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What Radley College Joining the Prep Schools Trust Really Means for Families
- ukindepschool
- May 2
- 3 min read
A quiet but significant shift is happening in the UK independent education landscape: Radley College, one of the country’s leading boys' boarding schools, is integrating with the Prep Schools Trust (PST). For those unfamiliar, PST is a network of well-established preparatory schools, now encompassing seven member schools. This new development signals more than just structural change—it marks the beginning of a long-term strategy that could reshape the educational journey from prep to senior school.
Who Are the Prep Schools Trust?
The Prep Schools Trust brings together a group of distinct but philosophically aligned prep schools, each offering its own strengths and traditions. As of 2025, the seven schools under the PST umbrella are:
Barfield School (Farnham, Surrey) – A co-educational prep with a strong emphasis on outdoor learning and holistic education.
Beeston Hall School (Norfolk) – Known for its balanced boarding/day model and emphasis on independence and character-building.
Chandlings Prep School (near Oxford) – A forward-looking day school with excellent academics and extracurricular opportunities.
Cothill House (Oxfordshire) – A traditional boys' boarding prep feeding top senior schools like Eton, Radley, and Harrow.
Kitebrook Preparatory School (Gloucestershire) – A nurturing co-ed school focused on confidence and creativity.
Mowden Hall School (Northumberland) – Offering boarding and day, with a strong reputation in the North for preparing pupils for top UK schools.
West Hill Park School (Hampshire) – A warm, all-rounded prep that emphasizes community and a sense of belonging.
What Does Integration with Radley College Mean?
The integration of Radley with PST is about more than governance; it represents a shared educational philosophy and a move toward deeper continuity between prep and senior education.
From an education consultant’s point of view, here’s what families should take note of:
Streamlined Transitions: The alignment between PST prep schools and Radley could make the move to senior school smoother, with better understanding of expectations and values.
Shared Resources and Expertise: Curriculum development, pastoral care practices, and leadership training can now be more unified, benefiting all students across the network.
Strategic Positioning: This may influence future admissions policies or create clearer pathways for PST pupils interested in Radley.
Preservation of Identity: While collaboration grows, the individual characters of the prep schools are expected to be preserved—something parents should monitor closely over the next few years.
Questions that the parents asked me:
1. Does this integration make Radley less competitive?
Not necessarily. While the move may support better preparation for PST pupils, Radley remains a highly selective school. Pupils from these schools may now have deeper insight into Radley's expectations, but places will still be earned on merit.
2. What is the teaching quality like in the other PST schools?
Each of the seven schools has its own identity but shares a commitment to academic and pastoral excellence. The Trust promotes staff development and resource sharing, which helps maintain strong standards across the board.
3. Will there still be entrance assessments, or is it automatic admission?
Yes, entrance assessments will still apply. Pupils from PST schools will not bypass the admissions process, but may be better prepared and advised due to the closer relationship and understanding between the schools and Radley.
Why It Matters In a time where parents are seeking greater clarity, consistency, and community in their children’s education, this move could offer exactly that. The long-term benefit? A thoughtfully guided educational journey from age 3 to 18, with fewer surprises and better preparation.
But with integration also comes change. Families should stay engaged with how each school adapts and how leadership communicates with parents during this evolution.
Final Thoughts: As an education blogger and consultant, I see this integration as a potentially game-changing development. It brings both reassurance and new questions for families navigating the independent school world.
Is this the future model for elite British education? It just might be.
Stay tuned—I’ll be following this closely.
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