What Hereward house school does

Hereward House School is a family-owned, single-form entry preparatory school for boys aged 4–13, located at 14 Strathray Gardens in Hampstead, London. Founded in 1951 by Colonel Richard Brewster and Mary Brewster and family-run across three generations (currently chaired by proprietor Leonie Sampson), the school enrolls approximately 175 boys across 10 classes, with primary intake at 4+ (Reception/Transition) and secondary entry points at 7+ and 11+. It is a member of the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS) and was rated Excellent in all areas at its April 2023 ISI Focused Compliance and Educational Quality Inspection.

The school's product is a comprehensive preparatory education delivered primarily by specialist teachers from Year 3 onwards, spanning English, Mathematics, Science, Geography, History, Religious Studies, ICT, Latin, Greek, French, and Mandarin, plus structured preparation for ISEB Common Entrance, 11+/13+ senior school entrance exams, and scholarship examinations. Enrichment includes a dedicated music program (almost every boy learns an instrument, two choirs, orchestra), sports (football, cricket, cross-country, swimming), drama productions, chess led by International Chess Master Lorin D'Costa, art, learning support, and residential trips via a partnership with The Exploration Society. Technology stack is conventional: ICT suite, class iPads, interactive whiteboards; no AI/ML or proprietary digital platform is in use.

The revenue model is subscription-based, termly tuition fees (£7,205/term for Transition to Year 3, £7,465/term for Years 4–8, plus VAT) with ancillary charges (£120 non-refundable application fee, £120 annual excursions/events charge, plus optional clubs and residential trips). The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer admissions targeting London families, with the funnel driven by word-of-mouth referrals, school tours, Headmaster meetings, and listings in education guides such as the Good Schools Guide. No resellers or institutional channels are used. Senior school destination outcomes (Westminster, St Paul's, City of London, Eton, Tonbridge, Highgate, UCS) function as the primary demand-generation asset and competitive differentiator.

Name

Hereward house school

Legal name

Hereward House School

Website

https://herewardhouse.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hereward House School is a family-owned London preparatory school for approximately 175 boys aged 4–13, delivering specialist-led academic and enrichment curricula and preparing pupils for entry to leading senior schools including Westminster, St Paul's, and City of London.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Termly tuition fees constitute the primary revenue stream. Fees are inclusive of tuition, lunch, and core educational materials. Additional charges apply for clubs, residential trips, and some other school activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hereward House School delivers a single-form entry preparatory education for boys aged 4-13 (Reception through Year 8), centred on a varied curriculum taught largely by subject specialists covering English, Mathematics, Science, Geography, History, Religious Studies, ICT, French, Mandarin, Latin and Greek. The school supplements academics with extensive Music (almost every boy learns an instrument), Sports (football, cricket, cross-country, swimming), Drama, Art, Chess led by an International Chess Master, and Learning Support. Its core commercial offering is the place-based educational service, sold termly as inclusive tuition covering core instruction, lunch and materials.

Product overview

Hereward House School is a single-form entry preparatory school for boys aged 4-13, offering a comprehensive educational program from Transition (Reception) through Year 8. The school provides a varied and interesting curriculum delivered primarily by specialist teachers, supplemented by an extensive enrichment program. Academic instruction spans core subjects (English, Mathematics, Science), humanities (Geography, History, Religious Studies), languages (French, Mandarin, Latin, Greek), ICT, and creative arts. The school maintains a strong emphasis on music (with almost every boy learning an instrument), sports (football, cricket, cross-country), drama productions, and chess. Structured admissions pathways exist for 4+, 7+, and 11+ entry, with comprehensive preparation for Common Entrance and scholarship examinations to leading senior schools including Westminster, St Paul's, and City of London.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preparatory School Education (Transition to Year 8) Full-time, term-time independent preparatory education for boys aged 4-13, covering English, Mathematics, Science, Geography, History, Religious Studies, ICT, Latin, Greek, French and Mandarin, delivered by specialist teachers from Year 3 onwards. Sold as the primary service of the school.
• Sports Programme Weekly Games sessions with specialist coaches covering football (Michaelmas and Lent terms), cricket (Summer term), cross-country running, and swimming, including the annual Swimming Gala, Cross Country event and Sports Day. Uses Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre Astroturf on Tuesdays and Brondesbury Cricket Club on Fridays.
• Music Programme Comprehensive music education including Kodaly method class singing, Middle and Senior School choirs, instrumental tuition on 15+ instruments, orchestra and ensembles, with almost every boy learning an instrument.
• Drama Programme Drama lessons from Transition through to CE1, including Creative Movement sessions, class productions, Lent Plays, and biennial full musical productions (e.g., Bugsy Malone, The Sound of Music).
• Chess Programme Chess curriculum taught by International Chess Master Lorin D'Costa to Forms 2 and 3, with popular after-school chess club and participation in local and national competitions.
• Art and Design Technology Art instruction in dedicated facilities with kiln and woodworking area, covering painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, and media arts. Students participate in the Royal College of Art Young Art competition.
• Learning Support Service Specialised support for pupils with additional learning needs, delivered by two dedicated Learning Support coordinators who work with external professionals to provide bespoke solutions.
• Extra-Curricular Clubs After-school activities including Fencing, Judo, Football, Multisport, Chess, Art, Coding, Music Technology, Debate and clubs for Junior School such as Lego, crafts and board games.
• Outings and Residential Trips Regular class trips to London museums, galleries and theatres, Form 4 overnight stays, and week-long residential trips from Form 5 delivered with partner The Exploration Society, including camping in the wild, building shelters and cooking outdoors.
• Admissions Programme (4+, 7+ and 11+ entry) Direct admissions service with three main entry points: 4+ into Transition (Reception), 7+ into Year 3 with Headmaster meeting, taster morning and one-to-one assessment, and 11+ into Year 7 with assessment days and taster sessions. Application fee £120 non-refundable.
• Senior School Entrance Pathway Structured preparation programme from Year 3 onwards for 11+ and 13+ entrance exams, including ISEB Common Pre-Test preparation, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, interview coaching, scholarship preparation, and monitoring through to Common Entrance and scholarship examinations at 13+.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50% of Year 6 pupils received offers from Westminster and/or St Paul's over the last three years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Exploration SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides residential trip experiences for Forms 5 onwards, including camping in the wild, building shelters, and cooking outdoors. Partnership enables boys to gain independence and learn skills away from the classroom as part of activity weeks.
• Partner School in FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExchange of letters with partner school in France to bring French language learning to life through authentic communication with French peers.
• Independent Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS)coreOthersMember of IAPS, the professional association for preparatory schools. School is family-owned and accredited by IAPS.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/herewardhouseprep
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hereward-house-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 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 Hereward house school