Ardingly College
Ardingly College
Ardingly College
Ardingly College
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Ardingly College Haywards Heath, West Sussex Visit
school
Ardingly College
Haywards Heath
850 pupils, ages 11-18
Mixed
Day and Boarding

Ardingly College

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Our view of Ardingly College

There’s a real magic to this creative, all-through school in rural West Sussex where an idyllic setting is matched by fabulous pastoral care and excellent academics. With the nursery and prep on the same site, Ardingly College offers a compelling one-stop education from age three to 18 with a real focus all the way through on equipping pupils with skills for now and for life.

Where is Ardingly College?

The school sits in the sleepy village of Ardingly off an unassuming country lane that gives no hint of the wow factor awaiting you when you pass through the gates. Sports fields stretch as far as the eye can see, with stately red-brick buildings overlooking the 240 acres and the uninterrupted West Sussex countryside beyond. Ardingly College and the prep buildings sit around a quad, while the pre-prep complex, The Farmhouse, is located 200 metres away on the site of a former working farm where all the original buildings have been refurbished. The two girls’ and two boys’ boarding houses, and sixth-form house are all centrally located on the campus.

The school is very accessible – less than 40 minutes by train from London, 12 minutes from Brighton and 10 minutes from Gatwick. The school runs a number of bus routes taking in Hove, Oxted, Lewes and Tunbridge Wells among other places.

School headmaster

A seasoned head, Ben Figgis has led Ardingly College for 10 years and has never stopped innovating, from ensuring co-ed is on point to building on his vision for the school’s World Ready Programme which seeks to lift pupils’ horizons and help them become good global citizens of the future. The trusting environment he’s helped nurture is very special. He tells us, ‘There’s a stick of rock through the school which is not for touching – this is the warmth, friendliness and family feel.’ And it feels like it’s this close community that enables the school to honour traditions while always looking forward to how they can do things even better.

Admissions process

The main entry points are Year 7 and Year 9, with most international boarders coming for GCSE years and sixth form. There are some assessments: ‘We want to give our pupils a breadth and balance,’ says Mr Figgis.

Academics and destinations

At the heart of the academic curriculum sits the school’s values-driven World Ready programme, which includes weekly sessions to develop workplace skills such as collaboration and classes where pupils learn about society and difference, among other things. ‘It’s about prepping for future life,’ says Mr Figgis. From Year 7, pupils are streamed in maths, science and some languages, with mixed-ability classes for all the other subjects, and most work is carried out on devices rather than paper.

Results are impressive: over the past few years, A-level performance has been the best since records began at the college – and the broad range of IB (which is popular among European students), A-level and BTec courses (in psychology, business and sport) on offer reflects the spectrum of academic ability of the pupils. At the top end, STEAM subjects are very popular and the science block and D&T workshops are state-of-the-art.

Nearly all pupils leave for university, with around six a year gaining an Oxbridge place. Edinburgh, Bristol, Bath and Exeter are all very popular, and a dozen or so head off to international universities, mainly US ones.

Co-curricular at Ardingly College

Sports facilities are very good indeed, with countless playing fields, two sports halls, a swimming pool, tennis courts and Astro pitches. Pupils play hockey, netball, football, cricket, basketball, athletics and do swimming all year round. There are also elite sports programmes which talented pupils are invited to join.

Art is very strong, with students specifically joining the school to take the subject at A-level. ‘We let them spread their wings and find themselves,’ the head of art tells us. Pupils can do fine art, painting, photography, 3D art, fashion, design… the list goes on. Lots of leavers head off for foundation courses at Central Saint Martins and Brighton, or go on to do architecture, history of art and fine art degrees.

School productions are imaginative – pupils recently put on a ghostly play in the crypt – and ambitious. Next year will see them stage Les Misérables and recent shows include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and High School Musical.

Clubs are plentiful and wide-ranging, from rambling and dog walking to solar car SUV building. The big house event of the year is the Steepo, a 4km cross-country race which is energetically prepared for and more competitive than sports day.

Boarding at Ardingly College

Pupils can pick between full, weekly and flexi boarding, which sees them stay in school for three nights a week. All the boarding houses are within five minutes’ walk from the main school building and are modern, light and spacious. The co-ed upper-sixth house Godwin Hall is for day pupils and boarders alike with a massive basement complete with common rooms, pool tables and a kitchen where the whole year can mix. Weekly and flexi boarding are mainly taken up by the UK-based pupils, while international students make up the main cohort of full boarders. There’s always a healthy contingent of pupils staying in at weekends, when a packed schedule of socials and outings is laid on.

Ardingly College school community

A health and wellbeing hub is open 24/7 with a mental health nurse and counsellor on hand, and beds for any child who’s unwell. At the back is a peaceful new garden with a wildflower area and lots of spaces to sit. Tutors are the first port of call if a pupil needs to talk to someone, followed by the head. There are also student health and wellbeing reps on the 100-strong student council, as well as diversity, equality and inclusion reps, boarding reps and a food council. ‘The pupil voice is heard,’ one Year 9 told us. 

Pupils get involved in outreach work with two service trips a year, one to Kenya to help in a local school and one to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands to help with conservation in the rainforest. Students fund-raise themselves for the trips, as well as spearheading their own ideas – one current Year 12 pupil has been helping to convert a double-decker bus into a practical science lab with the aim of delivering science sessions to local primary schools.

And finally....

This is a school that believes and invests in its pupils, doing everything for them to nurture them through their education, as well as prepare them for life beyond school. Values are strong as is the community, which one Year 11 pupil described as great, continuing, ‘I am genuinely really happy here.’ What more could you ask for?

Gallery See All

Sixth formers sitting together playing chess
Ardingly college
pupils performing in full costumes and make up
three students wearing black holding musical instruments
a rowing boat on the river
girls in gold sparkly dresses performing on stage
boy and girl in lab coats and safety glasses
boy in a white top and black shorts playing hockey
Pupils walking with a brick arch in the background
  • Academic results

    GCSE results
    A level results
    IB results
    Download results as PDF
  • Subjects offered

    GCSE

    Art & Design
    Biology
    Chemistry
    Computer Science
    Design and Technology
    Drama and Theatre Studies
    English Language
    English Literature
    French
    Geography
    German
    History
    Latin
    Mathematics
    Music
    Physical Education
    Physics
    Religious Studies
    Spanish
    Sociology

    A Level

    Art & Design
    Biology
    Business Studies
    Chemistry
    Computer Science
    Design and Technology
    Drama and Theatre Studies
    Economics
    English Literature
    French
    Further Mathematics
    Geography
    German
    History
    Latin
    Mandarin
    Mathematics
    Music
    Philosophy
    Photography
    Physics
    Politics
    Psychology
    Spanish
    Sociology

    IB

    Higher
    Art and Design
    Biology
    Business Studies
    Chemistry
    Drama and Theatre Studies
    Economics
    English Literature
    Environmental Systems and Societies
    French
    Further Mathematics
    Geography
    German
    History
    Latin
    Mandarin
    Mathematics
    Music
    Philosophy
    Physics
    Psychology
    Russian
    Spanish
    Standard
    Art & Design
    Biology
    Business Studies
    Chemistry
    Computer Science
    Drama and Theatre Studies
    Economics
    English Literature
    Environmental Systems and Societies
    French
    Further Mathematics
    Geography
    German
    History
    Latin
    Mathematics
    Music
    Philosophy
    Physics
    Psychology
    Russian
    Spanish
  • Fees and bursaries

    Day fees per term

    Year 7£7,590
    Year 8 £8,111
    Year 9 £9,445
    Year 10£9,917
    Year 11£10,312
    Year 12£10,611
    Year 13£10,611
    Boarding fees per term

    Year 7£11,301
    Year 8 £11,301
    Year 9 £15,671
    Year 10 £15,671
    Year 11£15,671
    Year 12£16,247
    Year 13£16,247




    Bursaries
    Ardingly operates a bursary scheme offering means tested support of up to 100 per cent of fees. This help is available to families who live in the UK and is subject to annual financial reviews, with the potential for a house visit by the school as a component. 



    Bursary contact:

    registry@ardingly.com
  • Transport links

    School Transport
    School bus service to/from London
    Escorted train service to/from London
    School daily bus network

    Public Transport
    Nearest mainline train station: Haywards Heath
    Journey time to London by train: 45 minutes
    Nearest international airport: Gatwick (9 miles)


  • FAQs

    What is the history of Ardingly College?
    Ardingly College, originally known as St Saviour's College, was founded in 1858 by Reverend Nathaniel Woodard in Shoreham, Sussex and is part of the Woodard Corporation of schools. Originally a school for boys, Ardingly later embraced co-education in the 1970s. The school has constantly evolved, with the most recent addition, the Pre-Prep, opening its doors in a renovated Victorian farmhouse on the campus in 1993.

    What is the ethos and heritage of Ardingly College?

    Though originally founded to teach the Christian faith, Ardingly College now embraces a more inclusive ethos. It retains its Christian heritage as a school in the Woodard Corporation, but welcomes students of all faiths and backgrounds. The core values instilled are a sense of justice, confidence and a desire to make a positive impact on the world, building on the foundation of Nathaniel Woodard's Christian community concept.

School Updates

  • See Ardingly College in our Senior Boarding Schools Guide

    See Ardingly College in our Senior Boarding Schools Guide
  • See Ardingly College in our All-through Schools Guide

    See Ardingly College in our All-through Schools Guide

Essentials

Address
College Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 6SQ

Contact
office@ardingly.com
01444 893000

Website
ardingly.com

ISI Report

Fees

Term Dates


Open Days

Open days and how to visit View Open Days Register for open Day

Virtual open morning
28 February 2025
Open Morning
07 March 2025


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