From Nursery to Sixth Form: A Co-Educational Future with Reed’s

At Ripley Court, we have always believed that the very best education combines strong foundations, exciting opportunities and a genuine understanding of each individual child. Our close relationship with Reed’s School strengthens that commitment, bringing together two schools with shared values and a common belief in developing happy, confident and capable young people.

As part of the Reed’s School Charitable Foundation, Ripley Court enjoys a strong and established partnership with Reed’s. Our pupils benefit from shared expertise, specialist teaching, strong governance and access to Reed’s outstanding facilities and resources, extending the opportunities available to them well beyond our own 19-acre campus.

With Reed’s School becoming fully co-educational and welcoming girls and boys into Year 7 from September 2027, this partnership enters an exciting new chapter. For Ripley Court families, it creates a natural co-educational pathway from Nursery and Prep through to Sixth Form, offering continuity of values, educational philosophy and pastoral care throughout a child’s school journey.

A Family of Schools

The Reed’s Family of Schools is rooted in the philanthropic vision of Reverend Dr Andrew Reed, who founded Reed’s School in 1813. Today, Reed’s School, Ripley Court School and Feltonfleet School together bring more than 400 years of educational experience to a growing family united by a commitment to excellence, character and outstanding pastoral care.

Each school retains its own distinctive identity, culture and ethos. At Ripley Court, that means preserving the warm, family atmosphere that sits at the heart of our school, while benefiting from the strength and opportunities that come from being part of something larger.

Collaboration across the Family allows our schools to share best practice in teaching, pastoral care and leadership, creating further opportunities for our pupils to learn, discover and grow.

A Natural Pathway – With Choice at its Heart

The journey at Ripley Court begins in Nursery and Pre-Prep, where children develop the confidence, curiosity and strong foundations they need for future learning. As they progress through the Prep School, we continue to recognise individual strengths, nurture talents and support every child to achieve their personal best.

Our close relationship with Reed’s provides a natural pathway for many Ripley Court pupils. Its move to full co-education means that this opportunity will be equally open to our girls and boys, giving families the option of continuing within the Reed’s Family through to Sixth Form.

But being part of the Reed’s Family is also about choice.

Ripley Court will continue to prepare pupils for a wide range of leading independent senior schools through our balanced approach to 11+ and scholarship preparation. Our priority remains exactly as it has always been: helping each family find the senior school that is right for their child.

Shared Values, Greater Opportunities

At the heart of the Reed’s Family is a belief that education is about far more than academic achievement. Character, compassion, integrity, inclusion and service are central to the Foundation’s philosophy – values that sit naturally alongside Ripley Court’s own values of Perseverance, Aspiration, Curiosity and Kindness.

Mark Hoskins, Headmaster of Reed’s School and Executive Head of Ripley Court, speaks of an education that equips pupils not only with excellent academic qualifications and interpersonal skills, but with a strong moral compass and a desire to make a positive difference in the world.

It is a philosophy we share wholeheartedly.

For Ripley Court, being part of a growing Family of Schools gives our children the best of both worlds: the warmth, individuality and close-knit community of Ripley Court, together with the breadth of opportunity offered by the wider Reed’s Family.

As our partnership continues to grow, so too do the opportunities available to our children – while the individual child remains firmly at the heart of everything we do.