Westminster Abbey Choir School

Westminster Abbey Choir School is a school like no other! Believed to have been founded around 1560, we are the only remaining choir school in the United Kingdom which exclusively educates choristers. Boys from across the UK, and sometimes even further afield, attend our school between the ages of 8 and 13 and receive a highly subsidised education in very small classes. The current school building, which was constructed in 1915, is situated in Dean’s Yard, next to Westminster Abbey, right at the centre of Westminster.

As well as singing in daily services at Westminster Abbey, the choristers also play a central role in the many royal, state and national occasions which take place here. Notable services have included the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II; the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla; the wedding of the now Prince and Princess of Wales; and memorial services for leading national and international figures including Stephen Hawking and Nelson Mandela. The Choir also pursues a varied schedule of recordings, concerts and tours, exposing the boys to experiences that most children of their age can only dream of.

Since we only educate the Abbey choristers, the school roll generally stands at 30 pupils - approximately 5 or 6 in each year group, offering the boys a particularly personalised programme. The small classes and outstanding pastoral care provided by our school mean that the boys can fully engage with a broad and balanced academic curriculum, in addition to immersing themselves in the considerable opportunities afforded by singing in one of the finest choirs of its type in the world.