Elstree is an award-winning day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 3 to 13. Now fully co-educational, children can begin their life in the Elstree Pre-Prep Nursery and continue their Elstree education until the end of Year 8.
Beautiful Berkshire
You would be hard pushed to find a more idyllic and invigorating setting than Elstree. Located amid 150 acres of rural Berkshire countryside, less than 10 miles from Newbury and Reading and about an hour from west London, Elstree offers a secure, bucolic environment where boys and girls have the time and space to be nurtured and inspired.
Small class sizes, individual care
With around 275 pupils, and plenty of space and facilities, class sizes are small (average 12 per class), so there’s time for one-on-one attention and individual support. Elstree prides itself on the personal care that each child receives.
While Elstree has a reputation as a school with high academic, creative, and sporting achievements (in 2020, 11 scholarships were awarded, two of which are academic scholarships to Winchester), it is a non-selective school.
Pupils go on to the leading Senior Schools including Eton, Bradfield, Radley and Wellington and routinely achieve excellent results in Common Entrance and Scholarship examinations.
Best for Boarding 2020
Around 50% of Elstree pupils board from one to seven nights of the week. Elstree’s flexible boarding model means parents can strike the right balance between school and home life. Children from Year 4 can flexi or weekly board.
Elstree was selected as the Best Boarding School at the prestigious Independent Schools of the Year (ISOTY) 2020 Awards. From more than 300 nominations nationwide, Elstree was the only preparatory school to be shortlisted. It was also a finalist in the category of Best Independent Pre-Prep School.
A thriving extra-curricular programme
With so much space, come opportunities galore. Pupils are involved in Music, Art, DT, Drama, and Sport, to name a few.
The creative arts at Elstree are thriving. There are 4 choirs, orchestras, ensembles, and 85% learning an instrument.
Music, Art, DT, Drama and Sport scholarships are regularly awarded to Elstree pupils, with many exhibition success-stories.
Drama plays a huge role with at least three school productions every year and the option to take LAMDA classes.
Sport is an integral part of life at Elstree. Every child receives daily sport coaching and can represent the school.
Facilities include a recently refurbished performance space, modern well-equipped sports hall, an outdoor heated swimming pool and 2 all-weather pitches, one of which is full-sized and includes 12 tennis courts.
There are also multiple sports pitches, indoor and outdoor cricket nets, a fitness trail, low ropes course, a 9-hole golf course and a shooting range.
Elstree was selected as one of the Top 50 Prep Schools for Cricket in The Cricketer’s School Guide 2021.
Daily wrap-around care
Wrap-around care means parents can drop off at 8am and collect at 6pm. After School Clubs for the younger children are fun and varied. There is a wide choice and always something for everyone.
Exceptional pastoral care
Elstree’s dedicated staff play an essential role in supporting the pastoral programme which is a fundamental part of life in and out of the classroom. Each child’s academic and personal progress is monitored, attesting to the belief that personal growth and academic development derive from a happy, caring environment where children are encouraged and feel valued.
Charitable work caring for the community
Elstree encourages its pupils to be kind, considerate, open-minded, compassionate, and tolerant of others.
An important feature of an Elstree education is to foster an awareness of those less fortunate and to encourage pupils to become more caring members of the community.
Everyone is actively encouraged to participate in projects that benefit others as part of our Elstree Award (our own version of a Junior Duke of Edinburgh Award with a focus on charity, teamwork, leadership, life skills and problem solving).
Local and London Buses
There is a Monday Morning bus from London (Earls Court and Hammersmith) and return bus for exeat weekends. Daily local buses run from Hungerford, Basingstoke, Brightwalton and Reading.
Elstree ethos
At Elstree, we are academically ambitious and provide a first class, all-round education. Our pupils go on to the leading public schools and we are immensely proud of the excellent results they routinely achieve in Common Entrance and Scholarship examinations.
Our firm belief that happiness breeds success places the emphasis on positive thinking, building self-confidence and developing each child’s academic potential and interests to the full.
Coupled with academic ambition comes the importance of giving children a proper childhood. Creativity, teamwork and tolerance go hand in hand with a hunger and curiosity to learn and a strong will to succeed.
Christian values underpin everything we do, and the aim is always to embed the important values of kindness to others, hard work and making the most of opportunities.
Reasons to choose Elstree
- Elstree is non-selective, but still sends pupils to the top Senior Schools
- In 2020, 11 scholarships were awarded, two of which are academic scholarships to Winchester
- Class sizes average 12, so every child receives individual care
- Best Boarding School 2020 (ISOTY)
- Named Top 50 Prep School for cricket by The Cricketer 2020
- Elstree pupils are given the opportunity to shine, and develop a sense of accomplishment and personal worth
- Friendships at Elstree are made for life
To reserve a place on one of our Open Mornings click here:
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