Ages: 13-18

Registration: Year 9: by the end of Year 5 or by May 1 of Year 6. Year 12: September or October of Year 11. Late applicants: May 1 of Year 7.

No. of Pupils: 820

Admissions: Year 9: ISEB (Independent Schools Education Board) tests, Common Entrance exam and school’s own test plus interview and references. Year 12: tests in two of four chosen A-Levels during autumn term of Year 11, a subject test, reference, and school reports.

Curriculum: (I)GCSE and A-Level. The Shell year (Year 9) is a foundation year in which every boy studies a wide variety of subjects, as well as a choice of two languages.

Campus and facilities: Founded in in 1572, this all-boys, full-boarding school is one of the world’s most renowned. The school grounds cover 300 acres and include conservation areas, a golf course and a working farm.

Noteworthy: A whopping 70 per cent of grades across all subjects were A*-A in 2017 and almost three quarters of the students took up offers at Oxbridge, Ivy League and Russell Group universities.

New: The Elective programme, which was introduced in 2017, has been extended in 2018 into the Fifth Form. Alongside their preparations for (I)GCSE, boys in that year group have been taking courses to raise political awareness, to introduce them to the principles of economics and develop skills of critical thinking through the analysis of current affairs.

Term fees: £12,850

Harrow on the Hill, Harrow, London, harrowschool.org.uk