Sunningdale School
A Big Family in Which Every Boy Is Valued
Founded in 1874 by William Girdlestone, Sunningdale has been a genuinely family-run school for generations, owned and led by the Dawson family since 1967. Deliberately small, it offers a happy and supportive boarding education in which every boy is known incredibly well, and sets out to ignite a spark in each through curiosity, friendship, and challenge.
Key Facts
Location : Sunningdale, Berkshire
Type : All-boys, boarding and day
Age Range : 7 to 13
Pupil Numbers : Approx. 110 boys
Founded : 1874
Ethos : A deliberately small, family-run boys' boarding prep school
Academic Profile
Sunningdale prepares boys for Common Entrance, with scholarships won regularly in academic, music, and sport categories. Its leavers go on to leading senior schools, including Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Charterhouse, and Stowe.
Co-Curricular Life
Music has a genuine presence at Sunningdale, with around three-quarters of boys learning an instrument, alongside a strong sporting culture in which almost every boy represents the school in a team. The school owns its own house in Normandy, which every boy visits three times during his years at Sunningdale, a distinctive and immersive part of school life. Weekends are built around a full programme of outdoor, screen-free activities.
Admissions Essentials
Families are encouraged to register well in advance, with the main intake into the lower years and a small number of assessed places at Year 7. References are requested from the boy's current school in the year before entry, and offers follow once these are received. Scholarships are available in academic, music, and sport categories.
In Essence
For a boy who will respond to curiosity, friendship, and challenge in equal measure, Sunningdale draws out the best in every individual within its close family setting, and prepares each boy for a confident start at his senior school.