93SOUTH EASTPREPtatler.com Tatler School Guide 2019BRUERN ABBEY
SCHOOL
Chesterton, Oxfordshire
OX26 1UY
Website bruernabbey.org Head
John Floyd Pupils 155 boys, day and
boarding Ages 8–13 Term Fees
Day: £8,725; boarding: £10,497
Head John Floyd describes Bruern
Abbey modestly as ‘an educational
garage that cheers up and sorts out
dyslexic boys’, however one dad
was rather more effusive: ‘It’s the
miracle that transformed our once
struggling son’s life.’ Boys fre-
quently arrive here with battered
self-esteem, having struggled to
keep up in the mainstream, and
have their confidence boosted by
Bruern’s small class sizes, dedicated
teachers, innovative teaching and
focus on fun. In time, they’re ap-
plying to the likes of St Paul’s and
Gordonstoun, frequently with
scholarships. Food is ‘in the DNA’
of BA, and boys enjoy dishes like
rare venison, moules marinières
and pheasant. There’s even a Friday
lunchtime Oyster Club.CALDICOTT
Crown Lane, Farnham Royal,
Buckinghamshire SL2 3SL
Website caldicott.com Head Jeremy
Banks Pupils 250 boys, day and
boarding Ages 7–13 Term Fees
Day: £6,573; boarding: £9,690
Set in 40 acres, Caldicott cele-
brates rumbustious boys and ena-
bles those taking the school bus in
from London to enjoy the freedom
of the countryside while still blaz-
ing an academic trail. Head Jeremy
Banks has settled in well and is
already hugely popular with boys,
staff and parents. Last year the
largest cohort of boys (75) all
passed their CE with flying col-
ours, scooping the biggest haul of
scholarships to date (16) and an
impressive number of leavers
headed to Eton and Harrow as
well as co-eds like Marlborough
and Wellington. Drama is revered
here and last year’s production of
My Fair Lady had boys performing
alongside a professional orchestra
to huge rounds of applause from
parents and staff.But it’s not all dancing on table
tops: Cheam has a strong academic
heritage and secured an impressive
17 scholarships in 2018, including
six to Marlborough College.
When charming Head Martin
Harris tells us that ‘sport is a big
part of school life for all’, he’s not
exaggerating. Cheam pupils have
7 ½ hours of allocated sport
per week, making the most
of their incredible facilities and
100 acres of playing fields. Drama
is another strength: the cast of
Treasure Island performed at the
Edinburgh Fringe for a week with
huge success.CHEAM SCHOOL
Headley, Newbury, Berkshire
RG19 8LD
Website cheamschool.com Head
Martin Harris Pupils 400 day and
boarding: 222 boys, 178 girls Faith
C of E Ages 3–13 Term Fees Day:
£7,345; boarding: £9,535
Who wouldn’t want to sign up for
Mr Pugsley’s lessons? One parent
recalled how they ‘walked past his
classroom and the entire class was
dancing on their desks in rainbow
wigs, brandishing lightsabers and
blow-up guitars while belting out
the Happy Days theme tune... this
was at 8.45 on a Saturday morning!’CHESHAM PREP
SCHOOL
Two Dells Lane, Orchard Leigh,
Buckinghamshire HP5 3QF
Website cheshamprep.co.uk Head
Jonathan Beale Pupils 410 day: 226
boys, 184 girls Faith C of E
Ages 3–13 Term Fees £4,940
Chesham Prep may not be a
school with a grand stone façade,
but it is a supportive and nurtur-
ing centre of excellence in which
children can blossom, developing
their own special interests before
they are launched into secondary
education. There are exceptional
learning support facilities and
plenty of development is in
evidence: a new swimming pool
opened in July to great excitement
and Astroturf pitches are in the
pipeline. Sport is strong; a num-
ber of pupils play in county teams
for rugby, cricket and hockey.
Energetic and forward-thinking
Head Jonathan Beale is renowned
for his approachability: four
mornings a week he is at the
school gates without fail, greeting
pupils and chatting to parents,
and twice a week he spends time
reading to the younger years.
Beale’s five-year plan is ambitious;
he wants Chesham to be the first-
choice prep in the area. ]CALDICOTTCHESHAM
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