Sedbergh School

What Sedbergh School does

Sedbergh School is an independent, full boarding school located in Sedbergh, Cumbria, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park near the Lake District. Founded in 1525 by Roger Lupton, Provost of Eton, it operates as a registered charity (No: 1080672) and company limited by guarantee (No: 3946280), governed by a Board and currently led by Headmaster Robin Pyper (appointed 2026). The school serves approximately 800 pupils across three integrated segments: the Senior School (full boarding for ages 13+, positioned as the leading full boarding school in the North of England), the Casterton Sedbergh Preparatory School on an 80-acre campus (ages 3-13), and the Mulberry Bush Nursery for early years. Academic value-added results place Sedbergh in the top 10% of schools nationally, and the school holds memberships in HMC, ISC, BSA, IAPS, and The Society of Heads, with AEGIS accreditation for international student guardianship.

The business operates through several revenue streams. The primary stream is recurring annual tuition and boarding fees for enrolled pupils across the Senior School, Prep School, and Nursery (specific fee levels are not publicly disclosed). A second stream is the International Summer School, a six-week residential programme hosted across both campuses for pupils aged 8-16, providing intensive English, outdoor adventure, creative arts, and leadership training on a pay-as-you-go basis. A third stream is Sedbergh Courses, which coach over 1,500 students annually on campus in sports (rugby, cricket, netball, hockey, football, pony camp, athletics), design technology, robotics, and theatre, delivered alongside former athletes and Olympians; an additional 8,000 children are reached through club partnerships and school outreach. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via dedicated admissions registrars segmented by Senior, Prep, and Overseas audiences, supported by Open Days, prospectus distribution, and a multi-channel digital presence (website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn). The school extends its brand internationally through licensed partner schools in Fuzhou (China) and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) as part of the Sedbergh Schools Group, with international operations housed in a wholly-owned trading subsidiary (Sedbergh School International Limited); property and commercial developments sit within Sedbergh School Developments Limited.

Name

Sedbergh School

Legal name

Sedbergh School

Website

https://sedberghschool.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Sedbergh School is an independent full boarding school in Cumbria, England, founded in 1525, educating approximately 800 pupils aged 3-18 across Senior School, Prep School, and Nursery, and extending its brand via summer courses, an International Summer School, and licensed partner schools in China and Vietnam.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sedbergh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Boarding Fees: As a full boarding independent school, Sedbergh generates revenue primarily through tuition and boarding fees charged to families. Fee information is available on the school's fees page but specific amounts are not quoted in the provided sources.
2. Summer Courses and Camps: Sedbergh operates residential and day courses coaching over 1,500 students annually in sports (rugby, cricket, netball, hockey, football, pony camp, athletics), design technology, robotics, and theatre. Additional revenue comes from the International Summer School program running six weeks across both campuses for pupils aged 8-16.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sedbergh School is an independent boarding and day school in England providing education across early years, prep, and senior phases, supplemented by an international summer school and short sports and creative arts coaching courses. The school operates as a charitable educational institution serving pupils from nursery age through secondary level.

Product overview

Sedbergh School is an independent boarding school institution offering a unified educational portfolio spanning early years through secondary education. The core offerings include the Senior School (full boarding for ages 13+), Casterton Sedbergh Prep School (ages 3-13), Mulberry Bush Nursery (early years), International Summer School (ages 8-16), and year-round Sedbergh Courses (sports and arts coaching programmes). Together these products provide continuous educational pathways from nursery through to further education preparation and alumni community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Senior School
• Prep School
• Mulberry Bush Nursery
• International Summer School
• Sedbergh Courses

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 10% nationally for academic value added results
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sedbergh School FuzhoucoreOthersInternational partner school in Fuzhou, China as part of the Sedbergh Schools Group expansion. Licensed to use Sedbergh brand and educational methodology.
• Sedbergh VietnamcoreOthersInternational partner school in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam as part of the Sedbergh Schools Group expansion. Licensed to use Sedbergh brand and educational methodology.
• Sedbergh School Developments LimitedcoreOthersTrading subsidiary of Sedbergh School handling commercial developments and property.
• Sedbergh School International LimitedcoreOthersTrading subsidiary handling international operations, including the International Summer School.
• Casterton Sedbergh Preparatory SchoolcoreOthersPrep school on the Casterton campus, integrated with the main Sedbergh School group. Also includes Mulberry Bush Nursery for early years.
• Duke of Edinburgh Award SchememinorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSedbergh participates in the Duke of Edinburgh Award, offering pupils opportunities to achieve DofE awards through outdoor activities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rugby School: Co-educational independent boarding school (founded 1567) offering full boarding in the Midlands with similar size, governance, HMC/ISC membership, and breadth of co-curricular sports — a near-direct competitor in the UK premium boarding market.
• Repton School: Co-educational independent boarding school in Derbyshire of similar size and full-boarding proposition, with strong sport and outdoor education heritage directly comparable to Sedbergh's positioning.
• Charterhouse School: Historic UK independent boarding school (founded 1611) with comparable scale, full-boarding model, and HMC membership — directly comparable in heritage depth and boarding positioning.
• Harrow School: Historic UK independent boys' boarding school (founded 1572) with comparable full-boarding model, similar 400+ year heritage, comparable scale (~800 pupils), and similar HMC membership — a close structural analogue to Sedbergh.
• Stowe School: Co-educational independent boarding school in Buckinghamshire with similar scale (~800 pupils), HMC membership, and full-boarding model — a near-direct comparator in size and proposition.
• Oundle School: Co-educational full boarding school in the East Midlands offering similar curriculum breadth, STEM emphasis, and HMC accreditation — a direct competitor for the same UK boarding family demographic.
• Uppingham School: Co-educational full boarding school in the East Midlands, comparable in scale, heritage, and breadth of sports/arts curriculum. Directly competes with Sedbergh for UK boarding families.

Broad incumbents

• Eton College: One of the UK's most prestigious independent boarding schools (founded 1440). Highly comparable to Sedbergh in terms of heritage, full-boarding model, single-sex boys' education (historically), and elite university outcomes, but at a materially larger scale and London proximity.
• Wellington College: Large, high-profile co-educational boarding school in Berkshire with comparable academic excellence, broad co-curricular offering, and similar international student mix — a broader incumbent in the premium UK boarding segment.

Regional players

• Windermere School: Independent boarding school located in the Lake District, geographically closest peer to Sedbergh. Comparable full-boarding model and Lake District setting, though materially smaller in scale and international reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDcMYpyONJCbrW-3yQyVs6w
• Facebookfacebook.com/sedberghschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sedbergh-school-uk
• Instagraminstagram.com/sedberghschoolofficial

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sedbergh School