What is a free school?
Free schools are state-funded schools which are independent of the local education authority. They have the same legal status as academies and sit outside of the control of the local authority.
Will free schools be able to make a profit?
No. Free schools are run on a not-for-profit basis by a charitable trust. The school will be run by the Headteacher and their leadership team and they will be answerable to a local advisory board and the trustees of BPET.
Are free schools selective?
No. Free schools have to follow the admissions code like all state-funded schools.
Has Braywick Court School be inspected by Ofsted?
Yes. All free schools are subject to inspection in the same way as other schools. Our first OfSTED report was published in June 2017 where the report found Braywick Court to be ‘Outstanding’ in all areas.
We were then reinspected in April 2023 and retained a grading of Outstanding in all areas.
Braywick Court School Ofsted Report June 2017
Braywick Court School Ofsted Report 2023
How will the school be accountable?
The school is run by the Senior Leadership Team, overseen by a Local Advisory Board (LAB) who will be accountable to the charitable trust which oversees the school. In addition the school will also be accountable to the Department for Education through the terms of its Funding Agreement. Braywick Court School is part of the Bellevue Place Education Trust.
How can I apply for a place?
Details of the admissions procedure are available here.
Do you have a designated catchment area?
We serve the community local to our school, in accordance with our admissions criteria. We are a very popular and oversubscribed schools with on average over 200 applications for 3o reception class places each year. Places allocated according to proximity to school are done so by RBWM, with our catchment in 2023/24 being within a 1 mile radius from our site on Hibbert Road.
Do you have a waiting list?
All classes are full, with 30 pupils in each year group. All classes currently have a waiting list. Places on our waiting list are managed directly by us and are allocated in accordance with our admissions criteria. Please contact us if you would like to join our waiting list.
Does attendance at Braywick Court Preschool give preference over a place at Braywick Court School?
No. Admissions to Braywick Court School are only allocated in accordance with our published admission criteria and no preference can be given to pupils who have attended our Preschool.
Do you visit the nature reserve often?
Yes! Our pupils are always out and about in the nature reserve. We have a bespoke green schools curriculum that we teach, in consultation with the Braywick Nature Centre and Eco Schools. You can find out more about this here.
Our pupils enjoy regular structured and unstructured lessons outside in Braywick Park as well as visiting the Braywick Leisure Centre for their weekly PE sessions.
Do you offer wrap around care for working parents?
Yes. All of our wrap around care is run by our own staff who work within the school. We offer active start morning club from 8-8:40am every day. This is a fun and active start to the day led by our specialist sports coach, it is a great way to wake up and get ready for the day of learning. We also run a wide range of after school clubs with something on offer for every child each day.
Our extended day provision currently runs until 5:30pm (5pm on a Friday). You can book for a whole term, or just book ad hoc childcare as and when needed.
Which secondary school do Braywick Court School pupils move on to?
Our pupils go to a variety of schools across Berkshire when they leave us at the end of Year 6. The majority of pupils transfer to a Maidenhead secondary school, in addition we always have some pupils who opt to take the 11+ for Grammar School entry in either Slough, Buckinghamshire or Reading. There are also a large number of Independent Schools in the local area and we have supported families in exploring options for scholarships or bursaries.
You can see where our Year 6 pupils moved onto here: Leavers’ Destinations