- Founded in 1382 by William of Wykeham as a feeder school for New College, Oxford, Winchester College was a boys’ school for over 600 years until the first girls were admitted in September 2022 as part of its transition to coeducation.
- Extracurricular activities, clubs and societies include more than 30 sports, a symphony orchestra and a Glee Club singing group. Most pupils take part in either community service or the Combined Cadet Force; the former programme has 400 pupils and 50 dons dedicated to 20,000 hours a year of voluntary work.
- A list of “Notions”, or specialised terms and customs, are in place as part of the school’s long history, having evolved over the centuries. Today, these include the phrase “up to books” to mean “in school and in lessons”; “cloister time” for “summer term”, “hour” to describe a Winchester lesson, the length of which is 35 minutes; and “preces” for the short meeting held every evening in the boarding houses.
- Means-tested bursaries are available up to a 100 per cent fee reduction, with additional support offered for trips and equipment. The Wykeham Award, which can cover up to 100 per cent of school fees and associated costs, can be given to those who join Winchester’s sixth form from the state sector.
- Notable former pupils include the historian Matthew Arnold, the mountaineer George Mallory, and the politician and former prime minister Rishi Sunak.
Results
A-level 2025 rank: 41=
Grade
%
A*
44.3
A
31.5
B
16.7
A*/A
75.7
A*-B
92.4
GCSE 2025 rank: 22=
Grade
%
9/8
81.7
7
11.8
9/8/7
93.5