St Swithun's School

Cohort

76

Class of 2025

Oxbridge

2

Russell Group

5

US Ivy

0

A-level A*–A

77%

Recalibrated

GCSE 9–7

76%

Oxbridge rate

3%

Russell Group rate

7%

• Headmistress

  Jane Gandee

  Ms Jane Gandee is only the ninth headmistress in the school's 141-year history and took up her post in September 2010. Previously director of studies at The City of London School for Girls from 2005. Read French and Spanish at Girton College, Cambridge before spending two years as an accountant. Taught languages at two schools before moving to Queenswood, where she became head of languages in 1999. Keen sportswoman, represented Cambridge at athletics and cross country and captained the university's women's football team. (MA Cantab)

• Deputy Head Pastoral

  Graham Yates

  Joined St Swithun's in September 2017. Previously deputy head at Hampshire Collegiate School and assistant head at Kingston Grammar School. Read geography at Nottingham University and studied for a Masters in Education at Brunel University, where he also spent six years running a geography PGCE course. (MA Brunel)

• Deputy Head Academic

  Charles Hammel

  Joined St Swithun's in September 2014. Read history and medieval studies at Princeton University and completed a postgraduate masters in medieval history at the University of St Andrews. Previously head of history at King Edward VI High School for Girls, Birmingham, and head of scholars at Warwick School, where he taught history, politics and Latin. (AB Princeton, MLitt St Andrews)

• Bursar And Clerk To The Governing Council

  Martyn Gamble

  Joined St Swithun's in January 2019 after a career in the army spanning 34 years. Educated at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Cranfield University and the Royal College of Defence Studies, London. (MA Cranfield)

• Head Of Boarding

  Alice Ludlow

  Joined St Swithun's in September 2021 as an acting housemistress before taking on the role of head of boarding at the start of the 2022/3 academic year. Previously assistant principal in an international school in Lusaka, Zambia. Prior to that, worked at Oakham School and a boarding school in Malawi. Also teaches English. (MA Nottingham)

• Head Of Prep School

  Liz Norris

  Joined St Swithun's in 2023 from St Helen's School where she was interim head of prep. Previously head of junior school at St Margaret's School in Bushey, Hertfordshire. Responsible for pastoral care as phase leader and senior management team member at Bancroft's prep school. Worked as a private education consultant. Talented musician playing piano, flute and cello. (MA Anglia Ruskin, BSc King's College London, PGCE Anglia Ruskin)

• 1Epsom CollegeEpsom

  Fees £38.8kA*-A 66%Oxbridge 3%Rank #353

  Epsom College matches on boarding (both), entry phases (11+, 13+, 16+), and selectivity tier with similar fees (£38.8k vs £34.2k) and Oxbridge rate (3.2%).

• 2City of London Freemen's SchoolAshtead

  Fees £27.6kA*-A 78%Rank #351

  City of London Freemen's School shares co-ed boarding option, similar fees (£26.5k vs £34.2k), and entry phases (11+, 13+, 16+), with a strong academic profile (A*-A 78.2%).

• 3St Mary's CalneCalne

  Fees £43.6kA*-A 88%Rank #346

  St Mary's Calne aligns on girls boarding, entry phases (11+, 13+, 16+), and selectivity tier with higher fees (£43.6k) but stronger academic results (A*-A 88%).

• 4The Abbey SchoolReading

  Fees £26.3kA*-A 80%Oxbridge 2%Rank #389

  The Abbey School matches on girls day schooling, entry phases (11+, 13+, 16+), and selectivity tier with lower fees (£22.7k) and good academic results (A*-A 80%).

• 5St Albans High School for GirlsSt Albans

  Fees £28.5kA*-A 78%Oxbridge 12%Rank #298

  St Albans High School for Girls shares girls day schooling, entry phases (11+, 13+, 16+), and selectivity tier with slightly lower fees (£28.5k) and excellent Oxbridge rate (11.8%).

Peers refreshed annually plus on-write. Filters: sex, boarding, entry phase, geography, fee band, tier. Scoring: 0.45 outcome similarity + 0.25 structured + 0.10 embedding + 0.20 AI re-rank.