Radley College: Admissions Guide for International Families (2026–27)

6 Aug

Written By

Radley College is an all-boys, all-boarding school set on an 800-acre rural campus three miles south of Oxford. This guide covers the admissions process, fees, scholarships, boarding life, English language requirements, and what international families need to know before applying.

Radley College is one of the most distinctive boarding schools in England, and one of the most consistently admired by families who have explored it properly. Set on an 800-acre rural campus in Oxfordshire, three miles south of Oxford, it is one of only three schools in England that remain all-boys and all-boarding without exception, the others being Eton and Harrow. Winchester College, which had been the fourth, welcomes its first girl boarders to its Sixth Form in September 2026. No day pupils, no weekly boarders, no compromises. Every boy at Radley boards. Every member of staff lives on site. The result is a community of extraordinary cohesion and warmth, governed by a set of traditions and values that have been refined over nearly 180 years.

Tatler named Radley the Best Public School in the country in 2024. The Good Schools Guide describes it as "an absolute humdinger of a school." For families drawn to a genuinely immersive boarding education, one in which a boy is fully embedded in a community that is both academically demanding and deeply humane, Radley rewards serious consideration.

This guide covers the school's character and ethos, its academic and co-curricular life, the admissions process, fees, scholarships, English language requirements, and what overseas families need to understand about life at the school.

What Kind of School Is Radley?

Radley was founded in 1847 by William Sewell and Robert Corbet Singleton. Its formal name is St Peter's College, Radley. The school's motto, Sicut serpentes, sicut columbae, wise as serpents, innocent as doves, taken from the Gospel of Matthew, captures something genuine about the Radley approach, pairing intellectual seriousness with decency.

The leader of the school carries the title of Warden, not Headmaster, a distinction specific to Radley that reflects a particular self-understanding of the role. The current Warden is John Moule, who has led the school since September 2014. Educated at a comprehensive school in Telford and at Lady Margaret Hall Oxford, where he took a First in History, Moule was previously Head Master of Bedford School and a Housemaster at Stowe. His tenure at Radley has been marked by a consistent emphasis on the development of the whole boy.

Radley's boarding houses are called Socials, not houses. The word comes from the Latin socius, meaning companion, and the name is intentional. There are eleven Socials, labelled A through L (the letter I is omitted), each led by a Social Tutor, what other schools would call a Housemaster, who lives within the Social with his family. A Radley boy does not live in a house; he belongs to a Social, a community, and that distinction reflects something real about how the school understands communal life.

In May 2025, Radley announced the formation of the Radley Schools Group through a merger with the Prep Schools Trust. The senior school itself is unchanged in its admissions, ethos and culture.

Boys at Radley come from 43 different nationalities.

Radley College Academic Results

Radley's academic results in 2025 were the strongest in the school's recent history.

At A-Level, 23% of grades were awarded at A*, 61% at A* or A, and 87% at A*, A or B. Twelve boys secured Oxbridge places; eighteen went to American universities; over 80% went to Russell Group institutions.

Subject-level highlights include strong performance in Mathematics, where 44% of A-Level candidates achieved A* (73% at A* or A); in Further Mathematics, 40% achieved A* (85% at A* or A); in French, 83% achieved A* or A; in History, 76% achieved A* or A; and in Physics, 70% achieved A* or A.

At GCSE, 40% of grades were awarded at grade 9, 69% at grades 9 or 8, and 87% at grades 9, 8 or 7.

These results are achieved within a school that values intellectual curiosity over examination pressure. The curriculum is broad and the teaching is ambitious. The Speaker Programme, a structured series of talks by external intellectuals, practitioners and leaders, extends the intellectual life of the school well beyond the formal curriculum. The Futures programme gives significant attention to university preparation and careers guidance from the Fifth Form onwards, including a psychometric profiling service to help boys identify their strengths and pathways.

Radley was most recently inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in January 2026 (inspection 20–22 January, report published March 2026). All standards were found to be met. The inspection specifically identified the school's partnership programme, through which boys work in close and meaningful partnership with a wide range of schools, community groups and other organisations, as a "significant strength" of the school. Inspectors noted that "leaders actively foster a culture of kindness in the school and consistently promote pupils' wellbeing" and that positive relationships between pupils and staff "reflect the mutual respect which is a key component of the school's ethos." The one recommended next step was to ensure that teaching consistently meets the needs of all pupils in every lesson.

Co-Curricular Life

Sport at Radley is genuinely exceptional in both its breadth and its scale. Rowing is one of the school's defining passions. The school has its own stretch of the Thames with no competing boat club within six kilometres, approximately 165 boys row, and the coaching staff includes 20 dedicated coaches. Rugby fields more than 20 teams in a typical Michaelmas Term. Cricket has 19 teams and up to 275 boys choosing the sport, with professional coach Billy Godleman overseeing timetabled coaching sessions for the top forty cricketers. Hockey deploys 16 teams across three astroturf pitches, supported by professional coach Peter Bennett. Lawn Tennis has approximately 210 members, with Head Coach Jon Maskens and professional coach Lucy Brown, a recent WTA tour professional, leading the programme. Golf is played on Radley's own nine-hole course and at Frilford Heath Golf Club, with a PGA professional on site.

What distinguishes Radley's sporting provision as much as its scale is its breadth. Countryside Pursuits, including beagling, flyfishing and clay shooting, are available at a level unique among leading senior schools. Real Tennis is played on one of approximately 27 courts remaining in the United Kingdom. Rackets has produced current national titles at under-15 level. Polo is available twice weekly through the Guards Polo Club. Sailing runs to Farmoor Reservoir and Cowes Week.

Music is central to life at the school. More than half of Radley's boys learn an instrument. The Chapel Choir, 130 voices strong, has a choral tradition of real quality. Drama takes place in the school's own theatre. Art is housed in the Sewell Centre. A boy who thrives at sport, or music, or drama, or all three, will find the structures to develop each of them at Radley.

Life at Radley from Day to Day

Boys at Radley belong to a Social from the day they arrive. Each Social has a resident Social Tutor, a Sub-Tutor (Assistant Housemaster), and a Pastoral Housemistress who know each boy individually. The Social gathers each evening for Cocoa, the nightly house gathering that is at the heart of Radley social life. Four to five Chapel services take place each week. Gowns are worn to lessons. Boys in Years 9, 10 and 11 hand in their phones and devices to their Tutor at the end of each day.

These traditions are not ceremonial remnants. They give the community a texture and continuity that boys come to value deeply. Radley is, in the words of its first Warden, a school that seeks to "surround the boys with an atmosphere breathing greatness and goodness."

The warmth and contentment of the school's community is palpable from the first visit, and it is among the most frequently cited observations of families who have seen Radley in person.

The Radley College Admissions Process

When to Register for Year 9 Entry

Radley welcomes registrations from birth. Boys registered before their fourth birthday are placed on the Radley List, which guarantees an interview in the Michaelmas term of Year 6. All other applications are Open Entry, meaning boys are shortlisted following the ISEB Pre-Test and invited for interview in the Lent term of Year 6.

The formal registration deadline for Open Entry applicants is the start of the Summer Term of Year 5. An application fee of £480 (inc. VAT) is payable on registration. The school admits around 150 new boys into Year 9 each year.

Visiting Radley

Radley holds ten Open Days per year, on Saturdays from 9:30am to 1:30pm. Each includes a tour of the school with current boys, a Social (boarding house) visit with a Social Tutor, and a talk by the Warden. The school recommends visiting in Year 4 or Year 5. Personal visits can also be arranged. Families are strongly encouraged to visit before the assessment process begins.

The ISEB Common Pre-Test

In October or November of Year 6, registered boys sit the ISEB Common Pre-Test, an online standardised assessment covering verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English and mathematics, designed to measure potential rather than attainment. The test can be taken at a registered centre overseas; there is no requirement to travel to England at this stage.

The Radley Assessment Day

Boys invited to proceed come to Radley for an Assessment Day. Radley List boys are assessed in the Michaelmas term of Year 6; Open Entry boys are assessed in the Lent term. The Assessment Day consists of an interview with a senior member of staff and a short written exercise. There is no formal examination.

Radley redesigned its Assessment Day in 2023 to focus explicitly on potential rather than attainment. The school is looking for boys who are curious, kind and ambitious, not boys who have been intensively coached for the process.

Offers are made in March of Year 6.

Year 8 Confirmation

All boys are required to sit some form of Year 8 assessment to determine initial academic sets on arrival. This may be Common Entrance, the Prep School Baccalaureate, Academic Scholarship examinations, school exams, or Radley's own Maths and English papers. Entry to Radley is not dependent on these results in the elimination sense that Common Entrance results are at some other schools; they are primarily used for setting purposes.

What Overseas Families Need to Know About Year 8 Assessment

For boys at international schools that do not follow the Common Entrance curriculum, Radley accepts alternative forms of Year 8 assessment including its own Maths and English papers. A boy at a school outside England is not required to prepare for Common Entrance specifically. The appropriate Year 8 assessment route can be confirmed with reference to the school's own admissions website.

Sixth Form (16+) Entry

Applications open in the first week of June of Year 10 and close in mid-October of Year 11. An application fee of £480 is payable. Shortlisted applicants attend an Assessment Day at Radley in November of Year 11 comprising an aptitude test, written papers in two intended A-Level subjects, a subject interview with a Head of Department, and a senior staff interview. First offers are made in the first week of December.

For international Sixth Form applicants, the acceptance fee is £3,000 (inc. VAT) plus a deposit equal to one term's current fees.

Scholarships and Awards

Radley offers scholarships at Year 9 entry across six categories. Academic, Art, Drama, Innovation, Music and Sport scholarships are all available. All scholarships and exhibitions are honorary awards carrying prestige and recognition but no fee remission, unless the recipient separately applies for and receives a means-tested Warden's Award, which can cover up to 115% of fees. Non-registered candidates may also apply for scholarships.

Academic Scholarships are the most prestigious award Radley offers. The two-stage assessment takes place in January (Stage 1 at the boy's current school) and February (Stage 2 at Radley) of Year 8. Strong academic performers who succeed at scholarship level are exempt from sitting Common Entrance. The application deadline is 14 November of Year 7.

Music Scholarships are awarded to boys who will make a significant contribution to Radley's musical life. Most successful candidates hold at least ABRSM Grade 6 on their principal instrument. A pre-audition is strongly recommended one to two years before the assessment date. The assessment involves performing two contrasting pieces on the principal instrument, a secondary instrument piece or singing, a short study piece, and an interview with the Director of Music. The application deadline is 14 November of Year 7.

Sport Scholarships assess candidates outstanding in at least two of Radley's five focus sports, which are rugby, hockey, cricket, rowing and tennis. Exhibitions may be awarded for excellence in one major and one minor sport. The assessment day takes place in November of Year 7, with the application deadline on 1 October of Year 7.

Innovation Scholarships reward boys with an entrepreneurial mindset and technical ability in design engineering, robotics, coding, computer science or game design. Candidates submit a portfolio by 3 November of Year 7 and attend an assessment day on 20 November of Year 7. The application deadline is 1 October of Year 7.

Art and Drama Scholarships are also assessed in Year 8, with application deadlines of 14 November of Year 7 for both.

Families interested in scholarships are advised to begin the process early, ideally at the start of Year 7; the school's own admissions website sets out the current deadlines.

Greater China Scholarship. For families based in Hong Kong and Mainland China, Radley's Greater China Scholarship deserves specific attention. This means-tested award can cover up to 100% of fees for five years. Unusually, it extends beyond tuition to include English language tutoring before entry, UK guardian fees, music lessons, and four return flights per year, making it one of the most comprehensive scholarship provisions for East Asian families at any school in England. The school's own admissions website sets out eligibility and the application process, which is best begun as early as possible.

English Language Requirements

Radley does not publish a formal English language test requirement, and boys are assessed holistically. However, English is the language of the classroom, the boarding house, and every aspect of school life at Radley. A boy whose English is limited will find the transition to full boarding life in England significantly more challenging, and his ability to make the most of what Radley offers, academically and socially, will be constrained by inadequate English.

The Assessment Day interview is conducted in English. Families applying from overseas are advised to ensure that their son's English is at a strong conversational and academic level before applying. Additional English language tuition is available where needed, billed separately.

Radley College Fees and Financial Planning

The following figures apply to the 2025/26 academic year:

Item	Amount
Termly boarding fee	£20,112 (inc. VAT)
Annual boarding total	£60,336
Application fee	£480 (inc. VAT)
Acceptance fee (UK families)	£3,000 (inc. VAT) + £600 deposit
Acceptance fee (international families)	£3,000 (inc. VAT) + one term's fees deposit
Visa administration	£750
Music lessons	£51.30 per 40-minute lesson
Rowing (wet bob)	£176/term (Lent and Summer terms)

Note on the international deposit: The international acceptance deposit equals one term's current boarding fee, which is £20,112 for 2025/26 (the £19,200 quoted in some older guidance reflected a previous year's termly fee). Families should confirm the precise amount with the school when accepting a place, as this figure is reviewed annually alongside the termly fee.

Visa administration: Radley works with an external immigration specialist to assist families with Child Student Visa applications. A charge of £750 applies.

Estimated total annual cost for an international family: approximately £63,000 to £68,000 per year, comprising fees (£60,336), visa administration (£750), and typical additional charges for activities, music tuition, school trips and rowing.

Radley operates a generous funding programme. Means-tested awards can cover up to 115% of fees (including ancillary costs). Families who may qualify should indicate this on the registration form.

Term Structure and Leave

Radley's academic year is divided into three terms. Within each term, boys have structured opportunities to leave school. There are Privis twice per term (boys leave after Saturday commitments and return Sunday evening), one or two Exeats per term (Friday afternoon to Sunday evening), and one Leave Away (Half-Term) of approximately one week per term.

In practice, boys have an opportunity to leave school approximately every third weekend. The school warmly welcomes parents to come to Radley at other times to watch matches, attend music and drama performances, or take their son out for Sunday lunch.

For international families whose sons cannot travel home during every leave period, an AEGIS-accredited Educational Guardian must be in place before the boy arrives. Signed Educational Guardian Agreements must be submitted to the school by 1 August before the first term. Before every Privi, Exeat and holiday, detailed travel and accommodation information must be confirmed with the school. Boys must be accompanied by a parent or guardian on their first journey to Radley. No boy may leave the school without confirmed arrangements in place.

Pastoral Care and Settling In

For families sending a son to full boarding school for the first time, the question of how he is supported when he finds things difficult matters as much as any examination result or scholarship.

At Radley, pastoral care is structured around the Social. Each Social Tutor knows his boys individually, monitors their progress in consultation with teachers, and contacts parents directly if there are concerns. The Pastoral Housemistress within each Social provides additional support, and her proximity to the boys' daily life means that small difficulties are rarely allowed to become large ones. The school's Medical Centre provides further support.

The school is experienced in the particular adjustment that overseas boys go through in their first term. Homesickness, cultural adjustment, and the initial strangeness of living in a foreign country aged 13 are all things Radley has navigated with boys from 43 different nations. The school's approach is not to dismiss these experiences but to accompany boys through them, using the close community of the Social as the primary vehicle for belonging.

International Life at Radley

Boys at Radley come from 43 different nationalities. The school welcomes international applicants genuinely and has clear systems for supporting overseas boys through the early stages of boarding life.

There is an established community of Old Radleians in Hong Kong and across Asia.

All boys without a UK-resident parent must have an AEGIS-accredited Educational Guardian. Since May 2025, UK visa regulations require that a child's guardian be a British citizen or hold settled status in the UK. For full details of the Child Student Visa process, the Immigration Health Surcharge, the Electronic Travel Authorisation requirements for visiting parents, and the current guardianship rules, see our Year 9 Entry: A Complete Guide for International Families.

Faith and Religious Life

Radley is a Church of England foundation, and Chapel is, in the school's own words, figuratively and literally at its heart. Five services take place each week, for boys of all faiths and none. Roman Catholic boys attend a separate Sunday Mass, and special arrangements are made for boys of non-Christian faith traditions.

The Chapel itself, extended in 2022 with a new octagonal sanctuary seating 807 people, is among the most impressive school chapel spaces in England. The Nicholson organ installed at the time of the extension is a significant instrument. The extended building won multiple national awards for architecture, engineering and construction quality.

Notable Radleians

Radley's alumni span politics, the arts, science, sport and public life. Peter Cook, the comedian and satirist widely credited as one of the founders of modern British satire, was educated here. In sport, Will Stuart has represented England at rugby, James Male held the World Rackets Championship for more than a decade, and Radley has a long tradition of producing England-level cricketers. In the arts, Radley alumni include award-winning novelists, playwrights and screenwriters. In public life, Old Radleians include senior barristers, diplomats, surgeons and business leaders. The school holds a Blue Shield accreditation for its outstanding contribution to arts and culture. Radley Connect, the school's alumni network, provides careers support and networking for Old Radleians and current boys, a resource of real practical value for a boy considering his future across any field.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Radley require Common Entrance from overseas applicants? No. For boys at international schools not following the Common Entrance curriculum, Radley accepts alternative Year 8 assessments including its own Maths and English papers. A boy at a school outside England is not required to prepare specifically for Common Entrance. The appropriate route can be confirmed with the school when a conditional place is accepted.

What is the difference between the Radley List and Open Entry? Boys registered before their fourth birthday are placed on the Radley List and are guaranteed an interview in the Michaelmas term of Year 6. All other registrations are Open Entry, meaning boys are shortlisted on the basis of their ISEB Pre-Test results and, if successful, invited for interview in the Lent term of Year 6. Places are offered to both groups in March of Year 6.

Does Radley have a quota for international pupils? No formal quota. Boys from 43 nationalities currently attend the school.

What is a Privi? A Privi (short for Privilege Weekend) is optional overnight leave available twice per term. Boys leave after their Saturday commitments and return Sunday evening. They may spend this time with their guardian or family if parents are visiting.

What scholarships carry financial value at Radley? All Radley scholarships are honorary awards and carry no automatic fee remission. Financial assistance is provided separately through the Warden's Award, which is means-tested and can cover up to 115% of fees. A boy can hold both a scholarship and a Warden's Award simultaneously.

Can Radley sponsor my son's UK Child Student Visa? Yes. Radley works with an external immigration specialist to administer Child Student Visa applications. A charge of £750 applies. Radley itself acts as the UKVI-licensed sponsor.

What does full boarding actually mean in practice? Every boy at Radley boards every term. Boys sleep at school every night of every term except during Exeats, Privis and Leave Away (half-term). Staff also live on site. In practice, boys have an opportunity to leave school approximately every third weekend, and parents are always welcome to come to Radley for Sunday visits.

What happens if my son struggles to settle in during his first term? Each Social Tutor monitors his boys individually and contacts parents directly if there are concerns. The Pastoral Housemistress within each Social provides additional daily support. The school is experienced in supporting overseas boys through the cultural and emotional adjustment of first-term boarding.

Is Radley the Right School?

Radley suits a particular kind of boy. He is kind, genuinely curious, and interested in the world in a way that is not defined by academic ambition alone. He will throw himself into what the school offers, its sports, its music, its traditions, its communal life, without needing to be the outstanding performer in any of them. He values belonging to something. He will thrive in a community where he is known and cared for as an individual.

Families who want a school that is less dominated by the anxious competitive pressure of examination results will find Radley attractive. The school produces exceptional results, but it produces them within a culture of genuine enjoyment, pastoral depth, and communal warmth that is not easily found elsewhere at this level.

Families drawn to a rural setting, to a school that is deeply of itself, and to a boarding experience that is uncompromising in its fullness, will find Radley a compelling choice.

Apto Schola provides bespoke, personalised admissions guidance to international families seeking places at the leading boarding schools of England. Behind the guidance is a deep, current understanding of the school in this guide, its character, its admissions process and the boys it admits. We are pleased to discuss with families whether the school suits their child, and to support them through every stage of the process. To start that conversation, please contact us.

This guide is accurate as of July 2026. Fees, registration deadlines and admissions requirements change annually. All families are advised to verify current requirements directly with the school before taking any action.

Related articles in this series: