Basic Information & Location
Located a 30 minute taxi ride from London Heathrow and based in Reading, Berkshire, Leighton Park is a leading co-educational day and boarding school for students aged 11-18 .
Leighton Park exists to form young people of real character and confidence, with a determined desire to change the world, reflecting the school’s Quaker values and forward-looking approach. The school inspires Achievement with Values, Character and Community and academic excellence is the consequence of its approach.
The UK Government’s latest 16-18 league tables reveal Leighton Park to be the best performing School in Berkshire and in the top 1% of English schools. Despite consistently being among the top 100 performing schools since these records began, the school is no results factory.
The school provides an inspiring, holistic education for each individual. Valuing breadth and depth, its approach is distinguished by excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM), Music and Ethical Enterprise.
Recent accolades include:
The School’s status as a Yamaha Flagship Music Education Partner, the only school in Europe
Its interdiscipliry iSTEM+ programme was awarded first place among secondary schools at the National STEM Innovation Awards
The best way to decide if Leighton Park is the right choice for your family is to come and visit the wonderful School, in its beautiful setting of 65 acres of parkland, and meet the enthusiastic students and dedicated staff who each make a unique contribution to the success of the School community.
School Motto
Achievement, with values, character and community
Academic Development
The academic progress of the Sixth Form students places Leighton Park 27th in England and the best performing school in Berkshire. Choice is central to its approach with students able to choose between 90 co-curricular options, 26 GCSE options and the choice of A Levels or the International Baccalaureate in Sixth Form. Students go on to some of the country’s most competitive university programmes, with 80% going on to STEAM-related degrees last year.
Pastoral Care & Boarding
Central to its pastoral care is the tutor system. Tutors have only ten tutees for whom they are responsible for their academic and personal development, these are much smaller groups than most schools. Students also see their tutors twice every day, for twenty minutes in the morning and twenty minutes in the afternoon. This enables tutors to get to know their tutees really well and offer them outstanding support.
The four boarding houses all have their own unique characters, with healthy rivalry between in them in competitions like House Music, House Debating and, of course, inter-House sports competitions. 50% of the boarding students are from the UK, while the remaining students are drawn from 36 different countries. The School is careful to ensure a diverse boarding population and has limits in place to ensure that no one country is over represented.
Extra-curricular & Personal Development
There is overwhelming evidence that students who involve themselves in co-curricular activities excel in their academic studies. But the school’s co-curricular programme is about so much more than that. The school want its students to try new things, to discover and nurture talent, and to challenge themselves to go beyond their own expectations.
Younger students do three activities a week or more, while older students are guided to develop a balanced programme as a counterpoise to their academic studies and to develop their leadership skills.
Themes of Creativity, Activity and Service guide its programme, with students encouraged to ensure they include activities that cover these areas.
With over 90 activities per term, there are plenty of exciting things for the students to try, from dance to electronics, chess to yoga – as well as off-site activities including sailing and the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
There are also weekend activities for boarders (and day students who want to join in), including cinema trips, bowling, theme parks and visits to London.
AIMS FOR STUDENTS
To challenge themselves in different situations and develop greater personal confidence and social skills
To recognise the worth of both participation and excellence
To develop a strong sense of responsibility, mutual support, self-awareness and tolerance towards each other, the school and the community
To progress personal interests and develop new skills and passions through a broad range of creative, active and service activities
