Parents in the British Army, Navy, Marines and RAF will pay just ten percent of school fees for their children attending Felsted School – named the Times Educational Supplement’s Boarding School of the Year in 2023 – as part of the school’s initiative to support Forces families that comes into effect this September.
Founded in 1564 and set on a 90-acre countryside campus in north Essex, Felsted has a long tradition of educating and caring for the children of British Armed Forces families. The school also operates one of the oldest contingents of the Combined Cadet Force in the country as part of a programme of exciting challenge and service activities that is built into the weekly timetable, alongside a successful academic programme leading to GCSEs, A Levels and the demanding and prestigious International Baccalaureate Diploma.Â
From September 2025, Forces families eligible for the Ministry of Defence’s Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA), which enables the children of service personnel to benefit from a stable education while their parents are deployed around the world, will pay only a tenth of the fees due at Felsted for boarding pupils.
‘It is our aim to help parents serving in the British Armed Forces to make sure their children have a consistent, world-class education and are being looked after and supported by staff experienced in the needs of pupils from a military background,’ said Felsted Head, Chris Townsend. ‘Felsted has a truly global outlook and offers a high-quality education including many opportunities for leadership, adventure, challenge and service, all of which are key to developing young people who will go on to make a difference in the world.’
Felsted educates around a thousand boys and girls aged four to 18, and around two thirds of pupils aged 11 to 18 are boarders, some from international families based all around the world. School buildings and extensive facilities for sports and the arts are set in the attractive Essex village of Felsted, 20 miles from Colchester and five miles from London Stansted Airport. There are 11 comfortable and fully staffed on-campus houses for pupils to live in, with a vibrant activity programme on offer including trips and outings in the evenings and weekends.
Along with being named TES Boarding School of the Year 2023, in December 2024 Felsted was appointed by IB-Schools.com as ‘A Top 30 UK IB School for 2024’ for excellence in academic achievement. In 2024 Felsted was also awarded a prestigious Eco-Schools’ Green Flag for their exceptional work in promoting sustainability and raising environmental awareness, Felsted was also awarded the esteemed ‘Sleep Champion’ status by the Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA). For more information about Felsted School, including details of fees for British Forces families, please visit www.felsted.org/forcesfamilies
Categories: Felsted School School News
