Royal Hospital School

Royal Hospital School (RHS) is located in 200 acres of stunning Suffolk countryside overlooking the Stour Estuary and about an hour from London. It is a leading independent, co-educational boarding and day school providing a full and broad education, fit for the modern world. The School's ethos is understanding each young person's strengths, to help them to make the right choices at the right time, navigating through their critical formative years and ensuring their education becomes the foundation for their happiness and success.

With a student body of approximately 625 pupils, 50% of whom are boarders, the School's extensive grounds and boarding houses allow pupils to thrive in an exceptional environment. Children entering the School in Year 7, join a co-ed house where they can get to know their whole year group and settle into life at senior school. There are different boarding houses for pupils aged 12 to 17 years. Then, in Year 13, boys and girls join Nelson House where more independent living is encouraged, in preparation for life at university.

Facilities include a state-of-the-art music school with recital hall, recording studio and specialist rooms, drama and dance studios, an art and design technology centre, science laboratories, a well-stocked reference and multimedia library and ICT suites.

There are over 96 acres of sports fields, an all-weather pitch, extensive courts, and a golf course as well as indoor facilities including a large swimming pool, squash courts, a climbing wall, gymnasium, martial arts studio, strength and conditioning room and fitness suite. All pupils take part in traditional team sports such as rugby, cricket, netball, and hockey, but there is also the opportunity to try a diverse range of over 100 co-curricular activities such as sailing, water polo, mountain biking, climbing, canoeing, horse riding, dry skiing, shooting and kick boxing.

RHS has one of the world’s leading school sailing academies and is an RYA training centre. The current World Youth Sailing Champion is a boarding pupil at RHS, where he is ablet to combine his academic studies with his passion for and commitment to sailing. All pupils in Year 7 take part in a team building week in their first term, where they learn to sail or improve their sailing skills.

Academic results are strong with pupils choosing from a wide range of A Level or BTEC subjects, or a combination of both. Most pupils gain entry to their university of choice, and we have had significant success with our pupils gaining some top, and increasing popular, apprenticeship positions over the past few years. Our strong alumni network connects our former pupils from around the world with our current Sixth Formers to advise and support them as they embark on their life beyond school.

A recent alumnus was World Youth Sailing Champion while boarding at RHS. Here he could combine academic studies with his passion for and commitment to sailing. A current pupil claimed first female team and skipper at the 2024 Jr Snipe World Championship, top female spot at ILCA US Nationals for the second year, and winner of the single-handed U.S. Junior Woman’s Championship for the Leiter Trophy. All pupils in Year 7 take part in a team building week in their first term, where they learn to sail or improve their sailing skills.

Headmaster, Simon Lockyer, explains the School’s aims and ethos: 

'We inspire our pupils to have the courage to be ambitious for their futures and the commitment to pursue whichever path they choose. We challenge pupils of all academic abilities, steering them to look beyond the moment and beyond the confines of the classroom, and to approach life with an open and receptive mind. It is through thinking creatively and taking initiative that they discover their influences, strengths and ambitions and establish the skills they need to pursue purposeful and fulfilling lives.

'Everyone can achieve the most exceptional things, but we are all different. It is our focus on personal challenge and individual guidance that enables our pupils to develop into self-reliant, socially responsible adults with enviable open mindedness and resilience, so sought-after by employers and important in life.'