Schools in Crowthorne: Bracknell Forest, rail links and Wellington

Crowthorne is a village in the borough of Bracknell Forest, in south-east Berkshire, close to Sandhurst and Wokingham. It sits between the M3 and M4 motorways, about 35 miles south-west of London according to Wellington College’s location page. It suits families whose work is in the Thames Valley, the M3 corridor or Reading rather than central London.

Getting around

Crowthorne station is on the Great Western Railway line between Reading and Guildford, with some trains continuing towards Gatwick. Wellington describes it as giving direct links to Reading and Guildford; London journeys need a change. Check the exact journey with National Rail for the days you will travel.

For boarding and international families, the college puts Heathrow at about a 30-minute drive and Gatwick at just over an hour. Those are the school’s estimates, not timetabled journeys. Plan who handles airport runs at the start and end of term, and whether a guardian nearby is needed.

How the local state system works

In England, a child must be in full-time education from the term after their fifth birthday, and must stay in some form of education or training until 18. Children move to secondary school at 11.

You apply through your home council, which for Crowthorne is Bracknell Forest. For September 2027 secondary entry, applications opened on 12 September 2026 and close on 31 October 2026, with offers on 1 March 2027. Primary applications follow the national 15 January deadline. Edgbarrow School, on Grant Road in Crowthorne, and Sandhurst School are both on the council’s list of secondary schools.

Not every local school uses the same rules: academies set their own admission criteria, which the council publishes alongside its own admission arrangements. Check each school’s oversubscription criteria against your address before you commit to a house. If you arrive mid-year, use the council’s in-year application route.

The school in Crowthorne

Wellington College is a co-educational independent school for ages 13 to 18, with day and boarding places and a choice of A-levels or the IB Diploma in the sixth form. It suits a family that wants a large co-educational school with the option to live locally and attend as day pupils. It is the wrong fit if the family wants a single-sex school or a child under 13 in the same school. The profile covers the entry points, registration deadlines and fees.

For younger children, Wellington College Prep is a separate school for ages 3 to 13 with a Sandhurst address. Treat it as its own admissions decision.

Alternatives to compare

• Eton College, near Windsor, is boys-only full boarding from 13. The Eton guide covers the town and its state schools.
• Winchester College and St Swithun’s are further south in Hampshire; see the Winchester guide.
• If a London home is possible, the London school search covers international and independent day options.
• If you are still deciding between living-in and coming home each evening, start with boarding or day.

Choose Crowthorne if your work is reachable by car or from Reading and Guildford, and the children will use either the local state schools or Wellington as day pupils. Look elsewhere if a parent needs a daily commute into central London. The United Kingdom guide explains the wider system.

Friendly orientation, not formal admissions advice. Always confirm dates with the school.