About Us | St Anthony’s School for Boys

Nurturing Ambition in a Warm Environment

St. Anthony’s is an academic IAPS preparatory school for boys aged 4-13, with a co-educational nursery for 2- to 4-year-olds. We are a Roman Catholic school, though learners of other faiths are welcome too. The majority of our boys go on to attend leading independent schools.

The school has a family atmosphere – relaxed and unstuffy – but with a rigorous approach to learning. However, it is not a ‘hot house’, and great care is taken to ensure that pupils feel happy and at ease in the school environment.

St. Anthony’s retains its cherished emphasis on individuality and creativity. Pupils may be performing Shakespeare one day and making their own avant-garde films the next. Academic success is achieved within an educational framework that places a strong emphasis on enjoyment of learning and personal development.

A Word from Our Head

We are a unique ISI Excellent school in which academic excellence is achieved in a safe, familiar community.

I am delighted to welcome you to the St. Anthony’s School for Boys’ website, which gives you a sense of all the wonderful things boys achieve here. All colleagues, be they teachers or support staff, want to ensure the boys get the best start in life. The Catholic ethos of the school values every individual child for who they are above what they do. The boys achieve many wonderful things in the classroom and an array of co-curricular activities while at the same time keeping a sense of perspective. Promoting a greenhouse as opposed to a hothouse environment means St. Anthony’s boys are happy, hard-working and highly successful.

The academic curriculum in all year groups is designed to foster curiosity and a love of learning. It is very important for boys to develop their knowledge and understanding in all subject areas. Being prepared to take academic risks through dialogue and questioning leads to reflective and confident learners – characteristics much sought after by senior schools. The school supports pupils and parents through the 11+ and 13+ application process; the most important aim here is for each boy to progress to the senior school that best fits his needs. The overwhelming majority of boys secure places at leading boarding and London day schools.

We are rightly proud of our strong pastoral programme which, given the world we live in, is always adapting to support boys’ wellbeing. We treat boys with kindness and place much emphasis on relationships. Helping boys locate and be steered by a moral compass will aid resilience when challenges come their way. Seeking the truth with sincerity of heart reflects our commitment to educating the whole person.

St. Anthony’s is a first-class school in every way, but don’t just take my word for it – please come and see for yourselves. Do also look through our most recent ISI report. I look forward to meeting you and your sons very soon.

Mr Richard Berlie - Headmaster

Our History

With only a handful of students, St. Anthony’s School for Boys opened its doors in Hampstead in 1952, one of the few Catholic prep schools in North London. Today, nearly 300 boys, aged 4-13 years, receive their education here before moving to a range of London senior independent schools.

The founder of the Hampstead school was Richard Patton, a former naval commander who had served on the Arctic convoys during the Second World War. However, it was his son Tim, who took over the headship after his father's death in 1963, who established the school’s reputation in his own highly idiosyncratic way. For most of the boys who went through the school during Tim’s leadership, St. Anthony’s proved to be one of the most formative experiences of their lives. While the quirky and informal way Tim led the School would be unthinkable today, he instilled the values that are central to the school.

An illustrated history of St. Anthony's is now available. The book provides a compelling and colourful narrative of our school from its origins in 1893 through to the present day. Using a range of archival material and vivid modern photographs, the book tells the story of this unique school illustrating all aspects of school life, past and present.

It highlights the school’s history and traditions, the achievements of those who attended and the characteristics of the modern school, as well as its ethos of intellectual excellence, spiritual awareness, sporting achievement and service to the community.

Discover a warm, dynamic learning environment that combines academic rigour with personal growth. For more details, please click the button to submit an Enquiry Form.

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