Chair of The Pilgrims' School Committee: Alison Mayne, Fellow of Winchester College
Headmaster: Tim Butcher
Second Master: Alistair Duncan
Deputy Head (Academic): Becca Higham
DSL/ Director of Wellbeing: Craig Cuyler
Director of Sport: Myles Greenwood
Director of Music: Russell du Plessis
Assistant Director of Music: Elizabeth Willcox
Director of Boarding: Matthew Sutherland
Registrar: Emma Short
Age range. Boys 4–13.
Number of pupils. 206 Boys (73 boarders/weekly boarders, 133 day boys, with 97 Juniors, 81 Seniors and 28 boys in Pre-Prep).
Fees per term (2025-2026). Boarders: Years 4–8 £12,455; Day Boys: Years 6–8 £9,792, Day Boys Years 4–5 £9,655, Year 3 £8,353; Pre-Prep Reception to Year 2: £5,155–£5,257.
About us. The Pilgrims’ School is a day and boarding school just an hour from London, for boys aged 4–13. It has exceptional facilities, outstanding academic results, and all staff are experts in raising boys. The school offers the best of both worlds: in the city of Winchester next to the water meadows yet a short distance from the south coast. It provides a nurturing environment in a historic setting while having forward-thinking musical and sporting opportunities. Since the merger with Winchester College, Pilgrims’ offers an array of outstanding co-curricular activities unavailable anywhere else at Prep-School level. While having a close relationship with Winchester College, Pilgrims’ continues to feed the top independent schools in the country, depending on what suits boys best. It is the only school in the country with two professional choirs singing in Winchester Cathedral and Winchester College, and at landmark events across the country. The train service we call the Pilgrims’ Express allows boys from London to be brought to school and back escorted by staff, and we offer numerous minibus pick-ups to make everything as easy as possible for parents and boys.
Curriculum. Pilgrims’ offers outstanding specialised subject-teaching and boys find their individual strengths as a result. Great care is taken to ensure the interests and specific talents of each boy are valued and developed across our broad curriculum, co-curriculum, and super-curriculum.
Sports and the Arts. Competitive sports are played daily. Winter games are football, rugby, hockey and cross-country running; in the summer, cricket and athletics. Swimming is all year round in the outdoor heated pool and inside at Winchester College. Music is an exceptional strength, with multiple choirs, ensembles and opportunities to play instruments. Art, Drama, and Design & Technology are enriched by Pilgrims’ having access to incredible facilities and super-curricular opportunities at Winchester College. Boys can learn to sail, fly a plane, and get involved in outreach work for local charities.
Pastoral care. Our pastoral care is exemplary. We have been recognised as a Steer Champion School for our dedication to wellbeing and being ‘Great for Pastoral Care’ in The Week’s Independent Schools Guide. The Good School Guide said our pastoral care is ‘exceptional’, with a real sense of camaraderie and confidence in communication between staff and the boys. Not only do we have a Head of Pastoral Care, a Director of Wellbeing and a lay chaplain, we also have heads of year, form teachers and tutor groups looking after not just the academic, but all aspects of the boys’ wellbeing. In addition, we have a team of boarding house parents, nurses and matrons working together to provide excellent care and a ‘group’ where boys regularly talk about their feelings.
Scholarships. We have had recent scholarships to Winchester College, Eton College, Radley College, Canford, Sherborne, Marlborough College, Charterhouse, Harrow, Bedales and St Edward’s in Academic, Music, Art and Sport.The Pilgrims’ School is the perfect place for boys from Reception to Year 8 to learn and grow up – to find their passions and nurture them. It is a place of outstanding personalised learning and teaching. All boys move onto their senior schools with confidence having made excellent progress academically and pastorally.
Our Pre-Prep. The Pilgrims’ Pre-Prep is a joyful place in the heart of Winchester, full of happy boys and staff. The boys experience an active day which is timetabled to provide opportunities for learning and development in all areas of the curriculum. Our close links with Winchester Cathedral mean we have access to The Bishop’s Palace Garden and there is a chalk stream tributary of the river Itchen running through our grounds with resident deer and heron. Boys experience building fires and toasting marshmallows in our Forest School which offers 2-hour weekly sessions outdoors on site and next door at WInchester College. We have excellent pupil–teacher ratios and teach a creative and varied curriculum. The boys learn cursive handwriting and letter formation from the very beginning. Wraparound care is provided for families from Reception to Year 8, with a breakfast club and after-school care or activities. Our Positive Behavioural Policy reflects our ethos of praising positive behaviour. We celebrate the boys’ achievements in all sorts of ways in class and assemblies.
Charitable status. The Pilgrims’ School is a Registered Charity, number 1139000.