St Swithun's School, St. Swithun's School

• Location: Winchester, Hampshire, England,
• Year of foundation: 1884,
• Number of students: approximately 710,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of education: girls only.

St Swithun’s School — a private school for girls at all stages of secondary education: from nursery to Sixth Form.

Founded in 1884 as Winchester Middle School, the institution specializes to this day in providing quality education for girls of all ages. St Swithun's School maintains a historically established connection with Winchester Cathedral and carefully preserves Anglican traditions, combining them today with innovative teaching approaches and modern technologies. Approximately 710 girls receive training here annually, each receiving comprehensive attention to their strengths and weaknesses, talents and goals. A qualified teaching staff supports students at all stages of their academic journey, providing assistance not only during class hours but also outside of school time. Focusing on the individuality of each girl, teachers select areas for development and strengthening her outstanding qualities, resulting in excellent results for all students during the learning process and especially after graduation.

From a very young age, girls attend classes not only in standard classrooms but also outdoors: there is a Forest School on the premises where weekly two-hour lessons are held on topics such as safety, ecology, and scientific research. Preschool groups learn to build shelters and garden, while older girls – analyze the area from the point of view of orienteering, conduct research in the fields of natural sciences, make a fire and cook food, build strong shelters and filter water. By achieving success in outdoor learning, students can receive the NOLA National Award.

All classes at Forest School are held under the guidance of qualified specialists who ensure complete safety and high-quality transfer of knowledge and skills.

The academic departments of St Swithun’s School are:

• Preschool department — from 4 years old,
• Primary school (preparatory group, grades 1-6) — from 6 years old,
• Middle school (grades 7-11) — from 11 years old,
• Senior classes (grades 12-13) — from 16 years old.

Six residences offer comfortable accommodation for girls aged 11-18. Students can choose the option that best suits their needs in terms of length of stay: weekly or full-time. Each residential building includes mainly double rooms with access to a number of common areas: kitchens, bathrooms, and recreation areas.

Students receive a balanced three-meal diet served in a large dining hall. The menu includes a variety of dishes: cold and hot meals, pastries, salads, snacks, and more. Vegetarian, dietary, and gluten-free options are available upon request.

Extracurricular activities include performing and visual arts, sports, excursions and trips, a variety of themed clubs and sections. Leisure activities are planned in accordance with the age of the students, their academic workload and preferences. For example, the youngest pupils of St Swithun's School attend the "After School Club" after lessons, where they engage in drawing, sculpting and music, read and communicate, and take walks. Sports classes are included in the curriculum of the preschool department, which extend beyond school hours – under the guidance of specialists, children practice swimming, play outdoors and train in various sports. Extracurricular excursions for junior grades include visits to cafes and sightseeing tours of the region.

Students in middle and high school pay a lot of attention to development in music, sports, and art. The school manages three choirs, five rock bands, and three orchestras, organizes individual lessons in playing musical instruments, and holds regular events to showcase the girls' talents to the school and wider community. Dramatic and visual arts are presented in the form of group lessons both on and off campus — students go on performances, plan events, and participate in exhibitions. Middle school sports sections:

• Netball,
• Cricket,
• Tennis,
• Athletics,
• Lacrosse,
• Football,
• Swimming,
• Gymnastics,
• Badminton,
• Fencing and other sections.

National teams participate in more than 100 competitions throughout the year, earning individual scholarships and collective awards.

A wide range of thematic clubs provides students with the opportunity to choose a direction that is most interesting to them. Classes in these clubs will help both maintain existing talents and discover new strengths: biology, linguistics, debate, cooking, literature, and others.

High school students have access to a variety of extracurricular trips and excursions where they can visit iconic attractions in the region, go abroad to study another culture and language. Last year, for example, students in grades 10-11 visited Berlin and Paris.

• 80-100% — the passing rate of exams, with all high school students receiving at least five A*-C grades,
• A wide range of academic subjects and extracurricular activities,
• Safe campus with many specialized facilities, residences, and open areas for walks and sports,
• Individual attention to the goals and abilities of each girl.

St Swithun’s School is located on a 45-acre campus an hour's drive from London, in the countryside of Winchester. The school buildings maintain historical architecture while being equipped with the latest technology: interactive equipment is installed in classrooms, necessary laboratory facilities for research, computers and other technologies are available. In addition to standard classrooms and science laboratories, you can find the following on campus:

• Six residences, including separate houses for new students and Sixth Form senior pupils,
• A Performing Arts Centre with specialized studios, rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms, and a 600-seat auditorium,
• A Music Building with music classrooms, rehearsal rooms, listening areas,
• An Art and Technology Building including numerous specialized laboratories and studios,
• A Sports Centre with a full-size indoor swimming pool, gym, individual and group exercise studios,
• A Library with a reading room and computer centre,
• Outdoor sports grounds for independent training and team/pair sports practice,
• An athletics track with jumping and throwing areas,
• Tennis courts.

The educational area is a large green space with several large buildings surrounded by gardens and walking paths. There are public transport stops near the campus, providing access to the diverse urban infrastructure of Winchester, London and other cities.

The academic calendar varies slightly depending on the age group and consists of three trimesters:

• Autumn: September-November/December,
• Spring: January-February/March,
• Summer: April-June/July.

The older the study group, the longer each trimester is.

Classes are held on weekdays, and recreation is organized on weekends, holidays, and during seasonal breaks. After classes, students can participate in clubs and sections or relax in the residence hall.

Depending on whether the student lives on campus or not, the annual tuition fee will vary. The list of common additional expenses will include:

• Registration and administrative fees, deposits,
• School uniform,
• Personal learning materials,
• Some extracurricular activities, including Before and After School Care Club,
• Medical insurance, on-demand services,
• Personal expenses.

Employees are expecting prospective students for introductory events where the families of future students can learn everything about the school, curriculum, and extracurricular activities. If visiting the campus is not possible, applicants can get acquainted with the admissions committee online to ask their questions.

The admission process involves several stages:

• Completing the registration form and providing the required documents,
• Paying the registration fee,
• Passing an interview, tests in core subjects,
• Receiving an official response based on communication with school staff,
• Making a deposit to reserve a place in the class and residence hall,
• Arriving on campus at the beginning of the semester.

Thanks to personalized support from teachers, career guidance and a wide range of extracurricular opportunities for development, senior girls achieve success in exams and during university admissions. In recent years, graduates of St Swithun's School have been admitted to institutions such as:

• University of Bath,
• University of Birmingham,
• University of Cambridge,
• Durham University,
• Imperial College London,
• London School of Economics,
• University of Oxford,
• University of the Arts London,
• University of York,
• University College London.

The format of educating girls in an exclusively female environment annually proves its advantages — students develop confidence in their abilities, which they apply to the development of their strengths. For example, in 2021, Zara Rutherford became the youngest woman to make a solo circumnavigation flight and the first person to travel around the world in an ultralight aircraft.

The main age markers for admission are 11, 13 and 16 years old, however admission is possible to other classes if there are vacancies. Foreign applicants wishing to study at St Swithun's School should provide:

• Personal documents, including a foreign passport, medical certificates and insurance, visa or residence permit,
• Academic transcripts with grades in core subjects,
• Recommendation form from the previous educational institution,
• Language test results: TOEFL (from 72) or an equivalent recognized by the school. Language requirements apply to applicants entering grade 7 and above.

The school offers discount programs for students from military or large families: the discount is 10-20% of the total annual tuition fee.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision