St Nicholas’ School is a small independent day school for girls aged 3–16 and boys aged 3–7. Founded in 1935 in Branksomewood Road, Fleet, the school moved to Redfields House, Redfields Lane, Church Crookham in 1996. Redfields House, a Victorian Mansion, is set in 30 acres of glorious parkland and playing fields.
Branksomewood, the Nursery and Infant department, retains the original name of the road where the school was founded. Being built of natural wood with a wonderful airy atmosphere this building gives light and space to our younger children, creating a calming environment in which they thrive. With an adventure playground set in the woods, a large hall fitted with PE equipment overlooking the grounds, and our experienced teaching staff, it is no wonder the children are so happy.
St Nicholas’ Junior department is based in Redfields House itself which keeps the charm of the old family house with its oak panelling and the senior department is located in the newer part of the school behind. All three departments have benefited from several building projects. Both Infant and Junior pupils have Forest School sessions throughout the year that take advantage of the beautiful outdoor learning space.
Facilities include a sports hall with courts, showers, changing rooms and a viewing gallery. This has enhanced the sports lessons and enabled even more sports competitions as well as extra-curricular activities. Badminton, tennis, netball, volleyball and basketball may be played throughout the year.
Our Art, Design Technology and Textiles Centre, offers three spacious rooms with large work benches, and a kiln for pottery. By having this wonderful building it has opened an opportunity for the school to adapt the old art centre into several music practice rooms. Tuition is offered in the violin, piano, guitar, harp, drums, singing, woodwind and brass.
The Pritchard Hall, named after the school’s founder, was unveiled in 2009. The performing arts centre has raked seating for over 330, in the semi round and contains with an orchestra pit where concerts and plays are staged regularly. In addition, the drama department has two studios.
September 2013 welcomed the opening of state-of-the-art laboratories for juniors and seniors. The classrooms include teaching areas as well as practical learning spaces in a bright and welcoming environment.
In 2016 the addition of an all-weather pitch and two new tennis courts complemented the sports facilities. The new sand-based AstroTurf is floodlit and provides pupils with a multi-use sports facility including hockey, tennis and netball. The tennis courts are also floodlit. Hockey, athletics, football and rounders take place on the games field and the floodlit courts are used all year round. In 2018, the Junior Department benefited from a new play area. An outdoor classroom in the woodland provides Forest School lessons for all Infant and Junior pupils.
Pupils come to St Nicholas’ from Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire. School buses operate from Farnham, Odiham, Fleet, Basingstoke, Camberley, Yateley, Aldershot and Farnborough. Situated just off the A287, the Hook to Farnham road, junction 5 of the M3 is approximately 4 miles short away.
Religion. The school is a Christian foundation but children of other faiths are welcomed. Assemblies or hymn practices are held each morning. Children are encouraged to show tolerance, compassion and care for others.
Curriculum. St Nicholas’ offers an extended day, from 7.30am to 6.00pm. Academic standards are high and a balanced curriculum is offered. Small classes place greater emphasis on the individual and pupils are encouraged to achieve their full potential in every area of school life. The curriculum is kept as broad as possible until the age of fourteen when choices are made for GCSE. The option choices vary year by year depending upon the girls’ abilities and talents. On average each girl sits ten subjects at GCSE. More than twenty subjects are offered at this level. A carefully structured personal development course incorporates a careers programme. Our girls move confidently on to enter sixth form colleges or scholarships to senior independent schools. Choir, drama and music thrive within the school and there are frequent performances which enable the girls to develop self-confidence.
Co-Curricular Programme. Our Co-Curricular programme refers to the academic, personal, spiritual, creative and physical development of every pupil, alongside a sound understanding of community. As a through school we have the unique opportunity to monitor and support the progress of every pupil according to their strengths and abilities at each key stage. Our focus is to offer experiences that are meaningful and child-centred; whether that be mindfulness walks, relaxation classes or exploring Forest School, participating in our Duke Of Edinburgh scheme or the girls running their own lunch time club and working alongside teaching specialists during Activity Weeks.
Physical Education. Pupils take part in inter-school and local district sports matches across a large number of sports including netball, hockey, basketball, football, tennis, swimming, volleyball, badminton, tag rugby, cross-country, athletics, ultimate frisbee and Taekwondo.
Entry. Children may enter at any stage subject to interview, school report and waiting list. Scholarships and Bursaries are available. For 11+ candidates there is an entrance examination.
Fees per term (2024-2025). Infants: £4,106 (Reception), £4,431 (Year 1), £4,453 (Year 2); Junior School: £5,294 (Year 3), £5,294 (Year 4), £5,421 (Year 5), £5,474 (Year 6); Senior School: £6,252 (Years 7–11). Nursery: £11.03 per hour. Please note, the fees listed above are exclusive of VAT, From 1st January 2025, VAT at 20% will be applicable to school fees.
Further Information. The prospectus is available upon request from the Registrar. The Headmistress is pleased to meet parents by appointment.
Charitable status. St Nicholas’ School is a Registered Charity, number 307341. It exists to provide high quality education for children.
Governors & Staff:
Chair of Governors: Stephen Mellor
Headmistress: Dr Olwen Wright, PhD Winchester, MA, BA Hons, PGCE
Director of Teaching and Learning and Head of Mathematics: Nicola Byrne-Chinn, BSc Hons Liverpool, GTP, NPQSL, LP, QTS
Director of Pastoral Care and Safeguarding Lead: Claire Huyton, BSc Hons Liverpool, PGCE, QTS
Head of Infants and Juniors: Lee Render, BA Hons Surrey, QTS
Bursar: D T Canning, FCCA
Teaching Staff:
Marwa Aladi, BA, American University Ciro; Level 2 Certificate in Young People's Mental Health
Josephine Allen, BA Hons West of England, QTS (Key Stage 2)
Florence Ayache, BA Hons Glamorgan, QTS (Spanish and French)
Helen Barnes, BA Ed Hons Exeter (Deputy Head of Juniors)
Marcia Barrington, NVQ
Celia Beard, OCR Level 7 Diploma in Assessing Teaching Learners with SpLD
Sophie Brown, BSc Hons Nottingham Trent, QTS
Sarah Cluett, BA Hons University of the West of England Bristol; PGCE; OTS
Victoria Cooper, BSc Hons Portsmouth, QTS
Gemma Cross, BSc Wales, PGCE, OTS (Science)
Natalie Denning; BSC Hons St Mary's College, PGCE; OTS
Theresa Durrant, BA Hons, in Dance and Culture; University of Surrey (Head of Drama)
Joanne Edwards, BA Hons Brunel, PGCE (Head of History)
Rachel Firth, BA Hons Bath (Textiles)
Amy Franke, BMus Hons, MMus Surrey (Music)
Dianna Gair, BEd Hons Wales, QTS (Stage 2)
Annemarie Gluck, Diploma in Education University of Cape Town, QTS
Lee-Anne Hampson; BA Hons in Textiles Art, University of Southampton; Post Graduate Certificate in Education, QTS
Kaeleigh Hapsa, CACHE, Level 3 Diploma
Rebecca Hoddinott, BA Hons South Bank (Food Prep and Nutrition)
Laura Homer, BA Hons Wales, PGCE (Key Stage 2)
Stephanie Hoskins, BA Hons Bristol, QTS
Georgina Hugill, BA Hons in Business and Finance, Brunel University
Andrea Hutchison, BSC Hons, in Psychology and Early Childhood Studies, Oxford Brooks University, PGCE
Hannah Hopkins, City & Guilds, Level 3 (LSA and ELSA)
Jomcy John, BSc Mahatma Gandhi University
Pilar Kimber, MA Reading (Latin and Classical Civilisation)
Stella Lawson, BA Nottingham Trent, QTS (Teacher of English/Phase Leader)
Abigail Longworth, BA Hons Exeter; PGCE; QTS (Director of Sport)
Deborah Martin, BA Hons Surrey (Mathematics and ELSA)
Lyndon Martin, BSc Surrey, QTS (Mathematics)
Teresa Mills, BA Manchester, PGCE, QTS
Wendy Moller, BEd South Africa (Foundation Stage Teacher)
Helen Molloy, BA Hons Sheffield, PGCE, QTS (Head of Curriculum Support and Exams Officer)
Sarah Park, BA Hons Keele, QTS (Activities, Head of English)
Virginia Pearson, Perf Cert RAM, LTCL, ARCM (Music)
Benjamin Pont, BMus Hons (Director of Music)
Joanna Pont, BMus Hons (String Tutor)
Mary Porter, BSc Hons Southampton, MA UCL, QTS (Geography)
Lisa Ruffell, BA Hons in Theology and Religious Studies, Roehampton Institute; QTS
Lucy Sartori, BSc Hons Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, QTS
Lucy Sheikh, BA Ed Oxford
Louise Wallace, BA York, PGCE, QTS (Curriculum Support)
Dan Wileman, BSc Hons OU
Hannah Willmott, BSc West of England, PGCE, QTS
Xinsheng Zhang, MEd Johannesburg SA (Chinese Mandarin)
Peripatetic Music:
Eleanor Bowyer, PGCE Middlesex (LAMDA, Speech and Drama)
Wendy Busby, BMus Hons (Voice)
Sylvia Ellison, BA Hons, PG Dip RCM (Oboe)
Vanessa Gynn, BA Hons, PG Dip RCM
Claire Hasted, BMus Hons (Violin)
Claire Hickling, BMus Hons (Piano, Flute)
Oksana Maxwell, LTCL (Piano)
Valerie Mitchell, LRAM (Piano, Cello)
Austin Pepper, ALCM (Brass)
Rachel Riordan, Adv Teaching RSM (Saxophone, Clarinet)
Rebecca Whittock, BA Hons London (Violin)
Administration:
Assistant Registrar: Natasha Mabilat, BA Hons
Catering: Hayley Chubb, Chartwells, Compass Group PLC
Admissions & Marketing Manager: Paula Stelfox, AMCIS in Admissions Management
Headmistress’s PA: Kathryn Killick
Laboratory Technician: Michele Axton, BA OU
Librarian: Catherine Williams
Payroll and Pensions Administrator: Debbie Smitherman, Dip Pensions & Payroll Management
School Assistant: Amanda Bullock
School Secretary and Medical Officer: Sarah Watkins, RGN, NNEB
Maintenance:
Afternoon Caretaker: Peter Attwood
Assistant Maintenance Officer: Bruce Sharp, City & Guilds Levels 2 & 3
Bus Drivers: Trevor Mills; Glenn Shearer, Midas Trained
Groundsman: Maurrice Readman, Nebosh Certificate, Health & Safety, Midas Trained
Head of Maintenance: Paul Rippingale, Midas Trained
Morning Caretaker and Bus Driver: Timothy Hunt, Midas Trained