Pastoral care

Our visitors say that they know what our Prep School is all about the moment they step through the front door: our smiling, happy girls who are kind to each other and the staff. This special atmosphere comes from an ethos which celebrates every individual girl for who she is, and a personalised pastoral care programme that catches problems before they start.

Helping hands

The pastoral care network in our Prep School is robust and extensive. Our Director of Pastoral Care oversees a support team for girls which includes a full-time medical manager and an in-house school counsellor. Parents have the chance to see teachers at the start and end of every day, and our senior leadership team is a constant visible presence around school. We also deliver a comprehensive programme of weekly PSHE lessons designed to help keep girls healthy and safe.

Brain time

We are a school where girls are not afraid to make mistakes. They learn from things that go wrong, and continuously reflect and improve rather than being satisfied by getting the right answer quickly and looking smart. Girls use language associated with a growth mindset, with teachers providing feedback on how hard students worked, the effort they put in and the progress they made.

Becoming leaders

Girls here learn to love leadership and taking responsibility for others. Our School Council is democratically elected from across the year groups and takes decisions that lead to real changes and innovations. During the summer term of Year 5, girls apply and are interviewed to become Head Girl and Deputy Head Girl, with other roles including house captain and digital leader.

Joining our family

Our school is small enough for every girl to be known and celebrated, and large enough to make lots of friends for life. We have a house system providing students with a support network beyond their year group which they continue to use in the Senior School. We are also part of the GDST, a family of 25 schools with a powerful alumnae community and a host of unique opportunities.

“No one gets lonely at playtime. There is a kindness bench where you go if you need a friend or to talk to anyone. You get picked up in 10 seconds, and then you go and have fun!”

Year 2 girl