The Crescent School Trust

What The Crescent School Trust does

The Crescent School Trust operates Crescent School, a co-educational independent day school located in Bilton, Rugby, Warwickshire. The school serves approximately 190 children aged 4 to 11 years (Reception through Year 6), with planned capacity expansion to around 200 pupils from September 2026 through a second Reception class. Class sizes are capped at 20 pupils for Reception to Year 2 and up to 24 for Years 3 to 6, supporting the school's stated value proposition of small-class, individualised learning. Crescent School is one of four schools within The Princethorpe Foundation, a charitable trust (Registered Charity No. 1087124) that also operates Little Crackers Nursery, Crackley Hall School, and Princethorpe College, creating a nursery-through-Sixth Form progression pathway.

The school generates revenue primarily through termly tuition fees billed on a recurring subscription basis, with an optional Fees in Advance Scheme offering a 2% compounded discount for prepayment over periods of up to seven years. Ancillary revenue streams include a non-returnable £90 registration fee, a £400 refundable deposit, Holiday Camps at £39 per day for ages 5-16, and venue hire. Operations are supported by My School Portal (for parent communications, billing, and absence reporting), The Courier weekly e-newsletter, a dedicated sports fixtures website, and active social media channels. The school held an ISI Inspection in December 2024, achieving full marks across all standards with a 'significant strength' designation for PE, Sport and Healthy Living, and renewed its Eco Schools Green Flag Award in 2025.

The school's competitive positioning rests on its Foundation network feeder pipeline, 75+ year heritage (founded 1948), strong academic outcomes exceeding national averages at Key Stage 1, and specialist teaching in Languages, Music, IT and PE from the early years. Crescent School specialises in preparing pupils for senior school transitions, with documented success placing pupils at Princethorpe College, Rugby School, King Henry VIII, Warwick School, and local grammar schools, often with scholarships. The organisation is undergoing leadership transition, with Matt Aston appointed Head from September 2026 (succeeding retiring Headmaster Joe Thackway) and Stuart Shelton appointed Foundation Principal and CEO from September 2027 (succeeding retiring Ed Hester).

Name

The Crescent School Trust

Legal name

The Princethorpe Foundation

Website

https://crescentschool.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Crescent School is an independent co-educational day school in Rugby, Warwickshire, educating approximately 190 children aged 4 to 11, operating as part of The Princethorpe Foundation charitable trust with a recurring termly tuition model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Primary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

School-Age Wraparound Childcare Centers (Holiday/Break Care) (EDACAAAL), Student Welfare, Pastoral Care & Safeguarding Services (EDAIAHAI)

Keywords

• Independent primary school
• Pre-prep education
• Primary day school
• Key stage education
• Senior school preparation

Headquarters

HQ city

Bilton, Rugby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and School Fees: The primary revenue stream is tuition fees charged to families. Fees are billed per term with various payment options including a Fees in Advance Scheme offering discounts for prepayment. Registration fees of £90 including VAT are charged for applications, with a £400 deposit required to secure places.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Crescent School is an independent co-educational day school providing primary education for around 190 children aged 4 to 11 years in Bilton, Rugby, Warwickshire. It delivers Reception (Foundation Stage) through Year 6 (Key Stage 2) education with specialist teaching in Languages, Music, IT and PE, integrated Forest School provision, and a strong focus on preparing pupils for first-choice senior schools including Princethorpe College and local grammar schools. The school also operates paid Holiday Camps for children aged 5 to 16 during school holidays.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Reception Class (Foundation Stage) Education
• Key Stage 1 Education (Years 1-2)
• Key Stage 2 Education (Years 3-6)
• Holiday Camps

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of Year 2 pupils met expected standard in Reading (vs 67% national average)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Princethorpe FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrescent School is one of four schools within The Princethorpe Foundation, alongside Crackley Hall School, Little Crackers Nursery, and Princethorpe College. The Foundation provides shared governance, resources, and a seamless progression pathway for pupils from nursery through to Sixth Form. Foundation Principal Ed Hester oversees all schools, with each having its own Headteacher.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Bloxham School: Independent co-educational school in Banbury, Oxfordshire for ages 11-18 (with Bloxham Pre-Prep for ages 4-11). Comparable in offering Warwickshire-area families a continuous independent pathway and competing for the same senior school pipeline.
• Princethorpe College: Sister Foundation school in Rugby offering secondary education (ages 11-18). Receives the majority of Crescent's leavers and shares governance under The Princethorpe Foundation; broadly incumbent in the same educational pipeline.

Direct peers

• Crackley Hall School: Sister school within The Princethorpe Foundation in Kenilworth, Warwickshire. Co-educational independent day school serving similar primary-age pupils with comparable curriculum, class sizes, and Foundation-level governance — the closest comparable operationally.
• Warwick Preparatory School: Independent co-educational prep school in Warwick, serving children aged 3-11 in the same Warwickshire market. Directly comparable in age range, fee structure, senior school preparation focus, and competition for local families.
• Arnold Lodge School: Independent co-educational prep school in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, for children aged 2-13. Comparable size, age range, and target demographic in the same broader West Midlands catchment area.
• Forres Sandle Manor: Independent co-educational prep school in Fordingbridge, Hampshire for ages 2-13. Similar small-school, full-boarding/day model with specialist teaching and strong senior school placement track record.
• The Elms: Independent co-educational prep school in Colwall, Herefordshire, for children aged 3-13. Comparable model of small class sizes, specialist teaching, and senior school preparation at a similar scale.
• Abbots Hill School: Independent girls' preparatory school (with co-ed nursery) in Hemel Hempstead for ages 3-16. Comparable small-class-size, specialist-subject model and senior school transition focus in the UK independent prep segment.
• King's High School (Warwick): Independent girls' day school in Warwick with associated prep provision, serving the same Warwickshire catchment. Direct competitor for fee-paying families and shares Rugby/Warwick senior school preparation market with Crescent.
• St John's College School, Cambridge: Independent co-educational prep school in Cambridge for children aged 2-13. Comparable model with strong academic outcomes, specialist teaching, and senior school preparation — including the country's top independent senior schools.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CrescentSchRug
• Facebookfacebook.com/cres.school
• Instagraminstagram.com/theprincethorpefoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-crescent-school-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Crescent School Trust