Few schools anywhere have a setting like Westminster School, tucked beside Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. It’s also in the middle of the biggest change in its long history. Here are five things to know.
1. Its history goes back to the 1300s
The earliest records of a school at Westminster date from the 1340s and are kept in the Abbey’s archives. The school was refounded by Elizabeth I in 1560, and parts of its buildings date back to the Anglo-Saxon abbey. The heart of the school is Little Dean’s Yard, known simply as “Yard”.
2. It’s becoming fully co-educational
Girls have joined the sixth form since 1973, and now the school is opening up every year group. From September 2026, girls join Westminster Under School at 4+, 7+ and 11+, alongside a new pre-prep. From 2028, girls will join the senior school at 13+, and by 2030 every year from Reception to Year 13 will include both boys and girls.
3. Day pupils and boarders
About a quarter of pupils board, with weekly boarders able to go home after Saturday morning school. The school describes its education as liberal and progressive, with a strong tradition of independent thinking and lively debate.
4. London is its classroom
With Parliament, the Abbey and the capital’s museums and galleries on the doorstep, pupils have extraordinary access to London’s cultural and political life. Academic standards are very high: in 2025, 96.3% of A-level grades were A* to B.
5. Entry works differently
Westminster School itself runs from Year 9 to Year 13, with entry at 13+ and 16+. Younger children join Westminster Under School, a short walk away on Vincent Square, at 4+, 7+ or 11+. Admissions are highly selective, and the school is expanding bursaries to make places available to more families.
Find out more
Westminster School, Little Dean’s Yard, London SW1P 3PF. Telephone 020 7963 1000. Visit westminster.org.uk for admissions, and westminsterunder.org.uk for the Under School.