Ardingly College Review: Fees, Courses, Ranking And More

Ardingly College Guide

Share This Article

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Table of Contents

Summary Of School

  • Type of school: Co-educational
  • Age range: 11-18
  • Pupils: 1,052; sixth formers: 277
  • Fees: Day £11,040 – £28,875; Full Boarding £30,750 – £44,211 pa
  • 2023 A Level Results: 56.3% A*-A
  • 2023 GCSE Results: 68% 9-7
  • 2023 IB Results: 36 Point Average

Overview

Located in West Sussex, Ardingly College consists of Gothic revival buildings with the countryside as a backdrop. Just beyond the college, we can see the mesmerizing beauty of the Sussex countryside. The college is also situated near Brighton on the South Coast, with the Gatwick Airport located 13 miles away for the convenience of international students. 

Ardingly is split into three autonomous schools: Prep School, Junior School and Senior School. The college is equipped with many facilities that are well maintained. They’ve also invested in different technologies so that teachers can use innovative techniques and tools in their teaching. Ardingly College constantly improves and upgrades their facilities throughout the years. 

Recently, the state-of-the-art Strength and Conditioning Centre was built along with the refurbishment and extension of the Science Centre. They are currently planning to build a new theatre for the performing arts department. All these improvements are done to provide students a more comfortable yet efficient area to study in.

Ardingly College Courses / Programmes

Shell (Year 9)

All Year 9 students are required to study 8 core subjects: English, Mathematics, Sciences, Humanities & Languages, PSHE, Games, Individual Project (IP) and IT Skills. For the IP, students produce a personal project that they have to research on and present in any form. Pupils usually choose an additional three subjects varying from Art, Music, Drama, Latin, Sports Science, and Design & Technology. 

GCSE (Year 10 & 11)

The compulsory subjects for students in Ardingly College are English Language, Mathematics and Science. They can then choose a combination of subjects according to their interests. GCSE students also follow a PSHE programme, where topics on social, health and economy are taught through a variety of workshops. This helps equip them with skills they need for the future.

Pre-IB

This Pre-IB course has been in Ardingly College since 2007. It’s main target audience are students from outside of the UK who intend to take IB Diploma. With 4 core subjects: English Language, Mathematics, Biology and Physics, students have the liberty of selecting an additional 3 subjects. For Pre-IB students, they complete a smaller number of IGCSEs in a year compared to GCSE students.

A Levels

Most students in this course will first choose four subjects of their choice before making the decision to fully pursue three out of four of these subjects. A Level pupils are required to participate in an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). This project is similar to the IB Extended Essay, where students have to complete a research essay and present it to the class.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

The IB programme is highly recognised due to its curriculum that is designed to develop critical skills and research skills. Students study six subjects plus the IB Core. The core subjects are English, Mathematics, a science, a language and a humanity subject. 

BTEC

The BTEC programme provides a more practical approach in comparison to the traditional A Levels. Level 3 BTECs are equivalent to one A Level. The BTEC style of assessment is most suitable for those who find traditional exams difficult.

Ardingly College 2023 Ranking

The school’s performance at GCSEs and A-Levels are outstanding as well. Based on our 2023 A-Levels League Table and our 2023 GCSE League Table, Ardingly College was ranked 60th for the A-Levels and 122nd for GCSEs.

Ardingly College is most known for its IB programme and its excellent results places the college among the top in the UK and in the world. Ardingly College has consistently ranked among the top ten IB schools in the UK. According to the 2021 IB Schools league table, Ardingly College is placed 14th in the world and 6th in the UK for the programme. In 2022, Ardingly’s IB cohort managed to score an average of 40.3 points.

Ardingly College 2023 Results

Ardingly College 2023 A Level Result

56.3% of Ardingly College students managed to score A*-A at the 2023 A-Levels. 

Ardingly College 2023 GCSE Result

Ardingly College’s 2023 GCSE cohort managed to achieve 68% 9-7 grades.

Ardingly College 2023 IB Result

In 2023, Ardingly College’s IB students managed to achieve a 36 point average.

Ardingly College Entry Requirements

Entry Points 

Requirement(s)

13+ (Year 9)

For candidates attending Prep School,

  • Applicants have to sit the ISEB online Common Pre-test in English, Maths, Verbal and Non-verbal Reasoning

For other candidates,

  • Applicants are required to sit for an entrance exam in English, Maths, Verbal and Non-verbal Reasoning 

14+ (Year 10)

  • Applicants have to take a written assessment for English, Mathematics and Science
  • A school report and reference from the candidate’s previous school is also required

Sixth Form

  • Written assessments in English, Mathematics and Science is a must
  • Candidates will have to sit in for an interview
  • A school report and reference from the candidate’s previous school is also required

Overseas students

  • The requirements are as per the above
  • For Sixth Form applicants, an IELTS score of 6.5 and above is required
  • Copies of applicant’s two most recent grade school reports and a handwritten personal statement is needed

Ardingly College Application Deadline

Parents have to register at least 2 years before the child’s entry year as space is limited.

Ardingly College 2022/23 Fees

The fees per term at Ardingly College for the academic year of 2023 are as shown below:

Boarding Fees

  • Sixth Form full boarding: £ 14,737 per term
  • Year 9 to Year 11 full boarding: £ 14,214 per term
  • Year 9 to 11 Flexi-Boarding (3 nights): £ 12,110 per term
  • Years 7 & 8 full boarding: £ 10,250 per term
  • Years 7 & 8 weekly boarding (5 nights): £ 8,790 per term
  • Years 7 & 8 Flexi-Boarding (3 nights): £ 8,350 per term
  • IAP Fees: £13,833 per term

Day Fees

  • Sixth Form: £ 9,625 per term
  • Year 11: £ 9,535 per term
  • Year 10: £ 9,445 per term
  • Year 9: £ 8,995 per term
  • Year 8: £ 7,358 per term
  • Year 7: £ 6,885 per term

Ardingly College Reviews

Tim B.
5/5

Great School, Great environment, Great facilities!

Barney D.
5/5

“As a parent of two children who have passed through the school, I have nothing but praise for their incredible work, which has, over the years, seen both of those children rise to senior and very responsible managerial positions in specialist care work, one of them now based in France managing a major centre for mentally and physically handicapped teenagers and adults and the other now with MENCAP. It is undoubtedly down, in no small measure, to the teaching and pastoral care provided by Ardingly College. Highly recommended.”

Jeff T.
5/5

Fantastic school. High sporting and academic results. Down to earth pupils.

Vanessa M.
5/5

“They really care about their students, its an awesome college, I really loved it, people are very nice and kind and i could meet friends from all over the world through the exchange programs.

Ardingly College Accommodation

Every pupil is assigned to a house upon arrival. Each House has a fully-equipped kitchen, a computer room, a quiet room along with facilities such as Wi-Fi, common rooms with satellite television, a DVD player, Apple TV, piano, game consoles, and a pool table. Students are actively encouraged to get involved in various inter-House competitions and social events. There is also a day house available for Day pupils. For each House, there is an assigned tutor for study groups . Each tutor is responsible for no more than 10 pupils. There are three boarding options from which parents can choose from: full boarding, weekly boarding and flexi boarding. Flexi boarding is highly recommended for parents who have late work commitments as this option allows students to board for three nights a week.

Boarding Houses:

Aberdeen Girls’ Boarding

Toynbee Girls’ Boarding

Burgess Girls’ Day

Neal Girls’ Day

Hilton Boys’ Boarding

Mertens Boys’ Boarding

Crosse Boys’ Day

Rhodes Boys’ Day

Woodard Boys Upper Sixth

Woodard Girls Upper Sixth

Ardingly College Co-Curricular Activities

Sports

Ardingly is known for their victories in hockey and football for both males’ and females’ games. In Ardingly, every student regardless of gender is encouraged to participate in a termly sport along with weekly games. Teams are assigned based on the different abilities of the players so that each team has an equal opportunity to win. Besides hockey and football, Ardingly College also offers other sports like swimming, netball, cricket, tennis and athletics.  

Music

Ardingly has an outstanding Music Department. Ardingly’s Music School consists of a recital room, music classrooms and library, ICT suite, a recording studio and 11 practice teaching rooms. In this department, a group of 28 music teachers will coach and train students along with professional musicians who are invited to give masterclasses, workshops and concerts. The highest achievement obtained was by Abigail Horton who received a choral award from the Trinity College Choir, Cambridge. 

Creative Arts

Creative Arts in Ardingly includes the Art & Photography and Drama department. The Art Department in Ardingly is a place where students have the freedom to express unique ideas through their artistic skills. In Ardingly, every student is encouraged to submit a personal piece for the Whole School Art Exhibition. This Department often takes trips to galleries in various countries such as Venice, Paris, New York and Amsterdam. Various artists in Ardingly have won prizes from The Royal Academy Online Student Art Competition and The New York Film School.

As for the Drama Department, Ardingly College has a team of LAMDA teachers who tutor students in speech and drama. A special event in this Department would be creating short pieces of interactive and educational theatre, which would then be presented to primary schools around the area.

Charity and Service

The school’s charity programmes are inspired by the Woodard ethos. The Charity Action Team is responsible for raising funds and awareness with regular activities such as youth work at Activity Days and in-house events for No Limits. The team aims to aid various charity organizations through their various youth activities. As for students in the IB programme, they are required to get involved in local community service projects in the Sussex area.

Ardingly College Contact Information

  • Official Website: https://www.ardingly.com

  • Phone: +44 (0) 1444 893000

  • Email address: [email protected]

  • Location: Ardingly College, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 6SQ

Contact us for application assistance

Join our UK Study newsletter and get helpful articles on UK study, admission tips, courses and more delivered to your inbox.




Let us help you join your dream school.
Get a FREE consultation session with us.