In the heart of Winchester and within acres of green space, Peter Symonds College offers a vibrant and friendly place in which to study. The campus has a university feel, where buildings both old and new house state-of-the-art studios, science laboratories, a Learning Resource Centre, media suites, classrooms and IT rooms. Recognised by Ofsted time and again as ‘outstanding’, Peter Symonds regularly features amongst the top colleges nationally, attracting day and boarding students from across Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire and as far afield as the Falkland Islands and Tristan da Cunha, all keen to benefit from the academic excellence, individual care and superb facilities.
Our motto is ‘Counting in Ones’ and great emphasis is placed on encouraging and guiding each student personally and academically. Our staff are dedicated to and passionate about teaching and that is reflected in the enthusiasm and success of students; additionally there is excellent support available to every student both in and out of classes. In 2024, Peter Symonds students once again achieved outstanding examination results, with a pass rate of 98% at A Level and 63% achieving A Level grades at A*, A or B.
Peter Symonds is the only state sixth form college in the UK to provide boarding accommodation and we aim to offer a unique and valuable experience. While providing a safe and supportive environment, we focus on bridging the gap between secondary school and university. Our two co-educational boarding houses accommodate up to 74 boarders in total and each has a fully equipped kitchen, laundry room, HDMI TVs/DVD players and Wi-Fi. Both houses have Residential House Parents and Day House Parents as well as a dedicated team of Assistant House Parents, all of whom are first-aid trained and sympathetic to the unique needs of boarding students.
The College also offers an exciting programme of over 180 enrichment activities. Whether you wish to pursue a current interest, or you are keen to try something new, there is something for everyone. If sport is your thing, Symonds has a well-deserved sporting reputation and regularly wins local, regional and national competitions.
In 2023, an Ofsted inspection rated our boarding provision as ‘Good’ and highlighted that our boarding houses provide ‘welcoming and inclusive environments’. Ofsted also recognised that ‘Young people enjoy attending the boarding provision and benefit from making new friends and meeting people from a diverse range of backgrounds.’
