Sparking confidence

Through dance and music.

Learning in a global community

With friends from across the globe 

Extraordinary beginnings

With endless opportunities.

Making friendships which last a lifetime

With endless laughs and fun.

Spectacular surroundings

To discover and explore.

Newly renovated areas

To spark their imagination.

Access to exceptional on-site facilities

Support a broad curriculum.

A magical environment

Where young children flourish.

 

Unique facilities

With endless opportunities 

St Mary's Hall Pre-Prep, set in the heart of the Ribble Valley

An outstanding choice of education for your child's first steps.

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Sparking confidence

Through the creative arts and music.

For the whole family

A special journey for parents too.

Building confidence

In a whole school environment.

An inclusive and exciting community

Develops friendships that last a lifetime.

Unique facilities in a magical setting...

Offering endless opportunities.

A place where the laughter never stops

And where learning is always engaging.

Beginning a unique journey

There is no other choice locally.

The wellbeing and care of our children

Is at the heart of all that we do.

Welcome to the UK's leading Pre-Prep school for 3 - 7 year olds

Welcoming children from the age of three, Hodder House is a recently extended purpose-built Nursery/Pre-Prep at Stonyhurst St Mary’s Hall.

St Mary's Hall offers a stimulating and nurturing environment which allows children to feel happy, confident and valued. Children are nurtured to ensure they reach their full potential academically, socially, emotionally, physically and creatively. 

Quant Je Puis - 'As Much As I Can'.

 

What Others Say

ISI

Report highlights:

• Rated Excellent in all areas.

• Pupils possess strong study skills and take an inquiry-based approach to their studies.

• Pupils are highly articulate and speak with eloquence when addressing others.

• Pupils show strong levels of perseverance when faced with challenges.

• Pupils demonstrate high levels of self-esteem.

• Pupils have a strong appreciation for the multi-cultural nature and diversity of the school community.

Read More about ISI
Good Schools Guide

The national curriculum, enriched by the International Primary Curriculum, integrates cross-curricular themes, providing an opportunity to utilise the extraordinary Stonyhurst collection: studying the Tudors means touching Anne Boleyn's prayer book or Thomas Moore's hat.'

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Good Schools Guide

'Ages 3-7 years attend Hodder House, a delightful building, packed with colour. The focus is on social development, literacy, numeracy, art, PE, swimming and French. There is outdoors teaching, exploring woodland and insects. Children have access to iPads. The whole school comes together for assemblies, easing the transition to the main building.'

Read More about Good Schools Guide
Good Schools Guide

'Ages 3-7 years attend Hodder House, a delightful building, packed with colour. The focus is on social development, literacy, numeracy, art, PE, swimming and French. There is outdoors teaching, exploring woodland and insects. Children have access to iPads. The whole school comes together for assemblies, easing the transition to the main building.'

Read More about Good Schools Guide
Talk Education

Very much part of the Stonyhurst community yet run as its own entity, Hodder House nursery and pre-prep is set within the 1,000-acre campus. Little ones are gently introduced to a school routine with weekly woodland learning – building dens, making paint from natural materials, toasting marshmallows – as well as swimming, dancing and French lessons. There’s lots of focus on social development and tapping into natural curiosity to equip children to think for themselves.

Read More about Talk Education

We would love to welcome you for a private visit

Our Virtual Private Visits are your opportunity to find out more about Stonyhurst St Mary's Hall Pre-Prep school.

Learn More

 

 

Life at St Mary's Hall Pre-Prep

Stonyhurst Pre-Prep offers a challenging and stimulating environment that allows children to feel happy, confident and valued.  Children within the setting are nurtured to ensure they reach their full potential academically, socially, emotionally, physically and creatively. The Stonyhurst motto, ‘Quant Je Puis’ or ‘As Much As I Can’, is as tangible and meaningful for the youngest members in Pre-Prep as it is at Stonyhurst College.

 

 

Take a look around

 

 

Admissions

If you believe that St Mary's Hall Pre-Prep could be the best nursery school for your son or daughter, the admissions section below provides information about the application process, plus other information that you will find useful in guiding your decision.

 

Meet Sarah!

Contact our St Mary's Hall Registrar, Sarah Morrison, who will be happy to help with any questions you have about life at our Pre-Prep.

Our Mission and Identity

Every child should be happy, secure, valued and confident. In the Pre-Prep, our philosophy is to value every child as a unique individual, who enjoys learning and thinking for him or herself.

We make the learning relevant through cross-curricular topics and child-centred learning and strive to be positive role models, providing a secure and enabling environment in which every child can flourish and learn at their own pace and in their own individual way. We encourage the growth of social skills and empathy amongst the children in line with the Jesuit Pupil Profile. The relationships which the children develop with each other and with our staff are central to their happiness and lay the best possible foundation for their future.

We recognise our pupils as citizens of a future world we do not yet know and seek to equip them for this world with creative and problem-solving skills.

 

 

Learn about Stonyhurst's ethos

We believe in equipping children to think for themselves and take risks within safe boundaries. For example, the children are found building dens, creating paint using natural materials or even toasting marshmallows on an open fire to name but a few activities! New experiences present opportunities.

Ros Wroblewski, Assistant Head (Primary Phase) of St Mary’s Hall

Learn about Stonyhurst

Inspired by the beautiful Stonyhurst estate and the heritage of the world’s oldest continuous Jesuit school, our pupils pursue academic excellence alongside spiritual and emotional growth and learn to embody their school motto: Quant Je Puis, 'as much as I can', in every activity.

Our observatory

is fully operational

We have over

35,000 artefacts within our museum

Hodder House

Was named after the original school building, Hodder Place

J. R. R. Tolkien

wrote The Lord of the Rings at Stonyhurst

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

was a pupil here

 

The school

was founded in 1806

1806

We are

the oldest prep school in England

We have educated

3 Rugby World cup winners

Whole student approach

with a rich heritage adhering to the Jesuit tradition

St Mary's Hall News

Upcoming Events

Attending one of our open events is a great way to see the full spectrum of the school 'in action'. We hold regular Open Days for the College (13 - 18 years) and Stonyhurst St Mary's Hall (3 - 13 years) during the Christmas Term, along with an Open Evening that focuses specifically on Sixth Form options (16 - 18 years). In the Easter and Summer Terms we hold more informal Open Doors events.

Online registration is available, and will allow us to tailor your open event experience to the needs of your child.