United Kingdom · London
Westminster combines a broad academic curriculum with day places and weekly boarding. The entry year matters: girls join Year 9 from September 2028, and international boarding starts at 16. Check those conditions before planning an application.
Westminster is worth considering for a pupil who wants substantial academic choice and enjoys developing ideas beyond the examination syllabus. Its central-London location and weekly-boarding arrangements are equally important parts of the decision. A place here does not provide year-round accommodation.
The senior school serves ages 13–18 beside Westminster Abbey. It is separate from Westminster Under School, which is a day school for younger pupils. Most senior-school applications are for Year 9, called 13+ entry, or Year 12, called 16+ entry.
Westminster’s sixth form, Years 12–13, has admitted girls since 1973. The published transition timetable brings girls into senior-school Year 9 in September 2028. Every senior year group is due to be co-educational by September 2030.
The younger Under School begins its own transition in September 2026, with girls entering Reception and Years 3 and 7. That does not mean the senior school’s Years 9–11 are already mixed in 2026.
For a girl applying at 13+, check the entry year first. For any pupil joining during the transition, ask about their particular year group’s facilities, sport and pastoral arrangements.
The school leads to GCSEs, the examinations normally taken around age 16, followed by A Levels in the sixth form. Its curriculum page describes a broad starting programme and increasing specialisation.
| School year | Westminster name | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Year 9 | Fifth Form | A common curriculum; most teaching is in mixed-ability form groups. French, classics and mathematics are taught in ability groups. |
| Year 10 | Lower Shell | Pupils combine compulsory subjects with options. The school lists 28 available subjects, including nine modern and classical languages. |
| Year 11 | Upper Shell | Pupils narrow their subject programme for GCSE examinations. Check which courses result in separate qualifications. |
| Year 12 | Sixth Form | Pupils are expected to start four A-Level subjects, selected from four timetable blocks. |
| Year 13 | Remove | Pupils continue with at least three A-Level subjects. |
Year 9 includes Latin and Greek, separate sciences, practical subjects and liberal-arts teaching. Relationships, sex and health education continues alongside academic study. Sixth-form pupils also have short courses through the school’s Options and Cultural Perspectives programmes.
The advertised subject range is not a promise that every combination fits. Before applying at 16+, check the four teaching blocks against your child’s intended university course. Further Mathematics and Art have particular selection arrangements; use the linked subject pages when choosing entrance assessments.
This is a good reason to shortlist Westminster for a pupil with strong interests across several subjects. It is also a reason to discuss workload carefully with a pupil who would prefer fewer subjects from the start of Year 12.
Little Dean’s Yard provides the main senior-school setting. Some facilities are elsewhere: the sports centre is about a ten-minute walk away, and Vincent Square provides playing fields. Ask how pupils move between those locations and which journeys they make independently.
Every pupil belongs to one of 11 houses, including day pupils. These are pastoral groups as well as, in some cases, boarding accommodation. The school allocates houses and considers preferences, but does not guarantee a requested house.
The historic buildings bring practical access constraints. Westminster’s learning-development page acknowledges that many buildings have several floors without lifts. If mobility or sensory access matters, request a route-by-route discussion before accepting a place.
Westminster has six boarding houses in and around the main site. Its boarding page describes structured evening study, access to the library until 9 pm, music practice and supervised activities.
The weekend rules are more consequential than the room descriptions:
International boarding is available at 16+ only. International applicants below 16 must have parents resident in the UK to apply at 13+. An overseas guardian does not replace that under-16 parental-residence requirement.
At 16+, pupils whose parents live abroad need a guardian approved by the school. That person must be able to receive the pupil during closures, illness or suspension. Agree those arrangements alongside the school application, not after travel is booked.
For 13+ applicants, the final day-or-boarding decision is due by February of the entry year. At 16+, it must be made before registration. King’s Scholars must board in College, one of the boarding houses.
As of 4 September 2026, the 13+ page advertises registration for 2029 entry. Use its age checker to confirm your child’s correct cycle.
The usual sequence is:
Overseas candidates may take the initial online tests at their own school. They must attend Westminster for the subsequent mathematics and English tests and the interview.
There is a separate route for children whose primary school finishes in Year 6. Westminster advises them to apply at 11+ to the Under School for Years 7–8. Successful pupils then move to the senior school without another entry application or entrance test.
You cannot apply simultaneously for Under School 11+ and senior-school 13+ entry. About 125 pupils join senior Year 9 annually, with just under half coming from the Under School. Those figures describe the intake, not an individual applicant’s chances.
The sixth-form admissions page gives the following dates for September 2027 entry:
| Stage | Published date or requirement |
|---|---|
| Registration | 1 June–30 September 2026 |
| Bursary application deadline | 23 September 2026 |
| Remaining advertised open day as of this review | 7 September 2026; booking required |
| Entrance examinations | 7 November 2026, 9 am–2 pm |
| Interview day | 28 November 2026, in person |
| Offers | December 2026 |
| Offer-holder visit | March 2027 |
Applicants select four proposed A-Level subjects. The standard entrance examination consists of a 45-minute paper in each, with subject-specific exceptions explained on the department pages.
Shortlisted pupils attend four subject interviews, a general interview and a 45-minute assessment. The school also obtains a reference. Overseas candidates must attend this interview day in London; remote interviews and alternative dates are not offered.
For candidates taking GCSEs or International GCSEs, the published offer condition is at least eight passes at grade A/7. At least four must be at A*/8–9 in subjects to be studied at A Level.
There is an important overseas exception. Pupils at schools that do not prepare candidates for these examinations do not need GCSE qualifications. Westminster assesses entrance-exam performance and school transcripts instead; offers require satisfactory academic progress and any subsequent public-exam results.
Selection is academic, not based on choosing boarding rather than a day place. The school reports 75–85 external sixth-form places, but does not promise an available place in a particular subject combination.
For 2027 entry, the published birth-date range is 1 September 2010–31 August 2011. All applicants with English as an additional language must submit a UKiset or IELTS Academic profile by 30 September 2026. These are separate English-language assessments; confirm the required submission format.
Fluent written and spoken English is expected, and dictionaries are not allowed in entrance examinations.
Overseas written examinations can be arranged through a local British Council centre. Parents organise and pay for this, and Westminster must approve the supervision arrangements. The normal date is 7 November; 6 or 8 November requires the school’s permission.
Candidates offering Music must take their entrance examinations at Westminster on 7 November. Everyone invited to interview must attend on 28 November, so an overseas written examination does not remove the need to travel.
The school offers Child Student visa sponsorship at 16+ for pupils offered places. Sponsorship, the visa application and approved guardianship are distinct requirements. Start with the school’s overseas-applicant guidance.
The school’s fee table gives these VAT-inclusive amounts:
| Pupil type | Per term | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| 13+ day | £16,456 | £49,368 |
| 16+ day | £17,482 | £52,446 |
| Boarding at 13+ or 16+ | £23,094 | £69,282 |
| 13+ King’s Scholar | £16,456 | £49,368 |
| 16+ King’s Scholar | £17,482 | £52,446 |
The published fees include academic tuition, teaching materials, lunch and most clubs, societies and enrichment. Boarding adds accommodation and all meals. King’s Scholars board but pay the relevant day rate.
These are 2026–27 prices, not a quotation for a future 2028 or 2029 entrant.
| Payment | 13+ entry | 16+ entry |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | £360, non-refundable | £360, non-refundable |
| Entrance fee | £2,400 on acceptance; limited refund exception | £2,400, non-refundable |
| Acceptance deposit | £4,000 | £4,000; £5,000 for international boarders |
| Visa sponsorship, if requested | Not available for international 13+ boarding | £1,200 |
At 13+, the entrance fee is not credited against tuition. Its refund exception applies if the prep school reports insufficient conduct or progress and the pupil is consequently not admitted. Pupils transferring from Under School 11+ entry and recipients of a 100% bursary do not pay this entrance fee.
The 13+ deposit is due by 1 September in Year 8. It is returned at the start of the term after departure, provided the fee account is settled.
At 16+, the deposit is returned on request at the start of the academic year after departure. It is not refunded if the pupil withdraws before joining. Acceptance deposits are not subject to VAT.
For comparison, here is a calculated example using the current 13+ day rates, with no bursary or entrance-fee exemption:
These payments fall due at different stages. The deposit increases the money tied up, not the annual school fee. Ask for an individual schedule covering payment dates, optional charges and withdrawal notice.
Westminster offers means-tested bursaries of up to 100% of day fees. A full award also covers specified essentials, including uniform, travel, books, equipment and compulsory expeditions. Ordinary boarding bursaries are not offered, except in combination with a King’s Scholarship.
The published bursary rules require all of the following:
The final condition covers British or Irish citizens holding the relevant passport, qualifying settled or pre-settled status, or indefinite leave to remain. Settled or pre-settled status must remain in place through the child’s education.
Declare your intention to apply for a bursary at registration. At 13+, the detailed assessment follows an offer, with finances checked again in Year 8. At 16+, observe the earlier 23 September 2026 deadline for 2027 entry.
Awards are reviewed annually and can increase or decrease. Ask about waivers for registration, entrance or deposit payments if you cannot afford them. A scholarship’s monetary value is absorbed within a sixth-form bursary, not automatically added on top.
King’s Scholarships are academic awards rather than means-tested assistance. Scholars must board in College and pay the day rate; a bursary can supplement that award where financial need is established.
At 13+, candidates sit The Challenge in May of Year 8. The application needs the current headteacher’s countersignature and is due by 28 February. For the first examination in 2027, the published structure has seven core papers and two specialisms, with a language substitution for eligible candidates.
A child can enter The Challenge without already holding a school place. However, an unsuccessful scholarship-only applicant is not then offered an ordinary place. At 16+, King’s Scholarships are awarded through the sixth-form entrance assessments.
The school also offers music awards worth 10% of the day fee, with tuition on up to two instruments. The usual principal-instrument expectation is Grade 7 at 13+ or Grade 8 at 16+. Auditions and academic admission are separate requirements; consult the current awards page for dates and eligibility.
Westminster’s Learning Development team describes adaptive classroom teaching, small-group support and individual academic mentoring. It also works with outside specialists when provision is unavailable in school. This is a service description, not confirmation that every need can be met.
Discuss your child’s particular needs at registration. For 13+ examination adjustments, the school requests an up-to-date specialist report and a current-school letter explaining the pupil’s normal working arrangements. Both are needed by the registration deadline.
Extra time or a word processor depends on meeting the applicable assessment criteria. At 16+, previously agreed examination concessions do not transfer automatically.
The Independent Schools Inspectorate visited on 27–29 February 2024 and found all relevant standards met. Its report identified pupil initiative and contribution to society as a significant strength.
Inspectors described knowledgeable teaching, academic challenge, pupil publications and pupil-led volunteering. They also reported changes to relationships education following reviews concerning gender and race.
The two recommended next steps were greater contact with employers and employees, and continued improvement of changing and toilet facilities for female pupils. Ask what has changed since that inspection, particularly for the incoming younger girls.
The report counted 769 pupils, including 183 boarders. These are a dated snapshot, not current enrolment or capacity figures. Likewise, the inspection does not confirm the support or facilities available for an individual applicant in a later year.
Shortlist Westminster if your child wants broad academic choice, pupil-led intellectual activity and a central-London school. Day attendance suits a family that can manage the daily journey and Saturday lessons. Weekly boarding can remove that commute, but still needs a workable weekend and holiday arrangement.
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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.