All Hallows School Review 2026: Somerset prep with boarding flexibility and strong early years through Year 8

Instead, the most useful evidence comes from the school’s curriculum intent and external evaluation of how well the educational standards are met. The October 2025 ISI inspection states that the school’s curriculum offers a balanced range of study, including linguistic, mathematical, scientific and creative subjects, and that the required Standards for quality of education are met.

For parents comparing prep options, the practical implication is that the school is positioning itself around breadth, continuity, and readiness for the next school, rather than exam outcomes as the headline. That can be the right choice for pupils who learn best when enrichment and co-curricular life are integrated into the timetable rather than bolted on.

The prep structure is clearly staged.

In Years 1 and 2, class teachers are supported by full-time teaching assistants, which typically helps younger pupils settle and build basic learning habits with more adult attention per room.

From Year 3, specialist teaching becomes more visible across the week, with the school explicitly highlighting specialist lessons in art, creative design, music, languages and physical education.

By Years 7 and 8 the model is closer to a traditional senior school approach, with a form tutor for daily pastoral contact and specialist teachers for all subjects.

Outdoor learning is not treated as a nice extra. The school describes a dedicated nine-acre woodland used for Forest School, and refers to weekly Forest School sessions continuing into the older prep years.

All Hallows educates pupils through Year 8, so most families will be thinking about transition to senior schools at 11, 13, or occasionally earlier or later depending on the child and the target school.

What is clearly evidenced is the school’s attention to transition mechanics. The admissions process includes taster days, and for pupils joining Year 3 or above, the school describes a buddy approach to help new joiners find their feet quickly.

The school website content accessible here does not publish a named destination list or destination statistics. Because senior school choice is central to the prep decision, this is something families should ask directly during the admissions conversation, especially if they are targeting particular 11 plus or 13 plus routes, or looking for boarding senior options.

Children can join from age 3 in Nursery up to age 12 joining Year 8, and the school notes that joining can happen at multiple points in the year as spaces allow.

The admissions journey is framed as straightforward: enquiry, registration, visit and taster days, then an offer and acceptance, with the practical reminder that registration places the child on an entry list but does not guarantee a place.

There is no mention of a single high-stakes entrance test in the admissions information captured here. Instead, the school notes that some children may have an assessment with learning support staff during taster days to check they can access the curriculum and thrive.

The clearest external signal is safeguarding. The October 2025 ISI report confirms safeguarding Standards are met, and also describes online safety as closely managed with filtering and monitoring systems in place across school and boarding provision.

The school also signals a structured approach to knowing pupils well, including attention to inclusion and accessibility planning.

For boarding pupils, the fact that most boarders are in Years 5 to 8 suggests the school sees boarding as developmentally timed, aligning with readiness for independence rather than pushing it too early.

All Hallows puts specific emphasis on facilities that support practical, hands-on learning.

Forest School is anchored in a defined setting, a nine-acre woodland referenced as a dedicated space for weekly sessions.

Sport facilities called out include an astroturf pitch, and the fee information also references swimming, including a pool with a retractable cover.

For activities that go beyond the standard timetable, the school indicates that some co-curricular activities carry charges where external specialist instructors are used, and it gives examples such as gymnastics, ballet, and swimming. It also names fencing and bouldering as examples of activities available through the older years.

A good sign of breadth is the way performance and creative work is embedded. Year 4 drama is described as a distinct step, culminating in a Year 4 production in the Lent term.

All fees below are termly for the 2025 to 2026 academic year, and the school states fees are inclusive of VAT unless otherwise noted.

Day fees per term

• Reception Class: £3,720, plus a compulsory lunch charge of £330 per term

• Years 1 and 2: £3,825, plus £330 per term for lunch

• Year 3: £6,420, plus £330 per term for lunch

• Year 4: £6,900, plus £330 per term for lunch

• Years 5 and 6: £7,410, plus £330 per term for lunch

• Years 7 and 8: £7,755, plus £330 per term for lunch

Boarding fees per term

• Full boarding: £12,270

• Weekly boarding: £10,665

• Day Plus: £876

One-time fees

• Registration fee: £150 (shown as £125 plus VAT, total £150)

• Acceptance deposit: £500, refundable after the first term and offset against the final term account, subject to conditions

Financial support and discounts

The school states it offers a limited number of means-tested bursaries from school funds, with bursary support typically not more than one third of annual fees, and with deadlines for bursary applications linked to term decision points.

It also describes a sibling discount structure: when three children are enrolled full time, the youngest receives a 10% discount; when four children are enrolled full time, the youngest receives a 20% discount.

Boarding at All Hallows is not a single lane. The fee schedule distinguishes full boarding, weekly boarding, and day plus, and it also describes short-stay options designed for families who want flexibility without long-term commitment.

Operationally, boarders are accommodated in one house within the main school building, with separate areas for boys and girls and distinct junior and senior spaces.

Term structure also matters. The published term dates include exeat weekends during term time, and boarders can return a day before term starts, which is a practical detail families often care about.

The published term timetable shows the school day starting at 08:20, and it also sets out exeat weekend timings and end-of-term departures, which is especially relevant for boarding families.

Specific wraparound care details for day pupils are not clearly published in the sources captured here. If breakfast or after-school care is important to your logistics, treat it as a direct question for admissions, alongside transport and bus routes.

• Website access limits for key detail. Some sections of the school website that would normally answer questions on destinations, co-curricular breadth, and open morning scheduling were not accessible in the sources captured here. Plan to get these details directly from admissions before deciding.

• Lunch is an additional compulsory charge. Day fees are not fully all-in, because lunch is billed as a separate compulsory termly amount. This matters for budgeting and for comparing like with like across schools.

• Boarding structure is flexible, which is a strength and a choice. Families seeking a fully traditional full-boarding culture may prefer a school where most pupils board all term. Here, boarding is designed to work around varied family needs.

• Bursary support exists but is limited. The school describes bursaries as limited in number and funding dependent, with timing rules for applications. Families needing support should engage early.

All Hallows School suits families who want a prep experience with real continuity from early years through Year 8, plus boarding that can be used flexibly rather than as a fixed commitment. The October 2025 inspection outcome provides reassurance on regulatory compliance and safeguarding.

Best suited to children who thrive in a smaller prep setting where leadership opportunities arrive early, and to families who value outdoor learning and practical co-curricular breadth. The main decision hinges on transition aims, families should pin down destination pathways and open morning timings directly with the school.