Our International Schools

11 February 2026 - All

We know that many parents are keen to understand more about the School’s vision for its international expansion, and in this article, Nick Woods, our Deputy Head (Strategy and International), answers key questions and shares the thinking behind the School’s strategy. 

There have been several announcements recently about new Wycombe Abbey Schools opening around the world. Please can you explain the strategy behind these openings? 

We opened our first international school in Changzhou, China, in September 2016 as a co-educational boarding school for pupils aged 3-18 and in the subsequent 10 years have opened three other schools in China, Hong Kong and Egypt, with new schools announced for Bangkok (2026) and Singapore (2027-28). The development of Wycombe Abbey’s existing and future international schools forms a key part of our Strategic Direction, Wycombe 130. The fourth pillar, ‘Stewardship and Growth’, outlines our aim to expand the number of Wycombe Abbey campuses overseas and to build an interconnected family of Wycombe Abbey schools internationally. There are three main strategic drivers behind our international expansion: 

1. to reinforce the School’s reputation beyond the UK, in support of our vision to be recognised globally as a world-class school; 

2. to offer opportunities to pupils and staff to conduct exchange visits, collaborate with and learn from our international schools; 

3. to generate additional sources of income to help fund the School’s bursary and estates strategies, thereby reducing reliance on income from school fees. 

Could you explain how the Wycombe Abbey schools overseas are overseen and supported by Wycombe Abbey UK? 

Close collaboration exists among Wycombe Abbey, our family of international schools, and our operating partners to promote excellence and achieve the highest standards in our schools. The Headmistress and the Chair of Wycombe Abbey International are involved in the appointment of international Heads, and each international school receives at least one visit from members of the Wycombe Abbey International Board and senior staff from Wycombe Abbey annually. Additionally, there are growing links between teaching and non-teaching staff across the family of schools to help share best practice and facilitate alignment in areas such as safeguarding, SEND and technology, improving outcomes for pupils and staff across all schools. The resources required to support the international schools are funded separately from the international income and are provided above and beyond those required by the School in the UK. 

Does Wycombe Abbey benefit financially from opening international schools under its brand name? 

Wycombe Abbey benefits directly from the income generated by our international operation. The School’s current strategic priorities are raising the level of support for means-tested bursaries at Wycombe Abbey to 10% of the pupil roll and creating transformational improvements across our magnificent conservation-listed grounds. Over the next decade, we are investing in new, world-class facilities, which will transform our estate for the benefit of every pupil at Wycombe Abbey. The School is not supported by a large endowment and our ambitious plans can only be realised through careful stewardship of our resources, philanthropic support and income received from our international operation. 

Please can you explain the rationale for opening some international Wycombe Abbey Schools as co-educational, and how this decision sits alongside Wycombe Abbey’s long-standing commitment to girls’ education and female leadership? 

Regarding the rationale for opening co-educational schools overseas, Wycombe Abbey UK is proudly an all-girls’ school with a long-standing commitment to providing educational excellence for young women and to shaping female leaders of tomorrow. However, we understand that in some territories, co-education is preferred by the local market. As we look at our existing international schools and those we will open in the future, it is important to appreciate we are not seeking to open schools which are an exact replica of the School founded by Dame Frances Dove. Rather, Wycombe Abbey International aims to open schools which embody the same core values of Trust, Encouragement and Mutual Respect and which, like Wycombe Abbey, strive for excellence. Irrespective of whether our international schools are co-educational or single sex; 11-18 or 3-18; day or boarding, our priority is to share our core values and academic excellence globally.

Mr Nick Woods 

Deputy Head (Strategy and International)