Co-ed boarding school near London

Leighton Park is a leading co-educational boarding school in Reading, Berkshire for ages 11-18 offering weekly and full boarding options. Based a short distance from London, we offer modern, family-feel weekly boarding for girls and boys, underpinned by the School's Quaker values. We have a junior co-ed boarding house for 11 to 13 year olds and separate girls' and boys' senior boarding houses for students 14 to 18 years old.
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Students walking in the school park

Why choose a boarding school near London?
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Our London families choose us for many different reasons, whether for the beautiful grounds and calm, safe environment, the strength of our pastoral care,  the richness of our co-curricular programme or our leading academic progress.

Find out why we won Senior School of the Year in the natinoal Independent Schools Association Awards 2023. We were also a finalist in the Independent Senior School of the Year in the TES Schools Awards 2023.

Our modern boarding environment helps our boarding students grow, to find themselves – and to succeed as themselves. Our calm, purposeful approach is very difficult to find in busy London schools. As a boarding school near London, our students can benefit from all the advantages of being close to London and Oxford but within a safe, healthy and kind environment.

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Choosing the best weekly boarding school for your child

Top performing boarding school near London

The UK Government's most recent analysis places Leighton Park as the best performing school in Berkshire for the academic progress achieved by our Sixth Form leavers.
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National leader for Pupil Personal Development

We won the ISA national award for Excellence in Pupil Personal Development 2022. Our students gain confidence and a strong sense of purpose to achieve their potential.
Future Changemakers +

Multi Award-winning Pastoral care

Our leading pastoral care is underpinned by small tutor groups, first name terms, innovative use of technology and close support for students to develop a strong sense of self.
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Excellent in all areas - ISI Report

The Independent School Inspectorate (ISI) have awarded Leighton Park a ‘double excellent’ standard, the highest possible attainment for an independent school.
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Learn more about the Houses

Fryer House (Year 7 & 8)

Our junior boarding house provides a nurturing, kind family-feel home for our 11 and 12 year old boarders
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Girls' House (Reckitt House)

Home to our 65 senior boarding girls, Reckitt is located near the sports fields and surrounded by oaks trees
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Boys' House (School House)

Home to our 65 senior boarding boys, School is located near the restaurant and 25m indoor swimming pool
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Hear from our boarders

Our boarding students are a wonderful bunch. Browse our 45 individual videos to meet some of them.
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Explore our girls' boarding house in our Interactive Tour

Recent national awards

Independent Senior School of the Year 2023

Leighton Park won the prestigious Senior School of the Year award at the Indpendent Schools Association ISA Awards 2023. We were also a Finalist for the Award for Excellence in Sustainability in the same awards.
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Pastoral Development of the Year 2023

Leighton Park is a Finalist for the Pastoral Development of the Year Award 2023 with the National Association of Pastoral Care in Education (NAPCE). This is one of the most highly regarded awards in the education sector.
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Independent Senior School of the Year 2023

Leighton Park has been shortlisted for the prestigious ‘Independent Senior School of the Year’ award in the 2023 TES (Times Education Supplement) School Awards. This is one of the most sought after awards in education, recognising leading practice in the country’s top schools.
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Excellence in Pupil Personal Development 2022

Leighton Park won the national ISA Award for Excellence in Pupil Personal Development. Rudolf Eliott Lockhart, CEO of ISA commented: "Leighton Park School inspires the changemakers of tomorrow with their values-based education. This is an ethos that runs throughout the whole school."
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Transport for London boarding families
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  • Weekly boarding transport routes from Chiswick and Gerrards Cross
  • Routes pick up on Monday morning and drop off Friday evening
  • Reading is a stop on the Queen Elizabeth Line (Crossrail)
  • Transit from Reading Train Station
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Curriculum
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Within our holistic curricular, Leighton Park is particularly well-known for its strength in the following areas:

STEAM is a particular strength at Leighton Park, empowering our students to tackle complex problems by combining the analytical skills from Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths with creative habits of mind from the Arts.

Music – Students have so many opportunities to play or perform at Leighton Park. The arts are so important for developing their confidence and creativity, bringing the community together to celebrate talent and appreciate difference.

Ethical Changmaking is about social business and active citizenship. It’s about giving our students the critical thinking and leadership skills, the values and the character to be change-makers.

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Curriculum
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Our elite athletes benefit from a programme of support run by our Head of Athletic Development. This includes bespoke strength and conditioning programmes in our state of the art strength and conditioning centre, as well as additional sports psychology, diet and nutrition support, trips to some of the top facilities in the country and inspirational talks from leading athletes and outside speakers.

Sports Scholars benefit from our partnership with Go Perform, who give medical support physiotherapy and training on avoiding injuries.

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Hear from our boarding students
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Our boarding students come from 43 different countries, with around 50% from the UK. The boarding houses are vibrant and cosmopolitan, full of fun and an exceptionally supportive environment in which to live, learn and grow.

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Boarding at Leighton Park School

5 Reasons Why Leighton Park's Weekly Boarding is the Ideal Choice for Your Family

Balanced Family and School Life: Leighton Park’s weekly boarding offers the perfect balance for busy families. As a boarding school near london, our young people are able to make the most of everything the school offers and develop deep friendships in boarding, while spending quality time with family at weekends.

Personalised Attention and Support: Our boarding programme ensures that each student receives individualised attention, fostering academic excellence and personal growth. Five of our teachers live in each boarding house, ensuring exceptional pastoral and academic support. Our barding students consistently outperform our Day Students in their academic progress.

Rich Co-curricular Activities: With a diverse range of activities, Leighton Park enhances students’ skills beyond academics, promoting a well-rounded education. This is a key part of our commitment to Pupil Personal Development, for which we won the national Independent Schools Association Award 2022.

Safe and Nurturing Environment: The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority. Our nurturing boarding community helps students thrive. With 65 acres of beautiful parkland, Leighton Park offers a safe, calm learning environment 25 minutes on the train from Central London and Oxford.

Preparation for Future Success: Leighton Park’s weekly boarding equips students with the skills, independence and confidence needed for university and beyond. Our Careers Department supported 100% of our Oxbridge candidates to achieve invitations for interview this year, with students achieving exceptional offers to top Russel Group universities and leading specialist arts centres alike.

One of the main things I like about LP, that made it stand out from all the other schools I visited, is the sense of inclusiveness. Everyone is given an opportunity to try new things, learn and grow as a person.

Danielle, Upper Sixth

How can we help?

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Shinfield Road
Reading
Berkshire, UK
RG2 7DE
+44 (0) 118 987 9600
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