Yarrells School in Upton, Poole, will begin welcoming children from six months old starting from April 2026, a decade after launching its purpose-built Greenwood Nursery as it prepares to celebrate its centenary in 2027.
Founded in 1927 as St Monica’s School in Deal, Kent by Miss M E Clark, the school relocated to Poole in 1940 and has maintained its reputation for a nurturing, child-centred approach ever since.
Yarrells School in Upton, Poole (Image: Yarrells School & Nursery)
Mrs Natalie Covell said: “Yarrells has always been about family in every sense.
“It is about the children, of course, but also the families who entrust us with their care, and the staff who become part of that journey.
“To see the school continue to grow while holding on to those values means a great deal to all of us.”
Mrs Covell and her late husband, Anthony Covell, became proprietors in 1992, establishing a family-run ethos that continues to shape the school today.
Following Anthony’s death in 2004, Mrs Covell continued to lead the school with the support of her sons, Adam and Crispian Covell, who both serve as directors.
The school’s name was inspired by 19th-century naturalist William Yarrell and reflects its broader ethos of curiosity and respect for the natural world—a philosophy that sees education as extending beyond the classroom.
Yarrells has continued to modernise and expand over the years.
In 2000, the Millennium Building opened, providing new classrooms, a science laboratory, a music room, and the school hall, known as Swan.
In 2016, Greenwood Nursery was opened as a purpose-built early years setting.
The school celebrated Natalie Covell’s 80th birthday in 2024 with tree-planting. (Image: Yarrells School & Nursery)
Headmistress Clare Cunningham, who has been part of the Yarrells community for more than 20 years, described the school as deeply personal to her family.
Mrs Cunningham said: “As a family, Yarrells has always meant more than just a school to us.
“It is a place where children are truly known and nurtured, and where families become part of something lasting.
“Having seen my own children grow up here, I feel incredibly proud to lead a school with such a strong sense of care, continuity, and community.”