Jeannine Manuel School
Same Richmond upon Thames area with a comparable local commute
School profile
Verified 18 August 2026
Richmond upon Thames Private schools
The Royal Ballet School
46 Floral Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 9DA
The Royal Ballet School is a private secondary-stage school in London, Greater London, with a published age range of 11-19.
Private school Co-ed Ages 11-19 Sixth form Boarding school
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 11-19
- ISI ?
- Standards met
- Boarding ?
- Boarding school
The Royal Ballet School
1
On this page
At a glance
Key facts
- Sector
- Private school
- Gender
- Mixed
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 11-19
- Boarding ?
- Boarding school
- Route check
- Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
- ISI ?
- Standards met
Overview
Overview
Classical ballet and academic study share the same timetable at The Royal Ballet School. Dame Ninette de Valois founded the institution in 1926, and its history remains tied to The Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera House. White Lodge in Richmond Park houses the younger training, while Covent Garden is the senior base and the Bridge of Aspiration links the studios to the opera house.
Full-time training moves through Foundation, Development, Vocational and Pre-professional programmes. Students study classical ballet alongside GCSEs, the Extended Project Qualification and a University of Roehampton-validated dance degree. The route is specialist from the beginning, but academic education remains part of the preparation for professional life.
Residential life is integral to that model. Younger pupils live at White Lodge, while Upper School students live at Aud Jebsen Hall in Pimlico or Jebsen House in Covent Garden. Supervision, shared routines and life-skills work sit around the studio timetable rather than being treated as an unrelated boarding offer.
Entry is based on talent and potential through audition. Full-time and associate programmes continue alongside UK and International Scholars pathways; from September 2026, the school will not take Year 7 pupils for full-time training or boarding. Places previously allocated to Years 7 and 8 are being redistributed to older year groups, making the transition a change in timing rather than a reduction in full-time training.
Key points
Key points
- Assessment route
- Applications are made directly to the school. Check the school's own admissions pages for registration dates, entrance assessment stages, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
- Places and demand
- Published Year 7 place numbers and applicant-per-place data are not included in GIAS for this private-school seed profile.
- Catchment
- Private-school eligibility is not controlled by the local-authority grammar catchment model; check boarding, day-pupil, transport and any sibling or faith rules on the school site.
- Results
- 0% grade 5+ in English and maths and 36.5 Attainment 8
- Sixth form
- Sixth form available.
GCSE benchmark
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Richmond upon Thames and England.
School Local authority England
- Attainment 8
- 36.5
- Grade 5+ English and maths
- 0%
- EBacc APS
- 2.83
- EBacc entry
- 0%
Attainment 8 trend
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Richmond upon Thames and England.
School Local authority England
School details
School details
- Sector
- Private school
- School type
- Other independent school
- Funding
- Independent fee-paying
- Application
- Apply direct to school
- Gender
- Mixed
- Age range
- 11-19
- Academic & Pastoral Principal
- Mr David Gajadharsingh
- Pupil roll
- 227 pupils
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Boarding
- Boarding school
Location and contact
Location and contact
Address
- Address
- 46 Floral Street, Covent Garden, London, Greater London
- Postcode
- WC2E 9DA
- Area
- Richmond upon Thames
School leadership
- Academic & Pastoral Principal
- Mr David Gajadharsingh
School contact
- School phone
- 02078368899
Admissions contact
- Admissions team
- Admissions
- Admissions phone
- 02078368899
Admissions
Admissions
- Application route
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 11-19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Day fees
- £35,179/year
- Boarding fees
- £34,554–£47,455/year
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Entrance details
- Entry is through school-run classical ballet auditions: preliminary, then semi-final and final stages where applicable.
- Admissions note
- GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
Oversubscription and eligibility
Use the official admissions policy for the current priority order and eligibility rules.
Exam and test format
Exam and test format
Entrance route and assessment
Entry is through school-run classical ballet auditions: preliminary, then semi-final and final stages where applicable.
- Assessment route
- Apply direct to school
- Papers and stages
- 2 papers
- Format
- Mixed format
Papers and rounds
-
Paper 1
Other
Preliminary classical ballet audition
All applicants receive a preliminary audition, a classical ballet class tailored to age group.
-
Paper 2
Other
Semi-final and final auditions
Successful preliminary applicants progress through semi-final requirements where applicable and final auditions with artistic staff.
Application
Application
How to apply
- 1
Apply direct to the school
Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
Check school admissions
Results
Results
Attainment snapshot
- Attainment 8 ?
- 36.5 Attainment 8
- GCSE results
- 0% grade 4+ in English and maths
- Grade 5+ English and maths ?
- 0% grade 5+ in English and maths
- EBacc average point score ?
- 2.83 EBacc APS
- A-level average points
- 28 A-level points per entry
Inspection
Inspection
Standards met
Latest inspection: 25 November 2025
- Leadership, management and governance
- Standards met
- Quality of education, training and recreation
- Standards met
- Physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Standards met
- Social and economic education and contribution to society
- Standards met
- Safeguarding
- Standards met
Quick summary
- Latest ISI report: Routine Inspections 2025 records an inspection beginning 25 November 2025. The report says the relevant standards were met.
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Shortlist comparisons
Explore this school in context
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Related pages and guides
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Area and ranking pages
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Guides and related reading
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How does Royal Ballet School handle admissions?
Royal Ballet School handles applications directly. Check the school website for registration dates, entrance assessments, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
How do I apply to Royal Ballet School?
1. Apply direct to the school: Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
When are the key dates for Royal Ballet School?
Use the school admissions page to confirm registration, assessment, interview and offer dates.
What does the latest inspection picture look like for Royal Ballet School?
Royal Ballet School is currently rated Standards met following the latest published inspection dated 25 November 2025.