Trent College

Pro nobis, pro patria, pro mundo (For us, for our country, for the world) has run as Trent College's motto since 1868, and the sentiment still shapes a school that carries children from a six-week-old nursery cot all the way to A-level. Set on a 45-acre parkland campus in Long Eaton, between Nottingham and Derby, this is a co-educational, Church of England day and boarding school for ages 3 to 19. The early years and junior phase run under The Elms; the senior school and sixth form sit under the Trent College name. Roughly 1,113 pupils are on roll across the two. Boarding is genuinely live here, with houses for full, weekly, and flexi boarders alongside a large day population. A March 2025 inspection found every standard met and rated the early years outstanding. Above-average GCSE and A-level results, an unusually large co-curricular programme, and an arboretum-dotted estate are the headline draws.

Founded in 1868 as a Midlands alternative to the older public schools, Trent has grown into a sprawling all-through community where the youngest children share the same grounds as sixth formers preparing for university. That continuity is the defining feature. A child can join the nursery at a few weeks old and leave at 18 having never changed gates, with The Elms feeding the senior school and the senior school feeding its own sixth form. William Penty has led the school as Head since September 2014, having previously been deputy head at Sherborne School for Girls, and the period since has been one of steady modernisation rather than reinvention.

The Anglican identity is woven through daily life rather than bolted on. The chapel, designed by Robinson of Derby and opened in 1875, then remodelled in 1949 by Sir Albert Richardson, sits at the spiritual centre of the school and doubles as a venue for assemblies and concerts. Pupils attend chapel services through the week, and boarders join Sunday worship. As is typical of a Church of England foundation, the framing is broad and inclusive: Christian values of service and community set the tone, but the school welcomes families of all faiths and none.

Atmosphere here is collaborative and outward-looking. Young people here show a genuine regard for one another, and that civic instinct extends well beyond the school gates through charity and community work. Character runs through the house system: five academic houses, named after figures from the school's own history such as Shuker, a long-serving early teacher, and Lord Blake, the historian and chairman of governors, give pupils an identity beyond the classroom. House loyalty, expressed through ties and badges, threads through sport, music, and charity alike, so the structure pulls a large all-through school together rather than letting the phases drift apart.

The grounds themselves shape the mood. Forty-five acres give the school space for an arboretum of around 200 species that serves as a teaching resource and green campus feature, a woodland Forest School, and a campus that feels closer to a small parkland estate than a town-centre school. For a child, that means real room to grow up in.

Because Trent admits across the full age range without academic selection at the prep stage, the public results story begins at GCSE and continues into the sixth form.

At GCSE, just under a quarter of entries (24.6%) were awarded the top grades of 9 or 8, with a further 16.7% at grade 7, so 41.3% of all results landed at grade 7 or above. That places Trent above the England average and within the top 25% of schools in England for GCSE. In FindMySchool's proprietary rankings, built from official data, the school sits 823rd in England and 5th in its Nottingham local area for GCSE performance. A separate combined measure that blends GCSE and A-level outcomes ranks the school 473rd in England, a stronger position that reflects how the two phases reinforce one another.

At A-level, 12.3% of entries earned an A*, 23% an A, and 31.7% a B, so two-thirds of all grades (67%) came in at A*-A-B. The share of A*-A grades (35.3%) runs well clear of the England average of 23.6% for that measure, and the A*-B share (67%) is comfortably above the England figure of 47.2%. By FindMySchool's proprietary measures, also drawn from official data, the sixth form ranks 608th in England and, like the GCSE phase, 5th within Nottingham. The Department for Education has rated the sixth form's value-added progress as well above average, which matters: it shows students leave with more than their starting points would predict, not simply that able children were admitted.

Read together, the GCSE and A-level pictures describe a school that is reliably above the England average without claiming the very top tier. For most families that is the useful headline: strong, consistent results with progress that beats expectations, rather than a hothouse focused on grades alone.

Teaching is broad by design. The curriculum spans science, technology, engineering, mathematics, languages, humanities, and the arts, and it is well structured and interesting, with leaders quick to identify gaps in pupils' learning and to act on them. Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities achieve well through targeted support, and pupils learning English as an additional language are helped to extend their fluency, which matters given the international boarding intake. Learning support and EAL tuition are available as structured provision rather than ad hoc help.

The sixth form widens choice considerably. Students can pick from more than 20 A-level subjects, and the school runs vocational routes alongside them in the form of BTEC Sport and BTEC Business, so a science-bound mathematician and a future sports professional can both find a coherent programme. The Wortley Sixth Form Centre gives post-16 study its own home, with silent study areas, a library, IT facilities, collaborative zones, and a cafe, marking the shift from school pupil to near-undergraduate independence.

Specialist teaching spaces back the curriculum up across the school. Separate chemistry, physics, and biology laboratories, a food and nutrition suite, and a design and technology department with a multimedia workshop, welding shop, and paint shop give practical subjects real workshop space rather than a converted classroom. The Swallow Building houses mathematics and English alongside a lecture theatre, while science and modern languages have specialist hubs in the upper school, so subjects are taught in spaces built for them.

In the early years, teaching is the school's strongest suit. Early years provision is outstanding across every measure, with staff bringing a precise understanding of what young children need to learn next and a curriculum delivered consistently and highly effectively from the youngest age groups upwards. That early foundation is what makes the all-through model work: children arrive in the senior school already used to high expectations.

The senior school's two main exit points are the end of Year 11 and the end of Year 13. Internal progression is the norm rather than the exception: most of the school's own Year 11 cohort moves into the Trent sixth form, with entry conditional on meeting GCSE requirements rather than guaranteed, and the sixth form also recruits externally each year.

Of the most recent leaving cohort of 116 students, 72% progressed to university, with a further 5% taking up apprenticeships, 2% continuing in further education, and 10% moving directly into employment. That spread reflects a sixth form that treats higher education as the main route without forcing every student down it; the apprenticeship and employment figures point to a careers programme that genuinely supports alternatives.

The careers work is a clear strength. It is effective in preparing pupils for the next stage of education and work, and financial literacy is taught from a young age, so pupils understand money management and the risks of debt and gambling before they leave. A purpose-built careers hub gives guidance a physical base on site. On the most competitive route, three students applied to Oxford in the relevant year. The school does not publish a Russell Group percentage or a full destination breakdown, so families wanting detail on specific universities should ask the school directly; the figures above describe the shape of the cohort rather than a named-university list.

Trent admits at several points, and the route differs by age. The youngest children join the nursery and pre-school under The Elms from a few weeks old, moving up through the infant and junior years to age 11. Entry into the early years and junior phase is broadly continuous and non-selective, with places taken as they arise rather than through a single annual gate.

The main senior entry is at Year 7, assessed through an 11+ examination, with further established entry points at Year 9 and into the sixth form at Year 12. Sixth-form entry is conditional on GCSE results: students need to meet the published grade requirements, particularly in the subjects they intend to study at A-level, so a place is earned rather than automatic even for existing pupils. Applications run directly to the school rather than through the local authority, and the admissions team manages registration, assessment, and offers. A registration fee of £120 applies at the point of registering interest.

As an independent school, Trent does not operate a distance-based catchment, so there is no fixed cut-off mile to clear. Geography still matters in practice, though: the school runs a bus service in partnership with a local Nottingham operator, drawing day pupils across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, while boarding opens the doors to families well beyond commuting range. Open mornings typically run in the autumn term, and private tours are available year round; check with the school for current dates. Families weighing up the daily journey can use the FindMySchool map search to compare travel times from home before committing to a visit, and the local hub comparison tool puts Trent side by side with other schools in the area.

Pastoral care is a clear strength, and it is structured rather than incidental. Pupils' physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing are firmly supported, within an inclusive environment that promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion and helps pupils build self-knowledge and a sense of responsibility. A medical centre staffed through the week by two registered nursing sisters anchors day-to-day health provision on site, and the boarding houses provide a layer of resident pastoral oversight on top of the day-school structure.

Safeguarding is handled with the seriousness parents expect. Inspectors found an embedded culture of safeguarding running through the whole school, with all staff and governors completing statutory training and the school maintaining effective links with outside agencies. The wellbeing thread extends into citizenship: pupils take part in voluntary and charity work that connects them to the wider community and gives the school motto practical meaning. That outward focus, combined with strong on-site health and a close pastoral net, is one of the more reassuring parts of the Trent picture.

Boarding is central to Trent's identity rather than a minority add-on, and day and boarding pupils are closely integrated; the boarding houses are welcoming and carry a strong sense of community. There are four boarding houses: Shuker for boys and Bates for girls, each spanning the full senior age range, plus Martin for sixth-form girls and Blake for sixth-form boys, so older students gain a more independent residential setting as they approach university.

Families can choose the intensity of boarding. Full boarders stay seven nights a week, leaving for exeats and holidays; weekly boarders typically head home after Friday or Saturday commitments; and flexi boarders take a regular three or four nights, useful for families who want the structure without the full residential commitment. Weekly boarders can opt into weekend stays and activities where space allows, which keeps the boarding community busy across weekends. Boarding fees fold in breakfast, an evening meal, snacks, one weekly music lesson, all boarding activities and excursions, and English as an additional language tuition where needed, so the headline figure covers far more than a bed.

If one number captures Trent, it is the size of its co-curricular programme: more than 150 activities, many of them initiated and led by pupils themselves, with leaders monitoring participation so that it complements rather than crowds out academic work. The 45-acre estate gives all of this room to breathe, and the programme is widely regarded as one of the school's defining strengths.

Sport is a genuine pillar. The school designates hockey, rugby, and cricket as performance sports for boys and tennis, netball, and hockey for girls, with scholarships attached to proven ability across two or more of them. Facilities match the ambition: a 25-yard indoor swimming pool, a large sports centre with a high-specification gym and PE classrooms, and the recently resurfaced Catterns Astro that keeps hockey and tennis fixtures running through the seasons, alongside grass pitches and a cricket square. For a sporty child, the practical effect is that competitive coaching, court time, and pool access all sit within the same grounds.

Performing arts have purpose-built homes. The May Hall offers retractable theatre seating for major productions, turning a single space into a full auditorium when a show demands it, while The Rep houses two black box studios, The Courtyard and The Arden, for drama lessons, rehearsals, and smaller pieces. Music threads through the timetable from a department of rehearsal rooms and performance spaces, with instrumental tuition across the range and the chapel doubling as a concert venue; music scholars receive free tuition, which seeds a culture of regular performance rather than occasional concerts.

The outdoors is unusually well developed for a school of this kind. A Forest School woodland, a high ropes course, and a mountain bike track sit within the grounds, and the campus arboretum, with around 200 species, serves as a living teaching resource for biology and the natural sciences. The Devonshire Library, holding more than 10,000 books and open from early morning to evening, gives quieter pursuits an equally serious base. History runs through it all: Trent counts among its alumni Albert Ball, the First World War fighter pilot and Victoria Cross recipient, a reminder that the school's "for our country" motto is more than a phrase on a crest.

Senior school fees for 2025/26 are charged per term and include VAT. Day fees run from £6,899 per term in Years 7 and 8, rising to £7,848 in Year 9 and £8,534 from Year 10 through Year 13. Boarding is added on top: full boarding is £16,824 per term in Years 7 and 8 and £17,295 from Year 9 upwards, with weekly and flexi options priced between the day and full-boarding rates (flexi from £9,961 and weekly from £10,981 in the youngest senior years). The school deliberately bundles examination entry fees, textbooks up to Year 11, match travel, and supervision until 5.40pm into the standard fee, so the quoted figure is closer to the real cost than at many schools; lunches are charged separately. A registration fee of £120 applies, with a refundable deposit of £500 for day and partial boarding and £2,000 for full boarding. For The Elms junior and nursery stages, fees are set separately; see the school website for current figures, and government-funded hours are available for eligible early years families.

Financial support comes in two distinct forms. Scholarships reward demonstrated talent in academia, sport, music, art, and drama, carry a discount against day fees, and are offered at standard entry points such as Years 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12; music and drama scholars receive additional support such as free instrumental tuition, and sport scholarships are weighted towards the school's performance sports. Bursaries are separate and means-tested, assessed on family income, and can cover up to 50% of day fees, opening the school to families who could not otherwise meet the full cost. Scholarship and bursary support can be combined, which can bring a Trent place within reach for a talented child from a household that could not pay the full fee.

The school day runs through to late afternoon, with supervision included in the fee until 5.40pm, which gives working parents a practical buffer beyond the final lesson. Wraparound care for the youngest children is provided through The Elms early years setting; confirm exact session times with the school, as the nursery operates its own pattern. Transport is well served: a dedicated Trent College bus service, run in partnership with a local Nottingham operator, ferries day pupils across the surrounding area, while the Long Eaton location places the school within easy reach of both Nottingham and Derby by road and close to the M1 corridor. Families comparing schools in the area can shortlist Trent alongside others using the FindMySchool saved-schools feature.

Cost is significant, and boarding multiplies it. Senior day fees reach £8,534 per term and full boarding climbs to £17,295, before extras such as music lessons and lunches. Means-tested bursaries of up to 50% and merit scholarships can soften this, but the underlying cost is substantial, so families should model the full year, including The Elms stages if joining young.

The Anglican character is real, not nominal. Pupils attend chapel during the week and boarders join Sunday services. The ethos is inclusive and welcomes all faiths and none, but families who would prefer no regular worship at all should weigh that up before applying.

Results are strong but not the very top tier. Trent sits within the top 25% of schools in England at GCSE and A-level, a solid, above-average position rather than an elite one. Parents seeking the highest possible academic ceiling may find more selective schools deliver more raw top grades, though Trent's well-above-average value-added progress is a genuine counterweight.

RSE is the school's own stated area to develop. The school's own identified next step is to build the relationships and sex education curriculum more systematically for older pupils, so that it deepens learning consistently as they move up the school. It is a development point rather than a failing, but worth noting for parents of teenagers.

Trent College is a confident, broad, all-through Anglican school where boarding still genuinely matters and where the co-curricular offer, more than 150 activities across a 45-acre estate, is the standout feature. Academic results are above the England average and value-added progress is well above it, the early years are outstanding, and pastoral care and safeguarding are firmly in place. It is best suited to families who want a continuous education from nursery to sixth form, who value sport, the arts, and the outdoors as much as exam grades, and who are drawn to boarding in full, weekly, or flexi form. Those chasing the highest possible league-table ceiling, or uncomfortable with a school that worships regularly, should look carefully first; for everyone else, the breadth and the warmth are the real draw, and the main practical hurdle is simply the cost.