Quick Sixth Form advice please

[sunshower34]

Hi all,
Our DD (Y11, international student) is currently at a boarding school in Cambridge, but she’s decided to move schools for sixth form, so we’re now looking for options for Sept 2026.
She’d like to take Drama, English, and Maths A Levels — Drama is her passion, but we’re not after a specialist performing arts school, just somewhere with great Drama opportunities (productions, clubs, etc.) and strong pastoral care.
Predicted GCSEs: Drama 8–9, English 7–8, Maths 8.
We’re open to both London (preferably) and Cambridge.
Not looking for a super competitive or “celebrity” type school — just a friendly place where she can thrive.
We don’t really know the UK system and it’s hard to trust agencies, so any personal recommendations or insight would be so helpful.
Thanks a lot in advance! 🙏

Emanuel and Alleyn, both in London.

Hills Road in Cambridge.

state but lots of opportunities and many private school kids go there for sixth.

i don’t know London, sorry.

Queenswood in Herts has an outstanding drama department as well as boarding. A healthy contingent of international boarders in the sixth form. They also offer drama scholarships with further performance opportunities.

You're getting mostly non-boarding recommendations right now.

I assume your DD will still need to board? Or does she have a family member she could live with in London? Boarding schools that are actually in London are fairly thin on the ground, but there are options nearby. And of course there are plenty of non-boarding options in London if she can live with a relative/guardian.

What @FlockofSquirrels says. Do you need boarding?

If not, St Marylebone is academic and offers a few drama places each year to performing arts students.

Yes, our first option is definitely a boarding school. But if we can’t find the right one, we’d consider a day school — that would be our last choice though.

Does she have family to live with in London? I don't know many independent schools that will accept a student being set up in a flat on their own even at 16+.

How far outside of London would you/she be happy to look for boarding?

Wellington in Berkshire or Charterhouse in Surrey would both fit your academic and drama reqs. Neither too far out of London but obviously south and west of it rather than central as moving into the southern Home Counties. Both have good really good drama offerings.
Epsom college (also Surrey but much closer to London than Charterhouse) could also be a good option.
St Edwards (known as Teddies) in Oxfordshire or what about Oundle in Peterborough.
Hope that gives you a start with a few options, not directly central London or Cambs though I’m afraid.

@sunshower34, if your dd is at The Leys in Cambridge, it would be helpful to know why she wants to leave because the other mixed boarding schools in Surrey / Berks won’t be a lot different and some of them won’t be in the centre of a busy City that is only 1 hour max on the train from London. If it’s drama and a wider range of school productions that is the driver then in the sixth form there is only so much time for productions due to the fact a sixth form is really only 5 terms long. Maybe seeing other schools will help with this reality.

A really good point. We didn’t move for 6th form in the end despite looking at most of the above as the alternatives weren’t much different and the reality of how long 6th form realistically is meant ‘a better the school you know’ than risk a new one for such a short but important time helped focus the decision for us.

Not in Cambridge or London but st Edward’s Oxford has amazing drama and lots of other opportunities, not super hot house and strong pastorally (our ds is thriving there)

She’s at King’s Ely at the moment. She’s really happy with the atmosphere there and has made some lovely friends, but Ely itself is very quiet — not much going on outside school and after-school activities. She feels London would offer more in terms of drama and performing arts, which could also be a plus when it comes to university applications.

Yes, we’ve got a few friends in London she could stay with if needed. Boarding would still be our first choice though — ideally somewhere safe, with a bit of life around, and about 30–40 minutes from the city centre.

@sunshower34, yes I agree Ely is quiet. You probably need to go to some open days and check out the entry requirement for sixth forms plus check the drama A level results on the school’s websites if they have them and note the size of the cohort. You might as well start with looking at The Leys. For central London schools you should note that there are many all girls schools that start with a junior school and the girls who have been there for many years by age 16 often move to a mixed school for 6th form ie going from Putney High to Kings Wimbledon so the entry process is competitive and has already started.

Hi OP. Dauntseys in Wiltshire has outstanding drama and music depts. The boarding is also exceptional. I can't recommend it more highly.