Once past the gates of this Edwardian mansion set deep in the Surrey Hills, you enter a place where academic rigour and creative ambition coexist without compromise. Founded in 1970 by Richard Jackson, who challenged what he saw as the "complacent, dull public school tradition," Hurtwood House has created something genuinely rare: a sixth form where students can pursue triple sciences and mathematics with the same seriousness as theatrical productions and filmmaking. The 2024 A-level results place the school in the top 10% in England, with 83% achieving grades A* to B. Yet what truly distinguishes Hurtwood is its philosophy that academic excellence and artistic exploration reinforce each other, not compete. The school combines the warmth and informality of a progressive boarding house with the intellectual rigour of a university, serving approximately 350 students aged 15–19 in an environment where half the student body is replaced each year. This constant renewal means joining is feasible; unlike established schools where social hierarchies solidify over years, new students arrive together.
The campus occupies 200 acres in one of England's most beautiful rural locations, with the main Edwardian mansion at its heart flanked by six boarding houses: the Hurtwood Main House, The Lodge, Peaslake House, Ewhurst Place, Beatrice Webb House, and Cornhill Manor. Each house has its own grounds and feels like a country lodge rather than institutional accommodation. Housemasters and housemistresses live on-site, creating the genuine pastoral structure that boarding requires.
The atmosphere is deliberately non-hierarchical. There is no uniform; students dress as they choose, treating clothing as personal expression. The curriculum operates on trust; students select from 22 A-level subjects in any combination, not from prescribed blocks. This flexibility extends to daily life. Around 85% of students board full-time; day places are intentionally capped at 65 to preserve the residential community.
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Leadership has remained continuous. Cosmo Jackson, son of founder Richard, has been headmaster since 2004. His vision, shared with his father who remains involved from a distance, maintains the original philosophy: that students mature most when given genuine responsibility and interesting work. His own son, Harvey Jackson, now teaches economics at the school, representing the third generation of family stewardship. This continuity of leadership means institutional values translate into daily practice.
The latest available ISI inspection report is dated 22 September 2022. A remarkable figure from the inspection: the school maintains a staff-to-pupil ratio of 1:6, extraordinarily generous and central to how individual attention becomes possible.
The 2024 A-level results show 83% of grades at A* to B, with 53% at A* or A alone. These figures place Hurtwood in the top 10% of sixth forms, ranking 191st in England (FindMySchool ranking). Given the school's mixed-ability admissions policy, the value-added here is substantial: students of all abilities make exceptional progress.
The school claims the highest post-16 "Contextual Value Added" score of any institution in the UK, a measure that accounts for student starting points and demonstrates improvement during the course of study. This matters because Hurtwood does not select primarily on prior academic achievement. Selection emphasises interview impressions, motivation, and cultural fit rather than GCSE results alone. Many students arrive having succeeded in traditional senior schools but feeling limited by conventional structures. At Hurtwood, they discover an environment where their interests are taken seriously and resources follow ambition.
The curriculum spans 22 A-level subjects grouped into five categories: Creative and Performing Arts, Humanities and Languages, Mathematics, Business and Economics, and Science. Mathematics is the largest department; over 150 students study mathematics or sciences as one of their A-levels. But the real flexibility lies in combination: a student might study Physics, Further Mathematics and Drama together, or Economics with Photography and Textiles. This is not a performing arts college where sciences feel secondary; nor is it a traditional academic school where arts subjects are distractions. Both tracks receive serious investment.
The school also offers the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), in which 2024 leavers achieved 100% A*/A grades. This qualification, which typically requires independent research on a topic of the student's choosing, demonstrates the school's commitment to intellectual depth beyond examined subjects.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
A-Level A*-B
82.96%
% of students achieving grades A*-B
GCSE 9–7
—
% of students achieving grades 9-7
Teaching at Hurtwood is characterised by small class sizes (typically 8–12 students per class, sometimes fewer) and specialist expertise. Staff include industry professionals: media teachers working in film production, performing arts specialists with West End experience, musicians with recording studio credits. Weekly grading in both achievement and effort means coasting is identified immediately. Teachers discuss each student's progress with the headmaster regularly, ensuring patterns of development are spotted early.
The pedagogical approach emphasises active learning and extension projects. Art students progress from guided sessions in techniques (etching, oil painting) to independent major works. Media A-level students produce their own music videos, projects that have seen the school invest heavily in production design and props. The school allocated £100,000 annually for the Christmas musical alone, partnering with professional choreographers, musical directors, and orchestral musicians. Drama students engage with RADA-standard training. Science students benefit from separate laboratory facilities and individual investigative work.
The school's non-negotiable feature: rigour in both academic and creative disciplines. The phrase "no coasting" appears repeatedly in staff conversation. Students work incredibly hard to maintain the school's consistently strong results. The freedom in subject choice and lifestyle is paired with genuine expectations that students perform at their maximum.
Boarding here feels closer to university than traditional public school. Students organise study and social time within house structures, with housemasters and tutors providing oversight rather than surveillance. The first two weeks of each academic year focus on team-building and integration, essential given half the school is new each year. This annual turnover is a deliberate feature: new students do not face joining an established social hierarchy but instead build community together.
Each house has 16 students sharing study bedrooms in pairs or triples. House meetings happen regularly to surface and address issues. A dedicated well-being room operates on-site, staffed by counsellors, and pastoral systems are designed to catch difficulties early. Parents report high satisfaction; 95% of pupils report enjoying school, 92% feel safe, and 100% of parents agree their children are happy and well looked after (per 2015 inspection survey data).
Weekend life combines structure and choice. Saturday morning involves school, Saturday afternoon sporting fixtures. Sundays offer chapel and social activities. But the school also provides transport to London and surrounding towns, allowing students genuine autonomy. Regular house meetings and pastoral contact ensure no one is isolated. The boarding experience is about building a confident, self-directed young adult who can manage time, relationships, and academic pressure in a supportive framework.
Hurtwood's dramatic output is extraordinary. With 40 productions per year, the school maintains a theatre, an intimate amphitheatre, and multiple studio performance spaces. The flagship event is the 10-night Christmas musical, for which the school engages professional choreographers, lighting designers, and musicians. Recent productions have included "Chicago," "Grease," and "Legally Blonde," mounted to a standard that rivals smaller regional theatres. The programme combines classics (Shakespeare performed in the outdoor amphitheatre), contemporary musicals, rock and pop concerts, dance showcases, and student-written work.
The Performing Arts Department employs 20 full-time specialists, including staff qualified in acting, directing, screenwriting, costume design, and set construction. The Acting Academy provides intensive training for students aiming toward drama school and professional acting careers. The Hurtwood Dance Company offers advanced training across styles — ballet and contemporary, jazz and tap, street and hip hop — with performance and choreographic development built in.
The Film Academy and TV Studio represent one of the school's most significant investments. The TV studio is industry-standard, equipped with multiple professional cameras, editing suites, and post-production facilities. Media A-level students produce their own documentaries, broadcast live productions, and experience traditional 16mm filmmaking. The school counts BAFTA-nominated directors and cinematographers among its alumni. Media Studies is a priority subject, with 170 students taking A-level Media in recent cohorts. Results in 2024 were exceptional: 93% achieved A*/A in Media Studies alone.
The production company within the school takes students beyond examinations into real-world filmmaking, with visiting industry professionals running workshops on special effects, cinematography, location management, and post-production work.
The Hurtwood Music Centre includes four professional recording studios equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Students can record original compositions, produce music videos, and master tracks to broadcast quality. The music curriculum spans A-level Music Technology (where students compose and record), traditional A-level Music, and music lessons across numerous instruments and voice. Ensembles include a chapel choir, symphony orchestra, jazz groups, and smaller chamber ensembles. Regular concerts and performances keep music visible in school life.
Composer Hans Zimmer studied at Hurtwood, reinforcing the school's claim to producing musicians capable of professional careers.
The art provision is comprehensive. A-level options include Fine Art, Photography, Textiles and Fashion Design. Students have access to specialist facilities: darkrooms for traditional photography, textile studios with full equipment, painting and drawing studios. Art trips include recent visits to St Ives, where students worked alongside professional artists in that creative community. The school emphasises both traditional and contemporary techniques.
Sport at Hurtwood is deliberately non-compulsory, reflecting the school's philosophy that students are self-directed. team, plus games and fitness opportunities exist but are optional. Regular sports available include football, basketball, netball, hockey, tennis, golf, rugby, swimming, cross-country running, squash, volleyball, and horse riding. Some students engage intensely; others prefer other pursuits. The message is clear: physical activity is available and valued, but not mandatory.
Beyond formal curriculum, the school supports numerous clubs and societies. Options include animation and special effects makeup for film, jewellery making, neurographic art, first aid courses, Lego club, wine tasting, and the "Mystery Bus," a weekly transport to surprise destinations. The school also organises regular outings to galleries, museums, theatres, and cultural events in London.
The Extended Project Qualification allows students independent research, resulting in projects ranging from academic investigations to creative works. The "Common Room," a student magazine, publishes diverse articles on school life and broader topics.
Boarding fees are £22,405.20 per term (including VAT), making Hurtwood one of the UK's most expensive boarding schools. Day fees are £14,937.60 per term (including VAT). A deposit of £400 per term covers extra expenses such as stationery, books, medicines, and outings. There is an additional 15% surcharge for students joining from outside the GCSE system or requiring specialised English tuition.
However, fees must be understood in context. The school operates a significant scholarship programme, with awards available in Academic, Music, Sport, and Art disciplines. Scholarships typically offer 10–25% fee reduction, though they can combine with bursaries for enhanced support. The Hurtwood Foundation, a separate not-for-profit entity, raises funds specifically for scholarships and bursaries for deserving students who would otherwise be unable to attend. The Foundation has invested substantially: over £6 million in the past four years on facility improvements, with a similar amount planned for the next five years.
The school is transparent that financial support is available but deliberately described as "vague" in some published material. Families should contact admissions to discuss bursary eligibility and available support on a case-by-case basis.
Fees data coming soon.
In the 2023-24 cohort, 52% of leavers progressed to university; 15% entered employment; 1% started apprenticeships. Among university-bound leavers, students secure places at a range of institutions. The school reports strong creative outcomes, with leavers heading to destinations such as RADA, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and the London Film Academy, as well as UAL (University of the Arts London), the Royal Welsh Conservatoire and the Courtauld Institute of Art.
However, the school is also reassuringly academic. Leavers pursue chemical engineering, medicine, applied psychology, law, business, and traditional sciences at leading universities. The profile of destinations reflects genuine diversity of aspiration, not concentration in a single pathway.
The school secured one Oxford place and one Cambridge acceptance from nine Oxbridge applications in the measured period, a figure that reflects the mixed-ability intake and the school's priority being breadth and self-directed learning rather than Oxbridge coaching.
The school is highly sought-after. Around 180 places become available annually as approximately half the student body leaves. Admissions are non-selective in the formal sense (no entrance examinations), but highly selective in practice. Offers are based on references plus interviews, with interviews carrying particular weight. The school seeks students who demonstrate drive, maturity, clear ideas about what they want to achieve, and cultural fit. Academic potential matters, but character, creativity, enthusiasm, and willingness to contribute actively to the community are equally important.
Registration costs £1,000; no entrance tests are required. Application requires completion of a form and thoughtful reflection on why Hurtwood is the right choice. The school advises applying at least one year in advance due to popularity. If space becomes available, the school will consider candidates who can contribute academically or creatively.
Total Offers
1
Offer Success Rate: 11.1%
Cambridge
1
Offers
Oxford
0
Offers
Pastoral care is genuinely comprehensive. The staff-to-pupil ratio of 1:6 creates space for individual attention. Each student has a tutor group (typically 6–8 students) who provides academic oversight and connects them to their house. Housemasters and housemistresses live on-site and are the primary pastoral contacts, with regular house meetings addressing community issues.
The well-being infrastructure includes on-site counselling, dedicated staff trained in mental health, and explicit systems for early identification of struggling students. Weekly grading in effort allows flagging of disengagement before it becomes serious. The school's philosophy is that pastoral care and academic progress are linked: student well-being directly enables academic achievement.
Learning support is integrated into mainstream teaching rather than separate clinical sessions. Around 15 pupils work one-to-one with the learning support coordinator, most commonly for dyslexia or ADHD. Approximately 100 additional students receive tailored support within subject teaching. The school does not offer specialist facilities for significant SEN but manages mild-to-moderate learning differences through mainstream inclusion and classroom support.
Admissions operate from September following GCSE completion; students typically enter at age 15–16. The school also offers a one-year GCSE programme for students needing educational continuity or coming from overseas schooling systems. However, the vast majority of students are A-level focused.
Selection is by interview and school reference, not examination. The school seeks evidence of clear aspirations, maturity, and genuine interest in what Hurtwood offers. Students who have thrived in traditional senior schools but feel ready for a "fresh challenge" are ideal candidates. Those seeking intensive academic coaching for league table positions or expecting a structured, conventional environment may find Hurtwood too informal.
The school is non-selective in admissions policy , but highly selective in practice through interview. Places are offered based on impression and fit rather than prior grades alone.
The cost is genuine. At £22,405 per term for boarding (£67,215 annually), Hurtwood is expensive. While financial aid exists, families must engage the school directly to discuss support. Bursaries are available but not automatic or universally generous. Families should verify affordability before committing.
Creative culture is pervasive. The school is unapologetically oriented toward the arts and creative expression. Students without interest in drama, music, film, photography, or visual arts may feel out of place, even if academically strong. If your child is passionate about traditional subjects only and finds drama, music, and art irrelevant, this environment may not suit.
Informality suits self-directed learners. The lack of uniform, flexible subject choices, and emphasis on independence appeal to mature, self-motivated students. Younger teenagers or those who thrive with structure and clear rules might find the freedom disorienting. The school expects students to manage time, make good choices, and engage actively.
The academic sector is not always visible. Given the school's fame for creative arts, some assume it is primarily a performing arts establishment. In reality, the mathematics department is the largest, and rigorous academic teaching happens across sciences, languages, and humanities. However, the creative departments are higher-profile, which can skew perception.
Boarding requires genuine commitment. This is a fully residential school with approximately 85% full-time boarders. Day places are limited and come with the knowledge that residential culture dominates. Families should be confident that boarding at age 15–16 aligns with their child's needs.
The school fits students who are ready for university-like maturity early. The school is essentially a two-year residential pre-university college. It works brilliantly for 16–18 year-olds ready to direct their own learning and eager for a genuine community. Younger or less mature teenagers might benefit from a more traditional secondary environment first.
Hurtwood House is a genuinely distinctive sixth form that delivers on its claim to offer academic excellence and creative exploration without compromise. The 83% A*-B A-level results place it among England's top-performing independent sixth forms. The 40 annual drama productions, industry-standard media facilities, and professional-level music studios demonstrate serious institutional commitment to the creative disciplines. The combination is unusual and powerful: students can pursue triple sciences alongside drama school training, or business A-levels with textile design. The staff are expert, committed, and stay long-term, creating genuine continuity. Boarding life is structured yet informal, with genuine pastoral care and rapid early intervention for struggling students.
The school is best suited to students aged 15–18 who are confident, self-directed, and genuinely interested in creative disciplines alongside or embedded within academic study. Students already thriving in traditional senior schools but feeling constrained by rigid structures, those seeking a university-like environment early, and those with clear creative ambitions will flourish. The cost is significant, though financial aid is available on application.
For families seeking a genuinely distinctive sixth form that produces confident, creative, and academically accomplished young adults, Hurtwood House is exceptional. For those expecting a conventional boarding school environment or whose child prefers structure over independence, look elsewhere.
Yes, absolutely. The 2018 ISI inspection rated Hurtwood House Excellent across all areas assessed. The 2024 A-level results place it in the top 10% of sixth forms (191st in England, FindMySchool ranking), with 83% achieving grades A* to B. The school maintains an exceptionally high staff-to-pupil ratio of 1:6, enabling individualised attention and progress monitoring. Former students include Hans Zimmer (Oscar-nominated film composer) and Emily Blunt (Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actress), reflecting the school's track record in producing talented professionals.
Boarding fees are £22,405.20 per term (including VAT), equivalent to approximately £67,215 annually. Day fees are £14,937.60 per term (approximately £44,813 annually). A deposit of £400 per term covers additional expenses. There is a 15% surcharge for students joining from outside the GCSE system or requiring specialised English tuition. Scholarships are available in Academic, Music, Sport, and Art disciplines, typically offering 10–25% fee reduction. The Hurtwood Foundation administers bursaries for deserving students. Families should contact the admissions office to discuss financial support on a case-by-case basis.
Registration requires completion of an application form and payment of a £1,000 registration fee. There are no entrance examinations. Admission is based on school references and, critically, an interview with school staff. The interview carries exceptional weight; it assesses maturity, clarity of purpose, cultural fit, and whether the applicant will contribute positively to the community. The school advises applying at least one year in advance due to high demand. Around 180 places become available annually as approximately half the student body leaves. Selection is non-selective (no formal entrance tests), but selective through interview.
The school offers 22 A-level subjects grouped into five categories: Creative and Performing Arts (Drama, Music, Music Technology, Fine Art, Photography, Textiles and Fashion Design, Film, Media Studies, Dance); Humanities and Languages (English Literature, History, Geography, Economics, Law, Business, Psychology, Sociology, French, German, Spanish); Mathematics (Mathematics, Further Mathematics); Business and Economics (Business, Economics, Accounting); and Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics). Students select subjects in any combination, not from prescribed blocks. This flexibility allows students to pursue unconventional combinations, such as Physics with Drama or Economics with Photography.
Hurtwood combines rigorous academic teaching with professional-level creative facilities and instruction in a single institution. The school refuses to position creative subjects as secondary to academics. Drama, music, film, and visual arts receive equivalent investment, staffing, and curricular weight as sciences and languages. The 40 annual drama productions, industry-standard TV studio, and four professional music recording studios demonstrate this commitment. Equally, mathematics is the largest department, and science A-levels are popular and strongly taught. The school selects students based on interview and fit rather than prior grades, admitting mixed-ability cohorts and then enabling all students to achieve exceptional A-level results. The result: a genuinely distinctive sixth form culture where a future engineer might perform in the Christmas musical, and a future actor might study Further Mathematics.
Admissions are non-selective in the formal sense (no entrance tests), but highly selective in practice. The school assesses candidates through interview and school reference, seeking evidence of maturity, clear aspirations, and enthusiasm for what Hurtwood offers. Academic records matter, but character, creativity, and cultural fit are equally important. The school explicitly states that "academic records are not the only criterion for selection." Approximately 180 places become available annually from around 400+ applications, making acceptance competitive. The school advises applying one year in advance.
Approximately 85% of students board full-time; day places are intentionally capped at around 65. Boarding houses accommodate 16 students each, with shared study bedrooms (pairs or triples) and common spaces. Each house has a housemaster or housemistress living on-site, plus a team of house tutors. The boarding environment is intentionally informal, treating students as responsible young adults rather than children. There is no uniform; students dress as they choose. The first two weeks of each academic year focus on team-building and integration. Housemasters are the primary pastoral contacts, with regular house meetings addressing community issues. A dedicated well-being room, on-site counselling, and regular monitoring systems ensure students receive support early. Weekends combine structured activities (Saturday morning school, Saturday afternoon fixtures) with genuine autonomy (access to transport to London and surrounding areas). Around half the school is replaced each year, meaning new students join together and do not face established hierarchies.
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