Student Accommodation near Royal Drawing School

The Royal Drawing School is an independent charitable art school in London dedicated to observational drawing as a core artistic discipline. Founded in 2000 by King Charles III, then Prince of Wales, and artist Catherine Goodman, the school offers a Postgraduate Diploma in Drawing, a Foundation Year, and various short courses. It operates from a studio-based teaching building in Shoreditch and caters to a small, specialist cohort rather than a large university intake.

The school does not have a traditional students' union or extensive campus facilities. Its focus is entirely practical, built around a close-knit artistic community in one of London's primary gallery districts. Students here spend time in studios and among the independent art spaces that run through Shoreditch and Hoxton.

The Royal Drawing School does not have a traditional students' union, dedicated sports facilities, or a campus social structure. Student life here draws from Shoreditch and the wider East London area.

Arts and Culture

Shoreditch has a high concentration of independent galleries and art spaces, many hosting free opening events throughout the week. Boxpark Shoreditch carries street food vendors, pop-up shops, and regular events within easy reach of the school.

The area's broader gallery circuit gives drawing students access to contemporary exhibitions as part of daily life rather than as a separate weekend activity.

Nightlife and Social Scene

Shoreditch High Street carries bars, live music venues, and club spaces across different price points. The surrounding streets add cocktail bars, independent breweries, and more low-key pub options. For students who want a different scene, Central London is accessible in 15 to 20 minutes by tube.

Shopping and Markets

Broadway Market, a short journey from campus, runs food stalls, independent shops, and a busy Saturday atmosphere. Columbia Road Flower Market operates on Sundays and draws crowds from across East London.

Supermarkets operate throughout Shoreditch, Hoxton, and Bethnal Green, including discount retailers that keep grocery costs closer to the UK average.

Green Spaces

Shoreditch Park sits near the campus and provides a break from studio work during the day. For larger green spaces, Victoria Park in Hackney is accessible by bus or a longer walk.

Healthcare

Register with a local NHS GP practice at your term-time address as soon as you arrive. Shoreditch, Hoxton, and Bethnal Green all have practices accepting new patients. Do this in the first week rather than waiting until a medical need arises.

Shoreditch gives immediate campus access, but nearby East and Central London areas offer different trade-offs between price, commute, and neighbourhood character.

Hoxton / Shoreditch

The zone directly surrounding campus. Students living here walk to the school in under 15 minutes and spend daily life among the galleries, street art, independent shops, and food venues concentrated throughout Shoreditch and Hoxton.

Flora Building Hoxton at 0.48 miles and Chapter Old Street at 0.66 miles are the two closest properties in this guide. PBSA rents run between £294 and £432 per week. Students who need to be close to studios at irregular hours, or who want the creative neighbourhood to be part of daily life, tend to prioritise this zone.

Bethnal Green / Kings Cross

Approximately 1.19 to 1.33 miles from campus, reachable on foot or by Underground. Bethnal Green carries a more residential East London character with local shops and markets. Kings Cross is a major transport hub with modern commercial and residential development.

PBSA rents in this wider zone run between £240 and £335 per week, generally lower than the immediate Shoreditch area. Hayloft Point, Romano Court, and Student Living Heights are the main options here.

London is the most expensive city in the UK for students. Excluding rent, a realistic weekly spend in Shoreditch sits between £140 and £200. The table below breaks down typical costs.

For international students on a Student visa, the UK Home Office minimum funds requirement for London-based study is £1,529 per month (approximately £352 per week) for up to nine months. This is a visa maintenance figure, not an average spend figure.

Royal drawing school accommodation options cover five main room types. The table below summarises the key differences.

Private Room

A private bedroom within a larger flat or house, with shared kitchen and living areas. More affordable than en-suite or studio options. Works for students who want their own space to study and sleep while staying in a social living arrangement.

En-Suite

A private bedroom and private bathroom within a cluster flat, with a shared communal kitchen and living area. A mid-range option in London PBSA. Suits students who want bathroom privacy but still want the social aspect of shared flat life. A popular choice for postgraduate students new to the city.

Studio Flat

A self-contained unit combining sleeping area, living space, and kitchenette in one open-plan room, with a separate private bathroom. No shared facilities. The most expensive option and the most private.

Works for students who need a quiet, undisturbed environment for practice and study and are comfortable with less social contact in their building.

Shared Room

A bedroom shared with one or more students, with all other facilities also shared. Less common in purpose-built student accommodation in London but available in some private rentals.

The most affordable option overall. Requires strong communication and compromise with the person sharing the room.

Entire Place

A full flat or house rented independently or with a partner or group of friends. Provides complete control over the living environment. Requires managing the tenancy agreement, bills, and any property issues directly. More common among students with higher budgets or small groups renting together.

The properties below are the strongest options for students at the Royal Drawing School, selected for proximity and transit efficiency from the Shoreditch campus.

Flora Building Hoxton and Chapter Old Street are the two closest properties, both within a seven to ten minute walk of campus. Romano Court stands out in this section as the most affordable option at £240 per week despite sitting only 1.24 miles from campus with a 16-minute transit time.

The properties below offer the most competitive pricing for Royal Drawing School students. Several sit further from Shoreditch than the options above, but transit times remain within a manageable daily range.

AXO Waterloo at £200 per week is the lowest starting price in this guide. Its 31-minute transit time via the Northern line to Old Street is more efficient than several properties listed at higher prices.

Romano Court appears in both sections because it combines a competitive weekly rent with a short transit time, making it one of the better-value options across the full guide.

Shoreditch's location in East London gives students access to several overlapping transport networks.

Walking and Cycling

Shoreditch sits on several London Cycle Superhighway routes, making cycling a practical and low-cost daily option. Dedicated lanes improve safety on the main routes into and around the area.

Underground (Tube)

Old Street station, on the Northern line, sits a short walk from the school. This line connects south to Bank, London Bridge, and Waterloo, and north to Angel, King's Cross, and Euston. Students at AXO Waterloo reach Old Street directly via this line in around 31 minutes without changing.

Overground

Hoxton Overground station connects north to Dalston and Hackney and south toward Whitechapel. Students at Flora Building Hoxton and Chapter Old Street have access to both Old Street Underground and Hoxton Overground, giving two overlapping network options for daily travel.

Intercity Rail

Liverpool Street station sits a short walk or tube ride from the Royal Drawing School. From here, the Stansted Express reaches Stansted Airport in approximately 50 minutes, and Greater Anglia services reach Cambridge in around one hour and ten minutes. Students at Romano Court, with a 16-minute transit to campus, reach Liverpool Street in a similarly short time for onward travel.