School Life

Wellbeing and Pastoral Care

Supporting academic progress and development

Every pupil has a Form Teacher, whose primary role is to support each child’s development throughout the academic year. Our Form Teachers are supported by a Head of Year who monitors the day-to-day academic and pastoral progress of the children.

Our subject teaching staff provide feedback to the Form Teachers throughout the year to ensure that a holistic view of each child’s performance in school is being obtained.

This process is overseen by our Head of Pastoral Care and our Deputy Head who meet regularly with the Heads of Year and the Headteacher to discuss how the children are progressing in all areas of school life. There is also a network of other staff working on each campus to support our pupils’ needs including our Chaplaincy team, Nurses and a trained team of counsellors.

These members of staff can be contacted at any time in order to discuss your child’s wellbeing.

Moving to Senior School

We understand that the transition from Berkhamsted Prep to Senior School is one of the most important steps in your child’s education, which is key to their future success and happiness.

We are here to offer you guidance on choosing the right school for your child and there are ample opportunities to discuss this with us the best secondary school experience for each individual child.

Pupils flourish at our Senior Schools, benefiting from our ‘diamond’ educational structure which provides same-sex academic lessons combined with co-curricular subjects, clubs and events.  We believe our approach ensures academic excellence, whilst providing pupils with essential opportunities to socialise with their peers.

Entry Assessments

We will not require Berkhamsted Prep pupils entering our Senior Schools to take any entrance exams from the 2025 Year 7 entry onwards: this affects pupils in Year 3 in September 2021, and following years.

For further details on the current Year 7 entry assessments and the transfer process, please refer to our Progression Policy.

The Parent Partnership

Our pupils’ wellbeing and happiness relies on a strong partnership with parents and school so that we both work together for their success.

At Berkhamsted we support our students throughout any setbacks, worry or disappointments they have to face. The care we provide means that they leave us as resilient, self-assured and independent young people.

This partnership is particularly needed to provide support and advice within today’s fast-moving world, with continuous changes in technology and in social media.

Our Parent Talks and Courses programme reinforces the relationship between home and school, allowing staff and parents to discuss the issues facing young people today.

Pupils at Berkhamsted Prep benefit from access to superb facilities which cater exclusively to Key Stage Two education.

Prep facilities include specialist areas for teaching Music, French, Science, ICT and Design Technology, alongside the well-equipped 500-seat Centenary Theatre on our Kings Campus, which hosts professional music and drama productions throughout the school year.

Sports facilities for Prep students include two tennis courts, an outdoor teaching area and three Eton Fives Courts, plus access to the 25m indoor heated swimming pool and sports hall at the Knox-Johnston Sports Centre and extensive playing fields covering over 40 acres, including the School’s own Haslam Field.

The House System

Central to life at Berkhamsted Prep, our Houses provide each student with a sense of belonging, developing their self-confidence.

The children are allocated to one of six Houses, comprising of pupils from Year 3 to Year 6.

Our Houses also provide an environment for cooperation and competition, with Inter-House competitions, music, quizzes, Art and sport. Pupils also regularly fundraise for charity within their House.

Wrap Around Care

Flexible childcare options, morning and after school 

We provide a high standard of flexible Wrap Around Care outside of core school hours. We offer Wrap Around Care from 07:30 to 18:00 for children during term-time.

We understand that there will be times when flexibility is required. If your working hours or other commitments mean you need your child to be cared for beyond the school day, you can rest assured that they are well taken care of either before school, after school or both.

With our Wrap Around Care facility, we aim to create a family experience before and after the standard school day. Our pupils lead busy lives and we believe it is very important that they have the chance to relax.

Wrap Around Care provides a ‘home at school’ experience which is much enjoyed by those who attend. Activities are chosen by the children, with some doing their homework and others playing games, drawing or working on a creative activity. If they prefer, they can simply choose to watch television.

Parents have the option to book their child into Breakfast Club from 07:30 before school and/or After School Care at the end of the school day up until 18:00 if they wish. Due to current government guidelines our extra-curricular activities are changing, therefore, we recommend contacting your school office for the latest information and booking process for WAC. Charges for WAC can be found on the FEES’ SHEET.