ACS Cobham International School Review 2026

For the IBDP, the school publishes 2025 headline outcomes including an average of 35 points (out of 45), a highest score of 44, and a 97% pass rate. These are strong indicators for families using IB as their main benchmark, and they also help when comparing international schools that do not share the same UK exam profile.

For highly selective universities, the available Oxbridge pipeline data shows 7 combined applications and 1 combined acceptance in the measured period, with Cambridge accounting for the single acceptance. This is a modest but present Oxbridge stream, and it is best read as one part of a broader global university destinations picture rather than the defining feature of the school.

The school’s senior curriculum is designed around choice and fit. AP is positioned as a one-year course model, with more than 20 AP courses stated on the curriculum pages, and the school makes it explicit that AP courses and IBDP can both count towards the High School Diploma requirements.

For parents, the practical implication is that students can build a programme that matches future plans, for example a US-style transcript profile, an IB profile for internationally recognised breadth, or a mixed pathway when that is the better academic match. The trade-off is that families used to a single, linear UK exam route may need more guidance early on to understand which pathway best supports their child’s university targets.

The school highlights global university progression through its counselling and university-facing support, and notes that Grade 11 and 12 tuition includes certain university placement-related costs (while excluding external exam and application fees).

Where the school does not publish Russell Group percentages on its website in a way that can be verified here, the safest, evidence-led approach is to focus on what is explicitly stated and to use the Oxbridge figures as a limited indicator of top-end UK applications.

Admissions are described as rolling, with applications accepted throughout the year, and the school states that its process does not involve an entrance exam. Instead, it uses a holistic review that can include prior records, references, questionnaires, and standardised test scores.

The practical implication is that timing and availability matter. Families aiming for a specific September start should treat this as an “apply early” school, especially at popular transition points, rather than relying on a single national deadline.

The 2025 inspection report supports a picture of effective safeguarding systems and a school culture where pupils feel safe and confident to raise concerns. It also references a PSHE programme and careers guidance for older pupils.

For boarding families, the implication is that wellbeing and supervision are structured and formally monitored, which matters in a mixed day and boarding environment where routines and oversight need to be consistent across both.

Co-curricular is a selling point for an all-through international school, but the most useful details are the specific named options. For 2025 to 2026, the school’s clubs listing includes fee-based courses such as Fashion, eSports (Mastering 21st Century Skills through eSports), Archery, Fencing, Yoga, Self-Defense, and Athletic Development.

Boarding life materials describe weekend and after-school activity options spanning creative and performing arts, sport, and student committees, and the fee sheet confirms a weekend activity programme within boarding fees.

If your child thrives on breadth, the implication is clear: there is structure and variety beyond lessons, and that matters even more for boarders whose social and enrichment time happens on campus.

Boarding

Boarding is offered for Grades 8 to 12, with 5-day and 7-day options set out in the school’s 2025 to 26 fee sheet, and tuition charged separately. Named boarding houses appear in the 2025 to 26 boarding brochure, along with an outline of room arrangements and staffing roles.

A useful detail for planning is that temporary boarding is listed as available, priced per night, subject to availability and an annual maximum number of nights.

Fees & Financial Aid

For 2025 to 26, tuition is published per semester, with two semesters per academic year. For compulsory-age education, annual day tuition runs, for example, from £28,980 for Grades 1 to 2 up to £38,640 for Grade 12. Boarding is priced separately, and the combined annual totals for boarding plus tuition are published by grade and by 5-day versus 7-day boarding.

One-off charges published for 2025 to 26 include an application fee of £330, an enrolment deposit of £1,500, and a one-off campus or development fee of £1,680 charged on first enrolment in Grades K to 12.

Financial support is positioned as means-tested bursaries, with awards stated as ranging up to 100% of tuition fees, subject to assessment.

Nursery and pre-school pricing exists on the published fee sheet, but families should check the school’s official fees page for the right early years structure and session pattern for their child.

This is a large all-through setting with day and boarding, so logistics matter. Families should prioritise a visit that includes the relevant school section for their child’s age, plus a boarding tour if applicable. Admissions is described as rolling, so timing and availability are likely to be more important than a single annual deadline.

For parents comparing options, the FindMySchool Saved Schools feature can help track different entry points and pathways, especially when you are weighing IB, AP, or a mixed route across several international schools.

• Pathway complexity. The senior model offers IB, AP, and High School Diploma routes; this suits many students, but it requires early planning so the chosen mix supports university goals.

• Boarding costs add quickly. Boarding is priced separately from tuition, and the combined totals vary by grade and by 5-day versus 7-day options, so budgeting needs careful modelling.

• Rolling admissions can cut both ways. Flexibility helps relocating families, but it can also mean limited places at popular transition points, so early enquiry matters.

• Fees and VAT treatment vary by age. The published fee sheet separates fees that are exempt from VAT and those that include VAT, which can affect early-years planning.

ACS Cobham International School suits families who want an all-through international education with real flexibility in the senior years, plus the option of structured boarding from early secondary. It is strongest for students who will benefit from choosing the right pathway, IB, AP, or a combination, and who will use the wider co-curricular and boarding programme as part of their education. The main decision point is fit: families should be confident that a flexible, international curriculum model matches their child’s learning style and university direction.