If you love water sports or outdoor activities, this rural IB school is just the place for you. Water sports are especially strong at Windermere, but riders, mountain bikers, and runners will also feel at home in this exceptional place.
Surrounded by forests, meadows, and mountains as far as the eye can see, and set directly on a picturesque lake: this is Windermere School, located in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Lake District National Park. There are few places more beautiful to live, learn, and have fun — the idyllic setting enchanted us.
This historic boarding school, with its Victorian buildings, is relatively small at around 300 pupils, but all the more warm, friendly, and family-oriented for it. In particular, the excellent outdoor activities — ranging from riding and mountain biking to camping — foster a remarkable sense of community at the school.
With its own water sports centre, Windermere is the perfect choice for any student who wants to try and improve their sailing, windsurfing, or kayaking.
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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
Number of pupils: 310
Boarding pupils: 150
Pupils in the Sixth Form: 80
Average class size in the Sixth Form: 1:12
Boarding fees for the Sixth Form per term: £15,667
Main sports on offer in addition to traditional team sports: windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, horse riding, golf, archery, dance
Nearest airports: Manchester, Liverpool (approx. 1.5 hrs by car)
https://www.windermereschool.co.uk
Key Strengths at a Glance
Own water sports centre
Excellent outdoor activities
Rural location in the National Park
IB Diploma
Windermere School – Photo Highlights
Windermere School in Detail
Outdoor activity and Sport
Windermere School is best known for its outdoor offering, with water sports taking pride of place thanks to its own dedicated water sports centre. Hodge Howe, the centre, was recognised in 2018 as a British Youth Sailing Recognised Club for the quality of its regatta training and features its own marina with over 90 sailboats. This is the ideal spot to sail, kayak, or learn to windsurf. Beyond the water, the stunning landscape around Windermere offers wonderful opportunities for climbing, mountain biking, running, or camping. Other sports on offer include hockey, volleyball, tennis, and athletics. One thing is clear: there is something for everyone.
Academics
Within the IB programme, students can choose from a broad range of subjects, from the sciences and languages to history and drama. Windermere aims to offer its students adventurous and stimulating education, often taking lessons outdoors or on trips. A particular highlight is the Career-related Programme, which prepares students for the world of work and offers the chance to undertake internships. This approach clearly works: in 2021, students achieved an impressive average of 36 points in the IB.
Creative Arts
It’s not just water sports that shine at Windermere — the arts, music, and theatre are excellent too. The school hosts concerts and theatre productions throughout the year, with the annual musical a real highlight. Individual music tuition is available, covering everything from the harp to the electric guitar. Workshops also offer African drumming, choir, or Scottish pipes. We’re particularly fond of Windermere’s dance programme, where students have choreography in styles from jazz, ballet and tap. Artists also enjoy their own studio space where they can draw, craft, and paint to their heart’s content.
Leisure Activities
Activities at Windermere range from cinema trips and ice skating to karaoke. Various clubs include creative writing, shooting, and debating. The school community also distinguishes itself through social projects, such as fundraising, and community work in South Africa. Riding is also offered as an extracurricular activity, and the school supports many serious competitors, even at international level. We love how students here can experience so many exciting adventures, and after an eventful day they often wind down together by the lakeside.
Photos From Our Visit
Our Visit
The breathtaking view at Windermere School left us speechless — the school sits atop a hill, and from the main building you can see not only lush green meadows but also the shimmering lake below, at what must be a drop of nearly 100 metres. We were given a wonderfully warm welcome. This is a grounded, family-style school where everyone knows each other — something we really appreciated. The school certainly has its own unique charm, with historic buildings and an extremely welcoming atmosphere that made us feel right at home.
Windermere School Fees
Fees at Windermere School are £15,667 per term, or about £47,000 per year.
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Conclusion: Windermere School
Windermere School is a rural IB boarding school with outstanding water sports opportunities.
That said, it is by no means the only school in Britain with excellent water sports provision.
We warmly recommend looking into other English boarding schools as well.Please don’t hesitate to contact us for advice — thanks to our many years of close contact with schools, we know their individual strengths and can give you an authentic assessment.
We’re confident that together we can find the right boarding school for your child. You’ll find an overview on our Boarding Schools in England page.
Benefit from:
- Authentic first-hand insights
- Our good relationships with admissions offices
- Years of experience in placements
- 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.
