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Crosfields School | About Us | Our History

History since 1957

Crosfields became a private preparatory day school in 1957. Formed as a non-profit making trust with its own board of governors, it was a single-sex boys’ school named after a former governor, Hugh Crosfield, who had been killed in an air raid during the Second World War.

With around 100 pupils when the school opened, class sizes were just 10 to 12 boys each. Every child was important, every child valued and every child encouraged, ‘whatever his gifts, to seek to develop his talents to the full’.

The original Crosfields ethos, to offer broad education that leads to the development of a ‘well-balanced child’ is still maintained to this day.

Key dates in our history

1957
Crosfields School gained independent status
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Crosfields became a private preparatory day school in 1957. Formed as a non-profit making trust with its own board of governors, it was a single-sex boys’ school named after a former pupil, Hugh Crosfield, who had been killed in an air raid during the Second World War.
1991
Opening of Pre-Prep department
1999
Reached final of Sainsbury's Choir of the Year
2007
Crosfields became fully co-educational
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2007 was a landmark year for Crosfields. The school became fully co-educational, accepting girls through its doors for the first time in its 60-year history.
2013
Ellie Simmonds opens new swimming pool
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Paralympic gold medalist swimmer Ellie Simmonds opened the new swimming pool at Crosfields in 2015. The school also has a sports hall, dance studio, strength and conditioning studio, all-weather artificial pitches, and a cricket pitch.
2015
Princess Beatrice opened the memorial garden
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Princess Beatrice officially opened the memorial garden at Crosfields School, created in memory of former pupil Amelia Saunders. A cherry tree was planted in her honor, and the garden also features a small bridge and a pergola.
2018
Additional astro pitch for Sports Centre built
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Set a stone’s throw from Reading train station and close to The University of Reading, we have state of the art facilities, including a 25m Swimming Pool, Artificial Turf Pitch with flood lights and a 5 court Sports Hall.
2022
New Senior building (Aspire) awarded 'Best Build for under £10 million'
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Crosfields School wins Building Project of the Year under £10m in the Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards 2022 & Education Project of the Year Offsite Award 2022.
2024
Crosfields announces its first ever GCSE results
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Crosfields School announces its first set of GCSE results. 48 pupils who are our pioneers worked incredibly hard in forging a path and acting as role models for future year groups.

The Crosfields Badge

 

The distinctive Crosfields badge of oak leaves set on a black and white crest and the school’s striking black and white uniform, has changed very little over the years and has served the school well.

Crosfields continues to stand out as a leading independent school, attracting pupils from Reading, Wokingham, Basingstoke and the villages in between.