WHAT? WHERE?

Set in 40 glorious acres on the outskirts of Reading, Crosfields School has been transformed in recent years from co-ed prep to a modern, diverse and exciting all-through school for ages 3-16.

The award-winning buildings are big, bold and pack an architectural punch. Behind the fancy new facade, you’ll find the Junior School (Nursery to Y6) and Senior School (Y7-10), with an abundance of green space and impressive facilities.

Founded in 1957 it was originally a boys’ Quaker school of just 100 pupils. It eventually went co-ed in 2007 and the Senior School opened in September 2021. Pupil numbers have risen to 636, but class sizes remain small (15/20).

FACILITIES

Crosfields School Reading Senior Library

Lots of investment across the school and many big ticket projects completed. To name a few, the new Senior School – nicknamed the Headquarters of Cool – by the students – so it’s fair to say they’re loving it. huge all-weather pitches, refurbed theatre and music rooms, plus a state of the art swimming pool, brand new science labs and plenty of outdoor space.

The Seniors have been consulted every step of the way, from the paint colours to the canteen menu. It’s not short of the wow factor – and the funky library may even encourage the most reluctant teen readers to sit and read and book.

SPORT

With 15 sports on offer and a packed schedule of competitive matches, it’s fair to say Crosfields is a sporty school, so no surprise the facilities are very good. The jewel in the crown is the 25m indoor pool. The floor of the pool can be raised or lowered, allowing all ages and abilities to swim every week.

Unsurprisingly, the competitive swim squads do very very well, winning multiple medals at IAPS Championships – and a alumni who have qualified for Olympic trials. On dry land, there’s all-weather pitches, playing fields, a huge sports hall for badminton, basketball, cricket, netball, hockey, fencing, tennis and volleyball, climbing wall, dance studio and Ergo rowers.

It’s not all about sharpening your competitive edge and raising your heart rate. Gareth Edwards Director of Sport at Crosfields believes in setting expectations that are not aligned with ability. The ethos here is less about ability and a cabinet packed with silverware (although who doesn’t love a win), and more about joining in, creating healthy habits and finding something you enjoy. If that’s football, great, but if it happens to be Ultimate Frisbee, climbing or judo, they offer that too.

Outdoor Learning is introduced through Forest School for the Juniors, but Seniors get to enjoy it up to Y7, with Duke of Edinburgh popular with older Seniors.

MUSIC, ART AND DRAMA

The arty aspects have been beefed up – and they’ve only just started. The theatre and music rooms have been enhanced to reflect the school’s strength in performing arts, if you have an enthusiastic jazz hander, opportunities to perform don’t just happen in the end of year shows but consistently throughout the year.

There are also four choirs, an orchestra, several instrument ensembles and roughly 10 extra curricular creative and performing arts clubs per year group, per term. Impressive.

DT and art are both strong her and Crosfields recently developed this part of the school to create separate Junior and Senior DT and art studios. It’s particularly useful to for the Seniors who can access the let rip with different media with a pottery studio, CAD Lab, technology workshops and computer suites to help them explore and develop their creative skills.

PASTORAL

I get the impression that wellbeing is a top priority. Talking is something we might take for granted, but if you need to get something off your chest, there’s always someone to listen here. They have appointed a top team of Pastoral Heads, a medical team, trained counsellors offer appointments and drop-in clinics. The kids are the best eyes and ears and the older children become peer mentors and wellbeing ambassadors. Prioritising wellbeing is not just a ‘nice to have’, it’s become a key part of school and an essential life skill.

With so much pressure on kids to do well academically, having fun can get lost. It’s fundamental to their development and ability to deal with life’s ups and downs that they experience time away from the textbooks to just be, have a laugh and hang out with their friends. Justin Clark, Head of Enrichment, is a huge advocate of this, organising residential trips for the Seniors to that give them a break from the classroom. For example the Y9s went on a surfing trip, but it could be origami and rounders to unleashing their inner entrepreneur in a £10 challenge. No one has to be brilliant at it, they just need to have a go.

All Seniors take part in the Mighty Oak programme which has been designed to encourage them to broaden their range of interests beyond Snapchat and watching Friends on repeat. The idea is to challenge students to choose activities outside of their comfort zone, much needed when it comes to hard to impress teens.

ACADEMICS

Very good. It’s not an academic hot house, but is producing superb all-rounder kids, with a rich global outlook. The organic growth of the Seniors means that pupils are yet to sit GCSE exams – the summer of 2024 is fast approaching though. In the run up to that day, there’s a focus on metacognition – the ability of learning to learn. The seniors follow a tutoring programme based on vision, effort, systems, practice and attitude. It’s a melting pot of ideas from the worlds of psychology, business and sport to generate marginal gains to reaching each individual’s full potential and helps with revision. I like it, and sounds pretty cool which always helps when trying to get tricky teens to engage. The GCSE options are pretty academic, so you won’t find quirky subjects being taught at that level.

The academic innovation runs from nursery to Y11. Staff are encouraged to take an interest into educational research to ensure that the children are given not just the right tools but the best tools to learn. Specialist teachers for sport, music and languages are used throughout, and for most subjects from Year 5. Outdoor learning boosts the soft skills needed in life and enrichment activities and trips are fun, informative and give tween and teens the opportunity to let loose outside of the classroom and get some ‘real world’ experience. Test results are important here, but not at the expense of each child’s wellbeing and life experiences. There’s a lot to be said for that.

HEAD

Caroline Townshend New Head Crosfield School Reading

Big news at Crosfields in Reading. Not only has this modern, diverse school launched its Senior School, it has a new head. Caroline Townshend made the move with her young family to Berkshire from London’s Eaton Square. She’s a cool, calm impressive woman – and is the first female head in the school’s history. Caroline has Senior School set-up experience, and wants to develop common strands across the Crosfields community, ensuring there are opportunities at every level throughout the school. The Junior School is in great shape, but Caroline is far from complacent and will review its strengths, challenges and the different stages of development. You can read my interview with Caroline here.

QUIRKS

It’s global outlook for starters. There are roughly 40 languages spoken at Crosfields, with connections to almost every country in the world. Those cultural differences have become the school’s superpower – a true representation of diversity, tolerance, and a celebration of culture. 0

It’s fair to day, 90+ extra curricular activities is a lot. But it does give kids the opportunity to find their passions and try things out of their comfort zone. From Year 9, Duke of Edinburgh, Model United Nations (MUN), European Youth Parliament. Answers on as postcard to solve the polItical problems we’re facing home and abroad.

Nala the wellbeing dog. She’s a loving labrador and adored by the children. Come on, who doesn’t love a furry cuddle when you’re having a bad day?

FEES

Average for this part of Berkshire I’d say. Per term: Y7-Y8 £6,380 and Y9-Y11 £6,552. The Junior School fees are: Nursery £3,992, Reception £4,305, Y1 £4,599, Y2 £4,646, Y3 £5,350, Y4 £5,644, Y5-Y6 £5,998.

ISI REPORT

View the latest inspection and compliance reports here .

TRANSPORT

Most the kids live within a 15-mile radius. Pupils can hop on the bus from as far afield as Maidenhead and Henley to Wokingham, Grazeley and Winnersh. Naturally, lots of parents prefer to drop off and pick up themselves (lots work locally), but the bus is an option when you’re happy for your kids to have a bit more independence.

Crosfields School Reading Students and computers

WRAP AROUND CARE

School runs can see stress levels tip into the red, so parents will love the 7.30am breakfast club (available to all year groups), with normal drop off from 8am for an 8.30am start. Seniors days end at 6pm, with supervised prep and 90+ co-curricular activities to sign up for – many included in the fees. I’d say, it’s a pretty standard offering for a Day School, but breadth of activities on offer is outstanding.

WORD ON THE GROUND

The view from parents is that it’s strong across the board, academically (as you’d expect) but also across the art, music, DT and drama are seen as just as ‘cool’ as sports. They all rave about the seemingly endless amount of opportunities (surfing in Cornwall for its positive effect of mental health) and the marginal gains, growth mindset initiatives have certainly gone down well.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Parents looking to turn out modern, independent, outward-looking ‘all rounder’ kids where academic challenge, co-curricular and wellbeing are carefully balanced.

Not for: Anyone needs a long proven track record. You’ll have to wait until 2024 for the first Crosfields pupils to sit their GCSEs.

Dare to disagree?! Be my guest! The next Open Days: the Senior only on 22 Feb.

Crosfields School, Shinfield Road, Reading, Berkshire RG2 9BL. Tel 0118 987 1810

Crosfields Senior School, Reading

You may also like