Wycombe Abbey A GSG School Review

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. ...Read more