Ages 
A contemporary, forward-looking school, with traditions but without entitlement. Academic excellence a given, it is the opportunities offered outside the classroom which ultimately set Bancroftians up for life. Social and ethnic mix is a reflection of the world we live in where tolerance, kindness and courage are perhaps as relevant as outstanding grades. A wide-ranging education - a means to an end, rather than an end in itself.
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Overview & data
- Pupil numbers
- 1,134 ·
- Sixth form numbers
- 232 ·
- Religion
- C of E
- Fees
- £25,281 - £30,144 pa
- Local authority
- London Borough of Redbridge
- Linked schools
Headteacher
Head
Alex Frazer
Since September 2024, Alex Frazer, previously director of projects at North London Collegiate School. He has also been head of Wolverhampton Grammar School in the West Midlands and senior deputy head and deputy head (academic) at Mill Hill School.
Entrance
At 7+, about 60 children into the prep. Children visit on two separate occasions and are tested in reading, writing and maths. ‘It’s children’s motivation that matters,’ says school, ‘not feverish tutoring.’ At 11+, all the children from prep aut
- Open days
- May, June and October
Exit
Around 10 per cent leave after GCSEs. Typically, over 70 per cent go to Russell Group universities and at least a few to Oxbridge (three in 2024). London Universities (UCL, Imperial, King’s College London, University of London) are a traditional f
Latest results
In 2024, 91 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; 75 per cent A*/A at A level (92 per cent A*-B).
% of pupils achieving AAB or higher, including at least 2 facilitating subjects (2024)
What is this?
Facilitating A levels are ones that are commonly needed for entry to leading universities. They are: biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, further mathematics, geography, history, English literature and classical or modern languages. The % of pupils achieving AAB or higher may therefore decrease if many pupils have opted not to take two or more of the facilitating subjects mentioned.
Teaching & learning
Ambitious parents and bright children set the scene, arriving full of expectation, as one parent put it, ‘of speed, pace and depth’. The traditionally strong STEM subjects are ‘brilliantly taught’ by teachers who are equally aspirational and ‘stil
- Qualifications taken in 2024
- A level
- EPQ
- GCSE
Learning support & SEN
School aims to identify as quickly as possible, through screening and tracking, any pupil who requires learning support or who is potentially under-performing. Additional help will vary: one-to-one support or group study skills or revision clinics
Arts & extracurricular
The music departments, prep and senior, are vibrant and collaborative. Thirty peripatetic music teachers offer some 450 lessons a week. ‘Music is truly a pleasure not a chore,’ said one satisfied parent; ‘my children genuinely love being part of i
Sport
Need to let off steam before the day begins? Try the 8am daily morning mile round the running track, open to all pupils and teachers from the prep up. Or, if that’s not early enough, the early swim at 7am! The 4.5-acre site also enjoys large playi
Ethos & heritage
Founded in Mile End Road in 1737 (now the site of QMC) after Francis Bancroft bequeathed a sum to the Drapers’ Company ‘to establish a school for one hundred poor boys aged between seven and fifteen’. The Drapers’ Company remains a trustee and sti
Pastoral care, inclusivity & discipline
Students in need have a number of options: the school nurse is a ‘delightful safe pair of hands’, the three school counsellors are available for self-referral or to be referred to, and the form tutor, head of year and housemaster or mistress are a
Mobile phone policy
A clear mobile phone policy is a really important part of modern schooling. This school has provided us with their policy.
Mobile phone policy
Provided by the school and not part of our review All pupils must store their mobile phones in lockers during school hours. Sixth form students may keep phones on their person and use them in designated sixth form areas only.
Pupils & parents
Largely local intake, but also from the wider area of north and east London: Stoke Newington, Enfield, London Fields, Ilford and Romford. Good transport links - both bus and Central Line, with minibus shuttle from Loughton underground station. Hom
Money matters
Academic awards are offered at 11+ and 16+, with no financial remission of fees; music scholarships cover tuition in one instrument. Echoing the founder’s wish, the Bancroft’s Foundation offers a number of means-tested assisted places, based on pe
- Fee information
- £25,281 - £30,144 pa
The last word
A contemporary, forward-looking school, with traditions but without entitlement. Academic excellence a given, it is the opportunities offered outside the classroom which ultimately set Bancroftians up for life. Social and ethnic mix is a reflectio
