Founded in AD627, St Peter’s is one of the world’s oldest schools. It provides outstanding boarding and day education for boys and girls from 13 to 18. Pupils at St Peter’s School achieve some of the best grades in the North of England at GCSE and A level. It has a co-educational prep school, St Peter’s 8–13, which admits boarding and day pupils, and a day pre-prep and nursery, St Peter’s 2–8. (See separate entries in IAPS section).
St Peter’s is a co-educational boarding and day school with 1,300 pupils across the whole school from aged 2–18, and 628 boys and girls in the senior part of the school, aged 13–18. There are just over 120 boarders housed in four boarding houses, and all day pupils are assigned to a day house, all of which are on the campus. St Peter’s offers full boarding and part-time boarding options.
Buildings and facilities. The School occupies an impressive 50-acre site just a few minutes’ walk from the historic centre of York. Playing fields stretch down to the River Ouse and the School boat house, and the sports facilities are further supplemented by three sports halls, a fitness suite, an astro pitch and a 25-metre, 6-lane swimming pool.
There are three performance spaces of varying capacities, a music school, an outstanding art school with its own exhibition gallery and an extensive library. The school’s sports pitches have been recognised for their excellence by the Institute of Groundsmanship, and a Maths and Modern Foreign Languages block opened in September 2018.
Entrance. Pupils are admitted through the School’s entrance examinations held at the end of January for 13+ and in mid-November for 16+. The School is oversubscribed and application before the entrance exam is strongly recommended.
Curriculum. St Peter’s offers a very broad middle-school curriculum, including Music, PE, Art, Design & Technology, Community Action, and courses in personal and social education, among many others.
Nearly all pupils proceed into the Sixth Form, and A level courses are available in all subjects studied for IGCSE/GCSE, and in Economics, Politics, Business Studies, Further Mathematics and PE.
Academic and pastoral care. A comprehensive House and tutorial system with interim assessments and reports during the term ensure the close scrutiny by all the teaching staff of pupils’ academic and general development.
Religious education and worship. Religious Studies are part of the curriculum, and Chapel is seen as an opportunity for pupils to be made aware of the School’s Christian heritage.
Careers and university entrance. The School is an ‘all-in’ member of the Independent Schools Careers Organisation. Careers staff are available for consultation, maintaining an extensive library relating to careers and higher education, and organising a full programme of events for the Sixth Form. In 2015, the School’s Careers Department was accredited by Career Mark, ‘The mark of Quality for Careers Education and Guidance’. Approximately 90% of Sixth Form pupils go straight on to further or higher education study, with over 60% of pupils progressing to elite and Russell Group universities in the UK (including Oxford and Cambridge).
Games and Physical Education. Physical education is a significant part of the curriculum. There is an extensive games programme, 250 sports teams and excellent sports facilities. Rugby, netball, hockey, cricket, swimming, tennis and rowing are major sports, and many other options including athletics, cross country, basketball, squash, yoga, badminton, fencing, golf, trampolining, fitness and weight training are available.
Combined Cadet Force. A flourishing and voluntary CCF contingent, with army and air sections, allows the pursuit of many activities including a full programme of camps, expeditions and courses.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is also on offer with expedition training for all levels as part of the activities programme and 150 pupils are currently participating.
Music. Musical ability is encouraged throughout the School. There is an orchestra, bands, choirs, choral society, Barbershop and Barbieshop groups and numerous smaller activities. Concerts and tours abroad are a regular feature of the school year. Tuition in all instruments is provided, and music is offered at GCSE and A level.
Art. Drawing, painting, print-making, ceramics and sculpture may all be taken up both in and out of school hours in an outstanding department. The department also has its own exhibition gallery and regular life-drawing classes.
Drama. The School has three performance spaces: the Memorial Hall, the Shepherd Hall and the smaller, more flexible Drama Centre. There are various productions through the year giving opportunities for acting and backstage skills.
Clubs and societies. Over 80 flourishing clubs and societies are available, including chess, debating and Radio 627. The Community Action programme has over 100 regular participants.
Travel and expeditions. Opportunities for trips and tours have included skiing trips, Classics trips to Greece, trekking in Morocco, a Rugby tour to Canada and the USA, among many others.
The Friends of St Peter’s. Parents are encouraged to join the Friends, a society whose aim is to promote a close relationship between parents and staff.
Fees per term (from January 2025, incl. VAT). Full Boarding: £14,840–£14,700, Non-EEA Full Boarding: £15,850–£15,850, Day: £8,665–£8,580. Tuition fees include the costs of stationery and textbooks. There are no compulsory extras except for examination fees. Lunches are included in day fees. Fees subject to change.
Scholarships and bursaries. Honorary scholarships are awarded to those performing extremely well in the entrance examination.
Various music awards covering a proportion of the fees and free tuition on up to three musical instruments are available for entrants at 13+ or Sixth Form. Interviews and auditions for these awards are held in January or February.
For Sixth Form applicants there is the Ginetta STEM scholarship, aimed at pupils with a strong interest in a career in design, technology or engineering.
Help with Fees is available at 11+ and 16+. Full particulars on Help with Fees and scholarships are available from the Admissions Team, Tel: 01904 527300 or email: admissions@stpetersyork.org.uk. Charitable status. St Peter’s School, York, is a Registered Charity, number 1141329.
Governors & Staff:
Board of Governors:
Chairman: Mr W Woolley
Vice Chair: Dr N Durham
Members of the Board:
Ms C Baker
Ms H Chamberlain
Mrs J Copley-Farnell
Ms H Dowdy
Mr J Gill
Dr S Hinchliffe
Revd Canon Dr V Johnson
Ms C Smart
Sir J Townsley
Ms G Vidic Cattorini
Mr P Widdicombe
Clerk to the Board: Ms K Hodges
Head Master: Mr J M P Walker, MA Oxford, MA London
Deputy Head: Mr A Hall BA Rhodes, MEd Buckingham
Chief Operating Officer: Mrs R Desport, BSc
Director of Admissions, Marketing and Communications: Ms S T Opie, BSc
Pastoral Deputy: Miss T M Mounter, BA
Academic Deputy: Mr D H Gillies, BA, MSc Oxon
Director of Finance: Mrs R Johnson, BA, FCA
Head Master’s PA: Mrs C E McTurk
The Prep School – St Peter’s 8–13
Head: Mr P C Hardy, BA, PGCE
Deputy Head: Mr M C Ferguson, HDE
The Pre-Prep and Nursery – St Peter’s 2–8
Head: Mrs A M Clarke, BA
A full staff list is available on the school website.