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• C E L E B R AT I N G T H E V E R Y B E S T I N B R I T I S H E D U C AT I O N •
A school for every journey Prep, senior, boarding and day
Well-rounded
PA R T O F
How to nurture confident, compassionate and socially responsible children
NURSERIES • PRE-PREP • PREP • SENIOR SCHOOLS
Classical studies
Contemporary
Elizabeth Burrows explores the traditional-education revolution that is building momentum in independent schools across the country, from Latin and Ancient Greek to blacksmithery, archery, fencing and croquet
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PHOTOGRAPHY: ANDREW WALMSLEY
classics
Classical studies
Radley College choristers leaving the chapel after a service with their robes
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Awards finalist
CHARACTER BUILDING 22
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Awards finalist
Langley School is set on more than 100 acres of rural parkland
Clare Rackham, Head of Langley Prep, Norfolk reveals how students are instilled with a well-rounded skillset for the future, making it an awards finalist in the Prep School of the Year category
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PHOTOGRAPHY: TIM STEPHENSON
E
xplore, engage, excel. Three words that might sound like a marketing slogan. In reality, they’re deeply woven into our approach to prep education. Grounded in the teachings of neuroscience, our approach mirrors how brain development works. We believe that excellence isn’t predicated on academic outcomes alone, but on harnessing the natural process of learning to deliver the best outcomes for each child. Explore, engage, excel captures the natural learning journey – from curiosity-driven exploration, through engagement and enjoyment (a prerequisite for mastery), to mastery and high performance. Neuroscience provides the structural evidence, as these phases map on to how our brains learn. Honouring this sequence provides the conditions for optimal learning, no matter the subject. Provided with opportunities to explore and engage, children are neurologically primed to excel – achieving mastery and efficiency. There’s a window in childhood that closes faster than most parents realise. Whether inside or outside of the classroom, the entire Langley experience is geared to optimise this precious period. Between the ages of four and 13, children form the habits, confidence and curiosity that shape what follows; not just their exam results, but the adults they become. Choosing a prep school is, at heart, a decision about where to spend that window of time.
WE BELIEVE THAT EXCELLENCE ISN’T
predicated on academic outcomes alone, but on harnessing the natural process of learning to deliver THE BEST OUTCOMES FOR EACH CHILD
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School libraries
Libraries are no longer defined by hushed voices and dusty bookshelves. Today, independent-school libraries are vibrant, dynamic spaces, purposebuilt to meet the needs of 21st century learners, writes Katie Hughes
PHOTOGRAPHY: RICHARD MORAN PHOTOGRAPHY
SHELF LIFE
Clifton College’s Grade iI-listed Percival Library is a popular space for students to read and study
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School libraries
T
he momentum has been building for school libraries. In 2024, there was the Great School Libraries Campaign, with authors like Philip Pullman, Michael Morpurgo and Julia Donaldson demanding stronger legal protection for these important institutions. Then there was the government’s £10m commitment to school library provision. Now, 2026 is The National Year of Reading: a Department of Education and National Literacy Trust campaign to get the country hooked on books. Behind all this noise, independentschool libraries have been quietly getting on with what they do best: not just finding ever-more innovative ways to encourage young readers, but also creating dynamic academic hubs that drive curiosity, knowledge and debate. So, dispel the notion that school libraries are simply book depositories. They’re rich resources for reading, learning and broadening horizons.
Old meets new The Percival Library at Bristol’s Clifton College boasts a vast vaulted ceiling in a Grade II-listed building. At St Mary’s Calne, the Lumi Library’s timber-andglass spaces look out over an apple
orchard. And, at The King’s School, Chester, the Wickson Library’s neat rows of reading genres sit alongside comfy sofas to emulate a slick and contemporary bookshop. The visual diversity of libraries like these is matched by a vast range of analogue and digital content that wouldn’t look out of place in a university setting. Take Clifton College, whose multimedia senior library houses over 15,000 books, along with an array of graphic, audio and online resources. Or St Mary’s Calne, whose reading materials sit side by side with interactive teaching zones, a mini-amphitheatre and student breakout rooms. Meanwhile, at The King’s School, pupils can collaborate over maths equations and French verb tables on the library’s doodle walls. They can dip into the homeworkreading section, where books align with the senior curriculum. Or they can explore digital career platforms in study pods. “We have, at the heart of our school, a library that truly reflects – and actively enables – our future-oriented, pupilfocused approach to teaching and learning,” says The King’s School’s Headmaster, George Hartley. And this ambition is echoed across the independent sector.
The library at St Mary’s Calne boasts a mini-amphitheatre and interactive teaching zones
King’s School students use doodle walls to aid collaborative study time
Clifton College teachers get involved with Literary Bingo on World Book Day
Instilling a love of reading in pre-prep and prep students is a priority for the Harrodian School
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Social responsibility
DON’T HIT THE PANIC BUTTON Nathaniel McCullagh, Managing Director of Simply Learning Education, explores the growing issue of eco-anxiety among children and shares practical advice for parents on how to help them become socially responsible citizens 40 independentschoolparent.com
Social responsibility ??????
O
ur climate has changed and much of this change is adversely affecting people and nature. You only need to look around at the parched landscape this summer, or see images of the devastating wildfires, to see how acute the situation has become. Parents and schools must reassure children that things can improve – and give them agency to act.
What is eco-anxiety?
Eco-anxiety describes the physical and mental distress caused by watching the climate crisis unfold in front of our eyes. It illustrates how many of us feel both intensely overwhelmed by what we see and acutely anxious about the future. It encapsulates our feelings of dread, fear, senselessness and above all, the powerlessness that many of us now feel in the face of climate change. The impact on children and young people is particularly profound. The largest global survey of eco-anxiety in young people polled 10,000 young people aged 16 to 25 across 10 countries. The results, published in The Lancet in December 2021 showed that nearly 60% of young people are ‘very’ or ‘extremely worried’ about environmental problems, 45% reported a negative impact of these emotions on daily functioning such as eating, concentrating, sleeping, going to school, and playing and 75% believe that the future is frightening. But children are hugely resilient and with the right support and resources, they have the potential to develop remarkable grit and strength to cope with challenges. The key is to give them a sense of agency, the belief that they can be part of the solution.
What can schools and parents do to help?
If your child’s worry is that ‘everything will burn up’ or ‘all the animals will die’, you can explain that these things aren’t true – or aren’t coming true soon. Tangible, precise facts help ground younger children, preventing fears from overwhelming them. Give them some achievable actions to do to help in and around the home (see boxout). And reassure them that there are lots of clever grown-ups working on solutions and that their generation will be part of those solutions.
Make space for feelings
Eco-anxiety is a rational reaction to climate change. Don’t dismiss your child’s concerns, allow them to ask tough questions and make space for them to talk. A 2025 TIME report found that nearly 62% of young people try to talk about
“The most important thing is to make sure that children are well informed. There’s no point in simply telling them that all will be well. They need to be part of the conversation. We’ve launched initiatives such as sustainability club, climate awareness day and Earth Day. We can’t pretend that climate change isn’t happening, but we can encourage them to make a difference.” Tom Dawson, Headmaster Sunningdale School
climate change but also 58% feel ignored or dismissed – highlighting just how crucial these conversations are. It’s ok not to have all the answers, what’s important is keeping the lines of communication open. Try asking: ‘What have you been hearing about climate change?’ or ‘What worries you most about this?’ rather than immediately offering them solutions or reassurance.
Immersing children in nature gives them an appreciation and respect for the planet
It’s important to educate young people about where they source their information on climate change. Make sure they understand that it’s important to “We know that understanding about be informed by the scientists and climate change cannot be addressed climate researchers who know by adding another topic to the what is happening. Share agecurriculum. Instead, it must be woven appropriate resources with your through every aspect of school life.” children. For younger children Alexandra Haydon, Headteacher, this might be books or videos Francis Holland School, Sloane Square from organisations like National Geographic Kids, BBC Bitesize, or WWF. For older children you could explore IPCC reports for youth, government climate data, or reputable news sources together. And parents don’t need to be climate experts themselves. When a child asks a question,
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PHOTOGRAPHY: ADOBE STOCK PHOTO/DGLIMAGES
Build climate literacy in your child
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Banbury
17
52
South East
Milton Keynes
Letchworth
36
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Chipping Norton
Bicester
30 27
Stowe
16
Gerrards Cross
Maidenhead 18
Moulsford
13 11
Ascot 2 Windsor 1 3 Wokingham 10
12
14 Thatcham Newbury Crowthorne 6 8 Sandhurst 9
Thorpe Egham 74
Woking
Hook Farnham 62
Andover
HAMPSHIRE 20 Winchester
21
19
63
Alton Liphook
67 68
25
Hampshire
HOOK 19 Lord Wandsworth College LIPHOOK 20 Churcher’s College Junior School 21 Highfield and Brookham LYMINGTON 22 Walhampton NEW MILTON 23 Ballard School 24 Durlston School PETERSFIELD 25 Churcher’s College
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Cranleigh
22
Petworth Pulborough
82
Tunbridge Wells East Grinstead
50
Ashford
KENT Dover 46
Cranbrook
45 Hawkhurst
83
84 Haywards
87
WEST SUSSEX
Lymington
Canterbury
49
70
Horsham
Heath Burgess Hill
Robertsbridge
79 Mayfield
80 St 85 Hurstpierpoint EAST SUSSEX Leonardson-Sea
Washington
81 Worthing
New 23 Milton 24
Broadstairs Ramsgate
Rochester
Chislehurst 43 Bromley
Rudgwick
Haslemere
Bramdean
Southampton
AMERSHAM 15 The Beacon GERRARDS CROSS 16 St Mary’s School MILTON KEYNES 17 Thornton College SLOUGH 18 Caldicott Prep School
56 Epsom 73 South Croydon 61 59 Esher 58
65 64 Godalming
Petersfield
Buckinghamshire
44 72
Otford 48 57 Leatherhead Sutton Sevenoaks Guildford 60 SURREY Purley Caterham 69 47 71 66 Dorking Redhill Tonbridge Reigate
Romsey
ASCOT 1 Heathfield School 2 LVS Ascot 3 St George’s School BRADFIELD 4 Bradfield College CAVERSHAM 5 Queen Anne’s CROWTHORNE 6 Wellington College HIGHCLERE 7 Thorngrove School NEWBURY 8 Cheam School 9 St Gabriel’s OLD WINDSOR 10 St John’s Beaumont READING 11 Leighton Park School 12 Pangbourne College 13 The Abbey School WOKINGHAM 14 Ludgrove School
LONDON
Slough
5 Caversham
BERKSHIRE 4 Reading 7
34 42 Ware
33 Hertford St 40 Albans Hatfield 35
Hadley Wood Berkhamsted 32 41 Chesham 39 28 Elstree Bushey 15 38 High 37 29 Wycombe Rickmansworth
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This map illustrates the location of some of the leading independent schools in this region. A directory of schools, listed by area, follows this page.
Berkshire
Harpenden
31 26
Hemel Hempstead
Oxford
Bishop’s Stortford
HERTFORDSHIRE
53 55
OXFORDSHIRE
Map not to scale.
SOUTH EAST
86 77 78 75 76
Lewes
Brighton
Upper Dicker
Eastbourne
Portsmouth
ISLE OF WIGHT
Hertfordshire
ST ALBANS 26 Beechwood Park BERKHAMSTED 27 Berkhamsted School ELSTREE 28 The Haberdashers’ Boys’ School 29 Haberdashers’ School for Girls HEMEL HEMPSTEAD 30 Abbot’s Hill School 31 Lockers Park 32 Westbrook Hay Prep School HERTFORD 33 Haileybury 34 Heath Mount School HERTINGFORDBURY 35 Hertford Prep HITCHIN 36 Kingshott School NEW BARNET 37 Lyonsdown School RADLETT 38 Edge Grove SHENLEY 39 Manor Lodge School ST ALBANS 40 St Albans High School for Girls Preparatory School 41 St Albans High School for Girls WARE 42 St Edmund’s College & Prep School
Kent
BROMLEY 43 Bickley Park School COBHAM 44 Cobham Hall
CRANBROOK 45 Benenden School DOVER 46 The Duke of York’s Royal Military School SEVENOAKS 47 Sevenoaks School 48 Walthamstow Hall TONBRIDGE 49 Tonbridge School TUNBRIDGE WELLS 50 Holmewood House School
Oxfordshire
ABINGDON 51 Cothill House BANBURY 52 Tudor Hall OXFORD 53 Cherwell College 54 Magdalen College School 55 Oxford High School
Surrey
ASHSTEAD 56 City of London Freemen’s School CHOBHAM 57 Coworth Flexlands School COBHAM 58 Feltonfleet School 59 Reed’s School DORKING 60 RGS Surrey Hills ESHER 61 Shrewsbury House Pre-Preparatory School FARNHAM 62 Frensham Heights 63 More House School GODALMING 64 Barrow Hills School 65 King Edward’s Witley
GUILDFORD 66 St Catherine’s School, Bramley HINDHEAD 67 Amesbury School 68 St Edmund’s School OXTED 69 Hazelwood School REIGATE 70 Dunottar School 71 Reigate Grammar School RICHMOND-UPON-THAMES 72 Hampton Court House SUTTON 73 Homefield Preparatory School THORPE 74 TASIS The American School in England
East Sussex
BRIGHTON 75 Brighton College 76 Brighton College Prep School 77 Brighton College Prep Hove 78 Roedean MAYFIELD 79 Mayfield School ST. LEONARDS-ON-SEA 80 Claremont School
West Sussex
ARUNDEL 81 Slindon College CHICHESTER 82 Oakwood School HAYWARDS HEATH 83 Cumnor House Sussex 84 Handcross Park School HURSTPIERPOINT 85 Hurst College LANCING 86 Lancing College PETWORTH 87 Seaford College