The Pointer School

What The Pointer School does

The Pointer School is an independent co-educational day school in Blackheath, South East London, providing Nursery, Preschool, Reception and primary education (Years 1-6) for boys and girls aged 3-11. It operates across two sites (19 Stratheden Road for Years 2-6; 37 Shooters Hill Road for Nursery, Reception and Year 1) plus a ten-hectare sports ground at Hervey Road. The school delivers the National Curriculum enhanced with bespoke additions including Singapore Maths, topic-based learning, an integrated chess programme (notable for producing England's youngest grandmaster) and a food programme led by a former two-Michelin-star chef from Le Gavroche. Pastoral and safeguarding are central: the school is ISI "compliant in all areas" (June 2025), holds Millie's Mark and Eco Green Flag with Distinction (Summer 2025), and runs Mental Health First Aid trained staff. Wraparound care runs from 07:45 to 18:30, supplemented by 50+ after-school clubs and a Holiday Club open to external children aged 3-11.

The business is privately owned by Dukes Education, a UK family of schools founded in 2015 by Aatif Hassan, which provides group-level shared services while the school retains operational autonomy. Revenue is generated almost entirely from recurring termly tuition (Reception–Year 6 at £6,994/term, Preschool at £5,387/term) paid termly or monthly by direct debit, with ancillary streams from school lunches, wraparound care sessions at £8.30 per session/hour, termly extra-curricular clubs from £65, and the Holiday Club. A non-refundable £150 application fee and a £1,000 registration deposit contribute smaller upfront revenue. There is no public revenue disclosure. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven: prospective families complete online enquiries, attend family meetings with the Head, taster days and diagnostic assessments, with offers made on a first-come, first-served basis. The school draws from South East London (predominantly Blackheath and Greenwich) supplemented by an internationally diverse pupil body, and funnels pupils onward to a small set of top senior schools including Colfe's, Eltham College, St Dunstan's College, Blackheath High School, Alleyn's and Dulwich College, with approximately a quarter of Year 6 leavers gaining scholarships.

Name

The Pointer School

Legal name

The Pointer School

Website

https://pointers.school

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Pointer School is an independent Christian co-educational day school in Blackheath, South East London, educating 347 boys and girls aged 3-11 across Nursery, Preschool and Reception to Year 6, and owned by Dukes Education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Primary and Nursery Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Preschool Programs within Private K–12 Schools (EDACABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM), School-Age Wraparound Childcare Centers (Holiday/Break Care) (EDACAAAL)

Keywords

• Independent prep school
• Primary school education
• Nursery childcare
• Extracurricular clubs
• Scholarship programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees - Reception to Year 6: Primary revenue stream from tuition fees for Reception through Year 6 students. Fees are £6,994 per term and can be paid termly as a lump sum or monthly via direct debit over 12 equal payments.
2. Tuition Fees - Preschool: Preschool tuition fees of £5,387 per term for children attending 08:30-15:15 Monday to Friday.
3. School Lunches: Optional weekly lunch service at £37 per week for preschool and £27 per week for Reception to Year 6.
4. Wraparound Care: Breakfast Club at £8.30 per session and Late Class at £8.30 per hour or part hour, providing supervision from 7:45am to 6:30pm with no advance booking required.
5. Extracurricular Clubs: After-school clubs ranging from £65 per term, covering activities such as sailing, horseriding, robotics, and Taekwondo. Paid via direct debit, credit/debit card, or child care vouchers.
6. Holiday Club: Holiday childcare open to Pointer School pupils and external children aged 3-11 years. Minimum booking is a full week. Accepts Tax-Free Childcare and Childcare Vouchers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Pointer School is an independent co-educational prep, pre-prep and nursery school providing education for boys and girls aged 3-11 across Nursery, Reception and Years 1-6 at two Blackheath sites supported by a 10-hectare sports ground. Core tuition is enhanced with Singapore Maths, topic-based learning, integrated chess, and pastoral care, and is supplemented by fee-based wraparound care, a Holiday Club and 50+ after-school clubs.

Product overview

The Pointer School is an independent Christian prep and pre-prep school offering a unified educational programme for boys and girls aged 3-11. The core product encompasses Nursery through Year 6 academic education enhanced by Singapore Maths and topic-based learning. Supporting modules include After School Clubs (50+ activities spanning Sailing, Robotics, Chess, Performing Arts), Holiday Club childcare, and Wraparound Care (Breakfast Club & Late Class). The school also offers Scholarship Programmes including the Higgins Scholarship for means-tested families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Pointer School Core Education Programme Independent co-educational prep, pre-prep and nursery education for boys and girls aged 3-11, delivered across two Blackheath sites plus a 10-hectare sports ground. The programme covers the National Curriculum with bespoke additions including Singapore Maths and topic-based learning.
• Nursery and Preschool Programme Early years education for children from age 3, focusing on confidence-building, social skills and academic foundations, with a staff-to-pupil ratio of 1:8. Sessions run 08:30-15:15, Monday to Friday.
• Reception to Year 6 Academic Programme Full National Curriculum education for Reception through Year 6, enhanced with Singapore Maths, topic-based learning, integrated chess instruction, and preparation for 11-plus entrance examinations. Hours 08:45-15:15/45, Monday to Friday.
• After School Clubs Termly extracurricular programme covering 50+ clubs including Sailing, Horseriding, Robotics, Taekwondo, Chess and Performing Arts. Pricing from £65 per term, paid by direct debit, credit/debit card or childcare vouchers.
• Holiday Club Holiday childcare and activities programme operating 08:00-18:00 during school holidays, open to Pointer School pupils and external children aged 3-11. Minimum booking is one week; accepts Tax-Free Childcare and Childcare Vouchers.
• Wraparound Care (Breakfast Club & Late Class) Extended-hours supervision from 7:45am to 6:30pm including Breakfast Club (healthy breakfast) and Late Class (homework support with afternoon snack). Breakfast Club at £8.30 per session; Late Class at £8.30 per hour or part hour, with no advance booking required.
• Scholarship Programmes Range of scholarships for academic, creative (music, drama, art), sports, chess and languages talent, awarded at entry, supporting transition to senior schools.
• Higgins Scholarship

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% of pupils gain prestigious scholarships for 11-plus entry in academics, sport, music, drama, art, and chess
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dukes EducationcoreOthersThe Pointer School is owned and operated by Dukes Education, a family of schools and education organisations based in the UK. Dukes Education provides security and support, a platform for sharing best practice, and access to all-through education options. The school retains independence in decisions while benefiting from collective resources. Dukes House at 58 Buckingham Gate serves as the registered office.
• Rhug EstatecoreOthersAll meat is supplied directly from Rhug Estate in North Wales. Rhug Estate has the highest standards of animal welfare, with animals bred on the estate farm and fed on feed grown on the farm - a true soil to fork operation. They hold a prestigious Royal Warrant and supply many top Michelin star restaurants.
• StevensonscoreOthersExclusive supplier of The Pointer School uniform. Stevensons is the largest independent school uniform and sportswear provider in the UK serving over 550 schools. They operate an easy-to-use online store and hold twice-annual pop-up uniform shops at the school.
• Le GavrocheminorOthersFormer two Michelin-starred restaurant from which the school hired its head chef. The chef previously held two Michelin stars at Le Gavroche and led the transformation of the school's food program, introducing pupils to dishes such as 'sole fillet veronique' and 'Imam Bayildi'.
• Heaps of GreenwichminorOthersLocal sausage supplier who worked with the school to create child-friendly recipes for the Pointer School's special sausage. The school council held tasting sessions to select the recipe, and parents can purchase the sausage from local butchers.
• St John's ChurchcoreOthersClose ties with St John's Church for collective worship, singing carols at Christmas, and other community events. The school supports the Tanzanian Breakfast Fund providing breakfast for children at a school in Musoma through the church relationship.
• Greenwich FoodbankminorOthersLocal charity partner. The school donates over 350 bags of food annually to Greenwich Foodbank as part of its community outreach program.
• Lewisham Met Police Christmas AppealminorOthersAnnual partnership where the school purchases Christmas presents for children in need throughout the Lewisham borough through the Met Police Christmas Appeal.
• Mycenae HouseminorOthersLocal community centre that the school supports through visits, maintaining strong ties with the Blackheath community.
• Morden CollegeminorOthersNearby care home that older pupils visit to celebrate holidays, singing carols at Christmas and ushering at a St Valentine's dance. Early Years department visits weekly to share stories and games with residents.
• Operation EncompassminorOthersPartnership with Metropolitan Police Force for the notification system that alerts schools when a child has been exposed to or involved in any domestic incident. The school works with the Met Police as part of this safeguarding initiative.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cheam School: Long-established independent co-educational prep school in Hampshire for ages 3–13. Comparable age range, premium fee structure and traditional prep ethos; included as a UK-wide model peer rather than a London geographic rival.
• Pembridge Hall School: Independent co-educational prep school in Notting Hill. Comparable London pre-prep with similar age range, premium positioning and 11+ preparation pipeline.
• Wetherby School: Independent boys' pre-prep and prep school in Notting Hill for ages 4–13. Closely comparable London prep with similar premium fee point, small class sizes and 11+ preparation focus.
• Blackheath Preparatory School: Other Blackheath-based independent prep school serving the same micro-catchment. Closest geographic peer and direct competitor for Blackheath/Greenwich families seeking premium 3–11 private education.
• Bute House School: Independent prep school in west London for ages 4–13. Comparable in size, premium fee point and selective academic positioning; competes for similar London professional-class families.
• Notting Hill Prep School: London prep school widely reported to sit within the Dukes Education family alongside The Pointer School. Comparable model, premium Notting Hill catchment and shared group-level operating leverage.
• Eaton House Schools: Group of London independent prep schools across multiple sites. Comparable model and premium London prep market positioning, with broader portfolio scale.
• Garden House School: Chelsea-based independent prep school for ages 3–13. Comparable small-scale, premium London pre-prep model serving similar professional-class families.
• Hill House School: Independent boys' prep school in Knightsbridge for ages 3–13. Comparable premium London positioning, selective admissions and 11+ outcomes focus.

Regional players

• Streatham & Clapham High School: South London independent girls' day school (GDST network) spanning Nursery through Sixth Form. Comparable South London independent positioning; broader age range but overlaps for 3–11 families in the wider catchment.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-pointer-school

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Pointer School