Ages
Grafters, self-starters and competitive Carolines will get from Wycombe Abbey exactly what their parents sent them there for: A-stars, a glittering array of achievements for their personal statement and a place at a world leading university – not to mention the grit to take on all-comers and the work ethic to tackle the most demanding careers. Such girls will emerge from the experience with a high-flying army of friends for life (and possibly an Etonian boyfriend). Parents of the ‘just want Camilla to be happy’ school of thought, however, should look elsewhere.
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Overview & data
- Pupil numbers
- 651 ·
- Sixth form numbers
- 187 ·
- Offers boarding
- Yes ·
- Religion
- Anglican
- Fees
- Day £44,496; Boarding £58,572 pa
- Local authority
- Buckinghamshire County Council
- Area guides
Headteacher
Headmistress
Jo Duncan
Since 2019, Jo Duncan, previously head of the Royal High School, Bath. Hails from Northern Ireland (‘still home’) where she attended a girls’ grammar school before St Andrews (English and theology), sights set on a career in the law. A prophetic A
Entrance
Competitive, although less so than you might think, especially for those also considering London day schools. Around 300 apply for 80 places at 11+, about 160 for 20 places at 13+ and 190 for 20 places at 16+. School now writes own exam papers rat
- Open days
- September
Exit
About 15 per cent leave after GCSEs most years, usually in pursuit of co-education, with the largest number of these heading to Westminster and others to a mixture of co-ed boarding and occasionally high-performing state schools. But with 13 Oxbri
Latest results
In 2024, 97 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; 83 per cent A*/A at A level (95 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
In the exam results Olympics, Wycombe goes for gold. Parents report (mainly, but not exclusively) ‘faultless’ teaching, with the overriding aim to deliver a clean sheet of stellar grades at GCSE and A level. ‘It doesn’t happen by accident,’ reckon
- Qualifications taken in 2024
- A level
- EPQ
- GCSE
Learning support & SEN
Department busier than one might expect. All girls screened on entry with just a small number diagnosed at this point. Pupils this bright are masters of working around issues and school says more come to light as they progress through school – par
Arts & extracurricular
Everything you’d expect on offer and a super array of facilities in which to carry out chosen endeavour, with little hand-holding or coercion; onus very much on girls themselves to go and grab the opportunities. Some parents grumbled that girls ca
Sport
Hugely busy sports department, delivering the full spectrum of offerings from elite to inclusive. Fab facilities from breathtaking outdoor pitches to a fully equipped sports centre (Olympic-sized pool, climbing wall, fencing salle, squash courts,
Boarders
Full boarding or day (for a minority), nothing in between. Less ‘all or nothing’ than it used to be, with school now quite flexible about girls going home at weekends. Some of the loveliest boarding accommodation we’ve seen is spread across the en
Ethos & heritage
Readers familiar with High Wycombe’s Marlow Hill will understand when we say that first sightings of the school from this aspect are, at best, austere and at worst, bleak. Happily, mere moments after a sharp right turn at the foot of the hill, eye
Pastoral care, inclusivity & discipline
Outstanding pastoral care isn’t the first thing you think of, and not every parent we spoke to sang its praises, but for those with daughters who had genuinely needed intervention during their time here (with eg mental health problems, eating diso
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
Mobile Phone Rules for September 2024 Upper Third to Lower Fifth pupils (Year 7 - Year 10) Pupils in these year groups will be required to keep their mobile phones in House throughout the School day. Day Boarders will be asked to hand their mobile phones into either the School Office or House at the start of the day and can collect them once the day has finished at 5:20pm. Upper Fifth, Sixth Form pupils (Year 11 - Year 13) Pupils in these year groups will be adopting the guidance terminology of 'never used, seen and heard'. Pupils will be permitted to bring their mobile phones into School during the School day but can only use their phones in designated spaces. The guidance stipulates the use of mobile phones, if permitted during the day, should be prohibited in front of younger pupils. Therefore, they will not be allowed to use their mobile phones in communal spaces, such as the Courtyard Café, the Main School Dining Room or in School corridors. App Filtering Apps will be blocked on the School Wi-Fi for year groups based on the recommended age rating. Therefore, apps that have a 13+ age rating, for example TikTok, Instagram and WhatsApp, will be blocked for Upper Third and Lower Fourth pupils.
Pupils & parents
By and large, a school with more than its fair share of wealthy parents. Not so much the green welly brigade (although there are some), more the global elite: hard-working, successful, with clear ideas about education; discerning, highly educated
Money matters
Fees tipping over the £40K mark not an issue for most parents. Seven per cent of cohort (around 30 girls) on full bursaries; head has ambition to triple this by 2026. Academic and music scholarships (‘not a big thing – we ask parents to put discou
- Fee information
- Day £44,496; Boarding £58,572 pa
The last word
Grafters, self-starters and competitive Carolines will get from Wycombe Abbey exactly what their parents sent them there for: A-stars, a glittering array of achievements for their personal statement and a place at a world leading university – not
