Sherborne Girls

Sherborne Girls in Dorset is one of the leading independent full boarding schools in the UK at the forefront of women's education. The world needs women who are adaptable, intellectually enquiring, courageous and compassionate to be leaders in their communities.

We raise our girls’ aspirations from an early age and develop a passion for learning and life. We continue to strive for all-round excellence and our strategy for achieving this is reflected in the most ambitious set of developments at Sherborne Girls for many years.   

The whole “Sherborne package” is what makes our school unique – this covers everything from our full boarding ethos to our outstanding academic programme. Sherborne is a co-educational town, so there are also many opportunities to collaborate with Sherborne School, the all-boys school.

Only ten per cent of our pupils are day girls, which goes a long way to explain the sense of community which exists at Sherborne Girls. The houses are very important and all our students, both day and boarding, are house-based.

The role of the housemistress/houseparent is critical to the success of the house system. Our house-based dining gives a real feel of homeliness, plus we are within walking distance of the centre of Sherborne, which is a small safe market town, so the girls are not limited to a campus environment.

The town has its own train station and good links to London, which helps create a diverse student body. Here girls can be themselves and be happy, responsible and academically ambitious. We are, however, determined to keep moving forward and embracing the challenges of an ever-changing world in which our girls will thrive.

We aim to fulfil the individual potential of all girls by offering a varied choice of subjects and activities.

Our curriculum, beginning with the Sherborne Diploma in years 7, 8 and 9, and moving on to public examinations, gives girls the framework for developing knowledge and learning skills as well as opportunities to hone personal attributes and to make a contribution to the community.

The school maintains an admirable reputation for its extra-curricular activities and we pride ourselves on supporting the diverse interests and talents amongst our girls.

We are proud of our long tradition of musical excellence. Likewise much artistic talent has been fostered by our vibrant Art department. Sport is of a high standard with many girls being chosen to play for their regional or national teams.

The Oxley Sports Centre, a swimming pool and fitness complex, is well used and offers a variety of sports including fencing, basketball, squash, dance and aqua fit. Many pupils take a great interest in drama, regularly participating in the school productions.

Leiths Basic Certificate in Food and Wine is a popular activity among many of our pupils and it is offered in the Sixth Form. Junior Leiths is offered in year 7.

Girls very much enjoy the variety of clubs and societies including our ‘mind matters’ academic clubs and all girls participate in this programme. The opportunities to debate, discuss and to listen to outside speakers enriches the life of the community. We believe a single-sex education provides the best environment for girls to be themselves and explore their talents.