Browse SW London schools by age

 Dolphin School provides a wonderfully bespoke experience - for children and parents. From the moment you make contact with the school and step over the threshold you’ll encounter unexpected warmth and a personal touch which is rare in a London Prep School. With average class sizes of 16, we have developed our individualised curriculum - a personal wellbeing system which has evolved to cater for a modern British education. Children leave Dolphin to a secondary school which is right for them, not moulded to fit a particular environment. Strong academics, second-to-none pastoral care, extensive co-curricular activities and a personalised education programme for all. A green house, not a hot house. 

 Eaton House Belgravia has been in existence since 1897, and is part of the very fabric of Chelsea and Belgravia. It is a place where bright minds can excel in an environment which offers so many opportunities, opens minds to fluid thinking and instils a lifelong love of learning. Boys leave to join some of the best Prep and Senior schools in the country. Boys will experience a happy, confident, and ambitious start to their education, in a traditional yet modern and welcoming academic environment. Despite being non-selective at Nursery and 4+, in 2020 some 30% of 7+ and 8+ pupils received offers for Westminster and St Paul’s, with others choosing a range of other top schools, or remaining until 11+.

 Eaton House The Manor Girls’ School offers a happy, confident and ambitious start to your daughter’s education. We are outstanding academically and warm and caring in tone. The school has now celebrated over a decade of success, academically and in every way, seeing a 12% increase in size in recent times and an impressive 30 scholarships have been won by this year’s leavers. Girls typically leave for a range of top schools including St Paul’s Girls’ School, Godolphin & Latymer, Wycombe Abbey, St Mary’s Calne, St Mary’s Ascot, James Allen’s Girls’ School, Putney High School, and many more. Beyond academics, the girls are happy, calm, emotionally intelligent, balanced and kind. 

 Eaton House, which is housed in a 1.5 acre Georgian manor house site opposite Clapham Common, has sent generations of boys to Eton, Westminster, St Paul’s, Winchester, Harrow, Dulwich, King’s College Wimbledon and others. Boys win scholarships each year, including, in 2020, academic scholarships to Dulwich College & Sherborne. The School has great aspirations for every child, and the progress they make in their five years at EHTM Prep School is remarkable. The Good Schools Guide comments that the Manor is a ‘friendly and happy’ school with pastoral care ‘high on the Head’s agenda.’ It concludes that, as a result, ‘This is a school with excellent academic outcomes, very good value added… and consequently a school of really high expectations.’

 Nestled in a leafy residential area in Putney, Falcons are a small, nurturing co-educational school for ages 2-11. An accredited ‘Thinking School’ by the University of Exeter, with pupil wellbeing at the forefront of their ethos, they recognise that academic achievement is but one measure of a well-rounded education. Falcons School pupils have numerous opportunities to learn from role models and develop interpersonal relationships and leadership skills, as well as an extensive co and extra-curricular provision. Both music and academic scholarships are available. Early Years provision, Peregrines Nursery, starts from 2-4 years.

 Pastoral care is as much at the heart of a Finton education as the academic experience, and has been since the day the School was founded in 1987 as a charitable trust, because these things underpin our aim of teaching children how to lead a healthy life in its broadest sense. Happiness is in abundance here, and the academic achievements at 11+ speak for themselves: at Finton House, every child can shine. 

 Garden House School is a Kindergarten, Pre-Prep and Preparatory School based in Chelsea, London. Girls and boys aged 3 to 11 years are educated separately in academic lessons except in Kindergarten. Pupils are given the foundations to become independent, creative and critical thinkers by a team of dedicated teachers who celebrate each child as an individual. The Kindness Code, established in 1998, is central to their outstanding pastoral care. Sport, drama and music enhance the academic curriculum. Beyond the classroom clubs, concerts and performances, enrichment days, the School Garden and trips to London historic and cultural institutions complement their education.

 Hornsby House is a co-educational independent day school for 4-11 year olds between Balham and Wandsworth Common. There are three classes in each year group and entry at Reception is non-selective. The school is warm, nurturing and inclusive, yet there is real academic rigour, driven by the talented and committed teaching staff. Pupils also enjoy an extensive and creative co-curricular programme, with over fifty clubs on offer during the week. Visitors to Hornsby House often notice the confidence, good manners and exemplary behaviour of the children and they frequently comment upon the wonderful feel of the school.

 Hurlingham is an independent co-educational Prep School in London for ages 2-11. The School’s ethos is to provide a happy, secure atmosphere in which children can be the best that they can be. Our experienced, dedicated and enthusiastic staff provide opportunities for the children which strongly promote creativity and independence of thought; we feel these are essential attributes for a child growing up in the 21st Century.

 Kensington Prep School is an award-winning prep school for 4-11 year old girls in Fulham. Set in an acre of land with a spacious playground with netball and tennis courts, the school’s ethos is ‘growing great minds’ that are curious and creative, happy and healthy. There is a warm nurturing atmosphere and the school wins praise for its outstanding academic results and pastoral care. Facilities are cutting-edge with a multi-screen Explore Floor and fully equipped specialist rooms for Music, Science, Drama, Art and IT, and a large library stocked with over 10,000 books. Girls go on to some of the best senior schools in London and the country. Entry is selective by assessment. The main point of entry is 4+ with registration required up to a year before entry.   

The Merlin School is a creative and nurturing co-educational Pre-Prep School located in the heart of Putney, in a beautiful Victorian house. They offer a warm and homely atmosphere where all staff take time to engage with our children. The school motto is ‘have a go’ and they aim to evoke a thirst for learning, encouraging curiosity in the world around us. Whilst Maths and English underpin the syllabus, they very much delight in the breadth and depth of subjects taught here. Despite being non-selective, Merlin children make excellent progress and go on to a range of prestigious Prep Schools. 

Brighton College Prep, an independent preparatory school based in the heart of Kensington for children aged 3 - 11 years, features a high tech science lab and a Makerspace, as well as offering an exceptional learning environment for your child to grow in the arts, music, sport and drama. It is also the only central London preparatory school offering two acres of private gardens. 

They say: "we have one aim, to give each pupil an education which enables them to flourish. We want to foster a love of learning within each child, for them to be curious and ambitious so that they leave us confident and excited about the future."

 Ursuline Preparatory School, Wimbledon, is an ‘Excellent’ rated small and successful Roman Catholic Independent School for girls aged 3-11 with a co-educational Nursery. They welcome children of all faiths and none, in the belief that their Ursuline ethos will be of benefit to all. As a non-selective school, they are proud to produce exceptional academic results. Ursuline pupils enjoy a rich diversity of experiences with an 11+ preparation curriculum, full sporting programme, music, art, drama, and developed range of extra-curricular activities, ensuring a full and varied provision.  Main entry points are Nursery, Reception and Year 3 with occasional spaces in other year groups.

 Located in Central London, Eaton Square Senior School is a co-educational day school from Years 7 – 11. As the only independent senior school in Mayfair, we provide a warm, welcoming and supportive environment in the heart of our bustling capital. We ensure each student feels valued and develops self-confidence, teamwork, and social responsibility: all of which are essential preparation for life beyond school. Students enjoy a vast range of academic and co-curricular opportunities. London is truly our classroom and we make the most of the many museums, galleries, theatres, sporting venues, historic buildings, and Royal Parks we have on our doorstep. We have also just recently announced the launch of our vibrant and modern new Sixth Form, opening in September 2022. 

 Occupying a magical campus in the heart of Wimbledon, Hall School Wimbledon (HSW) is a non-selective, co-educational independent school for pupils aged 7 to 18. Under new leadership, HSW delivers a contemporary and inclusive education in a caring environment, empowering all pupils to flourish and become independent learners. An outstanding pastoral care system supports pupils’ health and self-worth, while an exciting and tailored curriculum, delivered by characterful teachers, encourages intellectual curiosity and the building of lifelong learning skills.  

 Ibstock Place School (for pupils aged 4-18), based on the edge of Richmond Park in South West London. The School has a strong community ethos, and provides a rich variety of opportunity for all its pupils in a friendly, supportive, and inclusive atmosphere. Pupils thrive in an environment which fosters a sense of honesty, integrity, a genuine sense of tolerance, courtesy, and respect. The School has a long tradition of co-education and a strong emphasis on community, looking outward as well as inward. Beyond the formal curriculum, there is a wealth of opportunities for pupils. In a supportive, co-educational environment, each pupil can do something impressive and become someone impressive. 

 Kensington Park School is a small, independent, co-educational day and boarding school for students aged 11 to 18, set in the heart of cosmopolitan London, where academic excellence and co-curricular provision are reinforced by strong community values. We aim to support the individual interests and talents of students within the formal curriculum, fostering pupils that are excited, challenged, and inspired to face the challenges of the ever-changing world around them. Our main points of entry are 11+, 13+, and 16+, though occasional places in other year groups may be available. 

 Kew House School (KHS) is a co-educational, independent senior school for pupils aged 11-18 years. KHS takes a modern and pioneering approach to every aspect of school life. The school recognises and enhances the individual abilities of each child, welcoming pupils with varying academic profiles and placing emphasis on confidence, self-esteem and creativity.

In September 2017, KHS opened a Sixth Form Independent Learning Centre, which benefits from a beautifully designed library, café, roof terrace, audio-visual suite, recording studio and seminar rooms. The school is also equipped with state-of-the-art studios for art, drama and DT as well as music, science and computing labs and onsite football and basketball facilities. Just a short walk from the River Thames, rowing is also part of the curriculum.

Knightsbridge School is a co-educational independent day school for children aged 3-16, located in the heart of London. Guided by the KS Code, the school fosters care, personal growth, and a strong sense of community. KS offers a warm, supportive environment where children thrive academically and personally, without the pressure of an academic hothouse. With over 70 extracurricular clubs and a “can-do” spirit, the school provides a truly rounded education. Committed to local engagement, KS partners with nearby schools and leads initiatives like food banks and mental health support, emphasizing happiness and community as the foundation for learning. 

 Situated on the banks of the River Thames, it is one of the country’s leading co-educational, independent day schools. An academically selective school, it offers a continuity of outstanding learning and pastoral support for 1,400 children from 7-18 years old. The long-running bursary scheme ensures a first class education to academically able students from all walks of life. The world-class facilities enable this dynamic community of talented young people to combine the highest academic achievement with excellence in the performing arts and sport. Latymer values and respects diversity; it is modern and forward-thinking; it promotes a global outlook and prepares pupils to live lives of consequence as mindful citizens of the world.

 Academically high-achieving, rounded and responsible, Putney is as down-to-earth as it is dynamic. We have an ethos of ‘modern scholarship’ which makes learning challenging, fun, and relevant. Lessons are inspiring, exploring everything from entrepreneurship and oracy to designing a sustainable future. For us, wellbeing is key to everything, from innovative Biophilic Classroom design to our Breathe environmental programme. Whoever they are or want to be, students build friendships and develop their intellect knowing they are valued and have the opportunity to make a difference.

 Queen's Gate are a small, friendly school; both the Junior and Senior Schools take advantage of shared resources, and many lessons, such as Science, STEM and our six languages, are taught by specialist teachers. From 4 to 18, pupils of all ages mix happily and work together. From a historic corner of South Kensington, the whole of London is on their doorstep, and they make full use of the advantages this great city offers in  teaching and enrichment activities.