St Benedict's School A GSG School Review
What is included in the St Benedict's School review?
Academic results & facilities
Pastoral care and inclusivity
Fees, scholarships & bursary information
Information about the head
Teaching and learning approaches
Entrance & admissions information
Exit information - where do the children go next?
Learning support & SEN information
Arts, sports and extracurricular
Pupils & parents (what are they really like?)
What The Good Schools Guide says..
School has put its foot firmly on the academic accelerator. ‘We have changed the culture,’ says school – now has higher expectations, more frequent tracking (five touchpoints a year – not for ‘this is where you are up to’ but ‘how can we build on those results?’), sharper focus on CPD (‘the craft of the classroom’) and more stretch and challenge (lots of talks and presentations including a lecture series for pupils and parents to attend together on eg the future of Africa, developing treatments for Covid). Extracurricular offerings in the junior school range from the aviation club, which has proved so absorbing that one ex-member is now…
Read more- St Benedict's School
54 Eaton Rise
London
W5 2ES - Head: Joe Smith
- T 020 8862 2254
- F 020 8862 2199
- E seniorschool@stbenedicts.org.uk
- W www.stbenedicts.org.uk
- St Benedict's School is an independent school for boys and girls aged from 3 to 18. Fees for St Benedict's School are £15,963 - £20,907 pa. Interested in reading more? Access our unbiased St Benedict's School review.
- Boarding: No
- Local authority: Ealing
- Pupils: 1,084 (717 boys; 367 girls); sixth formers: 184
- Religion: Roman Catholic
- Fees: £15,963 - £20,907 pa
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- ISI report: View the ISI report
What the school says...
St Benedict’s is London’s leading independent Catholic co-educational school, situated in leafy Ealing. The School is a successful blend of the traditional and the progressive; proud of its heritage but also forward thinking and innovative. Within a caring, happy community, our pupils thrive, benefiting from a seamless education which can begin at the age of 3 and continue through to the Sixth Form.
St Benedict’s has strong academic standards, with considerable ambition for future academic success. The School is committed to supporting all children to develop their full potential, by treating them as individuals, and catering for their particular needs and talents at every stage. Inspirational teaching, tutorial guidance and exceptional pastoral care are at the heart of the education we offer.
The Junior School and Nursery provide a supportive and vibrant environment in which to learn. Sharing excellent facilities with the Senior School and a programme of cross-curricular activities help ease the transition at 11+ to the Senior School, which is on the same site.
At St Benedict’s, there is a vital focus on personal development, and our outstanding co-curricular programme helps pupils to thrive by enabling them to find and develop their unique gifts and talents. St Benedict’s has a distinguished sporting tradition: while many boys and girls train and compete at county and national level, everyone is encouraged to enjoy sport, teamwork and fitness. Music and Drama are both excellent; there is a strong choral tradition, renowned Abbey Choir and many instrumental ensembles. Termly drama productions have recently included Amadeus, West Side Story and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
We encourage principled leadership, resilience and character in our pupils, and promote the Christian values of integrity, fairness and generosity to others. This is a hallmark of the School, informed by the 1500 year-old Rule of St Benedict, and there could be no better way of equipping young people for the future.
Recent developments include a fine new Sixth Form Centre and Art Department, opened in 2015. A new Nursery and Pre-Prep Department opened in September 2017, providing our youngest pupils with a first-rate learning environment.
St Benedict’s School is unique. Come and visit, and see what we have to offer. You can be sure of a warm Benedictine welcome. ...Read more
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Other features
All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.
Sports
Fencing
Since September 2023, Joe Smith, previously head of The Oratory School, Reading. He first taught English at Colfe’s School in Greenwich, moved to Monkton Combe School, near Bath, and was appointed head of The Oratory Prep School in 2010. He grew up in Norfolk and studied English at the University of Liverpool before training as a teacher in London. He and his wife Debbie have three children.
Since 2005, head of junior school is Rob Simmons BA MEd, married with children and grandchildren. After a history degree and time abroad on voluntary service, he returned here to his alma mater. A trim, dapper dresser, he is not shy about his passion for aviation, planes neatly arranged on shelves and a favourite paperback, starring a Second World War aviation hero, tucked in amongst the history books. He runs...
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Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
We are a robust department of trained SpLD specialist teachers, qualified teachers, and a private peripatetic SpLD teacher along with Learning Support Assistants. We cater mainly for dyslexic pupils, although we also have pupils with mild dysgraphia, dyscalculia, sensory impairment, Asperger’s and ADHD. We have also developed our inclusion of disabled students. Our support is delivered through in-class support where differentiation is developed by an additional specialist teacher, as well as withdrawal on a 1:1 or small group basis. When children are withdrawn they follow a specific programme of study. We may also offer early morning booster lessons in maths and literacy for certain students. Outside lesson times, during break times, lunchtimes and after school, pupils may receive additional support. Pupils may also follow spelling and reading programmes and participate in our reading and spelling clubs. We adhere to the SEN Code of Practice and all SEND students are issued with a Pupil Profile. Pupils are monitored over and above the school tracking each term by all subject teachers contributing to a Pupil Profile Monitoring review which is sent to parents. We work in close liaison with parents, pastoral teams and subject teachers. We have strong relationships with our outreach contacts and liaise closely with external agencies. We foster and enjoy a strong and personal rapport with our SEND pupils, monitoring and assessing them closely and regularly. Programmes of study are tailored to individual needs. We value and respect the contribution of all students and recognise that children may have a different pace of learning and understanding which at times requires additional support. A separate Gifted and Talented Co-ordinator caters for those with special talents and a variety of activities are organised and made available to them, including attending Gifted and Talented Camps. We acknowledge that children may both have SEN and also be Gifted and Talented.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | Y |
| Aspergers | |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | Y |
| CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | |
| Dyscalculia | Y |
| Dysgraphia | Y |
| Dyslexia | Y |
| Dyspraxia | Y |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | Y |
| Genetic | |
| Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory | |
| Has SEN unit or class | |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | Y |
| Hospital School | |
| Mental health | Y |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | Y |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | |
| Natspec Specialist Colleges | |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | |
| Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | Y |
| PD - Physical Disability | Y |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty | |
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health | Y |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | Y |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
| Special facilities for Visually Impaired | |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| VI - Visual Impairment | Y |
Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orchard House School | 2023 | 2 | ||
| Queen's Gate Junior School | 2023 | 1 | ||
| Ravenscourt Park Preparatory School | 2023 | 2 |
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