Berkhamsted Schools Group is one of Britain’s leading independent school communities, based on five sites. Four are situated in the historic and prosperous town of Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire and one in the sought-after town of Amersham in Buckinghamshire. Our family of six schools combines both single-sex and co-educational teaching.
At the Pre-Prep and Prep, boys and girls are taught together until the age of 11, separately from 11-16 allowing each pupil to flourish academically (Berkhamsted Boys and Berkhamsted Girls), with co-ed activities, sports and trips, before coming back together again in a joint Sixth Form. Heatherton, situated in Buckinghamshire, provides a co-educational Nursery class (aged rising 3-4) and single-sex education for girls from age 4-11.
The Curriculum
All pupils are supported and encouraged to reach their full potential, with appropriate teaching environments for each age group and a structure that offers the best of both co-educational and single-sex tuition. Up to eleven subjects may be taken for GCSE.
In Sixth Form, courses are offered in 28 subjects, alongside an Enrichment Programme with the option to complete an Extended Project Qualification. Pupils are prepared for university entrance, including Oxbridge. Careers guidance and personal tutoring are offered throughout.
Games & the Arts
Key sports for Girls are Lacrosse, Netball and Tennis, and for Boys, Rugby, Football and Cricket. Athletics, Badminton, Cross-Country, Equestrian, Eton Fives, Golf, Hockey, Judo, Rowing, Shooting, Squash and Swimming are also pursued with team games and regional and national squads.
Duke of Edinburgh Awards, CCF, community service, work experience and Young Enterprise are all offered, alongside a wide range of clubs, societies, or courses. Regular school theatre productions, orchestral and choral concerts achieve high standards of performance. Girls and Boys come together for a range of these activities.
Pastoral Care
The main social and pastoral unit are within the Houses, from the Head of House and House Tutors, providing continuity of support and advice, whilst monitoring each individual pupil’s progress. The Deputy Heads, alongside the Pupil Wellbeing and Personal Development team, support teaching staff across the whole school in implementing a proactive strategy that focuses primarily on keeping pupils well and looking for early signs of potential issues. There is a Medical Centre with qualified staff. The School Medical Officer has special responsibility for boarders. Qualified Counsellors are available to all pupils for confidential counselling. The School also has a full-time Chaplain.
Recent Scholarships OR University Places
In 2020, leavers secured themselves places at some of the world’s leading Universities with 7 students going on to Oxbridge. The top 4 University destinations were Birmingham, Nottingham, Durham, and Exeter.
Outstanding Characteristics
- A family of Schools with a long history and proud traditions, yet with a firm eye on current best educational practice and offering leading-edge teaching technology
- Excellent academic standards without being academic hothouses
- Extensive co-curricular programme
- House system placing academic progress and pastoral care at the centre of each child’s education
- Offering a ‘Diamond model’ of teaching, with co-educational and single-sex tuition for boys and girls providing the best of both worlds in one family of Schools
- The Berkhamsted family of Schools has all the advantages of access to large school resources with a small school sense of community and individual care
- Wrap Around Care and the option of flexible, weekly, or full boarding, coach routes and holiday camps on offer during the school holidays
- Within easy reach of London by road or public transport
Facilities
With separate Pre-Prep and Prep sites, two Senior School campuses, the School is well equipped with a range of facilities.
| Science Laboratories | Library | Learning Resources Centres | Information Technology Suites | Sixth Form Centres |
| Careers Libraries | Dining Halls | Medical Centre | House Rooms | Deans’ Hall (an Assembly Hall) |
| Centenary Theatre (500-seat) | Extensive Playing Fields | Eton Fives Courts | Squash Courts | Tennis Courts |
| Gymnasium | Drama Studio | Music School | Art Studios | Sports Hall |
| 25m indoor Swimming Pool | Design Centre | Classrooms | Chapel | Sports Pavilion |
| Chesham Road Playing Fields | Football and Rugby Pitches | 4G Astroturf | High Ropes | Outdoor Education Centre |
In addition, a brand new state-of-the-art Sixth Form Centre on Castle Campus is due to be in operation in 2023. Sixth Form students will benefit from a spacious and modern learning environment with recreational spaces which are more aligned with the next stage of their life, whether that be university or the workplace.
Location
The Berkhamsted Schools stand in the heart of Berkhamsted, a historic and thriving town only 30 miles from London. It enjoys excellent communications to London, the airports, to the Midlands and the communities of Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, and Hertfordshire. Heatherton is situated in the London commuter market town of Amersham.