This guide answers the questions international families most often ask about Chigwell School（奇格韦尔学校）: what kind of school it is, which programmes it offers, how entry is assessed, what it costs, and how the application process works. All facts below come from the school’s official website (chigwell-school.org) as of 5 August 2026; fees and dates are reviewed annually, so always check the official site for the latest version.
Chigwell School at a glance
Chigwell Schoolis an academically selective independent school for boys and girls aged 4 to 18, located in the village of Chigwell in Essex, on the edge of Epping Forest and on the Central Line, around 35 to 40 minutes from the City of London by Tube. The school was founded in 1629 by Samuel Harsnett, Archbishop of York, originally for 16 poor scholars, and describes itself as a warm, family-style community with an Anglican foundation that welcomes pupils and staff of all ethnic and religious backgrounds. The site covers about 100 acres, and from the school grounds you can see the City of London skyline. Chigwell School is essentially a day school: boarding is offered only to international students in the Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13). The school is organised in five stages: Pre Prep (Reception to Year 2), Prep (Year 3 to Year 6), Lower School (Year 7 to Year 8), Senior School (Year 9 to Year 11) and Sixth Form (Year 12 to Year 13).
Programmes and curriculum
Chigwell School’s curriculum builds stage by stage. In Years 7 to 9, pupils study English, maths, geography, history, religious studies, art, design and technology, computer science, Latin, music, drama, biology, chemistry and physics, and rotate through French, German and Spanish before choosing one language to continue. At GCSE (Years 10 and 11), all pupils take English Language, English Literature, maths, at least one foreign language (French, German, Spanish or Latin) and the sciences, with most pupils gaining three GCSEs in physics, chemistry and biology and some taking double award science; they then choose three further subjects from art (fine art or graphic communication), computer science, design and technology, drama, geography, history, music, PE and religious studies. In the Sixth Form, most Chigwell School students take three A Levels; further maths counts as one subject when taken alongside maths. A Levels currently offered include English literature, economics, business studies, computer science, geography, politics, PE, history, religious studies, classical civilisation, Greek, Latin, modern languages (French, German, Spanish), art and design, design and technology, drama, music, maths and further maths, biology, chemistry, physics and psychology. The Sixth Form also runs a non-examined enrichment programme and offers the Extended Project Qualification. For international students, English support runs throughout the school, and boarding applicants must provide proof of English ability as part of their application.
Entry points and assessment
Chigwell School has five entry points: 4+ (Reception, Pre Prep), 7+ (Year 3, Prep), 11+ (Year 7, Lower School), 13+ (Year 9, Senior School) and 16+ (Year 12, Sixth Form), each with its own assessment format. At 4+ there is a group assessment; at 7+ pupils sit papers in English and maths, with specimen papers published on the official site; at 11+ families first meet senior staff, then candidates sit the entrance examination, and strong performers may be invited to scholarship interviews; at 13+ candidates sit English, maths and a modern foreign language (French, Spanish or German) followed by an interview; at 16+ candidates sit entrance exams and an interview. All candidates are normally expected to provide a reference from their current school. Academic expectations are highest at 16+: the official site states that candidates are expected to achieve grade 8s or 9s in the subjects they will study at A Level, with grade 7s considered on request to the Head of Sixth Form. International students applying for boarding at 16+ must apply directly to Chigwell School, providing an IELTS report (or equivalent), current and previous school reports, a personal statement, the registration fee and a copy of their passport. The entrance test for international boarders is usually English and maths plus one chosen A Level subject, and can be taken on arrival, at an authorised education agency, or at a British Council office; candidates also have an interview with the Head of Sixth Form, which may be conducted by Skype or video conference. The school does not publish a single minimum language score, so English ability is judged through the assessment and interview itself.
Costs for 2026/27
Chigwell School’s official 2026/27 fees are quoted per term and include VAT at 20%: Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 at 7,266 GBP per term; Year 3 and Year 4 at 8,022 GBP; Year 5 and Year 6 at 8,520 GBP; Years 7 to 13 at 10,224 GBP; and full boarding in Years 12 and 13 at 18,360 GBP per term. Fees cover tuition, lunch and afternoon tea, textbooks, sport, clubs and most co-curricular activities; exam fees, the school bus, breakfast club, after-school clubs, homework club and individual music lessons are charged separately. Fees are usually adjusted once a year in September, and the school reserves the right to change them at any time. The registration fee is 180 GBP (inc VAT) per child and is non-refundable. On accepting a place, parents pay a deposit of 1,680 GBP (inc VAT), made up of a day deposit of 1,200 GBP credited towards the first term’s fees, a refundable acceptance deposit of 180 GBP and a retained deposit of 300 GBP. Financial support: bursaries are means-tested against family income and assets and can cover up to 100% of fees, available at 11+ (Year 7), 13+ (Year 9) and 16+ (Year 12) entry; scholarships are awarded on academic merit, mainly at 11+ and Sixth Form entry for day applicants, with academic, sport and music scholarships at 11+, 13+ and 16+, and art and design and drama scholarships at Sixth Form entry, usually as small awards or honorary titles.
Boarding for international students
Boarding at Chigwell School is deliberately small-scale: around 30 Sixth Form international boarders live in three family-style houses on campus, two for girls and one for boys, with around 10 pupils per house living with houseparents and their families. The girls’ houses are Church House and Harsnett’s, and the boys’ house is Hainault House. Houseparents are experienced Chigwell School teachers, such as the Head of Maths running Church House and the Head of Geography running Hainault House. Boarders also belong to the day house system, giving them a double sense of belonging: part of a close international group and part of the wider school community. The school says boarding is designed to help international students adapt to studying and living in the UK and prepare for entry to British universities, and a newly appointed wellbeing lead provides a second layer of pastoral support. Around the campus, the school is set in 100 acres next to Epping Forest, with the Central Line about 35/40 minutes from the City of London; a free electric shuttle bus runs between the school and Buckhurst Hill Tube station (four morning services from 7:20 to 8:00 and four afternoon services from 4:30 to 6:00), and a coach service operated by Kura covers routes across north-east London and Essex. The school serves more than 1,000 meals a day and has on-site health and wellbeing and sports facilities, with a new Sport and Wellness Centre opened in 2023.
Application timeline for September 2027 entry
For September 2027 entry, Chigwell School’s official key dates are: 16+ applications close at 10pm on 12 October 2026, entrance exams and interviews take place on Saturday 21 November 2026, results are released on 30 November 2026 and places must be confirmed by 4 January 2027; late applications remain welcome but are only considered for fee-paying places, and boarding applications must be made directly to the school. At 11+, most meetings are held on Saturdays 14 and 28 November 2026, applications close at 5pm on 25 November 2026, the entrance examination is on Saturday 9 January 2027, results are released on 18 February 2027 and places must be confirmed by 10am on 5 March 2027. At 7+, applications close at 5pm on 1 December 2026, group assessments run from 11 January 2027, the entrance examination is on Saturday 23 January 2027, results are released on 12 February 2027 and places must be confirmed by 10am on 5 March 2027. At 4+, applications close at 5pm on 21 September 2026, assessments run for two weeks from 28 September 2026, results are released on 12 October 2026 and places must be confirmed by 10am on 3 November 2026. At 13+, applications close at 5pm on 11 January 2027, the entrance examination (English, maths and a foreign language) is on 1 February 2027, interviews are on 11 February 2027, results are released on 22 February 2027 and places must be confirmed by 10am on 8 March 2027; the school notes that 13+ places are likely to be extremely limited this year. The school advises registering as early as possible so that meetings and assessments can be arranged comfortably, and families interested in bursaries or scholarships can indicate this on the registration form.
Practical notes for applicants
A few practical points for international families applying to Chigwell School. First, decide which entry point fits your child’s age: 4+, 7+, 11+, 13+ or 16+, since assessment formats and deadlines differ. Second, the 180 GBP registration fee is non-refundable, so register only when you are serious about applying. Third, for 16+ boarding the school asks for an IELTS report or equivalent, school reports, a personal statement, the registration fee and a passport copy, so gather these documents early. Fourth, watch each entry point’s deadline: the 16+ window closes in October 2026 and the 4+ window closes in September 2026, well before the 2027 academic year begins. Fees and dates are reviewed annually, so the figures in this guide reflect the official website as of 5 August 2026 and may change; always rely on the latest version published by Chigwell School. If you would like to map your child’s age, English level and target entry point against the application rhythm at Chigwell School, our advisers can walk you through the details step by step.