Berkshire is home to some of the most famous schools in England. But UK Government analysis shows that Sixth Form leavers at the relatively unknown Leighton Park School top the county for academic progress.
Perhaps most surprising, this is no academic hot house but a values-led Quaker school that aims to give students the skills they need to be changemakers. Leighton Park School also won the Best Co-Ed School, South East England 2021. So what is their secret"
A little research reveals some interesting facts. The Obama family sent their daughters to a Quaker school in the US. Quakers won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947 and established famous businesses like Cadburys, Rowntree and Lloyds Bank as well as organisations like Green Peace, Oxfam and Amnesty International. Quaker schools in the UK are open to students of all faiths and none, with the emphasis being on the Quaker values rather than religion. For some families this will be exactly what they are looking for – a focus on values and personal development at a school that achieves excellent academic results without the pressure and conformity of an academic hot house.

Academic success has to be important in any school, but as Matthew Judd, Head at Leighton Park School, identifies, there is more than one way of achieving this:
?A student?s academic development cannot be understood in isolation but must be considered in conjunction with their emotional and physical wellbeing, confidence, maturity and happiness.?
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