Roedean School is a prestigious, selective independent day and boarding school for girls, situated in Brighton, Sussex in a resplendent setting on top of a cliff and overlooking the Brighton Marina (Roedean Way Brighton BN2 5RQ). The school dates back to 1885 and is famed for delivering impressive GCSE and A-Level results for its pupils. The current headmaster of the school is Mr Oliver Blond, who has been in situ for over 10 years. He is due to leave the school in April 2023, handing over the reins to Mrs Niamh Green.
International Reach
While Roedean is an English all-girl boarding school, it has many international pupils boasting more than 19 different languages spoken on campus. For its international students, it is conveniently located relatively close to Gatwick Airport, in Sussex.
Independent School Inspection Report 2022
The latest Independent School Inspection report (in 2022) awarded the school an Excellent grading, the highest obtainable grading. The school is deemed excellent in all areas of the inspection report, and this rating is further underpinned by the extraordinary A-Level and GCSE results achieved by the pupils for the 2021/22 academic year. 71% of Roedean School pupils obtained grades A*-A at A-Level and 85% of pupils obtained grades 9-7 at GCSE. Seven pupils were offered Oxbridge university places, with 75% of pupils gaining their first-choice universities.
Roedean School Fees
The school does have high school fees, as follows:
For Day Pupils (per term)
Year 7 £6,290
Year 8 £7,070
Year 9 £7,875
Years 10 to 13 £8,220
For Flexible Boarding Pupils (per term)
Year 7 £9,040
Year 8 £9,890
Year 9 £10,115
Years 10 to 13 £10,930
For Weekly Boarding Pupils (per term)
Year 7 £11,120
Year 8 £11,175
Year 9 £11,210
Years 10 to 13 £12,400
For Full Boarding Pupils (per term)
Year 7 £12,180
Year 8 £12,775
Year 9 £13,460
Years 10 to 13 £14,745
There are additional options, such as one-year GCSE courses and pre-A-Level courses. More about Roedean School fees here.
Bursaries at Roedean School
Roedean School does offer bursary awards and scholarship awards. Pupils may apply for one or both. Scholarships are awarded based on academic performance but can be won for performance in other subjects including Sport, Performing Arts, Dance, Drama, Art and Music. Bursaries and scholarships are available for new pupils to apply for in years 7, 9 and 12. Furthermore, Roedean School offers their own, exclusive Brighthelm Awards which are combined academic scholarships with a means-tested bursary. Bursaries are usually offered to students local to Roedean School.
Subjects Offered at Roedean School
The school offers a huge selection of subjects and classes are small, with 15 pupils per class which means focused and concentrated learning. As well as STEM, pupils can choose from approximately 25 different choices at GCSE with a generous variety of languages including French, Spanish, German, Latin, Russian and Persian.
At A-Level, girls can choose from 23 subjects, including STEM, creative subjects (Art, History of Art, Music, Media, Theatre, Performing Arts and others), society subjects (English Literature, Classical Civilisation, History, Geography, French, Latin, Spanish, Politics, Psychology, Religious Studies) and business subjects (Business, Economics).
A Thriving Sixth Form
Sixth form at Roedean is an exciting stepping stone toward university life. The pupils have their own sixth form building which boasts an on-site café (Horizons Café), a fitness suite and a number of co-curricular clubs to further enrich and expand the girls’ study and social life.
Entry to sixth form is selective and pupils must study three A-Levels. There are 60 places available, and to obtain entry, girls must have at least six GCSEs (or equivalent) graded 6 to 9 (or equivalent). Three of those GCSEs must be graded at 7 or above.
Entrance at Year 7 and Above
To obtain a place at Roedean School, parents must submit a registration form and pupils wishing to enter must take tests in English, Mathematics and Non-Verbal Reasoning. They will also be interviewed by Headmaster Oliver Blond and Year Group Tutor. It is recommended to visit the school prior to application. In year 7 there are 60 places and 25 places offered at year 9 entry. There are also occasional places in other years that do become available from time to time.
Academics at Roedean School
While academics are a crucial factor of Roedean School’s pupils’ success, and the teachers are all highly qualified and dedicated to encouraging the very best from their pupils, the school is not the highest achieving school. However, the school’s exam results this academic year (2022/23) were outstanding. Furthermore, the school has a 15% Oxbridge slipstream, which is very credible.
Roedean is equally dedicated to enriching students in many other areas too, especially encouraging co-curricular activities such as music, the performing arts and sports. The sports’ facilities include floodlit pitches, swimming pool, tennis courts and the school offers 14 different sports including hockey, cricket and lacrosse to name a few plus equestrian opportunities, golfing and even Zumba and Pilates.
Just recently, the school refurbished their theatre (the Roedean Theatre) which has capacity for 350 people and there is a different theatrical performance or concert every term.
The school also caters for special needs students, supporting those with Dyspraxia, Dyslexia and Dyscalculia.
Final Words
Finally, Roedean School continues to be one of the most well-thought of and admired schools for girls in the United Kingdom and is internationally renowned. The headmaster has significantly improved the school over the past 10 years, including extensive investment, achieving academic excellence and increasing the number of pupils. Without doubt, Roedean School will continue to live up to its reputation in future under the new headmistress taking over in April 2023.
