• Elstree is warm, adventurous and academically purposeful, with a distinctive sense of 'magic' balanced by a very practical focus on the next stage.

• A compelling choice for families who want a Berkshire prep with day and boarding options, traditional breadth and a credible record of preparing children for their next school.

Elstree School's admissions process is well practised, confident and likely to suit families who want a boarding-or-day prep with obvious breadth and tradition. The school is experienced at explaining both the daily experience and the later transition story.

Scholarships and bursaries are clearly signposted, which supports the impression of a school that takes both excellence and access seriously. That matters in a prep where the onward story is part of the purchase.

• Families should contact the Registrar directly for the current bursary route and policy documents.
• The official bursary policy says awards can be up to 100% of day fees and are subject to annual reassessment.
• Families should expect an independent financial review and annual retesting of parental means.

The profile is good, with admissions information, bursary material and senior-school destinations all visible. In prep-school terms, that gives parents a much more rounded way to judge the school than generic claims about nurturing potential.

Assessment is likely to combine close prep-school tracking with purposeful 11+ and 13+ preparation, particularly for pupils staying into the upper years. Parents are likely to value the sense that progress is watched carefully without the school becoming all exam technique.