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Boarding school

Radley College

Radley, United KingdomDay and boarding
An imagined school campus with a clock tower, courtyard, trees and students arriving along a red path.
Space for a new chapter.
Location
Radley
Recorded age range
13–18
Education
British

About Radley College

Well-established educational environment. Serene, supportive atmosphere.

School background from the saved source · 2026-05-31

Radley College — formally St Peter's College, Radley — was founded in 1847 by the Reverend William Sewell, a Tractarian Anglican High Churchman of the Oxford Movement, as an Anglo-Catholic boys' boarding school. The school sits today on an 800-acre rural campus in the Oxfordshire village of Radley, just south of Oxford and adjacent to the Thames. The school remains boys-only, boarding only, ages 13-18 — among only two or three remaining substantial boys-only boarding HMC schools in England (with Eton and Harrow). The Warden is John Moule. Around 770 boys, all boarders, are educated.

Radley is a member of the HMC and the Boarding Schools Association. The school's distinctive co-curricular tradition is rowing — Radley boats compete consistently at Henley Royal Regatta and the school has produced multiple GB Olympic oarsmen across the past century. The school's geographic position adjacent to the Thames provides extensive river access.

The school's most internationally significant alumnus is Sir Anthony Powell — the novelist whose 12-volume sequence A Dance to the Music of Time (1951-75) is widely regarded as the greatest English novel sequence since Trollope's Barchester Chronicles, and the canonical literary portrait of the English upper-middle classes from the inter-war period to the 1970s. Powell was at Radley before Eton. The comedian Peter Cook — co-founder of Beyond the Fringe (with Alan Bennett, Dudley Moore and Jonathan Miller), founder of Private Eye magazine and co-creator with Dudley Moore of the Pete and Dud sketches — was a Radleian.

Christopher Robin Milne — the son of A. A. Milne and the real-life Christopher Robin of the Winnie-the-Pooh books, who attended Radley in the 1930s — went on to run a Devon bookshop and to write his memoirs of his complicated relationship with his father's fictional version of him in The Enchanted Places (1974).

The school operates a substantial bursary programme via the Radley Foundation.

School life and areas of focus

  • Basketball
  • English
  • Hockey
  • Tennis
  • Founded 1847 — 179-year history
  • Boys-only ages 13-18, boarding only
  • ≈770 pupils — all boarders
  • Set on a 800-acre rural campus near Abingdon, Oxfordshire
  • HMC and BSA member
  • Strong rowing pedigree — Radley boats consistently compete at Henley Royal Regatta
  • Substantial bursary programme via the Radley Foundation
  • Founded 1888 — 138 year tradition
  • 770-pupil community
  • Day and boarding places available
  • Church of England/Christian foundation
  • A-Level A*-B*: 41% achieve AAB+

Education and school life

Explore the curriculum and subjects below. Our team can help you find out about subject choices, year groups and programme availability.

Programme type
Boarding school
Curriculum
British
Teaching language
English
Campus setting
rural

Subject areas

  • Basketball
  • English Learning
  • Hockey
  • Tennis
  • Sports
  • Sport (rowing — Radley boats at Henley Royal Regatta)
  • Classics
  • Sciences
  • Mathematics
  • Music
  • Modern languages
  • Drama

Listed memberships and accreditations

  • HMC (Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference)
  • BSA (Boarding Schools Association)
  • ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate)

Study and progression pathways

  • Sport
  • Languages
  • Oxbridge
  • Russell Group (Cambridge, Imperial, UCL)
  • US Ivy League universities
  • Sandhurst

Academic profile in the catalogue

No review date is recorded for these catalogue figures.

The legacy catalogue contains estimated academic figures without a measurement source. Ask our team about current class sizes and progression results.

Campus, boarding and student community

Catalogue profile

Campus setting
rural
Boarding
Listed in the catalogue
Co-education
Not recorded as co-educational; confirm intake

School-wide directory record

Schoolscout · Source record dated 2026-05-18

School stages
Senior, Sixth Form
Directory age range
13-18
Student intake
Boys
Attendance
Day and boarding
Religious ethos
Church of England/Christian
Headteacher in source record
Mr John Moule
Inspectorate
ISI
Total pupils
770
Boys · number / share
770 · 100%
Pupils receiving SEN support · number / share
265 · 34.42%
Pupils with an EHC plan · number / share
0 · 0%

Directory and catalogue figures are shown separately because their age groups or record dates may differ.

Recorded examination results

Schoolscout · Source record dated 2026-05-18

Qualification
A-level
Results year
2025
Average grade
A-
Progress score
0.16 (Above Average)
AAB or higher
41.20%

Results are for the year shown, separately from the estimated catalogue indicators.

Tuition and costs

Recorded GBP school fees

Schoolscout · Source record dated 2026-05-18

GBP directory amounts · period and VAT unverified
AttendanceRecorded range
Boarding fees£20,112.00

These historical directory amounts are not a confirmed school quotation. The billing period, VAT, academic year and included costs need confirmation from the school.

Catalogue USD figures

Estimated catalogue fees · USD

$36,000+ USD
This figure is an estimate, not a confirmed quotation from the school.

Catalogue figures are shown in US dollars (USD). The fee period and academic year are not specified in this record. UK institutions generally publish their own fees in pounds sterling (GBP); check the current fee schedule rather than treating this range as a GBP price.

Ask the UniCampus team about the fee period, entry year, boarding and additional costs.

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Planning your application

Entry requirements depend on the school, age group and programme. Talk to the UniCampus team about school reports, language requirements, assessments and your application timeline.

Catalogue application window
Rolling
Listed intake
September 2026

These catalogue notes do not confirm an available place or a current deadline. MEC guidance can help you organise a shortlist and prepare questions for the school.

Support recorded in the catalogue

Scholarships or bursaries
Not specified in this record; ask the institution
Visa application support
Listed; confirm what assistance is provided
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Source notes and alternative records

Dated background research is retained below; source descriptions may differ and have not been newly verified by UniCampus.

School background research · 2026-05-31

School background notes

Source record dated 2026-05-31 · Source text retained in English

Read this source's description in the school overview.

Founded · source note
1847
Campus setting · source note
rural
Religious ethos · source note
Church of England
School leadership · source note
John Moule (Warden)
Scholarships · source note
Mentioned in saved research; confirm current terms

Additional subject and programme notes

  • Sport (rowing — Radley boats at Henley Royal Regatta)
  • Classics
  • Sciences
  • Mathematics
  • Music
  • Modern languages

Listed education pathways

  • Oxbridge
  • Russell Group (Cambridge, Imperial, UCL)
  • US Ivy League universities
  • Sandhurst

Memberships and accreditations in the source

  • HMC (Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference)
  • BSA (Boarding Schools Association)
  • ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate)

School-life notes

  • Founded 1847 — 179-year history
  • Boys-only ages 13-18, boarding only
  • ≈770 pupils — all boarders
  • Set on a 800-acre rural campus near Abingdon, Oxfordshire
  • HMC and BSA member
  • Strong rowing pedigree — Radley boats consistently compete at Henley Royal Regatta
  • Substantial bursary programme via the Radley Foundation

Notable alumni listed in the source

  • Sir Christopher Hogg (Chairman of Reuters; corporate-governance figure)
  • Sir Anthony Powell (novelist — A Dance to the Music of Time, 12-volume novel cycle 1951-75)
  • Peter Cook (comedian; Cambridge Footlights; Beyond the Fringe; Pete and Dud)
  • Christopher Robin Milne (son of A. A. Milne; the real-life Christopher Robin of Winnie-the-Pooh; later a Devon bookseller)
  • Sir Stuart Etherington (former CEO of NCVO)
  • Major-General Sir Robert Wood
Additional school record · 2026-05-30

Additional saved school information

Source record dated 2026-05-30 · Source text retained in English

p>strong]:block [&>p>strong]:italic [&>p>strong]:font-normal"> Radley College is a proudly traditional boarding school for boys aged 13-18 in Oxfordshire.

p>strong]:block [&>p>strong]:italic [&>p>strong]:font-normal"> “What strikes you is how kind and nurturing it is… it’s the care Radley shows for the boys that is most remarkable” – Tatler Schools’ Guide

p>strong]:block [&>p>strong]:italic [&>p>strong]:font-normal"> Radley College is a proudly traditional boarding school for boys aged 13-18 in Oxfordshire.

Founded · source note
1888
Scholarships · source note
Mentioned in saved research; confirm current terms

Additional subject and programme notes

  • Drama

School-life notes

  • Founded 1888 — 138 year tradition
  • 770-pupil community
  • Day and boarding places available
  • Church of England/Christian foundation
  • A-Level A*-B*: 41% achieve AAB+
Schoolscout introduction

Radley College offers a distinguished educational experience set within a picturesque campus, blending tradition with modern learning. Renowned for its com...

School location

Schoolscout · Source record dated 2026-05-18

Recorded address
Abingdon, Oxfordshire, South East, OX14 2HR
Postcode
OX14 2HR
Find this address on a mapAsk our team about this school

Questions in the source record

Schoolscout · Source record dated 2026-05-18 · Original English answers

What type of school is Radley College?

Radley College is a boys' independent mainstream school for pupils aged 13 to 18, located in Oxfordshire. The school offers education from Senior through to Sixth Form, with pathways leading to GCSEs and A Levels.

How do I apply to Radley College?

The admissions process usually starts well in advance of entry and may involve assessments and interviews. The school admissions timeline guide outlines key stages and deadlines.

What are the fees at Radley College?

Fees at Radley College are approximately £20,112 per term, depending on the year group and whether pupils board. Families can learn more about UK private school fees and what is typically included.

Is Radley College a day or boarding school?

Radley College offers boarding options. Where boarding is available, this may include full, weekly or flexi arrangements.

Is Radley College a single-sex or co-educational school?

Radley College is a boys' independent school.

Contact our team for current dates, entry criteria and fees.

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