St Ives School, Waverley Review 2026: Small independent prep with a big outdoor curriculum

A prep that runs on two engines, close academic attention in small cohorts, and a genuinely structured outdoor programme that starts early and stays central. St Ives School, Waverley serves children from age 2 to 11, on an eight-acre site in Haslemere, and leans hard into learning that happens beyond desks, especially through its weekly Forest School sessions for younger year groups.

Leadership is stable. Kay Goldsworthy has been Head Teacher since 2014, having taught at the school since 2011, which matters in a smaller school where culture is set as much by daily routines as by policy documents.

For parents, the headline is fit. This is a school for families who value a warm, confidence-building atmosphere and want learning to feel energetic and purposeful, with a clear pipeline to a wide spread of senior schools at 11+.

The distinctive detail here is the school’s stated relationship with the outdoors. Forest School is described as a weekly commitment for children from Nursery through Year 3, with activities that include shelter building, tree climbing, scavenger hunts, tool use under supervision, and campfire work in a dedicated fire circle. This is not framed as an occasional enrichment day, it is presented as part of the rhythm of the week, which tends to suit children who learn best through movement, practical challenges, and shared projects.

Independence and confidence come through strongly in the school’s own messaging and in the latest inspection evidence. Pupils are described as independent communicators who articulate views to support learning, and the wider culture is positioned as one where trying, risk-taking, and learning from mistakes are normal expectations.

Scale shapes the social feel. A smaller prep can either feel insular or close-knit; the way St Ives talks about pastoral care and day-to-day inclusion suggests it is actively aiming for the second outcome, with pupils joining at different points and being integrated into peer groups.

The latest Independent Schools Inspectorate report (January 2023) judged the quality of pupils’ academic and other achievements as excellent, and personal development as excellent. The same report advises the school to ensure pupils’ higher-order thinking skills are developed consistently across all areas of learning, which is a useful practical cue for parents to probe how challenge is stretched across subjects and year groups.

For families, the implication is straightforward.

The school positions specialist teaching as a meaningful feature, rather than a marketing label. Specialist subject teachers are referenced as part of the offer, and the extracurricular timetable also suggests structured adult-led activity blocks across sport, music, performance, and practical clubs.

A notable classroom-to-real-world bridge sits inside the Forest School model. When children are routinely building shelters, learning safe tool handling, or working around a fire circle with defined safety rules, they are practising planning, sequencing, vocabulary, teamwork, and self-regulation in a context where the outcome is tangible. That tends to land well for children who are bright but not naturally desk-bound.

The ISI report also references the school’s use of a “Building Learning Power” approach, including resilience, reflectiveness, resourcefulness, and relationships. For parents, the practical question is how this is translated into feedback and expectations in class and at home, especially as children approach Year 6 and senior school entrance assessments.

Destination breadth is one of the clearest indicators of a prep’s market position. St Ives lists a wide spread of senior schools that pupils typically move on to, including Guildford High School, Cranleigh School, Priors’ Field, St Catherine’s, Tormead, Seaford College, and Churcher’s College, with some pupils also moving further afield.

For families, the implication is that St Ives is aiming to keep options open rather than funnelling children into a narrow set of destinations, which can be valuable if you want your child to have multiple credible pathways at 11+ based on personality as well as academic profile.

Entry points are described as flexible. The school notes the usual September join points as Nursery, Reception, or Year 3, but also indicates that children may join other year groups during the academic year if space allows.

Open events are clearly signposted for 2026. The school lists open mornings on Friday 6 March 2026 and Friday 8 May 2026, plus additional early years events including a Forest Fun Morning on 7 March 2026 and Toddler Thursday dates in February and March 2026.

For Year 3 entry, the school offers a small number of scholarships across Music, Art, Drama, Sport, and Academic ability. For parents exploring awards, this is a date-driven process and worth checking early, as assessment dates are fixed milestones in the spring term.

A practical FindMySchool note: for independent schools without local-authority catchment rules, the key admissions work is calendar discipline and early familiarity. Use Saved Schools to track open events and scholarship assessment milestones alongside other shortlist schools.

Pastoral detail is most credible when it shows up in routines rather than slogans. St Ives explicitly frames wellbeing and confidence as central outcomes, and the ISI report’s judgement of excellent personal development supports that overall picture.

The extracurricular structure also helps: when children have consistent, supervised activity blocks across sport, music, and clubs, the day tends to feel orderly, and friendships form across interests rather than only within a single class grouping.

St Ives gives unusually specific visibility into co-curricular life via a weekly activities grid, which is useful because it lets parents see what “choice” actually looks like in a small school.

Examples that stand out include Orchestra, Swim Club, and Golf before school, plus multiple choirs including Pre-Prep Choir, Prep Choir, and Chamber Choir. Clubs listed include Pre-Prep Science, Project Goblin, Art Club, Forest Club, Wellbeing Club, Board Games, and Production Club.

Performing arts provision is also described with concrete markers. Recent productions include Shrek and Frozen, and Speech and Drama is supported through a LAMDA centre where children can take yearly exams.

Sport has a competitive strand alongside general participation. The school states that every pupil in Years 3 to 6 represents the school in inter-school matches, and highlights a Swimming Squad with training geared towards inter-school galas and regional and national events, including prior participation in IAPS competitions.

Internationalism is another defined pillar. The school reports holding the British Council International School Award for 2024 to 2027, and gives examples of curriculum-linked international projects and clubs such as Around Europe in 80 Days and Brushstrokes of Change.

St Ives publishes a tiered fee structure (termly), with fees shown as including VAT.

For 2025/26 planning purposes, the published termly day fees are:

• Reception: £4,476.32 per term (noting Early Years Entitlement applies until after the term a child turns 5)

• Year 1: £4,476.32 per term

• Year 2: £4,550.86 per term

• Years 3 and 4: £5,691.21 per term

• Years 5 and 6: £6,258.46 per term

Lunch is listed separately at £341.25 per pupil per term for Reception to Year 6.

On financial assistance, the school states that a limited number of means-tested bursaries are available, and that scholarships may be offered at Year 3 entry across multiple disciplines. It does not publish the proportion of pupils supported or typical award values in the material captured here, so parents should treat support as possible but competitive, and ask directly about likely ranges and expectations.

Nursery fee details are published by the school, but early years pricing can change with funding rules, so it is best checked on the nursery fees and funding page rather than relying on second-hand figures.

Hours and wraparound are clearly laid out. Early Birds runs 7.45am to 8.25am for children aged 3 and above, and After School Care runs until 5.45pm. Years 3 to 6 also have a Homework Room option from 4.00pm to 5.00pm on weekdays.

The core day varies by age. The fees schedule indicates Reception runs 8.30am to 3.00pm, Years 1 and 2 run 8.30am to 3.30pm, and Years 3 to 6 run 8.30am to 4.00pm, with clubs also operating beyond that window.

Transport is supported through school bus routes. The school states it currently offers links to and from areas including Haslemere, Churt, Chiddingfold, Milford, Witley, Liphook, Petersfield, and Midhurst, with routes described as flexible depending on demand.

• Higher-order thinking consistency. The latest ISI report recommends ensuring higher-order thinking skills develop consistently across all learning areas. Ask how stretch and challenge is monitored across subjects, not only in English and maths.

• A day built around activity. Weekly Forest School for Nursery to Year 3, plus a busy clubs timetable, will suit many children. Those who prefer quieter, more classroom-centred days may find the pace more demanding.

• Senior school planning starts early. The destination list is broad, which is a strength, but it also means families need to be clear about the kind of 11+ pathway they want and track timelines for open events and scholarships.

St Ives School, Waverley is best understood as a small independent prep that takes outdoor learning seriously and pairs it with a structured co-curricular week, specialist-led arts and sport, and a wide-ranging set of senior school destinations. It suits families who want confidence-building pastoral culture, plenty of activity, and a pragmatic 11+ runway, with the main decision being whether the school’s energetic, outdoors-forward approach matches your child’s temperament.