Girls Get a Great Start at Elstree

Elstree’s move to becoming fully co-educational this September has been a resounding success, with a total of 31 girls in the whole school, including 14 in the prep. 

The Elstree pre-prep has been co-educational since it was founded 25 years ago, yet now girls, like boys, can continue their Elstree education up to the end of year eight. 

After a well-attended Discovery Morning earlier in the year, the cohort of pioneering girls in years three to six are already positively contributing to Berkshire boarding school’s fully co-educational status. 

‘This term marks the start of arguably the most significant development in the school’s history, other than its move from London to Woolhampton at the beginning of the Second World War,’ says Sid Inglis, headmaster. ‘It has been extremely exciting welcoming our first cohort of girls to the prep school and the response has been remarkable.’ 

A variety of areas within the school have been redeveloped and refurbished to accommodate the girls, including a new girls’ dormitory for boarding, affectionately named ‘Finlay’, after a much-loved former school nurse. 

Hockey is their main sport for the autumn term, then netball for Lent, and cricket, tennis, athletics and swimming for the summer term. They will also join the boys for cross country and some football. 

‘It is wonderful to see the girls around the beautiful Elstree campus this term,’ says head of girls, Crispy Kidson. ‘I am delighted to see how well they have settled in and how welcoming and friendly the boys have been. There is no doubt that all of the girls have brought a wave of enthusiasm and a real sense of purpose with them. It feels as though they have been here for years.’

Elstree’s open morning on 10 October is now full, but there is still availability for a prep school-only visit on Saturday 17 October and a whole school visit on Saturday 28 November, both starting at 10.00am and finishing by noon. Reserve your place online here or email Tish Gauci at [email protected]. 

Please find Elstree’s School House online listing here