Oakhyrst Grange School Joins the Award-Winning Caterham Family of Schools
Thriving and much-loved Surrey preparatory school, Oakhyrst Grange School, has announced that it will be joining the multi award-winning Caterham Family of Schools, marking an exciting new chapter in the school’s 75-year history.
Set within five and a half acres of beautiful Surrey Hills lawns and woodland, Oakhyrst Grange School is renowned for its nurturing ethos, strong academic foundations and exceptional pastoral care. Combining traditional values with innovative learning opportunities, the school provides an inspiring environment where children are encouraged to grow in confidence, develop a love of learning and achieve their full potential.
The partnership brings together two schools that have enjoyed a close relationship for decades and share a commitment to educational excellence, pupil wellbeing and innovation. Oakhyrst and Caterham already share many families and alumni, and both schools are united by a belief in providing outstanding opportunities for every child.
Oakhyrst Grange is proud of its exceptional facilities, including a heated indoor swimming pool, sports hall, Multi-Use Games Area and dedicated Forest School provision, all of which support a broad and ambitious curriculum. The school was also recently recognised nationally with a Pearson National Teaching Award Bronze Award for Early Years Team of the Year, celebrating the outstanding quality of its Early Years provision.
Gemma Mitchell, Headteacher of Oakhyrst Grange School, said:
“Joining the Caterham Family of Schools is a hugely exciting opportunity for Oakhyrst Grange and comes from a position of strength. This partnership builds upon a long-standing and successful relationship between our schools and reflects our shared commitment to educational excellence, innovation and pupil wellbeing.”
“Oakhyrst will retain its unique identity, values and close-knit community, which are so important to our families. We are incredibly proud of the warm, supportive environment we provide and remain ambitious for every child in our care. This partnership will enable us to build on our many strengths whilst creating even greater opportunities for our pupils, staff and wider school community.”
“Most importantly, families can be confident that their children will continue to enjoy the exceptional education, pastoral care and breadth of opportunity that define an Oakhyrst education. We will continue to prepare and support pupils for a wide range of senior school destinations, whilst also providing a smoother pathway to Caterham School for those families who choose that route.”
Ceri Jones, Headmaster of Caterham School, commented:
“Both schools have given their wholehearted support to this partnership, which reflects a shared educational vision, common values and a commitment to excellence. We are delighted to welcome Oakhyrst Grange into the Caterham Family of Schools and look forward to working together to enhance opportunities for pupils, families and staff alike.”
The Caterham Family of Schools includes Caterham School, Caterham Prep School, Copthorne Prep School and The Hawthorns School. The family is recognised for academic excellence, exceptional pastoral care, innovation and sector-leading approaches to digital learning and wellbeing.
Caterham School was named the Times Educational Supplement’s Independent Senior School of the Year and is widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading co-educational schools. It is also the founding school of the East Surrey Learning Partnership, which brings together independent and state schools to enhance educational opportunity for young people across the region.
This partnership marks an exciting future for Oakhyrst Grange School, ensuring that its distinctive ethos, strong sense of community and commitment to educational excellence continue to flourish for generations to come.
KS1 Cross Country competition – Monday 26th January 2026
Our recent KS1 cross-country event was a fantastic success, with eight schools taking part in what proved to be a challenging but enjoyable afternoon of competition. The schools were: Oakhyrst Grange, Aberdour, Banstead Prep, Essendene, Warlingham Park, St David’s, Hamsey Green and St Francis.
Boys and girls from years 1&2 tackled our two-lap cross-country course, made extra demanding by the muddy underfoot conditions and the steep inclines. Despite this, we were very lucky with the weather, which stayed on our side and allowed the event to run smoothly throughout.
There were some exceptional performances across all four races, with children from every school showing great determination, resilience, and sportsmanship, echoing our Oakhyrst Grange school values. Every child navigated the course without fail and pushed themselves to the finish line.
With children scoring points for their school if they finished in the Top 10, the overall winners of the event were Aberdour School with 63 points, followed closely by Oakhyrst Grange on 58 points – congratulations to Aberdour!
Individual race winners:
Year 1 Boys
Owen (Oakhyrst)
Blake (Banstead)
James (Aberdour)
Year 1 Girls
Willow (Hamsey)
Milly (Aberdour)
Amelie (Oakhyrst)
Year 2 Boys
Hugo (Aberdour)
Saxon (Hamsey)
Louis (Oakhyrst)
Tino (Banstead)
Year 2 Girls
Gia (Aberdour)
Lika (Banstead)
Summer (St David’s)
A huge well done to our Year 6 pupils who assisted the competition. They all did an outstanding job supporting the event. Their help throughout the afternoon – guiding runners, encouraging participants, and keeping the course safe – was invaluable.
Well done to all pupils who took part and helped make the event such a positive and memorable experience. A final big thank you to the many parents who came to support – you made it such a wonderful atmosphere.
We look forward to welcoming more schools on 10th & 11th February for our KS2 competitions.
Mr. Smith & Miss Lomax
Come to Our Next Open Day – see the school in action
Friday 8th and Saturday 9th Of May
10.00 am to 3.00pm Prospective Parent slots will be allocated once interest expressed below.
