The Croft Preparatory School, Stratford-upon-Avon
The Croft Preparatory School is an independent school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Stratford-upon-Avon. It has a Christian religious character. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in February 2026.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Croft Preparatory School in detail
The Croft Preparatory School in its own words
In its own words: ""The Croft gave me the belief to achieve." These words from a former pupil capture the very essence of our school. Since 1933, The Croft has been a place where children are not only educated but empowered to believe in themselves, to grow in confidence and to discover the joy of achievement."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Who goes there
In 2026, 56 pupils (17.2%) received SEN support and 4 (1.2%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Stratford-upon-Avon Rail Station, about 2.3 miles away in a straight line.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Croft Preparatory School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 24 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Warwickshire (88).
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted.
Routine Inspection
24 February 2026
Non-Routine Inspection
14 September 2023
Educational Quality / Focused Compliance
28 February 2023
Regulatory Compliance
14 June 2018
Integrated
16 June 2015
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Latest from The Croft Preparatory School
Stronger Together
7 Jul 2026
Love of the Arts
4 Nov 2025
Backpack for Life
3 Nov 2025
Finding Their Voice
3 Nov 2025
In Memory of Mr Sam Thornton
14 Oct 2021
From The Croft Preparatory School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with The Croft Preparatory School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Warwickshire is 7 (the median across 286 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
65%
Available places
325 pupils
500 places
175 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Stratford-upon-Avon
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Stratford-upon-Avon
Across Warwickshire council
Places available
7,662
Applications
6,716
Got 1st preference
82.3%
Got preferred school
97.2%
All secondary applications across Warwickshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
56
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
18.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
325
Total Pupils
171
Boys
154
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about The Croft Preparatory School
When was The Croft Preparatory School last inspected?
The Croft Preparatory School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in February 2026.
How many pupils go to The Croft Preparatory School?
The Croft Preparatory School has around 325 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to The Croft Preparatory School?
The Croft Preparatory School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near The Croft Preparatory School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Warwickshire is 7 (the median across 286 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Croft Preparatory School?
The Croft Preparatory School is at Alveston Hill, Loxley Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 7RL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)