Dwight School London

Dwight London is the UK arm of the Dwight Schools group, founded in 1972 in North Finchley and the first school in the country to offer the full IB pathway. Around 400 students across a Lower School in Woodside Avenue and an Upper School on Friern Barnet Lane.

Fees run from roughly GBP 13,700 in early years to GBP 37,500 in the Diploma. The school runs PYP, MYP and DP across two campuses and pulls a mixed community of expats, returning British families, and local North London families looking for a non-selective IB route.

Families describe a small, multicultural school where leadership knows children by name and the open door policy is real. Parents praise the IB approach and the personal feel, but the teaching team is reported as uneven, with strong veterans alongside less experienced staff, and sport is the consistent weak point. Best fit for North London families who want the IB Diploma route without the selectivity of the bigger names and are willing to top up sport elsewhere.

• The longest online parent discussion thread about Dwight London is the most useful parent source available. The picture is mixed. Recurring positives are the small classes, named teacher relationships, and a strong international community feel. Recurring concerns are limited academic stretch for the most able and inconsistent homework expectations.
• One parent said staff care "more about getting your money" than education quality. Another said the school had "no homework, no proper follow-up" in Year 5 and that more able children were not always pushed. A different parent said children are "known by every member of staff".
• IB Diploma results sit in line with non-selective international cohorts. The 2025 average DP score was around 33 with a top score of 40, which several parents cite as evidence that the IB delivery is solid even if early years feel light.
• Inspection signal is supportive. The school met all areas at the May 2025 ISI inspection. Review pools on two listings sites are small (around 4 to 6 reviews each) and skew positive on community and staff approachability.
• Travel programme is repeatedly mentioned, both as a strength and as a cost driver. Parents capture the trade-off: parents value the global outlook but flag that overseas trips add meaningful cost on top of fees.