Claremont Fan Court School

• Location: Esher, Surrey County, England,
• Year of foundation: 1978,
• Number of students: approximately 1200,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of education: mixed.

Claremont Fan Court School (CFCS) — a private day school offering secondary education programs: from pre-school to graduation classes.

The history of CFCS began in 1978 when two local schools merged to provide mixed education for boys and girls. Since then, the institution has rapidly improved and developed, providing high-quality education to local and international students, a wide range of extracurricular activities, and additional academic opportunities to broaden their horizons and educational experience.

Today, around 1200 international students aged from 2 to 18 study within the walls of Claremont Fan Court School. All of them are under close supervision and in an atmosphere of comprehensive support from dozens of highly qualified teachers, administrative staff, and mentors. Providing a comfortable environment for academic and personal development, the school gives its pupils a wide range of tools and opportunities to achieve success. The quality of teaching, focus on modern methods in education, and active extracurricular activities are annually confirmed by assessments from national and international agencies, as well as excellent results in final exams.

Students receive a wide range of additional opportunities to broaden their horizons and educational experience. Closer to the senior grades, special attention is paid to career guidance, acquiring professional skills, and developing social and personal qualities. Under the guidance of subject teachers, specialized staff and mentors, students create a personalized plan for extracurricular development, leading them to their goals.

The academic curriculum of Claremont Fan Court School covers all stages of school education:

• Nursery — preschool department,
• Junior — primary school: from preparatory to sixth grade inclusive,
• Senior — middle school grades 7-11,
• Sixth Form — upper school grades 12-13.

The 2025 exam results were the best in the school's history:

• A-level — 51% of grades A*-A, 84% A*-B, 100% pass rate,
• GCSE — 57% of grades 7 and above.

Among individual student achievements:

• A school graduate founded the Space Design Team, which took 2nd place and was invited to the International Space Settlement Design Competition at NASA's Kennedy Space Center,
• A student won a gold medal at the Royal Biology Society biology olympiad and has won national mathematics olympiads on multiple occasions,
• The school's basketball team became Surrey county champions,
• Students perform annually at a charity concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

Notable alumni include professional musicians, West End actors, television producers and entrepreneurs. The school's performing arts centre is named after an actress and singer — a famous alumna of the school.

• The school occupies a Palladian mansion from the 18th century, built in 1769 on the commission of Lord Clive of Plassey. In the 19th century, the mansion was visited by the future Queen Victoria, and in 1848 it served as a refuge for the last King and Queen of France,
• In 1940–1946, the mansion building was used by the aviation company Hawker Siddeley. In March 2026, the school was presented with the original tail fin of a historic Hawker aircraft — in memory of the building's connection with aviation designers,
• The performing arts centre and the sixth-form academic enrichment programme bear the name of the celebrated alumna Victoria Wood — actress and singer, who graduated from the school in the 20th century,
• Every September the school opens its gates for a free tour of the mansion as part of Heritage Open Day,
• The school was founded in 1922: in 2025 it turned 103 years old. In 2022, the centenary was marked with the publication of a collection of memoirs «100 Voices»,
• The school's six houses are named after the historic locations of the institutions that merged in 1978: Norwood, Radnor, Esher, Longcross, Stanmore, Banstead,
• The student council has achieved real changes in the school: the installation of picnic tables, a bicycle shelter, the introduction of a warm school coat and reusable water bottles,
• Good Schools Guide (2024) describes the school as «friendly in a stunning setting, with a first-class education that allows children to have fun, be themselves and reach their potential».

Claremont Fan Court School does not provide accommodation on its premises.

Lunches are served daily in the dining hall of the main building: hot and cold dishes, salads, snacks and drinks.

Thanks to the diverse infrastructure of the campus, the school offers its students a wide range of extracurricular activities: sports, creative, scientific and social. Many of them are included in the core curriculum, allowing students to try their hand at more activities and choose what they like for extracurricular development.

Classes in sports sections, like in other extracurricular clubs, are adapted to the age capabilities of students — training is held both in a simplified and more professional format:

• Athletics,
• Basketball,
• Cricket,
• Cross Country Running,
• Football,
• Gymnastics,
• Fitness,
• Hockey,
• Lacrosse,
• Netball,
• Swimming,
• Tennis,
• Rugby.

Most students sign up for at least two clubs each semester. In addition to sports sections, they have access to creative circles of interest:

• Music: playing musical instruments, vocals, participation in choirs and ensembles, sound recording,
• Theatrical art,
• Personal interests: photography, fine arts, design and technology.

While studying in one of the creative communities, students participate in campus events, whether it's a gala concert, a theatrical performance, or a New Year's ball.

Volunteering and charity work hold an important place in the lives of high school students — these areas are included in the programs of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, "Young Entrepreneurship". Charity evenings with fundraising are often organized on campus, as well as field events to help social organizations in the city.

Each age group regularly participates in day trips to the sights of the region and more distant places. Most often, trips are organized to London, and recent years have included visits to Washington, New York, and Berlin.

• High ratings from ISI, The Good Schools Guide,
• 100% pass rate in A-Level exams, with 97% of students achieving grades A*-C,
• 92% of senior pupils enter universities of their first choice,
• A wide range of extracurricular activities: from sports sections and creative societies to volunteering and scientific work.

CFCS is located on a historical 100-acre territory: the campus includes large green areas, several major academic buildings for separate education of students of different ages, sports facilities and walking grounds. Depending on the age of the pupils, the academic premises are equipped with various technologies: from materials for fine arts and sculpting for the youngest pupils to high-tech computers and science laboratories for senior students. The campus has many common facilities, including libraries, an all-weather swimming pool, a sports complex with game and gym halls, full-scale team sports fields and many others. Next to the preparatory school building there is a fenced garden where various types of vegetables and fruits, flowers and herbs are grown: they are looked after by both staff and children themselves. The territory also has an improved open space for outdoor learning — Forest School.

Claremont Fan Court School has a small bus fleet that helps students get to nearby residential areas, attractions and the natural beauty of the region during excursions.

The academic calendar includes three trimesters:

• Autumn: September-December,
• Spring: January-March,
• Summer: April-July.

The weekly schedule consists of five school days and two days off, with breaks provided during holidays and seasonal vacations. Extracurricular activities are organized after the main classes.

List of additional expenses includes:

• Registration, administrative fees and deposits,
• Meals,
• School uniform,
• Personal educational materials,
• Some extracurricular activities,
• Individual classes in the main curriculum, extracurricular areas,
• Medical insurance,
• School transportation,
• Childcare before/after classes,
• Personal expenses.

Before submitting an application, the parents of the future student can visit the campus with their child to inspect the educational grounds and meet with the principal and teachers. Next, they need to fill out a registration form, provide documents, and pay the admission fee, after which they will be invited to take tests. Depending on the age group that the applicant belongs to, the testing will vary: for younger students, informal trial days are held, and for high school students — tests in core subjects of the curriculum. Based on the results of this stage, the admissions committee makes a decision about admission, which is communicated in an official letter.

High school students achieve excellent results on final exams, which allows them to enter leading universities in the UK, USA and other countries. The list of institutions that have accepted CFCS graduates includes:

• University of Birmingham,
• Bournemouth University,
• University of Bristol,
• University of Cambridge,
• Cardiff University,
• Durham University,
• University of Exeter,
• Imperial College London,
• King’s College London,
• University of Leeds,
• University of Manchester,
• University of Nottingham,
• University of Plymouth,
• University of Reading, 
• University of York.

All applicants, regardless of age, must provide:

• Personal documents, including a foreign passport, visa or residence permit, health insurance and certificates,
• Academic certificates for the last one or two academic years.

Teaching at CFCS is entirely in English: proficiency is assessed during the entrance test.

Scholarships are available to students in grades 7-13: this is how pupils who are particularly successful in academic, sports, creative and social fields are rewarded. The scholarship can cover up to 100% of the annual program cost and is renewed upon maintaining high results.

The school also provides several forms of financial support for families in difficult material circumstances.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision