EDUCATION CHOICES MAGAZINE RECOMMENDED SCHOOLS

Beech Lodge School

Located in Maidenhead, Beech Lodge School is a small special school for children aged between 7 and 19 with emotional and social difficulties. The school offers a nurturing and innovative approach to education for those requiring an individually tailored learning environment, helping them to build life skills and social skills. Access is available to therapeutic and specialist interventions, as well as further educational tools which enable students to achieve their maximum potential. www.beechlodgeschool.co.uk

Bradfield College

Bradfield College provides an outstanding education for life, equipping the young people in its care to flourish personally and professionally and be a force for good in the world. From the boarding house, games field and chemistry lab to the debating chamber and Greek theatre, its pupils grow in confidence and resilience. Through living in a diverse community and through outreach partnerships beyond it, they become more openminded and develop communication skills. Through wholehearted curricular and cocurricular engagement, Bradfieldians learn the importance of enjoying learning, of physical and mental wellbeing and of creativity, whilst developing their powers of inquiry and innovation.

www.bradfieldcollege.org.uk

Brockhurst and Marlston House Schools

The Brockhurst and Marlston House Schools are twin schools that share the same estate in Newbury, Berkshire. Brockhurst is an all-boys’ establishment, while Marlston House is an all-girls’ establishment. This unique setup offers a unique education for its students, who get to experience the benefits of both single-sex and co-educational school experiences: classes are small and single-sex, while extra-curricular activities are shared for children aged between 3 and 13. The school also has a facility based in South West France, which is an 18th Century chateau.

www.brockmarl.org.uk

Cheam School

Cheam School is a co-educational day and boarding school for pupils between the ages of 3 and 13. It aims to offer a bright learning environment which enables its pupils to grow and thrive, bringing happiness, confidence and emotional intelligence with them into their futures. Occupying 85 stunning acres of countryside in Headley, the school is one of the oldest preparatory schools in the country. www.cheamschool.com

Downe House School

Downe House is an independent all-girls’ school located in Thatcham, Berkshire. Offering a unique, all-round education, Downe House encourages its students to reach their highest academic results - reflected in excellent examination results at all levels - whilst also developing social and personal skills. The school’s active Creative Arts Faculty ensures a wide range of extra-curricular activities are on offer. Downe House is also strong in music, sports and drama.

www.downehouse.net

Eagle House School

Founded in 1820, Eagle House is one of the country’s oldest preparatory schools, located in Sandhurst, Berkshire. The school has around 120 pupils in its Pre-Prep and Nursery, and over 230 pupils in the Prep School. Many Year 8 pupils from Eagle House are awarded scholarships from their choice of senior school, and the school takes pride in its excellent academic record.

www.eaglehouseschool.com

Eton College

Eton College, located in Windsor, is an independent all-boys’ boarding school for around 1,350 pupils aged between 13 and 18, which aims to provide the best all-round education possible to prepare young people for success and happiness as they move into adulthood. Eton hosts a dynamic range of educational activities and possesses an expanding network of educational partnerships. Eton also has a Learning Support Centre for boys with disabilities and special educational needs.

www.etoncollege.com

Heathfield School

Heathfield School is a dynamic all-girls’ day and boarding school located in Ascot, Berkshire. Their focus is ‘Girls First’, which is why exceptional opportunities are created for pupils both inside and outside the classroom. Heathfield puts happiness and well being high on its list of priorities, and that’s part of why pupils’ academic success is so outstanding: in 2022, 100% of A Level students confirmed places at their first-choice destination.

www.heathfieldschool.net

Highfield Preparatory School

Highfield Preparatory School is an outstanding independent preparatory school for boys aged 3 to 7 years old and girls aged 3 to 11 years old. Highfield’s community is a small, close-knit family, which nurtures children to develop into compassionate, resilient and confident individuals who are ready to take on the world. The school delivers specialist teaching to small classes that form a kind, caring and nurturing education environment. www.highfieldprep.org

Horris Hill

Horris Hill is a school based near Newbury, Berkshire, which aims to provide its students with an excellent education tailored to each individual, encouraging academic ambition. Offering a plethora of experiences across the academics, sports and the arts, the school wants to ensure that every child is able to discover their skills and passions, and is happy and confident throughout their education. Horris Hill promotes kindness, courage, respect and resilience in its community, and focuses on the benefits of good manners, good humour, having the spirit to succeed, and hard work.

www.horrishill.com

Lambrook

Set within a picturesque 43 acres of grounds in East Berkshire, Lambrook is an independent co-educational school for students aged between 3 and 13 years old. Founded in 1860, the school has around 450 students, and provides them with a vast array of educational opportunities while maintaining high academic standards. Lambrook is known for developing its students to be well-rounded, independent, creative individuals who move forward to leading independent senior schools throughout the country. www.lambrookschool.co.uk

Leighton Park School

Leighton Park School, located in Reading, Berkshire, is a co-educational day and boarding school for students from over twenty different countries aged between 11 and 18 years old. The school’s distinctive ethos, which is based upon Quaker values, enables students’ outstanding academic achievement and pastoral care. The site’s stunning location provides an enriching learning environment for students, where they can live, breathe, study, learn, grow and mature in an oasis of calm, while still being close to Reading town centre. www.leightonpark.com

Long Close School

As Slough’s leading independent school, Long Close School provides an outstanding education for its students. It is a co-educational school for children aged between 2 and 16 years, and has a reputation for outstanding academic results. The school is proud of its nurturing environment and the diverse range of opportunities that are offered to students. Long Close School encourages students to reach their full potential and inspires them to be the very best they can be. www.longcloseschool.co.uk

LVS Ascot

LVS Ascot is an independent co-educational day and boarding school for pupils aged 4 to 18. The award-winning school enables students to exceed their personal expectations by providing a rounded education, balancing academic excellence with co-curricular activities such as sports, performing and other creative opportunities. The spacious 26-acre site houses four boarding houses, as well as all the facilities for the Infant & Junior School, Senior School and Sixth Form. www.lvs.ascot.sch.uk

Our Lady’s Preparatory School

Located in Crowthorne, Berkshire, Our Lady’s Preparatory School is a family school that is home to a supportive, committed and vibrant community, where every pupil is inspired to reach their full potential and be the best they can be - this is reflected in the school’s motto, ‘Deus Meus et Omnia’ (My God and My All), which also highlights its Roman Catholic foundation. As a school community, Our Lady’s strives to create, deliver and live its supportive and caring ethos. The school describes its students as one of its most unique attributes - Our Lady’s pupils are proud of their school and are able to blossom and be themselves. www.olps.co.uk

Papplewick

Papplewick is an independent day, weekly and full boarding preparatory school for boys aged between 6 and 13 years old. With around 210 pupils, the school celebrates individuality and provides a broad range of both academic and extra-curricular activities for students. Small class sizes ensure each individual is seen, and the benefits of this are evident: in the last three years, 33 Papplewick students have received scholarships to major public schools.

www.papplewick.org.uk

Queen Anne’s School

Queen Anne’s is known for its outstanding ‘value added’: a broad, balanced curriculum to GCSE, including Computing and Dance; an exciting range of traditional and new subjects in Sixth Form, ranging from Psychology and Sociology to Media and Music Technology; outstanding careers and university guidance for UK and overseas institutions including Oxbridge and Russell Group universities. Known for its performing arts, the school also boasts an extensive co-curricular programme. Sports such as lacrosse, tennis and swimming feature highly both in academic and co-curricular PE. Head of School, Ms. Purves, believes in providing an environment where girls can thrive academically and holistically to provide a brilliant launchpad for life. www.qas.org.uk

St. Bernard’s Prep School

St. Bernard’s Preparatory School teaches children self-belief, encouraging them to pursue their passions. They challenge every child, celebrating achievements, pausing to reflect on progress and then asking them to reach for more. St. Bernard’s are also proud of their academic success - The Sunday Times ranked it as England’s 7th best prep school - a place where all talents are valued and nurtured. The school produces well-rounded, literate conversationalists, providing a solid foundation for life. They believe in kindness, respect and understanding, celebrating their similarities and differences with equal vigour. Great teaching, great children, great results - a great school! www.stbernardsprep.org

St Gabriel’s School

St Gabriel’s is a co-educational day school which encourages its students to reach their fullest potential by providing them with an inspiring and balanced education. Academic rigour is combined with a strong sense of community as well as a vast breadth of opportunity. An incremental approach is being used to ensure a smooth transition into a fully co-educational school in 2026: in September 2022, boys were welcomed into Year 7, and as of September 2024, boys will be welcomed into Year 9 and the Sixth Form. www.stgabriels.co.uk

St George’s School, Ascot

St George’s is an all-girls’ day and boarding school located in Ascot, Berkshire, which prides itself on the cohesion and balance between its boarding and day community. Each individual student is looked after as a top priority, with every girl being allocated a personal tutor who encourages her to reach her maximum potential and celebrate her success, and oversees her wellbeing, both academic and pastoral. A unique area of St George’s is the extended day: for all students, lessons finish at 4pm, and are followed by an hour of clubs to ensure all students have opportunities to try new activities and make different friends.

www.stgeorges-ascot.org.uk

St George’s School, Windsor

St George’s School in Windsor is a co-educational day and boarding choir school which possesses a heritage dating back to 1348. The school takes pride in its nurturing and kind community, and has a pioneering vision coupled with a determination to do things differently. With around 350 students aged between 3 and 13, St George’s prepares them for the opportunities that await them beyond prep school, ensuring that learning is ambitious and rigorous yet also enjoyable. www.stgwindsor.org

St. Mary’s School

St. Mary’s is an all-girls’ Roman Catholic boarding school located in Ascot, Berkshire, for ages 11 to 18. With only around 380 pupils, the school houses a caring, warm community which aims to help each student reach their full potential. The St. Mary’s experience is exciting and vibrant, and the school is proud of its tradition of academic excellence as well as its array of co-curricular activities on offer. Though they are a full boarding school, there are a few places available for day pupils living nearby.

www.st-marys-ascot.co.uk

St Piran’s School

St Piran’s School is an independent co-educational school for children from ages 2 to 13 years located in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The school delivers a well-balanced, all-round education to its students, providing access to a vast array of opportunities combined with leadership skills and social skills. Renowned for its welcoming atmosphere and motivated students, St Piran’s aims to offer an excellent academic education while also maintaining students’ creativity and additional skills in areas like music, drama and sport. Although the school might have 200 years of history behind it, St Piran’s ensures it is always looking to the future.

www.stpirans.co.uk

The Marist School

Located in Ascot, The Marist School is an all-girls’ Catholic school for pupils aged between 2 and 18, with a co-ed nursery for ages 2 to 4. The school has four phases: Early Years (Nursery and Reception), Preparatory, Senior and Sixth Form – some students remain with the school throughout, while others join at various stages. Rated ‘Excellent’ in all areas by the ISI in 2021, The Marist School believes education goes beyond acquiring knowledge, it is about developing students’ curiosity and character, creating a vibrant environment for learning.

www.themarist.com

Upton House School

Founded in 1936, Upton House School is an independent co-educational school for students aged between 2 and 11 years old. The school’s small class sizes ensure each child can benefit from the specialist teachers from nursery-age upwards. Upton House delivers a broad, inclusive curriculum and believes wholeheartedly in the importance of learning through fun, inspiring children to develop their own individual talents and help others. The school prepares all children for their future in education and enhances their awareness of the world they live in.

www.uptonhouse.org.uk

Sunningdale School

Sunningdale School is a family-owned prep school for boys aged 8 to 13 that provides an exceptional educational experience. With a focus on the happiness and wellbeing of its pupils, the

Wellington College

Wellington College, located in Crowthorne, Berkshire, is an excellent co-educational day and boarding school which seeks to enable its 1,200 students, aged between 13 and 18, to help serve and shape a better world.

Life at Wellington College is underpinned by its key values: kindness, courage, respect, integrity and responsibility. With both A Levels and the International Baccalaureate on offer for students, academic expectations are high, and the school’s sporting excellence has an international reputation. Curriculum and pedagogy school offers outstanding pastoral care and high academic standards that bring out the best in every boy. Sunningdale boys are curious, engaged and not afraid to take risks, resulting in excellent academic achievements and entrance to the best senior schools in the country. The school also offers a wide range of sports, music and other activities that promote personal growth and wellroundedness. Sunningdale is located close to London and Heathrow, making it an ideal choice for families looking for a first-class education in a perfect setting.

Sunningdale School have also recently rolled out various initiatives, involving wellbeing (installation of a HappyorNot feedback machine where pupils can anonymously express their feelings; drop-in sessions offered by the school counsellor; tracking of changes in weekly effort grades so any sudden differences are noted and investigated) and preparation for senior school assessments (individualised approach to ISEB preparation based on weekly practice and mock test performances; substantial preparation for second stage assessments and interviews, tailor-made for the schools applied to; detailed feedback given following assessments to assist future cohorts). Significant student achievements in the past year include:

Academic scholarships to Eton and The Oratory School

Various prizes awarded, including: Common Entrance Clay Prize to Harrow, Common Entrance Maths Prize to Uppingham, and prize winner in the SATIPS General Knowledge Challenge

Sports scholarships to Stowe and St Edward’s Music scholarships to various institutions including Eton, Harrow and The Oratory School

Undefeated squash and rugby teams www.sunningdaleschool.co.uk and between subjects, making sure the curriculum narrative is structured and connected. are both ‘live’ at Wellington College: their curriculum strives to stimulate intellectual curiosity and develop students’ subject mastery.

The curriculum at Wellington College is currently undergoing changes to ensure it effectively educates the pupils. Each subject taught at Wellington is being encouraged to develop a stand-alone course to be taught within the GCSE scheme of work, to ensure that not all learning is equated with assessment. For example, pupil biologists will learn about modern resistant bacteria and associated necessary drug design. Unique to Wellington, these courses will establish links within

In addition, ‘Fragments’ is an academic extension course being offered as an alternative to the Higher Project Qualification for all Year 10 pupils. It will allow pupils to study interesting and important topics that they may otherwise never encounter. Each course is loosely themed and may flit between areas of art, literature, technology, history, philosophy, music, architecture and so on, making connections between seemingly disparate areas of the formal curriculum while also providing a freedom to the learning in the knowledge that there will be no formal assessment. www.wellingtoncollege.org.uk

Churcher’s College

Churcher’s College is an independent day school for girls and boys aged 3 to 18, offering an inspiring education with opportunities for pupils to flourish and grow both inside and outside the classroom. Excellent examination results are clearly important, but equal significance is placed on the development of selfesteem, moral values and leadership. This enables children to become responsible and selfless citizens ready to succeed in the world. Just one hour from London, the school is located on two beautiful countryside campus sites in Hampshire. The Junior