Dating back to 1898, this is one of only a few true all-girls full boarding schools left in the UK – and still one of the very best. Parents choose it for the huge variety of opportunities on offer and its nurturing environment, as well as the fact that it offers all the benefits of a single-sex education. ‘Though it has close links with Sherborne boys’ school,’ says one mother, ‘the girls can really be themselves here’. Energetic head Dr Ruth Sullivan is also a huge draw: parents are impressed by how ‘approachable, responsible and decisive’ she is, while students view her as ‘an inspiration’. Under her guidance, girls are encouraged to challenge themselves, whether cycling to Paris for charity, mentoring Kenyan children via Skype or working as youth advisors on the local town council. Results are consistently excellent (last year saw 75 per cent A*–A at A-level, and 84 per cent A*–A at GCSE) and leavers head largely to Russell Group universities. But it’s the ‘loving and caring atmosphere’ of the boarding houses that the girls rate above all, which means they’re keen to stick around on weekends. There are ‘super-fun’ activities and socials, trips, and inter-house competitions. Loyalty to the Sherborne ‘family’ endures long after they’ve left.
Location: Bradford Road, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3QN
Website: sherborne.com
Head: Dr Ruth Sullivan, PhD, since 2018, previously Deputy Master at Haileybury College
Pupils: 484 girls: 47 day, 437 boarding
Ages: 11–18
Term fees: Day: £8,892; boarding: £13,894
Oxbridge: 2%
Admission: CE or school’s own exam
Alumnae: Historian Margaret Macmillan, author Santa Montefiore, biologist Rosa Beddington
