Old Swinford Hospital School Review 2026: 358 Years of Excellence in a State Boarding Community

When Thomas Foley founded Stourbridge Hospital in 1667, just one year after the Great Fire of London, his vision was to educate 60 boys from "poor but honest" families and prepare them for life beyond school. Nearly 360 years on, that mission persists, though the school has transformed dramatically. Today, Old Swinford Hospital educates both boys and girls (fully co-educational from September 2025) and offers something virtually unique in England: a state boarding school where students live, learn and thrive together, with tuition funded by government and only boarding fees payable. Ranked 636th in England for GCSE results (top 25% nationally, FindMySchool data), the school consistently outperforms expectations with 40% of students achieving grades 9-8 in English and Maths. Its boarding provision is rated Outstanding by Ofsted. Located on 350+ acres near Stourbridge in the West Midlands, it is one of just 36 state boarding schools in England.

The red-brick Victorian buildings with their stone dressings and central clock tower create an atmosphere where heritage and modernity coexist without tension. Year 7 boys arrive at Prospect House, a modern, purpose-built structure designed specifically to support first-year boarders, while girls benefit from similarly contemporary facilities in their own dedicated houses. The house system, established in 1929 with homes named Foley, Lyttleton and Dudley, sits at the heart of community life. Each house develops its own character. Foley, for instance, describes itself as a place where "boarders come in as boys and leave as young men," while Baxter House, opened for senior girls in 2024, showcases freshly refurbished spaces with modern rec rooms.

Students describe genuine camaraderie. The school's Christian foundation, rooted in its Church of England character, welcomes students of all faiths and none. Staff expertise runs deep. Teachers include authors, doctors, polyglots, explorers, composers and artists, creating an environment where intellectual curiosity is modelled and expected. The boarding ethos means that learning extends beyond the classroom. Homework is completed in structured prep sessions, and evenings buzz with co-curricular activity. Ofsted noted in 2022 that "pupils learn together, live together and thrive at OSH," capturing something parents and students consistently report: a sense of belonging to something larger than themselves.

GCSE Performance

The school's 2024 GCSE results exceeded national benchmarks. 40% of students achieved grades 9-8 in English and Maths, with 88% of all grades awarded in the 9-4 range (A* to C equivalent). The Attainment 8 score of 58.5 places the school well above the England average of 45.9. Progress 8 (measuring improvement from Year 6 to Year 11) came in at +0.44, indicating that students make above-average progress from their starting points. The school ranks 636th in England for secondary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the top 25% of schools nationally, and 1st in Stourbridge locally.

English and Mathematics remain strong across the cohort, with 64% securing grade 5 or above in both subjects, a prerequisite for many apprenticeships and degree courses. The school is a specialist Business and Enterprise School and Specialist Science School, with recent Artsmark and Sportsmark awards reflecting breadth beyond academia.

A-Level Performance

A-level results are more modest but improving. In 2024, 42% of grades reached A*-B level, with 4% achieving A* and 11% achieving A. The average points per pupil was 94.08, significantly above the UK average of 35.29. The school ranks 1587th in England for A-level results (FindMySchool data), placing it in the middle 35% of schools nationally. Entry into the sixth form requires GCSE results matching university requirements, with most students needing at least grade 5 passes in core subjects. The school offered 26 A-level subjects in 2024, including Classical Greek, Russian and History of Art, alongside traditional sciences and humanities.

In the 2023-24 cohort, 46% of Year 13 leavers progressed to university, 24% entered employment, 9% began apprenticeships, and the remainder pursued other pathways. Four students secured Oxbridge places (one to Cambridge, three to Oxford), with a further offer rate of 36% across applications. Russell Group universities feature prominently among destinations, though specific numbers are not published. The school emphasises that university progression is one pathway; apprenticeships and employment are equally valued routes, particularly given the school's specialist business and enterprise designation.

The curriculum is broad and deliberately traditional. Separate sciences are taught from Year 7, Latin features as an option from Year 9, and languages include French from Year 7, with Mandarin Chinese available from Year 7 as a rare option in the West Midlands. The school balances innovation and tradition explicitly. Digital learning is integrated, but teaching prioritises explanation, questioning and demonstration over passive consumption. Teachers set challenging work, and practical demonstrations (particularly in sciences) check understanding before students move forward.

Class sizes average 28 in lower years, reducing to smaller sets for A-level. Sixth form receives 26 subject choices and specialist extension seminars for academic scholars. The academic day runs from 8:30 AM to 3:45 PM for day students, with structured prep for all residents in the evening.

The school's specialist accreditation in Business and Enterprise shows in the curriculum structure. Economic understanding and enterprise thinking thread through multiple subjects. STEM facilities, including newly refurbished design and technology spaces and a teaching kitchen, extend learning beyond textbooks. Teachers' subject expertise is deliberately cultivated. Recruitment emphasises academic pedigree and intellectual reach.

Boarding houses are central to wellbeing. Each house has a resident Housemaster or Housemistress, plus a full-time matron or dame. This means staff know students intimately. The Tailored Boarding model gives families flexibility: students can board full-time, Monday-Friday, or any pattern in between, depending on their circumstances. Flexi-Boarding (staying up to four nights per term) offers an alternative for families requiring flexibility.

Emotional and mental health receive explicit attention. Ofsted noted "meticulous attention" to health and wellbeing, and the school employs dedicated pastoral staff alongside teachers. Tutor groups of 6-8 students provide academic oversight and personal support. The boarding routine — structured prep, meals, activities, quiet time — creates stability that boarding families particularly value. The Duke of Edinburgh award scheme (from Year 9) and Combined Cadet Force (from Year 8) build resilience and leadership. Peer mentoring groups provide additional support.

With over 45 clubs and 10 music ensembles, the co-curriculum rivals independent schools and represents a genuine pillar of school life. Activities run after school through the evening and extend into weekends for boarders.

Music: A Central Pillar

Nearly a third of the student body learn a musical instrument. Ten ensembles operate: Concert Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Big Band, Jazz Band, School Choir, Chamber Choir, Samba Band, Guitar Ensemble, Keyboard Ensemble and Woodwind Ensemble. The Music department coordinates regular performances, both in the historic chapel and in external venues. The department has established a track record of university destinations, with students progressing to specialist music conservatoires and universities. Music is embedded in the pastoral rhythm — chapel services include sung elements, and performances feature prominently in the school calendar.

Drama: Growing Strength

The school has invested in new drama and dance studios. Drama societies produce termly productions, ranging from Shakespeare to contemporary work. A partnership with LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) brings professional spoken language coaching to interested students. The school's public speaking culture is reinforced through the Spearhead competition evening, hosted annually by senior staff. This reflects the school's emphasis on communication as a life skill.

Sport: Rugby at Its Heart

Rugby Union is the flagship sport, with particular pride in the 1st XV's recent championship success. In 2023, both the 1st XV and U15s won Continental Tyres Vase Finals at Twickenham, achieving national champion status among state schools. The school fields teams across multiple sports: basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball and tennis. Girls' teams compete at representative level; the girls' hockey and netball teams, newly expanded, are developing strong reputations. On-site facilities include multiple rugby pitches, football fields, cricket nets, tennis courts, squash courts, basketball courts, two gymnasiums and two climbing walls. The Athlete Development Programme launches in 2025, and a newly opened state-of-the-art gym supports strength and conditioning. The school is featured in The Cricketer's Schools Guide as a top-performing state school for cricket.

STEM: Innovation and Competition

STEM Club, Tech Club and school partnerships with engineering bodies support students' technical interests. The school's specialist science designation is reflected in well-equipped laboratories and design technology spaces. Students participate in national engineering competitions and coding initiatives. The breadth of scientific teaching — separate biology, chemistry and physics — provides depth for those pursuing science university careers.

Creative Arts Beyond Music

Art Club, Pottery Club and Craft Club support visual creativity. The newly refurbished art studios and kiln facilities allow students to pursue ceramics seriously. The school has achieved Artsmark status, confirming the depth of arts engagement across the curriculum and co-curriculum.

Character and Leadership

The Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, compulsory from Year 9, develops expedition skills and personal resilience. The Combined Cadet Force, open from Year 8, appeals to those interested in military discipline and structure. Interact Charitable Society channels service towards community. The Uganda Link society organises fundraising and awareness-raising for a partner school in Nandere, Uganda; when that school faced power cuts in 2007, OSH students and staff raised the funds for reinstatement within a single day. This spirit of service reflects Thomas Foley's original charitable vision.

Other societies include Book Club, Chess, Darts, Film Club, Linguistics Club, Model UN, Peer Mentoring, Puzzle Club and Public Speaking — ensuring that quieter interests are equally resourced. Weekends feature trips to Alton Towers, the National Space Centre, Harry Potter Studio tours and shopping excursions, alongside on-site archery and competitive quizzes.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Government funding covers teaching and learning. Boarding fees are payable and cover accommodation, meals, pastoral care and access to co-curricular activities.

2025-26 boarding fees are: Tailored Boarding (Years 7-13) £4,600 per term or £13,800 per year; Flexi-Boarding £2,300 per term or £6,900 per year. Day students pay no fees; only standard school costs (lunch, trips, music lessons if chosen) apply. Boarding fees are not subject to VAT, reducing effective cost compared to independent boarding schools.

Optional costs include individual music lessons, school lunch surcharges and school journeys. The school operates with Forces' Boarding Schools Allowance (Continuity of Education Allowance, CEA) approval, supporting military families.

School day runs 8:30 AM to 3:45 PM. Wraparound care in the form of before-school and after-school activities is embedded in the boarding model. Day students can access lunchtime clubs and representative activities extending into early evening.

Entry to the school occurs primarily at Year 7 (age 11) and Year 12 (age 16), with occasional in-year places. There is no catchment area, and day places are non-selective, allocated by distance according to local authority criteria (looked-after children, siblings, proximity). Year 7 and 12 are the main entry points.

Boarding places require an aptitude assessment for Flexi-Boarding applicants (Year 7 entry) and a formal boarding interview. The school invites successful Year 7 applicants to a "Boarding Taster" day, where students spend time in a house, meet current Year 7 boarders, sample lessons and stay overnight. This is not part of the admissions decision but ensures families understand the boarding environment before committing.

Day places for Year 7 must be applied for through the local authority Common Application Form (CAF), with application deadline typically 31 October in the year before entry. National Offer Day is 1 March. Distance-based allocation means families must live relatively close to school (often within 2 miles) to secure day places due to consistent oversubscription. Boarding places bypass distance criteria; families from across the UK and overseas are welcome.

Sixth form entry (Year 12) requires GCSE grades commensurate with university entrance requirements — typically grade 5 passes in core subjects and grade 6+ in subjects being studied at A-level.

The boarding house functions as home. Matrons and Housemasters live on-site with their families, ensuring pastoral presence beyond school hours. The established routine — supervised prep, meal times, evening activities, weekend trips — creates structure particularly valued by families navigating busy working lives or separation due to military service, overseas work or other circumstances. Boarders develop resilience, independence and lifelong friendships within their house community. Inter-house competitions in sports, music and academics maintain friendly rivalry across the year groups.

Staff diversity reflects modern Britain. The school employs practitioners across multiple ethnicities, creating visible role models. The school explicitly welcomes students from all faiths and none, though it retains its Church of England character and offers chapel services, prayer and Christian perspectives within the curriculum. Religious education covers multiple faiths; students are not pressured toward explicit Christian practice.

Boarding culture varies by student. Tailored Boarding provides flexibility, but full-time boarding requires separation from home. Families should honestly assess whether their child thrives with structured evening routines, shared living space and limited daily contact with parents. Some students flourish; others find homesickness challenging. The boarding taster is valuable for testing fit.

Day place competition is intense. The school consistently receives more applications than places for day entry. Families relying on day places should verify distance from school before planning moves. Boarding places bypass distance constraints, making them more accessible to families further afield but requiring financial commitment.

A-level results are solid but not elite. The school excels at GCSE but performs at middle-English level at A-level. Families seeking top-tier sixth form coaching for Oxbridge-targeting students should note this. The school's sixth form strength lies in pastoral support and broadening interests rather than exam machinery.

Rugby dominance is real. Sport is highly valued, particularly rugby. Students less interested in sport may feel the cultural emphasis, though 45+ alternative clubs ensure genuine options exist.

Old Swinford Hospital offers something rare: boarding education in a state school, combining affordable access with university-comparable facilities and a co-curriculum that rivals independent schools. The 358-year heritage creates stability and a sense of continuity; Foley's original aim — to prepare young people for life in the wider world — remains embedded in practice. GCSE results are consistently above England average (top 25%), boarding is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and the community spirit is genuine. The school suits families seeking a full boarding or flexible boarding experience at state school cost; day families wanting community beyond lessons; students who thrive in structured, supportive environments; and those valuing breadth of co-curricular opportunity alongside traditional academics. For families already geographically distant from school, boarding provides accessibility. For local families, day places offer excellent value if you live within distance. The main caveat is that A-level results plateau at middle-England performance; this is a strong GCSE school and good sixth form, not an elite academic institution.