London


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-where">WHAT? WHERE?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/1-1.jpg" alt="St Benedict's School Ealing" class="wp-image-1980" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/1-1.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/1-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/1-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/1-1-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p><a href="https://www.stbenedicts.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">St Benedict’s</a>&nbsp;is a co-ed Roman Catholic all through school (ages 3-18), tucked away in a leafy residential west London street (opposite Ealing Abbey you want to really get your bearings), with a cohort of 1,106 pupils spread across Nursery and Junior (320), Senior and Sixth Form (786). Its generous five-acre site is a rarity for London schools, and they also own a handy 14 acres of playing fields and sports facilities just down the road at Perivale.</p>



<p>The school was founded by Benedictine monks in 1902 to educate boys but became co-ed in 2008 – one of few co-ed options in this neck of the woods. The values-led foundation remains the same, however, with community, kindness and personal fulfilment high on the agenda.</p>



<p>This review focuses on the Junior School, but you can read more about the Senior and Sixth Form&nbsp;<a href="https://london.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/st-benedicts-school-senior-sixth-form-ealing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-facilities-nbsp">FACILITIES&nbsp;</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sport">SPORT</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/4.jpg" alt="Fencing St Benedict's School Ealing London" class="wp-image-1983" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/4.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/4-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Prepare for your child to be exercised! Sport is a big part of school life. The floodlit sports fields at Perivale and large sports hall are rare to find in London schools, and a big tick for parents. The playground has also had an upgrade in recent years with new equipment and landscaping – a huge benefit to the pupils here. </p>



<p>St Benedict&#8217;s Prep has a holistic approach to sport, catering for sporty types for sure, but also for those who play for fun. The children start by building skills and confidence in PE, Games, and dance before moving onto more established sports at the age of 7. Girls play hockey, netball, athletics and tennis and boys playing rugby, fencing, cricket, athletics and &#8211; a new addition from Sept 2024, football. Girls can play cricket, Tag rugby and football as a club; ditto for boys and hockey. </p>



<p>One of the major benefits of an all-through school is that the younger children have access to top notch facilities. Older Junior pupils will benefit from the all-weather pitch (hockey, netball, tennis), four rugby pitches, two cricket pitches and state-of-the-art cricket nets. The school also utilises its relationships with the local sports clubs and regularly uses facilities at Ealing Trailfinders and Grasshopper’s RFC (3G pitches), Brentham Cricket Club, University of Brunel and Eastcote Hockey Club Astros, as well as the Perivale and Hillingdon Athletics Stadiums.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creative-arts">CREATIVE ARTS </h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/6-1.jpg" alt="Pupils playing the trumpet St Benedict's School Ealing London" class="wp-image-1985" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/6-1.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/6-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/6-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/6-1-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Music is a major string to St Benedict&#8217;s bow (sorry, not sorry) and it starts in the Junior School, where all pupils have the opportunity to join an ensemble, orchestra, and various choirs and take individual instrumental lessons. Choral music is well established, with St Benedict&#8217;s pupils (both Junior and Senior) providing the treble line of Ealing Abbey Choir, as well as regularly taking part in the Young Voices celebration at Wembley Arena.&nbsp;The dance and drama offering is strong here too with different plays and musical concerts performed throughout the year culminating in the Whole School Dance Show. </p>



<p>There&#8217;s a cross-curricular approach to art with a busy, buzzy art room at the top of the junior building full of enthusiastic kids and imaginative projects dangling from the ceiling and on the walls. Y5 and Y6 make good use of their cultural location, making regular trips to London&#8217;s world class museums and galleries.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-school">SCHOOL</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/06/1.jpg" alt="Art Club  St Benedict's School Ealing London" class="wp-image-1991" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/06/1.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/06/1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/06/1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/06/1-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Anyone harbouring an eco warrior? A new Climate research station was installed this year, empowering the pupils to take hands-on, practical approach to learning about weather forecasting and climate modelling – a useful and very &#8216;of the moment&#8217; tool for Geography, Science and Maths students looking at climate change and the real time data collected. </p>



<p>Co-curricular clubs are many and various &#8211; 30 options and counting, from the expected usuals to more niche interests such as sewing, chess, gymnastics, ballet, debating and coding. Regular trips to the theatres, museums and galleries also form some of the after-school activities.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-academics">ACADEMICS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/07/Parent-and-Grandparent-Open-Morning-33.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-3071" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/07/Parent-and-Grandparent-Open-Morning-33.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/07/Parent-and-Grandparent-Open-Morning-33-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/07/Parent-and-Grandparent-Open-Morning-33-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Class sizes are capped at 22, although tend to be between 17-20 – so they are small enough for your children be seen and supported, but big enough to create a buzz (and let them have a discreet giggle with their classmates). One of the Junior school&#8217;s strengths is its holistic, creative approach to learning. We observed a number of lessons and they were practical, hands on and &#8211; yes, I&#8217;ll say it &#8211; FUN. The teachers look as wide-eyed and energised as the children. Engagement is high, pupils are equipped with both academic fire power <em>and</em> those all-important softer skills – collaboration, curiosity, resilience plus a strong moral compass. </p>



<p>The Junior curriculum includes art, drama, music and computing alongside traditional subjects – all taught from Reception onwards – and specialist teachers are used for ICT, Art, Design &amp; Technology, Games &amp; PE, Science, Music and Spanish, so there&#8217;s plenty of expert attention to pick up a particular talent, or help someone falling behind.  There is also a dedicated Librarian who teaches research and study skills. From Y5, the pupils are put into sets for Maths and English. </p>



<p>The vast majority of pupils tranfer to the Senior school &#8211; around 88%, which gives a good indication of how parents and pupils feel about the school. There is an internal 11+ to pass, and the kids are also expected to take part in a team-building and induction day at the start of Y7.  </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pastoral-care">PASTORAL CARE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/stock-heads-of-school-f3-js-5.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-949" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/stock-heads-of-school-f3-js-5.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/stock-heads-of-school-f3-js-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/stock-heads-of-school-f3-js-5-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The quality of pastoral care in high-achieving schools is always an issue high on the agenda for parents, but St Benedict&#8217;s has clearly delivered on this front  and has the NAPCE award (National Association of Pastoral Care in Education) to prove it.</p>



<p>Form tutors are trained in Mental Health First Aid to spot early problem signs, there&#8217;s a school counsellor and the chaplain to talk to, a strong student voice that extends from the Juniors right to Sixth Form.</p>



<p>All Y6 pupils act as Pre-Prep ambassadors and can run for school council. One of the highlights of the school calendar is Kindness Week, when the children are encouraged to practice acts of kindness, from taking part in anti-bullying workshops, designing posters to writing anonymous ‘kind’ notes, with everyone dressing as superheroes at the end of the week. The community spirit and collective responsibility is very on brand for the school and spills out into the wider Ealing community too.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-head">THE HEAD</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/9.jpg" alt="Junior Head Rob Simmons  St Benedict's School Ealing London" class="wp-image-1988" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/9.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/9-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/9-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/9-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Head of Junior School, Rob Simmons</figcaption></figure>



<p>The Junior School has its own dedicated Head in Rob Simmons, who has been in the hot seat since 2005. If he were a stick of rock, St Benedict&#8217;s would run through him – he&#8217;s a former pupil, former history teacher and has been Head for  an incredible 19 years. He&#8217;s clearly much-loved by the pupils who seem very keen to catch his eye for a chat – aided by his open door policy. </p>



<p>Engaging and enthusiastic, he rocks a sharp suit, knows his detail but is sweet with the kids &#8211; at the end of each week he runs Hot Chocolate (and marshmallows) Friday for a pupil from each class who has impressed him for whatever reason. useless fact &#8211; Simmons is also an aviation nut and runs the popular Aviation Club! </p>



<p>As an all-through school, Joe Smith, below, is head of the whole school, joining in September 2023, having spent seven years at The Oratory School in South Oxfordshire and The Oratory Prep School before that. He arrives with a wealth of knowledge (Senior and Prep) and certainly knows how a Catholic school ticks. Smith is also full of praise for the Benedictine community, and is on a mission to nudge St Benedict&#8217;s into the &#8216;outstanding&#8217; category, attract more girls, to shout a little louder about success and he would like to broaden the co-curricular offering. Watch this space.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/8.jpg" alt="Joe Smith Head St Benedict's School Ealing" class="wp-image-1987" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/8.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/8-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/8-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/03/8-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Joe Smith, head of the whole school </figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quirks">QUIRKS</h2>



<p>You don&#8217;t have to be Catholic (or any faith for that matter) to benefit from the Benedictine ethos – kindness, respect, and community spirit are all solid values to have. It&#8217;s always fun to look at the alumni and there&#8217;s a couple of famous names lurking in the list: St Benedict&#8217;s patron, Chris Patten, the last governor of Hong Kong, and Andy &#8216;my precious&#8217; Serkis, who famously played Gollum in&nbsp;<em>The Lord of the Rings</em>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>The annual St Benedict’s Day celebrations which fall in March have been described as a frenzy of fundraising – and it’s one of the kids’ favourite events. After the more serious morning activities, the afternoon is spent finding cool and creative ways to raise money for good causes, Last year&#8217;s efforts raised £5,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust, the Felix Project and Donne, Women in Music.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-send">SEND</h2>



<p>Solid. Academic and pastoral progress is carefully tracked through regular assessments, reports and parents’ evenings and for those who need a bit of extra attention, there is a very good learning support department offering learning support for kids with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADD/ADHD, autism and hearing impairment. As well as one to one sessions, in-class support, reading support and a special and language therapist is on site every Monday.&nbsp;There are also cosy break-out spaces (including a ribbon-bedecked &#8216;rainbow&#8217; room) and a full-time SENCo who operates on both a group and one-to-one level.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inspection-report">INSPECTION REPORT</h2>



<p>St Benedict&#8217;s most recent ISI report was published in Jan 2024.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stbenedicts.org.uk/_site/data/files/documents/isi%20reports/5FAE688328A48E011DCEE0E255A83AD7.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read it here</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mobile-phone-policy">MOBILE PHONE POLICY</h2>



<p>Mobile phones can&#8217;t be used during school hours. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-transport">TRANSPORT</h2>



<p>It&#8217;s London innit! Most kids either walk, make use of the school bus, arrive via public transport or, more rarely, are dropped off by car. The school is just 10 mins from Ealing Broadway Underground train station which services the District, Piccadilly and Elizabeth lines and there are three bus routes that stop nearby. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fees">FEES</h2>



<p>Blissfully straight forward fees: Pre-Prep (4 – 7 yrs)&nbsp;£5,614, Junior School (7 – 11 yrs),&nbsp;£6,239.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-word-on-the-ground">WORD ON THE GROUND</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/06/2.jpg" alt=" St Benedict's School Ealing London Junior pupils" class="wp-image-1992" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/06/2.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/06/2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/06/2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2024/06/2-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Parents rave about the excellent pastoral care and sports provision. Their kids are happy at St Benedict&#8217;s and doing well. High expectations when it comes to behaviour also gets a big tick and they feel the quality of the teaching is very good. No surprise that some parents would like to see a more event split of boys and girls, but overall pupils and parents give it top marks.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict">THE MUDDY VERDICT</h2>



<p><strong>Good for:</strong>&nbsp;The Junior school deliberately offers breadth &#8211; it&#8217;s an all-rounder school in the best sense of the word. Its co-ed status is unusual for the area and will suit those who have one of each or just believe that co-ed is a better model for modern times. </p>



<p><strong>Not for:</strong>&nbsp; If you are a parent who is hyper-focused on academics, look elsewhere. St Benedict&#8217;s delivers and then some but your child will be expected to look up from the desk and run around! It&#8217;s a faith school, which will appeal to some and not others.</p>



<p><strong>See for yourself? </strong>Be my guest!<strong> </strong>The next Open Days are: 19 Sep (Nursery &amp; Junior) and 5 Oct (Whole School).</p>



<p><em><a href="https://www.stbenedicts.org.uk">St Benedict’s</a>, 5 Montpelier Ave, Ealing, London W5 2XP. Tel: 020 8862 2050</em>.</p>



<ul>
<li><em><strong>Read St Benedict&#8217;s Senior School review <a href="https://london.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/st-benedicts-school-senior-sixth-form-ealing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</strong></em></li>
</ul>


St Benedict’s School (Junior), Ealing

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