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Photo of Wycombe Abbey
Reviewed

Wycombe Abbey

Independent school · High Wycombe, HP11 1PE
  • Secondary
  • Girls
  • Ages 11-18
  • From £44,496 pa
  • 651 pupils
  • Boarding
We've reviewed this school • Unlock to access

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.

Why read our school review?

Unlike other websites, schools can't pay to be included in The Good Schools Guide. This means our review of this school is independent, critical and fair, and written with parents' best interests at heart.

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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)

School
69%
LA avg.
32%
Eng. avg.
20%
Data highlight

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
10-22
Average class sizes (up to 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

0 %
Students with a SEN EHCP
12 %
Students with SEN support

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

579
Total boarders
579
Full time boarders

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.

Updated Sep 2024

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

651
Number of pupils

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

Wycombe Abbey  school badge

What the school says

Wycombe Abbey is a world leader in girls’ boarding education and a place where academic excellence, empathy and integrity thrive. Built on more than 125 years of educating young women, the School’s vision is to be at the forefront of girls’ boarding education and recognised globally as a world class school. A Wycombe Abbey education encourages curiosity, problem-solving, innovation, leadership and a delight in learning – inside and outside the classroom. Surrounded by 170 acres of parkland and 25 minutes from London, the School is in an ideal location and it has a culture that stimulates and inspires every day of the week.

Our learning environment is supportive yet challenging, preparing girls to be successful leaders of themselves and others through an exceptional school experience. We offer outstanding teaching by subject specialists. We are consistently one of the country’s top-performing schools and our pupils move on to leading universities globally each year. We believe that education is not simply about delivering a curriculum or examination syllabi but that real learning stems from stimulating intellectual interest and nurturing a deep love for subjects that stays with our pupils throughout their lives. Our five academic qualities of Risk-taking, Resourcefulness, Determination, Reflection and Development are embedded in the curriculum and promote lifelong learning skills and success. They support our vision of ensuring academic excellence and a future-focussed approach.

Each pupil has opportunities to explore new possibilities through our extensive co-curricular programme, which includes the performing arts, sport, charity work, committees, societies and the chance to go on a range of amazing trips. Whether a girl is an aspiring aerospace engineer or anthropologist, there are many activities and resources available to her. We ensure girls are able to take intellectual risks and build resilience, as well as learning to work as a team.

Boarding is key to our success, creating a culture that empowers girls to achieve their best, academically and socially. Given the nature of boarding life, girls carve out a unique learning path according to their interests and have the space to thrive. When girls join us in Year 7 they start in Junior House, which enables them to settle into boarding and School life. In Years 8 – 12, they join one of nine Senior Houses and live in mixed-aged dorms, and our Year 13 pupils spend their last year of school together again in Clarence House, which provides independent living where they have more freedom and responsibility and is a stepping stone to university life. Wellbeing at Wycombe Abbey is centred on the needs of the girls; with a dedicated pastoral team, girls flourish, feel confident and are supported in every aspect of their development.

There is no such thing as a typical Wycombe Abbey pupil; we are looking for motivated girls with potential – young women who will enjoy actively engaging with and contributing to Wycombe Abbey life.

Last updated 17 October 2024

Key links to information you need

Contact the school

Address

Frances Dove Way
High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire
HP11 1PE
Get directions

Have you considered?

School data & information Wycombe Abbey Frances Dove Way, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP11 1PE
651 Pupil numbers
187 Sixth form numbers
579 Total boarders
579 Full time boarders
10-22 Average class sizes (up to GCSE)

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.

Updated Sep 2024
Our review contains additional results data reported to us by Wycombe Abbey and is updated annually. See the review

GCSE-level results data is not reliably reported on for independent schools. We have chosen to show only the results achieved in individual subjects. Find out more

Subjects entered at GCSE level (2024)

Pupils attending this school entered exams in these subjects. The list only includes qualifications approved for inclusion in the performance measures. The subjects and qualifications on offer at this school may change year on year. For a full list of subjects and qualifications on offer at this school, visit the school or college website or contact the school directly. Find out more

Subject Qualification Entries Avg. grade
Spanish GCSE (9-1) Full Course 44 9
Russian GCSE (9-1) Full Course 7 9
Religious Studies GCSE (9-1) Full Course 48 9
Latin GCSE (9-1) Full Course 37 9
German GCSE (9-1) Full Course 8 9
French GCSE (9-1) Full Course 59 9
Drama & Theatre Studies GCSE (9-1) Full Course 13 9
Classical Greek GCSE (9-1) Full Course 11 9
Chinese GCSE (9-1) Full Course 8 9
Art & Design GCSE (9-1) Full Course 19 9

% of pupils achieving AAB or higher, including at least 2 facilitating subjects (2024)

School
69%
LA avg.
32%
Eng. avg.
20%

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.

Average points score (2024)

School
51.87
LA avg.
39.63
Eng. avg.
35.69

What is this?

These figures tell you the average grade and average points that pupils achieved in their academic qualifications. A maximum of 60 points are available for a grade A* at A level.

Subjects entered at 16 to 18 (2024)

Pupils attending this school entered exams in these subjects. The list only includes qualifications approved for inclusion in the performance measures. The subjects and qualifications on offer at this school may change year on year. For a full list of subjects and qualifications on offer at this school, visit the school or college website or contact the school directly. Find out more

Subject Qualification Entries Avg. grade
Spanish GCE A level 7 A*
Religious Studies GCE A level 21 A*
Psychology GCE A level 13 A
Physics GCE A level 11 A*
Mathematics (Further) GCE A level 19 A*
Mathematics GCE A level 59 A*
Latin GCE A level 9 A*
History of Art GCE A level 8 A*
History GCE A level 12 A*
Government and Politics GCE A level 9 A
Geography GCE A level 15 A*
French GCE A level 10 A*
English Literature GCE A level 19 A*
Economics GCE A level 25 A*
Classical Civilisation GCE A level 8 A*
Chemistry GCE A level 43 A
Biology GCE A level 37 A

Entry and exit data

Here we report figures on pupils moving between schools at the usual entry and exit points, as well as student destinations into higher education. We publish publically available data for state schools. For independent schools, The Good Schools Guide collects data from its prep schools as to where their pupils go on to. Find out more

Our review contains additional entry and exit data reported to us and is updated annually. See the review

Recent feeder schools

SEN overview

Wycombe Abbey is a mainstream school. The school may provide support for students with special educational needs as detailed below. If you require more information on conditions the school can support, we encourage you to contact the school directly.

SEN statement

Provided by the school and not part of our review

The School is selective with entry by examination and so caters only for academically able girls. Girls with SpLD are given extra support by specialist teachers with SpLD qualifications. The Learning Support Co-ordinator works closely with staff and Housemistresses to ensure the girls are supported. Girls are given special examination provision where appropriate.

10-09

0 %
Students with a SEN EHCP UK mainstream school avg. 2%
12 %
Students with SEN support UK mainstream school avg. 12%

SEN conditons supported

No information available from the school. Find out more.

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