P Visitor Parking
1. School Reception
2. The Mansion
3. The Bursary
4. The Pre-Prep
5. Pre-Prep Playground
6. Clock Court
7. The Church
8. Art & Design Centre
9. Science Labs
10. Computer Labs
11. Music Department
12. Performance Studio
13. Sports Hall
14. Forest School
15. Zip Wire and Playground
Nestling in a stunning estate in the Buckinghamshire countryside, Ashfold is easily accessible from Oxford, Bicester, Thame, Winslow and Aylesbury. Our superb facilities range from the beaufitul Grade I listed Jacobean Mansion to the impressive modern Art & Design Centre.
By Car: Thame 10 minutes
Bicester 15 minutes
Winslow 25 minutes
Oxford 30 minutes
Aylesbury 25 minutes
By Train:
Nearest rail stations
Thame and Haddenham
Bicester (London 40 minutes by train)
5 Science, Computing, Robotics, Food Tech labs, and Art & Design Centre
Sports Hall, heated pool, games pitches and all-weather surfaces
Over 30 acres of grounds, walled garden, woodland, streams and lake
Pastoral care is at the heart of everything we do, nurturing each child’s growth through our core values: Kindness, Respect, and Courage.
We are over
old
Our small classes allow teachers to identify and develop each child’s talents and unique learning needs.
a Big family
Strong team spirit and loyalty thrive in our Lions, Dragons, and Gryphons Houses
Our nutritious, homemade meals are perfect for fueling active and healthy children
Experienced, qualified nursing care is provided by our two dedicated matrons
We provide safe, reliable, and stress-free travel to and from school each day.
The Pre-Prep department is a wonderful place for the children to start their school journey as the variety of subjects, outdoor activities and co-curricular options the children have access to is exceptional.
Victoria - current parent
Year Group
Pre-Prep 1
Pre-Prep 2
Pre-Prep 3
Pre-Prep 4 Form 1 Form 2 Form 3 Form 4 Form 5 Form 6
School Day
8.30am - 12.45pm or 8.30am - 3.15pm 8.30am - 3.15pm 8.30am - 3.15pm 8.30am - 3.15pm 8.15am - 5.20pm 8.15am - 5.20pm 8.15am - 6.00pm 8.15am - 6.00pm 8.15am - 6.00pm 8.15am - 6.00pm
Wrap Around Care
7.30am - 5.15pm 7.30am - 5.15pm
7.30am - 5.15pm 7.30am - 5.15pm 7.30am - 6.00pm 7.30am - 6.00pm 7.30am - 6.00pm 7.30am - 6.00pm 7.30am - 6.00pm 7.30am - 6.00pm
The school day offers flexibility to meet different families’ needs. Wrap around care, including breakfast and after-school tea, can be booked in advance or on an ad hoc basis. Children in Forms 1 and 2 have the option to stay for co-curricular activities until 5.20pm, with aftercare available until 6pm. Most of our older children in Forms 3-6 choose to stay to complete their homework, supervised by teachers until 5.20pm and enjoy the extensive range of co-curricular activities on offer until 6.00pm. On Fridays, the end of the school day is at 5:20pm for Forms 1-6.
We believe that every child deserves to be challenged, nurtured, and inspired. Our unwavering dedication to academic excellence helps every child reach their full potential. This commitment has been recognized with the prestigious Challenge Award from the National Association for Able Children in Education in 2024.
Ashfold learners embody our four academic core values:
• AMBITIOUS: We encourage our children to set high goals and strive for excellence in all their endeavors.
• CURIOUS: A natural inquisitiveness is fostered, allowing our children to explore and understand the world around them.
• RESILIENT: Challenges are seen as opportunities to grow, with resilience being a key trait the children develop.
• INDEPENDENT: Our learners are equipped with the skills and confidence to think and act independently, preparing them for a successful future.
Our broad and deep education establishes a strong academic foundation for each child’s learning, both now and in the future.
We have a research-based approach to teaching which includes genuine embedding of interdisciplinary links across subjects.
The school makes exceptional provision for its pupils both within and beyond the classroom. It offers a vibrant and exciting curriculum that promotes learning and builds cultural capital through the wide range of learning experiences both within and beyond the school. The school’s leadership is highly aspirational for its pupils, and provision for More Able pupils is central to that aspiration and woven through all aspects of school life. Behaviour for learning is outstanding with pupils remaining engaged and on task and endeavoring to do their best at all times.
National Association for Able Children in Education Award
Pupils have subject specialist teachers in some subjects right from the start in our Pre-Prep, and in all subjects from Year 5 upwards.
Our focus on desirable difficulty and resilience empowers each child to aim high with confidence, recognising that trying (and failing) is key to success.
Regular reporting ensures open channels of communication, helping to track each child’s progress and achieve their academic potential.
Pupils with particular talent or ability in any area are identified by their teachers and given personalised targets to ensure their high potential is met and they are continually challenged.
We identify and work with More Able Pupils in the following areas:
• Academic
• Co-Curricular
• Vocational and Life Skills
For the older pupils, scholarship programmes and masterclasses stretch their knowledge and skills to levels far exceeding age-related expectations.
22% of Prep School (Year 3-8) pupils are identified as more able learners.
16% of Pre-Prep (Reception-Year 2) pupils are identified as more able learners.
Special Educational Needs (SEN) teachers and Teaching Assistants (TAs) provide in-class, small group, and 1:1 support for children with additional learning needs to ensure they achieve their full academic potential. All teachers and TAs are regularly trained on providing inclusive in-class support for pupils with additional needs.
Our ‘Next Schools’ process starts early, involving 1:1 consultations with parents, and comprehensive, personalised guidance on entrance exams and scholarships
We can facilitate all of the following within the school day:
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• English as an Additional Language Lessons
• Dyslexia Specialist Tutoring
27% of Ashfold pupils are supported in one way or another by extra attention from the SEN department.
For us what is so special is seeing how our son is totally thriving at Ashfold! The school has provided a happy, safe and supportive environment in which he can have a go at new experiences, challenge himself and have a great deal of fun along the way.
Lucinda - current parent
95%
Children sing o r play a musical instrument
7
Drama productions for every child to perform on stage
47%
Take LAMDA speech, drama and dance lessons
Arts Scholarship Programmes
18
Concerts and recitals each year
Masterclasses for pupils applying for Music, Drama, Art and Design Technology scholarships to senior schools.
The Good Schools Guide “
Whether arty, sporty, or musical, there’s something for every child here.
Sports Scholarship Programme
Masterclasses for pupils applying for sports scholarships to senior schools
Every child in the Prep School regularly represents the school in weekly fixtures
Developing skills, passion and good sportmanship for life
Team of specialist games staff
Athletics
Sports available to try
Badminton
Basketball
Cricket
Croquet
Cross Country
Equestrian
“
Lacrosse
Netball Rounders
Swimming
Tennis
Triathlon
Yoga
We particularly like Ashfold’s focus on sport every day, and how through the academic subjects the school has built our childrens’ individual confidence in their abilities. Ashfold brilliantly fosters a real sense of ‘can do’ attitude and pride in their achievements, alongside an awareness of working with others and supporting their friends and team mates on and off the pitch.
Lucy - current parent
Our programme of trips and visits is varied and fun. As well as regular curriculum visits to museums, historic sites, galleries and farms, we also offer a variety of residential trips for our older children.
Form 4 Bushcraft trip
Form 5 French trip to Normandy
Form 6 Geography field trip to Dorset
Form 6 Outward-bound expedition to Brecon Beacons
Forms 5 & 6 Sports tour
Our children have absolutely flourished in their first year at Ashfold. Having joined from a local primary school, the wealth of new experiences offered, both academically and through the co-curricular activities, have seen their confidences shoot through the roof.”
Anabelle - current parent
Children’s successes are celebrated, whether they are achieved on the sports field, in extra-curricular pursuits or in the classroom and the emphasis is on fun as well as hard work...and to try new challenges.”
The Week Independent Schools Guide
60+ activities - find your passions!
22 Rifle Shooting
Academic Scholars Club
Ancient Greek Club
Archery
Art and Pottery Club
Badminton
Board and Card Games
Bullet Journaling
Bushcrafting
Chess Club
Choir
Circus Skills
Coding Club
Comic Club
Cookery Club
Cricket Net Coaching
Croquet
Dance
Debating Society
Dodge Ball
Eco Committee
First Aid Training
Fishing
Football Coaching
Gardening Club
Hammer Bead Club
HIIT training
Hockey Coaching
Karate
Kiwk Cricket
Q Club
Lego Club
Macrame Club
Maths Puzzles and Games
Metal Work
Mindfulness Colouring
Minetest
Meditation and Mindfulness
Model and War Hammer Club
Nature Artists
Netball Coaching
Orchestra
Orienteering
Origami Club
Pilates
Play Rehearsals
Pool Games
Read and Relax
Rounders
Rugby Coaching
Sewing Club
Spanish Club
Sport’s Masterclass
STEM club
Swim Coaching
Table Tennis
Tennis Coaching
Touch Typing
Vex Robotics
Yoga
Children can vary the nights that they choose to board each term
Children commit to regular nights each week to board with their friends
Children board with their friends from Monday to Thursday each week.
Forms 3 - 6 (Years 5 - 8)
Forms 1 & 2 (Years 3 & 4)
Pre-Prep 4 (Year 2)
Pre-Prep 2 & 3 (Reception & Year 1)
Pre-Prep 1 (Nursery)
• every day
• one full day per week
• one session per week
Pre-booked Boarding
Casual Boarding
£7,560
£6,820
£5,060
£4,510
£4,350
£870
£650
£44 - £47 per night
£52 per night
Individual Learning Support Included in Fees
Most School Trips Included in Fees
Curriculum Workshops Included in Fees
Breakfast Club
After-School Club
• Session 1 (3.15-4.15pm)
• Session 2 (4.15-5.15pm)
• Session 3 (5.15-6.00pm)
Individual Music Tuition
Individual LAMDA Tuition
£8 per session
£9.50 per session
£9.50 per session
£11.50 per session
£26 per lesson
£26 per lesson
Ashfold prides itself on its culture of kindness. The Week Independent Schools Guide
VOUCHERS AND POLICIES
We accept childcare vouchers from most companies.
To contact the Chairman of the Governors, please write to: Mrs Mags Hope, Ashfold School, Dorton House, Aylesbury, Bucks HP18 9NG.
The following information is available on the Policies page on Ashfold’s website:
• Admissions Policy
• Anti-Bullying Policy
• Behaviour Policy
• Complaints Policy
• Curriculum Policy
• First Aid Policy
• Health & Safety Policy
• Safeguarding Policy
• Educational and welfare provision for pupils with Educational, Health & Care plans
• Educational and welfare provision for pupils for whom English is an additional foreign language
Ashfold School Trust Limited is a registered company no. 1287451 and a registered charity no. 272663.
At age 13, our leavers head to a diverse range of senior day and boarding schools, many with scholarships:
CO-EDUCATIONAL SCHOOLS
• Berkhamsted School
• Bloxham School
• Blundell’s School
• Bradfield College
• Cheltenham College
• Cokethorpe School
• D’Overbroecks
• Haileybury
• Kingham Hill School
• Lord Williams’s School
• Marlborough College
• Millfield School
• Monkton Combe
• Oundle School
• Princes Risborough School
• Rugby School
• Shiplake College
• St Edward’s, Oxford
• Stowe School
• The Oratory School
• Uppingham School
• Waddesdon C of E School
• Wellington College
• Wycliffe School
BOYS’ SCHOOLS
• Abingdon School
• Bedford School
• Eton
• Harrow School
• Magdalen College School
• Radley College
• Warwick GIRLS’ SCHOOLS
• Headington School
• Oxford High School
• Queen Anne’s School
• Queenswood
• Headington Rye
• St Helen and St Katharine
• Tudor Hall School
• Wychwood School
• Wycombe Abbey School
2024
If you are looking for a school that develops well rounded, confident, kind and bright children, this is your school.
Francesca - current parent
Success rate for senior school entrance
1 x Roxburgh All-Rounder
2 x DT
4 x Drama
4 x Sport
We are quietly proud of our school and hope you will love it too. But don’t just take our word for it. Read our ISI inspection report and the independent reviews of our school on www.ashfoldschool.co.uk/AboutUs.
We are honoured to have been awarded the Best of the Best Prep School in the UK for the past two years by The Week Independent Schools Guide, winning in the categories of Great for Co-curricular in 2024 and Great for All-rounders in 2023. We are very grateful for both of these acknowledgements.
Ashfold has an impressive academic record, but entrance is non-selective and the school is absolutely not a hothouse...the emphasis is on fun as well as hard work. Individual strengths are nurtured and pupils are encouraged to try new challenges.
The Week Independent Schools Guide
Not a place for the sharp-elbowed.
Outdoorsy, relaxed children, passionate about everything from tree-planting to Taylor Swift, run free in 30 glorious acres.
‘It’s just incredibly nurturing and kind,’ as one mum told us: a country prep doing what country preps do best.
Good Schools Guide
We are thrilled that Ashfold has been awarded “EXCELLENT” in all areas following our latest school inspection.
A double “excellent” is the highest possible outcome for a school and the inspectors stated that Ashfold was: excellent, both for the quality of pupils’ academic and other achievements excellent, for the quality of pupils’ personal development
Ashfold is a friendly, family-orientated school. Parents are actively involved in many different aspects of school lifewatching concerts to supporting on the touchline. Our Parents’ Committee run regular social events throughout the year, as well as our fabulous May Ball.
This bucolic co-ed prep school is family-oriented with a deserved reputation for its all-rounder offering. Ashfold mums will talk your ear off about how nurturing the school is. They love it.
Muddy Stilettos | The Urban Guide to the Countryside
Each year we encourage our children to support a charity and think about the world around them. These fundraising events provide fun opportunities for our whole school community to come together to support other communities, both at home and abroad.
Our Old Ashfoldians tell us that they regard their time at Ashfold as simply the best years of their lives. We take great pride in hearing their news and keeping up with their achievements. We are always happy to welcome ‘our children’ back for visits.
What next?
We warmly invite you to come and meet our pupils and staff to experience Ashfold’s tremendous spirit for yourself.
Please contact our Registrar for further information and to arrange your visit: 01844 238237 registrar@ashfoldschool.co.uk
Follow all our school news on social media (@ashfoldschool) and in The Hoot newsletter on our website www.ashfoldschool.co.uk
