FAQ

St Andrew’s School is in the hamlet of Buckhold, three miles from Pangbourne in West Berkshire.  To find directions click here and to find out more about the area click here.

Children join St Andrew’s in Nursery in the half-term of their third birthday and Reception in the September following their fourth birthday.  Places occasionally arise in other years and the Registrar will be able to advise if places are available.  More information can be found about the School Admissions process by clicking here.

Children progress on to a number of leading day and boarding schools, with many achieving scholarships.  The majority of children leave at 13.  A full list of schools and recent scholarships awarded can be found by clicking here.

Open Mornings provide an excellent opportunity to meet the Headmaster, have a tour with pupils and hear their views about school life, as well as to meet other parents.  We also offer adventure mornings each term for younger children to come and experience life at St Andrew’s for themselves.  However, the Headmaster and Registrar are delighted to welcome families for visits throughout the year.  More information can be found by clicking here or to arrange a visit, please contact the Registrar on registrar@standrewspangbourne.co.uk or 0118 974 4276.

All abilities are catered for at St Andrew’s and children are supported and stretched to meet their abilities.  Differentiation occurs in all classes, with extension activities always provided to stretch the more capable.  Setting is introduced in Maths and English from Year 5.  From Year 6 pupils are also set in languages.  Scholarship classes are offered from Year 7 and Year 8. To find out more about the academic education on offer in the Pre-Prep, click here; to find out more about the academic education in the Prep, click here.

We offer full and comprehensive support for pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties to enable pupils to reach their full potential.  The Learning Skills staff regularly attend courses to keep up to date with the latest developments in dyslexia as well as other related areas.  To find out more about the learning support on offer, click here.

Wrap around care is offered for all pupils, from 3 to 13.  To find out more about breakfast, late club and supper club click here.  To find out more about after school activities click here.

Children join St Andrew’s in Nursery in the term following their third birthday (September, January and April).  Children join Reception in the September following their fourth birthday.  Places occasionally become available at other times of the year and the Registrar will be able to advise if places are available.  More information can be found about the School's admissions process by clicking here.

Yes, a range of fun and challenging activities are available for Pre-Prep and Prep children before and after school.  These include ballet, golf, taekwondo, horse riding, drama and performing arts clubs as well as extensive music and sports opportunities.

St Andrew’s is a nut-free school and we can cater for all other food allergies.  To find out more about school food and the catering at St Andrew’s click here.

St Andrew’s School is in the hamlet of Buckhold, three miles from Pangbourne in West Berkshire, close to Reading, Newbury and Oxford.  To find out more about the area click here.

No, but all children are invited to Taster Days to ensure the School is a mutually comfortable fit.  To find out more about the School’s admissions process and Taster Days click here.

Developing co-ordination, ball skills and the concept of teamwork are introduced in Pre-Prep.  From Year 3 onwards each pupil has four games lessons per week alongside a comprehensive programme of inter-school matches.  The girls play hockey, netball, lacrosse, swimming, athletics, tennis and cricket whilst the boys' games are football, rugby, hockey, swimming, athletics, tennis and cricket.  There is also a programme of internal competitions in these and other games, such as cross-country. The state of the art Sports Centre enables sports to be played year round and swimming is available throughout the year in the indoor pool.

Class sizes are tightly managed to ensure that the very highest standards of teaching are delivered. Classes in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 continue to be small, averaging up to 18 under the charge of a teacher who will teach most subjects supported by teaching assistants for subjects where smaller group sizes are beneficial and by specialists for certain subjects such as phonics, Forest School, music and swimming. 

The children who have progressed from the Pre-Prep may be joined by a small number of others as they enter the Prep School, but class sizes remain small, with forms not exceeding 20.  There are two classes per year.

In the Pre-Prep pupils are expected to do some reading and spelling at home.  In the Prep School all prep is completed in school, apart from in the last two years when pupils have some additional work to do at home.

The school fees include all tuition, care and catering.  Boarding, extra tuition (such as singing and instrumental lessons) and wrap around care are optional extras. To find out more about fees click here.

St Andrew’s has a Christian ethos but welcomes pupils from all religious backgrounds as well as those who are not religious.  The curriculum aims to provide a multi-cultural perspective and create an awareness and understanding of all religions.

There are a number of sources for good and reliable advice about the best schools where you will find information about St Andrew’s as well as other private day and boarding schools in the UK.  To read more, you can visit the Good Schools Guide, Tatler, BSA and IAPS.

St Andrew’s offers an exceptional education for children from 3 to 13.  We pride ourselves on providing an excellent academic and all-round education in a truly co-educational environment.  The School is renowned for the excellent levels of pastoral care and outstanding support available to working families.  There are no lessons on Saturdays, giving families time together and a break from the daily routine.  We also offer flexi and weekly boarding from Year 3, to help children prepare for boarding at their secondary schools and to provide an extra layer of support for busy families.  Children enjoy very active school days, participating in everything our 54 acre site has to offer.  Whether they are climbing trees, den building or building fires at forest school, being outside (and getting muddy) is definitely seen as a very good thing at St Andrew’s!  To find out more about St Andrew’s and whether it would be the right fit for your child, click here.