Crosfields School
Crosfields School, is an all-through school that offers a stable and nurturing environment for pupils to learn and flourish. With over 750 pupils from ages three to sixteen, our co-educational environment supports children from the moment they join us, helping them to develop a love of learning alongside key skills for life. Crosfields is a family-feel school, focused on building relationships that foster confidence and kindness.
We are committed to empowering each individual, and our all-through model gives pupils the skills to thrive both academically and personally.
Well-being is at the centre of our ethos and as a school we recognise the importance of introducing life-lessons into the curriculum.
Pupils have access to two on-site counsellors, a dedicated Pastoral Team and regular workshops. To learn more about our approach, read our full article at www.crosfields.com/news.
We invite you to book a bespoke tour with one of our Senior Leaders who would be delighted to show you around and answer any questions you might have about life at Crosfields. Register here www.crosfields.com/events.
To discover more visit: www.crosfields.com or for enquiries call: 0118 987 1810.
Leighton Park
What is education for, if not to prepare our children for the world they will inherit?
The World Economic Forum has identified the ten biggest global challenges facing humanity, including Climate Change, Food Security, the 4th Industrial Revolution and Gender Equality.They also identify the top skills that people will need in 2025, including analytical thinking and innovation, complex problem solving and, rather bleakly, resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility.
Analysis like this shaped Leighton Park’s future-thinking vision: We exist to form students of real character and confidence, with a determined desire to change the world. This focus doesn’t come at the expense of a strong, well-balanced education. Leighton Park combines the best academic progress
in Berkshire with award-winning personal development and sector-leading pastoral care.
Head, Matthew LS Judd explains: We don’t try to be like other schools. Our starting point is to nurture each young person to really think about who they are and what they want to achieve. From there we do everything we can to support them to succeed as themselves – true to who they are and all the more remarkable for it. This approach drives us to challenge the status quo and the false dichotomies of Academic versus Pastoral and STEM versus Creative.”
So what does this look like in practice? And how did this lead to Leighton Park being Finalists in the prestigious TES School Awards for Independent Senior School of the Year? Three of our successful initiatives include creative problem solving, a focus on future-ready leaders and an embedded awareness of environmental issues.
Problem-based learning
Our academic approach to STEAM is all about creative problem solving, combining the analytical skills from STEM subjects with the creative habits of mind from the Arts. Our interdisciplinary approach builds skills through experiential learning, trips and engagement with industry. Last year 74% of our Sixth Form leavers went on to STEAM-related degrees including Engineering, Medicine, Architecture and Product Design.
Future-ready leaders
Leighton Park leads the UK for its commitment to mutually beneficial partnerships and charitable engagement work, winning the prestigious ISA Award
for Outstanding Community Involvement in 2021 and 2020. Developing kind and compassionate leaders for the future is an important part of how we give the School’s Quaker values currency and purpose. Our students gain a proven wellbeing and resilience boost from helping others, refine their leadership skills and develop the insight, strength and courage to strive for a fairer society.
Environmental awareness
Climate change and biodiversity loss are two of the most pressing issues of our times. Their importance is reflected in our cross-curricular projects and expansive co-curricular programme, with options like Eco Club, the Nature, Environment, Wildlife Taskforce (NEWTs) and Sustainable Cookery.
We achieved the coveted Green Flag Award and are shortlisted for Independent School of the Year for Environmental Achievement 2023.
To discover more, why not book for one of our open days at www.leightonpark.com/imagine-better, or call: 0118 987 9600.
The Abbey
The Abbey is a remarkable all-girls community of learning and brilliant experiences. It is a place of curiosity, adventurous spirits, and the excitement of discovery. We focus on individual care and attention in a warmly supportive atmosphere, full of fun and laughter.
Our students have the assurance to take risks, explore interests and passions, and engage generously with the world and with each other.
Our results are outstanding, but what matters to us is how students achieve them. Our goal is to equip girls to live with confidence, purpose and joy. This means providing exceptional opportunities across the widest spectrum of learning and activities. We offer more choice in our curriculum than almost any other school, so that students lead their learning and mature into the people they mean to be.
What’s special about The Abbey is the atmosphere. We’re a diverse, down-to-earth community full of enthusiasm, spark and energy.
Please explore our website www.theabbey.co.uk and have a look at our entries in the Good Schools Guide and Muddy Stilettos, but the best way to get a feel for the school is to visit on an ordinary weekday. Being in the halls for one lesson change, feeling the buzz all around you, gives you a sense of The Abbey spirit.
We’ve played a leading role in all-girls education for over 130 years. During that time we’ve adapted and innovated and that is true now more than ever. In today’s world, all-girls education matters: it helps our students face the future on their own terms, ready to make the world a better place for themselves and the communities around them.
We’d love to welcome you and above all for you to meet some of our students. Come and visit us any time.
To discover more, visit www.theabbey.co.uk or call The Abbey Junior School on: 0118 931 3111 or The Abbey Senior School on: 0118 987 2256.
St Joseph’s College
St Joseph’s is a Catholic College that welcomes families of all faiths and none. We encourage, inspire, challenge and support our pupils to fulfil their potential in a community founded on Catholic Christian values. We want children to learn to love the world around them, their neighbour and themselves.
Being an all-through school for girls and boys from 3-18 years, teachers accompany a child on their whole learning journey; from the Pre-Reception, through the Prep School, on to Senior School and into the Sixth Form. With small classes, St Joseph’s children are truly known, as an individual, every step of the way and are challenged or supported academically as necessary in order to fulfil their potential.
Through exposure to as many opportunities as possible throughout their school career, so that they might discover their God-Given talents, pupils develop life skills of commitment, collaboration, confidence, compassion and communication, preparing them to be global citizens and ‘change makers’.
To discover more, visit www.sjcr.org.uk or call: 0118 966 1000.
Queen Anne
Queen Anne’s is a local independent school for girls aged 11-18, dedicated to providing the ideal academic and pastoral environment for young women to thrive. We empower our students, preparing them for an ever-changing world through an exciting and continually evolving education, learning with Kind Hearts, Fierce Minds and Strong Spirits.
Supporting the step up to secondary
We pride ourselves on offering a seamless transition from primary to secondary school, helping our new Year 7 girls to familiarise themselves with the school and advising families on this big step in their educational lives. We take part in primary school events, provide taster days for girls in Years 5 & 6 and encourage families to visit our beautiful school.
The School day
At Queen Anne’s, students have the ability to encompass all their activities during the school day, allowing them to have valuable family time at home.
Three days a week school continues until 6.15pm, enabling students to take part in clubs after their lessons finish plus complete homework during school hours.
Transport fits around the school hours, or there is always the option to flexi board on those longer days.
Experts in girls’ education
As a specialist in girls’ education, Queen Anne’s recognises the unique potential of young women. Whether starting in Year 7, 9 or 12, they have the opportunity to take part in many different subjects to help find the path they would like to follow when leaving full time education. With over 20 GCSE choices and 25 plus A Levels on offer, there are a wide range of different options within their grasp.
Reliable & safe transport network
Conveniently located in Caversham, Queen Anne’s has an excellent local transport network that ensures easy and safe commuting for students.
This gives parents that may find the school run difficult an alternative travel choice. Part of the network spans from Sonning, through Wokingham, to Bracknell, providing families with the ease of mind that school transport brings. More information can be found on our website here www.qas.org.uk/transport.
Our next open morning is on Saturday 16 September and is a wonderful opportunity to discover the school, meet students and staff and learn how choosing Queen Anne’s for your daughter will give her the best platform to grow, excel and make lifelong connections
To book, please visit our website at www.qas.org.uk, email the admissions team at admissions@qas.org.uk or call 0118 918 7333.
Reading Blue Coat
Founded in 1646, Reading Blue Coat is a school steeped in history, but with its eye very much focused on the future. We are excited to be extending the long-established co-education of the Sixth Form into Year 7 this September, and look forward to a fully co-educational school by 2027 with all the diversity of thought and talent it will bring to this already vibrant environment.
With our values of aspiration, compassion, courage, integrity and service underpinning all that we do, our aim is for excellence in everything, for everyone.
We are extremely fortunate to have a beautiful 46 acre site, providing great capacity for the stretching and developing of body and mind, with wonderful outdoor facilities for sport and recreation. The site with its River Thames frontage, accommodates our spacious Boat House with state-of-the-art equipment, making rowing a popular choice for students. Our Adventure Education and Activities programmes allow students to enjoy time away from the classroom to learn valuable lessons in leadership, communication and resilience, as well as exploring the wider world in a variety of ways. Extra-curricular clubs, our Performing Arts provision, concerts, public speaking, sports, outdoor activities and the School’s commitment to community outreach through the Aldworth Partnership, all widen horizons, develop skills and help to deepen friendships.
The adventures are just as evident in the classroom. Our expert staff help to unlock the potential in every pupil, seeking to instil a love for learning and develop flexible, independent thinkers who have the confidence to push doors or blaze trails, with the skills and character to deal with whatever they encounter.
Results are strong. Our GCSE students performed exceptionally well with 92% of grades at 6 or above and just over 78% of grades at grade 7 or above. At A Level, students attained almost 17% A* grades, our highest percentage in full public exams, and over 42% gained A*-A grades, providing a great start as they leave the School.
Our School is a warm and nurturing community, offering an excellent environment for young people to grow and to learn. We provide a rich and thoughtful pastoral curriculum, giving students an opportunity to explore ideas, values and relationships.
In everything we do, we aim for every student to feel happy, safe, and fulfilled and to promote a culture of mutual respect and equality.
We warmly invite you to our whole school Open Morning on Saturday 7 October.
Come along and discover all the academic and co-curricular opportunities Reading Blue Coat has to offer your child.
Our Sixth Form Open Evening on Thursday 19 October is for parents and students who would like to learn more about A Level options available and our Futures support with opportunities beyond Sixth Form.
To discover more, visit www.rbcs.org.uk or call: 0118 944 1005.
Holme Grange School
