A dedicated Nursery and Pre-Prep provides a calm, interesting, innovative and inspiring environment for our younger children. There is a perfect balance between academic subjects, the wider curriculum and the ‘OBH extras’ such as time in our outdoor classrooms. We have made a conscious decision to be environmentally responsible and have developed a contemporary space furnished with ethically sourced furniture and resources.

The Middle School is a nurturing and special environment where the children in Years 3 and 4 feel valued, happy and safe. It is an invaluable phase in the children’s OBH learning journey that takes them from the wonderful environment of the Pre-Prep through to the rigours of the senior school, where the greater focus is on independent learning and preparation for Common Entrance. The children are taught in their own classrooms by a form teacher who oversees their academic and pastoral needs whilst also being taught by subject specialists for French, Art, Drama, Music, ICT, DT, PE, Games and Old Buckenham Explorers (OBEs).

Children transition from the Middle School into the Senior School in Year 5. From this point forward, the children are placed in form groups for registration and taught each of the curriculum subjects by specialist teachers. The curriculum at OBH includes not only the formal requirements of Common Entrance, Scholarship and other entrance exams, but also the range of extra-curricular activities that the school organises in order to enrich the experience of the children. Children can choose to take part in anything from horse riding to chess, metal detecting to cookery, and dance to astronomy.

Every child takes part in Old Buckenham Explorer’s – a bushcraft, survival, wilderness living, character and leadership development programme which is embedded into the school curriculum. Years 6, 7 and 8 work towards gaining their Level 1 and 2 NCFE Diploma in wilderness living and bushcraft skills whilst also completing other modules in leadership training.

We have three Boarding Houses and provide a range of boarding options; from two or three nights in school as a transitional boarder, to weekly boarding – enabling fuller involvement in evening activities and full boarding, which allows pupils to stay in for 11 nights and enjoy the exciting activities offered throughout the weekend.