Cricklade Manor Prep is an independent nursery and prep school for pupils aged 2 to 11, set around a historic manor house in Cricklade, within reach of Swindon and Cirencester. It is part of the Wishford Education group, having joined in September 2017, a change that the school links to investment in facilities and a sharpened focus on outcomes.
Leadership is stable, with Mr Guy Barrett named as Headmaster in official records, and referenced throughout the school’s admissions and leadership pages.
For families, the headline appeal is breadth at small-school scale, a Nursery that runs year-round, specialist spaces such as science laboratories and a Forest School, and an explicit culture of preparation for senior school entry at 11+.
The setting is part of the school’s identity. The main building is a historic manor house, listed at Grade II, which gives the site a distinct sense of place without requiring families to choose a traditional, formal prep model.
In the early years, the tone is deliberately warm and practical. The Nursery is described as being set within a secure walled garden, with year-round opening from 7.30am to 6pm, which matters for working families who need wraparound childcare to be reliable rather than occasional.
Pastoral culture is framed around pupils being happy and confident, with staff support emphasised in formal external reporting. Inspectors noted that staff work diligently to enable each child to grow and develop, and that pupils are happy and confident.
As an independent prep that finishes at 11, Cricklade Manor Prep does not sit within the standard national performance tables that parents might use for state primaries. For most families, the more meaningful question is senior school readiness, including the breadth of curriculum and the extent to which preparation for selective and non-selective routes is built into the culture.
The most recent ISI inspection (25 to 27 June 2024) confirms that the Independent School Standards were met across leadership and governance, quality of education, pupil wellbeing, and safeguarding.
The curriculum is positioned as broad and continually reviewed, with an emphasis on pupils making good progress from their starting points. External reporting supports a picture of detailed planning and responsiveness, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, with one clear improvement point focused on consistent application of the school’s feedback approach so that extension happens reliably for pupils who are ready for it.
Facilities give a useful proxy for how learning is likely to be experienced day to day. The school highlights fully equipped science laboratories, a full-sized sports hall, Lego robotics, and Forest School provision, which together signal that specialist teaching spaces are not treated as occasional extras.
This is a prep school finishing at 11, so the destination picture is central. The school states that Year 6 leavers move on to a mix of grammar, independent, and state senior schools, and references Westonbirt School (within the same broader group context) among the options.
For families considering selective senior schools, the school describes a structured programme of support for entrance exams. Practically, that means parents should expect an environment where senior school planning is normalised, rather than something only a small subset pursues quietly.
Cricklade Manor Prep states that pupils can join at any age from 2 to 11. The admissions journey is framed as personal and relationship-led, beginning with an enquiry and visit, followed by a tailored assessment period, and then an offer of a place.
Open events appear to run across the year. A Spring Term Open Day was advertised for Friday 6 February 2026, and the school also referenced a Reception-focused Stay and Play event for September 2026 starters in January 2026.
For families weighing feasibility, FindMySchool’s Map Search remains a sensible step even for independent schools, as it helps you model real travel time at drop-off and pick-up, which often becomes the limiting factor more than the admissions process itself.
The school’s wraparound structure is unusually explicit, with before- and after-school care designed as a practical service rather than a token add-on. Breakfast Club begins at 7.30am, and the school describes a pathway from clubs through to a supper option, with pick-up up to 6pm.
Safeguarding is confirmed as meeting requirements in the most recent external inspection, and the wider wellbeing emphasis is consistent across both school messaging and formal reporting.
Clubs are presented as a key part of the weekly rhythm, with named options that go beyond the default “sport and music” shorthand. On the wraparound page alone, the school cites Art, Archery, Fencing, Manga, and Homework Club, with clubs finishing at 5.15pm.
The activities page adds further specificity, including Dance, Judo, Harry Potter Club and Yoga for younger pupils, alongside Outdoor Learning and Performing Arts for older pupils.
Sports provision is supported by infrastructure, with the school describing a full-sized sports hall equipped for a wide range of sports, explicitly including indoor cricket and fencing, which aligns well with the club menu.
*Bursaries may be available for eligible families.
Basis: per term
Wraparound care runs from 7.30am to 6pm, combining breakfast provision and after-school options, with a late pick-up window after clubs via supper club.
Holiday provision is advertised via activity camps hosted at the school site during school holidays, which can be helpful for continuity for pupils and convenience for families.
Cricklade Manor Prep publishes 2025 to 2026 fees inclusive of VAT. For main school (Reception to Year 6), fees are set per term and vary by year group, with the Reception to Year 2 range and the Years 3 to 6 range published explicitly. A registration fee and admissions deposit are also published.
Nursery fee details are provided on the school’s materials and should be checked directly via the official fees information for the most accurate, current position. Government-funded hours are available for eligible children; the school notes how funding is applied across the year.
Prep-to-senior transition is a core theme. The school clearly positions itself around preparing pupils for senior school entry at 11+, including selective routes, which suits many families but may feel intense for those who want a less exam-aware culture.
Extension consistency is a published improvement area. The latest inspection highlighted the need for more consistent use of the school’s extension approach in feedback, which matters most for high-attaining pupils who thrive on stretch being routine.
The Nursery is year-round. That is a major plus for working families, but it also means you will want to understand how the year-round rhythm fits with your own holiday pattern.
Cricklade Manor Prep suits families who want an independent prep experience with practical wraparound care, a clear pathway to senior school at 11+, and facilities that support hands-on learning, including science labs, Forest School, and structured clubs through to early evening. It is best suited to pupils who benefit from a school that takes both confidence and outcomes seriously, and to parents who value a predictable weekly routine from 7.30am to 6pm.
The latest ISI inspection (June 2024) confirmed that the school met the required standards across education, wellbeing, leadership, and safeguarding. For a prep school, the practical indicators also include specialist facilities and a clearly stated focus on preparing pupils for senior school entry at 11+.
Fees for 2025 to 2026 are published by the school and set per term for Reception through Year 6, with different rates by year group, and stated as inclusive of VAT. There is also a published registration fee and admissions deposit.
Yes. The school describes drop-off from 7.30am via breakfast provision and pick-up up to 6pm, using clubs that run to 5.15pm and a supper option afterwards.
The school states that pupils can join from ages 2 to 11. The process is framed around enquiry, visit, a tailored assessment period, and then an offer of a place.
Clubs and activities are described with specific examples including Art, Archery, Fencing, Manga, Homework Club, plus options such as Dance, Judo, Harry Potter Club and Yoga, alongside Outdoor Learning and Performing Arts.
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