Westminster School fees for 2026–27 are £16,456 per term for 13+ day pupils (£49,368 a year), £17,482 per term for 16+ day pupils (£52,446 a year) and £23,094 per term for boarders (£69,282 a year) — all inclusive of VAT (official site, checked 23 October 2026). Day fees cover tuition, teaching materials, lunches and most clubs and societies; boarding fees add accommodation and all meals. On top of the termly fee, a new 13+ or 16+ pupil pays a £360 registration fee, a £2,400 entrance fee and a refundable acceptance deposit of £4,000 (£5,000 for international boarders at 16+).
If you searched “Westminster School fees”, “Westminster School admissions” or “is Westminster School worth it”, you probably want three things: the real numbers, a clear picture of how and when children get in (including what is changing now that the school is becoming fully co-educational), and an honest sense of who the school suits. This page answers those questions from Westminster’s official website, then compares it with St Paul’s School and Harrow School, and with NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY (NGA) — a very different kind of option: an online international school for ages 6–18 that opens in September 2027.
The short answer: who Westminster suits — and who it doesn’t
- Suits: academically very able children who will enjoy a demanding, discussion-heavy school in the middle of London. At 13+, Westminster says it receives around 500 applications a year, interviews about 250 and admits about 125 pupils.
- Suits: London families who want a day school. Most pupils can live at home, and boarding at Westminster is weekly and term-time only, with Saturday morning school.
- Suits: girls and boys alike — increasingly. The Sixth Form has been co-educational since 1973, girls join Year 9 from September 2028, and by 2030 every year group from Reception to Year 13 will include both girls and boys.
- Suits: able children from London families who could not pay the full fee. Westminster spends approximately £2m a year on means-tested bursaries of up to 100% of day fees.
- Harder fit: families living overseas with a child under 16. The school says international pupils under 16 must have parents resident in the UK, and it sponsors Child Student visas only at 16+.
- Harder fit: families who need a bursary for boarding or who live outside the M25. Bursaries are for day places only (except alongside a King’s Scholarship), and parents must live inside the M25.
- Harder fit: children who are still learning English. Applicants with English as an additional language must submit a UKiset or IELTS Academic result, and dictionaries are not allowed in the entrance exams.
What Westminster School is
Westminster School is an independent day and boarding school in central London for pupils aged 13 to 18, with its own prep school, Westminster Under School, for ages 4 to 13. For more than 400 years it educated only boys; its Sixth Form became co-educational in 1973, and the school is now moving to full co-education. According to the official admissions pages, girls and boys joined the new pre-prep (Reception) and Years 3 and 7 at Westminster Under School in September 2026, girls join Westminster School’s Year 9 (the “Fifth Form”) in September 2028, and by September 2030 every year group from Reception to Year 13 will have both girls and boys.
Entry points across the two schools are 4+, 7+ and 11+ (Westminster Under School) and 13+ and 16+ (Westminster School). The 11+ route is a through-school place: pupils spend Years 7 and 8 at the Under School and move up to Westminster School in Year 9 without further entry testing. The school also has King’s Scholars — 48 in total, usually 12 elected each year — who board in College.
| Item | Westminster School (official information, checked 23 October 2026) |
|---|---|
| School type | Independent day and boarding school, central London |
| Ages / years | 13–18 (Year 9 to Year 13); prep school Westminster Under School for ages 4–13 |
| Girls and boys | Co-educational Sixth Form since 1973; girls enter Year 9 from 2028; fully co-educational by 2030 |
| Fees 2026–27 | Day £16,456 (13+) or £17,482 (16+) per term; boarding £23,094 per term; all inclusive of VAT |
| Boarding | Weekly, term-time only, with Saturday morning school |
| Entry points | 11+ (via the Under School), 13+ and 16+ |
| Inspection | Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), February 2024: fully compliant, with a “significant strength” |
| Financial aid | Means-tested bursaries up to 100% of day fees (about £2m a year); academic and music scholarships |
Westminster School fees 2026–27 (official, including VAT)
Everything below comes from Westminster’s fees page, checked on 23 October 2026. The school states that all Westminster School fees are inclusive of VAT; the only exception is the acceptance deposit, which is not subject to VAT.
| Pupil type | Per term | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| 13+ day pupils | £16,456 | £49,368 |
| 16+ day pupils | £17,482 | £52,446 |
| 13+ and 16+ boarding pupils | £23,094 | £69,282 |
| 13+ King’s Scholars | £16,456 | £49,368 |
| 16+ King’s Scholars | £17,482 | £52,446 |
| Westminster Under School, Reception–Year 1 | £11,088 | £33,264 |
| Westminster Under School, Years 2–8 | £11,671 | £35,013 |
King’s Scholars board in College but pay the day fee — that is the value of the scholarship. Note that the fees table labels day fees “13+” and “16+” rather than by year group; if your child joins at 13+, ask the Billing team which rate applies once they reach the Sixth Form.
One-off charges when your child joins
| Charge | 13+ entry | 16+ entry |
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee | £360, non-refundable | £360, non-refundable |
| Entrance fee | £2,400 on accepting an unconditional place (not payable by 11+ entrants or by pupils with a 100% bursary) | £2,400, non-refundable |
| Acceptance deposit | £4,000, payable by 1 September in Year 8; refunded after the pupil leaves once the account is settled | £4,000, or £5,000 for international boarders; not refunded if the pupil withdraws before joining |
| Child Student visa sponsorship | Not offered at 13+ | An additional £1,200 for those who request it |
For the 11+ route, the Under School charges a £300 registration fee, a £3,000 acceptance deposit kept until the child leaves, and a further £5,000 deposit that is set off against the Lent term invoice in the year the child joins.
What the fee includes — and what it doesn’t say
Day fees cover full academic tuition, teaching materials, lunches and most clubs, societies and enrichment activities. Boarding fees also cover accommodation and all meals. A full bursary goes further and covers uniform, travel to school, equipment, books and compulsory school expeditions. The fees page does not list charges for individual music lessons, other extras, payment instalment options or a fees-in-advance scheme, so these are not published on the official site; ask the Billing and Accounts team before you budget. Fees for the following year are usually reviewed by the end of the summer term and published in early July, so expect them to change during your child’s time at the school.
What five years at Westminster cost at today’s prices
Using only the official 2026–27 numbers, with no bursary and no fee rises, here is the arithmetic for a child who enters at 13+ and stays to Year 13 (15 terms):
- Day pupil: 9 terms × £16,456 = £148,104 for Years 9–11, plus 6 terms × £17,482 = £104,892 if the 16+ day rate applies in the Sixth Form — £252,996. If the 13+ rate applied throughout, it would be 15 × £16,456 = £246,840.
- Boarder: 15 × £23,094 = £346,410.
- Joining costs: £360 registration + £2,400 entrance fee = £2,760, plus the £4,000 deposit that comes back after the pupil leaves.
For an international boarder joining the Sixth Form: 6 × £23,094 = £138,564 in fees, plus £360 + £2,400 = £2,760, the £1,200 visa sponsorship charge and a £5,000 refundable deposit — about £142,524 before travel, guardianship and extras. Our guide to online vs in-person international school costs shows how boarding budgets compare with day and online schooling more generally.
Westminster bursaries and scholarships
The bursaries and scholarships page says the school provides approximately £2m each year in means-tested bursaries, worth up to 100% of day fees, at 11+, 13+ and 16+. The eligibility rules are specific, and they matter for international readers: the child must have the right to live and study in the UK; at least one parent and the child must have lived in the UK for two continuous years when applying; parents must live inside the M25 at application and throughout the child’s education; and parents must be British or Irish citizens or hold settled status, pre-settled status or indefinite leave to remain. Bursaries are for day places only, unless combined with a King’s Scholarship. The number of pupils on bursaries and any qualifying income levels are not published on the official site.
Scholarships are awarded on merit, without regard to income. King’s Scholarships (up to 8 at 13+ and up to 4 at 16+) set the fee at the day rate for a boarding place, and a bursary can top this up to 100% where there is proven need. Music awards at 13+ and 16+ are worth 10% of the day fee with free tuition on up to two instruments. Families applying for a bursary who cannot pay the registration, entrance or deposit fees may qualify for a fee waiver.
How a school week works: day, weekly boarding and time zones
Westminster is an in-person school on UK time. Day pupils travel in each day; boarders live at school during the week in term time, and both the 13+ and 16+ pages state that there is Saturday morning school. The school does not publish a detailed daily timetable on the pages we checked, so ask at an open day what a typical day looks like for your child’s year group.
Weekly boarding has a practical consequence for families abroad. The overseas applicants page says every pupil whose parents live abroad must have a guardian, and that pupils stay with that guardian during half-term and the two Exeat weekends each term. If you are weighing a London school against learning from home in another country, our explainer on how an online international school day works shows the other side of that trade-off.
Westminster School admissions: 11+, 13+ and 16+
11+ entry (through Westminster Under School)
About 40 girls and boys join Year 7 each year. Registration opens on 1 September two years before entry and closes on 30 September of the following year (for September 2028 entry, the window runs to 30 September 2027). Candidates sit the ISEB Common Pre-Tests in November of Year 6, written Maths and English papers at the Under School in January, and an interview with senior staff from both schools in February; offers follow shortly afterwards. Progression to Westminster School at 13 is automatic, and you cannot apply for 11+ and 13+ at the same time.
13+ entry (Year 9)
- Register between 1 October of Year 5 and 30 September of Year 6. Declare at this point if you intend to apply for a bursary.
- October–November of Year 6: the ISEB Common Pre-Tests (Mathematics, English and reasoning), taken online at the child’s current school; overseas candidates can sit them at their own school.
- Mid-December: invitations to interview. Early January: further Maths and English tests (40 minutes each). January–February: interview.
- End of February of Year 6: parents are told the outcome. Offers are unconditional, subject only to continued good conduct and academic progress and an unreserved reference in March of Year 8.
Girls can now apply: the first girls enter Year 9 in September 2028, and 13+ registration for 2030 entry was already open when we checked. The overseas page states that international pupils under 16 must have parents resident in the UK.
16+ entry (Sixth Form)
The 16+ page says around 600–650 candidates sit the entrance exams, about 190 are interviewed and 75–85 places are offered. Most candidates are girls, though many boys apply, and all are assessed the same way. For September 2027 entry, candidates sat a 45-minute exam in each of four subjects they intend to study at A Level on 7 November 2026, with interviews on 28 November 2026 and offers in December. Offers are conditional on at least eight (I)GCSE passes at grade 7/A, including at least four at grade 8–9 in the subjects to be studied at A Level. Registration for September 2028 entry opens on 1 June 2027 and closes on 30 September 2027. Overseas candidates may sit the exams at their local British Council but must attend the interview in person, and those selected are offered a boarding place.
Inspection, qualifications and recognition
UK independent schools are not “accredited” in the American sense; they are registered and inspected. Westminster School’s most recent inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate took place in February 2024. The school’s report summary says it was found fully compliant in all areas and identified a significant strength in “pupil initiative, personal development and contribution to society”. Westminster Under School was inspected in November 2024 and was also found fully compliant.
Pupils take public (I)GCSE and A Level qualifications, which universities in the UK and worldwide recognise. Exam results and university destinations were not part of the official pages we checked for this article, so we do not quote them; ask the school for its latest published results.
Westminster vs NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY vs two other options (official data)
St Paul’s School and Harrow School are two London schools families often weigh against Westminster: St Paul’s as another highly selective London day school, Harrow as a full boarding school on the edge of London. NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY (NGA) is a different kind of school altogether — online, for ages 6–18, and not yet open. For Harrow’s full cost breakdown, see our Harrow School fees and review.
| Westminster School | NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY | St Paul’s School | Harrow School | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| School type | Independent day and weekly boarding school, central London; becoming fully co-educational by 2030 | Online international school focused on Asia & Oceania; opens September 2027 (planned) | Independent senior school in London with day and boarding fees (admissions pages refer to boys) | Independent boarding school for boys, London |
| Ages / entry | 11+ (via Under School), 13+, 16+ | Ages 6–18 | 13+ and 16+ (prep school 7+, 8+, 11+) | Year 9 and Year 12 entry (see official site) |
| Fees (2026–27, per term) | Day £16,456 (13+) / £17,482 (16+); boarding £23,094; incl. VAT | Not yet published (no enrolment, facility or uniform fees; materials included; sibling discounts) | Day £12,666 (Years 9–13); boarding £19,181; incl. VAT | £21,990 incl. VAT (boarding) |
| One-off fees | Registration £360; entrance fee £2,400; deposit £4,000 (£5,000 international boarders) | No enrolment fee | 13+: registration £240; deposit £3,300 | Registration £450; deposits £2,400 + £2,400; acceptance fee £1,200 |
| Curriculum | (I)GCSEs and A Levels | Subjects learned in English, CEFR-based English levels, projects; optional Cambridge IGCSE / A-Level pathway | See official site | See official site |
| Classes & time zone | In person, UK; Saturday morning school | Small live online dialogue groups (about 8); built for Asia–Oceania daytime — may fall outside the day in the Americas or Europe | In person, UK | In person, UK |
| Inspection / diploma | ISI February 2024, fully compliant; public (I)GCSE and A Level exams | Not yet accredited; no graduates yet | See official site | See official site |
| Admission | ISEB pre-tests, school tests and interview (13+); four subject exams and interviews (16+) | No academic entrance exam, no English requirement | See official site | Register by 30 September of Year 6; ISEB pre-test, then the Harrow Test |
| International pupils | Under 16 only with parents resident in the UK; visa sponsorship at 16+ only | Learn from home in any country; travels with the family if they relocate | Extra £2,500 deposit may apply for pupils living outside the UK | See official site |
Sources: Westminster School fees, Westminster 13+ entry, Westminster overseas applicants, St Paul’s School fees, Harrow School fees and deposits — checked 23 October 2026.
Is Westminster School worth it? Common concerns, answered honestly
“Worth it” depends on your child and your circumstances, not on a league table. These are the questions parents raise most often, with what the official pages say.
“How hard is it to get in?”
Very hard, by the school’s own numbers: around 500 applications for about 125 places at 13+, and 600–650 exam candidates for 75–85 Sixth Form offers. The 16+ offer also depends on strong GCSE grades. A sensible plan is to apply to more than one school and treat an offer as a bonus, not an expectation.
“What does co-education change for us?”
For families with daughters, it opens 11+ and 13+ entry that did not exist before: girls join the Under School’s Year 7 from 2026 and Westminster School’s Year 9 from 2028. The school says it is adapting boarding accommodation and expanding its site for the change. If you are applying during the transition, ask how many girls will be in your child’s year group.
“Can we get a bursary if we live abroad?”
Usually not. Bursary eligibility requires two continuous years of UK residence, parents living inside the M25 and qualifying UK status, and bursaries are for day places. International families should budget for the full boarding fee and a guardian.
“Will the fees go up again?”
Almost certainly at some point. The school reviews fees each year by the end of the summer term and publishes them in early July. VAT at 20% has applied to UK private school fees since 1 January 2025, and Westminster quotes its fees inclusive of VAT, so there is no separate VAT line to add to the published figure.
“What about the extras?”
Lunches and most clubs are already included in the day fee, which is not true at every school. Charges for things like individual music lessons are not published on the fees page, so ask the Billing team for a typical annual extras figure before you commit.
Alternatives to Westminster worth comparing
St Paul’s School suits families who want another highly selective London day school, with a lower published day fee (£12,666 per term in 2026–27, including VAT) and some boarding places. Harrow School and Eton College suit boys who want full boarding: see our Eton College fees review, and for a school with a 16+ route for girls, our Winchester College fees review. If you are open to a British curriculum studied online instead, compare our King’s InterHigh fees and review and our overview of online British curriculum school fees.
NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY (NGA) is a different kind of option. It is an online international school for ages 6–18 focused on Asia and Oceania, opening in September 2027 (planned), with free trial classes monthly from September 2026 and pre-opening trial classes in April–May 2027. Its first cohort is 100 students, and it is operated by NIJIN Inc. in Japan, whose alternative school NIJIN Academy has more than 1,000 students. NGA does not rank children by test scores: lessons are small-group live dialogue (classes of about 8), subjects are learned in English with a bilingual English–Japanese mentor, English levels follow the CEFR, and students join social co-creation projects with companies and governments plus international exchange. An optional Cambridge IGCSE / A-Level pathway is listed on the curriculum and timetable page. There is no academic entrance exam and no English requirement; it can run alongside a local school or as the main school, and it travels with the family if they relocate. Tuition is not yet published; NGA says it will be far more affordable than a typical international school, with no enrolment, facility or uniform fees, materials included and sibling discounts.
Be clear about the trade-offs: NGA is not yet open, is not yet accredited and has no graduates or track record. It is not a London school and offers nothing like Westminster’s teaching in person, its city-centre setting or its centuries of history. Its timetable is built for Asia–Oceania daytime, so for families in the UK, Europe or the Americas live classes may fall outside their day — check the timetable against your local time. If your child is a strong candidate for a selective London school and you can plan from Year 5 or Year 6, Westminster, St Paul’s and Harrow are the schools to compare.
For a wider view, see our online international schools compared guide.
FAQ
How much does Westminster School cost per year?
For 2026–27, Westminster School’s fees are £49,368 a year for 13+ day pupils (£16,456 per term), £52,446 for 16+ day pupils (£17,482 per term) and £69,282 for boarders (£23,094 per term), all inclusive of VAT. New pupils also pay a £360 registration fee, a £2,400 entrance fee and a refundable £4,000 deposit (official site, checked 23 October 2026).
What are Westminster School’s boarding fees?
Boarding at 13+ and 16+ costs £23,094 per term, or £69,282 a year, including VAT, covering tuition, accommodation and all meals. Boarding is weekly and term-time only. Bursaries are not available for boarding except alongside a King’s Scholarship, which sets the fee at the day rate.
Is Westminster School co-educational?
Its Sixth Form has admitted girls since 1973. Girls join Westminster School in Year 9 from September 2028, and by 2030 every year group from Reception to Year 13 across Westminster Under School and Westminster School will include both girls and boys.
Can international students apply to Westminster School?
At 16+, yes: overseas candidates can join the Sixth Form as boarders, and the school offers Child Student visa sponsorship (£1,200) and asks for a £5,000 deposit. At 13+, international pupils under 16 must have parents resident in the UK. Pupils whose parents live abroad need a guardian.
Is Westminster School worth it, and what are the alternatives?
For a very able child in London who will enjoy a demanding academic school, many families decide it is; the fee is high, and bursaries are limited to London-based day pupils. Families often also compare St Paul’s School and Harrow School. NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY is a very different, online option for ages 6–18 focused on Asia and Oceania, with no academic entrance exam and no English requirement; it opens in September 2027 and is not yet accredited.
Choosing calmly
Westminster is an outstanding school, and applying is a big step for any family — academically, financially and emotionally. The most useful thing you can do now is work out which entry point fits your child, budget the full cost honestly, and check the residence and bursary rules before you start. Whichever school you choose, the right one is the place where your child will be known, stretched and happy.
Tuition and admissions details were checked on the official websites on 23 October 2026. Schools revise fees every year — always confirm on the official site before applying.
