Which are our top British boarding schools for tennis?
This isn’t the first time we have featured tennis as part of a UK education but, with news of great provision for the sport reaching us from elsewhere, here is a fresh look at some of our top British boarding schools for tennis.
Bede’s
Long recognised for the quality of its year-round tennis programme, including the calibre of coaching and players, Bede’s values performance and participation. The programme offers different pathways for club, development and academy players, ensuring that everyone can reach their full potential, both on and off the court. Players receive up to 12 hours of high-quality coaching each school week, as well as evening and weekend training, resulting in some great individual and team successes. This year’s U18 squad, consisting of four Year 9 to Year 12 boys, has been representing the school brilliantly, as well as Sussex at County level. Individually, they play at regional and national level LTA tournaments and are currently the top four ranked U18 boys in Sussex. Similarly, the girls’ teams have also shone, reaching the U18 County Championships and League Finals, and achieving impressive semi-finalist positions across various age groups. Bede’s specialises in forging strong scholarship pathways to American universities for elite players, with many pupils gaining full scholarships. Lower Sixth pupil Jack says, “All of the coaches are incredible, and I can never thank them enough for helping me to grow and work towards my dream of becoming a professional tennis player.”
Stonyhurst College
Led by Director of Tennis and former professional player, David Shaw, alongside Level 4 LTA Senior Performance Coach, Liz Thomas, Stonyhurst has cultivated some talented regional and national players, achieving remarkable successes. In March 2025, the girls team made school history by taking first and second place at the North of England Championships, while the U18 boys also progressed in the National Cup, with the next round due soon. Meanwhile, Liz Thomas showcased her international calibre recently, representing Team GB at the ITF International Masters, helping secure a 5th-place world ranking. Stonyhurst’s facilities demonstrate a commitment to excellence, with 10 outdoor courts and 2 grand slam-sized courts in the Tennis Dome, providing year-round training opportunities, complemented by an indoor sports hall, state-of-the-art strength and conditioning suite, 25m swimming pool, and spinning/HIIT studio. Through the Sports Scholarship pathway, aspiring tennis stars receive a programme tailored to nurture their potential. This includes personalised mentoring, supplementary coaching, and relevant support to aid in their progression. Regular guidance on strength and conditioning, along with physical and mental preparation for training and competition, are also aspects of this holistic development programme. Scholarships for 2025/2026 will be released soon, so do get in touch if you’d like our support with applying.
Strathallan School
Nurturing a lifelong love of sport is central to a Strathallan education, and the Tennis Academy supports athletes to develop the skills and values to excel. The Academy programme takes players from beginner through to district, regional and national level, and enables pupils to develop their tennis as a main priority, or alongside other sports with an all-round, player-centred approach. Every student can play at least once a week throughout all three terms, with further opportunities available – from open drop-in sessions to activities that focus on developing specific skills whilst having fun. Considered and assessed on an individual basis, Sports Scholarships are available from 3rd Form to Upper 6th and are awarded at three levels, Identified, Development and Performance. All programmes are bespoke to each player, depending on the athlete’s current requirements, goals and ambitions. Strathallan is one of only two schools in Scotland to have three indoor courts on campus, complementing nine all-weather hard courts and nine artificial grass courts. Available to all players on the Performance programme, the Strength & Conditioning Suite is filled with state-of-the-art fitness equipment, from free weights and weight machines to progress monitoring cardio equipment. The facilities and coaching support pupils to compete in local, regional, national, Tennis Europe and Junior International Tennis Federation competitions.
If your budding tennis player would like to join one of these schools, or any of the others we recommend, please get in touch for support with their application.
