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Head's welcome

Matthew walking with students

Inspiring Achievement
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We are a school that inspires Achievement with Values, Character and Community. This is the Leighton Park difference and has been since our Quaker foundation in the nineteenth century. The School is distinctive and original in each of these areas. Nurturing young people of real character and confidence, with a determined desire to make a difference. Read on to see some illustrative examples or click on the image of me on my bike to see a welcome video.

In the video I say that Leighton Park is in the top 3% in the UK for the academic progress our Sixth Form leavers make. I’m pleased to say that since I recorded this we are now in the top 0.3%, the best performing school in Berkshire and the 14th best performing boarding school in England.

I am delighted to introduce Luke Walters, who will join Leighton Park as Head in September 2025. Luke is terrific appointment and I look forward to working with him as he transitions into his new role.

Matthew Judd, Head

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Matthew Judd cycling

Luke Walters: Our New Head from Sept 2025
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Hear from our incoming Head, Luke Walters, as he speaks to some of our students about his new role at Leighton Park.

Luke comes to the School with a remarkable track record of success from Christ’s Hospital, where he is currently Deputy Head. Luke speaks enthusiastically about his new role, commenting: “I am committed to fostering an environment where kindness, compassion, and a holistic approach to learning are as vital as academic excellence. By nurturing both the hearts and minds of our students, we will ensure they not only succeed in their studies but also grow into thoughtful, resilient individuals, ready to make a positive impact on the world.”

You can read more about his appointment on our news article.

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Luke in interview

Achievement

Free, deep thinking scholarship is prized at Leighton Park. Students achieve excellent outcomes and leave well prepared for university and life. Interdisciplinary, creative problem solving, giving our students the skills to be changemakers and a passion for music are three ways that we distinguish what happens at Leighton Park.

Achievement shines brightest when it spans across the different facets of a student’s character. Our first priority is to support our young people to live adventurously and gain a strong, purposeful sense of self. From this foundation, we do everything we can to support students to realise their talents and to succeed as themselves.

Values

Quaker values of Simplicity, Truth, Respect, Integrity, Peace, Equality and Sustainability guide the School. At Leighton Park these values have currency and purpose. They are seen in:

  • Reflection: silent reflection is built into the School day, in assemblies, tutor time, and meal times
  • Mutual respect: students call teachers by their first names, enabling supportive relationships in which students feel able to ask questions
  • Valuing each individual: Leighton Park’s culture encourages all students to get involved and creates a safe, nurturing space to try new activities or interests
  • Sustainability: our Changemakers programme emphasises social action, service and experiential learning, with a link to environmental sustainability.

Character

Leighton Park students are encouraged to have real personality. We seek to reveal young people of character and independence; Individuals who are creative and free-thinking with a clear, confident sense of selfhood. Every student is encouraged to have self-discipline, self-respect and self-awareness. Our students have:

  • An incredible choice of 90 co-curricular hobbies, enabling students to find something they really love doing
  • A broad and relevant Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship and Education programme
  • An inclusive approach to music, drama and sport
  • A flexible wrap around School day offering students the opportunity to stay late for hobbies or supervised prep.

Community

Our students demonstrate an important ability to understand and appreciate difference, as well as a commitment to service. It is this sense of community at Leighton Park that makes it such a wonderfully inclusive and aspirational environment. Examples include:

  • The empowering strength and warmth of relationships between members of the School community
  • Amicus, our student-led charity
  • Creativity, Activity, Service programme
  • Peer mentoring scheme for students
  • Active programme of international trips and exchanges.

Please do come and see for yourself what happens on the Park. You are assured a very warm welcome.

ISI Inspection: Excellent in All Areas

The Independent School Inspectorate (ISI) have awarded Leighton Park ‘excellent’ in all areas, the highest possible attainment for an independent school, in recognition of both the quality of pupils’ personal development and the quality of their academic progress.

Key findings:

The quality of the pupils’ academic and other achievements is excellent.

  • Pupils’ performance in public examinations has shown significant improvement in recent years.
  • Pupils, including those with SEND/EAL, make extremely good progress from their starting points.
  • Pupils have very well-developed communication skills; they are articulate and confident speakers and listen and respond with notable maturity.
  • Pupils show extremely positive attitudes to learning and are hardworking and resilient.

The quality of the pupils’ personal development is excellent.

  • Pupils have a highly developed spiritual understanding and an appreciation of the non-material aspects of life which is underpinned by the School’s Quaker values.
  • Pupils demonstrate extremely well-developed moral awareness in their behaviour and in their attitudes to others.
  • Pupils show an outstanding commitment to contributing to their School, including boarding, to local communities and to the wider world.
  • Pupils’ belief in the importance of respect, tolerance, equality, and kindness is strongly evident in their behaviour and relationships.

Read the full report

See what our students think

Ananya smiling

Ananya

41 Points at IB | English and History, University of Warwick

"I like the different platforms in which students can express their concerns and ask for change, such as the Monthly Meeting or Food Council, as I feel that it makes LP unique and shows that the student opinion is valued."
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IB Diploma Programme - Antonia at Old School

Antonia

43 points on IB | Medicine, a university in Germany

"Being at Leighton Park school has helped me grow as a person in so many ways. At Leighton Park school everybody is accepted for who they are and gets supported in every possible way to achieve their goals. As IB allowed me such a wide range of subjects (including TOK), I feel prepared to take the next step and start studying medicine in September. I will always remember those two wonderful years at Leighton Park school and the awesome community who supported me in every situation."
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Ravi Nathwani playing guitar

RAVI

A, A, A AT A LEVEL | MUSIC, THE ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC

“I have a huge debt to repay to the Leighton Park staff, especially music, for providing me with so many opportunities and having a belief in my abilities. I certainly wouldn’t be dreaming of a career in Music, let alone applying to conservatories, without their support.”
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Ahmer Adnan smiling

Ahmer

A*, A*, A*, A at A Level with an A* EPQ | Medicine, Imperial College

"Sixth form at LP is a truly unique experience. In the classroom, teachers push you to your academic limits and provide support to develop you beyond them, fuelling a life long passion for your subjects and helping you achieve to the best of your ability. We are encouraged to think 'outside the box', beyond the syllabus and research topics of interest. Not only does LP develop you academically but also as a person."
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Dance

"Leighton Park is kind, I love the fact that pupils can call teachers by their first names. There is a lot of mutual respect - with teachers having a lot of respect for individuality - no matter what the child is trying to do, the teachers will try and support them."

Leighton Park parent

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