site logo

St Swithun's School

Alresford Road
Winchester
Hampshire
SO21 1HA

T: +44 (0)1962 835700

Contact email Visit our website

ISC ID: 30535

Linked schools:


View on Google Maps
Head

Ms Jane Gandee (Headmistress)

Girls - age range:

Day: 11 to 18

Boarding: 11 to 18

Size

488 pupils

St Swithun's School case studies (23)

Holiday swimming provision

Partners

  • St Swithun's School
  • Winchester City Penguins Swimming Club
  • Sport DofE Cadets
  • Wrap Around Care And HolidayClubs
Read more

Impact of partnership work done in 2025 (ISC annual Census 2026)

  • 9 state schools involved
  • 501-1000 state school pupils involved
  • 250 staff hours given

Impact Statement

Widening access

£1.5m spent to fund bursaries (8% of fee income)

63 pupils receive fee assistance (13%)

32 on 100/110% bursaries – ‘transformational’

Accredited Royal National Children’s Springboard Foundation School

Pledged support to DfE/RNCSF Broadening Educational Pathways Scheme

 

State school partnership programme

An increasing network of partner primary schools which now includes Oliver’s Battery, All Saints, Sun Hill, St Faith’s, Four Marks, King’s Worthy, Barton Farm and Weeke.

Over 100 hours of weekly enrichment activity to 5 primary schools across subject areas including drama, art, PE, science and reading.

370 primary school pupils involved

20 St Swithun’s pupils and staff involved

Impact research shows a 10% (on average) improvement across four key areas of learning (enjoyment, proficiency, confidence and understanding) following each termly programme.

40 hours of swimming pool hire/tuition/transport for 5 local primary schools (saving each school £3k, on average)

An events programme which welcomed over 200 primary school pupils to St Swithun’s to take part in maths, sport and creative arts activities, delivered by St Swithun’s pupils and staff.

Transport support, allowing over 300 primary school pupils to attend educational days and co-curricular events off-site.

A community service day at All Saints Primary School involving 20 Year 11 St Swithun’s pupils helping with the upkeep of their grounds.

A lecture programme attended by students from local secondary school and Sixth From colleges.

Science in a Suitcase, the portable science resource developed by our science department, is in much demand by science co-ordinators in primary schools and is regularly out ‘on loan’, at no cost.

4 staff act as a governors for local state schools

Provide mentoring for PGCE undergraduates and NQTs

Regularly provide work experience/observation days for students from Winchester University

Share CPD opportunities with staff from the local state schools, including inviting staff from local colleges to attend conferences and organising CPD sessions free of charge for local primary school teachers welcoming over 20 teaching assistants from local primary schools to a Teaching Assistants Course


Community Service

Pupils undertake volunteering as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. Beneficiaries include Riding for the Disabled, Winchester Nightshelter, Oxfam, Abbeygate Care Home and the EdClub Movement.

Our Performing Arts Centre manager provides technical advice, guidance and support to the Chesil Theatre, Winchester.

Every year, the whole school participates in a Harvest festival collection for the Basics Bank and Nightshelter charities

Sharing facilities.  Each year we share our facilities at a discounted charitable rate with a 10-15 local organisations and charities.

Bursaries

St Swithun's offers means-tested bursaries of between 75% and 110% of tuition fees for girls who meet the school's entrance criteria. All awards are at the discretion of the awards committee.

In addition to direct applications, the school works with the Royal National Children's Springboard Foundation (the UK's largest boarding school bursary charity) to identify girls whose lives would be transformed by the chance to study at St Swithun's.

St Swithun's offers a number of 20% boarding bursaries to HM Armed Forces families joining the school. There is also a sibling discount for families with three or more daughters.

Candidates for an assisted place follow the same entrance procedure as all other applicants but the standard school registration form should be completed at the earliest opportunity. For further information and guidance please contact the school office on 01962 835700 or visit www.stswithuns.com/how-to-apply/fees-bursaries-scholarships.

Scholarships

St Swithun's offers academic, music and sports scholarships of between 5% and 20% of the fees to students who fulfil the school's academic entrance requirements and demonstrate aptitude in the relevant area. Candidates need to be registered with the school by the application deadlines. For dates and full details please visit www.stswithuns.com/how-to-apply/fees-bursaries-scholarships.

Academic scholarships

Academic scholarships are awarded at 11+, 13+ and 16+.

11+ candidates are selected and invited to interview based on the results of their Common Entrance examinations.

13+ candidates may be put forward by their current school to sit the Common Academic Scholarship papers or (for late-entry and overseas-based applicants) may sit the school's own entrance papers.

16+ candidates are invited for interview and sit academic papers and a cognitive ability test (or UKiset for overseas based).

Music scholarships and exhibitions

Music scholarships and exhibitions of up to 20% of fees and tuition in up to two instruments are awarded at 11+, 13+ and 16+. For key dates and criteria please visit www.stswithuns.com/how-to-apply/fees-bursaries-scholarships.

Sports scholarships

Sports scholarships are awarded at the end of year 9 when all students, whether they have joined the school at year 7 or year 9, will have had the opportunity to develop skills in all of the sports that St Swithun's offers.

  • Academic scholarships
  • Music scholarships
  • Sport scholarships
  • Sixth Form scholarships
  • H M Forces discounts
  • Sibling discounts
  • Bursaries for new entrants
  • Hardship awards for existing pupils