Whitgift School

This wonderfully diverse, centuries-old south London boys’ school has a real sense of its mission of moulding children into great young men. Pupils here are happy and in touch with real life because as well as superlative academic teaching, they’re also taught vital life skills, such as emotional intelligence, active listening and how to belong in a community. It gives them the resilience and independence to operate beyond Whitgift with quiet, down-to-earth confidence and a strong moral compass. As assistant head (student futures) Kate Goldberg says, ‘The school understands that education is judged not just on exams but how well we prepare children to thrive in a rapidly changing world.’

Whitgift School's 45-acre Croydon campus is exceptionally beautiful – and the absolute antithesis of the concrete jungle you might expect. With its string of stunning buildings – ranging from the traditional to contemporary – immaculate grounds, beautiful parkland and water gardens flush with pink flamingos, it’s a proper oasis in this patch of south London. A few tweaks and changes to the already impressive facilities are in the pipeline, including more pedestrianised areas as social spaces for boys to hang out in.

A network of school bus routes do a sweep of surrounding areas but many boys choose to commute by train which is also easy – travel time to the school from Clapham Junction and Sevenoaks is on average 45 minutes, while London Bridge is only 18 away minutes by train.

Toby Seth joined as head in September 2025 from Pocklington School in Yorkshire where he was also head. Whitgift is something of a return home; Mr Seth grew up in south London and went to school at Dulwich College which is also where he started his teaching career. He tells us, ‘All-boys’ education was a draw, the scale of Whitgift and for the boys the mega opportunities the school has to offer. The sport, academic and co-curricular are all important and have a very broad and deep breadth. They learn so much about the world through trying new things.’

He's currently directing his focus on the school’s identity so that the boys can understand what it means to be a Whitgiftian. ‘We are a holistic school in a meaningful way,’ he says. We were the first to hear the new school values: respect, ambition, curiosity, courage and belonging. The last, he tells us, is the one he considers to be most important. The school has a diverse community and he wants to foster a sense of belonging in the boys, whether that’s through sport or a niche club. A keen sportsman himself, he’s not afraid to shout about this and wants parents to choose the school for the sport as much as for anything else. ‘A boy can play rugby and still be a compassionate young man,’ he says. 

He’s looking to update academics too, making it explicitly boy-focused and placing the emphasis on pupils working smarter and more independently.

Places at Whitgift are highly coveted – around 60 spaces are available at 10+, and 180 at 11+. The school is keen that the pupil body (and staff) reflect the local community which is so diverse economically and ethnically. At all entry points, applicants sit the school’s own exam, with the top performers invited back for an interview to ensure that the school and its values are a good fit. At 13+, entry is for both day and boarding places. Every application is assessed forensically and with 800+ applicants across all entry points, they need to. In Year 9, there are between 30 to 50 places available with around 200 applying. Academics aside, the school is looking for boys who have the potential to be independent thinkers and flourish in the Whitgift school environment. And they want buy-in from the whole family, not just the pupil, too, so as well as open days, individual families are invited in for their own private tour.

Whitgift School believes that the boys-only model frees pupils not to be stereotyped in subject options, and academic success matters here – it’s the broadness of the curriculum and the sheer range of qualifications that make Whitgift stand out. Independent learning and problem-solving sit at the fore, with boys encouraged to stretch themselves and embark on their own individual research projects to get them thinking critically. Effort and rigour are foundation stones, and the boys achieve excellent results, supported by equally impressive teachers.

Lessons in global citizenship, digital literacy and theology and philosophy all kick in from the word go; lower first years study Korean (‘because it’s different’) and all Year 7s do three languages, choosing between French or Spanish, Latin or German and Mandarin or Japanese (Whitgift was one of the first schools in the country to teach the latter). All boys are screened in the junior years to identify if any learning support is needed, and there is a specialised team and resources available to meet learning needs. One mother praises the ‘exceptional’ subject clinics for pupils who need extra support. We also like the way sixth formers mentor Year 6 and 7 boys like older brothers, regularly meeting for lunch and at break time. The younger years also have an extended lunch break to find new interests through the co-curricular provision, socialise with friends or spend time in the library. Students throughout the school have library lessons and access to several digital library platforms, literary subscriptions and two onsite libraries.

In the sixth form, pupils take three or four A-levels (from September 2026 the school is no longer offering the IB but launching their new Whitgift 12 programme), with the option of doing five or replacing an A-level with a BTEC in business or sport and exercise science. If they opt for a fifth A-level, it’s semi-independent; for example, native speakers study their native language off-timetable. They can also choose to do an EPQ, a qualification in teaching English as a foreign language or financial services, a Gold Arts Award or a Higher Sports leadership qualification. Year 12 pupils choose a masterclass programme from a range of subjects including philosophy, an introduction to the classical world or set and prop design, and every boy writes a Whitgift Essay in the summer term. These students also do a carousel of life skills in their summer term, from cooking on a shoestring to writing CVs. 

Maths and STEM subjects both see big uptakes at A-level, but history, languages and the humanities are incredibly strong too. The annual careers convention is manned by an array of parents and Old Whitgiftians. Many opt for traditional subjects such as law, medicine and economics, and the school is keen to instil moral ambition not just financial, getting them to think about what problems in the world need solving. Results are superb and Whitgift leavers head for Oxbridge and Russell Group universities, with a handful of medics each year and an increasing number opting to apply overseas, particularly the US. 

Positive and trusting relationships between pupils and staff are central to the school’s ethos, and the safe, collaborative environment here is the strong foundation on which SEND provision is built. Tailored support is structured around development stages – junior years, middle years and sixth form – with each section overseen by a director who ensures pupils are guided and challenged in an age-appropriate way. Extra support is ably provided by the seven-strong learning support department, all of whom are highly trained in understanding, assessing and teaching those with diverse needs.

Mr Seth is passionate about giving the boys as many opportunities as possible, believing that confidence, resilience and courage are the invaluable skills gained from trying new things, whether it’s on the stage or on the sports field. ‘We want to celebrate them all, the musical talent, the geekiness, the sportiness,’ he says. To get them on the right path from the get-go, Year 7 boys follow the Whitgift 7 programme in which every pupil takes part in seven golf lessons, sings in a choir, has one term of free musical instrument tuition, tries water polo, performs in a music concert and puts on a play every seven weeks. ‘All this gives them a growth mindset, pushes them beyond their comfort zone and creates a character which is ready for the world of tomorrow,’ says deputy head admissions Alistair Osborne.

Music and the arts are very impressive. The extraordinarily talented Whitgift Chamber Orchestra regularly performs alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, choirs and music ensembles have played at the Royal Albert Hall and choristers have sung in ‘all the cathedrals in the south of England’, says a pupil.

Drama flourishes too, with a dedicated performing-arts centre and some boys take lead roles in television, film and West End productions. They also take a biennial show to the Edinburgh Festival and there are at least five productions a year that pupils can get involved in. The art offering is equally impressive, with huge art studios and large Design, Technology and Engineering workshops at the heart of the school.

Sports facilities are first class, too: there are pitches galore, and a recent investment in slick hybrid surfaces has meant less downtime for teams (given the British weather). New floodlights have also extended playing time, and night matches on the rugby pitch have become a popular addition. Add to that squash/fives courts, a super indoor pool and much, much more – absolutely everything happens on site (bar riding for modern pentathlon). And sport here isn’t just the preserve of the elite: the director of cricket coaches the F team too – and there’s plenty for the team-sport-averse, including golf (the school has its own driving range), fencing, modern pentathlon and swimming. There’s as much emphasis on performance as there is on the benefits of sport to pupils’ wellbeing, too, including boosting confidence, being able to collaborate and learning how to step up after defeat.

Evenings and weekends are packed with clubs and societies – it’s not uncommon for 1,000 or so boys to be back on campus on a Saturday for sports fixtures, play rehearsals or to prepare for CCF or DofE expeditions. The co-curricular programme here is based around opportunity and participation: every new Year 7 boy is taught to fence, and gets seven free golf lessons with a PGA professional and the chance to learn an instrument for a term, free of charge. There’s a raft of outdoor education, too, from mountain biking and climbing to kite surfing and skiing. Animal Club – the chance to hang out with the biology department’s snakes, reptiles and insects – gets top billing on the list of 100+ clubs and societies. Many clubs are run by pupils, including the aviation club, Dr Who club and Pokemon club. Other options include yarn club, beekeeping and Warhammer.

Diversity, charity and partnership programmes are the lifeblood of the school, and Whitgift prides itself on the number of boys involved in community service. Its Primary Project sees more than 1,000 local school children spend a week at Whitgift each year. At the height of the pandemic, staff, in partnership with the local council, invited almost 200 local Year 5 children in for a summer school of lessons to boost their confidence and help them catch up with classes missed during lockdown. Saturday masterclasses are held for local pupils who are given the opportunity to stretch and nurture their talents.

Despite being predominantly a London day school, Whitgift has a thriving boarding house for 110 boys. Full boarding is popular with overseas students, while weekly boarding caters for sixth formers studying towards their final exams and those who face a long daily commute or a heavy schedule of co-curricular activities (flexi boarding can be booked as late as the day before). The proximity of central London means weekend trips into the capital are plentiful.

This is a large school, but mentors, a rock-solid tutor system and large Year Group Teams keep a close eye on each and every boy – and form solid relationships with parents too. Overseeing it all is the wonderfully empathetic deputy head pastoral Oz Bhatti who took up post in January 2026 but has been a member of staff for 11 years. The collegiate atmosphere between staff and pupils means boys feel able to bring issues to teachers and there are also four trained counsellors on site. Boys speak openly about the palpable community spirit here and the head believes that prefects should be chosen based on who they are rather than what they have achieved. Social challenges facing teenage boys in today's world are also firmly on the radar, and the Ideatum programme helps place pastoral care front and centre.

One of Whitgift’s great strengths is its incredibly socially and ethnically diverse community. The school is part of the John Whitgift Foundation, which runs one of the biggest educational bursary systems in the UK, with a £2.1m pot. Around a quarter of boys are on significant means-tested bursaries (many on over 100 per cent fee assistance with extra funding for uniform and trips) and the school is committed to doubling this figure over the next decade through its Whitgift For All bursary fundraising initiative. ‘Bursary boys in the school make such a difference,’ says Mr Seth.

‘There are lots of opportunities here which prepare you for the real world,’ one Year 7 pupil told us – and he’s summed up his school perfectly. Pupils here learn in a brilliantly holistic way, always being guided to discover what makes them who they are and what doors they need to open to fulfil their ambitions.