Whitgift School

Mission statement

“Educating bright and talented young men, whatever their background, to become independent learners and thinkers, to achieve beyond what they believed they could, and to leave us ready to give back to the society in which they will be leaders.”

Academics

Whitgift takes great pride in its academic curriculum, going to great lengths to ensure that students receive an outstanding and diverse education to achieve excellence both academically and in co-curricular activities. The school takes an international outlook to its curriculum, offering both the IB and A Levels. Students are expected to take at least three languages in the lower school and at least one modern foreign language is expected to be studied for GCSE. Students take Global Citizenship, PE and Games and Ideatum to support the mainstream examined curriculum. At Sixth Form level, students can study IB, A Levels or BTEC Sport and Exercise Science or Business. Alumni have graduated to study at internationally renowned universities such as Stamford, Oxford, Cambridge and University of London.

This is reflected in their exam results. In 2022, 68.2% of all A-Level grades awarded were A* - A and nearly 30% of all grades were A*. IB candidates achieved an average of 40.2, making Whitgift the top boys' school in the UK for IB. Most students studying BTEC Business achieved D or D*, and half of students completing the Extended Diploma in Sport and Exercise Science obtained the maximum D*D*D*. In the same year, 91.5% of all GCSE grades awarded were at 7, 8 or 9; nearly 50% of grades awarded were a 9.

Activities & sports

Whitgift’s co-curriculum is intended to challenge the students and push them to try new things and pursue their passions with the help of staff and extensive on-site facilities. The programme builds a sense of community, letting students connect with peers with similar interests.

They provide core sports like cricket, football, hockey and rugby, as well as additional sports including swimming, fencing and outdoor education. The school supports students to participate in drama and music opportunities, such as instrument lessons, choirs and orchestras, and annual school performances. Students are also encouraged to join a range of clubs and societies, such as debate society, model UN, cookery or clay club. On top of this, boys can also participate in Duke of Edinburgh, Outdoor Education and the Combined Cadet Force which teach them resilience and perseverance among other important skills.

International student community

Whitgift has a diverse student body of international boarders alongside students from the UK. They also have links to other schools across the world and are partnered with one of India’s best Environment Schools. Students can participate in international trips and inter-country exchanges to develop their cultural awareness. The school encourages students to take modern foreign languages throughout their education and supports its mainstream curriculum with Global Citizenship studies.

Boarding life

The school provides excellent facilities and an inclusive and supportive environment, all situated within their 45-acre campus. In-house matrons support students' health and wellbeing needs. The boarding staff help students to thrive by finding and developing a sense of community through access to shared communal spaces where they can get together and discover a sense of belonging.