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 rigour, 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.
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Table of Contents
Summary Of School
- Type of school: Boys
- Age range: 13-18
- Pupils: 830; sixth formers: 333
- Boarders: 100%
- Fees: £20,528 per term (inclusive of VAT)
- 2024 A Level Results: >66% A*/A
- 2024 GCSE Results: >40% Grade 9
Overview
A lot that can be said about Harrow School can be traced back to its ethos and values. Harrow School is an all-boys school that emphasises courage, honour, humility, and fellowship. 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 realising that there is always room for improvement. It is recognising 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.
Harrow’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
Serving students aged 13-18, Harrow offers A Levels, GCSE and Pre-U as options for prospective students. The innovative school also launched an online course called Harrow School Online during the Pandemic (no longer available).
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 2023 Results
In 2024 GCSEs, over 40% of grades achieved were at grade 9 level, with over 66.67% 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 Levels, almost a third of all boys achieved A*s. Over 90% of all of the grades this year were graded A*-B. 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 Ranking
A levels
While the school did well academically, it did not take part in the A Levels league table in 2024. However, Harrow School graduates have managed to secure places at some of the world’s top universities in the UK and US, including Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial. 30 Harrovians gained places at US universities, with 9 of them secured places at six of the eight Ivy League schools in the US. In the past 2021 A Level League Table, Harrow School placed 56th out of other boarding schools in the UK.
GCSE
Harrow School has yet to be added to 2024 league tables for the GCSEs. However, considering its consistent results, it is expected that the school will maintain its position in league tables. In the past, Harrow School placed 28th in our 2020 GCSE League Table with the achievement of 84% 9-7 grades in that year.
Harrow School Fees For Boarding Students
Harrow School’s fees for the academic year of 2024/25 is £20,528 per term (inclusive of VAT) which includes boarding, tuition, textbooks, a stationery allowance and laundry.
The following are Registration fee of £450 (non refundable), and Entry Deposit of £2,000 (£1,000 is returned at the end of first term, and the remaining £1,000 is deducted from final bill)
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
My son went to Harrow School and it was a great start for his career. I’m glad I sent him there.
In my day it was quite simply the best experience you could possibly have. Stet fortuna domus.
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: Use the contact form here
- Admissions office: +44 (0)20 8872 8007
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