This school combines Quaker values and a warm, open family atmosphere with structure and tradition. It offers students both an urban experience and extensive green spaces and woodland.
Leighton Park is located right in the heart of the English town of Reading, providing a safe urban environment.
Nevertheless, the school boasts green lawns, ancient trees and its own pond. Students can enjoy 26 hectares of school grounds – a little green oasis in the middle of the city! Both the IB and A-levels are offered here.
One distinctive feature of the school is its informality – students are even allowed to address teachers and the Head by their first names! At the same time, discipline and rules play an important role, contributing to character development. We particularly appreciate how the Quaker values run through all aspects of school life.
Akademis makes history – A Triple Award-Winning Consultancy (2023, 2024 & 2025) 🏆
Akademis has been recognised three years in a row by StudyTravel for excellence in the education sector:
2025 & 2024: Winners of the StudyTravel Secondary School Award (Best Western European Agency)
2023: Winner of the StudyTravel Star Award
(Best Western European Agency)
The StudyTravel Awards are among the most prestigious honours in international education, recognising outstanding quality, client focus and trusted partnerships. Being the first consultancy ever to win for three consecutive years is something we are deeply proud of. For us, these awards highlight our commitment to offering the very best guidance, personal service and long-term support for families embarking on this exciting journey.
Quick Overview
Age of students: 11–18
Total number of students: 540
Boarding students: 218
International students: 120
Students in the Sixth Form: 165
Boarding fees for senior school per term: £17,635
The most important sports on offer in addition to traditional team sports: football, rugby, cricket, netball, hockey, swimming, tennis, athletics, yoga, golf, horse riding, judo
Nearest airport: London Heathrow, 30 minutes
https://www.leightonpark.com/
Key Strengths at a Glance
Quaker school: strong values
Only 25 minutes from London
STEAM approach: integration of sciences and arts
IB school
Leighton Park – Photo Highlights
Leighton Park in Detail
Academics
Academic support at Leighton Park is both nurturing and ambitious – work is taken seriously here. Teachers are regarded as excellent and know the students well. The school regularly ranks among the country’s leaders in sixth form education. Both A-levels and the IB diploma can be taken here. Of special interest to international students is the Pre-Sixth Form Course, a one-year GCSE programme for around 15 students each year, specifically preparing them for the sixth form. Another distinctive feature of Leighton Park is its STEAM approach: the well-known STEM focus (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) is extended by adding Arts. This means analytical thinking and scientific approaches are combined with creativity and leadership skills.
Arts and Co-Curricular Life
The arts at Leighton Park are marked by enthusiasm and great talent: out of 530 students, around 180 learn an instrument. The annual House Music event is a real highlight – even day students stay overnight so as not to miss it. In the Music and Media Centre there is singing and dancing galore, which spills over into the theatre department – musicals are especially popular. The art studios, including a large design and technology room, are very well equipped.
Other co-curricular opportunities include Young Enterprise, board games, a craft and Lego club, cookery (with a choice between sustainable cooking and university-prep cooking – i.e., budget-friendly), an adventure club, a chocolate-making group for the younger ones, and a GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance).
Quaker Values
Quaker values permeate the campus – and the students and community benefit enormously from them. Quakers believe in the potential of every individual. Students experience first-hand that it is about respect, equality, and finding the good in others. Core values include humility, peace, truth and sustainability – not just preached but genuinely lived.
The holistic curriculum, strong sense of community and the moments of silence built into the school day for reflection all show how the philosophy is put into practice. The sense of belonging is further strengthened by the fact that many teachers – including the Head – live on campus.
Sport
The vast grounds with playing fields and a swimming pool invite everyone to get moving. The sports programmes are equally motivating: the Advanced Performer Programme supports elite athletes with serious ambitions, allowing them to train every day at any time. But Leighton Park also offers plenty for hobby athletes and even the more sedentary – PE lessons emphasise the link between sport and well-being. The range extends from team sports such as football, rugby and cricket to co-curricular activities like yoga, tennis, kayaking, riding and judo. There’s even a “Couch to 5k” programme where participants train to run five kilometres in nine weeks.
What Our Students Say
Jadine
Leighton Park Fees
Fees at Leighton Park are £17,635 per term, amounting to £52,905 per academic year.
This is Leighton Park School
Photos From Our Visit
What our clients say about us
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Conclusion Leighton Park
Leighton Park is a family-oriented school with strong values and the option of an IB diploma.
However, there are many other top boarding schools in England where students can achieve excellent academic results. We strongly recommend that you gather more information. Please feel free to contact us for advice. Thanks to our many years of contact with schools, we understand their particular strengths and can give you an authentic assessment.
We are confident that together we will find the right boarding school for your child. You can find an overview on our Boarding Schools in England page.
Benefit from:
• authentic, first-hand insights
• our excellent relationships with admissions offices
• many years of placement experience
• help with visa questions
What Makes Akademis Stand Out?
- We remain your trusted contact throughout your child’s stay, well beyond the placement process.
- We provide support with guardianship, visa applications and recognition of qualifications within the German school system.
- We offer fully tailored advice. Our school recommendations are unique to each child and can run to 40 pages in length.
- Families receive our 30+ page boarding school guide, packed with practical tips and insights.
- We prepare your child thoroughly for entrance exams and interviews to maximise their chances of success.
- We arrange school visits, ensuring you have the opportunity to experience each school first-hand.
Every boarding school has its own character and ethos. Having personally visited more than 100 schools, we understand these nuances. We also work with schools that do not pay commission, ensuring that our advice remains independent and always in the best interest of your child.
Our roots lie in the UK. For years, we have placed 200–300 families annually into British boarding schools. While our portfolio now includes schools beyond Britain, the UK remains at the heart of what we do.
Our tailored approach results in exceptional acceptance rates. For example, in 2022/23, all seven students we placed at the highly selective Malvern College received offers – a 100% success rate.
We arrange for prospective families to speak with our current students to hear first-hand accounts of life at a UK boarding school.
