The Hurst School

The Hurst School is a successful and highly regarded school of 1000 students aged 11-16, situated within easy driving distance of Reading, Newbury and Basingstoke. The school enjoys a semi-rural location and sits on a large site with green surroundings.

The school has a strong ethos and is driven by its values of ambition, commitment, respect, excellence and community. It was last rated “Good” by Ofsted in March 2019.

Our aim is to provide an excellent education for all our students; an education which brings out the best in them and prepares them for success in life and the world of work. This is echoed in our vision: ‘Building minds and character for future life success, preparing and inspiring our students for a rapidly changing world’, by developing confidence, resilience and independence alongside a love of learning.

Our curriculum is designed to provide young people with the core knowledge and cultural capital needed both for further academic study, while enabling them to develop as citizens and engage effectively in the world beyond school. The curriculum is designed to be balanced and rigorous, in order to maximise students’ knowledge, as well as their personal development.

The principle of education with character is delivered through the curriculum at every opportunity. Everything students learn in school, alongside the taught curriculum, is seen as part of the whole curriculum. This includes the approach to spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, as well as the extra-curricular provision. Our personal learning programme includes opportunities to get involved in these extra-curricular activities such as sports, music, drama and trips, creating an environment to inspire and develop students beyond the classroom.

Working with the wider community we pride ourselves on the friendliness of the school and the close relationships between staff and pupils as well as the care and guidance that we provide. Employees of The Hurst also benefit from free on-site parking, an on-site nursery and an on-site gym.