United Kingdom · Winchester
St Swithun’s Senior School is for girls aged 11–18. It offers day, weekly and full boarding places, with GCSEs followed by A-Levels. The school’s nursery and prep provision is separate.
St Swithun’s Senior School is a girls’ day and boarding school for ages 11–18 on Alresford Road, Winchester. Its standard entry points are Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12.
The school also has a girls’ prep school and a co-educational preschool. Those younger sections have separate admissions and fee arrangements. This profile covers the Senior School and Sixth Form.
Girls work towards GCSEs before entering an A-Level Sixth Form. The school offers no IB Diploma. Families needing the IB should not treat its Sixth Form as an equivalent qualification route.
Sixth-formers study three or four two-year A-Levels. A pupil taking Further Mathematics may study four or five. Most begin with four subjects, or five including Further Mathematics, then discontinue one during Year 12.
The Extended Project Qualification is optional for every Sixth Form pupil. It can be an essay, artefact or performance, supported by a process log and presentation.
Every standard route uses written assessments, an online cognitive test, recent reports and a confidential school reference. Applicants meet the headmistress. Year 12 candidates also interview with academic heads in their proposed A-Level subjects.
Families must disclose SEND, disability and other circumstances that could affect assessment or participation. The June 2026 policy says the school will consider reasonable adjustments before deciding whether it can adequately meet a pupil’s needs.
The live admissions page said on 4 September 2026 that applications for 2027 entry were “now due.” That wording does not give a closing date. The policy provides the route-specific deadlines below.
UK-based applicants register by 30 September of Year 6. They take the ISEB Common Pre-Test and St Swithun’s English and mathematics papers in November.
Overseas applicants also register by 30 September of the equivalent year. They must take UKiset by 8 November. School papers are sat on the last Saturday in October through an approved invigilator or British Council office.
Girls already at St Swithun’s Prep follow a different internal process. Those who joined in Year 4 or earlier are usually offered Senior places in May of Year 5, subject to performance and the prep head’s recommendation.
The main UK early route begins with the ISEB Common Pre-Test in autumn of Year 6. A creative task and headmistress interview follow in spring. Some girls instead test in Year 7 or sit competitive school papers in Year 8.
An early offer is conditional on at least 60% overall in Common Entrance or level 7 in the Prep Schools Baccalaureate. The policy says most successful Common Entrance candidates exceed 70%.
An overseas early-offer applicant registers by 30 September of Year 7 and takes the ISEB test by the third Friday in November. She later sits school papers on the last Saturday of October in Year 8.
An overseas standard-route applicant registers by 30 September of Year 8 and takes UKiset by the third Friday in November. The required school papers cover English, mathematics, science and, when appropriate, a modern European language.
These routes start in different school years. Ask Admissions to identify the correct path before registering, especially when changing from a curriculum that does not use Common Entrance or the Prep Schools Baccalaureate.
Year 12 applicants must provide a current school report before applying. They sit written papers and interview in three intended A-Level subjects. UK candidates also take a standardised cognitive test; overseas candidates take UKiset.
The live page schedules assessment during the first weekend of November in Year 11. Overseas candidates may take UKiset from May of Year 10, with results due by mid-October.
Candidates whose first language is not English take the school’s EAL paper. The school may also request a meeting with the Head of EAL.
Late entry to Years 7, 9 or 12 is occasionally possible. Year 8 and Year 10 places may also arise. All depend on availability and additional assessment, so they should not be assumed.
The Senior School offers day, weekly and full boarding. First-year boarders live in Le Roy, where room areas are shared with two or three other girls. They move between rooms during the year.
After the first year, boarders move into one of four senior houses. These houses contain 35–45 girls, and bedrooms are single occupancy. Upper Sixth day girls and boarders both join Finlay house.
Weekly boarders can use the London bus. It leaves school on Friday afternoon for Cromwell Road via Richmond Deer Park, then returns on Sunday evening. The school also runs it at holiday boundaries.
No separate weekly-boarding or London-bus price is published. Confirm whether the ordinary boarding fee covers both, and ask about supervision when a journey is disrupted.
Tutor groups are generally about 18 pupils in the lower and middle years and 8–10 in the Sixth Form. They meet daily. Boarders also have residential house staff, and the wellbeing team includes nurses and a psychologist.
The learning-support policy covers communication, cognition, social and emotional health, and sensory or physical needs. Pupils may receive an individual plan, a pupil passport or specialist lessons during study periods.
The school reviews whether it can deliver an Education, Health and Care Plan. It may also recommend an external specialist assessment. Public material does not say who pays for that assessment or for ongoing individual support.
EAL applicants are expected to work at approximately CEFR B2, depending on entry point. Most supported pupils receive one individual or small-group lesson each week. More intensive provision may carry an additional charge.
Sixth-formers can use EAL sessions for IELTS preparation when required for university. Disclose all needs before assessment and obtain written confirmation of support frequency, timetable impact and cost.
St Swithun’s can sponsor Child Student visas for boarders. It does not advertise visa sponsorship for day pupils. Its admissions policy also requires the school to report commission-paid recruitment agents to UK Visas and Immigration.
A sponsored pupil must pay the remainder of her first-year fees by 30 April before entry, in addition to the deposit. The school uses the payment to support the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies process.
The international page says Admissions can guide parents, guardians and agents. It does not publish a guardianship policy, guardian eligibility rules or a guardian fee. Obtain the school’s current requirements before appointing anyone.
The school has one Exeat weekend, in May. It can arrange airport taxis through a local company, but no charge is published. Families should document holiday accommodation, emergency responsibility and travel costs before accepting.
The page header still mentions 2025–26, but the fee block explicitly states 2026–27.
| Place | Per term | Three-term total |
|---|---|---|
| Day | £11,403.37 | £34,210.11. |
| Boarding | £19,272.08 | £57,816.24. |
The page does not state whether these figures include VAT. It also gives no comprehensive list of extras. Request a complete first-year estimate, including transport, examinations, trips, support, music, uniform and insurance.
The formal application fee is £350 and non-refundable. The school describes every acceptance deposit as non-refundable.
| Entry | UK-resident day or boarding | Overseas-based or non-UK national full boarding |
|---|---|---|
| Year 7 | £1,500 | £15,000. |
| Year 9 | £3,200 | £15,000. |
| Year 12 | £5,000 | £15,000. |
All but £500 of the deposit is credited to the first-term invoice. The remaining £500 stays on account until the final bill. This structure does not make the deposit refundable.
New regular Armed Forces and diplomatic families receiving Continuity of Education Allowance can apply for a 20% boarding bursary. It is not means-tested, but normal admission requirements apply. The number of awards is limited.
When three daughters attend St Swithun’s, the eldest day pupil receives a 10% discount. If the eldest is a Senior School boarder, the family pays only the day fee for her. Confirm how timing and simultaneous attendance are counted.
Means-tested awards can reach 100% of fees. The family must register before applying and submit the means-test form by 30 September in the year before entry. Awards are reviewed annually.
For 2027 art, drama and sport scholarships, applications close on 9 October 2026. Year 12 assessments begin during the week of 2 November. Year 9 assessments begin during the week of 9 November.
Academic Year 7 and Year 9 candidates are shortlisted through pre-test results and references. Year 12 academic awards use the November written assessments and online interviews. Scholarship value is not stated on the public page.
Music has separate deadlines. Overseas Year 7 and all Year 12 applications close on 2 October 2026. UK Year 7 and all Year 9 applications close on 20 November 2026.
Published music dates are 13 November 2026 for Year 12, 7–8 January 2027 for UK Year 7 and 21–22 January for Year 9. Overseas Year 7 recordings are due by 4 November 2026.
Continue with the Winchester school-search guide, UK admissions guide and boarding guide.
Official pages and documents we read. If a figure matters to your budget or your application, open the link and confirm it is still current.
Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.
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5 minStart with your child’s needs and the schools you can realistically access. A boys’, girls’, or co-educational label does not tell you enough about teaching, friendships, support, or daily life.
8 minStart with the child and a realistic weekly timetable. Then confirm who provides care, which nights are covered, and what happens when plans change.
7 minStart with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.