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Worth School

United Kingdom, Crawley

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees £26,334 - 57,372
Ages 11 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 530
Type Co-educational, Co-educational (boarding)
Opened 1959
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (DP), British Curriculum, BTEC Qualification
Taught languages English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Latin, Mandarin
Strengths Sport, Performing Arts, Languages
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language
Stages Middle School, Secondary School, Sixth Form
Introduction

Worth School is a Catholic, co-educational boarding and day school in West Sussex, England, for pupils aged 11–18. The curriculum blends a British framework with international options, offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma or A Levels in the Sixth Form, plus a one-year Pre-IB fast-track to GCSEs and BTEC pathways. From Junior through Middle to Sixth Form, every pupil has a personal tutor and access to guidance for university entrance. The 500-acre campus features the Spencer Building (Sixth Form Centre and library, opened in 2022), a comprehensive sports complex including a 9-hole golf course and floodlit courts, and a Performing Arts suite with the PAC Theatre. Worth runs academic societies, science challenges, Model United Nations, and the Worth University Challenge. Language trips to Paris and Barcelona complement a vibrant arts and service culture, underpinned by Duke of Edinburgh and community volunteering. Leavers' destinations include Durham, Edinburgh, St Andrews, Warwick and Delft.

Worth School, Paddockhurst Road, Turners Hill, West Sussex, RH10 4SD, United Kingdom

The Essentials

Worth School has 530 pupils, instruction in English.

Location
Worth School is located at Paddockhurst Road, Turners Hill, West Sussex RH10 4SD. It sits in a rural setting between London and the South Coast. Worth operates a fleet of minibuses to transport day pupils across Sussex, Surrey and Kent, and there is a Sunday evening bus from South Kensington. Most pupils live in London and the South East, with some from overseas.

Stages
Junior (Ages 11-13), Middle (Ages 13-16), Pre-IB (Age 15/16), Sixth Form (Ages 16-18).

Type
Catholic - Co-educational - Boarding & Day.

Pupil Nationality Mix
Most pupils live in London and the South East; about a quarter are from overseas, most from Western Europe, with a handful from Central America, South America and Asia.

Additional learning support
Learning enhancement is available: small group and one-to-one teaching for pupils with mild learning needs; provided by suitably qualified specialist staff; provision reviewed on a termly basis; charges apply for learning enhancement.

Country affiliation
Catholic.

Religious affiliation
Catholic.

School day structure
The day has nine periods from 8.45am to 5.25pm, eight taught periods. After two lessons there is a 25-minute break, then two more periods, lunch, an afternoon break, a final period and enrichment, followed by the end of the school day. Games and activities are interwoven, and there is an evening enrichment programme.

Bus service
Worth operates a fleet of minibuses to transport day pupils across Sussex, Surrey and Kent. Pupils from London (Victoria/Clapham Junction train stations) are met by a minibus at Three Bridges station. There is also a Sunday evening bus from South Kensington.
Diving Deeper

Boarding Arrangements
Worth offers a 7-day-a-week full boarding experience with flexi options for Year 9 upwards, subject to availability. There are four boarding houses designed for around 50 full boarders each. Younger boarders (Years 9–11, ages 13–16) share rooms in groups of 2–4, while Sixth Formers have their own single study bedsits. Each boarding house provides common recreation and social spaces, a library, a computer room and kitchens, and all Houses have Wi‑Fi; pupils also have a personal tutor, and every House includes a Chaplain, a Matron and an assistant Matron; there is a School Council and House councils to give pupils a voice. The Medical Department provides 24/7 care during term time, with a counsellor and a network of independent listeners.

Food Options
The Refectory offers cafeteria service with a wide choice from a varied menu at breakfast, lunch and supper. Menus run on a three-weekly cycle and meals are cooked on site from fresh seasonal ingredients; there is a salad bar every day and dietary requirements are accommodated. Food uses Red Tractor meat and sustainable fish, and the school operates with a 5‑star hygiene rating. A student‑led food council helps shape the menus.

House System
Worth uses a house-based structure for boarding and day pupils. There are four boarding houses (Gervase House, Rutherford House, Butler House and St Mary's House) with flexi options in some houses; younger boarders share rooms (2–4 per room) and Sixth Formers have single bedsits. Each boarding house is led by a Housemaster or Housemistress with a deputy, and every pupil has a personal tutor; houses also have a Chaplain, a Matron and an assistant Matron, and pupil input is represented via a School Council and House councils. Boarding houses include common recreation and social areas, a library, and kitchens, with Wi‑Fi throughout. There is a weekend and evening activities programme for boarders.

Governance and Ownership
Worth School is governed by its Trustees, comprising the School's Board of Governors and the Directors of the Company, under the School's Articles of Association dated 11 August 2021. The President of the Board of Governors is the Abbot of Worth Abbey, who is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. The School operates as a registered charity with governance and financial reporting overseen accordingly.
Fees

Annual tuition at Worth School ranges from GBP 26,334 to GBP 57,372 for 2026/27.

Application fees

- Registration fee: £240 per child (inclusive of VAT).
- An Acceptance Fee (sometimes called an acceptance deposit) is payable when parents accept an offer; this Acceptance Fee is not refundable except in limited circumstances set out in the school's terms and conditions. An Additional Deposit may be required for pupils whose normal residence is outside the United Kingdom; this Additional Deposit is retained until the pupil leaves and is repaid as a credit to the final account without interest (subject to the school's terms).

Tuition fees by year group (per term and per year)

- Years 7–8 (Day)
- Base fee (excluding VAT): £7,315 per term; £21,945 per year.
- Fee payable (including VAT): £8,778 per term; £26,334 per year.

- Years 9–13 (Day)
- Base fee (excluding VAT): £10,853 per term; £32,559 per year.
- Fee payable (including VAT): £13,024 per term; £39,072 per year.

- Years 9–13 (Boarding)
- Base fee (excluding VAT): £15,937 per term; £47,811 per year.
- Fee payable (including VAT): £19,124 per term; £57,372 per year.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Fees for each term are due and payable as cleared funds before the start of the relevant school term. Parents resident in the UK are expected to pay by direct debit; parents resident outside the UK should pay by bank transfer. An administration fee is charged for payments made by means other than direct debit. Agreement to pay by instalments or under special arrangements must be made separately and is concessionary. Simple interest may be charged on overdue fees (up to 3% above the Bank of England base rate). The school reserves the right to exclude a pupil with three days' written notice for overdue fees; exclusion for 28 days for non-payment will normally be treated as withdrawal and fees in lieu of notice will be payable.

Boarding fees

- Boarding charges are shown above under Years 9–13 (Boarding). Boarding fees are charged per term and per year as listed; boarding fees are separate from day tuition fees and include boarding provision as set by the school's fee schedule.

Other costs and fees

- School transport: charges for minibus/train pick-up and drop-off vary by route and are charged per term. Typical termly charges across routes are shown in the school transport schedule (examples in the published timetable and charges range roughly from around £393.65 to £825.13 per term depending on route).
- Uniform and clothing: items required by the uniform and dress code are available from the school shop; parents should budget for purchase and replacement of required uniform items.
- Additional extras that may be charged to fee accounts include: house charges, extra tuition, music tuition, examination or inspection fees, educational visit and trip charges, photographs or other items ordered by parents or pupils, and charges for damage to school property. Bank charges arising from default or fees for alternative payment methods may also be applied. These extras will be billed in addition to tuition/boarding fees.

Refund information and notice of withdrawal

- The registration fee is non‑refundable. The Acceptance Fee is not refundable except in limited circumstances described in the school's terms and conditions. Additional Deposits paid by overseas parents are normally refunded (as a credit to the final account) when the pupil leaves, subject to deduction of any outstanding sums. Fees will not generally be refunded, reduced or waived for absence through sickness, shortened terms, term-time closures, or early release after public examinations, except in exceptional cases at the Head's discretion. If a pupil is withdrawn without the required written notice (or is excluded for non-payment), fees in lieu of notice become immediately payable.

Fee payment options

- UK residents: direct debit is the standard payment method.
- Overseas residents: bank transfer is the standard method; the school uses Flywire to accept international payments in local currencies and via local payment methods (Flywire also supports card and other local payment options). An administration fee may be applied where payment is made by a method other than direct debit. Separate arrangements (including composition or instalment schemes) require a written agreement with the school.

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Academics

Worth School teaches IB (DP), British Curriculum, BTEC Qualification for students aged 11 to 18.

Curriculum
Junior (Ages 11-13): Worth Junior School is Year 7 (age 11+) and Year 8 (age 12+); the earliest entry to Worth is Year 7. Middle (Ages 13-16): The Middle School covers Year 9 to Year 11 (ages 13-16). Pupils begin GCSE/IGCSE from Year 10 and typically prepare for eight or nine GCSEs after Year 9; the Year 9 curriculum mirrors earlier years with Art, Computer Science, Design and Technology, Drama, English, French, Geography, History, Mathematics, Physical Education and Religious Studies, and Biology, Chemistry and Physics are introduced in place of Science; German can replace French or be studied as an optional language; Music becomes optional. Pre-IB (Age 15/16): The one-year fast-track GCSE/IGCSE Pre-IB programme enables entry to Year 11 to complete core GCSEs before progressing to the IB Diploma or A Levels. Sixth Form (Ages 16-18): Worth offers a choice of curricula in Years 12 and 13, allowing students to work towards the International Baccalaureate Diploma or to study for A Levels. Beyond the Classroom: The wider curriculum includes academic enrichment outside the classroom through academic societies, lecture programmes, departmental trips and visits. Tutors & Support: Tutoring is central; all pupils have personal tutors who meet them at least twice a week. Universities & Careers: Worth provides individualized guidance for university entrance to universities globally, with a Careers team and a programme of talks, work experience, internships and mock interviews; leavers' destinations 2025 include universities such as Durham, Edinburgh, St Andrews, Warwick, Delft, and others.

Exam Results
A Level, IB and BTEC (2026): A* 21%; A*-A 53%; A*-B 76%; A*-C 88%. GCSE (2026): 9 20%; 9-8 40%; 9-7 58%; 9-6 77%; 9-5 89%; 9-4 96%. Value-Added scores are celebrated; whole-cohort Value-Added average is +0.92 grades, and eighteen pupils achieved an average Value-Add of more than two grades across GCSE subjects.

Higher Education Progression
Worth provides individualized guidance for university entrance to universities across the globe, and Sixth Form tutors support university preparation; leavers' destinations 2025 include Durham, Edinburgh, IE Madrid, Valencia, St Andrews, Warwick, Delft University of Technology, Jagiellonian University, Nottingham, Leeds, Bristol, and many others.

Gifted and Talented
Each academic department has a policy on providing for academically gifted pupils and much work is done within departments to stretch these pupils and challenge them to aim as high as possible. The school also maintains an Able, Gifted and Talented booklet.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The school has a strong pastoral system with safeguarding at the heart of all they do. A Safeguarding Team is led by the Designated Safeguarding Lead, with Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads and a Safeguarding and Pupil Wellbeing Officer. The School provides a BACP-accredited School Counsellor for pupil support. Unique to Worth is the Forerunners team within the Chaplaincy who can support pupils' spiritual growth and wellbeing. Pupils are encouraged to speak up if they are unhappy or upset, and there are multiple trusted adults they can approach, including House Parents, tutors, matrons, and safeguarding staff.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
The school has a Head of Learning Enhancement.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
The school offers a GCSE in English as a Second Language for EAL students.

Mental Wellbeing
The school supports mental wellbeing through a strong pastoral system and safeguarding framework. There is a BACP-accredited School Counsellor available to pupils. Unique to Worth is the Forerunners team within the Chaplaincy that supports pupils' spiritual growth and wellbeing. Pupils can speak to staff or trusted adults about concerns, and concerns can be reported anonymously via Flag it or to the Saf safeguarding and Pupil Wellbeing Officer.

Safeguarding
Safeguarding is at the heart of Worth School. The Safeguarding Team is led by the Designated Safeguarding Lead, with Deputy DSLs and a Safeguarding and Pupil Wellbeing Officer. Pupils are encouraged to speak up about concerns, and safeguarding issues are reported to the Safeguarding Team so pupils can receive support. Worth has a School Counsellor (BACP-accredited) and a Forerunners chaplaincy team that supports wellbeing. The In Need of Some Help? document lists contacts including the School Counsellor and an independent listener for boarders.
Parent Experience

History
The origins of Worth lie in the foundation in 1606 of the English Benedictine community of St Gregory's at Douai, France. In the early 1930s, Abbot John Chapman established both another monastic community and a junior school in West Sussex by purchasing a country estate then known as Paddockhurst, and a senior school was founded in 1959. Today, Worth is a thriving school with boarding and day pupils, including both girls and boys.

Community
Worth School fosters a strong sense of community life through religious and cultural events. An annual Blessed Sacrament Procession brings together students, staff, monks and families as part of Wednesday Worship, which includes talks and a half-termly Mass and optional prayer experiences. The procession culminates a Worth Wednesday Worship cycle and reinforces community belonging across the campus.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
Friends of Worth is the School's Parents' Association. It creates community by offering more than 20 social events each year at House level (dog walks, talent evenings, quizzes, curry nights and more) and by organising whole-school events that fund improvements such as the Robertson Fitness Suite, Oval Pavilion refurbishment and Drama lighting. New parents join by subscribing through the termly bill.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
Worth School sits on 500 acres of Sussex countryside. The Spencer Building houses the Sixth Form Centre and library, opened in 2022, with seminar rooms, study and social spaces and an auditorium for all pupils. The campus includes extensive sports facilities, including a 9-hole golf course, floodlit netball and tennis courts, a Sports Hall, squash courts, fencing salle, a hard court for 5-a-side and a multi-gym with a cardiovascular suite. Worth has links with local clubs and access to an Olympic-sized swimming pool at the nearby K2 sports centre.

Sports Facilities
Worth has a comprehensive on-site sports complex. There are nine rugby pitches, twelve football pitches and three cricket squares, plus a floodlit 2G astropitch for football and hockey. The School also features a four-badminton-court Sports Hall with fixed futsal goals, basketball hoops and four cricket nets, a Dance Hall/Fencing Salle, and a grass football/rugby/lacrosse pitch. It also has a covered cricket pitch, a Netball Court and Tennis Courts. The Worth Golf Academy includes a 9-hole golf course and an indoor golf facility with a simulator and launch monitor.

Academic Facilities
Spencer Building, opened in 2022, houses the Sixth Form Centre and library. It includes a library and an auditorium for all pupils and seminar rooms, with on-site spaces for study and social interaction. Offices for key staff, including the heads of Sixth Form, IB, Careers and Higher Education, are located there to support students.

Extra Curricular Facilities
The Performing Arts facilities include the PAC Theatre, a 255-seat theatre with changing rooms, a Green Room, foyer with an attached kitchen, a theatre technician and lighting and audio. The Dance Hall has a sprung floor and mirrored wall, with opportunities for dance and related activities; The Coleburt Room is a large music room for band or choir practice; Music Practice Rooms provide space for rehearsals. The school also runs the Worth Golf Academy on-site with a 9-hole course and an indoor driving range.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
Academic enrichment beyond the classroom is central to Worth, with academic societies, lecture programmes, departmental trips and visits. Students compete in national science challenges, including the University of Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, the UK Chemistry Olympiad, the UK Biology Challenge and the UK Bebras Challenge. In 2025–26 Worth hosted its first Model United Nations conference, launched the Worth University Challenge and introduced an Academic Scholars' Society essay prize.

Arts & Creative
Evening Enrichment includes Jazz Band, Orchestra and an A Level Visual Art diploma. The Arts, Drama and Music are active elements of co-curricular life. Recent arts-related trips and performances illustrate Worth's engagement in the arts, including a Drama trip to New York and a Music tour to Lake Garda.

Cultural & Language
Language trips are offered to Paris and Barcelona for Years 10 and 12. Trips & Visits lists language trips to Paris and Spain (Barcelona) among regular offerings. Drama and music trips also illustrate broader cultural exposure, such as a Drama trip to New York and a Music tour to Lake Garda.

Social & Hobbies
More than 100 activities, clubs and societies are available each week. Evening Enrichment includes fitness and conditioning, Jazz Band, Orchestra, Lacrosse and Rugby, with a broad range of options across weekday evenings. These options are available to both boarding and day pupils.

Community & Service
Service is central to Worth pupils' journey; pupils volunteer in primary schools, work on environmental projects, care for the elderly and participate in charity fundraising across year groups.

Leadership & Professional
Worth runs a large Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme with a high participation rate. In 2025–26 Worth hosted its first Model United Nations conference and introduced the Worth University Challenge competition and an Academic Scholars' Society essay prize.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
Sport plays a major role, with hockey, rugby and cricket successes highlighted in 2025–26 and a competitive sailing team introduced. The co-curricular programme also provides fitness and conditioning sessions and a broad sports offering such as football, lacrosse, golf and more through Evening Enrichment.
Languages

Language Provision
The school teaches in English. Languages offered include French, German, Latin, Spanish and Polish. In the Middle School, Year 9 curriculum includes English and French; German can replace French or Spanish or be studied as an optional language. Latin is offered as part of the curriculum for Year 7 and 8. At A Level, Polish, Spanish and French are offered. GCSE English as a Second Language is available for a small minority of EAL students. Language trips to Paris and Spain are offered.
Admissions

Admissions
The admissions process is highly personal and focused on each individual child and family, whether boarders or day pupils, local or from overseas, to ensure pupils join Worth's academic, pastoral and spiritual community happily, successfully and securely. Worth admits pupils at 11+ (Year 7), at 13+ (Year 9) and at 16+ (Year 12), with a small number at 15+ (Year 11) into a one-year IGCSE/Pre-IB course, and occasional places at 12+ (Year 8) or 14+ (Year 10); international short stays are welcome. Prospective families are encouraged to visit several times, either virtually or in person, via Open Day or private visits to explore the School and meet staff and pupils. The initial step of applying is online registration. Admission is subject to Worth's own assessment tests, plus interviews and references.

Scholarships
Worth offers scholarships through open competition. Scholarships ignite potential and celebrate excellence and provide enrichment across Academics, Art, Design and Technology, Drama, Music and Sport. Scholarships do not carry automatic fee remission, though significant financial awards are available when moving from Year 11 into Sixth Form. Scholarships are offered as follows: 11+ (Year 7) Academic; 13+ (Year 9) and 16+ (Year 12) Academic, Art, Design and Technology, Drama, Music and Sport. Candidates must be registered with the School before entering the scholarship process. For Year 7 (11+) 2027: Academic scholarship dates 26-27 November 2026; closing date 1 November 2026. For Year 9 (13+) 2027: Academic scholarship dates 22-23 February 2027; closing date 1 January 2027. For Year 12 (16+) 2027: Academic scholarship date 13 November 2026; closing date 23 October 2026. Non-academic scholarships exist for Year 9 and Year 12 across Art, Design and Technology, Drama, Music and Sport. For any questions on Scholarships, contact Admissions.
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