On Durrants Lane in Berkhamsted, the Rowan base is the clearest signal of what Egerton-Rothesay is built to do: keep vulnerable learners moving forward, even when confidence and anxiety get in the way. It is a setting shaped around specialist input, small groups, and the practical detail of everyday schooling, from touch-typing and home cooking to carefully planned transitions.
Egerton-Rothesay School is an independent all-through school for boys and girls aged 6 to 19 in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. Its published capacity is 451, and it is a day school. The school’s Christian ethos sits alongside an explicitly inclusive welcome to families of other faiths or none, with assemblies and church services used to mark key points in the school year.
The scale matters here. With 157 pupils recorded at the time of the most recent inspection, families are looking at a school where familiarity is not a buzzword but a practical tool: routines, relationships, and daily communication are used to help pupils stay regulated and ready to learn.
There is a particular kind of calm that comes from a school designing everything around individual profiles rather than the average child. Egerton-Rothesay is explicit about serving pupils who have struggled, or would struggle, in a mainstream setting because of additional needs and barriers to learning. That framing carries through into how the school talks about its purpose: not only qualifications, but life after school.
The culture is built around adult consistency. Pupils move through the school in small groups; staff are expected to know the learner behind the behaviour. The language used across the school leans towards respect, dignity, and taking children seriously, even when their social communication is still developing. That matters for families who have already experienced exclusion or repeated school moves elsewhere.
Leadership has also been in transition. Mr Allan Cairns became Head Teacher from 1 September 2025, following the retirement of Mr Colin Parker. That sort of handover can change tone at the margins, but the fundamentals are long-established: a specialist setting that aims to balance academic content with emotional safety, and to do it steadily, day after day.
Egerton-Rothesay is unusual in that it is serving a specialist intake while still aiming for mainstream qualifications for those who can access them. The 2024 ISI inspection found that the school meets the required Standards. That matters because it frames results in the broadest sense: a compliant school, with clear structures, where learning is planned against individual need.
On the FindMySchool GCSE ranking, Egerton-Rothesay is ranked 3,979th in England and 3rd locally for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places it below England average overall. For families comparing options, the most useful approach is to use the FindMySchool Local Hub to compare nearby schools side-by-side, then weigh the fit of each setting for your child’s profile rather than chasing a single headline number.
The school’s own picture of outcomes is deliberately wider than GCSE-only routes. Alongside GCSEs, pupils can work towards functional skills in English and mathematics, as well as vocational courses. This breadth is not decorative. It is the difference between a student leaving with a set of credentials that match their strengths, and leaving with a record of what they could not do.
The inspection evidence also points to a curriculum that can stretch upwards when appropriate. More highly attaining pupils are supported to self-study Level 3 Extended Project Qualifications outside the main taught curriculum. In a setting like this, that kind of flexibility is an identity marker: progress is not one speed, and the school’s structure is designed to cope with that.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
GCSE 9–7
—
% of students achieving grades 9-7
Egerton-Rothesay’s teaching model is built around individualised timetables, aligned to Education, Health and Care plans and broken down further into smaller plans and short-term targets. For families, that typically shows up as a clearer sense of direction: what is being worked on now, why it matters, and how success will be recognised for a child who might not always show it through traditional tests.
Classroom practice is shaped by access strategies as much as by subject content. Pupils may be supported by scribes and readers, or use technology that converts speech to text. Written resources are adapted to the learner; the goal is often to remove unnecessary friction so that pupils can show what they know. It is the difference between a student failing because of processing load, and succeeding because the cognitive effort is spent on the learning itself.
The school also puts real weight behind teaching social understanding explicitly. A speech and language team is involved in adapting relationship and sex education so that language and concepts are accessible. This is not a side project. For many pupils here, communication and interpretation are part of the daily learning challenge, and teaching needs to take that seriously.
The leaving picture at Egerton-Rothesay is intentionally varied, because pupils arrive with different starting points and different futures in mind. Some pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form or college elsewhere, and some move into apprenticeships. Others stay on because they need more time, and more structure, before stepping into a larger post-16 environment.
The school’s sixth form was introduced in 2012 and it is presented as a practical bridge: one-year and two-year programmes, with vocational emphasis and support built into the timetable. For students who have the ability to gain qualifications but are not yet ready to manage the demands of a busy college, that extra runway can matter as much as the course itself.
Outcomes are also framed through preparation rather than simple destinations. Careers education is threaded through PSHE, and planning is integrated into Education, Health and Care plans. The inspection evidence includes local authority careers advisers working alongside staff to plan next steps and support applications, with students gaining places at sixth form colleges and apprenticeship schemes; a small number of higher-attaining pupils have progressed to university in recent years. For families, the key is the match between your child’s profile and the post-16 plan, not the prestige of any single destination.
Admissions at Egerton-Rothesay are structured around fit, not selection by exam. The school invites families to visit, share documentation such as specialist reports and previous school information, then discuss needs in detail with staff. For many parents, that sequence is a relief: the focus is on what support will actually work, rather than on whether a child can perform on a good day.
A distinctive feature of the process is an extended transition. After the initial meetings, prospective pupils are invited to spend three days at the school. This is described as neither a test nor a formal evaluation. It is a way for the child to understand the setting and for staff to see needs in context, including how the pupil fits within the group they would join.
Open mornings are held twice a term, on a normal school day, so families can see the school running in real time. These events include short presentations by the Headteacher and specialist staff, and a tour led by pupil ambassadors. If the next open morning does not line up with your schedule, the school also offers individual visits.
Unlike oversubscribed state schools, the key practical question here is not catchment distance but suitability and capacity. A useful step is to use FindMySchool Saved Schools to keep a record of visit impressions and questions to ask across the shortlist, then return for a second visit once you have clarity on funding and support levels.
Pastoral care at Egerton-Rothesay is not separate from teaching; it is the condition that makes teaching possible. The school describes small classes in the primary age range, and small form groups from Year 7 with a form tutor as the first point of contact. Forms are organised into bases, each in a defined area, led by a Learning Base Leader responsible for both education and wellbeing. For families, that structure usually means fewer mixed messages and faster response when something is wobbling.
There is a strong emphasis on proactive wellbeing planning. The inspection evidence describes mental health plans for pupils, reviewed regularly and used as part of daily risk assessment conversations among staff. That is a high-accountability approach to supporting vulnerable pupils, and it can be a major reassurance for parents who have seen anxiety escalate quickly in other settings.
The chaplaincy element is also part of the pastoral offer. The school has a chaplain and an in-house chaplaincy team, alongside assemblies and church services at key points. It describes this as an additional layer of care available to pupils. For some families, that is a positive anchor; for others, it is simply a feature to understand clearly before committing.
Beyond lessons, Egerton-Rothesay uses enrichment as both confidence-building and skill-building. The inspection evidence describes a programme including sport, drama, creative arts, and chess. For pupils who have a history of struggle in mainstream, these activities can be more than a nice add-on: they are often where friendships form, where a child risks being seen, and where success can arrive without the pressure of a test.
There is also a strong emphasis on practical independence. Senior pupils can take courses in home cooking, horticulture, and touch-typing. These choices are telling. They recognise that employability is often built through small competencies, repeated until they become habits.
Trips are used as a deliberate part of the learning journey, with pupils taking part in experiences designed to build confidence away from home. Some senior pupils complete the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and that is a useful indicator of the school’s ambition for its students: not simply coping, but taking on challenge in a structured way.
Wider-world learning also comes through in how pupils encounter society and civic life. The inspection evidence includes regular visits from public figures and structured opportunities for pupils to discuss democracy and take part in student council processes. In a specialist setting, this kind of deliberate social education can be as important as the academic timetable.
*Bursaries may be available for eligible families.
Basis: per year
Egerton-Rothesay draws pupils from a wide area, and the school describes a catchment reaching across a 35-mile radius, including nearby counties and North London boroughs. Many families use the school’s bus service, with fares set in distance bands per journey. For those travelling by rail, Berkhamsted station is the obvious local anchor for the town.
Wraparound is built into the published fee sheet: breakfast and supervision from 8.00am, after-school homework supervision to 4.45pm, and aftercare available to 6.30pm. For families managing therapies, appointments, or long commutes, that range can be a practical deciding factor rather than a minor convenience.
Admissions fit: The school’s admissions process is designed to test fit through real time in school, including a three-day transition. That suits families who want a careful, mutual decision, but it also means timelines can feel more involved than a simple application form.
Fees and packages: Fees are published, but the school is clear that provision is individually tailored and costs vary depending on support levels. Go into visits ready to ask what a proposed package includes, and how specialist support is charged.
Post-16 pathways: The sixth form has a vocational emphasis and is described as a supportive bridge for students who need more time before college or work. It will suit some learners extremely well, but it is worth clarifying early whether the post-16 offer matches your child’s profile and aspirations.
Travel reality: A wide catchment and a bus service can make the school realistic for families outside Berkhamsted, but travel time still shapes a child’s day. Ask about routes, timings, and how the school supports pupils who arrive tired or anxious after a commute.
Egerton-Rothesay School is a specialist independent all-through setting that tries to solve a difficult problem with practical, daily tools: small groups, individual timetables, careful transition, and a curriculum that can flex between GCSE routes and vocational or functional skills pathways. The Christian ethos is present but paired with an inclusive stance towards families of other faiths or none.
Best suited to pupils aged 6 to 19 who need specialist support to access a mainstream-leaning curriculum, and who benefit from steady relationships and explicit teaching of communication, confidence, and independence. The decision point is not academic ambition alone; it is whether the school’s structure matches your child’s needs now, and the pathway you want them to step into next.
For the right child, it can be an excellent fit. It is designed for pupils with additional needs who benefit from specialist input alongside academic and vocational pathways, and the most recent ISI inspection found that the school meets the required Standards. The most useful question for families is not whether the school is good in general, but whether its small-scale, high-support model matches your child’s profile.
Fees are published for 2025 to 26 and are set out by year group, with additional charges for certain specialist support and services. Because provision is tailored, many families will also discuss an individual package alongside the standard fee sheet.
Admissions are based on suitability and support planning. Families are encouraged to visit, share relevant documentation, and discuss a child’s needs with staff. Prospective pupils may then spend three days in school so that everyone can see how the setting fits in practice and what support would be required.
Yes. The school has sixth form programmes designed as a supportive bridge for pupils who are not ready to move on at 16, with an emphasis on vocational learning, life skills, and confidence-building alongside opportunities to continue with qualifications where appropriate.
Support is built into the school’s model, including specialist staff working alongside classroom teaching and strategies tailored to individual needs. The school describes helping pupils with a range of needs such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum conditions, and emotional or attention difficulties, with support planned against each pupil’s profile.
Get in touch with the school directly
Disclaimer
Information on this page is compiled, analysed, and processed from publicly available sources including the Department for Education (DfE), Ofsted, the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, and official school websites.
Our rankings, metrics, and assessments are derived from this data using our own methodologies and represent our independent analysis rather than official standings.
While we strive for accuracy, we cannot guarantee that all information is current, complete, or error-free. Data may change without notice, and schools and/or local authorities should be contacted directly to verify any details before making decisions.
FindMySchool does not endorse any particular school, and rankings reflect specific metrics rather than overall quality.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we accept no liability for any loss or damage arising from reliance on information provided. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us.
