Chair of Governors: Mr C Bradfield
Head: Mrs Caroline Townshend, BSc Southampton, PGCE Gold Smiths
Deputy Head Academic (Seniors): Mr Richard Ebbage, BSc Roehampton, MSc Southampton, QTS, NPQSL UCL
Deputy Head Pastoral (Seniors): Mr Adam Mallins, BSc Birmingham, PGCE Buckingham
Head of Pre-Prep: Mrs Janey McDowell, BSc Hons Reading, PGCE Cantab
Deputy Head Academic (Juniors): Mr John Ireland, BA Kent, PGCE, PGCert, Med Reading
Deputy Head Pastoral (Juniors): Mr Tom Goodhew, BSc Winchester, PGCE Reading
Age range. 3–16.
Number of pupils. 750.
Fees per term (2023–2024). £3,992–£6,552 inclusive of food, educational day visits, curriculum residentials, textbooks and many co-curricular sessions. After-school care options are available.
Crosfields is an independent, co-educational day school in Shinfield, Reading, situated in over 40 acres of wood and parkland. Offering education to Nursery children through to Year 11, Crosfields is a modern, well-resourced school boasting an outstanding reputation for academic excellence, and holds a strong track record in preparing pupils for the most academically demanding schools.
A recent Independent Schools Inspection awarded Crosfields ‘Excellent’, with inspectors commenting that, ‘Academic attainment is in advance of that expected at the relevant levels of age and stage of development.’ Pupils benefit from small class sizes where they receive individual attention from experienced and dedicated teaching staff, all housed in purpose-built, spacious classrooms. With contemporary science labs and well-stocked libraries, the school offers a broad curriculum that develops confident and independent learning, enhanced by exciting day and residential trips.
Facilities at Crosfields are considered unrivalled in the Reading area, where children enjoy an abundance of green space. Six Forest School outdoor learning sites, age-appropriate play equipment and sports areas are just some of the many jewels in the Crosfields crown. A floodlit artificial turf pitch provides four netball courts or hockey pitches, and is complemented by many natural turf sports pitches, cricket wickets, nets and pavilion. Pupils enjoy an on-site sports centre that houses a sports hall and dance studio, as well as a swimming pool with moveable floor so that children of all ages can learn to swim confidently.
From 2021, Crosfields welcomed pupils into Year 9, with the School’s first full set of GCSE results expected in 2024. This past summer, a handful of pupils voluntarily sat Spanish, German and RS (Short Course). 100% of pupils achieved a strong pass with 62% achieving grade 7-9.
In addition to its outstanding academic reputation and facilities, Crosfields offers working parents wraparound care that includes an early morning Breakfast Club that opens at 7:30 am (7:45 am for EYFS), and after-school collection times up to 17:50. A comprehensive, co-curricular programme caters for all children and interests, pupils can choose from a range of options which provides challenges and opportunities to investigate areas of interest, enhancing learning and expanding the school experience at Crosfields. Activities include cookery, golf, drama classes, judo, dance, fencing, choir singing and music, science and, most recently, rowing, to name but a few!
The school is easily accessible from junction 11 of the M4 and the A33 Basingstoke Road. Several transport routes for pupils travelling into the school are available for families who may require additional support with the school run. Routes run between neighbouring towns, including Emmer Green, Caversham, Bucklebury, Mortimer Common, Winnersh, Woodley and Sonning.
Charitable status. Crosfields School Trust Limited is a Registered Charity, number 584278. The aim of the school is solely to provide education for children between the ages of 3 and 16.