Pinewood School

Pinewood is set in 84 acres of rolling countryside and offers a quality, family-based co-educational day and boarding environment for children aged 3-13. Pupils are prepared for top independent senior schools at both Common Entrance and scholarship level through a blend of traditional and forward-thinking teaching which encourages independence in learning and fosters academic excellence.

Music, drama, art and sport are seen as vital to a child's development and the school offers, in addition, a wide range of activities. Manners, self-reliance and a regard for others are valued principles upon which the school's ethos is built.

We would like to think that Pinewood is a little different. The vision, aims and values of the school are underpinned by two strongly held beliefs: that learning can only be fostered in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect, and that education is not confined to the classroom. We start with the premise that you can do nothing with an unhappy child and seek to create an atmosphere of care and respect where children will and should ask questions, push boundaries and occasionally transgress. The result is a school where children start to trust their instincts, recognise the relationship between action and consequence and begin to take responsibility for their own development. Outstanding pastoral care stems from the family atmosphere which permeates the school and children are known across the years.

The headmaster and his wife head up the boarding which is popular with all ages and is offered on a flexi, weekly or fortnightly option. We aim to provide a broad and balanced curriculum that equips our children for life in their chosen senior schools. Children are set from Year 3 upwards ensuring that each child is learning in an environment designed to help them achieve their potential, and high academic standards are expected. Support is available for both the brightest and the more gentle academics.

Visiting speakers, workshops and trips all contribute to a breadth and variety enabling children to learn and discover outside of the formal classroom. Art, drama and music are given a high priority with over 75% taking up an instrument or participating in our groups and choirs. The games programme is full and varied and sport is taken most afternoons. Fixtures against local preparatory schools ensure that all children have the opportunity to represent their school. The grounds and facilities provide an excellent space for developing our children’s learning through play, exploration, year group gardens, an outside classroom and the musical corner among others. This is extended by the Activity and Adventure programme allowing children to try anything from ballet to bowls, or polo to judo as well as the off-site trips to Somerset, Wales, Chichester and France.

Weaving all these strands together allows Pinewood children to experience a real breadth and diversity of education and allows us to offer them a wealth of opportunity both in and out of the classroom.