- Location
- Uppingham
- Recorded age range
- 11–18
- Education
- British
About Uppingham School
Founded in 1584. Renowned for academic excellence and holistic education. State-of-the-art facilities including comprehensive sports complex and arts studios in historic grounds.
School background from the saved source · 2026-05-30
Uppingham School was founded in 1584 by Robert Johnson, Archdeacon of Leicester, who also founded Oakham School in the neighbouring county town in the same year — making Johnson the only person to have founded two separate flagship boarding schools that have both endured for over 440 years. Uppingham is in the market town of Uppingham in Rutland, the smallest historic county in England, and is one of the principal boarding schools of the East Midlands. The school is a member of the HMC, the BSA and the Rugby Group of British independent schools, and the Headmaster Richard Maloney sits on the HMC. Uppingham today is co-educational, ages 11-18, with full and weekly boarding alongside day provision.
Uppingham's nineteenth-century history was shaped by the reforming headmastership of Edward Thring (1853-87), who is widely regarded as the most influential English headmaster of the Victorian period after Thomas Arnold. Thring's reforms included the principle that "every boy should have his own room" — a revolutionary departure from the dormitory norm of the period — and the establishment of one of the first dedicated school music departments in England, which has grown into what is now widely regarded as the strongest school music programme in the country (the school employs over seventy full and visiting music staff and operates a 1,000-seat concert hall and three smaller venues).
The Uppingham alumni list is unusually weighted toward science and the arts. In physics, Sir John Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh, won the 1904 Nobel Prize for the discovery of argon and is regarded as one of the most important British physicists of the late nineteenth century. In computer science: Sir Maurice Wilkes, who built the EDSAC at Cambridge in 1949 — one of the first practical stored-program computers in the world — and pioneered microprogramming, was an Old Uppinghamian.
In literature: Sir Stephen Spender CBE, the poet of the 1930s circle around W. H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood, who later founded Encounter magazine. In film: the horror-film actor Boris Karloff — real name William Henry Pratt — who played the Monster in James Whale's 1931 Frankenstein and went on to define the cinematic horror tradition. In broadcasting: Ronnie Hazlehurst, composer of the theme tunes for Yes Minister, Last of the Summer Wine, The Two Ronnies and many more BBC programmes. The comedian and writer Stephen Fry attended briefly before transferring; his school memories were not always happy. The school operates a substantial bursary programme via the Uppingham School Foundation.
School life and areas of focus
- Boarding experience
- Founded 1584 by Robert Johnson, Archdeacon of Leicester — 442-year history
- Co-educational since the 1970s; ages 11-18
- Member of the Rugby Group of British independent schools
- Located in Uppingham, Rutland — England's smallest historic county
- Strong full and weekly boarding tradition
- Music programme widely regarded as one of the strongest at any English school (70+ music staff)
- Edward Thring's reforming headmastership (1853-87) introduced "every boy should have his own room"
- Substantial bursary programme via the Uppingham School Foundation
- 839-pupil community
- Day and boarding places available
- Church of England foundation
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
- Music (full-time music staff of 70 — one of the largest school music departments in Europe)
- Drama
- Cricket and rugby
- Sciences
- Classics
- Modern languages
Listed memberships and accreditations
- HMC (Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference)
- BSA (Boarding Schools Association)
- Rugby Group of British independent schools
- ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate)
Study and progression pathways
- Humanities
- Oxbridge
- Russell Group (Imperial, UCL, Edinburgh, Durham)
- Music conservatoires (RCM, RAM, Trinity Laban)
- US Ivy League
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
- Listed as co-educational
School-wide directory record
Schoolscout · Source record dated 2026-05-17
- School stages
- Prep, Senior, Sixth Form
- Directory age range
- 11-18
- Student intake
- Co-educational
- Attendance
- Day and boarding
- Religious ethos
- Church of England
- Inspectorate
- ISI
- Total pupils
- 839
- Boys · number / share
- 471 · 56.14%
- Girls · number / share
- 368 · 43.86%
- Pupils receiving SEN support · number / share
- 161 · 19.19%
- 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 2026-05-17
- Qualification
- A-level
- Results year
- 2025
- Average grade
- A-
- Progress score
- 0.29 (Above Average)
- AAB or higher
- 29.50%
Results are for the year shown, separately from the estimated catalogue indicators.
Tuition and costs
Recorded GBP school fees
Schoolscout · Source record dated 2026-05-17
| Attendance | Recorded range |
|---|---|
| Day fees | £8,436.00 – £11,358.00 |
| Boarding fees | £9,390.00 – £19,392.00 |
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
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.
Ask about current feesPlanning 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
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 · 2026-05-30
School background notes
Source record dated 2026-05-30 · Source text retained in English
Read this source's description in the school overview.
- Founded · source note
- 1584
- Campus setting · source note
- rural
- Religious ethos · source note
- Church of England
- School leadership · source note
- Richard Maloney (Headmaster)
- Scholarships · source note
- Mentioned in saved research; confirm current terms
Additional subject and programme notes
- Music (full-time music staff of 70 — one of the largest school music departments in Europe)
- Drama
- Cricket and rugby
- Sciences
- Classics
- Modern languages
Listed education pathways
- Oxbridge
- Russell Group (Imperial, UCL, Edinburgh, Durham)
- Music conservatoires (RCM, RAM, Trinity Laban)
- US Ivy League
Memberships and accreditations in the source
- HMC (Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference)
- BSA (Boarding Schools Association)
- Rugby Group of British independent schools
- ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate)
School-life notes
- Founded 1584 by Robert Johnson, Archdeacon of Leicester — 442-year history
- Co-educational since the 1970s; ages 11-18
- Member of the Rugby Group of British independent schools
- Located in Uppingham, Rutland — England's smallest historic county
- Strong full and weekly boarding tradition
- Music programme widely regarded as one of the strongest at any English school (70+ music staff)
- Edward Thring's reforming headmastership (1853-87) introduced "every boy should have his own room"
- Substantial bursary programme via the Uppingham School Foundation
Notable alumni listed in the source
- Edward Thring (legendary nineteenth-century headmaster who transformed Uppingham and inspired the modern public-school pastoral tradition)
- Sir Stephen Spender CBE (poet — Vienna; The Edge of Being; founder of Encounter magazine)
- Lord Bernstein of Leigh (founder of Granada Television and Granada Group)
- Sir John Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh (Nobel Prize in Physics, 1904 — discovery of argon)
- Sir Maurice Wilkes (computer pioneer; built EDSAC 1949; foundational figure of British computing)
- Ronnie Hazlehurst (composer of TV theme tunes — Yes Minister, Last of the Summer Wine)
- Stephen Fry (briefly attended; comedian and writer — Blackadder, A Bit of Fry & Laurie, QI)
- Boris Karloff (real name William Henry Pratt; horror-film actor — Frankenstein, The Mummy)
- Brigadier-General Sir Henry Page-Croft (Conservative MP and World War I officer)
- Sir Antony Acland (former Permanent Under-Secretary of the Foreign Office; British Ambassador to the United States)
- Sir John Hampden Inskip (Lord Chief Justice; later Lord Caldecote)
Additional school record · 2026-05-30
Additional saved school information
Source record dated 2026-05-30 · Source text retained in English
- Scholarships · source note
- Not identified in this source
School-life notes
- 839-pupil community
- Day and boarding places available
- Church of England foundation
Schoolscout introduction
Uppingham School is a distinguished independent institution that fosters a vibrant and supportive community, where academic excellence meets personal growt...
School location
Schoolscout · Source record dated 2026-05-17
- Recorded address
- Uppingham, Rutland, East Midlands, LE15 9QE
- Postcode
- LE15 9QE
Questions in the source record
Schoolscout · Source record dated 2026-05-17 · Original English answers
What type of school is Uppingham School?
Uppingham School is a co-educational independent mainstream school for pupils aged 11 to 18, located in Rutland. The school offers education from Prep through to Sixth Form, with pathways leading to GCSEs and A Levels.
How do I apply to Uppingham School?
Most families apply to Uppingham School 1–2 years before entry, with a process that can include tests, interviews and school reports. See the private school admissions timeline for when to apply and what to expect.
What are the fees at Uppingham School?
Fees at Uppingham School are approximately £8,436–£19,392 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 Uppingham School a day or boarding school?
Uppingham School offers boarding options. Where boarding is available, this may include full, weekly or flexi arrangements.
Is Uppingham School selective?
Entry to Uppingham School is based on overall fit and, where relevant, academic assessment.
Contact our team for current dates, entry criteria and fees.
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