• St Bernard's is caring, aspirational and opportunity focused, and aims to give children strong academic habits within a warm Catholic community.

• Will suit families seeking a smaller Catholic prep where children are known well and the move to senior school is planned carefully.

Admissions at St Bernard's Preparatory School are warm, family oriented and well suited to families seeking a co-educational Catholic prep in Berkshire with clear academic purpose and a strong sense of belonging. The school should suit parents who value a prep environment where warmth, values and preparation for the next stage are all visible rather than decorative.

Scholarships are not the whole point at prep level, but St Bernard's does frame opportunity clearly through the St Bernard's Award, which links Year 6 pupils to a place at St Benedict's Senior School with means-tested financial support available. That makes access and progression more tangible here than at many standalone prep schools.

The overall picture is confident, caring and academically purposeful, with the school's Catholic identity and close community both easy to see. Parents should still visit because the decisive question is whether the day-to-day feel matches what they want for these formative years.

Assessment at St Bernard's Preparatory School is structured but warm, with clear tracking of progress, careful attention to literacy, numeracy and the habits that support confident transfer into senior school, and enough breadth to prepare children well for the next stage without making the school feel relentlessly test driven. Parents should expect careful tracking, clear communication and enough stretch to support both confidence and ambition.