In terms of academic results, it has been a successful first year for Bosworth Independent School’s headmaster Tony Oulton, but, more importantly, it has been a year that has cemented the school’s name and reputation in the local community.
Celebrating a year in the role on February 22, Tony looks back with pride on the progress that has been made, particularly a 30% growth in pupil numbers, with many joining from within Northamptonshire, developing teaching and learning, and building a senior team structure that meets the needs of a growing global school community. In summer 2025, exam results at GCSE and A Level were impressive with students going on to study at some of the best-ranked universities in the UK and overseas.
Bosworth has had, for many years, a reputation as a global school community, attracting students from all over the world and close to home. More than 30 languages are spoken within the school, with students coming from all over the world to study alongside local students in what Tony describes as a ‘dynamic, diverse and inclusive’ community.
Three years ago, what was Bosworth Independent College, taking students from age 14, introduced years 7 and 8, for the first time and changed its name to better reflect this. At the same time, the focus turned to raising awareness of the school within the local community and the current student cohort stands at around 30% local student and 70% international.
Last year’s results strengthened Bosworth’s position as a leading independent boarding and day school, with the school achieving 31% of GCSE grades at 9-7 level and 74.6% of A-Level grades awarded A*-C.
Although fee paying, it has strong scholarship and bursary provision, including 20% discount for the children of NHS workers and members of the Armed Forces, and 100% bursaries for day students from low-income households in local postcodes, which cover the cost of tuition, trips and additional costs. In addition, Bosworth is part of CATS Global Schools, a group that pays the VAT on independent school fees so parents don’t have to.
“Naturally, we want to deliver excellent academic provision and we offer a huge breadth of courses right up to Oxbridge preparation,” said Tony, “but just as importantly we know how vital pastoral care is, for the wellbeing of the students and also to prepare them for life beyond school.
“The first wave of university offers has arrived, with Bosworth students receiving offers from top UK universities, including Russell Group institutions such as Durham University, the University of Warwick, the University of Bristol, the University of Exeter and King’s College London, for competitive programmes such as Computer Science and Mathematics, Robotics Engineering with Artificial Intelligence, Law and Biomedical Sciences.
“Widening participation with the local community is part of that. We offer a great education here, and we are looking at ways in which more people can access it. We’ve built strong partnerships with businesses, inviting them to come in and talk to pupils about what the world of work looks like; and students also volunteer at the local food bank, support the Hope Centre, and help run the school shop, which supports the Red Cross and local charity FoodKind.
“It helps build soft skills and it’s certainly something they can use on their CVs or university applications, but it also shows the importance of making a contribution to the community on our own doorstep.
“Alongside that, we feel the discount for parents in the NHS and Armed Forces is a way we can give back to those who give so much to our communities. We heard so much about the frontline heroes during the pandemic, but it seems to have faded now but at Bosworth they’re not forgotten”.
Dr Khalid, parent of an A Level student said Bosworth’s NHS fee discount scheme made a real difference, and added: “Balancing costs is always a consideration, and the NHS discount helped us manage fees without having to compromise on Zohaib’s enrichment activities. Thanks to the scheme, he’s been able to continue his private maths tuition and guitar lessons, which we might otherwise have had to pause.
“It reinforced for us that Bosworth genuinely values the contribution of NHS families and wants to make their education accessible.”
Bosworth prides itself on its highly developed pastoral care infrastructure, encompassing form tutors, heads of key stage, an assistant head, full-time nurse and in-house counsellor and therapy dog. Pupils benefit from the diverse multicultural environment and are actively encouraged to embrace their interests through the wide variety of extra-curricular activities and student committees available.
Head Girl, Bianca, said: “Joining Bosworth for sixth form was the best decision I could have made. Becoming Head Girl has shaped me into a more confident, organised and ambitious person. It has taught me how to lead with empathy, how to listen, how to speak up, and how to balance responsibility with passion.”
Head Boy, German, added: “The thing I love most about Bosworth is its diversity. In three years, I’ve celebrated Ramadan, Diwali, Christmas, and shared my own traditions too. I’ve met people from so many countries, each with unique customs, values and perspectives. This experience has made me more culturally aware and has taught me how to work respectfully and effectively with people from all backgrounds. I know these skills will be invaluable at university and in my future career.”
Tony added: “As a global community, Bosworth is proud of its roots in Northamptonshire. Like all the schools across the county, it’s engaged in the most important task of any society: that of preparing the next generation to be successful and make a positive contribution to the world on their doorstep and further afield. Bosworth’s doors are revolving, with businesses and partners across the county coming in and its students engaged in the community in a whole host of ways. If you’d be interested in collaborating with Bosworth, or finding out more, we’d love to hear from you”.
To find out more, visit the Bosworth Independent School website.
