WHAT? WHERE?

If you thought prep schools were all stiff collars and strict headteachers, think again. Nestled in leafy Maidenhead and flaunting 12 lovely acres of woodlands and playing fields, St Piran’s is a family-centred co-ed preparatory school for children aged 2 to 11. While it’s grounded in Christian values, it’s very much a multi-faith school that currently has 441 pupils (250 boys and 191 girls) enrolled.

Ready for a history lesson? The school’s roots stretch back all the way to 1805 to a small school in Blackheath London (future Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli received his early education here FYI). In 1872, it packed its trunks for Maidenhead, remaining a successful boys’ boarding school for the next 47 years, until in 1919, it got a new name – and a Cornish twist – being christened St Piran’s.

Fast-forward through a couple of centuries, a trust takeover in the ’70s, and a switch to co-ed day school life in 1993, and these days you’ll find a thriving independent prep that prides itself on its forward-thinking, all-rounder approach, encouraging children to embrace creativity, curiosity, and ultimately kindness. Family values are hugeeee here. It’s also a Microsoft Showcase School – a serious digital badge of honour that recognises excellence in classroom tech. Fancy.

FACILITIES

Pretty impressive. There are lovely all-weather sports pitches, an indoor swimming pool, cool science labs, an outdoor classroom among the woodlands, and a kitchen for children to enjoy a spot of cooking. While a music centre already exists, this isn’t a school that rests on its laurels. A brand-new Media Suite is set to open after Christmas above the art classrooms, as well a recording studio with a St Piran’s Live Lounge in the Music Block. Money is clearly being pumped into the school experience here which is fantastic to see. You’ll find high quality tech like MacBooks and 3D printers scattered around too.

SPORT

Sporty types can run wild! Think gleaming all-weather pitches, sprawling playing fields, a sports hall that could host a small Olympics, and even a modern indoor swimming pool (heated, obvs). From hockey, rugby and cross-country to gymnastics, dance and cricket, there’s a chance to try it all. In fact, there’s 18 different sports on offer here and a whopping 108 sports teams. Getting the kids active is the name of the game, and there’s a big emphasis on the outdoors which is always a big tick in my book.

Swimming is naturally a big part of the curriculum, enjoyed by pupils from Nursery to Year 6. PE lessons are taught by a range of specialist sports staff and makes use of all the school’s sport facilities. Then, from Y3 onwards, the pupils take part in regular inter-school fixtures.

If we’re talking the competitive side of things, the girls have been doing particularly well recently. Some of the school’s overall strongest sports include football, hockey, swimming, biathlons and triathlons, in which they have achieved national success. Currently, tennis is what they’re aiming to grow.

CREATIVE ARTS

Creativity isn’t just encouraged here; it’s practically part of the timetable DNA. Budding thespians can shine in drama lessons, star in full-scale productions, or belt their hearts out in choirs and musical ensembles. LAMDA lessons are available as an extracurricular activity for students – a fantastic way to develop confidence, communication, and performance skills. At Christmas, the Nativity and pantomime are always a big hit with kids and parents alike.

The music centre is particularly nice, equipped with a state-of-the-art technology suite (including MacBooks), and obviously set to get even better with the soon-to-be addition of the new St Piran’s Live Lounge Recording Studio. All students have the chance to trial various instruments for free. Plus, there’s also a great private dance studio that overlooks the swimming pool.

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

Classrooms around the entire school are warm, bright, and beautifully dressed with walls adorned with the children’s work. They are very joyful spaces to learn. I particularly love the design and textile classrooms which are cosy and vibrant. Taking a mooch around, the children appeared engaged and very well-behaved across the board, with those in Year 3 and above rising from their chairs and saying hello when Head Mr Sebastian Sales entered a room – a tradition of respect he is keen to keep alive.

All children from Years 3 to 6 are issued with their own Microsoft Surface device – each of which have keystroke monitoring and filtered internet to ensure online safety, even when they are at home. There’s also a dedicated Head of ICT who educates pupils on safe use, and e-safety is integrated into the curriculum. On site there is a great ICT Suite with technology being a forward-thinking aspect of the curriculum. Students in Year 3 use AI to create their own fonts and images which interlinks across other subjects like RE and art. Specialist IT and coding lessons also start from aged 4. Impressive.

In fact, the school is recognised by Microsoft as a Showcase School – an elite group of schools that exemplify the best of teaching and learning in the world today. No biggie. They help support other schools in tech education and were even recently visited by guests from Microsoft Education USA who praised the exceptional abilities of the pupils.

SCHOOL

In terms of day-to-day learning, class sizes are capped at 20, but average 17, and all pupils have a main teacher they touch base with three times a day. Even from Year 1, pupils receive specialist teaching in French, art, music, design technology, ICT, games, PE and swimming. From Year 5 and 6 onwards, this applies for all lessons.

Food is a particularly big talking point here, and I did hear the phrase the ‘St Piran’s stone’ being floated around by staff. Weight gain being a rite of passage when they join the school. It’s apparently that good. I did try a chocolate cookie and can confirm it was unreal. For the kids, meals are freshly prepared onsite including wholesome, seasonal and nutritious menus. The salad bar is always well-stocked, and meat-free Mondays is implemented twice a month.

At breaks times, teachers are not overly strict about limiting where children can play. There’s a lovely outdoor apparatus play area and kids are allowed to free roam in the woodlands, obviously knowing their boundaries (and under supervision). A Year 5 and 6 service is also held in the beautiful onsite Chapel every Friday with a guest speaker. Something parents are also welcome to attend.

Another fantastic highlight is the comprehensive programme of before school, lunch and after school clubs which are available to all children. Take your pick. There’s over 44 of them (paid and unpaid), from chess and street dance to yoga and film club. Pupils are welcome to join Holiday Clubs during school holidays too, with days often including swimming, bowling, cinema and football. An added bonus for dual working parents – of which St Piran’s has a lot of.

LITTLIES

Without doubt, the focus and attention to detail on Early Years learning at St Piran’s is astonishingly good. While not every child will stay on for their full educational journey, Pre-Prep isn’t treated as a separate entity to the school. It’s very much an integral part of the wider school community. Much of that is thanks to Head of Early Years Jackie Richmond, who when she first started a few years back, only oversaw around five two-year-olds at the school’s Nursery. Nowadays? We’re talking near 40, with an additional classroom added to feed the demand.

Both Jackie and Head Sebastian Sales recognise the importance of a strong Early Years, and as a result have an extremely high retention rate of pupils staying on for Prep school. The Early Years provision is made up of three carefully structured phases: Nursery, Pre-School and Reception. The facilities themselves are wonderfully warm and buzzy. Again, Jackie saw that the place got a total restructure including a better snug room for napping in the Nursery, and simple changes like dinner times to take place in the classroom.

Walking around, children seemed happy, bright, and well-behaved. Those I encountered were strong communicators and comfortable around adults which is always nice to see. With a varied approach to learning, the priority here is building a strong foundation for future learning, but having a ton of fun while you’re at it. Class sizes are kept purposefully small to ensure needs are met, and kids can enjoy everything from sensory play in the mud kitchen to den building and potion making in the outdoor classroom. Swimming lessons are offered from the age of 2, with each tot receiving 1-1 assistance.

I love that the outdoor classroom transforms into a winter wonderland at Christmas with snow machines and even a Santa’s Grotto. It sounds truly magical. Looking to the future, there are plans in the pipeline to build a dedicated Early Years building onsite, with visions of said building being circular with classrooms split into segments. Exciting stuff.

ACADEMICS

St Piran’s currently serves as an 11+ Test Centre, and the 11+ results consistently double the national pass rate at 75%. Impressively, there are also a significant number of Leavers Scholarships handed out, with 27 out of 53 pupils awarded one in 2025. This is in everything from academic and sporting success to art and drama. Common leavers destinations include Sir William Borlase, Shiplake College, Claires Court, Reading Blue Coat, Queen Anne’s, Leighton Park, and Holme Grange to name a few.

At the heart of it all is The Harmony Curriculum – an addition to the National Curriculum inspired by The Harmony Project and His Majesty The King’s book Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World. It’s a nature first approach – helping children build understanding, curiosity and a sense of responsibility for the world around them. Very powerful stuff when nurturing kids who are sustainability savvy and resilient to change. And let’s be honest, they are all vital skills in today’s world.

THE HEAD

st pirans prep school head teacher mr sebastian sales maidenhead

Mr Sebastian Sales has been steering the St Piran’s ship to educational success since 2019, with previous roles taking him from the world of TV to the being Exec Head & CEO of Multi Academy Trust of Schools in Surrey for 10 years. Fully leaning into the family ethos at the heart of the school, Sebastian’s own two children Isabella and Thomas attended St Piran’s, and his wife Anna is currently Head of History at the school too.

Nurturing confident and well-rounded children is very much at the heart of his ethos as Head, and it’s nice to see those more traditional values being kept alive. However, he isn’t afraid to put his own stamp on things and create new traditions either. A good example of that being the Red Carpet Assembly which he brought in to individually celebrate the success of students. Alongside Assistant Head and Head of Early Years, Jackie Richmond, they make for a staunch team, showing decisive leadership and are clearly well-loved and respected by students.

There’s a strong parent community here, most living within a 5-10-mile radius of the school, and it’s great to see Sebastian is keen for them to get involved. He fully recognises no school is perfect, and not every Head welcomes feedback as readily as he does – continually striving to see what can be improved next with the help of the parent’s society who meet with class reps every half term to find out what they enjoy and what they can do better.

Parental communication? It’s on Sebastian’s radar — and he’s already rolling up his sleeves to make it smoother and slicker. He’s also the first to admit that the morning traffic can be a bit of a tangle, and he’s actively exploring clever ways to ease the flow. As well as that, Sebastian’s well aware that St Piran’s has been something of an under-the-radar hidden gem among Berkshire’s Prep schools – but that’s about to change. While the school has space for 524 pupils, he’s not looking to pack the place to the rafters. Instead, his focus is firmly on the future: nurturing his vision of a school community built on joy, kindness, and a profoundly personal touch.

QUIRKS

School houses are nothing new, but at St Piran’s they operate what is called a Clan system – something assigned to pupils in Year 1 onwards. No fancy Hogwarts names here. To keep it simple, there are four Clans: North, South, East and West. The crown jewel in the school’s social calendar being St Piran’s Day taking place every March where students dress in black and white (in honour of the St Piran’s flag) to take part in the millstone race and lift the much-coveted trophy. It all gets a bit competitive, but ultimately the kids go nuts for it.

The school also has its very own resident chickens. Peggy is the matriarch of the pack who was in fact born with a wonky leg and gifted a homemade splint to help her on her merry way. The children all help to collect the eggs and clean them out which is really sweet. And if there’s any indication of how beloved these feather friends are, the last cohort of Year 6s even had their leavers photos with them. They are proper part of the family.

ANYTHING ELSE?

How can we not talk about the Red Carpet Fridays tradition? It’s as fabulous as it sounds – a way to celebrate the achievements of individual students with, yep, you guessed it, a red carpet. Another highlight in the calendar is Speech Day – a celebration of the school year and a sending off ceremony for Year 6 leavers with a special guest speaker in tow. There’s of course the much-loved Party Day, and word has it a bit of fancy dress is involved. Last year, Head Sebastian was a grasshopper and Assistant Head Jackie was a bee. There’s always a different theme, with treats and games for children.

In fact, on the day of my visit (Year 1’s Superhero Day), I even managed to glimpse Superman and Spiderman themselves. Apparently, Mr Barker’s a sucker for a fancy dress get-up and has the dance moves to go with it. Naturally the kids love him for it. As I walked around, there seemed to be something fun happening around every corner.

WRAP AROUND CARE

Particularly impressive and loved by parents. Wrap around care provisions are available from 7.30am – 6.00pm (there are associated costs). It kicks off with a bustling Breakfast Club from 7.30am – 8.15am, and the Extended Day consists of 3 session times: 3.15pm – 4.30pm, 4.30pm – 5.10pm, and 5.10pm – 6pm. They are also open 50 weeks a year. A lifesaver for dual working parents. That’s not forgetting the extensive list of after school clubs on offer – the majority of which are teacher led, and free of charge.

Pastoral care is also a big focus at St Piran’s – all about the warm-and-fuzzy family ethos of respect, kindness, and inclusion that runs through the school like a golden thread. A particularly strong and dedicated team – including school nurses, a team of Mental Health First Aiders, a school counsellor, and led by the Deputy Head Pastoral, Camilla Earp – keeps a close eye on pupils’ wellbeing. The lovely multisensory wellbeing room is a real strength.

At the end of the day, happy children are what it’s all about. Naturally, Bailey the trained therapy dog who pops in every Friday is a huge hit with pupils and staff alike who both book in for sessions with the pooch.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

No phones are allowed at school. If they are needed for safety or transport, they are to be kept in reception and collected at the end of the day.

ISI REPORT

The latest ISI report was in Nov 2022. Finding showed they were excellent across the board with just a minor suggestion of improvement around the pupil’s higher order thinking skills. The next inspection is due this academic year, so ears to the ground.

FEES

Really reasonable. Nursery and Pre-School for five days including food is £5,415 for Christmas term, £4,964 for Easter/Summer Term. Reception is £5,464 for Christmas term, £5,009 for Easter/Summer Term. Price structures for the rest of the school are very straight-forward. Lower School (Years 1 and 2): £5,604 per term. Middle School (Years 3 and 4): £6,981 per term. Upper School (Years 5 and 6): £7,879 per term. All fees are inclusive of VAT. St Piran’s offers EYFS funding for up to 15 hours per week and accepts Childcare Vouchers too.

TRANSPORT

In striking distance of Maidenhead’s GWR and Elizabeth Line, transport links are excellent. For driving parents, the school operates a kiss and drop system at the school gates. There’s also a nifty morning and after-school bus service available for pupils in Year 3 and above which collects 5 days a week from four different areas of Marlow.

WORD ON THE GROUND

Parents rave about the lovely, family feel of this school. They particularly love the excellent wrap-around care on offer and the fact they stay open until 6pm. Lots of good things have been said about the incredible facilities too, including the fact it has its own swimming pool. In the past, however, there has been a desire from parents for better communication from the school – something Head Sebastian is working hard to streamline. Feedback is hugely welcomed here, and positive change is constantly in motion.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Parents seeking a school with an all-rounder, family feel, that avoids the pressure cooker environment. This is a genuinely lovely school that pursues excellence at every turn. It’s down to earth and has students that move on to seniors with scholarships in diverse fields – not just purely academic ones.

Not for: Those seeking a traditional country prep experience. You won’t find top-flight equestrian teams and acres of rolling hills to free roam here. St Piran’s sits in a central big town location and has slightly more of an urban edge.

Dare to disagree?! Check out their upcoming Open Days here. Alternatively, you can book a personal 1:1 tour at any time. Find out more here or call the Head of Admissions on 01628 594302 or email admissions@stpirans.co.uk.

St Piran’s School, Gringer Hill Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 7LZ.

St Piran’s Preparatory School, Maidenhead

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