Gresham's School
Gresham's School
Gresham's School
Gresham's School
top 200
Gresham's School Holt, Norfolk Visit
school
Gresham's School
Holt
540 pupils, ages 13-18
Mixed
Day and Boarding

Gresham's School

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Our view

There’s a wonderfully laid-back and friendly atmosphere at this historic school that has a deservedly excellent reputation for tradition, solid teaching and good old-fashioned manners. Refreshingly unflashy, it’s quietly impressive with fabulous academics (without being overly selective) and fantastic facilities, particularly in STEAM and music. The only school in Norfolk to offer the IB (alongside A-levels), it sits in the Top 250 for value-added, and you get the feeling that every pupil knows they are getting the absolute best education for them.

Where?

Located four miles from the north Norfolk coast on the edge of the very lovely town of Holt, the school sits in 200 acres of beautiful, tree-filled parkland with stately old red-brick school buildings and newer builds, including the state of the art Dyson Building, which opened in 2021 and is named after former pupil Sir James Dyson. The Auden Theatre and Britten Building, which houses the music centre, give you a clue to other notable alumni (Olivia Colman is a more recent addition to the long list of famous faces who attended the school). Norwich is 45 minutes by train, London two hours. By car, London is three hours and Stansted, two.

Head

Now in his 10th year as head, Douglas Robb has overseen a blossoming of Gresham’s under his leadership. He tells us the school is self-confident but not arrogant, qualities we couldn’t help but notice he also possesses. He’s proud of his pupils, who shine in all areas of the curriculum, and is grateful of the input – both practical and financial – from Dyson, which means the school offers a unique digital provision, with robotics capturing the imagination and fuelling the creativity of many pupils at the moment.

Admissions

Demand for places is high. About half of the Year 9 intake come from Gresham’s Prep, with the rest joining from other schools. It’s gently selective: pupils sit assessments in English and maths, and submit references from their previous school. About 20 per cent of pupils are from overseas, with 30 nationalities represented.

Academics and destinations

The broad curriculum caters for all abilities, with something for everyone and additional needs well catered for and integrated into the academics. Gresham’s has a strong reputation for STEAM and the Dyson Building is the perfect space to inspire pupils, with all of the latest technology at their fingertips (and thumbprints, which they use to access the centre). Co-curricular subjects are strong, with GCSE and A-level PE, music, art and drama all very popular, and BTECs in agriculture, business, sport and digital music production also on offer.

As well as A-levels and the IB, pupils can take BTECs that include agriculture, which has its own dedicated space on the campus for chickens, bees and farm equipment. Most pupils (98 per cent) head off to university – there’s a good offer rate for those taking the IB – and a small number opt for degree apprenticeships.

Co-curricular

Sport is a big part of school life – facilities are wonderful and everyone gets stuck in with gusto. As well as numerous pitches, courts and tracks, there’s a 25m pool, large sports hall and an impressive strength-and-conditioning gym. Pupils on the Talented Athletes Programme use it to follow their bespoke training plans issued via an app on their phone. The trophy cabinet is bulging with silverware: they’re currently county rugby champions in U14s, U16s and U18s (England internationals Tom and Ben Youngs are former pupils); the U16 girls are national hockey finalists; and the boys and girls regularly make it to the top echelon in cricket. If the more traditional sports don’t inspire, there’s also shooting, swimming, fencing, squash and golf. Gresham’s is one of the top schools for shooting in the country, and a sixth-form girl is currently the U18 GB cadet rifle champion.

Music is equally strong, with the fantastic Britten Building offering classrooms, practice rooms, collaborative spaces and hi-tech equipment for recording and mixing. Every year the pupils record a video for a girls-versus-boys Christmas single, the quality of which is pretty amazing. Gresham’s is an All Steinway School, with plenty of ensembles and choirs giving opportunities to perform in front of an always-packed audience in the Auden Theatre. Plays, concerts and prize-giving are also held at the Theatre in the Woods, a magical amphitheatre deep in the school’s forest.

Art is housed in the Dyson Building and segues neatly with D&T; we saw lots of 3D art and design, and the large space means pupils can go big with their creations. 3D design and robotics are very popular choices for the bi-weekly activity afternoon. As a hangover from the pandemic, the traditional three-hour sports afternoon has been split into two 1.5-hour sessions, with pupils choosing an activity of their choice for the second session, which might be sport, music tech, debating or improvisation, among other options.

CCF and DofE are both popular, and the size of the school grounds means most activities happen on site. There’s an Army vehicle workshop, an RAF flight simulator and a fleet of sailing boats for the Navy cohort. A new activity centre in the woods sees pupils tackling a 21-obstacle assault course, a climbing tower, a 220m zip wire and Go Ape-style high and low ropes. There’s also a bunkhouse, and lots of team-building adventures take place in the woods, including the much-anticipated Year 9 Survival Course.

Boarding

The seven boarding houses include four for boys and three for girls, and boarding and day pupils mix together in the same houses, creating a brilliantly tight-knit community with no sense of ‘them’ and ‘us’. There’s also a co-ed day house for sixth-formers, who take on ‘big sister’ and ‘big brother’ roles for the Year 9s. At weekends, movie nights and barbecues are popular – and on the first weekend of term, all boarders head off to the beach at Wells.

School community

The school strongly believes that only happy and well-cared-for pupils can achieve their goals in the classroom, so pastoral care is at the heart of everything. There is a well-resourced health centre and two mental-health nurses, and a 360-degree approach sees every member of staff given responsibility for pastoral care.

Parents are very engaged. The Friends of Gresham’s association is super-social, arranging lots of fundraising events throughout the year and regularly meeting up for breakfast at the café in the Britten Building.

And finally....

This co-ed school combines a holistic approach to education with an emphasis on building well-rounded characters who know who they are and how to treat others. The equally excellent prep school means it offers a fantastic all-through journey in a wonderful setting.

Gallery See All

Girl playing tennis
Pupil in a helmet welding with sparks flying
Boy in white shirt painting a design
Girl swimming
Girl in CCF uniform and a khaki beret
Boy in glasses studying at a wooden desk
boys in suits walking through an art display
Boy in black and grey striped top kicking a rugby ball
Girl playing the flute
Girls hockey game on a green astroturf pitch
Boy and a girl performing an experiment in class with a baseball
Three Gresham's pupils walking down a red brick lined corridor
  • Academic results

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

    GCSE

    Art & Design
    Biology
    Chemistry
    Computer Science
    Drama and Theatre Studies
    English Language
    English Literature
    French
    Geography
    German
    History
    Latin
    Mathematics
    Music
    Physical Education
    Physics
    Religious Studies
    Spanish
    3D Design
    Graphic Communication
    English as a Second Language
    Combined Science

    A Level

    Art & Design
    Biology
    Business Studies
    Chemistry
    Computer Science
    Economics
    English Literature
    French
    Further Mathematics
    Geography
    German
    History
    History of Art
    Latin
    Mandarin
    Mathematics
    Music
    Photography
    Physical Education
    Physics
    Psychology
    Religious Studies
    Spanish
    Graphic Communication
    3D Design

    IB

    Higher
    Biology
    Business Studies
    Chemistry
    Computer Science
    Drama and Theatre Studies
    Economics
    Film
    French
    Geography
    German
    History
    Latin
    Mandarin
    Mathematics
    Music
    Physics
    Psychology
    Spanish
    Visual Arts
    English Language and Literature
    Language Acquisition
    Applications and Interpretations
    Sports
    Exercise and Health Science
    Standard
    Biology
    Business Studies
    Chemistry
    Computer Science
    Drama and Theatre Studies
    Economics
    Environmental Systems and Societies
    Film
    French
    Geography
    German
    History
    Latin
    Mandarin
    Mathematics
    Music
    Philosophy
    Physics
    Psychology
    Spanish
    Visual Arts
    English Language and Literature
    Self-Taught Literature
    Language Acquisition
    Applications and Interpretations
    Sports
    Exercise and Health Science
  • Fees and bursaries

    Day fees per term

    Year 7-
    Year 8 -
    Year 9 £10,900
    Year 10£10,900
    Year 11£10,900
    Year 12£10,900
    Year 13£10,900
    Boarding fees per term

    Year 7-
    Year 8 -
    Year 9 £15,620
    Year 10 £15,620
    Year 11£15,620
    Year 12£15,620
    Year 13£15,620




    Bursary contact:

    admissions@greshams.com
  • SEND



    Co-ordinator: Mrs Stephanie Gates admissions@greshams.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: Norwich
    Journey time to London by train: 120 minutes
    Nearest international airport: Norwich (20 miles)


  • Parents tell us

    'An open, warm, welcoming environment under a superb headmaster and staff. A wonderful site and grounds. Strong sense of tradition. Good academic results but not a "hot house".

    The admissions process was excellent.

    Mr Robb is quite simply an outstanding headmaster - loved by parents and pupils alike. Mr Jamie Sharrock has had a profound and very positive influence on our son. He is a superb housemaster - kind, fair, firm and understanding.

    Very good communications. We are a long way from the school so are involved with his education vicariously. We have complete trust in the teachers and staff at Gresham's.

    The pastoral care is excellent and the school is preparing our son very well for the next stage of their education.

    It has surpassed our expectations, which were already high.

    If Gresham's were a university exam paper I would award it a double-first.'


    'We had two other daughters there and so knew it would suit our third daughter. Great all round school. Liked everything about the school.

    Our experience of the admissions process was all good. Took a written exam, had a chat with the headmaster and did a sports scholarship day.

    The headmaster is a very approachable man and straightforward. He was part of the decision why we sent our daughter to Gresham’s. The staff have been very approachable and good teachers in all the subjects she has chosen. They are always happy to give extra support and lessons to help her understand difficult topics.

    School communicates well with us as parents. Would like parents evenings to be face to face rather than online. I think that would make us feel more involved in our child’s education.

    I think the school is brilliant at pastoral care. Our daughter had a tough time in year 11 and I couldn’t fault the schools concern and help. I feel the school knows our child very well.

    Our daughter is being prepared for the next stage of education very well. The support for completing her UCAS form has been brilliant. She is well prepared for the next step.

    I think there is a good school community for parents but it’s up to you to get involved. It’s very welcoming to new families. Yes there’s a good parent/teacher forum and regular parent socials if you want them.

    It has lived up to our expectations - all 3 daughters have thoroughly enjoyed it.'


    'We wanted a boarding school that was outside of the M25 corridor as we live in London. We wanted a co-ed school in the countryside with access to a range of outdoor activities and a good reputation for being a solid, sensible school raising decent young people. Gresham's has more than matched our expectations. The grounds and facilities are excellent, the headmaster Douglas Robb and our son's House Master are both superb and have the respect of the pupils (especially the boys) and overall it is a school that imbues old fashioned, decent values. Its strengths are creating resilience, respect, decency in young people/not overselling their privilege but helping them to realise they have a role to play in society and creating a sense of community that is palpable from the moment you enter the school.

    Factors that influenced our choice were: fact that Gresham's is in a pretty market town but not too much going on to distract a 16 year old boy (!)/beautiful grounds with good emphasis on sport and participation/Headmaster and his approach and ethos played a very decisive factor/overall values and sense of community.

    Our experience of the admissions process was very straightforward, helpful and supportive. Could not be faulted.

    The headteacher is the best we have encountered and we have dealt with a few heads in the private sector. He is ever present/knows all of the children and young people by name/plays a 'hands on' role each week by helping to serve dinner in the refectory. He has an excellent set of values, is old fashioned, courteous, funny and exercises such the right balance between discipline and being able to have a bit of fun. Our son has the most enormous respect for him and it has without doubt enhanced his commitment to the school and sense of belonging. He engenders tremendous loyalty as he is firm but fair, an imposing physical presence but approachable and clearly is very committed to his school.

    Without doubt our son's Head of House, Jamie Sharrock has been the most tremendous support to our son. He is kind, very, very good at dealing with boys and young men and runs a tight ship in the House. My husband and I rate him 100%. Outstanding.

    Communication is very good. We have had experience of both and each time, we have felt supported and that there is a very good open avenue of communication. Our son is in sixth form so we try to be 'hands off' and supportive from a distance with his education but I have developed a good relationship with his tutor who communicates just the right amount.

    I like the fact that they have banned mobile phones in the evening (so many schools are so lax on this) and there is a lot of communication around wellbeing which we find helpful.

    Gresham's is preparing our son for the next stage of his education very well. Due to Gresham's our son has secured all 5 university offers/has been helped greatly with his revision approach for A Levels and has also secured an Army Officer Scholarship through university.

    The school community is very close knit. Active PTA and regular events.

    Advice to new parents: I am not sure really, the school does such a good job at looking after your son/daughter that there is really nothing to worry about!'




  • Pupils tell us

    'The three best things about Gresham's are firstly the sporting activities they provide because I love rugby and we are very good at winning. Secondly, the range of activities they supply because I love getting involved in new things and I love trying new skills, and thirdly, the social life as I love to socialise with people.

    For the admissions process I I did have to sit an english and maths exam to get into the school and then I had a interview with Mr Robb. The exams were challenging, and Mr Robb was very approachable and interested in what I had to say.

    My advice to new students would be to ensure you take all the opportunities available, as there are some amazing activities. I have adapted to school and boarding life, so I don't really think that I needed to know anything before joining.

    It took me a couple of weeks to settle in, once I understood where everything was. The friends helped me settle in and my housemaster Mr Burnett was a great help. If I ever have a problem I would go and see my housemaster.

    The headmaster is an Absolute Legend who is full of character and a great presence around the school. He also wants to ensure that the school survives for another 500 years!

    My housemaster has made a difference as he was always available to talk to. I also have a lot of respect for my learning support teacher, Mrs Gates, who has helped me with my school work.

    I really wanted to go to Farfield House as it is in the centre of the school and is always where the fun starts. We have a great community atmosphere in the House and I definitely feel that I made the right choice.

    The food is really nice - I love the Fish and Chip Friday.

    House Music is a great tradition where all years in the houses get together to try to win the singing completion. Each house is very supportive of each other, and acts in a sportsmanlike manner. Likewise the house rugby is a great event.

    If I was head for a day I would make more people take up all the tremendous opportunities available. I would also ask the pupils to try to be a teacher for a day, so they can see how the school works from a different view.

    In the future I would like to be successful in life and to have a lovely family and to be happy. The school is teaching me to appreciate lots of different things and opportunities, not just lessons.'

School Updates

  • WATCH: Ben Youngs, Head of Performance Sport

    WATCH: Ben Youngs, Head of Performance Sport
  • Ben Youngs appointed Head of Performance Sport

    Gresham’s School is delighted to announce the appointment of Ben Youngs as the new Head of Performance Sport. A former pupil and an international rugby icon, Ben returns to his alma mater with a wealth of experience and a passion for developing the next generation of athletes.
    Ben Youngs appointed Head of Performance Sport
  • WATCH: Boarding at Gresham's

    WATCH: Boarding at Gresham's
  • Gresham’s all-girls robotics team dreaming of Dallas glory

    After countless hours of engineering, programming, building robots, competing at regional level, and qualifying for VEX National Championships, an all-girl robotics team have achieved something truly remarkable: they won the prestigious 2024 VEX Innovation award and have secured a spot in the World VEX Robotics Championships in Dallas, Texas on 25th – 27th April.
     Gresham’s all-girls robotics team dreaming of Dallas glory
  • Delight for Ormiston Venture Academy pupil Tegan as she secures scholarship at Gresham’s School

    Tegan Engstrom, currently in Year 11 at Ormiston Venture Academy in Great Yarmouth, has secured a boarding place in Sixth Form at Gresham’s School from September 2024.
    Delight for Ormiston Venture Academy pupil Tegan as she secures scholarship at Gresham’s School
  • James Dyson donates £35 million to create a state-of-the-art Prep School for Gresham’s

    The James Dyson Foundation today announces a new £35 million donation to Gresham’s School. It will create a state-of-the-art Prep School with a brand new building incorporating STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) facilities for pupils aged seven to 13.
    James Dyson donates £35 million to create a state-of-the-art Prep School for Gresham’s
  • WATCH: This is Gresham's

    WATCH: This is Gresham's
  • WATCH: The Dyson Building at Gresham's School

    WATCH: The Dyson Building at Gresham's School
  • See Gresham's in our All-through Schools Guide

    See Gresham's in our All-through Schools Guide
  • See Gresham's in our Senior Boarding Schools Guide

    See Gresham's in our Senior Boarding Schools Guide

Essentials

Address
Cromer Road, Holt, Norfolk NR25 6EA

Contact
admissions@greshams.com
01263 714500

Website
greshams.com/

ISI Report

Fees

Term Dates


Open Days

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

Open Morning
03 May 2025


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