Berkhamsted Pre-Prep and Prep School A GSG School

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

Equestrian centre or equestrian team - school has own equestrian centre or an equestrian team.

Rowing

What The Good Schools Guide says

Head

Since September 2023, Karen O’Connor BA (history and English, Southampton) PGCE (Southampton) MA (leadership, UCL) PGDip (specific literacy difficulties, UCL, IOE). Previously head of pre-prep since 2015 (excluding prep) and before that, acting head at the Rosary Roman Catholic School in Camden. Parents say she is ‘really impressive’ and ‘knows her stuff’. A bit ‘my way or the highway’, said one, but ‘you always get the sense that her number one priority is the kids’.

She greeted us with a warm, genuine smile in her office overlooking the amphitheatre – a welcoming, bright and spacious room with sofa and scatter cushions and a packed bookcase reflecting her love of reading (currently the Chimp Paradox by Steve Peters). Believes ‘information sharing without being patronising is key’ and is highly research driven, most recently drawing on studies to help improve oracy skills among pupils and introducing a coaching culture for staff. ‘I want teachers to take risks and try new teaching methods,’ she says. Doesn’t teach but takes assemblies and ensures she is seen around the school.

Lives in Berkhamsted with her husband and daughter, who is at the senior school. Besides reading, she enjoys wild water swimming on the west coast of Ireland and downtime with her family.

Entrance

Into day nursery (on pre-prep site) from 3 months - long waiting list, siblings prioritised. Main entry points at 3+, 4+ and 7+, plus other years where space is available (waiting lists in some years). Younger ones attend a ‘stay and play’ assessment day; maths and English papers from year 3. School looks for average academic ability and above, along with independent learners who want to be involved and try everything. ‘We are a busy school and we don’t want a pupil to be intimidated by that, but to embrace it.’

Exit

In 2024, 78 per cent continued into the senior schools (girls and boys taught separately until sixth form due to diamond structure). Others to local grammar schools, Dr Challoner’s and Dr Challoner’s High. Some to local comprehensive, Ashlyns, and a few move overseas.

Our view

Pre-prep is a five-minute drive from the prep and accessed by a tree-lined drive where we saw patient parents wait their turn to ‘kiss and drop’. From the walled garden to the Gruffalo trail and polytunnels – and from manicured lawns and play areas – the vibe is very much country prep. Our year 2 tour guides were in their element showing off their nature orientated learning areas, explaining with delight the purpose of each.

It's easy to be wowed by the large array of facilities, displays and activities inside too. Nursery is large and colourful but surprisingly calm, with lots of staff on hand, while over in reception we saw children enjoying a ‘space day’ - sticky finger crafts galore, with plenty of engagement and joy. A previous lesson had them viewing Chinese dragons with VR headsets - ‘so cool!’ they told us. Play based learning dominates in these early years, with specialist teaching in PE, music and French throughout pre-prep. Parents say their children ‘love to do everything on offer’ and that ‘children who are inquisitive and confident thrive here’. Focus on co-operation and collaboration skills evident during our visit, with plenty of examples of sharing and playing in pairs and groups. Parents like that, once a term, they can come in and observe, eg maths or phonics, followed by a Q&A with the teacher.

Parents praise the transition into more urban-feel prep, which they say is eased by pre-prep children frequently coming over to use the facilities. Separate year 3 building, Beeches, also helps – as does the concerted effort to bring all the Berko schools together, eg with the Allies and Advocates programme that sees seniors deliver classes to year 5 on social media and friendships (year 6 leaders go to pre-prep to help with Creative Week). The rest of the prep (years 4-6) are taught in the second of the two tall teaching blocks, Churchill, while outside the grounds are expansive – surprisingly so, given the school’s location just off the high street. Here, pupils showed us their ‘gigantic playgrounds’ where, despite typical British weather, they were having a whale of a time running around. ‘They always come home with muddy knees,’ said a parent.

School describes itself as an ‘all-rounder’ where academics ‘are important but not the main focus’, an emphasis parents also appreciate. Still, there are subject specialists for every lesson from year 3 and we noticed pupils taking real pride in their work – several very eager to show us what they’d accomplished in class. No setting and no shame in mistakes - ‘It’s how we learn,’ said one child earnestly. Fantastic displays - we were blown away by the detail of a WWII one, complete with uniformed mannequin and ration boxes. Science lab well equipped, where students enjoyed telling us about using the Bunsen burners. Library oozes with natural light and teddies to cuddle with while snuggling down with a book – a reader's dream. An outdoor education programme with a forest school approach and children from prep do, on occasion, get to use the impressive outdoor activities, including a huge rock-climbing wall and zip line overlooking nursery.

Teachers told us they like the pupils to be quiet in classes, which are capped at 22 pupils, but that partner work and discussions are welcomed where appropriate. ‘Calm and ordered with a buzz,’ summed up one. It must work – one year 3 told us if they could rate the teachers out of 10, ‘I’d give them an 11!’ while others told us of ‘engaging teaching strategies’ and even burst into a cheerful chant of one of the teacher’s motos: ‘Whatever you do to the top, you must do to the bottom’ – complete with dance performance. Confidence in spades.

Nine per cent of pupils are on the SEN register, mostly for ADHD, dyslexia and autism. One EHCP. All overseen by learning support team of six – comprising SENCo (a qualified dyslexia assessor) and five part-time TAs, all with level 5 SPLD training. ‘They transformed our son, giving him back his self-esteem and confidence,’ said a parent; another that her son ‘thrived academically with the support they gave him’. Good to see a school using entirely dyslexia-friendly fonts, plus grammar colour symbols throughout the school. Extra support in small groups (eg brain booster group for children with autism and ADHD to focus on time management and concentration) or one-to-ones (which cost extra). Autism awareness evening for parents and CPD training frequently includes SEN – delivered to all staff after school weekly at the prep. There’s a focus on zones of regulation across the school, and lots of SEN-related displays. One pupil we met confidently handed us a device to wear around our necks to connect to their hearing aids.

As in the senior school, sport is massive. In pre-prep, the littlest do ‘motor movers’, based on nursery rhymes, increasing for years 1 and 2 when sports skills are introduced including swimming and tennis each week. From year 3, things get more serious. Eton fives is a particular draw, with three dedicated on-site courts - pupils have been crowned national champions in recent years. Other main sports are football, netball and rugby. Some parents felt the breadth is perhaps too much, making the school ‘jack of all trades, master of none’, others calling it ‘a bit fluffy and wishy washy’. But most say there’s more time dedicated to sport than they expected – with the exception of swimming which they’d ‘prefer more of, particularly as there is a pool on-site’. Overall an inclusive ethos, with all fixtures in year 3 called ‘friendlies’ to encourage sportsmanship and the old mantra, ‘it’s not about the winning but the taking part’. One parent said her son ‘wasn’t interested in sport previously but has developed a real appetite for it’.

No drama teacher in early years but reception, year 1 and 2 do a performance each year and drama is incorporated in the cross-curricular learning. Budding thespians will love the drama offering in prep. We delighted in the year 4 rehearsal of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (all year groups do a performance from year 3) - zero nerves on show. The teacher bounded around the stage giving clear direction, which pupils took in their stride. Lines were loud and clear; we’d have happily watched for longer. All years 3 and 5 do LAMDA exams, with 100 per cent distinctions, and there’s push on oracy skills across the school which shines through when speaking with the pupils. Eloquence in abundance.

Heavy focus on music – timetabled for an hour a week from pre-prep, with 60 per cent learning a musical instrument in school, including a harpist. All year 2s learn violin (good luck, parents) and there are two large scale concerts per year, plus class concerts and assemblies. ‘Proms in the quad’ with the senior school also popular. More groups than you could shake a stick at - jazz band, four choirs, orchestra, strings, ukulele club, funky flutes, rock band, guitars, to name a few.

DT from prep, and fabulous – the department was adorned with all manner of projects, including year 6’s steady hand wire games. Wood working everywhere. Dedicated food technology room where pupils mentioned the ‘yummy food’ they make, omelettes a favourite. The art studio in the eves displays a range of medium creations. Lots of talent on show. Pre-prep art teaching is a lot more fluid - less about technique, more about exploration.

Wraparound care popular from 7:30am to 6:00pm - a home-from-home environment with ‘beanbags and games galore’ and where the focus is on relaxation. If something more specific tickles your fancy, there’s a huge breadth of clubs ranging from Warhammer and Lego to food tasting, fishing, Lemon Jelly dance, pen-pals, moviemaking and story-telling. Plus all the usual sports clubs, usually the favourites. ‘Pre-prep and prep clubs are phenomenal and creative,’ raved one parent.

Katsu curry is the favourite lunch option, according to pupils – but nobody (including us) was disappointed with the mac’n’cheese served on our visit. Lots of other options too, including a huge range of salads. Pupils say it’s the ‘best lunch in the world’ and we saw no packed lunches in sight. Lots of chatter, teachers eating with pupils, great atmosphere – no formalities but lots of manners.

Children we met were smiley, their happiness infectious. They are proud of their school but don’t hold back on their grumbles, which mostly come down to the Astro timetable – it turns out the space is highly sought after! Not a strict school, they told us – ‘but you are taught respect’. They talk of their teachers having a ‘great sense of humour’ and that ‘lessons are fun, particularly maths’. The year 5s laughed as they explained one teacher’s secret code for a class party was ‘hard comprehension’. Parents say the school is ‘nurturing’ – pastoral care well thought through.

Parents largely middle-class professionals, most dual income (a recent shift towards this) and most local - from Berkhamsted and the surrounding towns and villages. Some further afield who griped that the school can be Berkhamsted centric with timings for events. Strong parent community, with PA that meets with the leadership team once a term and put all the usual events together. Class reps for each year. Good school comms, say parents, plus opportunities to come into school.

The last word

A traditional co-ed school providing good grounding for the senior schools and lots of fun along the way. Appreciated for its all-rounder focus, although more scholarly than it once was.

Special Education Needs

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