This guide is written for international families researching Warminster School（沃敏斯特学校）, a boarding and day school in Wiltshire in the south west of England. It covers the programmes open to international pupils, entry requirements at each stage, the school’s published 2026/27 fees, boarding arrangements, term dates and the application support available. All facts come from the school’s official website (warminsterschool.org.uk), checked on 6 August 2026; where the school publishes no fixed figure, that boundary is stated rather than guessed.
Warminster School at a Glance
Warminster Schoolis a co-educational boarding and day school serving pupils from ages 2 to 18, organised into a nursery (2-4), pre-prep (4-7), prep school (7-11), senior school (11-16) and Sixth Form (16-18). The school’s own pages describe a 60-acre campus in the town of Warminster, over 300 years of history behind its Wren Doorway entrance, and a community-focused ethos built on the values of integrity, service, compassion and kindness. It describes itself as a boarding and day school where international pupils are integrated into the mainstream school community rather than taught separately, with English as an Additional Language (EAL) tuition available for pupils whose first language is not English, at an additional charge. These are the school’s own claims about itself and are offered here as orientation, not as third-party judgement.
Programs for International Students
The most common international entry route at Warminster Schoolis a one-year Pre-IB or one-year GCSE programme, which the school says many international pupils use before continuing into the Sixth Form. In the Sixth Form, pupils choose between three academic routes: the traditional A Level programme, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, and the IB Career-related Programme (IBCP), which the school says only a small number of schools offer. A Level pupils typically start with four subjects and drop to three before the Upper Sixth, completing the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in the Lower Sixth; the school also offers OCR Cambridge Technical vocational courses in business, sport, IT and app development, and engineering. There is also an annual Summer Short Stay immersion course in June and July, which the school describes as a way to experience UK boarding life before committing to a longer placement. EAL lessons are provided where needed for non-native English speakers, charged separately.
Entry Requirements and the Admissions Process
The admissions process at Warminster Schoolstarts with registration: a £150 registration fee is due, the school contacts the pupil’s current school for a report or reference, and the pupil attends a taster day in the year group they are entering. Prep school applicants are normally assessed during the taster day and do not sit formal tests. For Years 7 to 10, applicants take a two-hour online cognitive assessment covering vocabulary, non-verbal reasoning and maths, and meet the Headmaster for an informal discussion, alongside the reference and academic report from their current school.
For the Sixth Form, Warminster Schoolaccepts applications throughout the year. An offer is usually conditional on at least five GCSE passes at grade 5, with a minimum grade 6 in the subjects the pupil wishes to study, followed by an informal interview with the Headmaster or the Head of Sixth Form. On acceptance, a deposit or guarantee fee is payable; the amount is confirmed in the offer letter, the UK deposit being £500 paid via Flywire. The deposit is not refundable if an accepted place is not taken up, and is returned when the pupil leaves, less any extras incurred in the final term. International families are also welcome to visit first: the school runs small open events and one-to-one visits arranged around a real school day.
Fees and Costs for 2026/27
Warminster Schoolpublishes termly fees for 2026/27, all inclusive of VAT at 20%, noting that each termly figure is one third of the annual fee. Prep school day fees per term are: Reception £4,510; Years 1 and 2 £4,878; Year 3 £5,757; Year 4 £6,418; Years 5 and 6 £7,212 (Courtyard Nursery fees are individually quoted). Senior school and Sixth Form fees are quoted in three bands — day, weekly boarding and full boarding. Years 7 and 8: £9,033 / £13,251 / £14,732 per term. Years 9, 10 and 11: £9,033 / £15,065 / £17,187. The one-year Accelerated GCSE / Pre-IB programme: £10,194 / £16,226 / £18,348. Sixth Form A Levels match the Years 9-11 bands; Sixth Form IB matches the Accelerated GCSE bands.
Boarding-related costs at Warminster Schoolfor 2026/27 include flexible boarding at £62 plus VAT per night, with weekly boarding covering five nights Monday to Friday. EAL lessons are charged per term by weekly frequency: one lesson per week £690, two lessons £820, three lessons £960, and four or more lessons £1,120. Learning support is £56 plus VAT per session (£34 for larger groups) with assessments at £145 plus VAT, capped at three one-to-one lessons per week. Optional extras include individual music lessons at £25.50 plus VAT (£13 for shared), instrument hire at £40 plus VAT per term, and personal effects insurance for boarders at £18.50 per term. The school offers a 5% fee reduction for younger siblings in the same family and 10% for Old Verlucian families, with separate concessions for armed forces families, and notes that fees include pupil personal accident insurance of up to £1 million. All 2026/27 figures come from the school’s fee page and are reviewed annually, so confirm against the current website before budgeting.
Boarding and Campus Facilities
From September 2026, Warminster Schoolwill offer full boarding from Year 7 for UK and international pupils. Flexible boarding is available in Years 5 and 6, in Ivy (girls) or St Boniface (boys); full or weekly boarding usually begins in Year 7, with exceptional consideration for Years 5 or 6. Each boarding house is led by a Housemaster or Housemistress supported by a House Matron and assistant Housemasters, and the school runs a year-round programme of activities and trips, including weekends, describing boarding life as a home-from-home. The campus includes the Health & Wellbeing Hub (medical centre, counselling rooms, sensory rooms and quiet spaces), a Forest School on Longleat Estate woodland, five rugby pitches, two football pitches, six rounders pitches, an Astro hockey surface, tennis and netball hard courts, a 400m athletics track and an outdoor swimming pool, plus a science centre, art studios, a photography suite, a design and technology workshop, performance halls and drama studios. Sixth Form pupils use Townroe Lodge, a dedicated study and social centre in the heart of the campus.
Term Dates and Application Support
The published 2026/27 calendar at Warminster Schoolruns: autumn term, staff inset days 1-2 September, new and returning boarders arrive 2 September, all pupils start 3 September, half term begins 16 October with pupils returning 1-2 November, term ends 11 December; spring term, boarders return 4 January, all pupils start 5 January, half term 13-23 February, term ends 27 March; summer term, boarders return 18 April, all pupils start 19 April, half term begins after Speech Day on 29 May, term ends 2 July. The school notes that Quiet Weekends have replaced traditional exeat weekends, with houses and dining hall remaining open but no fixtures or activities scheduled. Because Sixth Form applications are accepted throughout the year and other year groups can be discussed with the admissions team at any point, families typically work backwards from the desired entry date when planning visits, assessments, deposit payment and the student visa process.
Currency, Timing and Data Notes
The facts in this guide are drawn from the official Warminster School website and its published 2026/27 termly fee schedule, both checked on 6 August 2026. Fees are reviewed annually, entry conditions can change with school policy, and visa rules sit outside the school’s control, so always verify the current version of the official website before making commitments. Where this guide states a range or a qualitative description rather than an exact figure, it is because the school publishes no fixed number. For guidance on whether Warminster Schoolfits your child’s year group, English level, subject interests and family budget, consult the study-abroad advisers on this site with your specific situation.