Oundle School
Deus Det Gratiam
Founded in 1556, Oundle School is one of the largest boarding schools in England, its historic buildings woven through the Northamptonshire market town from which it takes its name rather than set apart on a single campus. Steeped in tradition yet forward-looking, it is known for a grounded and genuinely warm community, for an ethos that is ambitious without pressure, and for a musical tradition among the strongest in the country.
Key Facts
Location : Oundle, Northamptonshire
Type : Co-educational, boarding and day
Age Range : 11 to 18
Pupil Numbers : Approx. 1,100 pupils
Founded : 1556
Motto : Deus Det Gratiam ("God Grant Grace")
Academic Profile
In the Third Form, pupils at Oundle follow Trivium, a syllabus-free course driven by curiosity rather than examinations, before taking their GCSEs. In the Sixth Form they study A Levels, and Old Oundelians, from a school known for science and engineering, proceed to Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial College London.
Co-Curricular Life
Music is exceptionally strong, with more than fifty ensembles, instrumental tuition for hundreds of pupils, and a formal partnership with the Royal College of Music that brings masterclasses and regular concerts to the school, sending musicians on to the National Youth Orchestra. Drama centres on the Stahl Theatre, a converted chapel seating over two hundred that hosts pupil productions alongside professional touring companies, and the visual arts are taught in a suite of large studios with exhibitions in the school's own Yarrow Gallery. Sport is both inclusive and ambitious, supported by a sports centre with a fifty-metre pool, across rugby, cricket, hockey, and rowing, and the school runs one of the largest Combined Cadet Force contingents of any school in the country.
Admissions Essentials
Pupils join Oundle School in Year 9, at age thirteen, which is the main point of entry, with earlier entry also available at 11 and 12. Registration is recommended three to four years ahead of entry. Most candidates are assessed on the basis of a school reference and report, with offers made in the spring term of Year 6, ahead of Common Entrance in Year 8, which serves chiefly to confirm an existing offer. Candidates from overseas, or those without Common Entrance preparation, instead sit the Oundle Entrance assessment, comprising an interview, a Cognitive Ability Test, and papers in English, Maths, and Science. A limited number of further boarding places are occasionally available at Year 8 and Year 10, and pupils also join the Sixth Form at 16. At Year 9 entry, scholarships are available across academic, art, design engineering and technology, drama, music, and sport, alongside a combined Oundle Award for those with talents across two or more disciplines.
In Essence
For a child drawn to a school where music runs deep, Oundle pairs one of the richest musical traditions of any school with a warm seven-day boarding community and an ethos that values character as much as achievement.