-profit organisation The Harris Federation in 2014 to offer an outstanding education to students from all backgrounds and neighbourhoods in London. On average, a total of 40 pupils come to Westminster from HWSF and the Grey Coat Hospital too, to study A Level subjects in art history, geography, German, Greek, Latin, music and Russian, and take part in co-curricular events such as the classical reading competition.
Westminster pupils volunteer to teach astronomy and music to local primary school children, and perform in hospitals in and around London. Each year, a group of around 50 sixth formers take part in Westminster Phab, hosting guests from the charity Phab on site, for a week of activities and friendship building. Thanks to the pupils’ amazing fundraising efforts throughout the school year, Westminster is able to offer the whole week completely free of charge.
Fees per term (2025-2026). Day fees: £15,451–£16,650; Boarding fees: £21,992.
Preparatory Department. Westminster Under School is Westminster School’s preparatory equivalent, currently with entry points mainly at 7+, 8+, and 11+. From September 2026 there will be a new pre-prep point at 4+, and entry for girls in Years 3 and 7. The 8+ entry point will close the same year.
Charitable status. St Peter’s College (otherwise known as Westminster School) is a Registered Charity, number 312728.
Governors & Staff:
Visitor:
His Majesty The King
Governing Body:
Mr Mark Batten [OW] (Chair)
Ex Officio and Nominated:
The Dean of Westminster, The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, KCVO, MBE (Senior Member)
Chris Barrie (Nominated Common Room Governor)
The Reverend Canon David Stanton (Nominated Abbey Governor)
Appointed Members:
Mr Basi Akpabio [OW]
Dr Sarah Anderson
Ms Maria Bentley
Mr Nabeel Bhanji [OW]
Mr Trevor Bradley
Mr Edward Cartwright [OW]
Ms Jessica Cecil
Mr John Colenutt (Deputy Chair)
Professor Maggie Dallman OBE
Dr Tristram Hunt
Ms Penelope Kirk
Dr Dominic Luckett
Mr David Mahoney MBE
Mrs Claire Oulton
Ms Joanna Reesby
Ms Grace Yu
Clerk to the Governing Body: Mrs Diana Robinson
[OW] Old Westminster
Senior Management Committee:
Head Master: Dr Gary Savage, PhD
Under Master: Mr James Kazi, MA
Bursar and Chief Operating Officer: Mrs Amanda Oakley Smith, FCA
Deputy Head (Academic): Ms Clare Leech, MA
Deputy Head (Co-curricular, Events and Planning): Dr Vivienne Horsfield, EdD
Deputy Head (Community, Inclusion and Partnerships): Ms Soumia Arif
Deputy Head (Boarding and Upper School): Dr Tasos Aidonis, PhD
Director of Teaching and Learning: Mr Ed Coward
Director of Lower School: Mr Arthur Dabrowski