Leighton Park School

Leighton Park School is a co-educational day and boarding school with a distinctive Quaker ethos.

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    Leighton Park School

    Simplicity, truth, respect, integrity, peace, equality and sustainability. These are the Quaker values that remain our touchstones in this modern world.

    In our beautiful setting of 65 acres of parkland, just 30 minutes from London, our students have space and freedom to truly be themselves – and achieve greater things as a result.

    Despite our Sixth Form students’ academic progress placing us in the top 1% of secondary schools in the country, we are no results factory. We believe it’s our role to develop courageous and happy young people who are environmentally-conscious, have a strong global awareness and don’t shy away from making a stand. We aim to give students the skills they need to be change-makers.

    Leighton Park was celebrated by the ISA as Senior School of the Year 2023/2024.

    Category: Senior, Sixth Form

    Pupils: Co-Education

    Type: Boarding and Day

    Religious Affiliation: Quaker

    Roll: 312 Boys / / 223 Girls

    Day pupils: 405

    Boarder Number: 130

    Age Range: 11-18 Years

    Founded: 1890

    Location Description

    The school is set in 65 acres of beautiful parkland opposite the University of Reading. We are 30 minutes from London Heathrow airport, 1 hr 15 minutes from London Gatwick airport. 10 minutes from Reading town centre, 40 minutes from London and close to Oxford and the south coast.

    School Contact Details

    Headteacher: Mr Matthew Judd

    Contact for enquiries: Claire Elmer, Registrar

    Shinfield Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 7ED

    Tel: 0118 987 9608

    Email: admissions@leightonpark.com

    www.leightonpark.com

    Facilities

    A newly refurbished co-ed boarding house, Fryer House, for junior boarders in Years 7, 8 and 9 with a cinema room, a snug and a kitchen,/diner/ lounge. Single sex senior boarding houses for students in Year 10 to Upper Sixth; girls in Reckitt House and boys in School House.

    For sport there is a 25m indoor heated swimming pool, cardio suite, strength and conditioning centre, gym/sports hall, multiple sports pitches including cricket square with pavilion and 10 acre field for rugby, football and athletics, 22 tennis courts also used for netball, cricket nets, new floodlit Astro for hockey etc.

    A new Sixth Form Centre and whole school library, Grove, opened in September 2024, with a dedicated lecture hall, study spaces and classrooms as well as social areas.

    Creative tech is supported by several ICT suites, a DT workshop, a Food Tech room, Art Department with room for print making, ceramics studio, textiles, photography etc. The Michael Malnick Centre, opened in 2019, offers a magnificent foyer for concerts and exhibitions, 3 new Music classrooms, a live lounge for studio quality recording, and 7 additional break out/practice rooms plus a state of the art Media Production suite.

    The school has an eclectic range of buildings arranged by faculty area(s) and ensuring that specialist facilities such as those needed to support STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Maths) are well catered for.

    Scholarships

    Art, Dance, Drama, Music, Sport available for entry at Year 7, 9 and Lower Sixth

    Academic Scholarship by invitation only based on entrance test results for entry at Year 7 and year 9.

    Ethical Changemakers and STEAM Scholarships available to all but primarily aimed at Sixth Form entrants.

    Up to 30% discount on day fee available for all scholarships.

    Entrance Requirements

    Year 7 and Year 9: successful completion of Leighton Park’s entrance tests comprised of Maths, English SPAG, English Essay and an interview with a senior member of staff.

    Lower Sixth: 5 GCSEs at level 6 or above with level 7 required for some subjects eg Maths, plus an interview with a senior member of staff.

    Fees

    2024/2025

    All fees per term

    UK & EEA Students: Junior (Years 7 & 8)

    Day: £8,180

    Weekly boarding: £11,230

    Full boarding: £12,935

     

    UK & EEA Students: Senior (Year 9 & above)

    Day: £9,970

    Weekly boarding: £13,550

    Full boarding: £16,035

    Affiliations/Memberships

    HMC, ISA, BSA, IBO

    Downloadable Resources

    OPEN DAYS

    All visits are welcome, please contact the school

    Weekday Open Morning: Friday 14 Mar 2025 - Time: 9:30 am

    Weekday Open Mornings: Come and join us for a visit which will include a short introduction to life at Leighton Park from our Head, Matthew as well as a student led tour. There will also be the opportunity to speak to members of the Admissions Team and other senior members of staff.

    For all Open Events: Please REGISTER  your details

    International Baccalaureate Webinar

    For further details, please visit our website www.leightonpark.com or contact the Admissions Office by telephone on +44 (0)118 987 9608 or email admissions@leightonpark.com.

     

     

    View our Virtual Tour

    RECENT NEWS

    What’s been happening at the School?

    All posts by Leighton Park School
    • GCSE success at Leighton Park

      Families were celebrating at Leighton Park this morning, with the School seeing an increase of 8 percentage points in 9-7...

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    • Leighton Park A Level results

      Leighton Park students are celebrating a stellar set of results. The School saw a 17% increase in A*-B grades this year, with 74% of grades at this level. 41% of grades were A*-A against a national average of 28%.  These impressive results have helped students achieve places at coveted degree programmes at world-leading universities in...

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    • Top hacks for studying smarter,...

      Students caught with mobile phones in exams has doubled, teachers warn: Top hacks for studying smarter, not sneakier this exam season By Eddie Falshaw, Acting Head, Leighton Park School “It is worrying to see that since 2018, the number of students caught bringing mobile phones and other prohibited devices into exams has almost doubled. “If found with a...

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    • Effective strategies for coping with...

      “Millions of students are set to be writing their GCSEs in May this year. “Without the right preparation and with...

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    • First Senior School To Partner with...

      Leighton Park School becomes First Ever Senior School To  Partner with Her Game Too Leighton Park School and Her Game...

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    • Leighton Park wins important national...

      Leighton Park wins important national award - Senior School of the Year in the Independent Schools Association (ISA) Awards 2023....

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    • Legendary Changemaker Inspires First Ever...

      Julian Page, Old Leightonian and founder of the Livingstone Tanzania Trust, a charity that believes that education can change poverty for the better, has legendary status at Leighton Park School in Reading. Although not a Quaker himself, Julian has absorbed the Quaker ethos from his education and is living the school’s Quaker values of Simplicity,...

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    • Top of the Charts: Grade...

      Top of the Charts: Grade 9s Up on 2019! Head of Leighton Park School, Matthew Judd, congratulated his Year 11s...

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    • A*-B Grades Exceed Pre-Pandemic Achievements...

      Above and Beyond: Leighton Park’s A*-B Grades Exceed Pre-Pandemic Achievements Leighton Park School’s Sixth Formers were celebrating this morning as...

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    • IB Students Celebrate Success! –...

      Leighton Park IB students were celebrating as their International Baccalaureate Diploma scores were released. The score required to pass the...

      Read more
    • Leighton Park wins Green Senior...

      Leighton Park School, Reading, is delighted to be awarded joint winners of the Green Senior School of the Year Award...

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    • KS2 Pupils Use STEAM Skills...

      Leighton Park’s annual KS2 celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Maths (STEAM), was a bright day this year as both the brilliant ideas of almost 300 KS2 pupils and the wonderful sunshine lit up the school field! Seven schools brought their Year 5 pupils to Leighton Park on Thursday 25th May to discover...

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    • Leighton Park shortlisted for ‘Independent...

      Leighton Park shortlisted for ‘Independent Senior School of the Year’ Leighton Park has been shortlisted for the prestigious ‘Independent Senior...

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    • Leighton Park wins national Award...

      Leighton Park has won the national Independent Schools Association (ISA) Award for Excellence in Pupil Personal Development 2022. This is a tremendous validation for the School's values-led approach, based on Achievement with Values, Character and Community. In a fast-changing world, it is incumbent on schools to think about how they can best prepare students to...

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    • IB Students Celebrate Success –...

      The IB Class of 2022 were excited to receive the results of two years hard work today as the International Baccalaureate Organisation shared their Diploma Programme grades worldwide. The international qualification is excellent Sixth Form preparation for future studies, offering a broad base of subjects supplemented by compulsory modules that prepare students for university and...

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    • Students Celebrate GCSE Success –...

      Nervous excitement buzzed around Leighton Park this morning as our Year 11s arrived to find out their GCSE results. Many found themselves awake unaccustomedly early but quickly shook off their summer-time routines at the sight of delighted teachers and friends. The students had a lot to celebrate with their 55% 9-7 grades outstripping the Teacher...

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    • ISI Report: Top Marks for...

      The Independent School Inspectorate (ISI) have awarded Leighton Park a ‘double excellent’ standard, the highest possible attainment for an independent school, in recognition of both the quality of pupils’ personal development and the quality of their academic progress. The report follows several accolades for Leighton Park in recent years. In 2021, the School was awarded...

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    • Celebrating GCSE Success at Leighton...

      Excited Year 11 students brought their sunny smiles through the morning drizzle as they eagerly collected their GCSE results. The anticipation of the big day was too much for first arrival, Charlie McFarlane, who spent most of the night tossing and turning. “I’m so pleased! Really happy!” she enthused. “She has put in so much...

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