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With God as our shelter and Christ as our guide is the line that frames this school’s mission, and it explains a lot about how the place feels day to day. This is an independent Catholic prep in Slough, co-educational, taking children from age 2½ through to Year 6. It sits within the St Benedict’s family of schools, with trusteeship and governance links to St Benedict's School, Ealing, and a clear emphasis on prayer, service and personal responsibility.
The most recent whole-school inspection is the Independent Schools Inspectorate focused compliance and educational quality inspection, dated February 2023, with strong headline judgements and standards met. In practical terms, parents should expect a school that puts a lot of energy into literacy, numeracy, speaking and performance, as well as structured support around wellbeing, including a named wellbeing team and a stated whole-school approach to mental health.
. Those are, on the whole, favourable.
The Catholic identity is explicit and active, but the tone is broadly inclusive. The mission statement language focuses on love, service, respect and understanding across faiths, and the school’s Religious Education aims include building knowledge of Catholic practice while also developing awareness of other world faiths. That matters in a local context where many families are balancing faith formation with a multicultural peer group.
Expect an atmosphere that is purposeful without being austere. Pupils are encouraged to work collaboratively, speak clearly, and take responsibility for younger children, as well as for community-facing roles such as anti-bullying ambassadors and faith roles. This is also a school that uses structured reflection as part of its Catholic life, including prayer opportunities across the school day and class prayer books that pupils of all faith backgrounds contribute to.
Leadership has a clear recent narrative. The current headteacher is Mrs Asha Verma. A school newsletter dated Wednesday 13 July 2022 describes her first year as acting headteacher from the start of that academic year and confirms she was appointed as the permanent headteacher during 2021 to 2022. If you are the sort of parent who cares about organisational stability, that timeline is useful context.
The February 2023 Independent Schools Inspectorate inspection judged pupils’ academic and other achievements as excellent, and personal development as excellent. Those are high-level judgements, but the detail beneath them is what parents should pay attention to.
Learning is described as stimulating, with pupils developing strong communication and study skills for their age. Examples in the inspection include early years children building phonics accuracy and sentence formation, younger pupils synthesising source material in English, and older pupils using technical vocabulary in science planning and writing. Numeracy appears as a thread across subjects, not only in maths lessons but also in science and humanities contexts, including data handling and problem solving.
Early years provision is a key part of the school’s identity because entry starts at 2½. The school describes early years learning as play-based, with activities that build early literacy and numeracy, and it also introduces specialist inputs such as French through a specialist teacher. The implication for families is that children can build familiarity and confidence in a single setting well before Reception, and then progress through to Year 6 with continuity of ethos and routines.
The inspection also offers a helpful caveat for parents. It recommends spreading the strongest examples of imaginative and creative teaching across every subject so that engagement is consistent. In other words, there are pockets of exceptional practice and a clear intention to standardise that level across the full timetable.
If you are shortlisting locally, FindMySchool’s Local Hub comparison tools can still be useful, not to compare like-for-like exam tables, but to weigh practical alternatives by travel time, school day structure and onward destinations.
Curriculum design is framed around Catholic values and a broad, balanced approach. The school’s Religious Education is structured explicitly within Catholic worship and prayer, and also includes an intention to develop understanding of other world faiths, which is a meaningful commitment in a diverse community.
Teaching style, as described in official evidence, leans structured and knowledge-rich. Pupils are taught to write for different purposes, build confident spoken communication, and apply numeracy and reasoning across the curriculum. There is also explicit development of technological skills, with pupils using software for tasks such as poster design and 3D modelling. The practical implication is that children who enjoy explaining their thinking and producing polished work, spoken or written, are likely to do well here.
The school also references specialist teaching in early years, including French, plus the inspection describes strong PE skill development in structured drills. For parents, the relevant question is not whether the curriculum is wide, but how coherently it is taught across the age range. Evidence suggests a strong baseline, plus some standout teaching, with a clear improvement focus on consistency.
For a prep that finishes in Year 6, the real outcome metric is senior school placement. The school publishes a list of grammar and independent destinations that pupils have moved to in the past, spanning a mix of selective state grammars and high-demand independent schools.
On the grammar side, names include St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School, Langley Grammar School, Herschel Grammar School, and Upton Court Grammar School. On the independent side, examples include Hampton School, St Paul’s Girls’ School, and St Benedict’s School itself.
It is also worth understanding how the school prepares children for that transition. The inspection describes pupils gaining confidence and self-discipline through productions and performance, and developing study habits as they move through the school. In practical terms, a child leaving Year 6 with confident speaking skills, strong writing stamina, and comfort with structured reasoning tasks tends to be well positioned for competitive entry routes.
Admissions are direct to the school rather than via local authority coordination, with entry points spanning early years through to Year 6. The school actively promotes open mornings and personal tours, and it publishes forthcoming open day dates for 2026. As of February 2026, the next listed open morning is Friday 27 February 2026, followed by Saturday 7 March 2026, Saturday 9 May 2026, and Friday 15 May 2026. Booking is handled via the school’s booking form.
Because the school is Catholic, families should expect Catholic life to show up in assemblies, worship, and the rhythm of the year. At the same time, the school’s own stated aims include respecting and teaching about other faiths, and the inspection evidence highlights pupils’ mature understanding of cultural diversity and respect for different backgrounds.
If you are applying for Reception or a later year group, ask how decisions are made when a year group is full, whether there is a waiting list, and how the school supports mid-year joiners. Those details are not always spelled out publicly, and they matter as much as the glossy overview.
A separate admissions-related route worth noting is The St Bernard’s Award, described as an academic scholarship opportunity for a Year 6 pupil, linked to progression to St Benedict’s Senior School, with means-tested support referenced by the school. If this is relevant to your family, treat it as a distinct pathway with its own deadlines and assessment steps.
Pastoral care is one of the school’s most explicitly documented priorities. The school states it has received the Wellbeing Award for Schools and sets out objectives around emotional wellbeing, staff development, early identification of needs, and access to specialist support when required.
Beyond awards, the practical structure includes a published wellbeing vision and strategy. The school describes a whole-school approach to mental health, clear behaviour expectations, and a pathway for identification and referral both internally and to specialist services. It also publishes the membership of its wellbeing team.
Safeguarding and welfare are also covered through the independent schools standards framework, and the February 2023 inspection confirms standards were met. For parents, the key implication is that wellbeing support is not presented as an optional extra, it is positioned as part of how the school runs.
Extracurricular life looks structured and goal-oriented rather than casual. The school describes competing against other local schools in team sports such as football and netball, and it highlights that Sports Day takes place at Thames Valley Athletics Centre, giving pupils experience of a full track setting.
Two named academic competition routes appear in the school’s published material: national handwriting competitions run by SATIPS and maths competitions run by the UK Mathematics Trust. There are also spelling bees, science quizzes and a termly headteacher challenge referenced as part of school life. The point here is not simply that clubs exist, it is that the culture leans towards practising, entering, and performing, which suits children who like working towards a public outcome.
Performing arts are a second clear pillar. The school states it is now a LAMDA examination centre and offers lessons, with inspection evidence also linking productions and performance to confidence and self-discipline. If your child is shy but curious, structured performance opportunities can be an effective way to build confidence over time.
Finally, responsibility and service run through extracurricular roles. The inspection describes pupils taking on positions such as school counsellors, faith ambassadors and anti-bullying ambassadors, plus an eco-club with practical initiatives. Those roles tend to appeal to children who like helping others and want a sense of purpose that goes beyond grades.
Fees for 2025 to 2026 are published per term and include lunch. Reception is £4,852.00 per term; Years 1 and 2 are £5,147.00 per term; Years 3 and 4 are £5,548.00 per term; Years 5 and 6 are £5,788.00 per term. The school also publishes a termly fee reduction for siblings, £180.00 for a second child, £195.00 for a third child, and £215.00 for a fourth child.
Early years fees operate on different terms, and the school references funded places and links families to early years funding information. Because early years sessions can vary by pattern and eligibility, families should use the official fee page and funding guidance rather than relying on second-hand figures.
Beyond tuition, parents should expect extras. Breakfast club, homework club, after-school care and after-school clubs are charged separately, and music tuition is charged by external providers. This is normal for an independent prep, but it is worth pricing out early if you expect frequent wraparound use.
On financial support, the school publishes The St Bernard’s Award as a scholarship opportunity for a Year 6 pupil, linked to a place at St Benedict’s Senior School, with means-tested support referenced. If you are exploring affordability across the full 11-plus journey, ask specifically about how this award is assessed, what it covers in practice, and what other support routes, if any, exist at prep level.
*Bursaries may be available for eligible families.
Basis: per term
Wraparound is clearly defined. Breakfast club runs 7.30am to 8.00am; homework club runs 3.45pm to 4.45pm; after-school supper club runs 4.45pm to 6.00pm. These sessions are bookable as needed, and they are charged separately, so parents should budget for them as an additional cost on top of tuition fees. A holiday camp offer is also referenced, with specific schedules published when available.
Term dates are published in detail for the academic year 2025 to 2026, including term start dates and half-term periods, plus end-of-term early finishes at 12 noon. If you are planning childcare and travel, those midday finishes matter.
For transport, the closest mainline option for many families will be Slough railway station, which has Elizabeth line services and Great Western Railway connections. The broader area is well served by local buses, and families doing daily drop-off should consider traffic pinch points and parking realities around the school’s residential roads. If you are comparing multiple options, FindMySchool’s map tools can help you sanity-check realistic travel times at peak hours.
Teaching consistency. The latest inspection includes a recommendation to spread the strongest examples of creative and imaginative teaching so that lesson engagement is consistent across every subject. For some children this will be invisible; for others it can mean certain subjects feel more dynamic than others.
A faith-led rhythm. Catholic life is central, with prayer, worship and explicit Religious Education aims. Families comfortable with a clear Catholic identity tend to settle quickly; families wanting a fully secular setting may not.
Costs beyond the headline fee. Wraparound care and clubs are additional paid extras, and peripatetic music tuition is billed separately. If you expect daily wraparound, total annual spend can rise meaningfully.
Selective senior school pathways. Published destinations include a significant number of selective grammars and high-demand independents. That can create an ambitious culture, which suits many pupils, but it is worth asking how the school supports children whose best-fit senior school is non-selective or less exam-driven.
This is a Catholic independent prep that puts serious weight behind communication, numeracy, performance, and character education, starting from early years and continuing through to Year 6. The strongest evidence points to high academic standards, confident pupils, and a structured wellbeing approach, backed by a recent inspection and clearly documented school practices.
Who it suits: families who want a faith-led primary education with clear expectations, strong preparation for selective senior school routes, and practical wraparound options for working parents. The biggest decision points are cultural fit with Catholic life, and the overall cost once extras are included.
The most recent independent inspection (February 2023) judged pupils’ academic and other achievements as excellent, and personal development as excellent, with independent school standards met. The school also documents a structured approach to wellbeing, including a published wellbeing strategy and a wellbeing team.
For 2025 to 2026, fees are published per term and include lunch, ranging from £4,852.00 per term in Reception to £5,788.00 per term in Years 5 and 6. Sibling reductions are also published on a termly basis. Early years fees vary by session pattern and eligibility for funded hours, so families should check the official fee information.
Children can join from age 2½ and stay through to Year 6. Early years learning is described as play-based, with activities designed to build early literacy and numeracy, and there is also access to specialist inputs such as French.
The school publishes open day dates for 2026, including Friday 27 February 2026, Saturday 7 March 2026, Saturday 9 May 2026, and Friday 15 May 2026. Booking is handled through the school’s open event registration form, and families can also request a private tour.
The school publishes a destinations list including local grammar schools and a range of independent schools. Examples include St Bernard’s Catholic Grammar School, Langley Grammar School, Herschel Grammar School, Upton Court Grammar School, and a number of London and regional independent schools such as Hampton School and St Paul’s Girls’ School.
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