Data profile
St Swithun's School
Independent girls senior school for ages 11–18, day or boarding. Top-tier fees.
- Fees £34.2k/yr
- girls
- both
- Winchester
Outcomes
Where leavers go after sixth form.
- Cohort
- 76
- Oxbridge
- 2
- Russell Group
- 5
- US Ivy
- 0
Class of 2025
Top destinations
- University of Oxford—
- University of Cambridge—
- UCL—
- LSE—
- Imperial College London—
Exam results
A level A*–A and GCSE 9–7, recalibrated for 2026.
- A-level A*–A
- 77%
- GCSE 9–7
- 76%
- Oxbridge rate
- 3%
- Russell Group rate
- 7%
Recalibrated
Entry points & fees
| Entry | Year | Places | Assessment | Day fee (max) | Boarding fee (max) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11+ | Year 7 | — | ISEB Common Pre-Test · School's own exam | £34.2k | £57.8k |
| 13+MAIN | Year 9 | — | ISEB Common Pre-Test · School's own exam · Interview · Reference / report | £34.2k | £57.8k |
| 16+ | Year 12 | — | School's own exam · CAT4 · Interview | £34.2k | £57.8k |
Inspections
ISI
Met
Inspected 2024-03-01
Joint routine inspection of prep and senior schools in March 2024 under the new ISI framework. Met required standards in all five key areas. Inspectors praised a high-quality, well-resourced, safe environment where confident, self-motivated pupils engage in learning characterised by consistent stretch and challenge.
Read full ISI report →Key people
Headmistress
Jane Gandee
Ms Jane Gandee is only the ninth headmistress in the school's 141-year history and took up her post in September 2010. Previously director of studies at The City of London School for Girls from 2005. Read French and Spanish at Girton College, Cambridge before spending two years as an accountant. Taught languages at two schools before moving to Queenswood, where she became head of languages in 1999. Keen sportswoman, represented Cambridge at athletics and cross country and captained the university's women's football team. (MA Cantab)
Deputy Head Pastoral
Graham Yates
Joined St Swithun's in September 2017. Previously deputy head at Hampshire Collegiate School and assistant head at Kingston Grammar School. Read geography at Nottingham University and studied for a Masters in Education at Brunel University, where he also spent six years running a geography PGCE course. (MA Brunel)
Deputy Head Academic
Charles Hammel
Joined St Swithun's in September 2014. Read history and medieval studies at Princeton University and completed a postgraduate masters in medieval history at the University of St Andrews. Previously head of history at King Edward VI High School for Girls, Birmingham, and head of scholars at Warwick School, where he taught history, politics and Latin. (AB Princeton, MLitt St Andrews)
Bursar And Clerk To The Governing Council
Martyn Gamble
Joined St Swithun's in January 2019 after a career in the army spanning 34 years. Educated at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Cranfield University and the Royal College of Defence Studies, London. (MA Cranfield)
Head Of Boarding
Alice Ludlow
Joined St Swithun's in September 2021 as an acting housemistress before taking on the role of head of boarding at the start of the 2022/3 academic year. Previously assistant principal in an international school in Lusaka, Zambia. Prior to that, worked at Oakham School and a boarding school in Malawi. Also teaches English. (MA Nottingham)
Head Of Prep School
Liz Norris
Joined St Swithun's in 2023 from St Helen's School where she was interim head of prep. Previously head of junior school at St Margaret's School in Bushey, Hertfordshire. Responsible for pastoral care as phase leader and senior management team member at Bancroft's prep school. Worked as a private education consultant. Talented musician playing piano, flute and cello. (MA Anglia Ruskin, BSc King's College London, PGCE Anglia Ruskin)
Compare with peers
Schools families applying here also consider.
- Fees £38.8kA*-A 66%Oxbridge 3%
Epsom College matches on boarding (both), entry phases (11+, 13+, 16+), and selectivity tier with similar fees (£38.8k vs £34.2k) and Oxbridge rate (3.2%).
- Fees £27.6kA*-A 78%
City of London Freemen's School shares co-ed boarding option, similar fees (£26.5k vs £34.2k), and entry phases (11+, 13+, 16+), with a strong academic profile (A*-A 78.2%).
- Fees £45.3kA*-A 88%
St Mary's Calne aligns on girls boarding, entry phases (11+, 13+, 16+), and selectivity tier with higher fees (£43.6k) but stronger academic results (A*-A 88%).
- Fees £26.3kA*-A 80%Oxbridge 2%
The Abbey School matches on girls day schooling, entry phases (11+, 13+, 16+), and selectivity tier with lower fees (£22.7k) and good academic results (A*-A 80%).
- Fees £29.3kA*-A 78%Oxbridge 12%
St Albans High School for Girls shares girls day schooling, entry phases (11+, 13+, 16+), and selectivity tier with slightly lower fees (£28.5k) and excellent Oxbridge rate (11.8%).
How peers are chosen
Matched on sex, boarding, entry phase, location, fee band, tier and outcomes. Scoring: 0.45 outcome similarity, 0.25 structured, 0.10 embedding, 0.20 AI re-rank. Refreshed yearly and when a profile changes.
Open days, bursaries and how to apply: St Swithun's School profile →