Longridge Towers School

Longridge Towers School grew out of a change in the life of a historic house. St Mary's Convent had occupied Longridge Towers before local parents and teachers formed the group that opened the present school in 1983. The result is now a co-educational day and boarding community from age 3 to 19, where the estate, the school houses and the continuity from junior years to Sixth Form remain closely connected.

Learning moves from a broad junior foundation into a senior curriculum that gives pupils room to specialise. GCSE choices include subjects such as History and Spanish, alongside the core programme, sport, PSHE and languages. Sixth Form students can take A-level History through a course that combines seventeenth-century Britain, the Russian Revolutions and American civil rights with coursework and independent reading.

Boarding is a substantial part of Longridge rather than an add-on. House parents support pupils in the evenings, boarders have access to study areas and school facilities, and weekends bring trips, climbing, skating, museum visits and other activities. Shared lounges and a games room give the houses a social centre, while the day community continues to meet boarders through lessons and school life.

Applications are made directly to Longridge, with entry considered at different ages when places are available. Applicants from Year 7 complete English and mathematics assessments mainly to help with setting, while Sixth Form candidates normally need six GCSEs or equivalent at grade 4 or above. Weekly, full and flexi boarding are available, with scholarships and bursaries forming part of the wider admissions conversation.