Co-educational Announcement for our Pre-Prep and Prep

There has been a significant shift across the sector with many schools moving to a co-educational model. This change has been carefully considered to ensure the school  remains in the strongest position to provide the very best education for our pupils now and in the future.

Subject to DfE approval, we will welcome boys alongside girls into the Pre-Prep and Prep from September 2025.

The co-educational provision will be introduced from Reception to Year 6, ensuring a seamless and inclusive experience for all students. Our Nursery setting already has both boys and girls.

We have listened carefully to our parent voice in the recent survey and there are currently no plans to change the Senior School to co-educational. We may revisit the idea again in the future, but this will depend on demand and parent support for such a change.

The move to co-education will not compromise the qualities that make Abbot’s Hill School special. We remain fully committed to maintaining our small class sizes and the individual attention that every student currently enjoys.

Our values of providing a holistic and forward-thinking education to all our students remains;

Ever inspiring • Highly ambitious • Big hearted.

Nurturing confident, kind and capable individuals who achieve their full potential, will continue to be our ethos within a broader community.

Our staff have been informed ahead of the announcement, and they are fully supportive of strategic changes to enhance numbers within our school and are excited by the opportunities which will arise from this change.

The vast majority of Abbot’s Hill teachers already have experience working in co-educational settings and they possess the skills to ensure a seamless transition to co-education within our Pre-Prep and Prep. We will continue to provide outstanding staff CPD and will adapt our programme to ensure we remain at the forefront in delivering outstanding educational provision for all our students.

The transition has been carefully planned to ensure minimal disruption, and we are confident that this change will enhance the school experience for all our children. Being part of the Mill Hill Education Group has been invaluable, providing us with additional expertise gained from successfully guiding other schools through similar transitions.

Our admissions process remains the same, but we are now welcoming applications for boys in all applicable year groups. If you have a Pre-Prep or Prep age son, interested in joining, please email our Admissions Team for guidance;
admissions@abbotshill.herts.sch.uk.

Our pastoral system is designed to support all students; the majority of our staff have experience teaching both boys and girls. We are confident that our stimulating and inclusive environment will ensure students will integrate seamlessly; we have seen strong evidence of this from the experience of our other schools within the Group.

We have extensive experience supporting our Year 11 girls in this process. With close links to many local schools and others further afield, both within and outside the Group, we are well-equipped to help families find the right Senior School for their son.

Yes, boys and girls will learn together in most lessons (with the exception of some sports or PDE sessions), fostering collaboration and mutual respect. We will continue to group pupils by ability or interest where appropriate, as we do currently.

Our co-curricular offering will expand to include activities appealing to all students, while maintaining our high-quality provision in areas like sports, arts, and music. Further to the successful introduction of hockey skills this term, we are excited to introduce cricket across the whole school from Summer Term 2025, a sport that is popular with both boys and girls. Cricket is nationally one of the fastest growing girls’ sports and we have been working in the background on how we can offer outstanding cricket provision. We look forward to sharing more information on this exciting offering soon.

Yes, boys will have a tailored uniform designed with comfort and practicality in mind. Our uniform provider, SchoolBlazer, will offer these alongside our current range for girls.

The new uniform will be available to buy ahead of September 2025. Exact dates and more details, including fitting sessions, will be shared next term.

Yes, we are making relevant adjustments to ensure all facilities are inclusive and appropriate for a co-educational environment across the respective age groups. These include updates to toilets, changing rooms, and sports provision.

If you have any questions about this;
Please contact our Admissions Team on admissions@abbotshill.herts.sch.uk.