The regions St Clare's, Oxford offers busing from are:
Additional notes: We offer private transfer service by car from all the major London airports, train or bus stations.
"St Clare’s, Oxford offers a distinctive sixth form experience as England’s oldest IB World School. With students from over 50 countries, we combine academic excellence with a truly international outlook. Our university-style environment develops independence, leadership, ambition and global awareness. Expert teachers, outstanding IB results and exceptional university guidance empower students to think critically, embrace challenge and shape their own future with confidence."
St Clare’s stands apart through its long-standing expertise as England’s oldest IB World School. This is not just delivery of the IB curriculum, but active contribution to it - our educators train IB teachers globally and shape best practice, ensuring classroom teaching is at the forefront of international education. We combine this academic rigour with a university-style environment in Oxford that actively builds independence, leadership and intellectual curiosity. Students are trusted to manage their learning, supported by exceptional teaching, pastoral care and personalised academic guidance. Our global community of 50+ nationalities brings internationalism to life daily, while structured leadership and enrichment programmes develop decision-making, collaboration and ethical responsibility. The outcome is students who consistently outperform global IB averages, secure top scores, and progress confidently to leading universities worldwide with independence and purpose.
St Clare’s has made clear, intentional choices to prioritise depth over breadth, independence over management, and academic challenge over uniformity. As the oldest IB World School in England, we focus exclusively on the International Baccalaureate rather than multiple exam systems. This means everything - teaching, expertise, resources - is dedicated to doing one thing exceptionally well. We trade tight control for trust, giving students real autonomy to manage their learning, time, and priorities, with guidance rather than constant direction. While less structured than traditional models, this approach builds the independence, resilience and self-discipline needed for top universities and beyond. Finally, we prioritise stretch and ambition over comfort and standardisation, encouraging students to think deeply, take intellectual risks, and step beyond familiar boundaries - resulting in outstanding outcomes and globally competitive graduates ready to thrive anywhere in the world.
St Clare’s was founded in 1953 by Anne Dreydel OBE and Pamela Morris, two visionary educators who believed that education could bridge divides and build a more peaceful world. Shaped by Anne’s experience of surviving a wartime bombing that left her paralysed, the school was established with a powerful mission: to advance international education and understanding.
What began as an effort to bring young people from across post-war Europe together evolved into one of the world's leading IB schools and the oldest IB World School in England. Yet our founding purpose remains unchanged. Internationalism, open-mindedness and academic excellence continue to define our community. We challenge students to think independently, embrace different perspectives and engage with the world beyond themselves. More than 70 years on, our history is not simply part of our story - it actively shapes the globally minded, ambitious and compassionate young people we educate today.
St Clare’s is a place for students who are curious, ambitious and ready to embrace challenge. The young people who thrive here are open-minded and internationally minded; they value different perspectives, ask thoughtful questions, and are willing to step outside their comfort zones to grow. They are motivated not only by academic success, but by a desire to understand the world and make a meaningful contribution to it.
Students who flourish at St Clare’s enjoy the freedom to think independently and take ownership of their learning. They are prepared to balance autonomy with responsibility and see challenge as an opportunity rather than an obstacle.
The best-fit families share these values. They seek an education that develops character as well as academic achievement, prioritises global understanding alongside outstanding outcomes, and prepares young people not just for university, but for life in an interconnected world.
St Clare’s may not be the right fit for families seeking a highly traditional, closely supervised school experience with rigid structures and constant direction. Our university-style environment gives students increasing autonomy and expects them to take responsibility for their learning, decisions and personal growth.
Similarly, families looking for a broad range of examination pathways may prefer a school offering multiple curricula. We are unapologetically focused on the International Baccalaureate Sixth Form, valuing depth, critical thinking and global perspectives over choice between qualifications.
Students who thrive here embrace challenge, intellectual curiosity and engagement with people from different cultures. Those seeking a more homogeneous environment, a narrower definition of success, or an education centred primarily on comfort rather than growth may find that our values and approach do not align with their expectations.
Families choose St Clare’s because they are looking for more than excellent results; they want an education that prepares their children to thrive in a global, rapidly changing world. They are drawn to our unique combination of academic excellence, internationalism and independence. Many choose us for our unrivalled IB expertise, our consistently outstanding results, and our exceptional university guidance, with 95% of students progressing to their first-choice destination. Just as importantly, they value our diverse community of 50+ nationalities, where global understanding is lived every day rather than taught in theory. Families often tell us they appreciate our university-style approach: the balance of freedom and support, the emphasis on personal responsibility and leadership, and the way students are encouraged to step beyond their comfort zones. They choose St Clare’s because it develops not only successful students, but confident, compassionate and globally minded young adults.
St Clare’s is widely recognised as one of the UK's leading IB schools and a pioneer of international education. In the public eye, we are known for academic excellence, outstanding IB outcomes, and our status as the oldest IB World School in England.
Equally, people associate St Clare’s with an open-minded, globally diverse community where students from over 50 countries learn alongside one another. Our Oxford setting, university-style atmosphere, and emphasis on independence create an image of a school that prepares young people not only for top universities, but for life in an interconnected world.
At its heart, St Clare’s is seen as a place for ambitious students who think differently: academically rigorous yet welcoming, internationally minded yet deeply personal, and committed to developing confident, compassionate future leaders.
One aspect is the transformative power of the environment we create. Families often recognise our outstanding IB results and university destinations, but may underestimate how those outcomes are achieved: through a culture that develops independence, confidence, wellbeing and global awareness. Learning alongside peers from over 50 nationalities challenges students to broaden perspectives, communicate across cultures and become more open-minded and adaptable. In the process, students form deep friendships that span continents and last a lifetime. Likewise, the autonomy students are given is not simply a lifestyle choice; it is a deliberate approach that prepares them for university and adult life. By the time students leave St Clare’s, they have gained far more than excellent grades. They leave as happy, fulfilled young people with the maturity, resilience and intercultural understanding to navigate an increasingly complex world with confidence, purpose and a lifelong global network.
Information not yet available.
Recent developments at St Clare’s reflect our commitment to academic excellence, independence, wellbeing and global readiness. We have significantly expanded our co-curricular provision, strengthening leadership and enrichment programmes alongside a more structured careers programme that provides earlier, more personalised guidance for university, internships and future pathways.
Our IB offer has also been enhanced, including the introduction of new subjects such as Computer Science and greater flexibility in allowing students to study popular subjects at both Higher and Standard Level.
Pastoral and academic support has been further strengthened through a refined leadership structure, including a Head of Boarding to oversee student wellbeing and a Head of Year system to support academic progress and personal development. Together, these changes ensure a more connected, supportive environment that still prioritises independence, responsibility and growth.
Over the next five years, St Clare’s will continue to strengthen its distinctive IB Sixth Form through expanded enrichment, leadership and careers programmes, offering more opportunities for global engagement, mentoring and real-world experience. We will further develop our alumni, university and employer networks to enhance guidance and pathways, while broadening IB subject options in response to student interests and global change. Throughout, our focus remains consistent: deepening independence, academic excellence, wellbeing and international understanding so students are fully prepared to thrive in a changing world.
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