Ackworth School

Set in the beautiful heart of Yorkshire, our impressive Georgian style Grade 1 listed buildings are nestled in the pretty village of Ackworth.  We are a welcoming all-through, co-educational day and boarding school for children aged two-and-a-half to eighteen years.    

Our story begins in 1757 when Thomas Coram purchased a farm called Seaton's in the village of Ackworth and built a Foundling Hospital upon it.  Orphans, or foundlings as they were known, were transported from London and Birmingham to Ackworth where they would be taught the skill of weaving.  After the Foundling Hospital lost its funding, the buildings remained empty for 5 years until they were purchased in 1778 and Ackworth School was founded in 1779 by John Fothergill as a school for ‘children of Quakers not in affluence’.  

Our first pupils crossed the threshold into the school grounds later that year on 18th October - a date we still celebrate now with our Founders' Day walks.   Whilst the majority of our students come from non-Quaker families, Quaker values guide every aspect of our daily school life. At the heart of our community lie the Quaker testimonies of simplicity, truth, equality, peace, and sustainability. 

We are continuously maintaining and preserving the features of our Grade 1 listed buildings and looking to make improvements to ensure our students have their best experience here.  Examples of this are the extension of social spaces on offer in our boarding house, where we currently have over 100 boarders from 27 different nationalities, and the refurbishment of our historical pool which was built in 1859 and still used daily by pupils and the local community.