Runs an American Program alongside A-levels, BTECs, and CTECs, unusual for a 340-pupil school.
RU Co-educational British boarding school in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds
Why this school
Runs an American Program alongside A-levels, BTECs, and CTECs, unusual for a 340-pupil school.
Founded in 1886, with an active chaplaincy and chapel at the centre of daily boarding life.
Senior full boarding fees are £51,000 per year (2025/26), with weekly boarding also available.
Kingham Hill School is a co-educational independent day and boarding school for pupils aged 11 to 18, set within 100 acres of Cotswold countryside near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. The school was founded in 1886 and has operated with a Christian ethos throughout its history, with a chaplaincy and chapel forming a consistent part of school life. With around 340 pupils on roll, the community is deliberately small. Class sizes stay manageable and staff know pupils by name rather than by form group. The school draws day pupils from the surrounding area and full boarders from the UK and overseas, offering full boarding, weekly boarding, and day places across junior and senior years.
Kingham Hill covers the full 11–18 range, with pupils following GCSEs in the senior school before progressing to the sixth form. The sixth form curriculum is notably broad: A-levels sit alongside BTECs, CTECs, and the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). The school also runs an American Program, a structured pathway for pupils from North American educational backgrounds or those targeting US university entry. English as a Second Language (ESL) support is embedded within the timetable rather than bolted on, which matters for international families. This breadth of qualifications is unusual for a school of Kingham Hill’s size. It reflects a deliberate decision to accommodate different learning styles and university destinations rather than routing all pupils through the same narrow track.
The sixth form offers A-levels, BTECs, and CTECs in combination, with EPQ available to develop independent research skills. The American Program pathway is also accessible at sixth form level, giving pupils genuine optionality when it comes to UK versus US university applications.
Boarding at Kingham Hill runs from Sunday evening through to the end of the school week. Full boarding is available seven nights a week; weekly boarding covers Sunday night to Friday morning. The rural Cotswolds setting shapes the boarding experience. The 100-acre campus means there is space to move between lessons, sport, and evening activities without leaving the grounds. Chaplaincy is an active part of pastoral life, with chapel services and chaplaincy support running throughout the year. Pastoral care operates through a house system, and the small roll of around 340 pupils means houseparents and tutors are working with genuinely small groups rather than large dormitory blocks.
The school’s 100-acre Cotswold site provides the physical infrastructure for an extensive outdoor and sporting programme. The rural setting supports activities that urban schools simply cannot offer on the same terms. Co-curricular provision spans team sports, individual pursuits, and creative arts. The Christian ethos feeds into the school’s broader emphasis on service and character alongside competitive and artistic programmes. The EPQ gives academically motivated sixth formers a research project running parallel to their main qualifications, which is useful for competitive university applications. The American Program carries its own co-curricular logic, connecting pupils to a distinct educational culture.
The school occupies 100 acres of Cotswold countryside near Kingham village and Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire. The rural setting is a genuine characteristic of daily life rather than a backdrop: pupils move between buildings and sports facilities across open grounds. The chapel sits within the main campus and gives architectural expression to the school’s Christian foundation. The site is approximately 20 miles from Oxford city centre.
The school sits near Kingham village in Oxfordshire, approximately 20 miles from Oxford. For international families, London Heathrow is the most practical arrival airport. Road transfer from Heathrow to the school takes roughly 90 minutes. Oxford Parkway and Kingham railway stations both provide rail access from London Paddington.
Annual tuition
£49,950 per year · full boarding · Senior · Years 9-13
Other tier breakdowns shown below.
| Stage | Year groups | Type | Audience | Fee / year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | Years 7-8 | Day | — | £26,850 |
| Junior | Years 7-8 | Weekly boarding | — | £35,250 |
| Junior | Years 7-8 | Full boarding | — | £38,250 |
| Senior | Years 9-13 | Day | — | £28,650 |
| Senior | Years 9-13 | Weekly boarding | — | £42,900 |
| Senior | Years 9-13 | Full boarding | — | £49,950 |
London Heathrow (~90 min by road); Kingham railway station offers direct rail links from London Paddington.
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Kingham Hill School accepts pupils from age 11 to 18, covering Years 7 to 13. Junior years span Years 7 and 8, with the senior school running from Year 9 through to the sixth form.
The school offers GCSEs, A-levels, BTECs, CTECs, and the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). An American Program is also available for pupils from North American backgrounds or those targeting US university entry, alongside embedded ESL support.
Senior full boarding fees are £51,000 per year (2025/26). Weekly boarding for senior pupils costs £42,900 per year (2026/27), and day places for senior pupils are £28,650 per year (2026/27). Junior fees are lower: full boarding for Years 7–8 is £38,250 per year (2026/27).
Yes. The school was founded in 1886 with a Christian ethos and maintains an active chaplaincy and chapel. Chapel services and chaplaincy support are part of regular school life for all pupils, both boarding and day.
Yes. The school offers full boarding places and has ESL support embedded within the timetable. The American Program is structured specifically for pupils from North American educational backgrounds, and the school is experienced in supporting international families through the admissions process.
Kingham Hill offers full boarding (seven nights), weekly boarding (Sunday night to Friday morning), and day places across both junior and senior years. All three options are available for pupils in Years 7–8 and Years 9–13.
The school has approximately 340 pupils across the 11–18 age range. This small roll is a defining feature of the school’s structure, keeping class sizes and boarding house groups at a scale where staff can maintain close contact with individual pupils.
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