Welcome to
St. Mary's Preparatory School
We have been at the centre of education in Henley for almost 100 years, helping generations of children to learn in a stimulating and inspiring environment. Situated in the heart of the town in a beautiful Victorian townhouse, our vibrant co-ed prep school provides an outstanding education for children aged 3 – 11 years.
Proud of our reputation for delivering academic excellence – the attainment of St. Mary’s pupils is above national age-related expectations in all subjects, and our more able pupils are challenged and stretched with a range of classroom work and additional activities.
Our pupils are well prepared to make the transition on to the next stage in their education, with children consistently receiving offers from their first choice of the most prestigious schools in the area, including scholarships and awards.
Meet our Headteacher, Mr Stephen Blundell
Welcoming a new headteacher for the first time in 15 years, this autumn is a very exciting time for St. Mary’s Preparatory School and Nursery. Stephen Blundell joins St Mary’s after spending 10 years at Wetherby Prep in London, where he served as Deputy Head for 5 years.
"As soon as I stepped into the school, I was immediately drawn to the happiness of the children. The interactions between boys and girls of all ages give a clear sense of a nurturing, family oriented environment underpinned by exceptional pastoral care. These strong foundations are vital in allowing each pupil to develop personally, academically and creatively whilst at St Mary's."
- Mr. Stephen Blundell
FACILITIES & LOCATION
Nurturing excellence
in the heart of Henley
Our outstanding onsite facilities are enhanced by excellent sports and outdoor options in Henley-on-Thames and the local area.
Our specialist classrooms such as a fully equipped science lab, light and airy art studio, music room and vibrant well stocked library, foster a dynamic learning environment. Our wonderful outdoor spaces include a recently refurbished courtyard playground and all-weather sports area, climbing frame and soft surface. Our Nursery and Early Years children also benefit from their own specialist fun and interactive outdoor area in addition to the main school facilities.
Laptops, iPads and interactive whiteboards, in our classrooms, all connected through our school-wide wireless network, promote interactive learning.
We have close relationships with a number of local organisations, enabling us to provide our pupils with exciting learning environments, all just a short walk or minibus journey away.
Join us for a Personal Tour
Shape a bright future for your child
Book a personal tour today to discover excellence in education, experience our nurturing community, and envision a future full of promise for your child.
Follow us on Social Media
Enjoy regular updates on life in our School and Nursery
Yesterday we celebrated our 7th Annual Year 4 STEM challenge, hosting children from @badgemoreprimaryhenley @rupert_house_school @nettlebedcommunityschool @trinitycehenley and Sacred Heart school.
STEM activities are so important as they
• Foster Curiosity and Creativity
• Develop Problem-Solving Skills
• Prepare for Future Careers
• Encourage Teamwork and Collaboration
• Make Learning Engaging and Relevant
This year did not disappoint as 6 fantastic teams competed against each other with challenges designed by St. Mary’s STEM staff and the Year 5 Maths Leaders. It was a close competition and the deserved winners this year were Sacred Heart, with St. Mary’s coming in second place.
Well done to all the teams for making this such an enjoyable event.
We are incredibly proud of the outstanding presentation and creative writing skills showcased by all of our year groups! As part of our World Book Day activities, every student took part in a Big Write. Each class had the same writing stimulus and the stories produced are entirely independent, highlighting the impressive progress in writing skills across the school and the clear development from one year group to another.
#prepschoolhenley #stmarysprephenley #handwritting
Well done to Year 2 for participating in the Rupert House Football Festival on Thursday this week. It was great to play against our friends from @stedsprep, @badgemoreprimaryhenley, @dolphinschoolberkshire, @clairescourtschool and @rupert_house_school, playing several matches in a round-robin format with a final play-off match at the end. Both of our teams who entered played extremely well, demonstrating some fantastic skills, effort and application with some stand out performances. We were delighted to finish in second place! Huge congratulations to all who took part, we are very proud of how well you represented St Mary`s Prep.
#stmaryshenley #prepschoolhenley
A special 40 year celebration of @rednoseday and the children looked fabulous coming into school dressed in their party wear! Lots of fun and energy from the children, thank you to all our families for their kind donations to @comicrelief. What a great end to the week!
#prepschool #henley #rednoseday2025🔴 #stmarysprephenley
Our Year 5 and 6 children had the opportunity to work with Matthew Lovegrove today, Digital Learning Advisor with Cognita, on basic Python programming skills. From understanding simple syntax to writing their first lines of code, it was amazing to see their enthusiasm and problem-solving in action. They explored `print` statements, using modules and basic loops. Seeing the children think logically, test ideas, and celebrate small wins was a fantastic reminder of how powerful coding can be for developing creativity and resilience. Who knows? We might have inspired some future software engineers today!
#prepschoolhenley #stmaryshenley #WeAreCognita #digitalearning
See what our parents have to say! At St Mary’s Prep, we know that choosing the right school or nursery for your child is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make. That’s why we love hearing from our parents about their experiences with us!
Here’s what some of our families had to say in our latest Voice of the Parent survey.
#prepschoolhenley #stmaryshenley #prepschool #henley
Our Nursery and Reception class had a fun-filled outdoor play session last week with @wild_ones_of_henley, embracing the start of spring and the joy of being in nature. It is wonderful to see how outdoor learning and fun connects the children with nature and promotes wellbeing.
If you are interested in joining our Nursery class we have limited places available, please email admissions@stmarys-henley.co.uk.
#prepschool #henley #outdoorplay#nursery
This week the children have had great fun participating in a variety of workshops as part of @henleyyouthfestival. The Henley Fun Run kicked off the start of the festival taking place on Saturday 8 March, and we were delighted to see children from Reception class through to Year 6 take part.
Reception to Year 3 children had lots of musical fun in the Music for Miniatures workshop, and Years 3 and 4 enjoyed an art workshop making crowns on the festival’s theme of ‘growth’. Years 1 and 2 also took part in a Create ‘n’ Make workshop and made growing flower height charts, showing fantastic creativity as well as making something they can use as they grow.
#prepschoolhenley #stmaryshenley #HenleyYouthFestival
St Mary's Preparatory School is a Microsoft Showcase School
We are proud that St Mary's Preparatory School has been recognised as a Microsoft Showcase School, dedicated to using technology for personalised learning and school-wide transformation.
With 1:1 devices and cutting-edge tools like Microsoft Teams, Office 365, and OneNote, we enrich students' learning experiences.
Our goal is to make their skills relevant in real-world scenarios, seamlessly integrating knowledge into daily life and future projects.
Parent & Pupil Feedback
100%
Parents agree that:
the school safeguards their children effectively.
the school helps their children to be confident and independent.
the range of subjects is suitable for their child.
their child is well prepared for senior school.
the school equips their child with the skills they need later in life.
100% pupils agree that the school expects the children to behave well.
Unlock Your Child's Potential
Discover the enriching journey your child will embark on
through the various school stages at St. Mary’s Preparatory School.
