Interview: Beechwood Park School

Beechwood Park is a thriving independent co-educational day and flexi-boarding school prep school, located in easy reach of St Albans, Harpenden and Berkhamsted. There are many reasons why increasing numbers of parents are choosing Beechwood over other prep schools in Hertfordshire:

FULLY CO-EDUCATIONAL FROM 3-13 Beechwood is one of few local prep schools that welcomes boys and girls from rising 3 (in our onsite award-winning Woodlands Nursery) to the age of 13. There is plenty of debate around single sex vs co-educational schools. Whilst the majority of our pupils move onto single sex senior schools, we are firmly of the belief that at prep school age, a co-educational environment suits most children better, as well as enabling brothers and sisters to be educated at the same school.

TRULY INDEPENDENT Whilst a significant number of our leavers move on to local senior day schools, we are not affiliated or linked to any particular secondary school and will work with you to ensure you and your child receive the correct guidance and advice about next schools – wherever in the country, or the world, that may be.

AN EXCEPTIONAL ACADEMIC RECORD Beechwood is justifiably proud of its academic record. Pupils excel at senior school entrance exams, and many are awarded scholarships to their senior schools of choice. Almost without exception our leavers gain places at their first choice of secondary school, having been well prepared by Beechwood staff for entrance assessments and interviews. In 2021, we were the only prep school to have a 100% success rate at 13+ for Haileybury. But the Beechwood curriculum goes far beyond ‘just’ the academics – we offer a well-rounded educational programme which includes an inspiring co-curriculum of sports, music, and charts, alongside an engaging array of trips, clubs and co-curricular activities.

FLEXIBILITY FOR MODERN FAMILIES At Beechwood, we recognise that one size does not fit all, and we work hard to provide a flexible provision for our pupils and their families. Whilst you may not have previously considered boarding as an option for your child, our flexible boarding options can provide a handy solution for busy working families – click here to find out more about our boarding options. We are also able to offer a number of ‘wraparound care’ options for pupils of all ages to help parents manage their day, including after school prep and activities, and school holiday camps. To make Beechwood accessible to day pupils whose parents may struggle to juggle the school run with their own commitments, we run a network of school buses from local towns and villages.

A HAPPY HEALTHY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT Like you, we want to make sure that your child achieves their very best at Beechwood, but more importantly, we want them to be happy. It is a cliché, but nonetheless true that happy children thrive in a positive learning environment. We provide an educational space for children to excel, and our child-centred focus enables and encourages children to be ambitious, reflective and self-driven.

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM At Beechwood, we firmly believe that learning is not limited to what goes on in the classroom, and lessons learnt outside of the classroom are just as important to a child’s preparation for the future. We are justifiably proud of our extensive co-curricular provision, which we call Roar. This programme ensures that every child has the time and space to explore new experiences, to embrace new challenges, to discover new skills and talents, and to grab every opportunity that comes their way – in short, to find their “roar”.

PREPARATION FOR THE FUTURE So-called ‘soft skills’ are going to be as important to our pupils as they move forwards in their education and their careers. It is, therefore, our duty to ensure that from a young age, they learn these skills – teamwork, character, self-belief and a Growth Mindset will enable pupils to face the challenges of senior school, university and the world of work. Our Future Skills programme, taught from Year 5, aims to equip our pupils with a full range of skills – academic, social, and personal – to promote future successes.

A STRONG COMMUNITY Although by prep school standards, Beechwood is a large community, it nonetheless has not lost the “family” feel. The School is fortunate to have an incredibly supportive Parents’ Association, the BPSPA; all parents are automatically members of this thriving and friendly group, which supports the School with a variety of projects and events, whilst providing a whole host of social activities for families throughout the year.

GROUNDS AND FACILITIES With more than 35 acres of stunning parkland, our own woods, complete with Forest School, endless football pitches and other sports facilities, and our resident flock of guinea fowl, Beechwood pupils enjoy boundless opportunities to discover, play, learn and have fun!We are fortunate to have some of the best facilities of any prep school in the area; an indoor swimming pool complex, Astroturf, outdoor classroom, dedicated performance hall, full size sports hall, pottery cellar and cutting-edge technology suite within our Music Department.

VISIT US Beechwood holds termly Open Mornings - click here to register to attend our next event. Contact Details: Beechwood Park School, Pickford Road, Markyate, Herts AL3 8AW www.beechwoodpark.com Email; admissions@beechwoodpark.com Tel: 01582 840333