Founded in 1860 as a school for girls, the school was built by the Drapers’ Company from the endowment left in 1537 by Thomas Howell, son of a Welshman, merchant of London, Bristol and Seville and a Draper.

Howell’s School Llandaff is part of the Girls’ Day School Trust GDST, the leading network of independent girls’ schools in the UK. As a charity that owns and runs 23 schools and two academies, it reinvests all its income in its schools.

The school’s strong Leadership Team, talented and dedicated teaching and support staff, wonderful young people and committed and interested parents are what make Howell’s unique. 

Under the leadership of visionary Principal Sally Davis, Howell's achieved excellent academic results in August 2023. At GCSE, 68% of all grades were A*-A/9-7, and 96% were A*-B/9-5. In the Co-Ed College, over 334% of all grades awarded were A*, and 69% were A*/A. Students secured placements at leading universities across the UK, including the University of Oxford, University College London, the University of Edinburgh, Imperial College London, Durham University, the University of St Andrews, and King’s College London.

All National Curriculum subjects including Welsh are taught at Key Stages 1, 2 and 3. In Year 7, French, Spanish and Welsh are on offer. Latin is introduced in Year 8. First language Welsh is taught on demand. There is a broad range of subjects available in the College. Examinations in a number of AS subjects are taken at the end of Year 12. Active learning styles are an essential part of the classroom experience, and the curriculum is made more diverse with:

• Educational visits, locally and abroad
• Visiting authors, poets, musicians, artists and lecturers
• Special activity weeks focusing on particular areas of the curriculum