Berkhamsted School (boys) A GSG School

What The Good Schools Guide says

Head

Since 2022, Tom Hadcroft, previously senior vice principal at DLD College London. Degree in modern European studies from Lancaster, master’s from Leicester De Montfort, Lancaster and Buckingham. A qualified Graydin coach. Initially followed ‘big passions’ of travel and computing, working in France and Frankfurt. Later realised teaching IT would be a better fit. Has worked at St John’s, Leatherhead, as head of department and latterly (‘because my wife is French and I wanted my children to spend some of their childhood in a French-speaking country’) College Alpin Beau Soleil in Switzerland, where he introduced technology-enhanced learning. Returned to the UK to DLD, where he built boarding up from scratch, then felt ready to move again, but ‘only for a really interesting project’. Cue Berko, where he’d attended courses (they often run them for other schools – they had 130 attending the day after our visit) and was struck by ‘just how innovative’ it is.

Top tip: brush up on your IT acronyms before you meet him. We heard how, for example, the school was one of the earliest adopters of AS (affective social) tracking which helps spot hidden mental health risks early, as well as how AI (artificial intelligence) is being used to help develop a culture of positive masculinity, among other things.

His office – functional and unpretentious – reflects his unassuming affability. ‘You’ll struggle to find anyone who takes offence to him,’ said a parent. ‘Gets the right balance between strict and kind’ and ‘always on the sports side-line’, they told us. ‘Into sustainability,’ lauded one – walks the talk too, using electric bike to get between school sites. ‘Cheery’ and ‘welcoming’, say boys. In his free time, he enjoys cycling (‘not just the electric ones!’), football, athletics and rugby. Married to head of French in a Hemel Hempstead school. They have a son and a daughter – one at the school, the other at a state school.

Head of co-ed sixth form since 2017 is Martin Walker. Previously housemaster at Harrow, has also taught at The Perse. French and German degree (subjects he still teaches) from Nottingham. Believes the sixth form stands out for growth mindset, quality of teaching, focus on metacognition and independent vibe. Lives in Berkhamsted with his wife, who works for the NHS, and two children, both at the school.

Principal (of the six schools in the Berkhamsted Group) since 2016 is Richard Backhouse, previously head of Monkton Combe for 10 years. Educated at Cheam and Marlborough, followed by Selwyn College Cambridge, where he read economics. It was during a gap year teaching sailing and skiing when the teaching bug took hold: ‘I was fizzing after my first morning with the feeling you get when you take a child from “I can’t” to “I just did”.’ Rose through the ranks at Oundle and Bradfield. Though he’s tucked away in an office on the high street, parents nonetheless have a strong sense of him, probably thanks to his frequent presence on match days and school events, as well as his ‘motivational speeches’. ‘He wants to give the kids a really positive experience that will help shape their whole life,’ enthused one parent. Married to Debbie, with two adult children – and despite multiple offers for a caravan when his house was demolished to make room for the new sixth form campus, the family has settled half a mile away, with the cycling helmet hanging on his door a clue to his preferred method of transport. Cites skiing, sailing and gadgets among hobbies, and admits to regularly gnashing his teeth in support of Southampton FC.

Entrance

Diamond structure, so prep is co-ed, senior school is single sex (there’s one of each), then it’s back to co-ed for sixth form. In the boys’ senior school, 40-50 newbies join the 40 who move up from the prep at 11+ (no entrance exam for prep pupils from 2025 entry into senior school), with a further 40 coming in at 13+. Around a third from the state sector. Increasingly competitive at both levels, around three applications per place. But while no longer a safe backup for those who fail their 11+, we spoke to as many parents whose sons didn’t quite make the grammar school grade as those who sailed through. School says it’s after broader traits and from 2024, the new entrance process is set to be less cut-throat and more character-based to reflect this. Assessment day to include ISEB exam (English, maths and VR), interview and ‘holistic’ activities to explore eg sense of teamwork and how they critically evaluate. Also new from 2024 is that year 9 applicants will need to register and sit assessments two years in advance rather than one. Siblings who reach minimum standards are usually accommodated.

Around 60 (generally two-thirds girls, one third boys) join at sixth form – they make up a third of the cohort. Candidates (including existing students) need 43 points including at least a 6 in subjects to be studied (a 7 in some subjects and, for maths, an 8).

Exit

Around 15 per cent leave post GCSEs for all the usual reasons: a change (some have been there since age 3), more vocational subjects (eg criminology), financial reasons, they don’t hit the academic bar etc. Most sixth formers to university, around half to Russell Group. Exeter, Nottingham, Bristol, Leeds and Nottingham Trent currently popular. Wide range of courses, with economics, business studies, psychology and sports trending. Five to Oxbridge in 2023, and one medic. Sometimes a few overseas. Degree apprenticeships valued. Three-strong careers centre includes recently appointed head of international admissions. They were planning for a STEM fair when we visited. Career talks by OBs, ‘and not just the older ones who could be your mum or dad’. Note all the above stats apply to whole sixth form (so girls too).

Latest results

In 2023, 65 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; 40 per cent A*/A at A level (74 per cent A*-B). In 2019 (the last pre-pandemic results), 65 per cent 9-7 at GCSE; 47 per cent A*/A at A level (79 per cent at A*-B). All results are combined with the girls’ school.

Teaching and learning

‘An academic school, but not a highly pushy one,’ said one parent, another that, ‘It really pushes the boys but I wouldn’t call it a really academic school.’ Go figure. But that’s the thing about Berko – it’s different things to different people. Top grades for a really smart kid? Check. Decent grades for one who is no great academic? Check. Hours of top-notch sport or other extracurricular to balance it all out and make school more fun? Check (and the latter, really, is the main reason parents choose it).

Wouldn’t top local league tables (it doesn’t feature in them as it doesn’t submit results). But this is the Hertfordshire bubble, and it’s all relative. As one parent said, ‘The top grades of the school are as good as at any other top school, but the tail is a lot longer.’ Value added is where it’s at and school nails this side of things.

So how do they do it? ‘By throwing you in the deep end from day one!’ laughed one parent, if a little anxiously. ‘But there’s plenty of support,’ say boys. Endless testing, but again boys find a positive spin – ‘It means everything goes in and you’re never daunted by exams’ (although one felt some teachers could be ‘more sensitive in relaying results when you haven’t done so well’). Behind the scenes, teachers are trained in the latest pedagogy and boys say lessons are generally engaging – ‘You do lots of practicals in science – we recently did one on why fireworks explode in different colours.’ We dropped in on an RE lesson where boys were enjoying a real-life Passover meal.

Pupils take responsibility for their learning, and this feels genuinely innovative. Each boy gets a tutor with whom they have both group and one-to-one time – they help them with learn how to learn, as well develop as an individual. Pupils write their own reports and set their own targets, reflecting on the skills they’ve learned, as well as new ones they need. They’re also in the driving seat at learning consultations (parents’ evenings in old money).

Setting in maths and some languages from year 8. Students take two languages out of French, Spanish, Latin and Mandarin from year 7, and most take one for GCSE. Boys take between eight and 11 GCSEs, and all do either the HPQ or the school’s ‘learning pathway’ – options include applied science, digital media and learning, global perspectives and human, social and political science. Drama and food tech popular, always nice to see in a boys’ school – school soon to introduce a second kitchen.

At A level, co-ed sixth form feels like a school within a school. Total of 28 A levels include sociology, media studies, photography and computer science. Around half do an EPQ. Some flexibility around where students spend study periods – even at home if they feature at end of day – but don’t call them ‘free periods’ unless you want to raise the head of sixth form’s blood pressure.

Learning support and SEN

School talks about the need to cater for a neurodiverse world – music to our ears. Welcomes eg dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, autism and processing needs, albeit at the milder end as ‘boys need to be able to access the curriculum’. One-to-ones (free of charge from year 10) and drop-in sessions for core subjects, though most get the support through differentiated classroom teaching, partly enabled by SENCo regularly training teachers. Parents have mixed views on the department – ‘None of the strategies we’ve been given have been useful for us,’ said one, but another that, ‘They spot things early and get boys what they need.’ Full-time EAL coordinator mainly geared towards international sixth-form boarders (and even then most have a good grasp of English). Four EHCPs when we visited.

The arts and extracurricular

Nobody could argue the school sidelines extracurricular, and for many parents this is the clincher. Dedicated outdoor education lead organises everything from high ropes on site (yes, really!) through to bushcraft, climbing trips in the Peak District and skiing in Italy (masses of sports and subject-related trips too – Italy for Latin, Paris for music, Berlin for history, India for cricket, Madrid for football etc). ‘You won’t find a better CCF anywhere in the country,’ one boy declared – a little presumptuous, we felt, until we learned that Berko has the biggest contingent in the south-east. DofE gets 99 per cent take-up for bronze in year 9 and wins over 50 gold awards most years. The final hour of Monday afternoons allows everyone a shot at something non-academic, with plenty of before and after-school clubs besides – Dungeons and Dragons, robotics, climbing, community service, to name a few. Most of the above run with girls’ school.

Well-staffed music department. On curriculum (as are drama and art) for years 7-9, giving boys ‘a greater appreciation’ of music, plus a good dose of theory and practice. Old and new, Adele shoulder to shoulder with Mozart. Almost half the boys take private lessons, and the orchestra, choirs, ensembles, jazz band etc are usually joint with girls. For drama, boys share the large modern theatre on the girls’ site. LAMDA popular. Backstage opportunities include set design and lighting. Big shows such as Little Shop of Horrors, right through to year-group productions, all ‘very polished’, say parents. Again, extracurricular drama co-ed.

Standard of art does justice to the magnificent facilities, where regularly changed exhibitions of work showcase a variety of techniques. So, all the usual watercolours and acrylics but also textiles, ceramics, digital and creative media and photography (for which there’s an A level). Artist in resident. Three DT workshops – students were confidently risk-assessing the equipment as part of coursework when we dropped in.

Sport

Without a doubt, the jewel in the extracurricular crown. ‘The reason we chose the school,’ we heard time and again. ‘We wanted to keep up our son’s confidence and knew sport would achieve that,’ said one, typically. Winning is in the school’s DNA, especially for rugby (eg U14 A team remains unbeaten), and the trophy cabinets bulge, though school equally keen to promote its inclusive approach. ‘Take fives,’ said the head; ‘they don’t just take the best boys to fixtures.’ Boys concur, though say that’s not for all sports – sure, there are A-J teams in, say, football in some years, ‘but you get the best coaching, and more fixtures if you’re in the top teams.’

Good breadth. Besides rugby, football, cricket and fives, there’s skiing, squash, equestrian, climbing, Nordic walking and kayaking. For sixth formers, the 20 activities include yoga, spinning class, gym and walk and talk. ‘But I wish they did hockey,’ said one boy. Superb facilities split across the girls’ and boys’ sites and, a short walk away, the Chesham Road sports fields. Vast sports complex (on girls’ site) includes multipurpose sports hall, gym and pool. Elite players include boys who play academy level rugby and one boy represents England.

Boarders

Less a boarding school than a school with boarding, though parents say it’s more integrated than in the past, with some boys having sleepovers with their (day pupil) friends. Pretty even gender split – each gets a large residential house (next door to each other) a stone’s throw from both campuses. Three-quarters are full-time international students in sixth form, the rest flexi or occasionally boarders (on offer from year 7) and weekly boarders (available from year 9). Means it’s never empty at weekends, although there’s no schedule of activities and only occasional weekend outings (ice skating, cinema, Bicester village etc), with boys preferring to fend for themselves. While some might head out to local restaurants, others will cook in the galley kitchen, hang out in the large common room with colourful IKEA touches (plus, more importantly, BT Sport, Sky and Xbox) or pump iron in the basement gym. There’s also a study room with big tables. ‘We get full use of school’s sports facilities,’ added one. Sixth formers can venture into London on Saturdays. We saw mainly Chinese students heading back at the end of the school day but there is a smattering from other nationalities including Middle East, Thailand, Ukraine and Afghanistan. Single or double rooms, a few with ensuites – some with more personal touches than others.

Ethos and heritage

Bang in the middle of the attractive commuter town of Berkhamsted is the historic (dating back to 1541) Castle Campus, housing the boys’ school. The more modern girls’ Kings Campus, is situated a brisk 10-minute walk up the hill, just opposite the prep. Sixth formers use both sites, and from 2024 will have their own separate campus too, with collaboration spaces, entrepreneur hub (some sixth formers already have their own businesses), café and classrooms that convert into an exam hall ‘to keep the space familiar’. The boarding houses and principal’s office are dotted around town. The main school building on the Castle Campus is built around a grassy quad with cloisters – attractive red brick with stunning chapel, two-floor library and archive room. We felt the boys’ school beats the girls’ campus hands down for art, DT and food tech facilities but girls get the sports hall, theatre and better dining hall (better food, we heard too). Still, it’s all shared, so nobody really minds.

Pastoral care, inclusivity and discipline

Well-oiled pastoral system, with vertical house system taking centre stage. ‘The tutors create such great rapport – it’s the pastoral backbone of the school,’ felt one parent. Each house has its own common room (think ping-pong tables, table football, comfy seats etc) where boys start their day and can hang out in breaktimes. This is also where they can have one-to-ones with their ‘coach-like’ tutors. One parent said a ‘very natural mentoring system and family feel occurs as a result of the houses’. Counsellors, nurse and chaplain on hand, and the school has recently appointed a psychologist.

Quite strict, say boys. Three order marks (which you can get for eg forgetting a book, turning up to a lesson late, sloppy uniform) lands you a detention. ‘We have high expectations and hold boys to account,’ says head. But no writing out lines here as the school’s restorative approach means the aim is always for boys to learn from mistakes. If a boy bullies, for example, an intermediary helps him explore the impact he’s caused. But boys would welcome ‘more consistency’ in how and when those order marks are handed out. Around four temporary exclusions a term and one permanent a year.

School has a whopping 12 wellbeing dogs – we met one, a lovely golden lab. But dogs in school aren’t always the cuddly type, with school’s strong anti-drugs stance including occasional visits from sniffer dogs. ‘Definitely preventative,’ agree all, but with a thriving weekend party scene, parents are grateful nonetheless. Not much by way of ethnic diversity, though it’s on the up, but boys speak thoughtfully on issues such as Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+. School is big on duty and service – ‘encouraging these privileged boys to give back, for example with sleepouts for the homeless,’ according to one parent.

Pupils and parents

Boys are chatty and at ease with adults. They travel in from a 40-minute radius, many via the school’s comprehensive coach system. Families weighted on the affluent side – ‘There’s a lot of money swilling around but they are hardworking, so it’s not stuck up,’ said one. Parent community ‘there if you want it’, and the PA runs all the usual balls, quiz nights etc. Thriving OB association with regular sporting fixtures against the school, meetings with fellow professionals, reunion dinners and charitable events.

Money matters

Academic, drama, music and sports scholarships at 11+, 13+ and 16+, worth 10 per cent of fees. School has links with Chiltern Hills Academy and its five schools, taking on 11+ leavers into sixth form on full bursaries every year. Other means-tested bursaries available, but only a small number of students have taken these up.

The last word

A work hard, play hard culture in a diamond structured school that’s an integral part of a lovely local community. If local grammars or north London independent hothouses don’t do it for your more well-rounded son, this just might. Innovative approach to education, in the very widest sense of the word. Particularly good sporting offer. Probably wasted on those for whom extracurricular isn’t their thing.

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