Tatler has unveiled its 2027 guide to Britain’s leading private schools, highlighting institutions attended by members of the Royal Family, household-name actors and sporting stars – as well as schools praised for their academic results, pastoral care and unusual extracurricular offerings.
The annual guide covers schools for pupils aged four to 18. Tatler’s education editor, Tori Cadogan, said this year’s edition was intended to help parents weigh up the academic, creative and sporting opportunities available to children. The guide goes on sale with the October issue on September 3. ([tatler.com](https://www.tatler.com/article/schools-guide-editors-letter?utm_source=openai))
Brighton College emerges as the costliest school featured, with fees of up to £69,561 a year for some pupils. The East Sussex college has attracted praise for combining demanding academics with a strong emphasis on wellbeing and the individual needs of its pupils.
Its facilities include a £55 million sports and science building with a rooftop running track and cinema. Former pupils include England rugby international Marcus Smith, economic historian Lord Skidelsky and Oscar-winning film-maker Chloé Zhao.
The schools featured in Tatler’s 2027 guide
Harrow School charges £21,990 per term for boarders and has educated figures including Sir Winston Churchill, actor Benedict Cumberbatch and England rugby captain Maro Itoje.
The north-west London school encourages pupils to pursue interests ranging from gardening and conservation to skiing, squash and music, while retaining a strong academic focus. Tatler reported that 124 pupils progressed to universities ranked in the QS World Top Ten, including ten who received Oxbridge offers.
St Paul’s Girls’ School in Brook Green, west London, charges £12,854 per term. It is notable for having no uniform and for giving pupils an extended lunch break for activities including stargazing and scuba diving.
The school, attended by broadcaster Susanna Reid and actress Viola Prettejohn, has also arranged trips as far afield as Japan. Almost 67 per cent of its recent A-level grades were reported to have been awarded at A*, while 49 former pupils have gone on to Oxford or Cambridge.
At Benenden School, where fees are £15,400 per term for day pupils and £21,300 for boarders, pupils are encouraged to challenge traditional expectations. The Kent school occupies 240 acres and offers activities including mountain climbing, parachute jumps and the construction of cars for racing.
Boarders can also take part in pool parties and murder-mystery dinners. The school won Tatler’s Best Food Award in 2021 after sending brownies to former pupils unable to leave their university accommodation during the lockdown period.
Westminster School charges £17,482 per term for day pupils and £23,094 for boarders. The historic London institution is in the process of becoming fully co-educational, with girls due to be admitted to every year group by September 2030.
Girls have been admitted to the sixth form since 1973. Parents and pupils have praised what Tatler described as the school’s free-thinking approach, which is credited with fostering a love of learning alongside strong examination results.
Eton College, founded by Henry VI in 1440, has fees of £21,892 per term. The Berkshire school is the alma mater of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, while Prince George is expected to follow the family tradition and attend.
Eton says its admissions process is highly competitive and offers a range of scholarships, including Orwell Awards intended for candidates for whom an education at the school would be transformational. Its outreach work included more than 5,000 visits by state-school pupils to its museums and collections in 2024, while the college also sponsors the London Academy of Excellence in Newham.
Wellington College charges £10,380 per term for day pupils and £14,210 for boarders. The Berkshire school offers lessons in Happiness and Positive Psychology, including sessions extended to parents.
Its facilities include 16 rugby and football pitches, a climbing wall, a nine-hole golf course and an outdoor swimming pool. Pupils can also work on WTV, the school’s own television channel.
At St George’s School, Ascot, termly fees are £11,675 for day pupils and £14,995 for boarders. The former boys’ school counts Sir Winston Churchill and Princess Beatrice among its alumni and places emphasis on personalised attention.
Although it is based in a town, Tatler noted the school’s rural character, including communal allotments where pupils grow produce for use in cookery lessons.
Headington Rye Oxford charges £10,261 per term for day pupils and £20,688 for boarders. Its pupils are encouraged to combine their studies with a wide range of activities, from gardening and sewing to robotics and artificial intelligence.
The school’s former pupils include Harry Potter actress Emma Watson. Alongside its academic programme, it runs sessions addressing sleep, nutrition and physical movement.
Reigate Grammar School charges £9,900 per term. It has invested in sporting facilities, including an F1 simulator, but parents surveyed by Tatler singled out the school’s pastoral care as its most valuable feature.
Support for pupils includes small classes, systems designed to build emotional resilience and an open-door policy operated by headmaster Shaun Fenton.
Marlborough College, where the Princess of Wales was educated, charges £17,076 per term for day pupils and £21,345 for boarders. Its pupils include aspiring athletes as well as students involved in England lacrosse and national-level polo.
The Wiltshire college has also opened an Innovation Centre intended to deliver science, technology, engineering and mathematics teaching in a more practical and dynamic setting.
UWC Atlantic College in the Vale of Glamorgan charges £19,700 per term and has become a popular choice among European royal families. Its recent pupils have included Spain’s Princess Leonor and Princess Alexia of the Netherlands.
The college has 356 pupils from 90 countries and offers the International Baccalaureate. UWC Atlantic says 36 per cent of its pupils currently receive scholarship support, with a long-term ambition to increase that proportion to 60 per cent by 2032. ([uwcatlantic.org](https://www.uwcatlantic.org/news/tatler-guide-highlights-uwc-atlantic?utm_source=openai))
Oundle School charges £13,300 per term for day pupils and £20,385 for boarders. The Northamptonshire school, attended by England rugby player Tom Curry, combines a 50-metre swimming pool and fitness suite with a strong programme in art, music and outdoor activities.
Oundle began admitting girls in 1990 and now has a pupil population split approximately 60:40 between boys and girls. It also supports discussions on issues including body image and consent through The Exchange podcast.
Completing the selection is Gordonstoun, the Scottish school attended by the late Prince Philip and King Charles. Fees are £16,365 per term for day pupils and £23,000 for boarders.
The school’s character-building ethos includes sailing, furniture-making and compulsory dance, alongside outdoor expeditions. Charles famously described his time there as “Colditz in kilts”, although Tatler’s latest account suggests the remote school now places a greater emphasis on enjoyment as well as resilience.
