Harrogate Ladies’ College is one of the UK’s leading independent schools for girls aged 2-18. We have been educating inspirational women for more than 125 years and we aim to inspire the next generation of women to be brave, bold, challenge perceptions and to know that anything is possible with hard work, determination and perseverance. The size of our family of schools means that we know all of our pupils as individuals, the way their parents know them, this enables us to work with them and challenge them to achieve more both inside and outside of the classroom.
Harrogate United Kingdom
Harrogate Ladies' CollegeDescription
Being a boarding pupil at Harrogate Ladies’ College is a unique life experience. It is a warm, nurturing, family environment which enables girls of all ages to build confidence, independence and lifelong friendships. Our boarders come from more than 29 different countries and are fully integrated into our school community. Each boarding house has a dedicated housemistress to care for and support our girls. They also keep parents updated with what is going on in school and adopt the role as house parent.
- Day school tuition $7361 - $22083 USD
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Grades for day school
Pre-K/Reception -
12th Grade/Year 13 - Scholarships Available Yes
- Number of Students 305
- Year founded 1893
- Boarding school tuition $14134 - $42402 USD
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Grades for boarding school
5th Grade/Year 6 -
12th Grade/Year 13 - Curricula A/AS Levels, IGCSE
- Type Co-ed
Accreditations
Harrogate is a safe, cosmopolitan town with historic buildings and large open spaces and parks. It has a vibrant café culture and exclusive shops and boutiques. Our school is located in a quiet residential area just 5 minutes’ walk away from the centre of Harrogate meaning that girls can enjoy being part of the local community. London is just over 2 hours by train, while Leeds Bradford airport (20 minutes drive) offers shuttle flights to London Heathrow (35 minutes). Manchester airport is 90 minutes drive.
Tuition
Our pupils achieve excellent exam results at both GCSE and A level and over 80% typically receive offers from top Russell Group universities. There are Oxbridge, Medicine and Veterinary Science preparation courses on offer, as well as a specialist Business School. All of our pupils receive individual support and tutoring throughout the university application process.
Scholarships
Each year we award a small number of scholarships to girls joining Harrogate Ladies’ College who demonstrate an exceptional talent or potential in a particular field. In addition to individual talents, we are looking for something special in our scholars. We’re looking for girls who embody our ethos of “a passion for learning and a love of life”, who demonstrate grit and determination to succeed and who show an enthusiasm for inspiring and motivating others. Our scholars are role models within College and they lead by example in their approach and their commitment to the whole learning community. Being a scholar is, in itself, a great honour and our scholars are held in high esteem within our school community, but scholarships also carry a number of other benefits, including: Discount on standard College Day fees of either 5% or 10%; Extensive programme of scholars’ events; Mentoring by a teacher or senior scholar and Annual scholars’ dinner with the Principal. Scholarships are open to all girls joining College at Year 7, Year 9, Year 10 and Year 12. (Existing pupils can also apply in Year 9 or Year 11). Scholarship applications are open during the Autumn Term in the year prior to joining, followed by assessments the following January. Awards are then announced at the end of January. We will consider scholarship applications outside of these timescales subject to availability. To apply for a scholarship you will need to: Submit a Scholarship Application Form (including a hand written statement by the applicant detailing why they believe they should be considered for a scholarship). Provide details of the applicant’s current school so that we can request a reference.
Admissions Information
Admissions Process
Students can apply to join us in any year group (directly or via an agent), and will be asked to sit English and Maths assessment papers as part of the application process. All international applicants also Skype with our Principal, Mrs Sylvia Brett. Above all we are looking for students who have a real passion for joining our school and integrating with our school community. We do ask that international students have an appropriate level of English for the year group they are applying to join, but above all we are looking for students who have a real passion for joining our school and integrating with our school community. All non EU students are asked to have a guardian in the UK (we can assist with this where required).
- Students can join after the academic year begins Yes
- Waiting List No
- Application fee (domestic) $97 USD
- Application fee (international) $97 USD
Academics
- Assigns homework Yes
- Use of technology in the classroom Yes
- Language of instruction Cantonese, Mandarin, English, French, German, Latin, Spanish
- ELL support Yes
- Teacher/Student ratio 1:8
- Gifted and talented student support Yes
- Learning support Yes
- Native English teachers Yes
- Languages taught Cantonese, Mandarin, English, French, German, Latin, Spanish
- Number of teaching staff 50
- Examinations available A Levels, General Certificate of Secondary Education - GCSE, International General Certificate of Secondary Education - IGCSE
Teacher Qualifications
Degrees, Higher Degrees, Doctorates, Professional Qualifications
Homework
As part of College life, every girl is expected to undertake homework (or Prep as well call it), alongside their classroom lessons. The amount of homework increases as students progress through their school career. We build some time for Prep into the timetable at each phase of the curriculum and we also have supervised Prep Sessions at the end of each school day. Many of our students like the fact that they can stay at school and have a quiet, supportive place to complete their homework before returning home or to their boarding house.
School Life
- Bus service Yes
- Sports teams available Yes
- Pastoral Care Yes
- Do students practice religion at the school Yes
- School start time 08.50
- School end time 16.00
- Most common nationality British
- Max class size 12
- School provides lunch Yes
- Supervised care before or after school Yes
- Uniform required Yes
- Access to an educational psychologist Yes
- Student nationalities 29
- Average class size 8
Living Accommodations
At Harrogate Ladies' College, boarding is centred on the concepts of “family” and “home”. Our boarders live in traditional family homes; they have an extended family of boarding staff to care for and support them; and are surrounded by a wonderful array of boarding “sisters” of all ages. On average, 2-3 boarders share a room depending on the size of the bedroom. Boarders live in one of our four comfortable family houses sharing with girls of different ages and nationalities.
Schools Facilities
Our family of 3 leading independent schools are located within a beautiful 22 acre site in the heart of Harrogate, just 5 minutes walk from the town centre. While each of our schools has its own space within our campus, many of the fabulous facilities are used by all. SPECIALIST TEACHING FACILITIES Science Labs Language Labs IT Suites Business School Art studio Photographic studio Textiles suite Food Technology suites EXTENSIVE SPORTS FACILITIES Extensive sports pitches Purpose built sports hall 25m swimming pool Tennis courts Netball courts MUSIC, DRAMA AND PERFORMANCE FACILITIES State of the art 350 seat Assembly Hall Theatre (or Small Hall) Music House – including group and individual practice rooms Highfield Hall PASTORAL, STUDY AND SOCIAL FACILITIES Wellness Centre Chapel Prayer Room College Library Highfield Library Sixth Form Studies Year Group Common Rooms Senior and Junior Dining Rooms Sixth Form Cafe BOARDING FACILITIES 3 mixed year group boarding houses Dedicated Sixth Form boarding house All of our facilities are maintained to an exceptionally high standard and we have an on-going programme of investment to ensure that our facilities remain relevant to today’s educational needs, while still retaining the wonderful sense of history that is a key part of our identity.
Bus Service
To help parents juggle busy family lives, we operate 5 daily bus services to and from our schools. Our bus services are operated by our own members of staff and are available on a flexible basis (subject to availability). Our school transport routes are designed to meet the needs of our pupils and their families and we are always happy to consider new or customised routes where possible.
School Lunch
Nutrition is a really important aspect of our all round pastoral care. We work to encourage all students to develop positive attitudes to food, eating and nutrition. We have an amazing, award winning Catering Team made up of talented and creative Chefs and Sous Chefs who are dedicated to the well being of our students. All of our meals are freshly prepared on-site using seasonal, free range and organic ingredients, 90% of which are locally sourced. Every day we serve breakfast, lunch and supper as well as mid-morning and afternoon snacks for all students. Each mealtime offers a wide choice of dishes – our Chefs draw inspiration from around the world to ensure the menu is interesting and varied. There’s always a salad bar on offer at lunch and supper times and a plentiful supply of fresh, seasonal fruit. We cater for all dietary requirements including vegetarian, vegan, halal, nut-free and gluten free. Our Catering Team works closely with students and their families to address individual dietary needs.
Sports Teams
Sport is an important part of school life and all pupils have weekly PE timetabled lessons. We have competitive teams for sports including netball, lacrosse, rounders, tennis, athletics and swimming. In addition, we have a wide range of extra-curricular activities including gymnastics, fencing, basketball, badminton, trampolining, golf and horse riding.
Pastoral Care
The size of our school means that all of our staff from the Principal, Heads of School and teachers; to the School Office, Catering and Health Centre teams, know all of our students individually. We all work together to share information and insight and as a result, we’re able to provide levels of individual support to students and their families that you perhaps wouldn’t normally expect to find in a senior school environment. Form Tutors (and House Mistresses for boarders), form the backbone of our pastoral support system. They are the day to day point of contact for pupils and their families. They’re a familiar, friendly and consistent face to turn to for help with practical day to day things, as well as for reassurance, guidance and advice on a whole range of issues. They really get to know each of their pupils and this means that they often spot subtle changes which, if left unaddressed might otherwise become larger issues.
Religion at School
We are a Christian foundation and we’re immensely proud of the social, economic and cultural diversity that goes to make up our school – it’s what makes us a vibrant and exciting community to be part of.
Extracurricular Activities
A dedicated weekend activity programme enables girls to try new things, visit new places, develop new skills and build confidence. The choice of activities is wide: from cultural trips to York, Cambridge and London; active experiences including trampolining, bowling and karting; social events such as theatre and cinema trips and visits to local restaurants - there’s something for everyone!
University Relations
- University counseling Yes
University Destinations
Cambridge, Oxford, Durham, UCL, UAL London, King's College London, Manchester, York, Newcastle, Lancaster, Warwick, Cardiff, Chinese University of Hong Kong, University of Sydney, Maastricht Netherlands,
University Counseling
We believe that an important part of our role at Harrogate Ladies’ College Sixth Form is to prepare students for the next stage in their lives, which for many will mean moving on to University. Our Sixth Form staff have expert knowledge of UK and international universities and understand what they are looking for in prospective students. They work with our Sixth Formers and their families to help them identify courses and prepare tailored personal statements. We advise students on the additional reading and activities they need to pursue beyond the A level syllabus, known to universities as ‘Supercurricular Activities’, such as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). These are the things that help students to stand out during the university application process and help them to secure their preferred university place. Our on-going university preparation programme includes university trips and hosted events such as the World Class Study in London event (attended by UCL, Imperial LSE and Kings College) and the Overseas University Fair (attended for 25 universities from around the world including US, Canada and Australia). We hold weekly Careers Talks delivered by a wide range of external speakers, providing an insight into different career paths and valuable advice on how to get into them. We also have a fully equipped Careers Centre and a dedicated Overseas University Club for those students looking to secure places at universities outside of the UK. We also work with students on a one to one basis to help them to prepare for University interviews and conduct mock interviews with our Principal; senior members of staff; and other internal and external experts. For students looking to pursue careers in Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science we have a dedicated early preparation programme to help them to understand the application process; organise relevant work experience; and practice BMAT and UKCAT tests. For students hoping to gain a place at either Oxford or Cambridge University, we have a dedicated Oxbridge Preparation Programme which provides support and advice specifically aimed at these universities. As well as organised trips to both universities (including an Admissions workshop with university staff), the programme also offers weekly tutorials with subject specialists and an opportunity to meet with pupils currently studying at Oxford and Cambridge to gain an insight into life within these world renowned educational establishments.