Orwell Park School

A full and exciting education in a magical setting.

Orwell Park, established in 1868, is a co-educational prep school for day pupils and boarders from ages 2 to 13. 

The school has one of the most beautiful and expansive settings in the UK, housed in a beautifully preserved 18th century mansion, within 110 acres of stunning grounds on the banks of the River Orwell. The adjacent pre-prep building is a purpose built facility that combines innovative indoor spaces with an interactive forest school setting.

This is a busy and exciting education that makes the most of superb facilities to provide an unparalleled co-curricular experience with outstanding preparation for senior schools. Facilities include six sports pitches on site, a bushcraft forest camp, an outdoor pool set within a stunning walled garden, floodlight astros, an army designed assault course, a nine hole golf course and a working Victorian observatory that is much loved by the astronomy club. Orwell Park is linked with Mayo College in Rajasthan, India which allows Year 7 pupils to visit India and sample the education at one of India’s most famous boarding schools. 

Boys and girls are given every opportunity to be the best they can be, both in and outside the classroom. High expectations, small class sizes and learning strategies tailored to the individual child lead to high levels of attainment. Pupils progress to a wide range of top senior schools such as Eton, Harrow, Oundle, Uppingham, Marlborough, Radley, Winchester and Stowe.

Boarding is extremely popular with Orwell Park pupils and incorporates a comprehensive programme of evening and weekend activities. There is a strong school community and much to participate in, and this sees many local pupils also opting to flexi board. Dormitories are bright and spacious, looking out towards the River Orwell across the lawns which are often visited by the resident deer! A dedicated team of boarding staff are totally committed to the happiness and wellbeing of the boys and girls in their care. 

Join us at an Open Event to see for yourself what makes Orwell Park such a special and inspirational place to be.

For more information contact our Director of Admissions & Marketing, Cara Shirley, on 01473 653224 or email admissions@orwellpark.org

Orwell Park is incredibly proud to welcome the children of service personnel into its family and in doing so we offer a competitive fee remission in conjunction with Continuity of Education Allowance provided by the MOD. Orwell Park is very proud of its traditions and our links with the military extend to the Desert Rats who were stationed at the School during the war, preparing their landing craft for D-Day. We count many children among our current community who have a military connection because we fully understand the unique needs of both the pupils and their parents.

Orwell Park is at its core a traditional boarding school and so it has become an obvious choice for military families. Not only is our academic provision outstanding but our strong family ethos and focus on pastoral care is something that attracts families from far and wide. We benefit from one of the most beautiful locations a prep school might hope for and our extensive grounds which overlook the River Orwell create a magical environment for children to grow up in. The boarding model at Orwell Park offers a 7 day a week home from home for flexible, weekly and full boarders; we are proud to say that our boarding community is fun, vibrant, caring and supportive. With a strong complement of boarders staying in school at weekends, we are able to provide a broad and exciting programme of Sunday trips and activities; this programme is fully embedded into life at Orwell Park, is led by resident members of teaching and boarding staff, and greatly enriches our pupils’ education.

The rules, as set out by the MOD, state that CEA parents are expected to fund a minimum level of 10% of the school’s fees. The combination of the CEA funding and the Orwell Park fee remission for military families provides a very attractive offer as it leaves only a relatively small sum left to be funded by the parents directly.