Lovell vs
Belfry.

Turn a shortlist
into a decision.

Build two like-for-like budget lines

For each school, put the child’s exact grade at the top of a worksheet and use the standard published fee as the starting line. For Lovell, keep the half-day and full-day Pre-Nursery options separate rather than treating them as a single early-years price. For Belfry, keep the standard tariff separate from its 5% annual-payment figure and from the separately labelled fourth-year-family tariff. Then add compulsory admission charges: Lovell’s published application and registration charges are both non-refundable; Belfry identifies application and registration as non-refundable and its deposit as refundable. That distinction affects cash needed now, but it does not make a refundable deposit free money. Record when it is payable, the conditions for return and the currency or payment method required by the school.

Next, create a separate column for services. Lovell says snacks, milk and lunch are included in tuition, but its current schedule does not price transport, books, trips, examinations or learning support. Belfry’s fee document says regular-programme tuition is included while catering, trips, clubs, events and other optional services are extra, without a current price list in that document. Ask each school to mark every line as compulsory, optional, refundable or an estimate. A spreadsheet that puts unknown services at zero gives a misleading answer; a blank or “confirm” label is more useful than an invented total.

Test the classroom, not just the prospectus

Both schools use a British-primary frame, but a family should see how that frame feels in a normal morning. At Lovell, ask to observe how the Reggio Emilia-inspired project approach connects to explicit reading, writing and mathematics teaching; ask how Forest School is scheduled and what happens in hot or wet weather. At Belfry, ask how the Montessori-informed approach is used alongside English National Curriculum expectations; ask whether children work across age groups, how teacher guidance is balanced with independent activity and how families receive progress information. These are questions about practice, not a request for the school to defend a philosophy. The answers should be concrete: examples of a recent unit, a reading routine, a sample report and the way a child receives additional help.

Bring the child if a school permits it, but do not reduce the visit to whether the playground looks exciting. Notice arrival routines, adult supervision, noise, shade, toilets, food arrangements and the transition into class. Ask how the school handles a child arriving mid-year, a child who is shy in English, and a child who needs extra challenge. Neither directory record supplies a school-published student count or campus-size figure, so do not invent a “small-school” or “big-school” conclusion from photographs. A visit and the school’s written answers are the appropriate evidence for the lived environment.

Plan the transfer before it becomes urgent

Ages 2–11 is a strength for families seeking a focused early-years and primary environment, but it is also a defined endpoint. Before accepting either offer, make a provisional Year 7 plan. Identify at least two possible receiving schools, their admissions timing, assessment requirements, language expectations, commute and likely fee range. Ask Lovell and Belfry what transition information they provide, when families begin discussing options and what academic records are shared with a receiving school. Do not read a list of commonly considered schools as an endorsement, a partnership or a guaranteed place. The point is simply to avoid treating a six-year decision as if it covered the whole school career.

Use the same admissions questions at both schools

Consistency makes the visit more valuable. Ask both admissions teams for the 2026/27 invoice for the child’s exact stage; the payment dates and refund conditions; the documents needed for enrolment; class-placement timing; the school-day and holiday calendar; support for English learners; food and allergy arrangements; transport coverage; and the process for communicating concerns. Ask what changes if the child starts late, moves class or leaves mid-year. Belfry’s published refund timing is specific enough that it should be read rather than assumed: the directory record notes 50% before term, 25% within the first 15 days and zero thereafter. Confirm the current document with admissions before relying on it.

Keep the conclusion narrow and evidence-led

The published records support a clear but limited conclusion. Belfry has the lower standard annual-tuition band and a documented annual-payment discount; Lovell has the higher published band and includes snacks, milk and lunch in tuition. Both are primary-only British options and both need a transfer plan after Year 6. Beyond that, the right answer depends on the family’s home location, the child’s preferred learning environment, the exact grade invoice and the services actually needed. A parent choosing between them should come away with two dated written quotes and two comparable visit notes, not a generic ranking.

Make the offer letter do the work

Before paying, compare the two written offers line by line rather than relying on this page or an admissions conversation. Check the named academic year, the child’s year group, the campus address, the start date, payment instalments, late-payment terms, application and registration status, deposit treatment, and the exact services included in the quoted amount. Ask whether the offered place is conditional on an assessment, an English-language review, a document check or a class-capacity limit. If a discount appears, ask whether it is automatic, whether it applies to tuition only and what happens if payment is late. Keep the answer with the offer letter. It protects the family from comparing a discounted figure at one school with a standard figure at the other, and it gives both schools a clear opportunity to correct an assumption before money changes hands.

Sources and verification

This comparison uses Lovell’s 2026/27 tuition document and curriculum page, and Belfry’s 2026/27 school-fees announcement and course outline. Figures are school-published and checked on 29 July 2026. Fee schedules can change, so the school’s written offer remains the controlling document for an individual family.