About Dame B's

Dame Bradbury's is a stimulating, vibrant school. Our children are known and cared for as individuals and Christian values guide the way we treat each other.

We emphasise traditional behaviour: kindness, courtesy and self-discipline, yet we embrace change, introducing new technology and developing innovative teaching styles.

One of our main aims is to inspire and nurture enthusiasms - everything from swimming and science to cross-stitch and cello. Small classes and individual attention allow each child to flourish and fulfil their potential.

Our children have fun at school. They are self-confident and imaginative; they are cultured and want to learn for the sheer joy of learning.

Every child at Dame Bradbury's is encouraged to "Be yourself", "Aim high" and "Be kind". Our pupils leave as confident and articulate children, ready to meet the demands of the 21st century.

Do come and visit us to see for yourself our happy school and our well-behaved, enthusiastic pupils.

Jane Crouch, Headmistress

Our Nursery is a friendly, happy community. We encourage a positive and confident attitude to learning. Our children make progress through structured, purposeful play, which helps them to become independent within a safe environment.

We develop each child's individual learning in creative, language, mathematical, moral and social areas. Our specialist music, French and PE teachers also work with our children, with 'Big Gym' a particular favourite.

Pupils may start with us once they are three, and we offer a mixture of morning and/or afternoon sessions. We also run a Late Stay programme until 6pm.

Our latest Ofsted inspection praised the Nursery as "a high quality, child-centred learning environment enabling children to investigate and explore at their own pace...staff are caring and sensitive and have warm relationships with children".

Click here to find out about admission to our Nursery

Dame Bradbury's School is made up of three sections: the Early Years (aged 3 to 5) Infants (aged 6 and 7) and Juniors (8 to 11-year-olds).

Our curriculum co-ordinators and departmental heads ensure that each child's progress is tracked as they move through the School. Specialists from our Learning Support department also give targeted assistance when required.

Dame Bradbury's maintains a broad and balanced curriculum, incorporating National Curriculum requirements and providing many wider learning opportunities. The curriculum is monitored and reviewed regularly, ensuring continuity and progression as each child's knowledge, understanding and skills progress in line with our high expectations.

Teachers receive further training on current educational research and applications. Many of these become incorporated in revised classroom practice.

We use our knowledge of your child to assist you in identifying the most appropriate senior schools when it is time to move on from Dame Bradbury's. Click here for a list of senior schools our pupils join

Dame Bradbury's pupils enjoy the opportunity to participate in our extensive range of extra-curricular activities, widening our broad and balanced curriculum even further.

Success and enjoyment create confidence in a child, whether as part of a sports team or playing in an orchestra or string group.

Lunchtime and after-school activities vary but include a selection from cookery, history, pottery, chess, dance, silk-screen printing, rugby, short tennis and speech and drama.

Children have the chance to choose their clubs for the Autumn and Spring Terms and then again for the Summer Term, when there is a slightly different selection of clubs on offer.

New clubs are regularly introduced and club members also enjoy social events, such as a Medieval Feast, a Gardening Club Summer Party and the annual History Club outing.

If you are interested in sending your child to Dame Bradbury's, the first step is to contact our Admissions Secretary, Hazel Shepherd, for a prospectus.

You can also download our prospectus

The School offers help with fees in certain cases, including bursary awards from Year 3 upwards.

Once you have received a prospectus, you can decide whether you would like to visit the School. The next step after that is to register your child for admission. You can register your child without visiting, if you wish.

Names of registered children are entered on a waiting list, and our Admissions Secretary will contact parents/carers in the Autumn Term a year before they are due to enter the School, to let them know if a place is available.

Priority in allocating Nursery places is given first to siblings, then to the order in which prospective pupils are registered. For entry into our Reception, priority is given to children who are already in our Nursery, then to siblings, then to the order of registration.

We are also happy to accept applications for pupils to enter other year groups, if places are available. Pupils can join the School throughout the academic year, usually joining at the start of a term or after a half term.