WHAT / WHERE

RGS Springfield is a small, co-ed, prep school for ages 2 to 11 set in two humble but well connected acres, right in the heart of Worcester. Located in prestigious Britannia Square it is hugged on all sides by magnificent Grade II Listed Georgian townhouses and quiet streets. One of the few small prep schools left in the county, there are 115 pupils on register, with one class per year group, ranging between 12 and 14 pupils (with a max of 18).

The miniature size of the school lends itself well to being a nurturing environment, and the school prides itself on a highly personal approach and an ability to give every pupil close attention and support throughout their time.

Although located in Worcester city centre (you’re just a short walk away from its bright lights and culture) it is a surprisingly peaceful and tranquil setting, a pair of rather grand electric gates lead you into what feels like a little oasis in the city. Having joined the RGSW family of schools 14 years ago, RGS Springfield’s location in a Conservation Area may mean you can give up any dreams of Grand Designs facilities, but that is very much balanced out by the fact that RGS Worcester is just 50 metres away and pupils get to use lots of its facilities (so very much a best of both worlds set up for some). A lot of parents buy into the concept of the RGS journey from 2 to 18 and I can see why, as it offers children a consistency of education as they grow up.

The school makes the most of its two acres, with Head Laura Brown describing it very much as a ‘wellies everyday’ type of school. When she took over the reins in 2012 there were just 86 pupils, so the school is growing, but numbers are unlikely to go over 148 due to obvious capacity limits. At the time of our visit Year 6 was full with several children on the waiting list.

You get a very warm feeling when you walk around the school, it’s homely, and the compact size means areas such as the playground are shared (they all seem to run around the giant Chestnut tree!). Year groups really interact and help each other here, I saw Year 6s helping serve the Year 1s and 2s their lunches in the hall, before they all headed out to play in the same area – a big plus for any siblings.

Originally the all-girls Alice Ottley School (an institution in Worcester for 124 year), the building retains many Georgian features and isn’t afraid to mix the old and the new – iPads now sit on proper, old fashioned desks in most classrooms (the children loved them so much they voted to keep them in).

FACILITIES

In the main building the classrooms snake off a lofty staircase, they may not be huge but they are bursting with colour and creativity, from paintings and collages to examples of very neat handwriting. Many of the rooms here have a dual purpose, as the school is only small, but it seems to work well. A few areas need a bit of a modern upgrade but this is well underway, with a new Science and DT room currently being refurbed as well as a new Cookery Room and Pottery area being created. The Library is also being upgraded with new carpet and soft furniture, which should be ready for 2023.

In what some might see as a plus, the school shares many facilities (and teachers) with the RGS senior school, including the textile department, International Hockey Centre, science labs and hall for big concerts.

MUSIC / ARTS / DRAMA

RGS Springfield really makes the most of its limited space, and the extensive basement area of the school that used to house the old butler’s pantry is now a lively music department with a handful of practice rooms that were in full swing with lessons when I visited.

Music provision is good here with lots of opportunities for the children to get involved with from a choir that sings in Worcester Cathedral to lots of regional and national festivals (which pupils have won gold at, I hear). Plus there’s no limit on what you can learn, whether it’s Harp, French Horn or beyond.

There is one dedicated specialist music teacher and music lessons are made available to all years starting as early as Nursery. Drama is also well covered with a LAMDA teacher and English Speaking Board graded exams for all Key Stage 2 pupils. Pupils put on regular shows including a rather wonderful-sounding outdoor twilight nativity each year – often with actual sheep and donkeys!

SPORT

There is a large playing field on-site and a small Astro pitch, but most of the indoor sport here takes place at the senior school RGS Worcester just a few minutes walk away. Here pupils can also use the dance studios and Hockey Astroturf. As such, senior school staff get involved in teaching sport to pupils which has to be a big plus point. Swimming lessons are also on the menu once a week, as part of the PE curriculum, but these are held at Perdiswell Swimming Pool which is just a two mile coach ride away.

There is a non-selective approach to sports here, which means everyone is encouraged to have a go (good for any less confident children). On the flip side this does mean that Springfield has the reputation of not being very sporty, but Brown points out that they are really good at helping children reach their own personal bests on an individual rather than team level. Backing this up, two pupils actually got sports scholarships to go on to RGS Worcester last year, so those who are dead keen on sport can still do well here. There is also the Springfield Challenge – a baby D of E award – to encourage the kids to get active and develop skills.

ACADEMICS

Going forward, children occasionally get places at Gloucestershire Grammar schools (a competitive scene), but the expectation here is that most pupils will go on to the Senior School at RGS Worcester for Year 7. Children do very well academically and the current cohort measures ‘above the national average’ in nationally standardized tests and results. A number of pupils achieve scholarships across the board for RGS, including last year ones for Academic, Drama and Sport.

Nursery children are accepted after the age of two and have a amiliarization and home visit to help them settle in. For pre-prep entry, children come in for a day and are informally assessed by staff, and for Year 3 and above formal tests are done in English, Maths and Verbal Reasoning. A nice touch is that the Head sits with every pupil to do entry tests on a one-to-one basis to get to know them. The school focuses on developing the ‘5 Cs’, alongside the academic side of school, these being Confidence, Creativity, Curiosity, Consideration and Challenge.

LITTLIES

Nursery takes children from the age of two, it is only currently available during term time but Laura hints this may be changing, with the school looking into opening year round, plans are already in place to expand to cover half term and Easter in 2023.

The Nursery was full of colour and laughter on the day I visited with lots of areas packed with fun activities, from dressing up and role-play to puzzle games. Outdoors it has a nice little sun spot – a south-facing fenced off area – with sandpits, water-play, trikes and mud kitchen.

Nursery children excitedly join in with the bigger ones, and go out on regular trips to places such as local museums, wildlife centres and theatres. The day here is treated as a nursery education rather than just ‘day care’ with staff helping children to begin early reading and writing if they see that they are ready.

The Forest School here looked great, a nice big area with a firepit and lush woodland. It’s used by the entire school, with provision up to Year 2 as part of the curriculum and for Years 3 to 6 as part of Enrichment Days, the school has even been recognised as a Forest School Centre of Excellence, pretty impressive for a city centre site.

THE HEAD

Head Laura Brown has been at the helm since 2012 and has an engaging and enthusiastic air. As well as prior experience at Berkshire and Gloucestershire preps, six years as Director of Studies and Deputy Head at Dean Close Prep School in Cheltenham, she is also an ISI inspector. Passionate about making sure children get an ‘all-round’ education, and for school to also be ‘ fun’ at this age, she has set about transforming Springfield from the slightly fusty place she inherited over a decade ago to the much more modern current incarnation.

Along with modernising the uniform (there used to be four shoe changes a day – not even Muddy has that many!) her goal was to bring the school firmly into the 21st century whilst keeping the ‘good bits’ of its old traditions. Male teachers now feature for a much better balance and a new, far more exciting, thematic curriculum (a bit like an International Baccalaureate) has been introduced.

PASTORAL

Pastoral care is good at RGS Springfield, due to its teeny-tiny size staff really get to know the children well, and as a result the relationship between staff and children is really strong. There is a school counsellor who works across all the RGS prep schools and comes into Springfield regularly, and Bumble, the school dog, is also used as a furry back up to help children feel calm. The school also champions a thorough PHSCE and RSE classes, which it uses to support children to navigate tricky 21st issues.

SEN PROVISION

There is a wide-ranging SEN provision to support pupils, using extensive screening when children join to ensure that no child is missed. One-to-one lessons can be provided for those who need support such as mild literacy or numeracy difficulties, plus a good number of TAs work with the pupils.

MOBILES / TECH

An Apple Distinguished school, Macs and ipads have now been brought in, with Reception to Year 4 having their own named class sets of tablets, and Years 5 and 6 bringing in their own devices which are then provisioned with school apps. No mobile phones are allowed in school, but Year 6 can have a mobile phone if they are walking to and from school, these are given in to the office each day.

WRAPAROUND CARE

Wraparound care opens at 7.45am until 6pm and is included in the fees. Children get breakfast and there’s a snack café in the Nursery. Free play is encouraged with lots of boxes of toys and LEGO ready to be delved into.

A popular extra-curricular club worth noting is the Chess Club, run by Mr Fallowfield who is a member of the English Chess Federation, so who knows, you may end up with a Grand Master on your hands. Keen teams travel to play in competitions throughout the year and take part in the largest Chess Tournament in the world, The UK Chess Challenge.

TRANSPORT

Brilliantly located for easy pupil access. It’s an easy short stroll to the local train station for older pupils. Children come from all over the Worcestershire area and a handful from surrounding counties, having fallen for the lure of a small, friendly school, and there’s an extensive mini bus service that supports this.

QUIRKS

RGS Springfield sits in a beautiful Conservation Area, and it’s such a historic site that it’s thought a real Roman Temple lies beneath the building. Laura keeps a big, fascinating box of old Roman pottery fragments in her office that children and staff have found in the grounds over the years.

Year 6 get to go indoor camping at the school once a year, we’re talking hide and seek and snacks by torchlight – could it get any more Famous Five!?

FEES

From September 2024 fees per term are: Reception £3,418; Year 1 £3,690; Year 2; £3,836; Year 3 £4,046; Year 4 £5,218; Year 5 £5,578; Year 6 £5,860.

For Nursery the full time termly charge is £4,244 and those not attending full-time the daily charge is £79.00 (8.00am – 6.00pm) or half day £59.00 (8.00am – 1.00pm including lunch). We offer 15 and 30 hours through the Government Funding scheme from the term following your child’s 3^rd birthday until they reach 5 years of age. This is subject to attending a minimum of 3 sessions per week. From April 2024 all working parents of children aged 2 years may also access 15 funded hours per week which will rise to 30 funded hours for 2 year olds from September 2025.

WORD ON THE GROUND

Children say that teachers at RGS Springfield go ‘out of their way’ to help them, and the school’s small feel comes up again and again in positive comments, with many parents loving being part of a close community. Also praised is the good level of communication with parents.

MUDDY VERDICT:

Good for: Anyone wanting a small, country feel school in the heart of a big city. The eco-conscious will love it, you can walk to school so easily. Anyone wanting the best of both worlds of an intimate prep but with access to big ticket facilities (over at RGS Worcester). Anyone wanting their child to have a go at literally everything, it’s a really inclusive school.

Not for: Seekers of a truly rural Swallow and Amazons experience, it makes the most of its two lush acres, and wholeheartedly has a ‘wellies everyday’ ethos, but it is still a city centre school. The facilities being on split sites will be Marmite for some, and anyone needing boarding options, it won’t be for you.

Want to judge for yourself? Contact the admissions team for a show-around, or go along to the Open Week from 13 – 17 May 2024.

RGS Springfield, Worcester

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