A glimpse into boarding life at Berkhamsted Girls
Thank you for your interest in joining our boarding community at Berkhamsted Girls School.
We would like to share a few videos to provide a further insight into life at our School and in our Boarding House.
Boarding at Berkhamsted
Our valued and diverse boarding community benefit from flexi, weekly and full boarding in Houses which are based in the market town and extremely close to the School. These Houses allow the pupils to enjoy the full and rewarding experience of a UK Day School, while benefitting from a wonderful level of support and care from our dedicated boarding House Teams. Our boarders enjoy a real home away from home while developing independent skills in a nurturing and inspiring environment – the perfect bridge between School and University.
Entry is at aged 11+ for flexi-boarding (Year 7 upwards) and full and weekly boarding from ages 13+ and 16+ (from Year 9 and Year 12 – into Sixth Form).
Please do contact us if you have any questions. Our Admissions Team or Headteacher, Jo Vila, will be happy to help.
Please call us on 01442 358001 or e-mail: (International pupils) internationaladmissions@berkhamsted.com; (UK boarding) admissions@berkhamsted.com
As a boarder at Berkhamsted, you will experience life at a traditional English independent day school as a member of a small, diverse boarding community of around 100 students.
Boarding AdmissionsWelcome from the Principal
To introduce the ethos and values of a Berkhamsted education, here is a welcome from our Principal, Richard Backhouse.
Richard Backhouse has been Principal of Berkhamsted Schools Group since January 2016. A former boarder himself, Richard read Economics at Cambridge, before moving into education.
Our School Values
This video provides an insight into our School values through spoken word, both written and performed by pupils in Year 9 and 10. Our School values are:
Aim High with Integrity, Be Adventurous and Serve Others.
Our Results
And, if you have not seen our results details on the website yet, please click here to read more about the remarkable achievements of our pupils.
Berkhamsted House System
Berkhamsted Girls is composed of Houses. In which every individual receives pastoral support and academic guidance. Houses are made up of pupils from different year groups from Year 7 to Year 11, and are the centre of pupils’ lives, providing a sense of belonging and encouraging self-confidence. Our Houses provide an environment for cooperation and competition, with Inter-House competitions, music, quizzes, debating and sport. Students regularly fundraise for charity within their House. Here is an example of House Performing Arts:
Music at Berkhamsted
This video provides a short clip of our St Cecilia’s Concert. Our co-curricular activities are performed alongside Berkhamsted Boys.
Drama at Berkhamsted
This video provides a ‘behind the scenes’ glimpse into the West End style production of ‘Shrek’ held at our 500 seat Centenary Theatre (due to copyright we are unable to share the full production).
Art at Berkhamsted
In this video, hear from our Head of Art as she shares insights into the subject at Berkhamsted. She explains the skills pupils develop through their artistic journey and highlights the wide range of opportunities on offer.
Sport at Berkhamsted
We are proud of the breadth of our sports offering and the number of teams we field each term, ensuring that most pupils have the opportunity to play in competitive fixtures.
In 2024, School Sport Magazine ranked Berkhamsted as the 7th best sports school in the UK. This prestigious recognition places us in the top 1% of the country’s sporting schools and highlights the excellence of our programme. It is a testament to the dedication of our specialist sports staff, who inspire and guide our pupils, and to the commitment, talent and determination of the young athletes themselves.
Leadership at Berkhamsted
Berkhamsted’s Deputy Head of Extra-Curricular leads programmes that give pupils the chance to develop valuable skills and broaden their awareness beyond the classroom. These activities span sport, the arts, and outdoor education.
As pupils progress through the School, they are encouraged to take on leadership roles and build confidence in areas such as debating, decision-making, collaboration and public speaking.
Our Combined Cadet Force (CCF) further enhances these opportunities, equipping pupils with skills that enrich their experiences and, in Sixth Form, enabling them to step into leadership positions and act as positive role models for others.
Our Facilities
Berkhamsted Girls Prospectus
Berkhamsted Boarding Prospectus
International Admissions Team
Chris Sutton – Head of Boarding and Director of International Admissions
Please visit our Boarding Admissions page for more information.
Jennie Peachey – International Admissions Officer
Please visit our Boarding Admissions page for more information.
Day Nursery
Pre-Prep
Haresfoot
Chesham Road
Berkhamsted
Hertfordshire
HP4 2SZ
page.older.cargo
Tel: 01442 358276 Email: daynursery@berkhamsted.comPre-Prep
Haresfoot
Chesham Road
Berkhamsted
Hertfordshire
HP4 2SZ
Berkhamsted Pre-Prep Visitor Parking
page.older.cargo or acute.raft.ideal
Berkhamsted Pre-Prep Reception
since.deflection.struck
Prep
Doctors Commons Road
Berkhamsted
Hertfordshire
HP4 3DW
Berkhamsted Prep Tour Parking
occupiers.jazzy.snatched
Berkhamsted Prep Reception
sport.etchings.repair
Tel: 01442 358201 Email: prep@berkhamsted.com
Heatherton
10 Copperkins Lane
Amersham
Buckinghamshire
HP6 5QB
Heatherton Entrance
cargo.both.lower
Girls
Kings Campus
Kings Road
Berkhamsted
Hertfordshire
HP4 3BG
Berkhamsted Girls Tour Parking
cultivation.reception.fortnight
Berkhamsted Girls Reception
brand.pelted.nightfall
Boys
Castle Campus
Castle Street
Berkhamsted
Hertfordshire
HP4 2BB
Berkhamsted Boys Tour Parking
drums.estuaries.napped
Berkhamsted Boys Reception
third.convey.faster
Sixth
The Zaha Hadid Building
Berkhamsted Sixth
Castle Campus
Castle Street
Berkhamsted
Hertfordshire
HP4 2BB
Berkhamsted Sixth Tour Parking
drums.estuaries.napped
Please check in at the Berkhamsted Boys Castle Campus Reception (Castle Street, HP4 2BB) for Berkhamsted Sixth
third.convey.faster
Incents and St John’s are suited, booted, and ready to SLEIGH this Christmas party! 🎄🎅
‘The Old and the New’ – it was wonderful to welcome Ada, last year’s House Captain, back to St John’s to see the girls and staff. And of course, we couldn’t resist a photo with our new House Captain, Stapy, and Deputies Anastasiia and Cecilia! 📸
A belated Happy Fireworks post! The St John’s girls loved heading down to the Berkhamsted display before finishing the night with sparklers in the garden!
Three weeks later and the festivities continue – Christmas party prep is in full swing ready for tomorrow’s celebrations!🎅✨
🎄🎄Christmas Tree decorating time in Incents! (December starts earlier in Boarding!) 🎅🎄
Another highly productive trip to Hong Kong comes to a close.
It is always a pleasure to visit our valued agent partners on behalf of @berkhamstedschools. Many thanks to our partners for taking the time to meet, your continued support and collaboration are greatly appreciated. These relationships play such an important role in our global outreach.
Representing the outstanding Berkhamsted School overseas is a privilege. We look forward to welcoming more students from Hong Kong to Berkhamsted in the future.
A brilliant start to my Hong Kong visit! 🇭🇰
The trip began with a fantastic drinks reception with current parents and @oldberkhamstedians , which gave the opportunity to update them on opening of the Sixth Form building, share stories, and celebrate our vibrant Berko community abroad.
I then attended the brilliant @britanniastudylink event, where I had the pleasure of meeting many families to discuss all things @berkhamstedschools. It was wonderful to see such enthusiasm and interest in what we do.
A huge thank you to the Britannia team for their warm hospitality and for another excellent event, it’s always a pleasure catching up with you all post-event.
Pumpkin perfection from our St John’s crew! 🎃✨ Which one gets your vote for being the most spook-tacular? #pumpkincarving #bsaboarding #iloveboarding
Lovely moments from our St John’s pumpkin carving session, beautifully captured by the talented Irene 🎃📸
We played our second basketball game of the season of the North London league against Dwight School last Thursday. 🏀
The boys played well and are improving greatly.
🎃 Yesterday, we braved the terrifying Tesco’s to pick out the perfect pumpkins for our spooky weekend! Here’s a glimpse of our pumpkin carving in action… 👻🕸️ Stay tuned for the finished masterpieces! 🎃✨ #spookyseason #pumpkincarving #boardinglife #bsaboarding #iloveboarding
St John’s and Incents take on Thorpe Park Fright Night 🎢🎃 Rollercoasters, hot chocolates, pumpkins, street parades, rock concerts, and plenty of KFC… a perfect spooky Saturday! 👻✨ #bsaboarding #iloveboarding #thorpepark #frightnight #halloween
St John’s and Incents loved hosting an afternoon tea party on Thursday! From karaoke and scones to pool and plenty of chatter… we loved showing off our amazing boarding houses! 💛☕🎤 #berkhamstedschool #bsaboarding #iloveboarding
Thank you for taking a glimpse into boarding life at Berkhamsted – we hope to welcome you to visit us very soon.
If you have any questions, please contact us on 01442 358001 or email: internationaladmissions@berkhamsted.com.
