Haileybury
Sursum Corda
Founded in 1862, Haileybury is a co-educational boarding and day school set in 500 acres of Hertfordshire countryside, some twenty miles north of London. It holds to a belief that the most rewarding education grows from happiness and fulfilment, combining real academic ambition with outstanding pastoral care, and setting innovation alongside a deep respect for tradition. In the Sixth Form, pupils choose between A Levels and the International Baccalaureate.
Key Facts
Location : Hertford, Hertfordshire
Type : Co-educational, boarding and day
Age Range : 11 to 18
Pupil Numbers : Approx. 900 pupils
Founded : 1862
Motto : Sursum Corda ("Lift Up Your Hearts")
Academic Profile
Pupils at Haileybury follow a broad curriculum that encourages them to think and work as specialists in each subject, before taking their GCSEs. In the Sixth Form they choose between A Levels and the International Baccalaureate, and Old Haileyburians proceed to Oxford and Cambridge, alongside leading Russell Group universities.
Co-Curricular Life
Sport is central to life at Haileybury, played across cricket, hockey, netball, rugby, and many other games on the school's extensive grounds. Music and drama are strong alongside it, with regular productions, choirs, and ensembles, while the school's own STEM Research Centre gives budding scientists the chance to pursue original research. What sets the wider programme apart is its sheer range, from climbing and scuba diving to Model United Nations, filmmaking, and beekeeping, supported by the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and an active tradition of service and volunteering. With around two-thirds of pupils boarding, the school's thirteen Houses are at the heart of a full and busy week.
Admissions Essentials
Pupils join Haileybury at three main points, at 11+, into the Lower School, at 13+, into Year 9, and at 16+, into the Sixth Form, with occasional places at other stages. Haileybury is academically selective, and all registered candidates are invited to sit the school's entrance assessments and to attend an interview, with entry at 13+ available through the ISEB Common Entrance examinations or the school's own papers. Sixth Form places are offered on the basis of assessment, interview, and predicted GCSE grades, and candidates applying from overseas can sit the entrance tests remotely. Scholarships are available at 11+ in academic, music, sport, and all-rounder categories, and at 13+ and 16+ in academic, drama, music, sport, and art and design technology.
In Essence
For a pupil with wide interests and real ambition, Haileybury brings together a choice of academic pathways, an exceptional co-curriculum, and a warm, international community, preparing each one to make a positive difference in the wider world.