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
Thank you to @harpsdenwoodlandpreschooland and @wovennursery for visiting us to see our adorable chicks. The children were thrilled to get the chance to not only observe the little chicks in their enclosure, but also hold them. They especially loved feeling the soft, fluffy texture of the chicks.
It has been an exciting time over the last couple of weeks observing our living eggs hatch. The eggs arrived in school last week, and after a few days of incubation, we watched them hatch one by one, snuggling together under the heat lamp in their new home. We had a total of 10 chicks hatching, 4 girls and 6 boys.
What a fantastic hands-on learning opportunity for the children, by observing the eggs hatch and watching the chicks grow, the children get to witness first hand the stages of life, from egg to hatchling, which brings their classroom learning to life in an engaging and memorable way.
#prepschoolhenley #prepschool #stmarysprephenley #harpsdenwoodlandpreschool #wovennursery
Considering a change of school in September? Get a head start and join St Mary’s Prep for the summer term instead. With our close-knit, family-like environment, your child will find a welcoming community, inspiring teachers, and the ideal conditions for academic success.
St. Mary`s children develop a genuine love of learning that they carry with them into their senior schools and beyond, with our happy children consistently achieving results higher than the national average across all subjects.
You don’t have to wait until September, we welcome new students throughout the year. For more details, reach out to Admissions at admissions@stmarys-henley.co.uk or call 01491 573118.
#stmarysprephenley #midyearadmissions #prepschool #prepschoolhenley
Happy Mother’s Day to all of our St. Mary’s Prep friends and family.
Year 2 children worked hard to prepare cards, crowns and a special letter highlighting what makes their Mummy so special. Watching their creativity bloom as they made these gifts was lovely to see.
#happymotherday❤️ #mothersday #henleyonthames #stmarysprep #prepschoolhenley
Our nursery children enjoyed visiting ‘St. Mary’s Florist’ today, to hand pick a bouquet in preparation for Mother’s Day on Sunday. We believe that every day is a reason to celebrate mums- but for Mother’s Day, we wanted to go the extra mile to make it truly special 💕
#eyfs #prepschoolhenley #prepschool #henleyonthames #nurseryhenley
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
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.
