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This is a small independent prep and nursery that trades on two practical promises: genuine all-year care and a calm, values-led culture rooted in a Roman Catholic foundation. Founded in 1961 by Father Daniel Boyle, it set out to offer accessible Catholic education for local families, and that origin still shapes the school’s sense of purpose today.
Leadership is stable. Mr Michael Stone is named as headmaster, with an appointment date of September 2019 recorded in the most recent inspection documentation.
Academic data in the usual state-sector sense is not published in official performance tables for a school of this type, so the most reliable picture comes from inspection evidence and the way pupils transition out at the end of Year 6. The February 2023 Independent Schools Inspectorate visit found that regulatory standards were met, and it also evaluated educational quality and early years.
The school talks consistently about being a family-focused setting, and the operational set-up supports that idea. Children can start in nursery from a very young age and remain through to Year 6, with wraparound care embedded rather than treated as an add-on. That continuity tends to matter most to families with two working parents, or those juggling commuting patterns, because it reduces the number of handovers across the week.
Ethos is explicitly Catholic in the school’s own history statement, but it presents its day-to-day values in broad terms such as compassion and respect, which will feel familiar and workable for families who want a faith-informed culture without a highly formalised religious environment.
The early years element is not a separate bolt-on. Nursery and school are described as a joined-up journey, and inspection reporting treats early years as a core part of the provision rather than an ancillary service.
For an independent prep, the most meaningful “results” for parents usually come in two forms: how children learn day to day, and where they go at the end of Year 6. The educational quality section of the 2023 inspection gives a clear steer on both achievement and personal development, and it also includes a recommendation about raising expectations and increasing challenge, which is useful context for families with very high academic aspirations.
The school also publishes leaver outcomes in a parent-friendly way. In its most recent leavers note, it states that all Prep IV leavers achieved a place at their first-choice school, and it names a wide set of local senior destinations.
Parents comparing options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub pages to line up nearby schools and shortlists side-by-side, particularly when you are weighing different transition routes at 11+.
The curriculum position is clear: it follows the National Curriculum as a base, then layers on preparation for common selective and scholarship-style assessments. The school states that pupils in the prep years are introduced to verbal and non-verbal reasoning, plus CEM-style testing, to support 11+ and scholarship preparation.
That matters because it signals two things at once. First, the teaching model is designed to remain legible for families moving in from maintained settings, since the underlying content map is familiar. Second, it acknowledges the reality of the local market where many families are considering selective or independent senior pathways at 11+.
The inspection evidence also notes changes to the learning environment since the previous cycle, including additional teaching spaces and a music area. That is a modest point, but it usually reflects investment in the basic classroom experience rather than flashy one-off projects.
For a prep school, the destination story is central. The school’s published leavers update names a broad list of local senior schools, spanning independent and state options. This includes Leighton Park School, Holme Grange School, Luckley House School, LVS Ascot, Bohunt School Wokingham, Farnborough Hill, Ranelagh School, St Crispin's School, Edgbarrow School, Sandhurst School, Salesian College, and Frogmore Community College.
Two implications follow. One, the school appears comfortable supporting multiple pathways rather than funnelling families into a single destination brand. Two, if your child is likely to thrive in a familiar local secondary context, you can treat this as a prep that keeps options open, rather than one that assumes a single exam-heavy track.
Admissions are described as place-limited, with an emphasis on early registration. For school entry, the school indicates that registration typically leads to a proposed taster day, and if a place is available an offer is then made.
Open days are described as running throughout the year, with the option to arrange a visit outside set events. This is helpful if you are moving into the area mid-year, or if you need to time a visit around childcare and work constraints.
Because published deadlines for 2026 entry are not shown on the open days and admissions pages reviewed, families should treat the school website and admissions office as the source of truth for the next available entry points and current availability.
Parents who are weighing travel distance and daily logistics can use FindMySchoolMap Search to sanity-check journey times and routines before committing, particularly if siblings are at different settings.
The school leans heavily into the idea that pastoral care and character development are central, and inspection reporting supports the picture that safeguarding and staff training in early years are taken seriously.
The most practical pastoral differentiator is the all-year rhythm. When children are on site across a longer calendar window, routines tend to stabilise quickly, and working families often value the reduced need for patchwork holiday care. The trade-off is that children may spend longer days in a single setting, so families should check how their child handles extended care, especially in the earliest years.
Clubs and activities are structured with a mix of internal and external provision. The school explains that some clubs are run by teachers and staff and may be informal in format, while external specialists run certain activities that can involve graded pathways and therefore require a longer commitment.
The detail here is useful. External options include Ballet and Dance, and Creation Station arts-and-crafts sessions, described as themed, hands-on creative work delivered by an external provider. On the in-house side, the school names Film Club, and also football led by the Director of Sport, with sessions framed around skills, tactics, and team play.
At prep level, “STEM” tends to mean confidence with problem-solving habits rather than advanced facilities. The school’s academic statement specifically highlights reasoning skills and CEM-style preparation in the prep years, which is a strong proxy for structured thinking and test literacy.
Outdoor learning is not vague branding here. Forest School is described in practical terms, including age-tailored activities such as early mark-making in natural materials for younger children and project work for older pupils. A named Forest School leader, Nikki Artis, is cited as managing the programme.
For children over 3, the school states it uses two Forest School sites at Heath Lake, described as a 7-acre woodland and heathland area, with younger pupils using on-site outdoor areas. The use of a minibus for travel is also part of the model.
*Bursaries may be available for eligible families.
Basis: per year
School-day logistics are unusually parent-friendly for an independent prep. Pre and after-school care is described as available for children from Reception to Year 6, with hours from 8am to 6pm as part of the standard monthly fee, plus earlier extended hours available for an additional charge.
Core day commitments are clearly defined in the fees information. Term-time core hours are stated as 8.45am to 3.45pm for younger pupils, extending to 4.00pm for older prep pupils.
For transport, the closest rail link for many families will be Crowthorne station. National Rail lists staff help on weekday mornings, plus waiting and seating facilities, which can be relevant for older siblings travelling independently or for households splitting drop-off and commute patterns.
For 2025 to 2026, the school publishes school fees on a monthly basis rather than the more typical per-term format. Reception fees are listed as £924 per calendar month for 12 months, including lunches and snacks. Year 1 to Year 6 are also listed at £924 per calendar month for 12 months, again including lunches and snacks.
Admissions-related charges are also published. The school lists an administration fee of £50 per child to enrol at the school, and an acceptance fee of £500 per child for a school place, described as refundable on leaving subject to notice and fee conditions.
On financial assistance, the school does not present a standard bursary or scholarship offer on its public-facing pages reviewed, and the linked proprietor charity reporting for the year ended 31 August 2023 states that trustees had a policy not to offer a bursary scheme at that time. It also describes sibling discounts, including a 5% discount for families with more than one child in the school.
Nursery fees are published separately by the school, but families should check the official nursery fees page directly for the current early years pricing and how funded hours apply.
Fee structure is monthly. Fees are set per calendar month across 12 months, which suits some budgeting styles but can surprise families used to termly billing. Confirm how this interacts with holidays and attendance choices.
Places are described as limited. Admissions guidance stresses early registration and a taster day process, so families considering 2026 entry should treat timing as a practical priority.
Academic stretch varies by child. The 2023 educational quality inspection includes a recommendation about raising expectations and increasing challenge. Families with very high academic ambitions should probe how extension is delivered year by year.
All-year care is a benefit and a demand. Long-day, long-year provision is valuable for working households, but it requires a child who copes well with extended days, especially in nursery and Reception.
Our Lady's Preparatory School suits families who want a small, joined-up setting from nursery through to Year 6, with wraparound care that is designed into the model rather than treated as an afterthought. It is also a sensible option for parents who want support towards 11+ style reasoning and multiple senior-school routes, without narrowing the horizon too early. The key question to test is fit: how much academic challenge your child needs, and how they respond to long-day provision across the year.
It presents as a well-organised independent prep with stable leadership and a clear focus on wellbeing, all-year routines, and transition outcomes. The February 2023 Independent Schools Inspectorate inspection reported that required standards were met, and the school’s own leavers update states that all Prep IV leavers secured a place at their first-choice senior school.
For the 2025 to 2026 academic year, Reception and Years 1 to 6 are listed at £924 per calendar month for 12 months, including lunches and snacks. The school also lists an administration fee of £50 per child to enrol and a £500 acceptance fee for a school place (refundable subject to notice and conditions).
Yes. The school describes pre and after-school care for Reception to Year 6, running from 8am to 6pm as part of the standard monthly fee, with earlier extended hours available for an additional charge.
The admissions page stresses early registration because places are limited. It also describes a process where a taster day is typically proposed after registration, followed by an offer if a place is available. Open days are described as running throughout the year, with visits also available by appointment.
The school publishes a leavers note naming a wide spread of local senior destinations, including both independent and state schools. It also states that all Prep IV leavers achieved a place at their first-choice school in the most recent published update.
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