Main image: Shrewsbury House School
Here at Talk ÍÑ¿ã°É, we are all obsessed with schools and education – and incredibly curious about what interesting developments are happening in the independent schools world. And thanks to our wide network of moles, spies and informers all over the world, we’re constantly amazed at how schools are continually evolving, expanding and surging forward to launch new curriculums, initiatives and state-of-the-art buildings. We’ll be keeping this feature updated to bring you everything that’s new and exciting in the global independent schools world – so watch this space…
NEW SCHOOL OPENINGS
Little Wetherby at Edge Street, London
The Wetherby family is growing – and in September, there’ll be a brand new early years offering for west London families, Little Wetherby at Edge Street. Set in a gorgeous period building with soaring ceilings and stacks of original features, the new co-ed nursery will officially become part of Wetherby Kensington (and overseen by the school’s incoming head, Liz McLaughlin) – but children will also receive priority entry to a number of Alpha Plus schools in the area, including
Pembridge Hall,
Chepstow House and
Wetherby School.
Pupils will be able to opt in to full or half days – and there are plans for the nursery to grow organically to accommodate a Reception class too. And thanks to its knockout central London location, there’ll be plenty of opportunities for youngsters to get out and about, with Hyde Park and Holland Park just a hop, skip and a jump from the gates.
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EXCITING HAPPENINGS ELSEWHERE
The Village Prep School, London
Big news for north London families – from September 2024, The Village Prep School will fling open its doors to Year 7 and 8 pupils, allowing girls to extend their time here until they reach the age of 13. Girls will still be well prepared for the 11+, continuing their track record of securing places at some of London’s most prestigious senior schools, but the option to stay on a further two years will help ensure everyone feels fully ready for their next step.
And there’s a more imminent change on the horizon too: in September, new head Kirstie Hampshire will take over the top spot, moving over to the Village from her previous role at Hereward House. We very much look forward to meeting her as soon as she’s settled in.
Eton End School, Berkshire
When head Rachael Cox joined Eton End school last September, she made it her mission to put the physical and mental wellbeing of her pupils at the heart of every decision – and she’s got off to a flying start by recently unveiling a full refurbishment of her school’s classrooms, designed by a team of top child psychologists. The aim behind the redesign was to reduce sensory overload and promote a sense of safety and cosiness – so hard wooden chairs are out in favour of flexible, squishy seating and cushions, bright colours have been swapped for calming neutrals, and harsh lighting has been replaced with smaller lamps on tables designed for collaborative learning.
‘Children will always achieve their best when they have a sense of emotional and psychological safety as well as being physically comfortable. Our school classroom design and furnishings have not really changed much for centuries and it is time to stop, think about the world beyond the school gates and create environments which inspire and support pupils to develop the skills they need in the 21st century,’ says Mrs Cox. It’s a brilliant move – and we’ve no doubt many schools will start following suit.
Highfield and Brookham, Hampshire
Sharing the same delightfully rural campus as Highfield and Brookhan prep school, Brookham Nursery has always been in high demand among local families – so the recent opening of a brand new nursery extension has been a huge hit. Thanks to the extra space, there’s now three-form entry throughout the pre-prep, and we love the clever design – big windows allow natural light to flood in, while a retractable wall allows separate areas to be closed off so littlies can nap during the day.
Best of all, the ribbon was cut on the new extension by a very VIP guest, Hugh Bonneville, who popped in to read an extract from Paddington Bear – much to the delight of the children.
Dulwich Prep London, London
We’re huge fans of Dulwich Prep London, a big, busy, bustling, all-boys London prep with immense academic clout yet the feel of a cosy country prep. It’s a real institution in this pocket of south-east London – but there’s change afoot. From September 2025, the school will increase its provision to accommodate pupils up until the age of 16, giving families the option to stay put until after GCSEs, and swerving the pressures of senior school testing in the process.
It’s a very clever move, offering pupils the security and continuity of a familiar school setting until they are ready to make their next step. Boys who mature at different speeds will benefit from continuity of education, and we’re promised a wonderfully boutique feel to Years 9 to 11, with a maximum of just 60 boys in each year group. Of course, pupils will continue to be supported through the 11+ or 13+ (the school has a fantastic track record of shipping boys off to the best senior schools both in London and around the UK), but the change will give families the opportunity to find the right senior school at the right time for their son.
Shrewsbury House Prep School, Surrey
Earlier this year, Shrewsbury House School launched an innovative new ‘Discovery Programme’ initiative, designed to get boys in the top two years of the school thinking about learning in a totally different way. Each Friday afternoon, the normal timetable is halted to make way for classes on everything from paper engineering to financial literacy and robotics – and with no exams or tests at the end, the programme aims to encourage boys to find new interests and talents, nurture their natural curiosity and take ownership of their learning – in turn, readying them for the leap to the senior schools.
The programme is complemented by a new seminar series that sees visiting speakers pop in to chat to the boys about their careers, including award-winning wildlife photographer Paul Goldstein and world-record holding polar explorer Alex Hibbert. The result? Children getting stuck into something new and expanding their horizons – purely for the sheer joy of it.
Dallington School, London
Founded by visionary head Mogg Hercules in the 1970s, Dallington School– which boasts a spot-on location in London’s Clerkenwell – is celebrating its 45th birthday this year, with a number of exciting changes and developments underway to mark the event. An ongoing curriculum review has heralded the introduction of forest school for the first time (meaning there’ll be lots more opportunities for pupils to get outside); work is underway on a new floor of the school building dedicated exclusively to the arts (including specialist lessons with Dallington’s very own artist-in-residence); and there’s a new vertical grouping class structure, which sees children working together in mixed-age groups one afternoon a week – meaning everyone can learn at this wonderfully childhood-centred school at their own pace.