St Swithun's in Winchester won Independent Girls' School of the Year at a national awards night in London, from more than 1,000 nominations across the awards.

St Swithun’s School in Winchester has been named Independent Girls’ School of the Year at the national Independent Schools of the Year Awards.

Headmistress Jane Gandee and deputy head Graham Yates collected the award at a ceremony at The Law Society in central London. The school announced the win on its own website. Gandee received the award from Jeanette Cochrane, chief executive of the Girls’ Schools Association.

The awards are run by the publishers of Independent School Parent magazine and are in their ninth year. An independent panel of judges chose the winners from more than 1,000 nominations across all the categories, according to the school. Other schools’ own announcements show the organisers set the winners’ ceremony for 14 October (King Edward’s School).

What the judges picked out

The school says the judges praised the “unspoken sisterhood” at St Swithun’s: a culture in which girls support each other and are pushed to see “possibilities, not barriers”.

Its entry made the case with figures and examples:

  • more than 80% of students play in a sports team
  • 68% of sixth formers take at least one STEM A level
  • students reached the national finals of the Oxford Schools Debate and the Micro-Tyco Sustainability Challenge
  • the school’s approach to girls’ sport and wellbeing, which it calls pioneering

The award was a category prize, for girls’ schools. Other girls’ schools were also commended in the same category this year, including RGS Dodderhill in Worcestershire (RGS Worcester) and Eaton House The Manor Girls’ School in London (Eaton House Schools).

A glass trophy engraved Independent Schools of the Year Awards, Independent Girls' School of the Year 2026, St Swithun's School
The trophy, engraved for St Swithun's School. Photo: supplied by St Swithun's School

“As a school, our fundamental belief is the power of an all-girls education,” Jane Gandee said in the school’s announcement. “It highlights the hard work of everyone in our school community from our students, teachers, support staff and our parents.”

Liz Norris, head of the prep school, said the school was “thrilled to have been recognised as the best independent girls’ school in the country”.

The school also received the 2026 Alice Rose Award for innovation in education at the Talk Education Awards, shared with Elstree Prep School.

A Winchester school since 1884

St Swithun’s was founded by Anna Bramston and opened as Winchester High School on 5 May 1884, in the middle of the city, with 17 pupils (St Swithun’s, school history). It moved to North Walls two years later. It took the name St Swithun’s in 1927, after the former Bishop of Winchester, and moved to its present site on Magdalen Hill in 1932, when Princess Mary opened the new buildings.

Today it is a boarding and day school for girls aged 3 to 18, with a co-educational preschool.

What it means for you

  • If you are choosing a school, St Swithun’s lists its open days and fees on its own site. An award reflects the judges’ view of one entry; visit and compare before you decide.
  • For state school term dates and holidays across the district, see our Winchester school term dates page, which also carries St Swithun’s own term dates.

Sources