Ludgrove School

Focus

Exploring potential

Boarding fees 2025/26

$57,000

Term dates

• Term 1: 3 September to 10 December 2025
  
• Term 2: 7 January to 25 March 2026
  
• Term 3: 22 April to 2 July 2026
  

Ages

8-13

Pupil count

185

Spear’s Review

Ludgrove School is a non-selective boarding school for boys aged 8 to 13. Situated in rural Berkshire, the beautiful 130-acre site is complemented by excellent facilities, including recently refurbished dormitories, spacious classrooms, extensive playing fields and a nine-hole golf course. The British royal family has long favoured it for educating their princes.

All students enjoy a wide range of extracurricular and academic enrichment activities, with exposure to music, drama, sport and art, and the school’s ‘exploration centre’ houses an IT suite with programming, coding and robotics; two science laboratories; art and ceramics studios; and a design technology workshop. 

Headteacher Simon Barber and his wife, Sophie, believe that creating a homely environment provides the perfect setting for boys to flourish and realise their potential, and there is a focus, particularly in a child’s early years, on developing close relationships between staff and pupils.

Head teacher

Simon Barber has been headmaster at Ludgrove since 2008. Before that, he was a teacher and assistant head at the school. 

Senior school destinations

Ludgrove boys routinely secure places at leading schools such as Eton, Harrow and Radley.

Admissions

According to the school, the majority of boys join in Year 4. Later admissions are subject to places being available and an academic assessment. For Year 4 entrants, Ludgrove asks for a report from the child’s previous school, and once the child arrives at the school, Ludgrove carries out an assessment of reading, writing and maths skills. For entry at Year 5 and above, boys are invited to visit the school and sit an assessment that includes spelling, reading and maths.

Notable alumni

Notable ‘Old Ludgrovians’ include:

• William, Prince of Wales
• Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
• Bear Grylls (presenter)

Accessibility

Heathrow Airport: 40 minutes 

Location

Click for more information about the research process and expert insight behind the Spear’s Schools Index.