Based in Corsham, Wiltshire, Wishford is a small family-run group of independent prep schools. The three existing member schools – Heywood Prep in Corsham, St Faith’s Prep in Canterbury and Hatherop Castle in Cirencester – are now being joined by St Edward’s Prep in Reading.
St Edward’s headmaster Grant Mottram welcomed the news, saying: “This marks a very exciting new chapter for St Edward’s. We are already enormously proud of our school and our boys, who achieve excellent academic results and leave us as well-rounded children ready for the next stage of their education. Becoming part of the Wishford group gives us the freedom to do ever bigger and better things. I am delighted to have the opportunity to be part of this group of high-performing schools and look forward to working closely with the Wishford team and my new colleagues across the three other Wishford schools.”
In joining the group, St Edward’s will have access to developments already tried and tested at its sister schools. Wishford begins by talking to parents, pupils and staff in order to establish what they like most about their school and identify areas where they feel there is room for improvement or development. It will also have access to the Wishford advisory board, a group of experienced educationalists available to each of the schools to help and advise.
Sam Antrobus, executive chairman of Wishford, said: “I am delighted to welcome St Edward’s into the Wishford group. St Edward’s is already an excellent school, with a strong track record of successfully preparing boys for entry to senior schools including Reading School and Reading Blue Coat. We have no intention of changing the ethos that makes St Edward’s such a special place, but with the support we can provide, we believe there is so much more the school can achieve. I look forward to working with parents, pupils and staff to build on the school’s many successes.”
Paul Easterbrook, headmaster of Hatherop Castle, which joined the Wishford group in March this year, commented: “Wishford have certainly delivered on the promises they made to pupils, parents and staff at Hatherop Castle. Since joining the group we have been able to accelerate our development plans, investing in our facilities, our staff and our sporting provision, amongst other things. We’ve also been able to build links with the other schools within the group, sharing ideas and best practice.”
