WHAT? WHERE?

LVS Ascot School co ed 4-18 Ascot Berkshire aerial view

LVS Ascot is a non-selective, all-through co-ed school offering day and boarding for children aged 4-19. You’ll find it on a leafy road, close to Ascot Racecourse. The school has a university campus vibe, set in 26 acres of parkland, with a cluster of purpose-built buildings arranged for maximum efficiency when the kids are on the move. The Infant and Junior School is set back from the buzz of the Seniors, and the boarding houses also benefit from being on the same site. It’s worth noting, boarding is offered to those Year 5 (aged 9) and over.

The school was originally set up in London in 1803. It moved to its current site in 1989 – to offer a modern education with all mod cons, in beautifully landscaped surroundings. With over 200 years of patronage, His Majesty King Charles III is the current patron of the school, a position held by the late, great Queen Elizabeth II for 70 years. LVS is also a proudly diverse school, with a mix of International and UK students, and 38 nationalities. At present there are 742 pupils on roll, with 142 of those in Infant and Juniors.

FACILITIES

The benefits of an all-through school? Pupils enjoy a purpose-built environment designed specifically for younger learners, while also benefiting from access to many of the Senior school’s impressive resources and the wider 26-acre LVS Ascot campus. LVS Ascot Infant and Junior School occupies a lovely wooded corner of the site which has a superb outdoor classroom, adventure play area, a kitchen garden, and Forest School provision, as well as extensive green space that encourages exploration and outdoor learning. The school makes full use of its grounds, whether that’s nature studies, gardening projects or simply giving children room to run, play and unwind.

There is an ongoing sense of improvement across the school, with refurbishments, redesigns and upgrades happening regularly, reflecting a commitment to investing in the pupil experience. Several classrooms are currently being refreshed, and are large, bright and easily access the outside space. Excitingly, a new Discovery Den is set to open in September 2026 following a major redevelopment to become a dedicated, hands‑on space for robotics, engineering and scientific discovery, underlining the school’s curiosity-led approach to education and adaptable thinking.

Elsewhere, specialist spaces include a STEM room, food technology suite, and a well-stocked library tailored specifically to younger readers. Even the smallest details have been considered, from buddy benches that encourage friendship and inclusion at break times to the school’s much-loved guinea pigs, who have become unofficial wellbeing ambassadors and a firm favourite with pupils. Families volunteer to host them over weekends, and children help with feeding and care. Too cute!

SPORT

LVS Ascot Berkshire co ed 4-18 school Ascot Berkshire swimming pool with beamed roof

The sports facilities are a short walk away. Weekly swimming lessons take place in the competition-standard indoor swimming pool, then there’s a large sports hall, full size astro pitch, netball court, fully equipped gym, four tennis courts and acres of playing fields. Although many Preps are entering the facilities arms races, LVS has everything it needs and more. Older Juniors also benefit from access to all-weather sports pitches shared with the Senior school, helping to ease the transition to Year 7 while widening opportunities from an early age.

If you’re planning on keeping your kids on through to Senior school, it’s definitely worth knowing about LVS’s new three-year partnership with Southampton FC which was announced at the end of 2025. The programme forms part of the school’s ambition to offer a leading school football programme for pupils from Year 7 through to Year 13. Alongside LVS Ascot, Southampton FC will deliver an authentic and sustainable football development programme for players and staff in the school, whilst utilising the Southampton FC platform to showcase and inspire the next generation. Very cool and definitely one to watch.

ART, DRAMA, MUSIC

LVS ASCOT Infant and Junior School nativity

The advantage of being part of an all-through school is immediately apparent here, with younger children benefiting from facilities and specialist teaching that many standalone Prep schools would struggle to match. Jazz handers will love the 300-seater theatre with state-of-the-art lighting and sound and drama studio. The Juniors have an exhaustive list of shows they perform in, from the Nativity for the youngest to Camelot, Born For a Life at Sea and The Little Mermaid, for older year groups. Last year’s production was Beauty and the Beast, meanwhile this year saw Barnum hit the stage. For the latter, kids learned circus skills specifically for the show.

If you’re more Chappell Roan than Zendaya (or any other actor and musician of a different name), then the music room and recording studio will blow your mind. In fact, music is a pretty big deal at LVS Ascot. Pupils can learn a wide range of instruments and take lessons during the school day, with specialist teachers based in the Senior school’s dedicated music department. Choirs, ensembles and performance opportunities are plentiful, with some groups led by Sixth Form students, creating lovely cross-school connections and role-modelling opportunities.

Art is particularly strong, with impressive displays of pupil work lining corridors and classrooms. During our visit, I got to see the Year 6 pupils’ striking self-portraits using photography and sketching techniques, while elsewhere children proudly showcased imaginative projects ranging from digital artwork to large-scale collaborative displays. The school clearly values the creative process as much as the finished piece, encouraging children to develop confidence, originality and technical skills as they progress through the years.

What also stands out is the confidence children have in talking about their work. There’s little of the self-consciousness that can creep into creative subjects. Instead, pupils seem genuinely proud of what they produce, whether it’s artwork, music or digital projects. A recent success story comes from one student in Year 5 who was named the overall winner for his age group in the Royal Ascot Schools Art Competition in April. His artwork was up against 1,680 entries from 34 schools and will be displayed at Ascot Racecourse. Very impressive indeed.

FOREST SCHOOL

Forest School is also huge. So, grab the Persil Non-Bio, because your little darlings are encouraged to get their hands dirty. The Forest School backs onto the school lake, with an abundance of wildlife. They also have an outdoor classroom in the Junior school garden. From bug hunting and den building to cooking and campfires, the little ones get hands on experience, controlled risk taking (you won’t find a four year old with a Swiss Army knife) with activities designed to develop a love of the outdoors, resilience, communication, collaboration and giving everyone a wellbeing double shot while they’re there.

During my visit, children were busy sketching nature discoveries, proudly sharing drawings of ladybirds, flowers and wildlife they had spotted around the grounds. As I walked around, children across the board were confident, enthusiastic, and easily chatted to adults which is lovely to see.

AI & DIGITAL LEARNING

One of the most impressive aspects of the school has to be their approach to AI learning. While some schools are still debating whether artificial intelligence belongs in the classroom, LVS Ascot has decided that the better question is how to teach children to use it well. Rather than treating it as something to fear or ban, staff see it as an inevitable part of pupils’ futures and are working to ensure they understand both its opportunities and its limitations.

As a Microsoft Showcase School, technology is already embedded across the curriculum, with pupils benefiting from school-managed devices and a structured approach to digital learning. New AI-focused modules have been introduced into the Year 6 curriculum, where pupils are introduced to tools such as Microsoft Copilot within a carefully managed environment. Importantly, the focus isn’t on finding shortcuts to homework. Instead, lessons explore how AI works, where information comes from, why bias exists and how to critically evaluate the responses generated by these systems. In other words, children are being taught to critically think about AI, not just use it.

LVS is currently developing a framework for responsible AI use, placing a strong emphasis on ethics, digital citizenship and critical thinking. Pupils remain the thinkers, creators and decision-makers, with technology acting as a tool to support the process. It’s a refreshingly balanced approach. For parents, perhaps the reassuring message is that alongside the coding, devices and AI conversations, the school remains firmly focused on the human skills that technology can’t replicate: creativity, communication, curiosity and critical thinking. The robots, it seems, won’t be taking over just yet. Hallelujah!

ACADEMICS

If you’re looking for a hot-house Prep school where seven-year-olds are tutored within an inch of their lives, LVS Ascot probably isn’t for you. But don’t think this is the soft option. The school is ambitious for its pupils, but the academic pressure cooker is turned down low. Work hard and rise to the challenge, yes, but with the understanding that individual success is always going to be different.

While the school is passionately non-selective, it does offer scholarships for entry into the Senior School (Year 7) and Sixth Form – if you’re planning ahead. New academic scholarships for Years 3 and 5 have recently been introduced too, with plans to expand into more bespoke scholarships for areas such as Swimming. In 2025, the LVS Ascot scholarships programme expanded to offer specialist Aviation, Oxbridge, Medical Careers, Performing Arts and Football pathways.

The emphasis here is on high performance learning – being happy, inquisitive, robust and kind, with the aim to develop independence, self-confidence and resilience. The bi-product of this, is that they have the tools to reach their full potential – helped, no doubt, from small class sizes (average of 17). Forest School and outdoor learning is a key part of life in the Junior School which helps build practical skills and more visual applied learning in academic subjects. Character education is also embedded throughout school life, with initiatives such as Round Square and character pins helping pupils develop qualities like leadership, resilience, kindness and global awareness. Building emotionally intelligent young people who understand both themselves and the wider world around them is what’s key here.

Furthermore, rather than following a rigid one-size-fits-all model, the school has also developed elements of its own curriculum tailored to the needs of modern learners. Languages are introduced early, with Spanish taught from Reception, while older pupils benefit from increasingly sophisticated opportunities in areas such as STEM, technology and, more recently, artificial intelligence.

CO-CURRICULAR

best private infants and junior schools near ascot

If your child is the sort who complains there’s nothing to do, LVS may well cure them of that. The reputation here is that there’s something for everyone whether you’re sporty, creative or academic, with a whopping 108 clubs running before school, at lunchtime and after the final bell. In fact, staff joked that one of the biggest challenges is persuading children to go home at the end of the day, with parents sometimes waiting 20 minutes while their offspring squeeze every last drop out of school life. It definitely speaks volumes.

The school’s extended day provision also makes participation refreshingly easy. Included within fees until 5.30pm, it allows children to combine clubs, supervised play and social time without parents having to juggle complex pickup schedules. So, book them in for coding, Eco Club, origami, knitting, cooking, dance, fencing, TikTok Club, judo, choir, technology-based clubs or team sports, alongside a host of seasonal activities that rotate throughout the year.

WELLBEING

LVS Ascot is under no illusion that kids need more emotional support. The Wellbeing Hub now sits under the same roof as the medical centre, nicely reinforcing that our mental health is as important as our physical health. As a result, the new space allows staff to hold one-to-one or group sessions inside or outside in a peaceful garden. It keeps everything a bit more confidential too.

It’s a place that gives kids time out, away from judgy eyes and lets them talk stuff through, develop coping strategies and get on with their lives with the support of the wellbeing team of counsellors, ELSAs and Mental Health First Aiders. There’s a lot to be said for that. There’s a genuine sense at LVS that happy children learn better, and the school has worked hard to create a culture where pupils feel safe, supported and known as individuals.

One of the most striking examples is perhaps the school’s most unlikely wellbeing initiative: three resident guinea pigs, Lola, Violet and Sabre. Far from being a novelty, they have become beloved members of the community, helping nervous children settle in, acting as conversation starters and providing a calming presence throughout the day. Staff describe them as natural icebreakers, particularly for shy pupils, while every child gets the chance to interact with them. During my visit, it was clear the guinea pigs had achieved minor celebrity status.

The school’s approach to pastoral care is also rooted in connection and belonging. Buddy benches in the playground encourage inclusion, with children knowing that anyone sitting there is looking for someone to play with.

QUIRKS

Alumni include Capital FM DJ and presenter of Global’s ‘Official Big Top 40’ Will Manning; singer songwriter and producer Adam Argyle, who has penned hits for the likes of Dua Lipa, Rita Ora and Olly Murs, to name but a few; serial entrepreneur Graham Bosher (founder of Graze, Tails.com and LoveFilm) and former Secretary of State, Lord Moore.

The younger pupils are rewarded for service and learning life skills. The LVS Ascot Infant & Junior School Diploma is all about nailing essential life skills – the stuff that’s not traditionally taught in school, like learning to use public transport, working with the elderly, basic first aid, growing fruit and veg, learning leadership skills, mindfulness and more. Pupils are encouraged to keep up to date with the news, develop ideas and conversations. I love this, and I often think kids talk more sense than the world’s politicians.

WRAP AROUND CARE

Children can attend breakfast provision before lessons begin, then reception ends at 3.30pm and Y1-Y6 down tools at 4pm. Free after school care is available until 5.30pm and, for a small fee, they can stay until 6.15pm and have supper too. Any homework is done and dusted before activities start and the kids get to let off steam and play freely with their friends. Boarding is available from the age of 10, either weekly or full time. The boarding houses are modern with a home-from-home vibe – although I would argue more fun. Cue relieved parents everywhere.

HEAD

Principal Christine Cunniffe is in charge of the whole school, but the Infant and Junior School has its own dedicated head. Kit Thompson joined LVS Ascot as Head of Infant and Junior School in April 2025, bringing with him leadership experience from a number of London schools, as well as a strong interest in coaching and staff development. Warm, energetic and refreshingly unpretentious, Thompson speaks less about league tables and more about belonging, kindness and confidence. His vision for the Junior school centres on creating an environment where children feel psychologically safe enough to take risks, try new things and genuinely enjoy learning.

Rather than arriving with a revolution in mind, Thompson describes his approach as one of “evolution”. Much of the school’s development, he says, comes directly from pupil voice through initiatives such as school council, peer mediators and digital leadership groups. Since joining, he has introduced new scholarship pathways and overseen the creation of a new STEM space, The Discovery Den, designed to encourage curiosity-led learning and exploration.

What stands out to me most is Thompson’s emphasis on people. He repeatedly returns to the idea that schools should feel human rather than hierarchical, with staff, pupils and parents all working collaboratively. Under his leadership, LVS Ascot Infant and Junior School appears to be leaning further into its strengths: inclusivity, emotional wellbeing and ensuring that no child becomes “part of the invisible middle”. As he puts it, “happy children will learn,” a philosophy that seems to underpin much of the school’s culture. It’s all refreshingly simple.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

At LVS Ascot, there is a strict no mobile phones and smart watches approach to school for all years up to and including Year 11. All pupils must have a Yondr Pouch to store their phones throughout the school day.

TRANSPORT

A lifesaver for busy parents. LVS run daily minibus and coach services to and from the school, which is available for children from Year 5 and upwards to use. Pick up locations include Winnersh, Beaconsfield, Windsor, Maidenhead, Chalfont St Giles, Ashford, Acton, Twickenham, Camberley and Woking to name a few. Talk about going the distance.

ISI REPORT

The last routine inspection was in 2023, read the report here.

FEES

The fees are refreshingly transparent. Term fees include lunch for day pupils and all meals for weekly and full boarders, books, exam fees, sports fixture travel, personal accident insurance, the majority of after-school activities, and evening and weekend activities for boarders.

The termly fees are as follows: Infants: £5,202; Y3 – Y4: £6,234; Y5 – Y6: £6,234. Senior Day fees start at £8,856 and boarding fees are from £15,492. I love that they reward loyalty with a 5% discount on fees for Y7 students who have attended LVS from Y4 and the final term of Y13 is free if you’ve been coming since Y7. Academic scholarships and bursaries are also available, special discounts offered to HM Forces, Diplomats, those who work in the licensed trade and senior local academic staff.

THE MUDDY VERDICT:

Good for: Anyone looking for a modern, outdoorsy school that will challenge the children academically and nail those essential life skills. LVS Ascot also has a superb Learning Resources Centre.

Not for: Energetic alphas and anyone looking for starchy uniforms and historic buildings may be better looking elsewhere.

Dare to disagree?! Check out their upcoming Open Days here. Can’t make it? Contact the admissions team (01344 882770 or email admissions@lvs.ascot.sch.uk) and arrange a private tour or virtual visit.

LVS Ascot, London Rd, Berkshire, Winkfield Row, Ascot, SL5 8DR

LVS Ascot Infant & Junior School

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