Leighton Park School
Leighton Park School is a co-ed boarding and day school in Reading, Berkshire, educating pupils aged 11 - 18 and founded in 1890. Boarding fees are £0 - £0 per term. Our advice on this school is independent and free.
- Type
- Co-ed boarding & day
- Boarders from
- 11 - 18
- Ethos
- Quaker
- Guardian required
- Yes
About Leighton Park
The story, ethos and character of Leighton Park.
- Setting
- Town
- Ethos
- Quaker
- Head
- Mr Luke Walters
Overview of Leighton Park Leighton Park is a top-performing, multi award-winning co-educational day and boarding school for 11-18 year old students in Reading, Berkshire. We are conveniently located halfway between London and Oxford and a 30 minute taxi ride from London Heathrow and 25 minutes on the train to London, Paddington.
Admissions Year 7, 8 and 9 - We accept Term stays or longer Year 10 - Must come for the two year GCSE programme Year 11 - Pre-Sixth one year GCSE programme with 5-7 GCSEs IB Diploma - Can come for one year or ideally for the full programme A Level - Must come for whole two year programme.
Students must sit entrance assessments in Maths and English and have an interview.
This year we were also Finalists in the prestigious TES School Awards 2023. The UK Government's latest league table of academic progress in the Sixth Form places Leighton Park as the 14th best performing boarding school in England and one of only eight schools that has always been in the top 100.
Leighton Park also won the Independent Schools Association Award for Future Readiness 2024. Best possible rating Our latest ISI inspection report, published in January 2022, assessed the school as Excellent for both academics and pastoral care - the best possible rating for an English boarding school.
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Academics at Leighton Park
What pupils study at Leighton Park — and where it takes them.
This section provides information on: The curriculum, performing and creative arts, English as an additional , and special educational needs (SEN). About the curriculum From the very beginning, our curriculum encourages each one of our students to be their best selves.
We'll harness your child's innate inner-drive, helping them to develop independence, confidence and a deep desire to learn and grow. We provide Chromebook laptops as part of our fee. This gives students access to our Google Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), where they'll be able to use our online learning resources, collaborate with each other, and complete assignments.
Programmes offered
Subjects offered
Where our leavers go
57% Russell Group but also specialist institutions like St Georges for Medicine and Bournemouth for Art and Leeds for Music Recent selected student destinations. University of Cambridge - Engineering LSE - Anthropology and Law UCL- Chemistry and Mathematics UCL - Engineering UCL- Human Sciences UCL - Psychology King's College London - Computer Science King's College London - Engineering King's College London - European Politics St George's - Medicine St George's - Clinical Pharmacology Newcastle University - Architecture University of Leeds - Law University of Edinburgh - Product Design Loughborough - Product Design University of Surrey - Sport & Exercise
Figures are indicative — contact us for the latest results.
Boarding at Leighton Park
Day-to-day boarding life and pastoral care at Leighton Park.
- Boarding houses
- Girls 1, Boys 1, Mixed 1
- Exeat weekends
- No
- Guardian required
- Yes
- Saturday lessons
- No
Park has signed up to the Boarding Schools Association Covid-Safe Charter Set in 65 acres of Berkshire parkland in the town of Reading, 25 minutes from London Full, weekly and flexi-boarding (the option to stay for just a couple of nights when needed)Single-sex boarding accommodation in Senior Houses (Year 9 upwards)New junior boarding (Years 7 and 8) accommodation opened 2021Comfortable single study bedrooms for Sixth Formers Shared rooms for younger students, with their own space to study A balance of organised and free time at the weekends, with prep time, co-curricular activities and trips every Sunday +3 photos Pastoral care and staffing Five members of staff live in each boarding house, usually teachers, giving students lots of and a range of people to talk to.
A genuine home away from home
FRYER HOUSE - Junior boarding (Year 7, 8 & 9) Newly refurbished in 2021, our Fryer Boarding House for Year 7 & 8 students offers a caring and nurturing environment for our younger boarders. It is also the Year 7/8 hub for day and boarding students.
RECKITT HOUSE - Senior girls (Y9-13) Our Year 9 to Upper Sixth girls stay in Reckitt House, located on the Park next to the sports fields. Year 9 - 11 girls usually share with one other student, while Sixth Form girls have their own rooms. SCHOOL HOUSE - Senior boys (Y9-13) Our Year 9 to Upper Sixth boys stay in School House, located next to our Oakview restaurant.
We can arrange trusted UK guardianship for international families.
Leighton Park admissions
How children join Leighton Park, and how we make it simple.
Tell us about your child
Share their age, interests and what you're looking for. Our advice is completely free.
We shortlist & introduce
We match you to the right schools and make the introductions to their admissions teams.
Assessment, offer & enrolment
We guide you through entrance assessments and interviews, and handle visas and guardianship if needed.
What you'll typically need
- Recent school reports or transcript
- Passport copy
- English-language evidence (if applicable)
- Completed registration form
- A reference from the current school
Special notes to agents about entry to the school Leighton Park School is a selective school. Our usual entry points into the school are Years 7, 9 and the Lower Sixth although we welcome enquiries for all year . With the exception of those students looking for entry into our Sixth Form all prospective students will be required to sit our entrance tests.
Students applying for a in the Lower Sixth will not in ordinary circumstances be asked to sit an entrance test but will be required to achieve the requisite GCSE or equivalent results. Although we would always prefer students to join the school at the start of the academic year we will look at applications, subject to availability, for entry at any point in the academic year.
As your advisors we manage the application end-to-end at no cost.
Leighton Park fees & funding
What Leighton Park costs, what's included, and how we help with funding.
What termly boarding fees include
- Tuition
- Boarding accommodation
- All meals
- Pastoral & house care
- Most academic materials
Funding & scholarships
Registration deposits, EAL tuition, uniform and trips are usually charged separately. Many schools offer academic, sport, music and art scholarships plus means-tested bursaries — ask us and we'll send a full, current breakdown for Leighton Park.
Fees change year to year and by entry point. As your independent advisors we hold up-to-date figures and can compare Leighton Park against similar schools so you know exactly what to budget.
Figures shown are the latest we hold — we'll confirm current fees on enquiry.
Leighton Park location & travel
Where Leighton Park is, and how to get there.
Travel details Address Shinfield Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 7ED, England Travel time to London by train Less than 1 hour Telephone +44(0)118 9879608 Website https://www. leightonpark. com/ Most convenient airports Airport Distance (miles) Drive time (minutes) 1.
London Heathrow 28 35 2. London Gatwick 62 70 Most convenient train stations Station Distance (miles) Drive time (minutes) 1. Reading 2 10 Local accommodation Novotel Reading Centre (2.2 miles) Pentahotel Reading (2.5 miles) Hilton Reading (2.4 miles) Mercure George Hotel (2.1 miles) Local area & attractions Reading is a large, historic market town in Berkshire, South East England.
Leighton Park — frequently asked questions
Where is Leighton Park?
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How many pupils study A-levels at Leighton Park?
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Does Leighton Park support SEN or EAL students?
How many boarding houses does Leighton Park have?
Are there compulsory exeat weekends at Leighton Park?
Does Leighton Park have Saturday lessons?
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Does Leighton Park accept international students?
How much does Leighton Park cost?
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