Whitgift School

Whitgift School is located at Haling Park, South Croydon, CR2 6YT. The campus is situated about 25 minutes from Central London by train and around 30 minutes by car from Gatwick Airport, with Founder's House positioned to serve local and international families seeking a cosmopolitan boarding experience. The Matron Team arranges airport transfers and travel for boarders as needed.

Whitgift is structured into Junior Years (Age 10-12), Middle Years (Age 13-15) and Sixth Form (Age 16+).

Independent day and boarding school for boys aged 10-18.

The approach to learning focuses on meeting the individual needs of each student.

United Kingdom

Sixth Form Day: 08:25 Ding Dong; 08:30 Registration; 08:35 Assembly/Form; 08:55 Period 1; 09:40 Period 2; 10:25-10:40 Break; 10:45 Period 3; 11:30 Period 4; 12:15 Period 5 (Second Form to Upper Sixth); 13:00-14:00 Lunch; 14:00 Ding Dong; 14:05 Registration; 14:15 Period 6; 15:00 Period 7; 15:45 Final Bell.

Whitgift operates an extensive School Bus service with routes to Leatherhead, Kingswood, Riverhead, Oxted, Woldingham, Warlingham, Kenley, Coulsdon, Epsom, Banstead, Wallington, Esher, Norbiton, Surbiton, Raynes Park, New Malden, Wimbledon & Southfields, Putney, Colliers Wood, Wandsworth, Clapham Common, Dulwich, Beckenham, Bickley, Bromley, West Wickham. Buses are booked via the Whitgift School Bus Tracker App (WSBT). Public transport connections include bus routes 60, 119, 166, 312, 403, 405, 407, 412, 455, 466, 468; rail access via South Croydon (10-minute walk) or East Croydon (a short train ride and 2-minute bus/15-minute bus ride); a courtesy shuttle operates to South Croydon Station.

Whitgift has a cross-curricular programme of skills development across the School including PE and Games, Global Citizenship and Ideatum (Personal, Social, Health, Emotional and Economic education). A Curriculum Guide 2024 and a Sixth Form Guide are published. The curriculum is delivered across Junior Years, Middle Years and Sixth Form and is complemented by international trips, lunchtime and after-school clubs and societies to extend learning beyond the classroom.

A Level results for 2024/25: 89% of grades were A to B; 27% were A. 15 students achieved A in all entries and 65 attained all A/A grades. International Baccalaureate results for 2025 averaged 39 points (out of 45), with half scoring 40+ and 5 scoring 44; 98% of Higher Level grades were 5–7. GCSE results for 2025 saw 87% of grades at 7–9, 43% at grade 9; 18 pupils achieved grade 9 in all entries and 40 attained at least nine 9s; 46 pupils completed Additional Mathematics, with 35 achieving the top grade.

In 2025, 84% of leavers gained Russell Group places and 72% went to their first-choice destination. 11 students received Oxbridge offers, with 8 taking up places. Destinations also included London universities such as University College London (UCL), Imperial College London, King's College London (KCL), Queen Mary University of London, City, University of London, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and Royal Veterinary College, plus international universities including North Eastern University, Boston, Massachusetts; Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; New York University, New York; South Florida University, Tampa, Florida; IE Business School, Madrid; and University of Amsterdam.

Arkwright Engineering Scholarships are awarded to Whitgift students and Sixth Form students are frequently successful in obtaining these prestigious scholarships. The school also provides Maths enrichment and competitions—Maths Societies, Maths in Action, Maths Fest—and related enrichment opportunities within Design, Technology and Engineering.

Whitgift School implements social, emotional and mental health education through the Ideatum (PSHEE) programme. The programme includes a range of visiting speakers and regular staff training to support understanding of mental health issues. Well-being is central to the school's ethos and is treated as the responsibility of all staff, with a whole-school approach. Pupils are supported through strong pastoral structures, tutors and year group teams, and a focus on belonging and open, non-stigmatising conversations about mental health. The school provides a coordinated set of supports through its learning and welfare teams to promote healthy relationships, resilience and personal development. It also integrates mental health awareness with its safeguarding framework and online safety policies.

Whitgift School provides Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision designed to support neurodiverse students and others with additional needs. The Learning Support Department and the SENDCo lead SEND provision, ensuring staff understand their responsibilities and provide appropriate support, including for students with persistent mental health difficulties who require enhanced educational provision. The school uses targeted support within the school and maintains close collaboration with parents and guardians. Staff receive ongoing professional development to promote good mental health and SEND awareness, and a clear escalation route is in place for concerns. The policy acknowledges that most SEND needs are met within the school; where necessary, external professionals and services are engaged; the school tracks concerns through its pastoral and monitoring processes.

Where English is not the applicant's first language, Whitgift requires an English as an Additional Language (EAL) assessment. EAL guidelines designate that the B2 level is divided into lower, middle and upper intermediate. Intake into Year 9 requires at least the lower end of B2 (or a B1/B2 cusp); Year 9 students have three years to reach upper-intermediate level, with a transition to C1/2 considered achievable. Intake into Sixth Form requires at least middle of B2, ideally upper-intermediate B2 to low C1. The Languages curriculum provides support for students with EAL to ensure inclusive access to pastoral care.

Whitgift has a mental health policy describing the school's approach to social, emotional and mental health issues and aims to promote early intervention and destigmatise mental health. The school uses a whole-school approach with staff training (including Youth Mental Health First Aid) and involvement of parents through pastoral engagement. The policy identifies a network of safeguarding and wellbeing staff, including a designated Mental Health Lead, school counsellors and pastoral teams, and provides counselling on site via the Medical Centre and Learning Support. There are clear routes to external services such as CAMHS, and CPOMS is used to track concerns. The Ideatum PSHEE programme underpins wellbeing education and the school collaborates with NHS and local health partners to provide appropriate support.

Whitgift School recognises safeguarding as a core responsibility and follows statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children and Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2024). Safeguarding aims are to protect children from harm, prevent impairment of health and development, ensure safe and effective care, prioritise children's best interests, and consider their welfare at all times. A Director of Safeguarding and DSL leads safeguarding work; if an allegation involves the Headmaster, the Chair of Governors is contacted, and the Department for Education guidelines are followed. Staff, pupils and parents are encouraged to report concerns; confidentiality may be overridden to safeguard welfare. CPOMS records safeguarding and welfare concerns, and the policy is integrated with related policies such as anti-bullying, online safety, and counselling.

1. Submit the online application for 13+ or 14+ entry for September 2026 by October 6, 2025. Applications may include scholarship requests. Prepare and pre-scan documents (passport copy, passport photo, last two school reports, SEND documentation if applicable, and Scholarship application documents). The entrance exam fee is due immediately on receipt of the invoice, and the application must be signed by both parents.

2. If you are seeking a Bursary, register interest by November 21, 2025. Bursaries are available for Day places through the John Whitgift Foundation. See Fees and Bursaries for details.

3. Entrance examinations for 13+ and 14+ entry take place on November 8, 2025. For overseas boarders, examinations run from November 1 to November 7, 2025. Examinations cover English, Maths, and Science; EAL may be required if English is not the first language.

4. Interviews are held between November 19 and November 26, 2025. Students being considered for an offer attend a Senior Staff interview. A short meeting with parents follows.

5. Decisions are emailed to parents on December 5, 2025. For international boarders, decisions timing applies similarly. Acceptance deadlines follow: February 23, 2026.

6. Acceptance: The acceptance deadline for 13+/14+ is February 23, 2026 at midday. For overseas boarders, the acceptance deadline is December 11, 2025 at midday.

7. 13+ Pre-Test Entry 2028 (Boarding Only): Applications by November 7, 2025; Entrance Exams January 6, 2026; Interviews January 14–27, 2026; Decisions February 13, 2026.

8. International Students: Whitgift offers Child Student Visa support for international full boarding students and welcomes applications from self-sponsored international students.

9. Scholarships: For 13+/14+ entry, all students sitting the Entrance Examinations are considered for an academic scholarship; a separate scholarship application is not required. Students with exceptional ability may apply for Drama, Music, and Sport scholarships by completing and uploading the Whitgift Scholarship form with the main application; a maximum of three non-academic scholarships can be pursued if criteria are met. Scholarship applications must be submitted along with the main application.

All students sitting the Entrance Examinations are considered for an academic scholarship; no separate scholarship application is required. Students with exceptional ability may apply for Drama, Music, and Sport scholarships by completing and uploading the Whitgift Scholarship form with the main online application; a maximum of three non-academic scholarships can be pursued if each area's criteria are met. Scholarship applications must be submitted along with the main application.