Developing Remarkable People

The Berkhamsted Schools Group develop remarkable people, helping their pupils to not only earn a living but also to live lives worth living.

ABOUT US

At the core of our community

At Berkhamsted, we’ve been Developing Remarkable People since 1541.

Our family of schools truly offers the best of both worlds: our proud heritage blends seamlessly with a forward-thinking approach to education, ensuring our pupils benefit from the best of tradition and innovation.

We are committed to inspiring confident, curious, and independent learners. Through a metacognitive approach to our Teaching & Learning strategy, we focus not only on what pupils learn but also on how they learn. By fostering an understanding of learnable intelligence, we empower pupils to take ownership of their learning journey. This approach builds resilience, adaptability, and critical thinking skills — qualities that serve them well as they progress through the School, and indeed beyond Berkhamsted.

Our three core values are deeply embedded in every aspect of school life, guiding how we inspire and support our pupils. These values shape the foundation of our innovative leadership roles, such as the Deputy Head of Teaching, Learning & Innovation, and the Deputy Head of Leadership, which ensure that our educational practices continually evolve to meet the needs of our pupils.

At Berkhamsted, the journey of learning never stops. Our dedicated staff lead by example, engaging in professional research, earning advanced qualifications, and continually expanding their expertise. This commitment to growth demonstrates to pupils that learning is a lifelong endeavour.

We believe that happiness and success thrive within a strong partnership between home and school. Through our Parent Partnership programme, we work collaboratively with families to create a supportive environment where every pupil can flourish.

Developing Remarkable People is not just a motto—it’s our mission. From instilling a love of learning to fostering a spirit of innovation, we are constantly evolving to meet the challenges of tomorrow while staying true to the traditions that define us.

Aim High with Integrity

We believe in preparing our pupils effectively for a world in which they’ll be judged purely on their own merit. That’s why we select pupils from a broad spectrum of talents and abilities who will tangibly benefit from the added value that Berkhamsted can deliver, both academically and holistically. Our academic achievements derive from outstanding teaching, small class sizes, and provision of personal Microsoft Surface devices (from Year 5) to track individual progress. In our prep schools, the children are in small classes with a form tutor who monitors their personal development and academic progress.  By senior school, each child is supported by their Head of House and their own tutor within our House system (maximum 15 children per tutor). From Year 7, pupils work with these tutors to author their own reports and develop their own education plans, with encouragement to Aim High and make the most of the breadth of opportunity available to them at Berkhamsted. In the Sixth Form, there is a pastoral system that more closely mirrors a professional or university environment: every student has a personal tutor who holds a one-to-one coaching-style meeting with them every fortnight to support, challenge, and help them realise their potential. This gives pupils their own voice and the agency to be their true selves – so they can learn to be self-critical in a healthy way.

Be Adventurous

Whether learning new skills or taking to the stage in a play, Being Adventurous is about our pupils challenging themselves to take risks and achieve more independence. We believe that this involves a leadership mindset that develops self-confidence and a willingness to be courageous and open-minded in taking risks and trying new things. And we help every child achieve this: by Year 2, young pupils are already on our school council and helping shape their own experience; by Year 6, pupils are performing on stage at our 500-seat theatre; by Year 10, pupils are benefitting from specialist public speaking sessions; in the Sixth Form pupils have a selection of leadership opportunities. Of course, Being Adventurous also means not being afraid to make mistakes – which allows our pupils to learn, grow and try again.

 

Serve Others

Collaboration, cooperation and understanding the power of teamwork are skills for life. We believe that working together and achieving as a collective group is an invaluable experience for all our pupils. Alongside learning the power of working as a team, serving others through charitable actions is a major part of life at Berkhamsted.  Each term our pupils choose charities they would like to support and work towards events to help support, raise funds and learn to act to make a difference. There are also lots of leadership opportunities in various different areas of school life which allow pupils to give back to the School community, often by supporting younger pupils in some way. As a result, the pupils come into direct contact with role models who embody our values and have a positive impact on the School’s ethos and culture. All such initiatives have great value to our pupils both now and long term.

 

 

Above all, at Berkhamsted we believe that Developing Remarkable People helps our pupils to not just earn a living, but to enjoy a life worth living. We want to inspire your son or daughter to achieve more than they even think is possible in an ever-evolving world. Let us help them achieve not only the qualifications to get into good universities and fulfilling jobs but also their first promotion.

Remarkable Old Berkhamstedians

Adam Nickless

Read

Adam Nickless

Close

OB Adam Nickless left Year 13 with his mind set on joining the army. His fondest memories of Berkhamsted are his time in the Combined Cadet Force where he relished in the tales of the military pursuits of the Combined Cadet Force leaders. Learning how to serve others, be adventurous, and work alongside a team, Adam’s experience at Berkhamsted’s CCF prepared him with the skills and traits to pursue a military career once he left Sixth.  

Adam’s post A-Level journey began, as most do, at university. Studying Military History at the University of Kent, Adam honed his passion for the army and its captivating past. 

After graduating in 2012, Adam began his career as an Officer Cadet at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Since then, he has been commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Artillery in 2013. The former Berkhamstedian then spent two years as a Troop Commander in a Light Gun Regiment where he managed around 40 soldiers. Further in his career, Adam served as a Fire Support Team Commander and a Divisional and Brigade Staff Officer. He is currently at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom and is set to become a Liaison Officer to the RAF later in the year.  

What advice would Adam give to a pupil interested in a career in the British Army? “Stay open-minded! While you may have your heart set on being in the infantry or driving a tank while you’re at school, there are so many opportunities and roles in the army that you may not have heard of yet. Be open to trying new things and find what you love doing.”   

Anna Nicholls

Read

Anna Nicholls

Close

Anna Nicholls studied at Berkhamsted from Year 1 to Year 13. During this time, she honed her skills as a remarkable cricket player. Anna played for Buckinghamshire Cricket aged 13 before representing the Middlesex Women’s Cricket Club between the ages of 14 and 18 and then Yorkshire Women’s County Cricket Club aged 19-20 when she moved to the University of Leeds. She played for the Yorkshire Diamonds regional team in the Women’s Super League aged 18 and 19 as a batsman and as the wicket keeper in her second season. She was also in the England Women’s Development Programme and then England Academy aged 14-19.  

But Anna’s passion for cricket goes back to her Prep years. After captaining the boys’ cricket team in Year 3, Anna spent her entire journey across Berkhamsted Senior School and Sixth immersing herself in our vast sports offering, including playing for the first teams in lacrosse, netball and cricket. 

After leaving school, Anna moved north for university where she played for Yorkshire County and the Yorkshire Diamonds Super League team. Studying Medicine at university meant Anna faced a tough decision between pursuing her passion for cricket full-time or becoming a doctor. While she chose the latter and is now a junior doctor, Anna never lost sight of the transferable skills she acquired through playing sport at school and beyond. “I am currently in The Army Reserves and playing cricket taught me so many transferable skills that help me succeed in this role and my medical career to date.” While winning in the sports you love is a fantastic feeling, Anna carries with her the true values of sport at Berkhamsted, like the teamwork, commitment, and resilience that serve her both on the pitch and off.    

 

  

Bethan Miles

Read

Bethan Miles

Close

After playing for Buckinghamshire, Surrey, and the South East Stars, Bethan Miles’ passion for cricket began on our school pitch and hasn’t dwindled since.  

While it was never her plan to play cricket full-time, after beginning her cricket journey at Berkhamsted Prep in Year 5, Bethan was scouted by a county cricket coach at Buckinghamshire. She followed her passion for sport and completed the Buckinghamshire performance pathway while playing for first-team cricket at Berkhamsted, reaching her full potential in the game both within the School and outside of it. Bethan played for Buckinghamshire from 2018 to 2022 before she progressed to play for Surrey where she played in the Women’s London Championship. In one of her biggest career moves, Bethan was named in the South East Stars Academy squad for the 2021 season. She still plays for Surrey and South East Stars.  

While she proudly played in the boys’ cricket team at Berkhamsted, Bethan is excited about the recent development of the girls’ cricket programme at our School and hopes she can serve as a role model to current female pupils. “Growing up there were not masses of role models in girls’ cricket, I always looked up to older players from Berkhamsted like Anna Nicholls and I want to be a role model to younger years. I want to ensure girls’ cricket is never a second option.”

George Groves

Read

George Groves

Close

“I have loved painting since school,” says portrait artist George Groves. Studying Art and Design during his time at Berkhamsted under the careful guidance of Mrs Ferguson, George honed his talent and creativity within our school walls. Upon leaving Berkhamsted in 2017, George turned his hobby of painting oil portraits into a career and has boasted A-list sitters in his studio from Idris Elba OBE to Billy Billingham MBE.  

Painting portraits for so many huge names made it tough for George to decide on the highlight of his career, but having his work debuted at the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville is a particularly fond memory. “Once I saw my work displayed there, I felt like I was on the right track”, he says.   

George still demonstrates Berkhamsted’s School value of ‘Serving Others’. One of the proudest moments in his career was painting a portrait of Mark Ormrod MBE, a veteran and triple amputee: “Through the portrait of Mark, I wanted to tell his incredible story and after learning about his experience at the sitting, I was motivated to show his resilience through the art.”

Looking ahead, George hopes to show his work in London and to tell the stories of even more remarkable people through his art.  

Ishaan Bhimjiyani

Read

Ishaan Bhimjiyani

Close

When asked why he diverted from the traditional post-A-Level route of university to pursue his own Marketing and Influencer Agency, Tap Lab, Ishaan Bhimjiyani thinks back to the encouragement he received from his GCSE teachers at Berkhamsted. “When I first started posting content online, I was just interested in helping others with their GCSE study, but my French Teacher, Dr Startin, encouraged me to aim high and keep pursuing my channel and it became a huge success. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my time at Berkhamsted,” Ishaan said.  

During his time at our School, Ishaan was a House Prefect for Bees House and was involved in multiple business enterprises and courses that taught him leadership, teamwork, and public speaking skills. Each of which helped him pursue his business and content creation journey both during and after school.  

By the time he left Berkhamsted in 2021, Ishaan had grown a successful revision channel, cleverly named Revishaan, where he provided study tips and revision methods to GCSE and A-level students across the country. While he received university offers from Durham University, the University of Birmingham, and New York University, Ishaan turned them all down to pursue his Digital Marketing Start-Up, Tap Lab, an agency that connects influencers and brands as big as BOSE, Lenovo, and BBC. To current pupils interested in pursuing their start-up, Ishaan says, “Put yourself out there, give it everything, don’t listen to criticism. If people are talking about you, that just means you have made it.” 

Izzie and Sam Hurst

Read

Izzie and Sam Hurst

Close

After leaving Berkhamsted over four years ago, sisters Izzie and Sam Hurst (Nash, 2017 and Reeves, 2018) went on to develop a clothes-swapping app called Dopplle. The app encourages users to help the environment by swapping clothes with others as opposed to buying clothes brand new.  

Regularly hosting clothes-swapping events at university and college campuses nationwide, Dopplle is a hit with students who share a passion for sustainable clothing. “We started by hosting clothes-swapping events at university. We took the idea forward and developed an app. Izzie even did her placement year through Dopplle,” Sam explained. 

During their time at Berkhamsted, Izzie studied Chemistry, Maths, and Art at A-Level. Sam studied Chemistry, Biology, and Maths and is currently in her final year of studying Veterinary Science at Nottingham University.  

The duo returns to Berkhamsted annually to help run Young Enterprise, an initiative that sees Sixth Form students dive into the world of entrepreneurship. Izzie praises the skills she learned during Young Enterprise as an introduction to the sides of business she hadn’t considered before. “During the programme I worked a lot on promoting our business via social media- which is critical to running Dopplle. The programme was a big eye-opener to the world of entrepreneurship and taught me some important skills like communication, teamwork, and leadership which are vital to running a successful business,” Izzie says. Since they credit a lot of their success to the skills learned at school, Izzie and Sam now regularly return to Berkhamsted to help current Sixth Formers involved in Young Enterprise develop the skills to become future entrepreneurs.  

What’s next for this remarkable pair of Old Berkhamstedians? “In terms of the longevity of Dopplle we are at a point now where we just want to keep expanding the students and communities we are connecting with and seeing how big we can make our business in the long-term.”  

 

Josh Mullins

Read

Josh Mullins

Close

From kicking a ball around as a toddler to joining the Watford Academy aged just 6, Watford Football Club U18s player Josh Mullins has always been passionate about football.   

Studying at Berkhamsted from Year 9 to Year 11, Josh reflects on his time at our School fondly. Here, he furthered his resilience, enjoyment, and ambition to pursue football as he played the sport recreationally with peers, during games sessions, on trips, and even pursued football competitively with the first team. “I played for Berkhamsted’s 1st XI team for two years where I was able to enjoy and play the sport every week. I remember going on the football trip to Madrid with Berkhamsted, we had a great time!”  

After leaving Berkhamsted in Year 11, Josh followed his passion for football and was signed for Watford’s U18 team under a two-year contract. Aiming high, Josh hopes to play for Watford as long as possible, aspiring to one day become part of the first team.  

To pupils with aspirations of pursuing a sport professionally, Josh says: “Be fully committed, manage your time well, and work hard. It might sound cliché but it’s true that if you go the extra mile, it will always pay off!”  

Megan Evans

Read

Megan Evans

Close

Megan Evans left Berkhamsted Sixth in 2016 and progressed to Newcastle University where she studied Marketing and Management for four years. During this time, Megan also enjoyed a year in industry at British Airways.  

Despite graduating amidst a global pandemic, Megan was motivated to start her working life and joined the NHS as a Marketing Executive where she coordinated recruitment campaigns during the national COVID vaccination rollout. After a year at the NHS, Megan returned to British Airways to complete their three-year Future Leader Graduate Programme.  

During her time at British Airways, Megan has made it her goal to work in a range of departments to discover the elements of working for an airline that she most enjoyed. From Marketing to Customer Operations, Megan has already enjoyed a rich and diverse career.  

While she has worked in a range of roles already, Megan’s time at British Airways is just beginning as the Old Berkhamstedian was recently promoted to the role of Senior Recruitment Manager at the airline.  

When asked which experiences at Berkhamsted were vital to her success, Megan credits leadership opportunities. “To a current pupil interested in business, I would say get as much work and real-life experience as you can. Working in customer service, volunteering to be a House Captain, and even achieving the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award while at school helped my CV stand out to employers and helped me to develop the character traits like leadership and teamwork that are necessary for success!” 

Sam Brabazon

Read

Sam Brabazon

Close

Despite playing rugby during Saturday Fixtures and games sessions throughout his time at Berkhamsted, doctor and rugby enthusiast Sam Brabazon never imagined he’d go on to play for England Deaf Rugby in matches across the globe.  

On how he came to play for England Deaf Rugby, Sam explains, “I first noticed I had some hearing loss in my right ear during university. After attending the doctor for an audiogram and discovering I had hearing loss, I remembered recently hearing about England Deaf Rugby and their defeat of New Zealand’s team. I got in touch with the team to find out if I was eligible to play, I went to an open training session, and I’ve been playing since then.”

Since then, Sam has travelled across the world to represent England, even taking on the England Deaf Rugby World Championships in Argentina. Later this year, Sam looks forward to heading on tour to South Africa with England Deaf Rugby.  

During his time at Berkhamsted, Sam was involved in all aspects of School life, from CCF to charity work, and even a little Eton Fives, “albeit not well,” the OB admits! These opportunities taught Sam the importance of getting out and serving others- a value he often draws upon in his career as a full-time doctor.  

When asked what his advice would be for current pupils interested in pursuing sports after their school years, Sam says “I’d encourage anyone to keep going with sports as long as they can, playing sports is such a great way to meet so many different people and make friends!” 

 

Sarah Baharaki

Read

Sarah Baharaki

Close

Old Berkhamstedian, Sarah Baharaki, was forced to flee her home country, Afghanistan, after the invasion of the Taliban in 2021. After arriving in the UK, Sarah met a teacher from Berkhamsted who worked to help her secure a scholarship at our School. Despite the turmoil of fleeing her country and knowing nobody at our School, Sarah showed immense resilience, immersing herself in our School community and the study of her A Level subjects, Business, Economics, and Art. 

Upon finishing her A Levels, Sarah gained a place at Kings College, London, to study International Development. Sarah has dedicated her studies and early career to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4, (‘to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all’). Aged just 19, Sarah has worked as a UK Youth Delegate to the Commission on the status of Women, a Global Ambassador for Theirworld (an organisation that works to end the global youth crises, as a Global Youth Ambassador), and has spoken at April 2024’s ‘Youth shaping sustainable and Innovative Solutions Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and Eradicating Poverty in Times of Crises’.   

Sarah has also worked with influential figures to make positive change. In early 2024, she met with Gordon Brown, the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, where 2.5 million girls have been banned from education for over 1,000 days.  

Sarah is a remarkable young woman who, in dedicating much of her life to help all people secure the human right of an education, embodies Berkhamsted’s value to Serve Others.  

Sid Sagar

Read

Sid Sagar

Close

Award-winning actor and writer Sid Sagar left Berkhamsted in 2011 to study History at Bristol University and trained as an actor with the National Youth Theatre. During his time at Berkhamsted he sang, played music and took part in plays. “That set me up to understand that my voice was worth something”, he says.

Sid has maintained a strong connection with the Berkhamsted community since leaving. He has presented prizes at House Performing Arts and Music competitions, as well as meeting pupils for a Q&A after they attended his performance of ‘Ballet Shoes’ at the National Theatre. “It’s a real honour,” he says. “I remember being in those positions when I was at school. It’s so inspiring to meet someone who is doing something that you think you could do – who has trod the path you hope to go down one day.”

Sid has been commissioned by the Almeida Theatre and was one of the winners of Rose Theatre Kingston’s New Writing Festival as well as the winner of the Eastern Eye Award for Best Actor (Theatre) for his performance in ‘The Starry Messenger’ in the West End. Sagar’s film credits include ‘Death on the Nile’, ‘Belfast’, ‘Ready Player One’, ‘Cruella’ and ‘The Batman’.

Stephen Campbell Moore

Read

Stephen Campbell Moore

Close

When Stephen Campbell Moore joined Berkhamsted Prep, he already had a broad range of interests. From History to Geography, Moore always took an interest in the world around him. But it wasn’t until he read the famous Shakespearean quote, “we are such stuff as dreams are made on” on his maths teacher, Bill Oram’s, wall at Berkhamsted that he was motivated to pursue acting.   

Since then, Stephen has starred in various blockbusters, plays, and TV Series from ‘The History Boys’ to ‘Red Joan’. Stephen’s first big break came in 2003 when he featured in Stephen Fry’s ‘Bright Young Things’, an on-stage satirical social commentary based on Evelyn Waugh’s 1930 novel, ‘Vile Bodies’.  

Stephen’s passion for acting goes back to his school days and one of his most cherished memories was playing the leading role of Prospero in The Tempest aged just 14. The play, directed by Mr Oram, the same maths teacher who first inspired him to pursue acting, was a defining moment in Stephen’s school life, pushing him out of his comfort zone and on to the big stage.  

To current pupils considering pursuing acting in the future, Stephen says, “If your passion for something is strong enough, you will follow it no matter what…believe in your talent, be motivated, don’t just be motivated by being on stage but take an interest in the world outside of acting”.  

 

 

Tim and Miles

Read

Tim and Miles

Close

Maintaining a close friendship after their time at Berkhamsted School, entrepreneurial duo Tim and Miles went on to create the award-winning platform, RWRD, which connects the independent coffee community with their customers. The pair combined their love of good coffee with their entrepreneurial mindset and came up with a digital rewards platform that helps consumers discover better coffee, tip without cash, and enjoy loyalty schemes with their favourite local coffee shops.  

Tim and Miles both went their separate ways after leaving Berkhamsted, Tim joined the military to serve as a Commissioned Officer within the Mercian Regiment of the Infantry, while Miles was working at various start-ups in London. Despite the physical distance, the pair maintained a tight friendship and eventually reunited to grow their own business in 2018, the pair say that their close friendship reflects the community spirit that existed within the school. “Berkhamsted was a tight community… Tim and I are still in touch with so many people from our year group, and we have been able to create our own business thanks to the friendship we built there, so we will always value our time at school.”  

Both OBs were fervent sports players during their time at Berkhamsted, with Tim playing in the 1st XI Football team, while Miles was a keen rugby player. They both enjoyed the lessons that allowed them to embrace their creative side, experience that prepared them to start RWRD years later. “I was very enthusiastic about DT and Drama, they taught me how to create something from scratch, which is exactly what I did when creating RWRD all these years on,” Tim says.  

The pair don’t shy away from the challenges that being business owners presents, in fact, being unafraid to make mistakes is their greatest piece of advice. “It took us going around a lot of coffee shops to see if our idea was feasible and drawing ideas on our flat windows before we had a business. Getting started is the hardest part, we all have ideas, but you just need to take the first step in bringing them to fruition. And don’t expect to get it right the first time, it’s okay to make mistakes!”    

 

Zoe Nicholls

Read

Zoe Nicholls

Close

For Zoe Nicholls, studying Structural Engineering and Architecture at university felt like a natural progression from her enjoyment of Art, Physics, and Maths at A-Level. The OB, who completed the entire journey through Berkhamsted Schools from Stepping Stones to Sixth, is now completing an Integrated Masters in Structural Engineering at the University of Sheffield.  

While she excelled academically, Zoe also enjoyed the wide range of extra-curricular pursuits on offer at Berkhamsted. From playing Fives to never missing a CCF session, Zoe credits the School for instilling in her a strong sense of commitment, adventure, and desire to serve others, all of which have helped her to succeed in her studies.  

Although she left Berkhamsted in 2019 to pursue her Structural Engineering and Architecture degree, Zoe frequently returns to our School to deliver inspirational talks to female pupils interested in STEM. “I enjoyed life at Berkhamsted right until the end. The School gave so much to me so it’s a pleasure for the opportunity to give back. 

While the future is not set in stone, Zoe looks forward to beginning her career in structural engineering and architecture. However, during her time speaking with current pupils, the OB emphasises that it’s not necessary to have it all figured right away!The working world is changing there are all kinds of people ready to welcome you. STEM is not about individual success or competition. It’s about progressing as a team and supporting each other. All contributions are welcome and needed,” Zoe says.   

ABOUT US

Character

Read more

ABOUT US

Life skills

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aliquam mollis risus a efficitur tempor. Nulla lacus nibh, vulputate eget odio in, venenatis tempus tortor. Interdum.

Read more

ABOUT US

Intellectual skills

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aliquam mollis risus a efficitur tempor. Nulla lacus nibh, vulputate eget odio in, venenatis tempus tortor. Interdum.

Read more

ABOUT US

Excellent results

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aliquam mollis risus a efficitur tempor. Nulla lacus nibh, vulputate eget odio in, venenatis tempus tortor. Interdum.

Read more