Joining Together
Beechwood Park School and St Albans School
5 January 2026
We are delighted to announce that Beechwood Park School and St Albans School have joined together, uniting two schools with a shared ethos, a strong sense of community, and a long history of partnership. For many years, pupils from Beechwood Park School have continued their educational journey at St Albans School, and this next step marks an important new chapter in our relationship.
By joining together, we are strengthening both schools and enhancing the opportunity for a continuous, high-quality education from ages 3 to 18, for families who choose it.
Beechwood Park School, a co-educational school for pupils aged 3–13, and St Albans School, an 11–18 school with a co-educational Sixth Form and welcoming girls and boys into Year 7 from September 2026, will each continue to retain their distinct identities. At the same time, we are united by a shared ambition: to provide an outstanding education that nurtures character, inspires curiosity, and supports every child to thrive.
Together, each school will build on a shared mission by strengthening collaboration across both communities, expanding opportunities for pupils and staff, and investing in an exceptional educational experience for the future. This will include shared events and enrichment activities, and greater opportunities for staff development and the sharing of expertise and facilities.
We are also pleased to announce that, as part of our coming together, girls and boys who wish to continue their education at St Albans School, after completing their Beechwood Park School journey, will benefit from a preferential admissions process that will, subject to meeting certain criteria, provide a seamless pathway between the two schools.
As the respective Heads of Beechwood Park School and St Albans School, we will work together to shape and deliver a cohesive, forward-looking educational vision for both schools.
This partnership reflects our shared confidence in the future and our joint commitment to provide the highest standards of education for children and families in our communities.
The Governors of both Beechwood Park School and St Albans School were unanimous in their decision to move forward with this opportunity. They are delighted to be working with us to provide the highest quality education for girls and boys aged 3 to 18, now and in the years to come.
Beechwood Park School and St Albans School look forward to working together and are excited for all that lies ahead.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Why are Beechwood Park School and St Albans School joining together?
Both Governing Bodies believe that there are multiple benefits from this move:
- It will further enrich the experience for pupils of all ages. Pupils at Beechwood Park School will enjoy extra depth and breadth in both academic and co-curricular life.
- It will bring significant business and operational benefits. Increased size means increased specialist support skills and greater purchasing power, important for today’s cost efficiency and tomorrow’s plans. Whilst both schools are financially secure and enjoying strong momentum, they will be even stronger together.
- Overall, Beechwood Park School joining together with St Albans School provides further opportunity to shape an exciting and dynamic co-educational offer. Collectively, we will be providing the very best in education from 3 to 18.
Beechwood Park School will join together with St Albans School at the beginning of January 2026, subject to the normal regulatory and final approvals.
Why has each school chosen the other?
Beechwood Park School and St Albans School share a longstanding, close and trusted relationship. Both schools offer a similar ethos that blends tradition with innovation, delivering an exceptional academic education alongside a rich all-round curriculum that prepares pupils for life.
Each year, many Beechwood Park School pupils move on to St Albans School, giving both schools valuable first-hand insight into the high-quality education provided at each setting. This step brings the schools closer together and strengthens our shared commitment to outstanding academic standards, exceptional pastoral care and a breadth of opportunity for every child.
St Albans School’s recent announcement that girls will be joining the boys in their Year 7 from September 2026, primarily from 11+ feeder schools, further aligns both schools, as true co-educational establishments with a natural progression from 3 to 18, for families who wish it.
Beechwood Park School and St Albans School will both retain Year 7 and 8 year groups with the girls and boys at each site working collaboratively together and sharing facilities, including sport. Beechwood Park will also continue to offer boarding, including in Years 7 and 8.
Is finance the key driver for this decision?
No. While there are naturally some economic, operational and strategic advantages to working more closely together, both schools are financially secure and continuing to enjoy strong momentum. This decision is primarily driven by educational ambition and the long-term benefits it brings to pupils, staff and families.
The main reasons are the direct long-term benefits that support the collective pupil experience. In turn, the partnership provides the opportunity for both organisations to continue their growth, from an enhanced position of strength, at a time when significant challenges face the sector at large.
As a parent or pupil, what will stay the same?
On a day-to-day basis it will be business as usual, from a parent and pupil perspective at Beechwood Park School and St Albans School.
Both schools will retain their current leadership team, identity, name, ethos, values, badge and uniform policy, as well as day-to-day operational autonomy. They will retain their own DfE registration and ISI inspection regime and will continue to be members of their individual associations (IAPS, HMC and SoH).
The focus on an all-round exceptional education is one of the great strengths of both schools, and this common philosophy is one of the key factors behind the move.
Pupils will continue to enjoy a full, rounded academic and co-curricular education at both schools and will move onto the next stage in their life superbly equipped for their future, just as they do now.
My child is currently applying to St Albans School for entry in September 2026. Does this impact his/her chances of gaining a place?
This announcement has no impact on admissions for September 2026 or for those children currently sitting for an 11+ deferred place into Year 9 in September 2028. Our admissions process will operate as normal, and all applications will continue to be considered fairly and on their individual merits. We remain fully committed to welcoming a new co-ed Year 7 cohort in September 2026, with girls and boys joining us from a wide range of both independent and state primary schools.
Will St Albans School continue to welcome applications from pupils at other independent and state primary schools?
Yes, absolutely. St Albans School will continue to welcome applications from pupils at a wide range of schools, and we strongly value our relationships with them all. Our partnership with Beechwood Park School does not change our commitment to welcoming a range of children from both independent and state primary schools who will continue to be a valued part of every new cohort at St Albans School.
