Developing remarkable people
Welcome to Berkhamsted Prep School in Hertfordshire
Being a pupil here is a unique experience; everyone is treated as an individual and our child-centred approach to education ensures they develop a natural curiosity and thirst for learning.
Karen O’Connor BA, MA, PGCE, NPQH
Headteacher of Berkhamsted Prep and Pre-Prep; Head of Berkhamsted Day Nursery
Read moreAwards & Recognition
We’re proud to share that the Berkhamsted Schools Group has been named a finalist in three national awards this year.
- Independent School of the Year for Sporting Achievement – recognising the breadth and success of our pupils’ sporting accomplishments.
- School House Award for Mental Health and Wellbeing – celebrating our commitment to supporting the wellbeing of our community.
- School House Award for Sustainability – highlighting our focus on building a greener, more responsible future.
These shortlists reflect the dedication of our pupils, staff, and wider community to excellence, care, and innovation across every aspect of school life.
Academic
Individual and child-centred approach to education
Our pupils are at the centre of everything we do. Everyone is treated as an individual and our child-centred approach to education ensures they develop a natural curiosity, motivation and thirst for learning.
Read moreCo-curricular
Beyond the Curriculum
An education at Berkhamsted Prep provides our pupils with the academic skills and qualifications they will need to meet their future aspirations, combined with the opportunity to gain the life skills and experiences they will need for a successful, happy future.
Read moreNews
Berkhamsted Group, Prep | 10.10.2025
The Beast and the Berkhamsted: Author Jack Meggitt-Phillips visits Prep
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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, Boys, Girls, Prep, Sixth Form | 04.09.2025
Berkhamsted pupils ready for a new year of learning
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Berkhamsted Group, Prep | 12.06.2025
Learning languages and promoting play at our Prep School in Hertfordshire.
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OPEN EVENTS
Why Berkhamsted?
Value added is the name of the game: most enter the nursery at national standard, but by year 6 the vast majority are well beyond it, with many of them significantly above.
Pupils develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and resilience to a mature level, encouraged by the school’s focus on perseverance.
We Will Remember Them 🥀
This morning, our Berkhamsted Prep School community gathered to honour those who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars, and in conflicts since.
Our Year 6 pupils led the service with Bible readings, prayers, and a moving recital of Flanders Fields by John McCrae.
Together, they remembered the past @BerkhamstedSchools pupils and staff who sacrificed their lives in the First and Second World Wars.
The service concluded with a beautiful performance of The Last Post by Finlay from @BerkhamstedBoys. 🌺
#RemembranceDay #LestWeForget
💡 Choice. Changes. Everything.💡
Giving pupils autonomy in how they work and present their learning builds motivation, confidence, and stronger teacher–child relationships.
There are a lot of skills and teaching hours that must precede independent enquiry but once we get there, boy do we see the results!
Research backs it up:
🤩 Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) – autonomy is a core psychological need linked to engagement and well-being.
🤩 Springer Review (2024) – autonomy-supportive teaching increases learning outcomes and intrinsic motivation.
🤩 PMC Study (2021) – trust and ownership strengthen teacher–student relationships.
When we hand over a little control, children take a lot more ownership. 🌱
#StudentVoice #LearningAutonomy #EnquiryLearning #TeacherLife #PrimaryEducation #empoweredlearners
Thank you for all your kindness in supporting this worthwhile cause in the local community.
@toyhubcharity
Year 6 had the exciting opportunity to play in a touch rugby tournament at the @saracensofficial @official_stonex stadium.
This formidable venue in North London has hosted many of rugby’s greats – now includes our pupils!
Split into small mixed ability teams, Year 6 enjoyed a round robin tournament which tested their teamwork, adaptability and technical rugby know-how. Newer players were supported by their teammates to learn the sport and win together. 🏉
Author Visit from @jmeggittphillips 📚
Our Prep pupils were thrilled to welcome Jack Meggitt-Phillips, author of The Beast and the Bethany book series, for a day of creative writing fun!
Pupils imagined wild worlds, from friendly dragons to mischievous neighbours, and crafted their own short stories. Many chose happy endings that made Jack declare, “Well done Berkhamsted, you’re clearly not a beastly school!”
Year 5 pupils gained brilliant inspiration ahead of the #BBC500Words competition, and everyone enjoyed getting books signed and asking their burning questions.
Head of Year 5, Mrs Benson said:
“Author visits for the children are the perfect way to inspire our young writers. Meeting real authors that they have heard about or read their books captures their imagination and sparks so much creativity. The workshop today was one of the best that we have had at Berkhamsted Prep, because it focused on the writing of stories rather than the author themselves. Within the hour, the children had written a short story that they could be proud of, that made others laugh, that had a moral or was a dream imagined, showing them that story writing is accessible and achievable for all!”
Thank you, Jack, for inspiring our young storytellers! ✨
#BerkhamstedPrep #AuthorVisit #CreativeWriting #TheBeastAndTheBethany
Step back in time! 🏺
Our Egyptian-themed day with @historyoffthepage brought ancient history to life beyond the textbooks, complete with hieroglyph writing, Canopic Jar crafting, and budding archaeologists uncovering secrets of the past!
From art and literacy to geography and even maths, our young historians explored how ancient Egypt shaped our world today and had so much fun doing it! 💫
Through hands-on learning, this immersive historical experience sparked curiosity and helped children form lasting memories of the subject.
Superb effort from all of Year 5 in their house Cross Country this afternoon.
Happy children enjoying being active with their friends … we love to see it!
Thank you to the PE team for making memories through sport 🏃🏃♀️⚽️🏉🏅🏀🎳🚴🏏🥎
“Fiction really starts when something goes wrong” was our starting point for some amazingly creative writing with our visiting author @jmeggittphillips . We shared our happy places and enjoyed the comedy of what might go wrong.
Languages and Play Day at Berkhamsted Prep! 🌍
Our Prep pupils explored languages and cultures, learning Chinese, Latin and Spanish with help from our Year 7s and @berkhamstedsixth students.
Through play, collaboration and curiosity, they discovered that learning about others helps us understand the world around us. 💬✨
#BerkhamstedPrep #CulturalAwareness #LearningThroughPlay #independentprepschoolherts
Year 6 took to the pitch at the @saracensofficial @official_stonex Stadium for an unforgettable touch rugby tournament! 🏉
From first-time players to seasoned pros, every pupil had the chance to shine, building teamwork, resilience and rugby know-how along the way. 🏉
With support from our @berkhamstedboys and @berkhamstedsixth referees, and strong competition from @mkprepschool, spirits were sky-high.
One pupil summed it up: “I’m playing on the home field of the Saracens, one of the best teams in the world!”
For others, it was about trying something new: “Even people who’d never played rugby before loved it, everyone got stuck in!”
Inspired by the England @redrosesrugby ’ recent World Cup triumph, some even dreamed of following in the footsteps of Saracens’ stars.
“Ever since I was about five or six, I’ve wanted to be a professional rugby player at Saracens,” one pupil states. Inspired by @zoeharrison123 , playing touch rugby at her icon’s home ground was an especially meaningful moment.
Thank you for giving our Prep pupils the chance to Aim High on such an iconic stage.
It’s not every day you get to drive an F1 car at school… 🎮🏎️
Last week, Berkhamsted pupils got behind the wheel of three @williamsracing Formula 1 simulators and tested their skills on the track! With PS5s also in action, pupils (and teachers!) experienced the thrill of racing first-hand.
Esports aren’t just fun — they help build focus, quick thinking, and teamwork. From lightning-fast reaction times to analysing every corner, our pupils showed determination and perseverance throughout the day.
💬 “It was pretty hard, but I gave it my best shot.”
💬 “At first I struggled, but once I found my feet it was amazing!”
Well done to everyone who raced, and a special thank you to Mrs Hughes for organising! 👏
#BerkhamstedSchool #Esports #F1 #WilliamsRacing
🪚✏️ Measure twice, cut once! Year 5 have been developing their DT skills this week, carefully measuring and cutting wood to prepare for their truss bridge builds. 📏🪚 Great focus and craftsmanship on display!
