At Think Tutors, our relationships with leading schools extend beyond understanding entrance examinations and admissions criteria. In order to advise families fully, we believe it is necessary to know the schools: to visit them often and develop relationships with those working within them, with the philosophy that the character of an education can never be captured by a prospectus.

Recently, as Head of Business Development, I visited St George’s School, Ascot, at what is a particularly potent moment in the school’s history.

Founded in 1877, St George’s began life as a boys’ preparatory school before developing into the girls’ day and boarding school for which it has become known. Now another significant evolution is underway. From September 2027, boys will once again arrive at St George’s Ascot, initially entering Years 7 and 9. The following year, St George’s Ascot and St George’s School Windsor Castle are due to combine to create St George’s School, Windsor and Ascot, a co-educational through school for pupils aged 3–18. Under the proposed model, children will be educated at Windsor through to Year 8 before progressing to Ascot from Year 9 onwards.

Small by Design

One of the qualities that becomes apparent when walking around St George’s is its scale.

This is, by design, not a mammoth senior school. Year groups are comparatively small, and teaching takes place in intimate classes, with numbers increasing around the traditional 13+ entry point as pupils arrive from Berkshire preparatory schools (many of which finish at Year 8), and expanding again towards Sixth Form. The result is an environment in which individual pupils can genuinely be known.

Think Tutors’ educational philosophy is predicated upon the idea that exceptional education is personal, and St George’s small-school model creates considerable scope for individual attention. That intimacy does not, however, result in narrow horizons. Senior pupils, for example, have an open invitation to attend lectures and seminars organised by nearby Eton College (less than a 20-minute drive away) — a valuable avenue of academic cross-pollination which enables pupils to look beyond the boundaries of their own timetable and school community.

Participation over Spectatorship

Accessibility to the creative arts is of paramount importance at St George’s. A school production need not only be for the aspiring actor. Pupils often write, perform, direct, design sets and costumes, operate lighting and sound, work in stage management, or contribute through music. Professional theatre facilities alongside dedicated drama and dance studios encourage pupils to explore the different disciplines that collectively produce a performance.

The Textiles Department was a visual expression of this culture: a genuine feast of colour, materials, and ideas, with work displayed reflecting both enthusiastic participation and a high standard of execution.

Dance is similarly well developed. St George’s works in association with the Natalie Vinson School of Dance, whose teaching encompasses RAD Ballet, pointework, contemporary dance, tap, street dance, Pilates, and Acro. Pupils benefit from a purpose-built studio with a sprung floor, mirrors, and barres, while those wishing to pursue dance more seriously can work towards graded and vocational examinations.

The Wider World

There is an emphasis on preparing pupils for life beyond conventional academic study.

St George’s participates in the Tycoon Enterprise Competition, established by the Peter Jones Foundation to give school pupils practical experience of creating and running businesses. The school has a history of success in the programme, and, during my visit, I was interested to hear that three St George’s pupils finished within the top ten in the most recent competition.

There is also a strong expectation of service. Sixth Form life incorporates outreach and volunteering, with pupils supporting local schools, charities, and community organisations. Lower Sixth pupils, for example, provide one-to-one reading support for younger children at local primary schools, while other initiatives connect pupils with local care homes.

A School Day Designed Around Modern Family Life

St George’s has embraced flexi-boarding and an extended day to an extent that should be of particular interest to families balancing demanding professional lives, international travel, and complicated weekly schedules.

When lessons finish, the school day need not. Pupils have the option to partake in clubs, remain for supervised prep, and stay for supper before travelling home. There are school buses, including those that head into London, that depart later in the evening. Pupils can arrive home having already enjoyed her co-curricular activities, completed their homework, and eaten dinner. Family time can therefore remain family time, rather than becoming a negotiation between algebra, eating, and exhaustion.

St George’s also offers full, weekly, and flexible boarding through SGA Stays, allowing boarding to respond to the rhythms of family life.

Turf and Tide in Ascot

Opened in 2019, St George’s has a beautiful 25-metre, six-lane swimming pool, now at the centre of an ambitious Performance Swimming Programme. Competitive swimmers can train onsite before school, at lunchtime, and in the evenings, with specialist coaching, strength and conditioning and timetables structured to balance sporting development with academic commitments.

And, of course, this is Ascot. Horse riding sits among the school's extensive co-curricular offering, reflecting a surrounding community in which equestrian sport remains very much part of the landscape.

The Dragon on the Hill

One final image stayed with me after leaving.

Overlooking the hill is an enormous, brilliantly colourful dragon, hand-painted by St George’s pupils to mark the centenary in 2023 of the school's modern era of girls’ education. Its decorations reference St George’s unique history.

As the school approaches its 150th anniversary, welcomes boys once again, and prepares to join with St George’s Windsor Castle, it is changing considerably. I was assured during my visit that the school intends to carry forward its focus on creativity, flexibility, and personal attention.

The Think Tutors Perspective

For families considering St George’s Ascot, or deciding between leading day and boarding schools more broadly, Think Tutors provides highly personalised advice on school selection, admissions strategy, entrance examinations, and interviews. Our close relationships with schools, combined with first-hand knowledge of the environments in which our pupils may eventually study, allow us to advise where they will flourish.