A pre-prep that leans into the early years properly, not as a holding pen before “real school” starts. Known as The Hollies, it educates children from age 4 to 8, with a stated expectation that many will progress to Twycross House School at age 8. The setting is a notable part of the offer: four acres off the village green, Georgian buildings with Victorian additions, and a line-up of facilities that is unusually broad for this age range, including specialist rooms and an indoor pool.
The latest inspection paints a largely positive picture of day-to-day life, warm relationships, pupils who feel safe, and a curriculum that is planned in a coherent sequence. It also flags a specific area where the school needs tighter quality control, reading oversight across year groups, plus sharper evaluation of how well curriculum intentions translate into classroom tasks.
The strongest clue to the school’s character is the way it describes early school habits. The inspection evidence focuses on staff knowing pupils well, children settling into routines smoothly, and the use of gentle reminders rather than heavy sanctions. That matters for a 4 to 8 intake, because behaviour systems at this stage are less about deterrence and more about consistent adult language, predictable expectations, and the child learning that school is a secure, manageable place to be.
The outdoor offer is also not an afterthought. The inspection report references extensive grounds and specific outdoor experiences such as bird watching in a hut, teddy bear picnics, and treasure hunts in a forest area. For many children, that mix of structured play and exploratory time is where confidence and vocabulary expand fastest, particularly for pupils who learn best through movement, talk, and practical discovery rather than desk work.
The physical set-up supports that approach. The Hollies describes four acres including a walled garden and playing fields; the site also lists a hall, specialist art and music rooms, a library, a sports hall, an indoor swimming pool, outdoor tennis courts, and a dining space referred to as The Old Sweet Shop. These details point to a school that is trying to normalise specialist teaching and specialist spaces from an early age, which can be a real advantage for children who respond strongly to music, art, and physical learning.
Leadership is tightly linked to ownership, which creates a particular feel. The current headteacher listing in the most recent inspection names Steven Assinder and Roxanne Assinder as co-headteachers, with Steven Assinder also listed as proprietor. That model tends to produce consistency of approach, quicker decision-making, and a strong sense of “this is how we do things”, although it can also mean families should look for clear processes around feedback and accountability so the school continues to improve rather than relying on tradition.
Instead, the meaningful academic question is: how effectively does the school build foundations for fluent reading, confident writing, number sense, and curiosity across a broad curriculum, then prepare children for the next stage at age 8.
The latest inspection judgement provides a useful headline: overall effectiveness is Good, with Good grades also recorded for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. Crucially for an independent school, it also confirms that the school meets the independent school standards.
The most helpful detail for parents is the “how” behind that judgement. The report describes a curriculum designed in a clear sequence, with specialist staff teaching subjects including music, French and computing, and pupils generally achieving success across a range of subjects.
Where the report is more cautious is also where parents should focus their questioning. It notes that, at times, tasks do not fully match the intended curriculum, sometimes requiring pupils to apply knowledge they have not yet secured, which disrupts the logical flow of learning. In early education, that misalignment can show up as children completing work that looks busy but does not deepen understanding, or moving on too quickly from key building blocks. The implication is not that pupils are failing, but that the school is being asked to tighten quality control so the strongest classroom practice becomes consistent across the school.
Reading is singled out as both a strength and an improvement priority. The report describes pupils enjoying reading and a phonics programme that supports fluency, with extra time for pupils at risk of falling behind. The improvement point is oversight: the school is asked to have closer monitoring of how reading is taught across year groups, so it can identify precisely who is falling behind and why, and target support earlier. For parents, this is an invitation to ask practical questions about assessment: how often is reading checked, what happens if a child stalls, and how does the school ensure consistency of phonics routines and book progression.
The teaching model blends generalist class teaching with specialist input. The inspection report explicitly mentions specialist teaching in music, French and computing, and it also lists deep dives in English, mathematics, art and design, history, geography and music. That breadth is notable for a school that finishes at age 8, because it suggests the curriculum is not narrowly focused on literacy and numeracy alone, even if those remain the core.
A strong early-years indicator is the way the school thinks about personal, social and emotional development and communication. The inspection report describes staff adapting the curriculum and environment so the foundations of child development are “fully considered”, and gives a specific example: a Discovery Room designed to provide structured play that helps children use what they have learned in ways that deepen understanding. Structured play done well is not free-for-all; it is carefully planned experiences with adult guidance, vocabulary-rich talk, and clear learning intentions. The benefit is that children build both knowledge and the confidence to use it.
The report also references the school introducing newer systems to identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, with staff taking time to understand barriers and adapting learning so pupils can learn alongside peers and make meaningful progress. That is encouraging, particularly for families whose child may need early identification and targeted support, but it also makes sense to ask what these newer systems look like in practice, who coordinates them, and how the school measures impact over time.
Because admission is described as selective, parents should assume the academic pace and expectations will be set for children who are ready to engage with structured learning and steady progression. The school’s own framing suggests it is selecting pupils with a view to progression to the age 8 to 18 school. That means the teaching and routines may suit children who enjoy clear adult direction and who cope well with a school day that has a purposeful rhythm, rather than a fully play-led nursery style.
The most common pathway is straightforward: pupils are selected with a view to progressing to Twycross House School for education from age 8 to 18. For many families, that continuity is the point: one educational philosophy, familiar expectations, and an early transition that feels less like a jump and more like a step along the same track.
The practical implication is that parents should treat age 8 as a formal decision point, not a vague “we will see later” moment. Ask how the transition is handled, what academic information is shared, and what the school does for children who are thriving socially but may need extra support in reading, writing, or maths before moving on. Given the inspection’s emphasis on strengthening reading oversight, it is particularly sensible to ask how reading progress is tracked up to the point of transition.
If you are considering the pre-prep but are unsure about staying through to 18, it is still worth asking how portable the education is. A strong pre-prep should leave children with good learning habits, resilience around challenge, and a secure grounding in early literacy and numeracy, which should translate well to other settings too.
The admissions culture here is not “turn up and you are in”. The latest inspection notes that the school applies a selective admissions criterion.
The registration documentation describes entry as being by interview and an entry test, with families invited to bring their child in at the appropriate time once an application is submitted. A non-refundable registration fee of £50 is specified on that form.
For 2026 entry, the key point is that the school appears to run direct admissions rather than relying on local authority coordinated deadlines. However, the publicly available materials do not set out fixed annual closing dates or a single national offer day approach for this school. The most realistic strategy is to assume a rolling process with capacity constraints, then plan early: visit during term time, ask about availability in the intended year group, and clarify the sequence of steps from registration to assessment to offer.
FindMySchool’s Map Search is useful here in a different way than it is for state schools. Rather than checking tight catchment distances, families can use it to sanity-check the practicalities of the school run from home and work, especially given the early start to the day and the value of punctual, calm mornings for younger pupils.
Pastoral strength at this age is usually about consistency: adults who know children well, routines that reduce anxiety, and quick intervention when small problems surface. The inspection describes strong, warm and positive relationships permeating the school, pupils staying focused, and attendance being high with absence described as rare.
Personal development is also framed through everyday habits rather than headline initiatives. Pupils are taught about respecting differences between families, online safety, and wellbeing, with yoga lessons cited as one vehicle for helping pupils understand physical health. The implication is a pastoral model that aims to normalise talking about feelings, safety, and healthy routines as part of school life, rather than treating them as occasional add-ons.
The school’s setting is repeatedly linked to wellbeing. Extensive grounds are not just marketing here; they are described as enriching both learning and play. For young children, that matters because outdoor time is often where stress levels reduce and social dynamics reset. It can also help children who struggle with concentration indoors, because learning can be structured through movement and sensory engagement.
The inspection also confirmed safeguarding arrangements are effective.
At pre-prep age, extracurriculars work best when they are not treated as bolt-ons but as structured opportunities that broaden vocabulary, coordination, confidence, and cultural familiarity.
The school offers several concrete examples that suggest breadth. The inspection report notes that pupils embrace opportunities including horse riding, chess, playing musical instruments, and swimming. That mix is telling: it combines an activity that builds physical control and confidence around animals, a strategy game that builds concentration and pattern recognition, music that supports listening and discipline, and swimming as a core life skill.
Outdoor learning is also framed as a major strand, not a once-a-term treat. Bird watching in the hut, teddy bear picnics, and treasure hunts in the forest are cited as experiences that spark curiosity and joy. The educational value is clear if done well: these activities can be used to develop descriptive language, early scientific observation, map skills, and collaborative problem-solving, all while keeping learning age-appropriate.
There is also a holiday dimension. The Hollies describes a summer school running for two weeks in the holidays, with activities including football, basketball, swimming, art and craft, cricket and tennis. For working families, that can be a practical advantage, and for children it provides continuity and social stability across the long break, although parents should still confirm exact dates and age-group availability for any given year.
Facilities reinforce the extracurricular story. The Hollies lists specialist art and music rooms, a sports hall, an indoor swimming pool, and outdoor tennis courts. For a 4 to 8 cohort, those spaces can make enrichment feel routine rather than exceptional, particularly if specialist teachers are regularly using them rather than saving them for special occasions.
Fees are published for September 2025 to August 2026. For The Hollies, the termly fee is £4,820 per term including VAT.
The fee page states that fees are inclusive of meals, morning drinks and biscuits, accident insurance, swimming, and standard books and stationery. The Hollies page also describes the fee as including meals, a morning drink and snack, accident insurance, swimming, and school trips, project visits and days out.
The same fee page lists a sibling discount across both schools: £150 off total fees for two children, £250 for three, and £550 for four.
Not every cost is automatically covered. The fee page notes exclusions including private music lessons, certain external courses (GCSE and A-level courses taught outside the normal timetable), and public examination fees, plus a refundable £200 book deposit for certain older-year textbooks. Some of these exclusions mainly affect senior years, but they still indicate the school’s general approach to “extras”, so it is worth asking what typical add-ons look like in the pre-prep years.
The publicly available fee information does not set out bursaries or scholarships for this school. Families who may need support should ask directly whether any means-tested help is available, what criteria apply, and how early in the admissions process those conversations should happen.
*Bursaries may be available for eligible families.
Basis: per term
School hours for The Hollies are 9.00am to 3.20pm, Monday to Friday, with supervision from 8.45am. The school also states that before and after school care is available, with details provided on request.
The school describes three terms per year with a total of 35 working weeks, plus a two-week summer school option during the holidays.
Transport planning is part of the decision at this age. This is a village-green setting rather than a town-centre site, which typically means most families will be driving for at least part of the journey, even if some live locally. In practice, you want a school run that is predictable and not overly long, especially for children at the start of formal schooling.
Selectivity. Admissions are described as selective, with interview and entry testing referenced in registration materials. This can suit children ready for structured learning, but it may feel less forgiving for late developers.
Reading oversight is an improvement priority. The inspection notes phonics supports fluency and extra time is given to pupils at risk of falling behind, but it also calls for closer oversight of reading across year groups so gaps are spotted earlier and support is better targeted. Parents should ask to see how reading is assessed and monitored.
Curriculum-task alignment needs tightening. The inspection highlights that, at times, tasks do not closely match curriculum intentions or pupils’ stages of development, which can interrupt learning progression. Ask what training and monitoring is in place to make classroom practice consistent.
Financial aid information is limited in published materials. Fees and discounts are clear, but bursary or scholarship support is not set out publicly. If affordability is a concern, raise it early rather than after an offer is made.
A distinctive pre-prep: small-school by age range, but unusually well-equipped, with a clear emphasis on routines, outdoor learning, and specialist teaching alongside core literacy and numeracy foundations. The latest inspection judgement of Good provides reassurance on overall quality and safeguarding, while also giving parents a clear set of questions to ask about reading oversight and consistency of classroom tasks.
Who it suits: families who want a structured start to schooling, value broad facilities and outdoor space, and like the idea of a direct pathway into an age 8 to 18 school. Entry remains the main filter, because admissions are selective and places depend on availability as well as fit.
The most recent inspection (23 to 25 September 2025) graded the school Good across overall effectiveness and key areas including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The same report confirms the school meets the independent school standards and that safeguarding arrangements are effective.
For September 2025 to August 2026, the published fee for The Hollies is £4,820 per term including VAT. Published information also explains what is included, such as meals and swimming, and notes a sibling discount structure across the linked schools.
Admissions are described as selective. Registration materials reference an interview and entry test, with families invited in at an appropriate time once an application is submitted. Unlike local authority admissions, publicly available documents do not set out a single annual deadline, so it is sensible to plan early and ask directly about availability in the year group you need.
The Hollies states school hours of 9.00am to 3.20pm, with supervision from 8.45am. It also states that before and after school care is available, with details provided on request.
The school describes pupils as being selected with progression to Twycross House School in mind, with the age range moving on from 8 to 18. Families considering alternatives should ask how transition information is shared and how the school supports children who need extra consolidation before moving up.
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