Westonbirt School is a co-educational independent boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 2 to 18, set in 210 acres of parkland in the Cotswolds, about 90 minutes from London. For an international family the practical question is usually the same: what can my child study, what does the school expect at entry, what does it cost, and what support exists around the application itself. This guide answers those questions from the school’s official website, checked on August 5, 2026. The school’s own claims — including its 2023 Independent School of the Year award for co-educational schools and its five-star listing in Fortune’s World’s Leading Boarding Schools 2023 report — are reported as the school’s claims.
Westonbirt School: The Programs on Offer
Westonbirt School divides into a nursery (from age 2), a prep school for ages 2 to 11, a senior school for ages 11 to 18 and a Sixth Form. The nursery offers term-time and year-round attendance with a minimum of two full days per week. Prep pupils share the 210-acre site with the senior school and can use its specialist facilities.
At senior level, Years 7 to 9 build a broad foundation across languages, sciences and the creative arts. At GCSE (Years 10 to 11), the core is English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, with options including Fine Art, 3D Design, BTEC Business Studies, Computer Science, BTEC Dance, Drama, Food and Nutrition, Geography, History, Latin, French, Spanish, Music, Physical Education and Religious Studies. The Sixth Form offers A Levels, BTECs, Leiths cookery qualifications and the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), which can be worth up to 28 UCAS points. A Level subjects run from French, Spanish, Psychology, Physics, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Latin, History, Geography, English Literature, Economics, Drama and Theatre, Classical Civilisation, Chemistry, Business, Biology, Photography, Fine Art and 3D Design to Agriculture and BTEC Sport. The school reports 46% A*/A at A Level and BTEC in 2025, with 90% of students reaching their first-choice university — its own framing, useful as a self-portrait rather than a guarantee.
Entry Requirements for International Students
Westonbirt School’s international admissions process runs: get in touch, arrange an online call, register (with a £200 registration fee for international students), sit the entry assessment, then receive an offer and join. The entry assessment for overseas applicants comprises an online CAT4, a short letter of introduction and an online interview. The school says it has welcomed students from more than 25 countries. UK applicants follow a similar path with a £120 registration fee, a personal visit or open day and a taster day in place of the online call.
For Sixth Form entry, the published academic bar is specific: at least four GCSEs at Grade 5, or five GCSEs at Grade 4 (or equivalent overseas qualifications); A Level subjects taken at GCSE normally need Grade 6; Further Mathematics needs GCSE Mathematics at Grade 8; and English Language and Mathematics need Grade 4 or above. Scholarships cover academic, music, drama, art and sport. English as an Additional Language (EAL) support is available, but the school does not publish a single minimum English score for every year group, so the honest summary is that language requirements sit with the current official guidance for the relevant entry point.
Costs: The 2026/27 Fee Schedule
Westonbirt School publishes three fee documents for 2026/27, covering the nursery, prep and senior school. In the senior school, registration costs £120 for UK students and £200 for international students (non-refundable). Deposits are £750 for UK day pupils, £1,500 for UK boarders, £2,500 for international short stays and £7,500 for international stays of a year or more, with £5,000 of that credited to the final term.
Termly fees for 2026/27 are published by year group and boarding type: Years 7 and 8 run from £7,995 (day) to £13,595 (full UK boarder), £11,990 weekly boarding, £10,295 flexi boarding and £16,680 international boarding; Years 9 to 11 are £7,995 day, £15,430 full UK boarder, £13,405 weekly, £11,230 flexi and £16,680 international; Years 12 and 13 are £8,395 day, £16,765 full UK boarder, £14,380 weekly, £11,995 flexi and £17,200 international. Fees include £670 per term for books, stationery and catering, and are paid in three equal termly instalments in advance. Since January 2025 fees include VAT. The prep schedule runs from £4,315 per term (Reception, Years 1 and 2) to £6,155 (Years 5 and 6), with a £120 registration fee and £500 deposit; the nursery charges £100 registration, and full-day care from 8.00am to 6.00pm is £84 per day. Bus services, public examination fees, trips and specified reading materials are charged separately. These figures come from the school’s own PDFs, checked on August 5, 2026 — the current versions are the authority.
Boarding, Travel and Campus Life
Westonbirt School’s boarding provision runs from the prep years to the Sixth Form. Sedgwick House opened at Easter 2024 for Years 5 to 8 with 22 beds — the school’s first boarding for prep pupils. Beaufort/Gloucester houses boys in Years 9 to 12, Dorchester houses girls in Years 9 to 11, and Holford House, the Sixth Form co-ed house, sits on the outskirts of Tetbury about a mile from the main site with over 30 ensuite bedrooms. A Badminton house supports the international immersion programme. Full, weekly and flexi boarding are available, with flexi boarding requiring a minimum of three consecutive nights. Facilities include a fitness suite, a swimming pool and a nine-hole golf course, and each house is run by a House Parent with a Health and Wellbeing Centre on site.
For travel, the nearest airports are Bristol (about 60 minutes), Birmingham (about 90 minutes) and London Heathrow (about 90 minutes). The nearest train stations are Kemble (about 20 minutes), Stroud (about 26 minutes) and Chippenham (about 26 minutes), all with direct services to London Paddington; driving from London takes about 90 minutes. The school arranges airport and station transfers and runs a bus service to London during exeats and half terms, alongside a wider school bus network covering towns such as Swindon, Cirencester, Kemble and Stroud. The school address is Westonbirt School, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8QG.
Application Support and Planning for Overseas Families
For an international applicant, the practical sequence at Westonbirt School is: fix the target year group and entry point; contact the school to arrange the online call; complete registration and the £200 international fee; prepare for the online CAT4, letter of introduction and interview; and budget from the 2026/27 fee schedule, adding registration, deposit, EAL support and any separately billed items. Families with a younger child should weigh the boarding options carefully — junior boarding begins at Year 5 at Sedgwick, with full boarding from Year 6, while the Sixth Form house is a separate, more independent setup designed to prepare students for university. The school’s website, including its international admissions page, boarding pages and fee PDFs, is the living source; the version verified here is dated August 5, 2026. If you would like to map Westonbirt School’s programs, entry requirements and costs against your child’s age, current year and family situation, the advisers on this site can work through the details with you.