Why Families Choose Bancroft’s
An academic education is only a small part of what we offer.
We care every bit as much about the person a pupil in our care becomes. Here are seven reasons so many families in Woodford Green and beyond choose Bancroft’s, and stay with us from seven through to eighteen.
Ambitious, and genuinely supportive
At Bancroft’s, we want every pupil appropriately challenged, and fully supported while they are here. We care about the effort a pupil puts in and the progress they make, not simply where they land at any one moment.
That is what ambition means to us here: sustained effort, given room to grow, in an environment built around the individual rather than a single measure of success.
We are close to home, and part of the community
Bancroft’s sits on the Central line, and our own school bus service runs three routes covering Epping and Theydon Bois, Mile End by way of Hackney, Walthamstow and Wanstead, and Goodmayes by way of Clayhall, Hainault and Chigwell.
That matters more than you might think. It means an easier commute than families often expect, and it means a school community that overlaps with the one families already belong to outside the school gates.
Nearly three hundred years of stability
Bancroft’s was founded in 1737 by the Drapers’ Company, and our Governors are still drawn from the Company today, keeping that connection genuinely alive rather than merely historical.
In a period when families are rightly asking harder questions about a school’s long-term footing, that continuity is not a small thing. We plan for decades, not academic years.
A growing family of schools
From September 2026, Bancroft’s is joining with St. Aubyn’s and Woodford Green Preparatory School to form the Bancroft’s Family of Schools. It is a considered step, not a change of direction.
Each school keeps its own character, while gaining the security and shared expertise that come from being part of something larger. For families, it means more routes into a Bancroft’s education.
A brilliantly broad life beyond the classroom
Music, drama, sport, the CCF, Duke of Edinburgh, Sea Scouts and more sit alongside the academic timetable, not beneath it. We want pupils discovering things they never expected to enjoy, because that is often where the most valuable learning happens.
A school where every pupil is truly known
Bancroft’s is large enough to offer real breadth and choice, and structured so that no pupil is lost within it. Form tutors, heads of year and pastoral staff know our pupils well, and that knowledge shapes how we support each one, guided by the values we hold in common across the school.
Recognised for it, not just claiming it
We could (and do) tell you Bancroft’s cares about every pupil as an individual. We also like to point you to people outside the school who have said so themselves.
In 2025, Bancroft’s was named Pastoral Care Champion by School House Magazine, won the Alice Rose Award at the Talk Education Awards for nurturing confident, happy children, and was a finalist at the Independent Schools of the Year Awards.
In 2026, we were commended in the London Independent School of the Year category for the second year running, and named a finalist in the Inclusive SEN Provision category at the Education Choices Awards, recognition of the individual support every pupil receives, whatever form that takes.
Come and see for yourself
If any of this resonates, we would be glad to show you Bancroft’s in person. Full details of our upcoming open events are available on our Visit Us page, and you can read more about entry at 7+, 11+ and 16+.
We look forward to meeting you and your family.
