United Kingdom · Westminster, London · Founded 1560
Westminster School
The highest Oxbridge acceptance rate of any school in Britain, lessons in the shadow of the Abbey and a day-boarding rhythm that suits London families.
The character
Westminster is the London academic powerhouse: fiercely bright pupils, teachers who lecture like dons, a Latin prayer in the Abbey every morning and the city as playground. Boarding is weekly and light; most pupils live at home in London. Girls join at 16 and from 2026 at 11 in the new co-educational Under School.
Good for
Very academic children, London families, sixth-form girls
Less suited to
Children who need countryside, sport-focused families
Getting in
Register by Year 6, ISEB pre-test, interview and Westminster's own exam; the Challenge scholarship exam is the hardest. Sixth-form entry at 16 is competitive.
What it costs in total
At about £ 58,000 a year for boarding (£ 40,000 for day pupils), the 5 years from 13 to 18 add up to roughly €381,000 in today’s money including typical extras, before fee increases, tutoring and flights. The Education Cost Calculator adds inflation, extras and a second child.
Fees are rounded 2025/26 figures from the school’s own schedule and change every year. The school’s current fee sheet prevails. The picture is an impression of the setting, not a photograph of the campus.
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