Us
Our Schools
Dukes Plus
Beyond the classroom
Dukes Plus Dukes Plus is a provider of university application support, life-changing career and university experiences, day camps, tuition, and summer schools.
University Applications Our curated collection of consultancies represent the best of Oxbridge, US, and Medicine application support.
Experiences Dukes is home to the UK's leading careers experiences, summer school and activity day camp providers.

Year: 14

13-18 YEARS

Hampstead Fine Arts College

– A letter from the Principal

“I am delighted to introduce you to Hampstead Fine Arts College, founded in 1978 for the study of the Arts and Humanities. Our aim has always been to instil a love of learning in students of all ages and to help students achieve entry into outstanding higher education establishments.

Our ethos is rooted in the belief that, with the right encouragement, students flourish both academically and creatively. All subjects are taught with expertise and enthusiasm by tutors who have a genuine love of their subject…”

Students are fortunate to be taught by many who, as well as being highly experienced educators, are often distinguished musicians, artists, filmmakers, writers and actors. The informal nature of relationships between staff and students strengthens high expectations and encourages a rigorous approach to work.

The college is a unique bridge between school and university, a place that encourages self-discipline and self-motivation. On leaving, our students graduate to top universities and leading Art, Design, Music and Performing Arts Colleges in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States.”

Candida Cave, Principal
Candida Cave, Principal
Candida Cave, Principal
string(0) "" string(0) "" string(24) "Music technoligy student" Music technoligy student string(37) "Fine Art teacher speaking to students" Fine Art teacher speaking to students string(0) "" string(0) "" string(0) "" string(0) "" string(0) "" string(0) "" string(0) "" string(0) "" string(0) "" string(0) "" string(0) "" string(0) ""
Visit the website

About
Hampstead Fine Arts College

The school is located in a charming part of Belsize Park, with the main site situated in a secluded courtyard, originally a Victorian dairy, away from the bustle of the street.

 

The spirit of creativity and close, personal teaching remain hallmarks of the school’s atmosphere. Teaching staff are committed to helping students identify their own unique way of contributing something special to the wider world. Most students join the college because they are seeking a school that will allow them freedom of expression and remove some of the restrictions of traditional independent alternatives. Students wear no uniform, and are taught primarily in round-table formats, reminiscent of university seminars rather than traditional classrooms. Despite this, there are high expectations for behaviour and performance. The Good Schools Guide quotes a parent who summarises it well, “What we like about the college… is the industrious informality. They take the job seriously, but don’t wear it too formally.”

 

Virtually all students leaving the senior school go on to higher education at a range of universities and Art, Music, and Drama schools. Typical destinations include the University of Oxford, King’s College London, Central St. Martin’s, and Edinburgh, to name a few.

Explore Hampstead Fine Arts
See what our students have to say about the college.
Hampstead Fine Arts has award-winning Film Studies, Photography, and Art and Design departments.
https://dukeseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/FAC-film-studies-students-working-on-a-project-e1568735190371.jpg
https://dukeseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/FAC-Photography-student-reviewing-work-with-teacher-e1568735208791.jpg
https://dukeseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/FAC-Fine-Art-Student-drawing-e1568735224413.jpg
Fine Arts College recently opened its lower school for younger students.
13-15
Ages
16-18
Ages
13-16
LOWER SCHOOL
24 Lambolle Place, London, NW3 4PG
+44 (0)20 7586 0312
WEBSITE
16-19
UPPER SCHOOL
Centre Studios, 41 - 43 England's Lane, London, NW3 4YD
+44 (0)20 7586 0312
WEBSITE

Hampstead Fine Arts College

Lambolle Place, London, UK

Hampstead Fine Arts College

41-43 England's Lane, London NW3 4YD, UK

A haven of culture, creativity and kindness amidst the tumult of north London selective schools.

The Good Schools Guide
3-16 YEARS

Knightsbridge School

– A message from the Principal

“I am both proud and excited to introduce you to Knightsbridge School (KS) a co-ed independent day school, for ages 3 -16 years. I founded “KS” in 2006, to ensure that children and families from many exciting backgrounds were able to enjoy the early adventure that is all-round education, both in and out of school. We have nurtured this ideology in our diverse curriculum as well as the schools enriching provision of over 70 extracurricular clubs termly.

I created the KS Code to ensure that there is an ecosystem of happiness, creativity and synergy between the children, parent body and KS staff, all working toward developing a child’s individuality into success together. The code promotes a world view of treating others as you’d like to be treated, being creative every day, recycling, striving for a healthy body and mind and to appreciate how lucky we are. Abiding by this code enables our students to understand who they are and what is required of them as lifelong learners.

In 2016 we had our 3rd ISI inspection, receiving excellence across the board. In the summer of 2018, we joined Dukes Education, a partnership that has opened the door to our senior extension.

Knightsbridge School is a community that not only provides exceptional academic expertise but also oozes energy and enthusiasm with children that genuinely love learning, in and out of school. The best way to understand us is to come visit and see it for yourself. I hope to welcome you soon!”

Magoo Giles, Founder and Principal
Magoo Giles, Founder and Principal
Magoo Giles, Founder and Principal
string(0) "" string(0) "" string(0) "" string(0) ""
Visit the website

About
Knightsbridge School

Parents walking through the blue doors of Knightsbridge School are warmly welcomed into a friendly school, where there is a palpable buzz. Children chat happily with one another and their teachers as they move between lessons, matches or clubs, or head off for a delicious lunch in the dining room. Exceptional pastoral care ensures that our children feel loved, and well-supported by consistent messages based around the ‘KS Code’ – both at school and at home.

 

The school focuses on six main aims:

  • Atmosphere
  • Attitude
  • Autonomy
  • Achievement
  • All-Rounder
  • …and Action.

 

Teamwork is strongly promoted to help individuals achieve these ‘A’s’, and the results are outstanding – pupils excel at all levels and each year are accepted into leading senior schools in London and elsewhere.

Community links

We share strong community links across London, supporting the Royal Hospital Chelsea pensioners, Place2Be, UK’s leading children’s mental health charity, and the Knightsbridge School Education Foundation.

Building relationships is at the heart of Knightsbridge School
Building relationships is at the heart of Knightsbridge School
Holiday activities
Key Skills Week
Key Skills Week
October Half Term
Christmas Crafts Workshop
Christmas Crafts Workshop
Christmas break
Easter Workshop
Easter Workshop
First week of Easter break
Summer Camp
Summer Camp
First week of summer break
Knightsbridge School is a co-educational day school.
3 - 16
Ages
3-16
KNIGHTSBRIDGE SCHOOL
67 Pont Street, London, SW1X 0BD
+44(0) 20 7590 9000
WEBSITE

Knightsbridge School

67 Pont Street, London SW1X 0BD, UK

‘Teachers have high expectations and excellent subject knowledge. They use varied methods… to teach at a pace that encourages full participation in lessons.’

ISI Inspection Report 2016
Little Dukes

Knightsbridge School's Nursery

In the nursery, led by the wonderful Gillian Conlan, Knightsbridge School’s youngest children are introduced to a stimulating school life where enjoyment is the main ingredient in a programme that teaches through play.

Learn More
9 - 18 YEARS

Radnor House Twickenham

– A letter from the Head

Welcome to Radnor House Twickenham and thank you for taking the time to find out more about us.

I am in my third year as Head of RHT and I have found it to be a friendly and effective school that provides an exceptional educational experience.  With around 420 pupils, we are small enough that every child is well known and we are able to fulfil our aim of celebrating every individual, but we are also big enough to be able to create an active learning environment for limitless minds.  We believe every child should fulfil their potential and be offered every opportunity to make the most of their talents…

Our school was founded in 2011 on the belief that education must nurture, encourage and celebrate children.  At RHT today, you will find a dynamic mix of high academic standards, exceptional pastoral care and expansive opportunities for pupils, all housed within an innovative and hugely successful environment in a beautiful setting on the bank of the River Thames.  Our boys and girls are happy, accomplished and driven, and RHT is fast becoming one of the most dynamic and exciting schools in the area.

My favourite description of RHT so far is that we provide a refreshingly enlightened alternative option to other schools in the area, with our focus on encouragement rather than pressure – a concept that I hope you will appreciate when you come to visit us.  I look forward to meeting you and to the chance to tell you more about what we can do to help your child thrive and be successful.”

Amy Cavilla, Head
Amy Cavilla, Head
string(49) "students walking in school grounds on a sunny day" students walking in school grounds on a sunny day string(55) "Students sitting on a terrace be the river during lunch" Students sitting on a terrace be the river during lunch string(25) "Students learning to bake" Students learning to bake string(35) "two studennts working on assignment" two studennts working on assignment string(37) "Students running a race on sports day" Students running a race on sports day
Visit the website

About
Radnor House Twickenham

Radnor House Twickenham is an independent selective co-educational day school enjoying a stunning location on the banks of the River Thames in Twickenham, where pupils thrive in small classes with a strong focus on individual attention.  The school educates and inspires girls and boys from ages 9 to 18, with three main entry points in Year 5, Year 7 and Year 12.

 

Life at RHT is shaped by the school’s commitment to providing an active learning environment for limitless minds. Everyone firmly believes that all pupils are capable of great things if effectively taught, motivated and inspired by their school environment. This vision is underpinned by four key values which are central to school life:

 

Courage – we expect everyone to try their best, to have a go and to be brave in their approach to all the challenges of school and the wider world.

 

Excellence – we ask everyone to be the most excellent version of themselves, able to look themselves in the eye in the mirror every day and to know they could not have done any more.

 

Perseverance – we need to be able to persevere in order to achieve things, to maintain a growth mindset and not give up when the going gets tough.

 

Respect – we must treat each other with respect and kindness at all times, regardless of who we are or wherever our talents or weakness lie.

Radnor House Twickenham occupies a beautiful, historic building, originally built in 1842, on the banks of the Thames in Twickenham.
Radnor House Twickenham occupies a beautiful, historic building, originally built in 1842, on the banks of the Thames in Twickenham.
Radnor House welcomes children from Year 5 all the way to A-level.
9 - 18
Ages
11 - 18 YEARS
RADNOR HOUSE TWICKENHAM
Pope's Villa, Cross Deep, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW1 4QG
+44 (0)20 8891 6264
WEBSITE

Radnor House Twickenham

11-18 YEARS

Rochester Independent College

– A letter from the Principal

“Rochester Independent College was founded in 1984 as a specialist Maths and Sciences focused sixth form. The development I’ve seen since joining the team in 1997 has been, like the education so many of our former students remember, colourful and vibrant. There’s now an equal emphasis in the curriculum on the Arts. Our first Year 7 students joined in 2007.

Rochester is a place for individuals, a real alternative to traditional schools…”

There’s no uniform and everybody is on first name terms. Although atmospherically relaxed, there’s an emphasis on rigorous study and academic achievement without unnecessary pressure. This successfully distinctive environment is a natural stepping-stone between school and university.

The college occupies a one-of-a-kind urban campus. Listed buildings are linked by award-winning wildlife gardens, creating a special sense of place in which to live, study and work.

Rochester joined Dukes in 2016 and it’s a fit that works. Dukes respects our existing culture, invests in facilities and staffing, and promotes the college and its ethos enthusiastically. As we grow, we’re maintaining together a focus on what makes Rochester special: an informal and creative environment, a firm belief that with hard work everyone is capable of exam success, and a focus on the individual needs of every student who comes to us.”

Alistair Brownlow
Alistair Brownlow
Alistair Brownlow
string(12) "RIC-Art-Girl" RIC-Art-Girl string(19) "RIC-Front-of-School" RIC-Front-of-School string(11) "RIC-Art-Boy" RIC-Art-Boy
Visit the website

About
Rochester Independent College

Rochester Independent College focuses on the highest levels of academic achievement while retaining a creative buzz.

 

Rochester’s Mathematics, Science, English Literature, and Film Studies teaching have all won awards from The Good Schools Guide in recent years who also say: “It would be hard to find better provision for an artist.”

 

Located in Kent, the school occupies a historically distinctive site. Listed Georgian buildings are linked by award-winning wildlife gardens, creating a unique sense of place in which to live, work, and study. The campus is as unique as the school itself, with an underground theatre space, an outdoor classroom shaped like an igloo, and steel sculptural musical gates that form a landmark piece of public art. All boarding is on-site, in single rooms, some with ensuite facilities.

A safe, closed campus featuring Georgian buildings and extensive wildlife gardens.
https://dukeseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2019-09-11-at-19.35.19-e1568788751200.png
Our students enjoy campus living in a relaxed atmosphere.
https://dukeseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/RIC-Maths-Shed-e1568788775916.jpg
The Maths shed in the garden.
https://dukeseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/RIC-wildlife-garden-e1568788802277.jpg
The garden gives students additional space to study and socialise.
Rochester Independent College welcomes day students from the age of 11 and boarders from 15.
11-18
Ages
11-18
ROCHESTER INDEPENDENT COLLEGE
254 St Margaret's Banks, Rochester, Kent ME1 1HY
+44 (0)1634 828 115
WEBSITE

Rochester Independent College

Rochester ME1 1HY, UK

Students’ personal development is excellent. Students’ attitudes to their work and learning are exemplary. The college provides excellent support and guidance, which enhances students’ personal development. It is highly successful in its aim to develop self-knowledge and self-esteem.

ISI Inspection Report 2018
1-16 YEARS

Sancton Wood School

– A message from the Principal

“A warm welcome to Sancton Wood School, a community of fun and energy close to the heart of Cambridge city centre.

Our school was founded in 1976 as a primary school and since then has expanded year on year. We now operate across three sites and have 400 children on roll.  Our Core Values shape everything we do and define what we stand for: inclusivity, care, and a deep worth of the individual.  We value learning too and believe that a carefully planned, pastoral approach to education will lead to outstanding academic outcomes; at GCSE, for example, our students excel, recording results which are way above the national average…”

In 2018, we joined the Dukes family and I have been delighted by the support and investment they have given to the school.  Most strikingly, in the purchase of a brand new secondary school site which will allow us to improve our provision further and grow to three forms of entry.

Our most recent ISI inspection captured our mission statement perfectly concluding that:

‘From EYFS upwards, pupils at Sancton Wood are highly successful in their learning and development. Their achievement is excellent.’

They also concluded:

  • ‘Pastoral Care is excellent.’

  • ‘Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent.’

  • ‘Curricular and extra curricular provision is excellent.’

Recently, the best reference for the school I’ve come across was from one of our Y2 pupils who, on the walk home from school, told her mum, “I like Sancton Wood so much I’d like to spend Christmas Day there.”

Richard Settle, Principal
Richard Settle, Principal
Richard Settle, Principal
string(29) "Sancton-wood-student-in-class" Sancton-wood-student-in-class string(41) "Sancton-wood-girl-counting-on-her-fingers" Sancton-wood-girl-counting-on-her-fingers string(31) "Sancton-wood-girls-during-break" Sancton-wood-girls-during-break
Visit the website

About
Sancton Wood School

Sancton Wood School is an independent, co-educational nursery and day school in Cambridge, educating children from 1 to 16 years of age. It joined Dukes Education in September 2018. Sancton Wood is a school that focuses on discovering the innate qualities and skills of every child, helping them to develop these to full capacity.

 

The school has a reputation for instilling good manners, reliability, and self-discipline into every child that comes through its doors in Cambridge. The small, supportive, and close-knit community is often likened to a family – kind and tolerant, where everyone can find their place and be valued. The school’s setting, close to parks, museums, and the centre of Cambridge, allows for the provision of an outstanding contribution to the social, emotional, and academic development of each child.

 

Class sizes are small at an average of 16 pupils, creating fabulous learning environments where teachers have time for individuals and pupils feel comfortable sharing their ideas and where imaginations can wander freely.

 

More than anything else, however, the school is about discovering the deep worth of every individual and promotes the development of personal talents and interests.

Sancton Wood nursery girl laughing behind her hand
Sancton Wood is an inspiring community of like-minded learners.
Sancton wood boy raising his hand in class
Our students develop a thirst for knowledge throughout their time with us.

Extraordinary results

Students at Sancton Wood regularly achieve outstanding GCSE results, a wonderful testament to the efforts of both teachers and students.

Sancton Wood is regularly placed in The Times Top 100 Schools and was recently placed at the top of an ISA table of points per pupil. In 2018 a Head Boy achieved an exceptional haul of 10 Grade 9 GCSEs, for which he was awarded the Whitbread Memorial Prize.

Read more
Sancton Wood offers an education all the way up to 16 years.
1-16
Ages
1-4
NURSERY
17 Station Road, Cambridge, CB1 2JB
+44 (0)1223 471703
WEBSITE
4-11
PRE-PREP AND PREP SCHOOL
2 St. Paul’s Road, Cambridge, CB1 2EZ
+44 (0)1223 471703
WEBSITE
11-16
SENIOR SCHOOL
57 Bateman St, Cambridge, CB2 1LR
+44 (0)1223 471703
WEBSITE

Sancton Wood School

17 Station Road, Cambridge CB1 2JB, UK

Sancton Wood School

Saint Paul's Road, Cambridge CB1 2EZ, UK

Sancton Wood School

57 Bateman St, Cambridge CB2 1LR, UK

From EYFS upwards, pupils at Sancton Wood are highly successful in their learning and development. Their achievement is excellent.

Latest ISI Inspection
Little Dukes

Baby Unicorns Nursery

Sancton Wood School’s nursery, led by the wonderful Nic Henson, is called Baby Unicorns’. Welcoming children from 1 year old, Baby Unicorns allows for an all-through education up to 16 years of age.

Read more