Wycombe Abbey

Focus

Opening minds and developing passions

Day fees 2025/26

$62,900

Boarding fees 2025/26

$82,600

Term dates

• Term 1: 7 September to 11 December 2025
• Term 2: 5 January to 24 March 2026
• Term 3: 20 April to 2 July 2026

Ages

11-18

Pupil count

650

Spear’s Review

In 1896 the first cohort of 40 girls was welcomed into Wycombe Abbey by pioneering founder and Cambridge graduate Frances Dove, who was determined to promote the equal education of girls in the Victorian era. Her guiding principle was education for citizenship, and the school’s aims remain the same today: the pursuit of academic excellence, individual development and service to community.

Wycombe Abbey is renowned for its academic prowess, evidenced by its consistently outstanding exam results and university destinations worldwide. The school’s curriculum is based on the five values of risk-taking, resourcefulness, determination, reflection and development, and girls have access to a balanced and broad offering of subjects before choosing a path that aligns with their abilities, aspirations and personal passions. Study is supplemented by more than 50 societies and clubs, school trips and expeditions, and a lecture series tackling cultural, social, political, ethical and economic topics.

Alongside their studies and academic enrichment, girls can enjoy an impressive range of sports, and regularly compete at county, regional and national levels.

Academics

In 2025:

• 97 per cent of GCSE results were grades 7-9
• 76 per cent of A-Level results were A* or A

School Profile

Wycombe Abbey is a world leader in girls’ boarding education and a place where academic excellence, empathy and integrity thrive. Built on over 130 years of educating young women, the learning environment is supportive yet challenging. The school offers outstanding teaching by subject specialists who encourage curiosity, innovation and academic risk-taking. It is consistently one of the country’s top-performing schools, sending pupils to leading universities globally each year.

Every pupil has opportunities to develop their passions and explore new possibilities through an extensive co-curricular programme that includes performing arts, sport, charity work and a wide variety of trips are on offer. The school believes that education is not simply about delivering a curriculum and examination syllabus, but that real learning stems from stimulating intellectual interest and nurturing a love for subjects that stays with girls throughout their lives.

Boarding is key to the school’s success. Wycombe Abbey has a culture that stimulates and inspires throughout the week, empowering girls to achieve their best academically and socially. Given the nature of boarding life, girls carve out a unique learning path according to their interests and have the space to thrive. Our approach to boarding is sympathetic to today’s families’ needs; girls can go home regularly, and parents are actively involved in numerous school events and activities. Our Year 7 pupils start in Junior House, Years 8-12 join one of nine Senior Houses in mixed-age dorms, and our Year 13 pupils spend their last year of school together again, providing independent living and a stepping stone to university life.

The school is set in 170 acres of parkland with modern facilities and is easily accessible to central London (60 minutes) and Heathrow Airport (30 minutes).

Head teacher

Jo Duncan joined Wycombe Abbey as headmistress in 2019 following more than four years as headmistress of the Royal High School in Bath. She also held roles at Princess Helena College in Hertfordshire, where she was head, and at Benenden School, where she was variously an academic tutor, a deputy housemistress and head of department. Duncan, who has an MA in English literature and biblical studies from the University of St Andrews, completed her PGCE at Cambridge and began her career at the Latymer School in north London, where she taught for four years.

University and college destinations

According to the school, each year students are offered places at selective universities, and universities in the US are increasingly popular. In 2025, 18 per cent advanced to Oxford or Cambridge, while 1 per cent advanced to Ivy League schools.

Admissions

Wycombe Abbey’s admissions process begins with an enquiry and a school visit before registration. Candidates complete entrance tests, followed by in-person assessment days with exams, interviews and activities. According to the school, offers are made to ‘engaged, motivated girls showing potential, enthusiasm for boarding and readiness to contribute fully to school life’.

Notable alumnae

• Elsie Bowerman (political activist)
• Sally Phillips (actor and comedian)
• Sue Carr (Lady Chief Justice)

Accessibility

Heathrow Airport: 30 minutes

Location

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