A glimpse into Boarding at Berkhamsted Sixth

Thank you for your interest in joining our boarding community at Berkhamsted Sixth.

We would like to share a few videos to provide an insight into life at our Sixth Form and in our Boarding Houses.

Boarding at Berkhamsted

Our valued and diverse boarding community benefit from flexi, weekly and full boarding in Houses which are based in the market town and extremely close to the School. These Houses allow the pupils to enjoy the full and rewarding experience of a UK Day School, while benefitting from a wonderful level of support and care from our dedicated boarding House Teams. Our boarders enjoy a real home away from home while developing independent skills in a nurturing and inspiring environment – the perfect bridge between School and University.

The boarding provision at Berkhamsted begins at aged 11+ for flexi-boarding (Year 7 upwards) and full and weekly boarding from ages 13+, 14+ and 16+ (from Year 9, Year 10 and Year 12 – into Sixth Form).

 

Boarding life at Berkhamsted

As a boarder at Berkhamsted, you will experience life at a traditional English independent day school as a member of a small, diverse boarding community of around 100 students.

Boarding Admissions Information
Berkhamsted’s New Sixth Form

Berkhamsted’s new Sixth Form Centre

Learn more about our new Sixth Form building, that has recently opened, and how its design and state-of-the-art features will greatly help prepare Berkhamsted students for university and the workplace.

Welcome from the Principal

Welcome from the Principal

To introduce the ethos and values of a Berkhamsted education, here is a welcome from our Principal, Richard Backhouse.

Richard Backhouse has been Principal of Berkhamsted Schools Group since January 2016. A former boarder himself, Richard read Economics at Cambridge, before moving into education.

Hear from our Boarding Community

Our rich and diverse boarding student community is supported by our wonderful parents, who are partners in their child’s journey and an integral part of what makes our school so special. The spirit of our school also extends well beyond graduation. Our former pupils, who are cherished members of our Old Berkhamstedian network, continue to inspire and support current students. They offer guidance, share their success stories, and contribute to the continued growth of our school.

These videos are examples of our wider Boarding Community and what an impact boarding at Berkhamsted can have on all involved.

St John’s Boarding student
Year 13 Boarding students
Year 13 Boarding students
Incents Boarding student
Incents Year 12 Boarding student
Boarding parent experience
Old Berkhamstedian
Old Berkhamstedian
Hear from Ada – current St John’s House Captain
Hear from Hani and Ting – Year 13 Boarders
Hear from Boya and Chester – Year 13 Boarders
Hear from Ryan – member of Incents Boarding House
Hear from Isaac – Year 12 member of Incents House
Hear from a current Berkhamsted Year 12 Parent
Hear from Amelia – one of our former students
Hear from Michelle, how boarding shaped her career

Meet Will Findlay – our Head of Incents Boarding House (Boys)

Will is a teacher of History and Politics and for the past three years, he was Head of Old Stede House at Berkhamsted Girls. In September 2024, he was delighted to be appointed as the Head of Incents Boarding House, following on from three years as a Resident Tutor at the Boarding House.

Meet Jessica Thackray – our Co-Head of St John’s Boarding House (Girls)

Jessica joined the School as a Drama teacher in 2016. Alongside being Co-Head of St John’s, she also holds the post of Head of Cox’s House at the Boys School, which she has done for five years.

Meet Andrew Ottaway – our Co-Head of St John’s Boarding House (Girls)

Andrew joined Berkhamsted in 2014 and was Head of St George’s House from 2016 – 2020, before taking over as Head of Economics and Business and Co-Head of St John’s.

Academic results 2025

Academic Results

Please click here to read more about the remarkable achievements of our Berkhamsted School pupils.

Creative Arts at Berkhamsted School

Berkhamsted School provides a rich and varied array of opportunities for pupils to explore and develop their talents in Music, Art and Drama. With a mix of ensembles, performances, productions, and competitions, students have the chance to engage in the arts in both structured and creative ways, whether they are looking to pursue these areas professionally or as a personal passion.

Music Opportunities at Berkhamsted
Drama Productions at Berkhamsted
Studying Art at Berkhamsted
Hear how music inspires and enriches our students
Behind the scenes at Shrek The Musical production
Exploring our outstanding Art provision

Sport at Berkhamsted

We are proud of the breadth of sport offering throughout the School and also the number of teams we are able to field each term offering the majority of our pupils the chance to play a competitive match.

In January 2025, School Sport Magazine ranked Berkhamsted as the 7th best UK Sports School of 2024. This prestigious publication celebrates excellence in school sports and annually releases a list of the 200 best UK state and independent sporting schools. Our recognition in the top ten places Berkhamsted in the top 1% of the country’s sporting schools, a remarkable feat that is a testament to the combination of highly skilled, specialist, and passionate sports staff working with and alongside our focused, motivated and talented pupils.

Curriculum Overview
Netball Champions
Rugby Success
Curriculum Overview
Netball 1st XII – Double National Champions
Last minute try – StoneX Rugby

Preparing our students for a remarkable future

We encourage all our students to take advantage of the wide range of academic enrichment and extension opportunities on offer at Berkhamsted Sixth Form. These include additional research projects, participating in worldwide academic competitions, joining debating societies and leadership programs, preparation for University specific entrance tests and interviews and Young Enterprise – a program that fosters entrepreneurial spirit among young people.

The videos below share a taste of the exceptional support we provide our students to prepare them for their Sixth Form experience and life beyond Berkhamsted.

Extended Project Qualification
Young Enterprise
Year 12 can complete an EPQ for academic stretch
Berkhamsted’s Young Enterprise Program

Career Guidance at Berkhamsted

At Berkhamsted we encourage pupils to consider a range of options after completing their A Levels. Watch the videos below to get an overview of the wide breadth of university application support and career opportunities at Berkhamsted and hear from two of our pupils about their exciting apprenticeship roles.

Apprenticeships
International University Application Support
Hear from our pupils – Apprenticeships
International University Fair at Berkhamsted

“Berkhamsted is a Way of Life”

Hear from Berkhamsted’s Head Boy, Dan, on how joining the Sixth Form in Year 12 has made an incredible impact on his life and his future.

“Choosing Berkhamsted was the best decision in my life.”

Hear from Kate, a former Berkhamsted Sixth Form boarder, on how joining Berkhamsted in the Sixth Form in Year 12 was one of the best decisions of her life.

“The impact of Berkhamsted has made me really evolve.”

Hear from recent Year 13 boarding students, Johnson and Ada, on the impact Berkhamsted and the boarding experience has had on them and their exciting future plans.

Berkhamsted Boarding Prospectus

Berkhamsted Boarding Information Book

International Admissions Team

Chris Sutton - Head of Boarding and Director of International Admissions

Chris Sutton – Head of Boarding and Director of International Admissions

Please visit our Boarding Admissions page for more information.

Boarding Admissions
Jennie Peachey - International Admissions Officer

Jennie Peachey – International Admissions Officer

Please visit our Boarding Admissions page for more information.

Boarding Admissions

Discover our schools by clicking on the links below

Berkhamsted Sixth

Sixth Form Centre
Castle Street
Berkhamsted
HP4 2BB

Berkhamsted Boys

Castle Campus
Castle St
Berkhamsted
HP4 2BB

Berkhamsted Girls

Kings Campus
Kings Rd
Berkhamsted
HP4 3BG

Berkhamsted Prep

Doctor’s Commons Rd
Berkhamsted
HP4 3DW

Berkhamsted Pre-Prep

Chesham Rd
Berkhamsted
HP4 2SZ

Heatherton

10 Copperkins Ln
Amersham
HP6 5QB

‘The Old and the New’ – it was wonderful to welcome Ada, last year’s House Captain, back to St John’s to see the girls and staff. And of course, we couldn’t resist a photo with our new House Captain, Stapy, and Deputies Anastasiia and Cecilia! 📸

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‘The Old and the New’ - it was wonderful to welcome Ada, last year’s House Captain, back to St John’s to see the girls and staff. And of course, we couldn’t resist a photo with our new House Captain, Stapy, and Deputies Anastasiia and Cecilia! 📸

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🎄🎄Christmas Tree decorating time in Incents! (December starts earlier in Boarding!) 🎅🎄

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🎄🎄Christmas Tree decorating time in Incents! (December starts earlier in Boarding!) 🎅🎄

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Another highly productive trip to Hong Kong comes to a close.

It is always a pleasure to visit our valued agent partners on behalf of @berkhamstedschools. Many thanks to our partners for taking the time to meet, your continued support and collaboration are greatly appreciated. These relationships play such an important role in our global outreach.

Representing the outstanding Berkhamsted School overseas is a privilege. We look forward to welcoming more students from Hong Kong to Berkhamsted in the future.

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Another highly productive trip to Hong Kong comes to a close. It is always a pleasure to visit our valued agent partners on behalf of @berkhamstedschools. Many thanks to our partners for taking the time to meet, your continued support and collaboration are greatly appreciated. These relationships play such an important role in our global outreach. Representing the outstanding Berkhamsted School overseas is a privilege. We look forward to welcoming more students from Hong Kong to Berkhamsted in the future.

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A brilliant start to my Hong Kong visit! 🇭🇰

The trip began with a fantastic drinks reception with current parents and @oldberkhamstedians , which gave the opportunity to update them on opening of the Sixth Form building, share stories, and celebrate our vibrant Berko community abroad.

I then attended the brilliant @britanniastudylink event, where I had the pleasure of meeting many families to discuss all things @berkhamstedschools. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm and interest in what we do.

A huge thank you to the Britannia team for their warm hospitality and for another excellent event, it’s always a pleasure catching up with you all post-event.

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A brilliant start to my Hong Kong visit! 🇭🇰 The trip began with a fantastic drinks reception with current parents and @oldberkhamstedians , which gave the opportunity to update them on opening of the Sixth Form building, share stories, and celebrate our vibrant Berko community abroad. I then attended the brilliant @britanniastudylink event, where I had the pleasure of meeting many families to discuss all things @berkhamstedschools. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm and interest in what we do. A huge thank you to the Britannia team for their warm hospitality and for another excellent event, it’s always a pleasure catching up with you all post-event.

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We played our second basketball game of the season of the North London league against Dwight School last Thursday. 🏀

The boys played well and are improving greatly.

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We played our second basketball game of the season of the North London league against Dwight School last Thursday. 🏀 The boys played well and are improving greatly.

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🎃 Yesterday, we braved the terrifying Tesco’s to pick out the perfect pumpkins for our spooky weekend! Here’s a glimpse of our pumpkin carving in action… 👻🕸️ Stay tuned for the finished masterpieces! 🎃✨ #spookyseason #pumpkincarving #boardinglife #bsaboarding #iloveboarding

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🎃 Yesterday, we braved the terrifying Tesco’s to pick out the perfect pumpkins for our spooky weekend! Here’s a glimpse of our pumpkin carving in action… 👻🕸️ Stay tuned for the finished masterpieces! 🎃✨ #spookyseason #pumpkincarving #boardinglife #bsaboarding #iloveboarding

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St John’s and Incents take on Thorpe Park Fright Night 🎢🎃 Rollercoasters, hot chocolates, pumpkins, street parades, rock concerts, and plenty of KFC… a perfect spooky Saturday! 👻✨ #bsaboarding #iloveboarding #thorpepark #frightnight #halloween

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St John’s and Incents take on Thorpe Park Fright Night 🎢🎃 Rollercoasters, hot chocolates, pumpkins, street parades, rock concerts, and plenty of KFC… a perfect spooky Saturday! 👻✨ #bsaboarding #iloveboarding #thorpepark #frightnight #halloween

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St John’s and Incents loved hosting an afternoon tea party on Thursday! From karaoke and scones to pool and plenty of chatter… we loved showing off our amazing boarding houses! 💛☕🎤 #berkhamstedschool #bsaboarding #iloveboarding

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St John’s and Incents loved hosting an afternoon tea party on Thursday! From karaoke and scones to pool and plenty of chatter… we loved showing off our amazing boarding houses! 💛☕🎤 #berkhamstedschool #bsaboarding #iloveboarding

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Thank you for taking a glimpse into boarding life at Berkhamsted – we hope to welcome you to visit us very soon.

If you have any questions, please contact us on 01442 358001 or email: internationaladmissions@berkhamsted.com.