Ackworth School is an historic boarding school located in the north of England. Founded as a Quaker school, the school has offered a progressive education to boys and girls since 1779. It is one of the oldest co-educational boarding schools in the world. The school maintains friendly relations with a number of other leading schools around the world, particularly those that share a similar ethos through the Friends Council network.
ABOUT
Ackworth, and its integrated pre-prep school – Coram House, is a quintessential English independent school in the public school tradition being a longstanding member of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference and the Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools (and its predecessor organisation – the Governing Bodies’ Association). The school was identified as a public school in the 1944 Fleming Report.
The school has maintained its Quaker ethos since its foundation albeit that the majority of pupils are no longer boarders and come from other faith backgrounds or none at all. Ackworth still offers places to Quaker children with dedicated financial support schemes in line with its established mission, alongside a wider suite of scholarships and bursary support. The school attracts children mainly from across the north of England but also further afield and internationally.
The school is proud of its traditions and its standing as Britain’s pre-eminent Quaker school. It is a member of the global Friends Council alongside famous peers: Brooklyn Friends School; Friends Seminary; Oakwood Friends School; and Sidwell Friends School, all in the United States. Ackworth instills a sense of community and charity in its student body, as seen with the annual Charity Week amongst other initiatives throughout the school year.
The school operates an elite level football academy for gifted athletes. Other activities one would expect from a traditional English boarding school are in abundance here too, including various sports in addition to football (with a well-regarded table tennis team) and a noteworthy music programme, accredited as an All-Steinway School. A summer school operates at Ackworth too.
Ackworth admits children on a non-selective basis at various stages from the ages of 21/2 years old through to Sixth Form, with full or flexible boarding arrangements available in both the prep and upper schools for children aged 10 and over. The school operates a house system, including Woolman, Gurney, Penn and Fothergill named for prominent Quakers.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Category
Independent Private Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory and Secondary School
Sports Academy
Established
1779
Admissions
Boarding & Day
Gender
Co-educational / mixed
Ages
2 – 18 years old
Grades
Nursery – Sixth Form
Entrance criteria
Non-selective
Curriculum
English Curriculum
Faith / ethos
Quaker (Society of Friends)
Campus
Country / rural
Operator
Head of School
Anton Maree (Head)
Enrollment
545 pupils
Faculty
Ratio
Average class size
15 pupils
Tuition fees
£8,802 – £39,360 per annum (additional charges may apply)
Scholarships / bursaries / financial aid
A variety of scholarships and bursary support schemes are available, including some exclusively for Quaker children.
Endowment
Uniform
Uniform of navy blazer, blue shirt/chambray blouse, school tie and grey woollen trousers/skirts and navy jumper.
Accreditations and associations
Athletics conference
Junior British League Table Tennis
Affiliations
Alumni
CONTACT DETAILS
A: Ackworth Road, Pontefract, West Yorkshire WF7 7LT, England, United Kingdom
SEE ALSO
ACKWORTH SCHOOL
ACKWORTH ROAD, PONTEFRACT, WEST YORKSHIRE WF7 7LT, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
NURSERY, PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL
ALL-THROUGH SCHOOL
BOARDING SCHOOL
FAITH SCHOOL
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL
SPORTS ACADEMY (ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL)
PRE-PREPARATORY AND PREPARATORY SCHOOL
ABOUT
ESTABLISHED 1779
FEE-PAYING
BOARDING & DAY
CO-EDUCATIONAL
AGES 2 – 18 (NURSERY – SIXTH FORM)
QUAKER (SOCIETY OF FRIENDS)
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