Hampshire &amp; Isle of Wight


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-where">WHAT? WHERE?</h2>



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<p>A smart co-ed Prep for ages 3-13, Cheam School is a bucolic beauty set on the Berkshire and Hampshire border, offering day and a modern&nbsp;mix of flexi and weekly boarding. It’s a buzzy, energetic school with&nbsp;400 pupils in&nbsp;total.</p>



<p>Sitting in roughly 100 acres of pristine grounds (props to the grounds staff, who clearly work their socks off), the school is set back from the A339 that runs between Newbury and Basingstoke. Yes, it’s a busy road but it’s also means it’s easy speedy drop off and pick up and there are good rail links to London from Newbury or Basingstoke.</p>



<p>Founded in 1645, Cheam is the oldest private school in the country. It didn’t move to its current site until 1932, which is dominated by the&nbsp;stonking grade II listed Georgian mansion. The school has a long tradition as a feeder to the&nbsp;top&nbsp;independents – Eton, Marlborough, Downe House, Radley, Wellington&nbsp;– and its former pupils include the new King Charles III and his father Prince Philip. *Virtual curtsey*.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-facilities">FACILITIES</h2>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sport">SPORT</h4>



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<p>OMG, where to start? The huge school grounds are seemingly endless and there is not a single&nbsp;blade of grass out of place. You’ll find cricket pitches and nets, six hard&nbsp;tennis courts, a new full-size astro turf pitch, a nine-hole golf course, an adventure playground and an outdoor swimming pool. But it doesn’t end there. There’s a smart modern sports hall, a 20m rifle range and opportunities to clay pigeon shoot, fence, horse ride and learn bushcraft.</p>



<p>Sport gets top billing, and the trophy cabinets grown under the weight of the silverware. Football is being added to the core sports rotation for both boys and girls, alongside hockey and cricket. Boys also play rugby and girls netball. In fact, Cheam is considered one of the best prep schools for girls’ cricket in the UK. Quite the boast, but Cheam girls flood the top teams in Senior schools.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>There’s no shortage of options: pupils can opt in to golf, tennis, judo, fencing, horse riding, swimming in the outdoor pool, kayaking, clay pigeon shooting and much more. Oh, and then there’s the knockout match teas, served in the lovely loggia just outside the head’s office, overlooking the formal garden. A biennial cricket and netball tour even sees children head to Cape Town.</p>



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<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creative-arts">CREATIVE ARTS</h4>



<p>On the music and drama front, the chapel doubles up as a performance hall, with all the music rooms running alongside it. Bigger whole school events, like Division Music – when the kids competitively rock out in their Divisions (houses) – take place in the&nbsp;sports hall.</p>



<p>The school has a strong performing arts contingent, with lots of opportunities to sing in bands or choir and play musical instruments. Juniors and Seniors both put on a big show each year, like&nbsp;<em>Mary Poppins</em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Bugsy Malone</em>. There’s also a biennial tour to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.</p>



<p>LAMDA is popular and if your child is not a natural jazz hander, backstage roles working the light and sound are assigned to ensure everyone involved. The art studio is also outstanding. Light, bright, with space that many pros could only dream of.</p>



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<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-school">SCHOOL</h4>



<p>While we’re loving the Cheam golf buggy to whizz round the grounds, the outdoor education has been formalised to offer the Cheam Pioneer Club (CPC) with time carved out in the timetable for all year groups to take part. At the bottom of the site, by the woodland and stream, you’ll find an outdoor classroom, climbing wall, den building, kayaking, shooting and all the Bear Grylls style fun you can shake a stick at.</p>



<p>A new Cheam Diploma has also been launched, to recognise character development and the all-important softer skills. All pupils from Y6 to Y8 log their achievements on the Cloodle platform when they nail acts of Responsibility, Respect, Relationships, Resilience and Reflectiveness. There are rewards each term for top achievers – great for giving quieter kids the chance to shine – and it’s a hit with both staff and pupils.</p>



<p>Elsewhere, the Y8s have a new common cabin (yup, it’s much grander than a room) has been erected for the most senior pupils to hangout, located next to the much-loved adventure playground. A big review of the school campus is being done to see if there are areas that can be improved. Cheam has long being considered a top traditional country prep, but you get the impression there’s a modern makeover happening – same Cheam DNA, but sharper and more forward thinking.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-boarding">BOARDING</h2>



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<p>I’ve seen my fair share of spruced up boarding rooms in my time, but nothing quite prepared me for Cheam’s. A local artist has painted murals in the rooms and they’re awesome. You’ll find big cats roaming the halls, rooms that are out of this world, James Bond makes an appearance… I won’t spoil the surprise. Take a look, they’re awesome. Fun for the kids and comforting for parents to know the rooms are not just a place to rest their weary heads. All the rooms are in the main mansion house, which adds to the home from home feel.</p>



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<p>With facilities this good, boarding is huuuuge the flexibility is super appealing for local families. Note it’s weekly or flexi rather than full, with everyone going home on a Saturday night. (‘Flexi’ here means one or two nights a week; ‘weekly’ means three, four or five).&nbsp;Boarding Housemaster Tom Chapman, his wife and the rest of the tea, go above and beyond to ensuring the kids are well cared for and a lot of fun – &nbsp;Prison Break, Spanish Fiesta, Deathtrap Dungeon, Fireworks as well as sports, arts and crafts. I suspect the boarding team have more fun than the kids. No judgement here.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-academic">ACADEMIC</h2>



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<p>The killer combo of being non-selective yet academically strong. The vibe is more prospering than pushy. Catnip for parents wishing to escape the London academic hot houses. There’s a dedicated scholarship class for the brightest buttons, and one of the best learning-support departments I have seen. Deputy Head of Pastoral Kate Hudson scoops up children who need a little or a lot of help to ensure they have the tools to thrive (rather than survive) school life. She’s mindful of the each individual child’s needs and the SEND stigma attached and works incredibly hard to build confidence and instil that love learning. Her magic extends to the staff development too.</p>



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<p>Cheam is regarded as a feeder schools for the top independents, which gives you an idea of the academic standards. Many were awarded places at many pupils winning places at Eton, Marlborough and Bradfield College. Other popular destinations include Wellington, Radley, St Edward’s, Oxford and Pangbourne. The senior-school destination list is broadening year on year. Day schools for 13+ are growing in popularity, but still pretty rare.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-head">THE HEAD</h2>



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<p>It’s a sad farewell to Will Phelps, who left Cheam in during the summer. During his tenure as Headmaster, Will certainly made his mark at Cheam – launching the Cheam Diploma, formalising Character Education within the School and reforming and modernising the Senior Leadership Team.</p>



<p>Nick Milbank is stepping up from his role as Deputy Head (Co-Curricular) to Acting Head. Nick’s a safe pair of hands having worked at Cheam for a staggering 25 years. No carriage clock to mark his quarter century, instead he gets to keep the head’s seat warm and until they take office. He’s a super popular member of the team among pupils, staff and parents and alongside his Deputy Head Kate Hudson (Pastoral) and Howard Long (Academic), they’ll keep the wheels turning at this buzzy Prep.</p>



<p>The senior team have been working on the timetable to declutter busy periods and create a bit of breathing space. The Nest is a new wellbeing space for kids to seek some quiet time. The Cheam Diploma has been introduced for Y6 to Y8 to help builds resilience, leadership, collaboration and manners – their personal achievements are then recorded on the Cloodle platform and visually mapped out for everyone to see the wins and what areas need a bit of extra work. Eventually it will be rolled out to Y3 to Y5 but modified to be age appropriate</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">PASTORAL</h2>



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<p>This is a buzzy, busy and ambitious school, so it’s great to see pupil mental health prioritised. Cheam’s culture of kindness now extends to a new wellbeing hub, The Nest – a dedicated space to relax, unwind and connect with others. It’s an oasis of is a calm, tucked away from the main school courtyard. A great opportunity to decompress when you’re having a bad day, feel overwhelmed or just need a bit of quiet time. Ooh, it was tempting to grab a blanket and have a little lie down too.</p>



<p>The pastoral care here has always been excellent. From the tutors, mentors, and school counsellors to the house system and boarding staff, there is a team effort to support the children. It’s recognised that the children are under a huge amount of pressure, parents can feel reassured that the teachers and staff are looking out for the kids. Mental health, burn out, bad days are all picked up and support is put in place.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">QUIRKS</h2>



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<p>I don’t think it gets more quirky than being given special permission to perform Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest musical<em>&nbsp;School of Rock,&nbsp;</em>before it premiered in London’s West End.&nbsp;Lucky for them, Lord Lloyd Webber is a neighbour. The kids then bagged opening night seats for the pro show. Impressive, eh?</p>



<p>The gleam at Cheam is real. It is super-slick and the attention to details is phenomenal. Every notice board is fun and creative, the classrooms are bright spaces, particularly in the Pre-Orep and there’s&nbsp;101 things to do. From traditional sports and music to the more unusual Ultimate Frisbee, yoga, ceramics, fishing, chess, roller skating and debating –&nbsp;there’s something for everyone.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wrap-around-care">WRAP AROUND CARE</h2>



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<p>Glowing reviews! Frazzled parents constantly juggling work and children, will appreciate the after school clubs available to Pre-Prep kids. You can&nbsp;drop off&nbsp;from 8.10am and lessons end at 3.30pm –&nbsp;after-school clubs run until&nbsp;4.30pm (5.55pm for Y3s). In Prep, if your kids aren’t boarding, it’s&nbsp;8.10am – 6pm, Monday to Saturday.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fees">FEES</h2>



<p>Nursery sessions are morning and&nbsp;afternoon and you can choose how many days your nippers attend. However, 5 full days per term is&nbsp;£4,575 per term (£3,650 after EY funding). Reception-Y2 Day: £4,575; Y3 £7,395. Senior Y4-Y5 day fees £8,595 to&nbsp;£11,125 weekly boarding and Y6-Y8 £8,985 day only to £11,515 weekly boarding. There are lots of boarding options and ad hoc flexi is £63 per night.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-word-on-the-ground">WORD ON THE GROUND</h2>



<p>It has had&nbsp;a bit of a rep for being a bit punchy – a pressure cooker environment, egged on by&nbsp;parents. But that kind of behaviour is being dialled down.&nbsp;A couple of the mums I spoke to gave it an A* for its ambition for the kids and opportunities, but also the emphasis on&nbsp;wellbeing. The social scene is pretty hot. There’s plenty of extra curricular for both the kids and their families. Clear the diary and book a taxi.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-isi-report">ISI REPORT</h2>



<p>It’s a nurturing environment where the wellbeing and mental health of these youngsters are as important as the academic rigour.&nbsp;And the inspectors love it too. The latest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.isi.net/school/cheam-school-6322" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ISI report</a>&nbsp;struggled to find fault,&nbsp;pretty much saying the Cheam is excellent and outstanding across the board.&nbsp;</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict">THE MUDDY VERDICT</h2>



<p><strong>Good for:</strong>&nbsp;It’s fair to say Cheam is sporty, with the silverware to prove it. It’s academic enough for the pushiest of parents but the quality of teaching and extra-curricular activities mean the kids have a ball.</p>



<p><strong>Not for:</strong>&nbsp;If you have a very sensitive, shy child, a smaller, more nurturing environment might be better suited. But class sizes are small here and the brilliant staff can coax anyone out of their shell.</p>



<p><strong>Dare to disagree?!</strong>&nbsp;Oh be my guest!&nbsp;The next&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cheamschool.com/578/admissions/open-mornings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Open Days</a>&nbsp;are: Fri 11 Oct 2024 (9.45am to 12pm) and Fri 7 Mar 2025 (9.45am to 12pm). Book your spot by emailing&nbsp;<a href="mailto:registrar@cheamschool.co.uk">registrar Juliette Moore</a>&nbsp;or telephone 01635 267822.</p>



<p><em><a href="http://www.cheamschool.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cheam School</a>, Newbury Road, Newbury, Berkshire RG19 8LD. Tel: 01635 268381</em>.</p>


Cheam School, Headley, nr Newbury

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