8 top schools for hockey

Repton has claimed over 50 national titles in the last 20 years across both boys’ and girls’ teams, covering all age ranges, both indoors and outdoors. They are the most successful school in the history of the National Schools Championships, with their U18 girls’ team winning 10 out of the last 12 competitions. The Olympic-standard water-based Astroturf hockey pitches have pitch-side cameras for post-play analysis and guidance comes from a roster of experienced coaches led by former England and GB regulars Adam Dixon and Michael Hoare. The list of former students is peppered with hockey playing Olympians, but special mention goes to Georgie Twigg (bronze, London 2012; gold, Rio 2016), Ellie Watton (gold, Rio 2016) and Shona McCallin (gold, Rio 2016; bronze, Tokyo 2020). Current England stars include alumni Flora Peel and Lily Walker. On the boys’ side, alumni Harry Stone and Alex Chihota have represented England at U21 international level. Sports scholarships at 13+ and 16+.

Whitgift is the stand-out boys’ hockey school of recent years, triumphing in the last three U18s Schools Championships and the last two U16s competitions. The school has a dedicated staffing body solely responsible for hockey including two Premier Division coaches, two National League coaches and two talent academy coaches. Facilities include flood-lit water-based pitch, an indoor court (often used to host national finals) and one of the few full-sized indoor halls in the country that can host spectators and teams. The Director of Hockey since 2010 spent his professional playing career at Surbiton Hockey Club, in the Premier Division, and was an international Hockey player for Gibraltar. A lengthy list of hockey alumni includes GB Olympians Zach Wallace and Jack Waller, as well as current England hot prospect Jonny Sturch-Hibbitt. Sports scholarships at 13+ and 16+.

No list of sporting schools would be complete without Millfield. The school offers a bespoke hockey programme that includes internal and external opportunities, including a club-integrated programme enabling access to National League hockey. Video analysis and athletic development are built into the day-to-day offering, and they have three water-based Astros with five specialist coaches who lead and deliver the year-round programme catering for all ability levels. Ex pupils currently playing for England and GB include Stuart Rushmere, Toby Reynolds-Cotterill, Sam Hooper and Becky Manton – and the school’s hockey Olympians number Richard and Simon Mantell as well as gold medallist, Stephen Batchelor. The school has a well-established transition pathway to US colleges. Sports scholarships at 13+ and 16+.

This school has a strong track record in county championships and a stellar set of coaches. The girls’ teams are no strangers to success, having lifted the U18 Schools Championships trophy in 2026 and been runners-up two years earlier. Facilities include a top-quality water-based pitch which hosts Premier Division hockey, and a full indoor pitch in their new Chellaram Sports Complex. The school has links with four clubs in Bristol (Clifton Robinsons, Firebrands, Redland and Bristol University) – along with links to England Hockey Talent academy. The school regularly has players representing their counties from U16-U18 and alumni include England Olympic gold medallist Lily Owsley. The school runs tours to South Africa and pre-season trips to Belfast/Dublin. Sports scholarships at 11+, 13+ and 16+.

Surbiton High School is one of the few day schools able to compete with schools that train far more frequently, due in part to its flexible approach which supports pupils playing adult club hockey at weekends, ensuring they gain diverse experiences. The programme is overseen by a former England international player, who is supported by a team of full-time PE teachers and specialist hockey coaches, including Olympians and current international players. All this has resulted in strong performances in major competitions – two National Schools Championship U18 semi-final appearances in three years and U16 runners-up in 2025. They have all-weather Astros at the Hinchley Wood Sports Ground, plus access to pitches at local clubs like Surbiton Hockey Club, a Premier League giant, and Old Cranleighans, a National League club. Recent leaver Freya Robinson is a rising star currently playing for England U21s. Sports scholarships at 11+ and 16+.

St George’s is a seriously sporty school with a strong hockey tradition. There are more than 40 hockey teams across all ages, boys and girls, and leading premier division club, Old Georgians, was created by former pupils. Alongside training and conditioning facilities, the school has two all-weather, floodlit pitches which it shares with its professional cousins. Elite players receive one-to-one training and mentorship from staff including former England and GB internationals Tom Carson and Dan Shingles. Boys’ and girls’ teams are ever present in the National Schools Championships, with the boys reaching U16 and U18 finals or semi-finals in each of the last three years’ schools championships – winning once in 2024. Numerous junior and senior international players have come out of St George’s in recent years with two-time Olympian, with James Tindall the biggest name among the school’s hockey-playing alumni. Sports scholarships at 11+, 13+ and 16+.

This is an academically selective state school with a high-performance, high participation hockey club. Nine coaches work directly under a full-time director of hockey – something almost unheard of in the state sector – to get the best out of the school’s 280 hockey players. As a result, the school’s Astroturf pitch is in use all hours of the day, but there are also close links with English National League side Marlow Hockey Club down the road, and the two share training facilities and staff. The school’s teams have recorded multiple victories in regional tournaments, and their U14s girls were crowned champions at the 2026 National State School Festival, where the boys also ended as winners of the National Plate competition. A strong emphasis on indoor hockey hones skills and has helped teams consistently qualify for the Indoor Hockey National Finals at all age groups. Star alumna, Mila Welch, is an England and Team GB goalkeeper.

Cranleigh School, Dean Close School, Epsom College, Oakham School, Taunton School and Wellington College.