WHAT? WHERE?

Beeston Hall School is a small, co-ed, day and boarding prep school for children aged 4-13 years. Home to 167 pupils (roughly a 50:50 girl-boy split), Beeston is a hotspot for pupils both nationally and internationally, thanks to its 100% success rate achieving the first choice of senior school.

Sitting pretty on the North Norfolk coast, set within 33 beautiful acres of manicured playing fields and woodland, and sooo close to the sea – you see it as you drive towards the school. The beautiful white, country house exterior of the school adds to the nurturing, family-feel on which Beeston Hall really prides itself, as evidenced by the whopping 30% of parents who are former pupils.

Beeston Hall is a buzzy, grounded school, where its coastal location really is its super power. The whole location is a classroom, with not only many lessons outside and masses of sport, but also a chance for children to let off steam outside, be it climbing trees, swinging from the monkey bars, huddled around a campfire or taking on the waves during surf school.

FACILITIES

pupils playing outside Beeston Hall School

When there’s 33 acres to play with (and the sea within spitting distance) you’re going to deliver on outdoorsy pursuits, playing fields, sport courts and Forest School. But that’s not all, with a dedicated music block and plans in the works for a nifty upgrade (hello recording studio), Beeston Hall really packs a punch on the creative side, too.

SPORT

pupil playing tennis at Beeston Hall School

With an ethos of “sport for all” (although the awards I noticed indicate a competitive streak – for the last six years Beeston Hall has reached 9 IAPS national hockey finals), it remains high on the agenda with pupils put through their paces daily. The usual sports are available – rugby, hockey, tennis, cricket, netball, badminton, football, golf, swimming and athletics, though there are frequent crazes, such as croquet, archery, shooting, and the ever-growing importance of dance.

With four grass cricket nets, a full sized astro and the full complement of rugby pitches, as well as a sports hall with indoor nets, available for netball, badminton, basketball and roller-skating, the school is well catered for. The pièce de résistance is the beautifully kept Main cricket square, complete with covers, sight screens and boundary rope, which is the envy of the county.

Despite being so close to the sea, Beeston Hall does have its own 20-metre outdoor, heated swimming pool, with all year groups (including pre-prep) taking a dunk during the warmer months. The Reef pool in nearby Sheringham is used during winter for the younger years and the weekly swimming squad training. The school also makes use of the nearby coast with a bi-weekly surf club

girls running team at Beeston Hall School

Off campus the fun continues with cross country running a firm favourite, despite the woodland route encompassing something the pupils have dubbed “Death Hill”. Despite the struggles this implies, house cross country is a hugely popular annual event, whether undertaken in snow (three years ago) or blazing sunshine. The dream picture, frequently on show, is a gaggle of girls and boys, whether 7 or 13, creating a spontaneous game of lacrosse during break, or relaxing on the swings in the afternoon sunshine – not a smartphone in sight.

CREATIVE ARTS

pupil playing violin at Beeston Hall School

Beestonians may be outdoorsy, but the creative arts offering is impressive and clearly an area they are investing in with the upgrade to the music suite in the works (due to be finished mid-August 2026). At present, a whopping 80% of pupils are learning a musical instrument, ranging from piano, clarinet and French horn to violin and cello. Despite this huge uptake, there is no orchestra; however Beeston has two concert bands – a string and brass band – which perform regularly.

two pupils playing the cello at Beeston Hall School

The multi-purpose sports hall is a flexible space for concerts and productions. During my visit, the school was still buzzing from its production of We Will Rock You the weekend prior. The annual school production is always a showstopper (previous years have included Shrek and The SpongeBob Musical). Though the Y8’s take centre-stage with lead roles (a lovely right of passage), the entire school gets involved and there is always one scene where all pupils will be on stage at once – even the littlies.

pupils singing on stage at Beeston Hall School

LAMDA was implemented three years ago, scoring an immediate 100% pass rate. While 80% of the December cohort won distinctions, they’re now up to 100% distinctions. Though the whole school production has finished this year, there is still lots going on in the drama department with the attention now turned to the Beeston Fringe Festival, which rages on after a successful launch in 2024. It features all manner of performances, mini musicals, plays and duologues, from Y3-7 pupils and of course the LAMDA students.

The vibrant art department was choc-full of the pupils’ creations. The class I popped into, pupils were making some impressive Chinese dragons inspired by some recent work they had done on Chinese culture. The ceramic work I clocked was particularly striking too. The department is well-equipped with a kiln, pottery wheel, 3D printer and laser-cutter. There is also a quieter, dedicated studio for art scholarship students.

GENERAL

kids and teacher running outside at Beeston Hall School

We love the emphasis on outdoor learning. In a school set in 33 acres, surrounded by the most beautiful woodland and coastline, it would be rude not to. There is a dedicated outdoor classroom, spearheaded by Geography teacher Mr King, whose background in food and farming has really come into its own here, much to the benefit of the pupils.

For an outdoorsy school, I was particularly impressed with the tech side of things. From Y5 upwards, each pupil is given their own Chromebook which they use in lessons and for homework. And things like app coding and AI are on the syllabus and not just an afterschool club.

Language-wise, French and Latin are the only languages studied here. Despite this comparatively modest offering, French particularly yields strong results with pupils learning from Reception. Beeston’s focus on fewer languages should not be sniffed at, it’s all very well being able to say hello in multiple languages, but pupils here are provided with a deeper knowledge and understanding of the language, which they retain, learning one very well rather than loads loosely. Oui, oui, it’s certainly another USP worth noting.

Class sizes range from 10-15; each classroom I saw, though compact, was inventively laid out with wall space maximised. A particular shout-out goes to the science lab I popped into which had all manner of plants, fossils, bones and body parts dotted around and a fish tank.

There is a cosy library with a superb collection of fiction and non-fiction books. Each year group gets a session a week in the library during the school day, which is dedicated to their personal reading time.

ACADEMICS

pupils from Beeston Hall School learning on the Cromer seafront

Strong. There’s a wide and balanced curriculum, but this is not a hot-housey environment – sport and the creatives are given as much prominence as English and STEM subjects. As well as learning actual facts, there’s a real focus on helping the pupils develop the skills to learn. There’s also a strong belief that children need more than just good academic results, so there’s a big emphasis on building confident, resilient, accomplished and independent young people.

Senior school wise, Beeston Hall has a 100% success rate of its pupils getting accepted into their first choice schools, and 70% by awarded scholarship, a consistent standard over the last four years. As with the intake of pupils at Beeston Hall, the secondary schools are all over too, with this year’s cohort off to everywhere from Uppingham, Harrow and Oundle to Eton, Bedales, and as close to home as Norwich School and Gresham’s and as far away as Prince of Brisbane in Australia.

LITTLIES

The Pre-Prep building is light, bright and divided into little sections (a messy station, play area, reading space, learning space etc). The walls are covered with the pupils’ work. One corner of the room is designated to the topic of the term which all manner of subjects feed into. The topic du jour when I visited was the North Pole and the kids happily showed me the igloos they had made out of sugar cubes. Learning is really interactive, sensory and fun.

two pre-prep pupils from Beeston Hall School

Like all the kids at Beeston Hall, the littlies were eager to show me what they were doing and their favourite aspects of the school – lunch (eaten together in their classroom) and the afterschool clubs seemed to reign supreme. And with a roast dinner on the menu and rollerskating, ballet, origami and swimming club on the schedule, who can blame them.

pre-prep pupils playing at Beeston Hall School

I liked the sense of responsibility (gently) instilled on the Pre-Prep pupils which stands them in good stead as they move through the school. It is down to them to sign and date the register for attendance – a fab exercise in writing and duty, and every week a class champion is selected who sets the tone for behaviour. At the end of the week, the champ’s fellow classmates have to give feedback on their performance – another great habit introduced early.

PASTORAL CARE

Another big tick for Beeston Hall. As well as the typical avenues for support we like to see (Worry Boxes, helpful posters, assemblies, PHSEE lessons, open door policies, tutors, mentors, Chaplains etc), the family vibe of the school really lays a strong foundation with regard to pastoral care. All of the staff are aware of any student who is struggling, and at the end of each day Bob Hammond, the Head of Pastoral, sends round an update detailing any developments so all staff are aware and can act and support accordingly.

BOARDING

Beeston Hall offers full, weekly and flexible boarding for children in Y3 and above. At present 60 pupils board, with around 10% staying at school over the weekend. The boarding houses are as you’d expect. They are relatively spacious, the pupils are allowed to put pictures up, and they were surprisingly clean, helped by the promise of a pizza night for the tidiest dorm.

The Boys’ boarding block looks a lot grander than the girls with its tartan carpets, winding staircase and an enviably larger bathroom compared to the girls. However, the girls’ loos win for design with each cubicle painted differently – I particularly liked the disco loo with spinning disco light.

The Y8’s have their own gendered common rooms while the younger years share. All the leavers sign their names on the wall in the girls’ room which is a nice rite of passage. Whereas the boys leave the next gen notes like a sort of treasure hunt which sounds like the plot of an Enid Blyton novel.

The pupils who showed me round were both weekly boarders and love it. They were particularly enjoying the Beeston’s Traitors which had just started, complete with challenges, round tables and the wall of player’s faces just like in the show.

THE HEAD

Headmaster Fred de Falbe Beeston Hall School

Fred de Falbe has been in the hot seat since 2016 and really lives and breathes the school. A real presence, he regularly greets families at the gate in the mornings, eats each of his meals with the pupils in the dining room and is heavily involved in the weekly newsletter which details things of note which pupils have done that week – particularly nice for parents overseas or of weekly boarders.

I get the impression he is constantly thinking up different ways to engage with the pupils. His assemblies during lockdown particularly stand out, where a green screen was used, and a game of ‘Where’s the Headmaster?’ ensued. Assemblies may no longer require a green screen but Fred is still coming up with fun things to do with the kids. A further example is the implementation of the Y8 lectures which may not sound like fun if you hate public speaking but it is something that the pupils really aspire to do and work really hard at. They get to choose their topics and present it to the entire school (parents and all). Topics are far-reaching, like a next level show and tell, from holograms and African tribes to optical illusions and Bitcoin.

In the pipeline, aside from the nifty upgrade to the music block (expected Aug 2026), Fred also announced plans to open a nursery which should be ready from September 2026. A logical move with the Pre-Prep established and a welcome addition to the school. We look forward to seeing it when it is ready.

QUIRKS

pupils from Beeston Hall School playing bongos outside

There is a lot going on which sets Beeston Hall apart. Aside from cool activities like ‘Beeston’s Got Talent’ and ‘Beeston’s Apprentice’, the afterschool club offering is vast and eclectic. There’s everything from roller-skating, cooking, gymnastics, pottery, rugby, choir and football to rounders, ballet, yoga, sign language, metal-detecting, surfing, construction club and then some available.

WRAP AROUND CARE

The school day runs from 8.15am with the morning drop off available from 8am – ideal for working parents of day pupils. However, with so many activities available afterschool (from 3.30pm), you are in danger of your child never wanting to return home.

For siblings in school, there is a Siblings Club which runs until 5.45pm, offering some downtime for one, while the other embarks on the activity du jour. The full list of activities is sent before the start of each term with most activities included in the termly fees.

Beeston Hall School pupils playing chess

Saturday school is compulsory for Y4 and above, where the day begins with a church service, followed by lessons in the morning and sports fixtures in the afternoon.

SEN

The size and family-style vibe at Beeston are a real calling card with regard to SEN provisions. Class sizes are small (10-15 max) and teachers and learning support assistants are really tapped into their pupils, including those who may need or benefit from additional support and 1:1 lessons.

ISI REPORT

Beeston Hall was given a clean bill of health in last year’s inspection, conducted in June 2024. Though not in the report, it is certainly worth noting that the inspector was very taken with the school to the point he wished he had sent his own daughter there – high praise indeed.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Beeston is a no phone zone, though there is a phone at the school office kids can use if needs be. It is only overseas boarders that have them, for twice weekly Facetimes, but they are locked away during the day with the Head Boy in charge of collecting them in and handing them out again after school finishes.

TRANSPORT

For local pupils aged 4 and above, there is a supervised mini bus which covers Norwich, Aylsham, Dereham and Fakenham, scooping up and dropping off morning and after school four days a week. The closest train station is Sheringham, just a five minute drive away. And for the international students, Norwich airport is a swift 35 minute drive from the school.

FEES

On the higher side of average. Reception to Y2 £4,740, Y3 Day £6500, Y4-Y8 Day £9470 per term. And for boarding, Y4-Y8 £12,640 per term, though it is available for Y3 if required, (all fees listed are VAT inclusive). Fees generally include after-school activities, onsite weekend activities and meals.

WORD ON THE GROUND

pupils playing outside at Beeston Hall School

Glowing! The pupils I spoke to said they wouldn’t change a thing – not even the school dinners which is often a sticking point with picky eaters. Beeston Hall has struck a fine balance between tradition (without feeling stuffy) and a genuine family feel.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

GOOD FOR: Parents looking to turn out independent, outward-looking ‘all-rounder’ children in a nurturing environment. The non-selective cohort and small class numbers will appeal to many. Sporty types will be in heaven though art, DT, music and drama are equally celebrated.

NOT FOR: Parents who prefer a more ‘starchy’ approach to schooling.

DARE TO DISAGREE? Be my guest. Contact the school here to arrange a tour.

Beeston Hall School, West Runton, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 9NQ, Tel: 01263 837324, Email: office@beestonhall.co.uk

Review: Beeston Hall School, Cromer

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