Exceptional Independent School in Reading

Choosing the right first school for your child is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Make those early experiences engaging and exciting, and you build a love of learning that will last throughout their school life and beyond. So if you are wondering ‘What are the best independent schools near me’, ‘Are there any private primary schools near me?’, or ‘Which are the best schools with a nursery near me?’, take a look at St Edward’s Prep in Tilehurst, Reading.

Let them shine

St Edward’s Prep School and Nursery is a friendly, welcoming school with a passion for discovery. Based in Reading in Berkshire, we provide children aged 3 to 11 with an exciting, future-ready curriculum and excellent teachers who give them a lifelong love for learning and challenge them to be the very best they can be. We put enjoyment at the heart of our education and are committed to giving all children their moment to shine.

Find out more about our school, including our new Scholarship Programme for girls and boys in Years 3 and 4.

Why choose an independent school?

There are a huge number of benefits to choosing an independent school for your child. Small class sizes give each child more time with his or her teachers and allow for an education tailored to the individual. Private schools have greater flexibility with the curriculum, increasing opportunities to find strengths and interests from broad curricular and extra-curricular offering. With high-quality facilities and resources, wrap-around care for working families, holiday clubs and convenient school buses, there are so many additional benefits, and a private school may well be more affordable than you realise.

What you can expect at St Edward’s Nursery & Prep

• Year-round Little Griffins Nursery – so much more than childcare, a happy and nurturing environment, where we encourage curiosity and begin building key skills
• Thriving and stimulating Reception class – where children start their learning in earnest, with a creative approach designed to inspire confidence and a love of learning that will last
• Wrap-around care from 8am-6pm – making life easier for busy families, including exciting extra-curricular clubs and activities
• Small class sizes – throughout the school, our teachers have time to focus on your son or daughter, and support and challenge them to reach their potential
• Learning tailored to every child – our aim is to discover whatever it is that makes your child tick, and tailor their learning experience to match
• Broad and exciting curriculum – in an education that goes far beyond bare facts, we help our boys and girls understand the relevance of what they are learning to the world around them
• Inspirational subject-expert teachers – your child will benefit from enthusiastic specialist teaching
• Supportive exam preparation programme – our children are well prepared and able to sit senior school entrance exams with confidence
• Excellent STEM, sport, art and outdoor learning
• Friendly bus service – serving the surrounding area
• Excellent outcomes – a strong start leads to great outcomes and our pupils have excellent results in entry to both grammar and independent senior schools, and are ready to take the next step with confidence.

Next steps

Visit us to see for yourself that it is a place where your child will thrive and be happy.

As a first step, we strongly recommend you visit us to get a true feel for the character and ethos of the school. We hold three Open Days each year, but you are also welcome to make an appointment at another time to suit you, and we would encourage you to see the school on a normal working day.