About the school
Old Swinford Hospital, known as OSH, is a state boarding and day school in Oldswinford, Stourbridge, in the West Midlands, serving pupils aged 11 to 18. Rated Outstanding for boarding by Ofsted, it is one of only a small number of state boarding schools in England, where the state funds tuition and parents pay only boarding fees.
Founded in 1667 by the ironmaster Thomas Foley and admitting its first pupils in 1670, Old Swinford Hospital has operated continuously since the seventeenth century. Historically a boys’ school, it admitted girls to the sixth form from 2004 and became fully co-educational in recent years, with a strong house and boarding community.
Old Swinford Hospital offers day places and boarding places at Year 7. Day places are non-selective and allocated by the local authority, while selective flexi-boarding places are offered following an academic ability assessment.
School type
Co-Educational State Boarding & Day
Exam date
Early October 2026 (flexi-boarding assessment)
Exam board
School academic ability assessment
Address
Heath Lane, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 1QX
Age range
11–18 (Years 7–13)
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Admissions information
Old Swinford Hospital offers both non-selective day places and selective flexi-boarding places, the latter through an academic ability assessment. Here is everything you need to know about the Old Swinford Hospital admissions criteria and assessment structure.
Old Swinford Hospital admits pupils as day pupils or boarders. Day places are non-selective and allocated by the local authority. For flexi-boarding places, candidates are invited to sit an academic ability assessment, and may also opt to sit music or sport aptitude assessments, alongside a boarding discussion. Entry to boarding therefore combines academic assessment with suitability for boarding life.
The academic ability assessment for flexi-boarding places takes place in early October, with families able to opt for their child to sit one, two or all three of the academic, music and sport assessments. Tailored boarding and day applicants follow a separate process, and all boarding applicants are invited to a boarding discussion to ensure boarding is right for the child.
Parents complete the registration form on the school’s website for all categories of admission. For September 2027 entry, the closing date for Year 7 flexi-boarding places is 12 noon on 25 September 2026, while day places and tailored boarding places close on 31 October 2026. Parents must also complete their local authority Common Application Form for a Year 7 place.
Assessment outcomes are communicated to parents in the autumn, after which families confirm their secondary school preferences through their local authority. School place offers are confirmed on National Offer Day, 1 March 2027. Being assessed as suitable does not guarantee a place, as boarding places are limited and in demand.
Key admissions details
Old Swinford Hospital admits up to around 134 boarders and 46 day pupils into Year 7 each year.
Old Swinford Hospital does not have a catchment area, and pupils come from across the country to board. Day places are allocated by the local authority on the basis of distance and the usual oversubscription criteria, while boarding places are open to applicants regardless of where they live, subject to UK residency requirements.
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Old Swinford Hospital is located on Heath Lane in Oldswinford, Stourbridge, in the West Midlands, DY8 1QX. It is a state boarding and day school rated Outstanding for boarding by Ofsted, serving pupils aged 11 to 18.
Old Swinford Hospital was founded in 1667 by the ironmaster Thomas Foley and admitted its first pupils in 1670. It is one of only a small number of state boarding schools in England and has operated continuously since the seventeenth century.
Day places at Old Swinford Hospital are non-selective and allocated by the local authority. Selective flexi-boarding places are offered following an academic ability assessment, with optional music and sport aptitude assessments and a boarding discussion.
Old Swinford Hospital does not have a catchment area, and boarders come from across the country. Day places are allocated by the local authority on the basis of distance, while boarding places are open regardless of where a family lives, subject to UK residency requirements.
For September 2027 entry, the closing date for Year 7 flexi-boarding places is 12 noon on 25 September 2026, while day places and tailored boarding places close on 31 October 2026. Parents must also complete their local authority Common Application Form.
Old Swinford Hospital is a state boarding school, so the cost of education is funded by the government and parents pay only for boarding. This offers many of the advantages of a boarding education at a fraction of the cost of a private school, and day places are free.
Yes, all our tuition is available both in-person at our Edgbaston, Birmingham centre and online via live video sessions. Online tuition gives families across the West Midlands and the wider region access to our expert tutors without the need to travel. The quality and personalisation of sessions is identical in both formats.
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