FAQs

You can visit Woodbridge School on a working school day for a private family tour with one of our students and an individual meeting with the Head, as well as attend one of our Open Days. You can view our current Open Events or contact our Admissions Team at admissions@woodbridgeschool.org.uk or by calling +44 (0)1394 615041.

Yes. Families are welcome to visit Woodbridge School more than once, with or without their child. Many parents find that attending both a private visit and an Open Day helps them get a better insight into the School.

Woodbridge School Prep and Senior School has more than 700 students in total, with an approximately 50:50 boy-to-girl split.

Woodbridge School is part of The Seckford Foundation which is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. As a not-for-profit charity, the Foundation has no shareholders and all surpluses are reinvested back into its activities, which are overseen by a board of experienced Governors. We have a rolling 10-year maintenance plan and new investment projects plan for new and updated facilities.

Yes. Woodbridge School offers boarding from Year 7 upwards, with both weekly boarding and full boarding available. Boarding is open to students from the UK and overseas. You can find out more on our Boarding page.

No. Lessons take place Monday to Friday and there is no Saturday school. Students who are part of sports teams in Year 9 and above may have some fixtures on a Saturday, and boarders take part in a wide range of weekend activities.

Yes. Woodbridge School offers scholarships for day and boarding students entering Years 7, 9 and 12, based on entrance exams and interviews. We also offer means-tested bursaries for day students.  If you would like to find out more about the bursary process, please contact the Admissions Team at admissions@woodbridgeschool.org.uk or by calling +44 (0)1394 615041. Or read more on our Scholarships and Bursaries pages.

Yes. We have a thriving Old Woodbridgians (OWs) network and are always pleased to hear from and to welcome the next generation of families to Woodbridge School. If your family has a connection with a particular house, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate this. Our OW network is over 4,500 strong and many often return to the school for various events and careers talks.

Please contact the Admissions Team at admissions@woodbridgeschool.org.uk or by calling +44 (0)1394 615041. We are always happy to help with questions about visits, entry points, scholarships, bursaries and the admissions process itself.

Yes. Parent Reps exist for all year groups. Their main role is to organise social events, but they also provide a useful point of contact for advice and support. Reps meet with the Head during the academic year and may be asked to gather parent feedback on specific issues. Stand-alone parent groups are also formed for larger social events, and volunteers are always welcome.

We are a Smartphone free school.

Students in Years 7-11 are only permitted to use ‘brick’ or ‘dumb’ phones. These are expected to be turned off and stored away in lockers or bags for the duration of the school day. Should students need to contact parents during the day they should go to Reception who will assist them.

Sixth Form students are permitted to have smartphones and have their phone on their person. Phones however must be switched off in all areas of the School with exception of the Sixth Form Centre, where restrictions are relaxed in line with the more independent approach that befits the Sixth Form experience.

Boarders in Years 7-11 are permitted to use their smartphone after school has finished at 4.10pm. The devices are taken in overnight and kept during the school day. Exceptions will be allowed to ensure contact can be made with family located in different time zones. Please always refer to the full policy for specifics. For further information, including use on School minibuses and other FAQs, please visit our Policies page.

Our fees are inclusive of all academic tuition, all lunches for day pupils and all meals for boarders, homework clubs until 4.30pm for the Pre-Prep and 5pm for the Prep and Supervised Study for the Senior School until 5pm, all whole year and curriculum trips and activities, use of textbooks, incidental costs for Art and Design subjects, the vast majority of the co-curricular activities programme, all activities and weekend trips for boarders, specialised child and student visa advice from our immigration advisers, Welcome Week for boarders and induction days for day students, membership of the ‘Old Woodbridgians’ for the Senior School. For more details visit our Fees page.

The Catering Manager and Head Chef work closely to create freshly prepared, seasonal dishes for each termly menu, consisting of British classics and favourites from around the world. The Catering Manager meets regularly with students to get their feedback and thoughts. We pride ourselves on making everything from scratch and with as much locally sourced produce as possible. Visti our School Menus page.

Yes, we have an extensive network of School owned and operated buses that transport our students daily throughout the local region. Our bus routes can be viewed on our Bus Routes page.

Sometimes called ‘prep’, the work that students do on their own; either in school, or at home, is of vital importance and the amount given is at an age-appropriate level. Prep is set from Reception upwards. From Year 3 children are given a planner with their daily homework. There is a prep timetable for Years 7 to 11 and here is a supervised homework club after school until 5:00pm, Monday to Thursday where members of staff are on hand to help any student who needs guidance with academic work outside lessons.

A Prep School visit includes a tour and discussion with the Head, Mrs Mitchell, who will show you the school in action and introduce you to children and staff. It is also possible to visit the Senior School on the same day.

Woodbridge School Prep offers a wide range of co-curricular activities, including debating, sports, drama, art and science. These activities give children the chance to build on existing interests and try something new. You can find more information on our Beyond the Classroom page.

Children can arrive from 8am and join the early room. Registration begins at 8.20am, followed by morning assembly at 8.45am. Pre-Prep finishes at 3.30pm, with homework club until 4.30pm. Prep finishes at 3.50pm, with homework club until 5.00pm. Pre-Prep have the option of clubs or Late Room until 4.30pm; with a T Club option until 5pm. Prep have the option of clubs or Homework Room until 5pm and T Club until 6pm.

In the Michaelmas term there are introduction and Form Tutor meetings, initial and further progress meetings and a summary grades and ‘next steps’ report. In the Lent term there are open classrooms, further progress meetings and a summary grades and ‘next steps’ report. In the Trinity term there are open classrooms and a full grades and ‘next steps’ report. Outside the formal structure our doors are always open to share and discuss information.

Most children from the Prep progress to the Senior School as tracking data is shared without the need for an examination process.

A private visit includes a tour with a student, as well as a meeting with the Head to discuss your child’s education in more detail. It can also involve meetings with other key members of staff for example; Heads of Department or Head of Learning Support. It is also possible to see the Prep School if required.

The Senior School day begins at 8.40am and finishes at 4.10pm. Buses leave after co-curricular clubs at 5.15pm Monday to Thursday and 4.15pm on Fridays.

The timetable operates on a two-week cycle. On Fridays, lessons 6 and 7 are allocated to games for Years 7 and 8 and the Seckford Scheme for Years 9 to 13.

Yes. Woodbridge School has a strong Oxbridge preparation programme led by the Head of Scholars and Oxbridge. Students receive support with personal statements, admissions tests, wider reading, essay competitions and interview preparation.

For younger scholars in Years 7-10, Woodbridge also offers the Fitzgerald Programme which offers a variety of timetabled academic enrichment activities designed to develop curiosity, confidence and intellectual ambition.

In recent years, Woodbridge students have enjoyed success in a range of essay competitions and have gone on to study subjects including Classics, English, Natural Sciences, Law, Education, History, and Spanish and French at Oxford and Cambridge and other top-ranking universities.

Woodbridge School is a through school, and a student is considered to leave only at the end of Year 13, not at the end of Year 11. If a student wishes to leave after GCSEs, a term’s notice is required.

An offer of a place in Year 12 is conditional on an applicant achieving sufficiently high grades at GCSE or equivalent. For all students, this means a minimum of four GCSEs at grade 6 and two GCSEs at grade 5. This should include grade 6s in the subjects they wish to study at A level.

Co-curricular is an important part of life at Woodbridge School, and we run a huge approximately 100 clubs each term, both at lunchtimes, before and after school.

An example list of our clubs for can be found via our Co-curricular page. In addition to our clubs we offer tuition in chess, music, sport, art and LAMDA alongside our Friday afternoon Seckford Scheme where students take part in CCF, Sports Leaders, volunteering in the community, art, woodworking or theatre tech.

Students can join  CCF from Year 9 as part of the Seckford Scheme. They are introduced to this towards the end of  Year 8 where they choose the section they would like to join – Army, RAF or Navy. There are approximately 200 cadets in the CCF.

In Year 7 our team of tutors, under the care of the Head of Year 7 ensure all new students settle into the school environment so that they are ready to move into a Year 8 tutor group. From Year 8 onwards students are looked after by the same tutor together with the same Head of Year for the next four years.

By the time they reach Year 11, all our students will have had the benefit of a support system in place which knows them well and is best placed to guide them through their most demanding school year to date.

On completion of Year 11, students move into the Sixth Form – Years 12 and 13 – and are divided amongst specialist Sixth Form tutors and led by the Director of Sixth Form, with vital input from the tutors and Deputy Head of Sixth Form.

Students are also placed in one of four Houses: Annott, Burwell, Seckford or Willard. Students stay in the same House throughout their time at the School and take part in inter-house competitions.

Progress is monitored through grade sessions every half term, a written report once a year, Parents’ Evenings in the Michaelmas and Trinity terms, class assessment and testing, and more formal end-of-year exams.