Developing remarkable people
Welcome to Berkhamsted Pre-Prep
Every decision is aimed at offering the very best of a modern, excellent education and igniting a passion for learning from the very beginning of an exceptional educational journey through our school.
Karen O’Connor BA, MA, PGCE, NPQH
Headteacher of Berkhamsted Prep, Pre-Prep and Berkhamsted Day Nursery
Read moreJoin Berkhamsted Pre-Prep
Find out more about our admissions process and how to join Berkhamsted Pre-Prep, where we develop remarkable people within a supportive and inspiring community.
Academic
The very best of a modern education
At Berkhamsted Pre-Prep, every decision we make is aimed at offering your child the very best of a modern education. Learning never stands still at Berkhamsted Pre-Prep. We believe in making learning active and encourage the children to approach every day with questions and curiosity so that they want to learn more.
Read moreCo-curricular
Outdoor Education
Sparking a sense of adventure and developing long-lasting friendships
Read moreListen to our latest podcast
Hear from Head of Stepping Stones, Debbie Cooper, discuss the importance of play and her research on the ‘Million Word Gap’ in our podcast.
News
Berkhamsted Group, Boys, Girls, Heatherton, Pre-Prep, Prep, Sixth Form, Sustainability | 15.09.2025
Berkhamsted Schools Group announced as Top Three Finalist for two School House Awards
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Berkhamsted Group, Pre-Prep, Sustainability | 16.06.2025
Celebrating our planet: Pre-Prep highlights from the Great Big Green Week
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VISIT US
Why Berkhamsted?
As dreamy country schools go, the pre-prep is right up there, while the prep – a five minute drive away – is much bigger and so urban it could almost be London.
Staff share an ambitious vision, with high expectations for what all children can achieve and ensure that high standards of learning and care are delivered.
Inside, the emphasis on teaching and learning, as well as cross-curricular, is evident from the glass-covered noticeboards alone – among the largest and most comprehensive we’ve seen.
Yesterday’s Languages Day brought a wonderful buzz of excitement to the Pre‑Prep as Language Ambassadors from @berkhamstedprep, @berkhamstedgirls, and @berkhamstedboys led lively workshops introducing children to Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, German, Cornish, and Makaton sign language. Through games, songs and interactive challenges, even the youngest pupils felt confident to try something new, supported and inspired by the older students who modelled just how fun language learning can be.
By the end of the day, the Pre‑Prep was alive with new words, new skills and plenty of proud smiles—a celebration not just of vocabulary, but of confidence, curiosity and the joy of understanding one another.
Languages Day started on a high note with Ferran from @freshwater_education leading a lively KS1 storytelling session all about Anansi. The children were hooked from the first story.
Anansi is a well‑known figure in West African and Caribbean folklore, often appearing as a clever spider who uses wit to solve problems. He’s celebrated as the keeper of stories, helping communities pass down culture, humour, and wisdom through generations.
Starting Languages Day with Anansi’s stories reminded us how language opens doors to understanding the world, connecting us to a global tradition of shared tales and diverse voices.
Look out for more photos and videos of our exciting Language Day activities!
Dear Berkhamsted,
What makes you so special?
Find out at our Pre-Prep Open Event on Saturday 7 March, where you can tour the school, meet our friendly staff and discover how we develop remarkable people.
👉Book now via the link in our bio.
The children at Pre-Prep were delighted to welcome Gill from the Alternatives Baby Basket Charity @alternatives_w , who showed us how the money the children raise during their Lent Project will go to help others in need. Once again, this demonstrated that serving others is truly at the heart of our community.
This week in Reception has been wellbeing week, and the children have enjoyed creating and painting rainbows and exploring the outdoor environment while looking for signs of spring. Our focus has been belonging and how we compliment one another. Positivity is key for our wellbeing.
☔️The grey and rainy weather has not stopped Stepping Stones getting outside and stuck in to messy play! Messy play allows our youngest children to build their fine and gross motor skills and develop creativity and problem-solving through hands on, open ended experiences. 💭The children have been suited and booted to give them the freedom to use their imagination with natural resources. We have yet to sample the mud pies and potions but are assured they are delicious! 🥧
📚✨Year 1 and Year 8 ended National Storytelling Week together with shared stories, big smiles and plenty of imagination. A joyful moment of community across our school!✨📚 @berkolibrary
Reception had a ‘toot-toot-ally’ brilliant morning with a visit from ‘Track City’ today! Our little adventurers collaborated, played and let their imagination zoom as they navigated a wonderful range of transport and small world toys. No doubt this will be a highlight of our Journeys topic! 🚂🚆🛤️
The final day of Creative Arts Week concluded with a vibrant celebration: Music Day. 👉 Swipe to explore the children’s rhythmic work in action!
Continuing the theme ‘Our Wonderful Imagination’, the day invited children to explore creativity in its purest form. Starting from a blank page, they used junk percussion and body percussion to invent their own music, discovering that exciting sounds can be created in the most unexpected ways.
Working alongside musician Ollie, a former member of the world-famous group STOMP, the children explored rhythm, pattern and tempo through clapping, tapping, stamping and using everyday objects as instruments. They experimented, listened carefully and worked together to build their own musical ideas, showing confidence and creativity throughout the day.
This hands-on experience encouraged self-expression, teamwork and problem-solving, proving that music starts with imagination and curiosity.
A huge thank you to our Prep School Music Leaders for their support in inspiring and guiding our youngest musicians.
Our Little Explorers had the most wonderful adventure in the woods today. They discovered a letter from Sneezy the Dragon and all of the fairies that live in Fairy Dell. The children listened carefully to the story of the fairies who had invited them to make their very own Friends of the Fairies friendship bracelets! 🌿🧚🐉 We cannot wait for our next adventure!
Year 2 enjoyed immersing themselves in our geography topic of China today. We spent the morning exploring the traditions of Chinese New Year, crafting red lanterns and lucky red envelopes, learning Mandarin with the help of our Senior School students and painting colourful koi carp, inspired by the symbolism of good fortune and perseverance. Highlights of the day also included a ribbon dancing workshop and a delicious Chinese lunch. Experiences like these help our children to develop a deeper understanding of other cultures, encouraging respect, curiosity and global awareness. What a joyful way to bring our China topic to life!
Our KS1 children celebrated movement, creativity and expression as Creative Arts Week continued this week. Inspired by the text ‘The Wonder’, the children began with a blank canvas and used their bodies to explore how stories, ideas and emotions can be brought to life through dance.
This engaging dance experience encouraged confidence, collaboration and creative thinking, showing that dance—just like storytelling—begins with imagination, curiosity and the freedom to explore.
Thanks to Hayley (@jigsawberkhamsted) for such inspiring and fun workshops! You can see both Year 1 and 2’s performances above 👆
