Willowfield School Competitors

Brentwood Academy is a co-educational, independent, college preparatory school dedicated to nurturing and challenging each whole person – body, mind, and spirit – to the glory of God.

Harrow School is one of the world’s most well-known schools. Founded in 1572 by a local yeoman farmer, John Lyon, under a Royal Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I, it is located on a 324-acre estate encompassing much of Harrow on the Hill in north-west London. Around 840 boys aged 13 to 18, from all over Britain and across the world, live in the School’s 12 boarding houses. There are about 120 teaching staff and over 500 non-teaching staff, working together in a friendly community. All members of staff at the School work to a single, uniting purpose: to prepare boys with diverse backgrounds and abilities for a life of learning, leadership, service and personal fulfilment. Our statement of purpose has Harrow’s boys at its heart and is borne out through our various areas of activity – teaching that helps boys achieve their best academically, pastoral care that matures them both emotionally and spiritually, and an extra-curricular programme that develops their characters and interests. Harrow is part of a much larger family, which is made up of John Lyon’s Foundation, the Harrow International Schools, and the Harrow Club (a centre for sport and education for young people in Notting Dale that the Foundation helped to establish). John Lyon’s Foundation is made up of a Charter Corporation comprising Harrow School, John Lyon School (a nearby day school for boys) Quainton Hall School, and John Lyon’s Charity (a grant-giving charity that gives over £10 million a year to schools and other organisations in the boroughs of north-west London).

Barking Abbey School was founded in 1922 as one of the first co-educational grammar schools in England. At the time, it was situated in a largely rural area, with fields and farmland close by. Gradually, as Barking began to expand as a residential centre, the school became the focal point for the community with an educational provision of national standing. In 1970, Barking Abbey Grammar School was merged with Park Modern School to form what has now become ‘Barking Abbey School: A Specialist Sports and Humanities College’. Many traditions of the old schools remain, but with important developments to enable the school and its pupils to be fully prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities of life in the twenty-first century. One thing remains central, however: we are an outstanding success. Barking Abbey is a mixed school of approximately 2,000 pupils. It is traditionally heavily oversubscribed and each year takes 270 new pupils. In recent years, the school has enjoyed great success across many areas. In 1997 it was among the first six schools to be awarded Specialist Sports College status. At the same time a grant of £2.1 million from the Sport England Lottery Unit and the Borough of Barking and Dagenham enabled the building of a large Leisure Centre. We are proud of the fact that we are a multi-cultural community and we seek to celebrate our diversity in as many ways as possible. Tolerance of, respect for, and understanding of others are vital aspects of preparing young people for adult life. This ethos is what underpins our school motto: “Barking Abbey School is a place where everyone gives and expects the best” and where everyone can say, “I belong”.