Culford School A GSG School Review
What is included in the Culford School review?
Academic results & facilities
Pastoral care and inclusivity
Fees, scholarships & bursary information
Information about the head
Teaching and learning approaches
Entrance & admissions information
Exit information - where do the children go next?
Learning support & SEN information
Arts, sports and extracurricular
Pupils & parents (what are they really like?)
What The Good Schools Guide says..
The ‘Culford bubble’ that parents and staff talk about is suddenly apparent. Easy to forget there is an outside world whilst cocooned in this cornucopia of beauty. School well aware of this, as are pupils, who appreciate how lucky they are. Sport is king at this school, particularly tennis. Rated the best co-educational school in the country for tennis by the LTA, Culford attracts pupils from all over the world because of it. One of the first genuinely co-ed boarding schools in the country...
Read more- Culford School
Culford
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP28 6TX - Head: Mrs Claire Bentley MEd
- T 01284 385308
- F 01284 385513
- E admissions@culford.co.uk
- W www.culford.co.uk/
- Culford School is a mainstream independent school for pupils aged from 13 to 18 with a linked junior school. Culford day fees £10,830 - £25,545 and boarding fees are £32,790 - £40,500 pa. Interested in reading more? Access our unbiased Culford School and Culford Preparatory School and Pre-Prep review.
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: Suffolk
- Pupils: 890; sixth formers: 137
- Religion: Methodist
- Fees: Day £25,545; Boarding £32,790 - £40,500 pa
- Open days: March
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
- ISI report: View the ISI report
- Linked schools: Culford Preparatory School and Pre-Prep
What the school says...
Culford is an HMC co-educational school with an 'Oustanding' Ofsted rating. Boarding is available from age 7 and the school is set in 480 acres of beautiful Suffolk parkland with a magnificent 18th century mansion at its centre. Recent developments include: new short game golf area, with indoor golf swing studio; two dance studios; strength and conditioning suite; recording studio; Studio Theatre; championship-standard indoor tennis centre with high performance coaching. A multi-million pound new library opened in September 2015. Culford now offers specialist hockey, rugby, swimming, tennis and golf scholarships, as well as academic, art, design, drama, music and sports awards. ...Read more
Do you know this school?
The schools we choose, and what we say about them, are founded on parents’ views. If you know this school, please share your views with us.
Please login to post a comment.
Other features
Music and dance scheme - government funding and grants available to help with fees at selected independent music and dance schools.
All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.
Performing arts specialist school
Sports
Equestrian centre or equestrian team - school has own equestrian centre or an equestrian team.
Since 2023, Claire Bentley MEd, previously acting head and before that deputy head.
Entry into nursery via taster sessions, pre-prep by day’s assessment and taster session. Prep by entrance exam, entry to senior school automatic from prep, entrance exam if external student. Largeish intake at year 7, mainly from the state, and larger again in year 9 from local prep schools, including the Cambridge contingent. Sixth form requires six GCSEs, including maths and English, grades 5+ (and grade 6+ in subjects to be studied at A level). Flexibility is key. Unusual for a sibling to be turned away if they don’t make the grade: ‘We are a family school.’
Learn more about Culford School
in our fiercely impartial, straight-talking and thoroughly researched review like no other...
Read the full review in moments and also get unlimited access to 1450 more
We’ve helped generations of parents choose the right good school for their child.
Our reviewer spent all day at Culford School to fully absorb the atmosphere and get all the information you need.
They interrogated the head, spoke with parents and teachers, spent time in classrooms and even ate lunch with the pupils to truly get to the heart of the school.
The result? The most comprehensive, accurate review of Culford School you’ll read.
Find out more
Learn more about what’s in our school reviews, read a sample review for free, and see what else you’ll get access to on our website by signing up.
Already subscribed? Login here.
Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
We are an independent selective school that has a very clear academic emphasis. We do aim to meet individual needs within a mainstream setting through the delivery of a differentiated curriculum. We have pupils with SEN. Mild dyslexia; mild dyspraxia and mild dyscalculia are the most common difficulties. We do not have a dedicated SEN unit but we do have fully qualified specialist staff who provide learning support lessons on a withdrawal basis. 10-09
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Might cover/be referred to as;
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, Autism, High functioning autism, Neurodivergent, Neurodiversity, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), PDA , Social skills, Sensory processing disorder |
|
| HI - Hearing Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Hearing Impairment, HI - Hearing Impairment |
|
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Learning needs, MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty |
|
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment, Sensory processing |
|
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, Genetic , OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, Tics, Tourettes |
|
| PD - Physical Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
PD - Physical Disability |
|
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, Global delay, Global developmental delay, PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty |
|
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Might cover/be referred to as;
Anxiety , Complex needs, Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), Mental Health, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Trauma |
|
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
Might cover/be referred to as;
DLD - Developmental Language Disorder, Selective mutism, SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication |
|
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty, Cerebral Palsy (CP) |
|
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Auditory Processing, DCD, Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Handwriting, Other specific learning difficulty, SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) |
Y |
| VI - Visual Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Special facilities for Visually Impaired, VI - Visual Impairment |
Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldwickbury School | 2024 | 1 | 1 | 1 Tennis Scholarship |
| Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School | 2024 | 2 | ||
| Old Buckenham Hall School | 2024 | 2 | 1 | Sports Scholarship (1) |
| St Faith's | 2024 | 2 | ||
| St John's College School | 2024 | 1 | ||
| Town Close Preparatory School | 2024 | 2 | 1 | Drama Scholarship |
The Good Schools Guide newsletter
Educational insight in your inbox. Sign up for our popular newsletters.