Main image: Legat Dance Academy at Bede's School
It goes without saying that the performing arts are part and parcel of any independent school’s co-curricular programme, and we’re always blown away by the efforts made by schools to get pupils’ creative juices flowing. But at some places, drama, dance and music aren’t just add-ons – they’re woven into the very fabric of the school.
We’ve selected a handful of our favourite schools that offer something utterly unique, going above and beyond to support pupils’ talents and nurture future stars. And while only a few are truly specialist, there are plenty more that are considered market leaders when it comes to training budding thesps, musicians, singers and dancers. Read on to find out which schools are setting the bar high.
Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester
As the largest specialist music school in the UK, Chetham’s is the gold standard for any child who lives and breathes music – and it offers a wonderful and unique environment for talented musicians to learn in.
‘It’s easy and natural for students at specialist schools to meet and form friendships, and everyone has a shared sense of purpose and belonging,’ says the school. Pupils are under the tutelage of world-class musicians, their academic timetables running in tandem with up to three hours of highly specialised and extensive music tuition every day, encompassing everything from choral work to music technology, ensemble rehearsals and performance classes. Everyone learns at least two instruments and gets access to a fantastic array of masterclasses and workshops, giving a rare behind-the-scenes insight into the craft of both professional musicians and emerging artists, and inspiring pupils to explore avenues such as jazz and composition.
In the heart of buzzy Manchester, Chetham’s site is a mix of old and new, with medieval buildings (including the city’s cathedral – the school educates the choristers) sitting alongside acoustically perfect concert halls and performance spaces. The Stoller Hall is regularly opened to the public, with pupils hosting concerts and creative workshops, and attracts some of the finest musicians from across the globe.
While many pupils go on to study at prestigious conservatoires around the world, they’re certainly not pigeonholed into doing so. Alumni include neuroscientists, mathematicians, journalists, politicians and actors – and thanks to a generous bursary scheme (musical ability or potential are the only admission requirements), the pupil cohort is refreshingly diverse too. ‘Singing, playing or listening to music is shown to improve wellbeing, and it goes without saying that there’s an abundance of this within specialist music schools,’ Chetham’s tells us.
The Stoller Hall at Chetham's School of Music
Legat Dance Academy at Bede’s School, East Sussex
Seamlessly integrated into Bede’s senior school’s co-ed day and boarding offering, the Legat Dance Academy is a brilliant option for passionate dancers who want to fit intensive training around the traditional school experience – and not at the expense of an all-round education.
Once pupils have passed an audition to get in, they’re taught by world-class industry professionals, treated to guest workshops with leading choreographers from the West End and given countless opportunities to perform (including headlining 2023’s Move It, the world’s biggest dance festival, at London’s Excel Centre, which is worthy of serious bragging rights). There are 14.5 hours of intensive training each week in various dance styles, including ballet, contemporary, jazz and tap, and an extended academic timetable to help fit practice in without affecting schoolwork. Pupils can sign up for exams in RAD Ballet and work towards a BTEC in performing arts (with almost all receiving the highest level of distinction). The list of glittering onward destinations speaks for itself, with many snapping up places at the likes of Arts Ed, Central School of Ballet and the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance after they leave the school.
‘Our fusion of a world-class dance faculty, professional training and a supportive academic environment creates the perfect programme for pupils to flourish,’ says Sherrie Pennington, the head of Legat. ‘We provide pupils with incredible opportunities to explore, evolve and excel in the world of dance, as well as supporting them physically and mentally to take the next step in their careers.’
Not only is Wells Cathedral School one of only five specialist music schools in the UK, it’s also the only one to run its specialist programme within the context of a ‘normal’ school. That means that its 200 or so specialist musicians can focus on music at the very highest level – with a bespoke timetable incorporating the tuition they require, as well as enough time for individual practice – while pursuing other interests in sport, drama, art and academia too.
‘The opportunities for specialist musicians are unrivalled,’ says director of music Alex Laing. Supported by more than 100 world-class teachers (many of whom also teach at senior conservatoires and perform in leading national and international ensembles), pupils can attend masterclasses run by visiting artists, take part in a packed concert diary (the school hosts more than 200 a year, both nationally and internationally) and join one of several choirs, ensembles or the full-size symphony orchestra. They’ve got access to state-of-the-art facilities too, with the sound of music bouncing off every wall – from the achingly modern Cedars Hall concert venue to the historic grounds of Wells Cathedral, where the school’s choristers perform and work.
Successes come thick and fast too. In recent years, Wells musicians have reached category finals in the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition, won prizes at the Arthur Grumiaux International Violin Competition in Belgium and been awarded principal positions in national youth orchestras. And for many, the school is a brilliant launchpad, with the vast majority of specialist musicians heading to conservatoires or universities with significant scholarships in tow. ‘Wells is rightly lauded not just for producing brilliant performing musicians, but also for producing curious, creative, empathetic, strong and well-rounded young people who are well prepared for the next stage in their lives,’ adds Mr Laing.
Choristers at Wells Cathedral School
Although the following schools aren’t technically ‘specialist’, they all have a very serious reputation in the performing arts, or run specialist programmes for talented singers, musicians or performers:
Ampleforth College, North Yorkshire
Founded in 1970 at the request of Cardinal Basil Hume, the then Abbot of Ampleforth Abbey, the Ampleforth College Schola Cantorum was created to help preserve the singing of music written for the Roman Catholic Church – and this remains a key part of the school’s strong musical tradition. Members of the College Chamber Choir sing for two public offices each week, as well as in various concerts and meditations throughout the year – and even get to perform in York Minster, Ripon Cathedral and St Peter’s in Rome. Choral music isn’t the only thing that Ampleforth is celebrated for: there’s also a thriving pop and rock choir, a concert choir and multiple instrumental ensembles including a big band and pipe band.
.jpg)
Bilton Grange grabbed headlines a few years ago when it became the first prep school to start its own independent chorister programme, which sees four boys and four girls a year from Years 3 to 8 get stuck into a full programme of singing training, music theory, aural and vocal coaching and instrumental studies. There’s an early-morning rehearsal each day, a roster of concerts, tours and broadcasting, and regular services in both Bilton Grange and Rugby School’s chapels, where pupils gain valuable experience performing alongside adult singers.
Dean Close Prep School, Gloucestershire
Home to Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum, the choir that leads the singing of choral evensong on weekdays at Tewkesbury Abbey, Dean Close Prep School is a top choice in the South West for boys and girls who are keen to dip their toe into chorister life. Pupils rehearse every morning before lessons and sing up to four times a week during term, giving them a unique opportunity to sing at a professional standard while enjoying all the perks of prep-school life. But it’s not just the best singers who are encouraged to get involved: music is an integral part of the curriculum for everyone, with high numbers learning an instrument and joining the school's various singing and music groups.
.jpg)
Renowned for its close links to Ely Cathedral (where choristers sing daily), King’s Ely has been educating choristers for over a century. With duties taking place before and after school, there’s plenty of time for pupils to throw themselves into everything else the school has to offer – and choristers regularly tour Europe, perform for radio-broadcast services and sing alongside internationally acclaimed artists and ensembles. Best of all, the programme isn’t exclusively for prep-school children – there’s also the Ely Cathedral Girls’ Choir (open to pupils aged 11 to 16), which is the only cathedral choir in the UK offering the chorister experience to girls in this age group.
.jpg)
Located next to the grounds of Worcester Cathedral, King’s Worcester and King’s St Alban’s (one of the school’s two associated preps) have been educating choristers for centuries. Boys can join the programme from Year 3, with girls following in Year 4 and both joining King’s Worcester senior school in Year 7. There’s morning practice and choral evensong on four days of the week, while weekend singing commitments are shared between the two groups. Choristers get to perform in the annual Three Choirs Festival, which sees them sing alongside the world-renowned Philarmonia Orchestra.
.jpg)
As the official choir school for York Minster (and the second oldest in England), music and singing are both a very big deal at St Peter’s. Pupils get to sing in the awe-inspiring Minster (just a short walk from the school) every day, and choristers benefit from a significant fee reduction (bursaries of up to 100 per cent are also available). The busy but rewarding schedule requires serious commitment – expect rehearsals before and after school, daily evensong and weekend services at the Minster.
.jpg)
Less of a traditional school and more of a superb holiday and after-school club, The Ellendel was founded in 2016 and has since grown to include three bricks-and-mortar sites and an online provision too. It is hugely popular among aspiring thesps, who come here to swot up for LAMDA exams in verse and prose, public speaking, reading for performance or solo acting. Totally bespoke timetables are created to fit around pupils’ passions, and optional English and creative writing classes help develop a love of language and storytelling.
One of the top non-specialist music schools in the country, with a musical legacy stretching back almost 1,500 years. Pupils take part in more than 600 music lessons each week; there’s a full-scale symphony orchestra, a recording studio for budding artists and a timetable of musical masterclasses led by very talented pros. Canterbury Cathedral stands in as the school’s chapel, and the annual King’s Week festival – an extravaganza of concerts and performances – is the hottest ticket in the calendar.
The Pilgrims’ School, Hampshire
Pilgrims’ location is its real trump card, nestled in the shadows of Winchester Cathedral, which serves as a wonderful source of inspiration for the school’s 38 choristers. Boys can join one of two professional choirs, the Cathedral Choir or the Winchester College Chapel Choir, with ample opportunities to hone their vocal skills and learn music theory, composition and the history of music alongside their normal academic timetable and co-curricular commitments. Both choirs are hugely prestigious, regularly involved in high-profile CD and radio recordings, concerts and television broadcasts – and for the Winchester Cathedral Choir, the pinnacle is singing matins on Christmas Day.
Truro School, Cornwall
Truro School’s big and busy music department stages more than 40 different performances each year, ranging from large-scale jazz concerts to West End-worthy whole-school musicals. There’s also a dedicated chorister programme, linked with Truro Cathedral, with talented pupils rehearsing each weekday morning (they’ve been lucky enough to perform on Britain’s Got Talent and at the King’s coronation at Westminster Abbey). Importantly, Truro doesn’t keep all of its musical brilliance to itself. A partnership with the Cornwall Music Service Trust sees the school share its resources and facilities with the wider community, and work is currently underway on a new state-of-the-art, multimillion-pound music centre, which, when it opens in 2026, will become a regional hub for musical education and aspiration across the whole county.
 (1).jpg)
Whitgift School, Surrey
Whitgift is a big, busy school that doesn’t do anything by halves – and as well as excelling academically and on the sporting front, it has a lot to shout about when it comes to music. The school proudly provides choristers for Croydon Minster (which has close links to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who once had a palace in Croydon), allowing boys to be part of a unique cathedral choral tradition while throwing themselves into school life. Choristers sing in weekly services and are invited to perform in high-profile concerts and events, including alongside the London Mozart Players and for annual broadcasts for BBC Radio 3. Best of all, they’re offered free flexi boarding after choral evensong during the week.
.jpg)
You could also consider: