Harrow School UK Guide: Reviews, Ranking, Fees And More

In the scenic landscape of Harrow on the Hill in northwest London, lies the prestigious Harrow School – a beacon of educational excellence and tradition. For over four centuries, this renowned boarding school has been instrumental in shaping the minds of numerous pupils, fostering an environment of academic rigor, character development, and unparalleled opportunities. With illustrious alumni, including former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and a multitude of other dignitaries, Harrow School stands as an emblem of high-quality education that is coveted worldwide.

Harrow School UK Guide
Share This Article
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Table of Contents

Summary Of School

  • Type of school: Boys
  • Age range: 13-18
  • Pupils: 830; sixth formers: 333
  • Boarders: 100%
  • Fees: £50,550 pa
  • 2023 A Level Results: >66% A*/A
  • 2023 GCSE Results: 70% Grades 9-8

Overview

Harrow School is an all-boys school that values courage, honor, humility, and fellowship. These values are so much more than dictionary definitions to ‘Harrow’. These four core values are the foundation of Harrow which links closely to their Christian foundation.

Courage gives the motivation to strive for the best and take risks, inspiring change for the better. It means pushing boundaries to improve and only believing the journey gets better, despite the trials that may be faced.

Honour is about doing the right thing, having the highest standards and leading by example. Honour is doing what is right at any cost and is what makes us worthy of the trust of others. 

Humility is knowing what can be improved and realizing that there is always room for improvement. It is recognizing that one’s self is a work in progress and that struggling with weaknesses is a necessity to grow.

Fellowship means forming meaningful and encouraging relationships that help one’s self grow in every aspect. Harrow School believes that the strongest relationships are all based on faith, hope, and love.
At Harrows, it’s purpose is to ensure students reach their full potential, uncovering their talents and strengths. Through this journey of discovery, harrows will guide students, increasing their educational and career opportunities.

Harrow School Courses And Programmes

Harrow offers A-levels, GCSE and Pre-U as options for prospective students. During the pandemic, they also offered an online course called Harrow School Online (currently not taking new applicants). 

Harrow School Application Deadline

Year 9 (13+) entry 

The main dateline is 1 May of Year 6. However, distinct advantages are given to those registering by the end of Year 5.

*Registration Forms for Year 9 entry can either be downloaded from the Harrow School website or requested from the Admissions Office.

Year 12 (16+) entry

  • UK Applicants: Early October of Year 11
  • Overseas applicants: Early September of Year 11 

Harrow School Ranking

A levels

According to our 2021 A Level League Table, Harrow School placed 56th out of other boarding schools in the UK.

Harrow School alumni have managed to secure places at some of the world’s top universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, and Russell Group universities in the UK, and Stanford, Harvard, and other Ivy League schools in America!

GCSE

Harrow School placed 28th in our 2020 GCSE League Table with the achievement of 84% 9-7 grades in that year.

Harrow School has yet to be added to 2022 league tables for GCSE or A Levels. However, considering its consistent results, it is expected that the school will maintain its position in league tables.

Harrow School 2023 Results

Harrow’s outgoing Fifth Form achieved outstanding (I)GCSE results, following a return to pre-pandemic grading standards this year. 

Over 40% of grades achieved were at grade 9 level, with over 70% of grades at either grade 9 or grade 8 level. Bar the pandemic years, the grade 9-A* percentage is the highest on record, and the 9-A rate is the highest since 2013. 

At A-level, almost a third of boys achieved A*s. Bar the pandemic years, the A*-A and A*-B rate is the highest since 2013. Over two-thirds of grades were either A*s or As. At A Level, the results represent the strongest value-added results for the boys in a decade.

Harrow School Fees For Boarding Students

Harrow School’s fees for the academic year of 2022/23 is £15,570 per term which includes boarding, tuition, textbooks, a stationery allowance and laundry.

Harrow School Entry Requirements

Overall, Harrow School looks for candidates who are bright and cheerful, with an enthusiastic attitude to school life, noble and can make the community a better place. 

Academic-wise, A suitable Sixth Form applicant is likely to be predicted at least seven or eight passes at GCSE (or equivalent) at grade 7/8/9 (A/A*).

Furthermore, All candidates must speak English sufficiently well to participate fully in the form room. 

GCSE students will undergo the ISEB Pre-Test and the Harrow test. 

For the Common Entrance exam, Harrow School hopes that applicants achieve an average of 65% across all subjects, at a minimum. 

Harrow School Reviews

Leigh Bevan
5/5

My son went to Harrow School and it was a great start for his career. I’m glad I sent him there.

David
5/5

In my day it was quite simply the best experience you could possibly have. Stet fortuna domus.

Kat
5/5
Prestige does come at a price — while I would not complain about the facilities nor the curriculum which are the crème de la crème in UK, it is certainly a heavy investment on the part of the parents. There may be some other less pricey schools out there, though prestige may be of a lesser note too.
Yaseen
5/5
I found this school to be great. There are good facilities here such as the courts. The canteen is very good and the setting (of the school) is magnificent. The teachers are always listening and there is a good student number per class. I highly recommend this school.
Ada
5/5
When we were looking at schools for my son, Harrow was at the top of our list. During our visit, we were most impressed by the teachers. My son has been happy to be at Harrow and always has good experiences to share about the school. I do strongly recommend Harrow.
Aditya
5/5
Harrow College is one of the best colleges in Harrow and even London. The staff are caring and motivate you to achieve the best grades. Also the environment of the college is safe and welcoming.

Harrow School Accommodation Options

Every Harrovian lives in one of Harrow’s 12 Boarding Houses during term time, going home at exeats, half terms and holidays. A boy shares his room with a boy of the same age for his first three to six terms and thereafter has a room to himself.

Each House has a resident House Master, Assistant House Master, and Matron, as well as a non-resident health educator who acts as a “listening ear”. To protect and oversee the boys, Harrow School has their Child Protection Officers who make sure the boys are always fine. New boys are invited to Harrow several times before they are fully fledged Harrovians. Harrow has house teams that ensure the boys feel at home and always have company! House teams make sure the boys are bonded with their house and the school as soon as possible. 

If the boy needs someone to confide in, beyond the house teams, there are the three Chaplains, School psychologists, and members of staff. On top of all of these, the Pastoral Support Committee monitors individual concerns, as appropriate.

There is also the 24 hours Medical Centre with trained nursing staff if the boys are injured or ill.

A team of experienced health educators from outside the School runs our personal, social and health education program, tackling topics such as drugs, alcohol, families, divorce, and adolescence. Many people also wonder if an all-boys school mixes with girls, for Harrow School, activities and events are held with girls’ schools regularly!

Harrow School Student Services And Extra-Curricular Activities

Harrow School offers around 30 sports such as archery, badminton, hockey, judo and so many more! Harrow will make reasonable adjustments to support the career of an elite sportsman or performer, providing there is no disruption to his education or to that of others. Besides sports, music plays a huge role at Harrow. Over 50% of the pupils are musically inclined, learning an instrument. Tuition is offered for all orchestral instruments, trained by experienced tutors. 

Volunteer work is a product of humility. At Harrow School, boys engage purposefully and genuinely with the local community, participating in charitable work and so much more through Shaftesbury Enterprise.

Harrow School Contact Information

Official Website: https://www.harrowschool.org.uk/

Location: 5 High St, Harrow HA1 3HP, United Kingdom

Email Address: https://www.harrowschool.org.uk/Contact-us

Switchboard: +44 (0)20 8872 8000

Admissions office: +44 (0)20 8872 8007

Apply for Harrow School

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 From Us.