Hurtwood House is known as “the most exciting school in England”, and performing arts is the heartbeat of the school. This sixth-form-only school has 40 individual productions per year and over 100 performances, ranging from glamorous pop concerts and Shakespeare plays to an annual 12-performance run of a musical. Hurtwood House won the NSTA “Best Musical Award” in 2025, and it is no surprise given that the school’s performing arts department has over 25 full-time members of staff, including professional choreographers, musical directors, musicians, and lighting and sound engineers. It is all designed to give students a taste of the West End. Hurtwood House has an impressive alumni “Hall of Fame”, including Emily Blunt, Hans Zimmer, Harry Lawtey, and a number of leading West End stars. A remarkable 24 Hurtwood students received a place at drama school last year, so the future certainly is bright. Hurtwood isn’t just a creative powerhouse, and the extensive performing arts programme runs alongside a strong academic offering in subjects such as science, English, maths, economics, and psychology. Indeed, over 60% of all A Levels over the last five years were A*–A, putting Hurtwood among the top-performing schools in the UK. The school does not have open days, so any interested families are encouraged to book a private tour to experience what the school has to offer. hurtwoodhouse.com