Moulsford Prep School to take next step towards full co-education from September 2026

Moulsford Prep School in Oxfordshire has announced plans for its Prep School (ages 7 - 13) to begin welcoming girls into Year 3 in 2026. The Pre-Prep (Pre-School to Year 2) has already successfully transitioned to co-education and by September 2031 (when girls currently in Reception will naturally progress into Year 8), the school will have girls in every year group.

With Year 3 becoming co-educational in September 2026, this allows the school plenty of time to finalise preparations for this transition, including any necessary adjustments to the curriculum, pastoral care, sports provision, facilities and infrastructure. Headmaster, Ben Beardmore-Gray, will be sharing the plans with parents over the coming months, and will also be inviting them to provide their input.

Moulsford is able to draw upon significant co-educational expertise. Prior to leading Moulsford, Headmaster Ben Beardmore-Gray and his wife Sarah jointly ran a very successful co-educational school for seven years. Similarly, Tiffany Squire (Deputy Head), Vicki Rae (Assistant Head - Pastoral from September 2024), Caroline Scriven (Assistant Head - Academic from September 2024) and Lee Chaffey (Director of Sport) have many years of co-educational leadership and teaching experience between them. Amy Gemmell, who joins Moulsford as Head of Pre-Prep in January 2025 has run a very successful co-educational Pre-Prep of 180 children at Hornsby House for the past six years. In addition, the great majority of Moulsford’s teachers have previously taught in co-educational schools.

Chair of Governors Edward Boddington commented: “The Moulsford Governors and Senior Management Team work extremely closely together to ensure that the school is in the strongest position to provide an education of the highest quality for both current and future Moulsford pupils.

“Societal changes form the background to this decision, with families, including many Moulsford families, increasingly seeking to educate their children together and in a co-educational environment. This is reflected across the independent sector which is seeing a clear shift towards co-education and the foreseeable political and economic changes are expected to accelerate this direction of travel. Moulsford is currently in a position of strength, from which we are able to make well considered and long-term strategic decisions. Our move towards full co-education reflects both the societal and sector changes that we are witnessing, together with our desire to support families in providing an outstanding education for both their sons and daughters.”

Headmaster, Ben Beardmore-Gray, commented: “The key distinguishing feature of a Moulsford education has always been the quality of our offering in all areas: academic, pastoral and extra-curricular and this will not change. As a co-educational school we will continue to provide an outstanding education for both boys and girls, preparing them for a wide range of leading day and boarding senior schools in the country.

“Our goal remains the happiness and fulfilment of every child, and the school’s values of Kindness, Courage and Curiosity will be key in supporting this aim.

“This change will mean that from September 2026, Moulsford will be able to provide our future prep school girls with the same high level of education and the wonderful opportunities that Moulsford boys have experienced over the past sixty-three years. A successful and vibrant co-educational Moulsford will enrich the lives and broaden the horizons of all its pupils and the wider school community, and we are extremely excited about welcoming girls into the Prep School.”