Oakwood School

Oakwood School is a prep school just north of the Sussex town of Chichester. After following a meandering woodland drive you find the school ‘cradled’ between fields, trees and woods – where could you find a more welcoming and secure place to leave your children to be educated and nurtured? The position and grounds of the school also allow for many extra environmental studies and the school makes full use of them including woodland walks, environment days and Mr McGregor’s garden where vegetables are grown....and enjoyed!
The school prides itself in treating each child as an individual, so that all can reach their full potential. Everyone is given the chance to be involved in the curriculum at their own level, and praise and encouragement are at the heart of everything the pupils do. Opportunities abound in all areas of the curriculum and each child is encouraged to ‘have a go’ within the caring nature of the environment without the fear of failure. Self confidence then grows in a positive and happy way. Indeed it is a remarkable achievement that every child in the Upper School is given the opportunity to represent the school in team sports.
Staff and pupils have an excellent relationship. Respect and politeness are expected at all times and the children are happy to approach and talk with a member of staff if they need to. The Headmaster, Mr Kittermaster, and his staff provide a very happy school with a family atmosphere. The level of education is superb with specialist teachers involved from Nursery upwards . I have two children at the school who tell me ‘Oakwood is the best’ and I have been amazed at the many opportunites and experiences they have been offered. After moving to the area I only needed to visit one school before I knew where I wanted my children to go. Oakwood has lived up to all our hopes and expectations.

Fiona Yeomans
November 2008

I have 2 children currently at Oakwood, one in Kindergarten and one in Year 2. My initial reasons for choosing Oakwood were the caring ethos of the school, the sense of community and the focus on the individual development of each child. My eldest is fairly reserved in character and I was concerned that in a larger school she would be able to take a back seat and not achieve her potential.

Two years on and Oakwood has not only met my expectations but far exceeded them. I have seen my children achieve high academic standards and watched their confidence grow beyond anything I had imagined. The reasons why I believe Oakwood is such a successful school are:-

The dedicated and enthusiastic team led by Johnnie Kittermaster. Johnnie joined the school 2 years ago and you only have to talk to him to understand how much he cares about the children. He believes in challenging children to be the best they can but is equally passionate about children having a proper childhood. The children at Oakwood work hard but they also have so much fun, they are to allowed to be children and are not stifled by the rigidity of the curriculum or the more ridiculous aspects of Health and Safety Legislation. When it snows you will find Oakwood children enjoying the snow, not cooped up inside in case they slip and fall. If the deer appear in the woods the children will stop their lessons and go and have a look. In the autumn they have conker competitions and in the spring they go and enjoy the beautiful bluebells in the woods.

Johnnie has recruited some new members of staff and has worked with existing staff to build up a very strong team in the pre-prep department. Children at Oakwood are not given the option not to take part, nor are they allowed to fail. Each child takes part in their class assemblies which they perform in front of the whole school and parents. Children are given a role which they can cope with but which will also build their confidence gradually. They receive star badges for good performance and they stand up on stage to receive these to the cheers of the rest of the school, even the kindergarten children get into the spirit of it. Nativity plays, spring concerts and sports days all help to build up children’s confidence and add to the enjoyment of school life.

Sport is an equally important part of school life, the pre-prep head Yvonne Lee has brought in lots of new ideas and every child from Nursery upwards receives specialist PE teaching. Sports day this year was such good entertainment for competitors and spectators, it struck the right balance between celebrating excellence and effort. Oakwood has an indoor pool and all the children have weekly swimming lessons. Swimming and ballet are the highlights of my girls’ week.

After school and at lunchtimes, there are a wide range of additional activities provided for children, yoga, dance, speech and drama, gymnastics, music and fencing are just a few. If your child has an interest you can almost guarantee there is an after school club they can take part in. The difficulty is in explaining to your children that they can’t do everything on the list!


The final point I would like to make is Oakwood’s physical location. I know that in all the “how to choose a school” guides the advice is not to be blinded by the setting but Oakwood is just so beautiful. It is set in stunning woodlands and every day as we drive up to school we look at the trees, flowers and birds and how it all changes with the seasons. The children get lots of opportunity to explore and enjoy the wonderful surroundings. The setting doesn’t make the school but it does offer something which many other schools can’t. When I chose Oakwood I looked at one other school which I felt was equally good but as it was in the middle of town it could not offer the kind of environment I wanted for my children.

Oakwood School is a perfect Prep School in the heart of West Sussex. The children at Oakwood are nurtured, encouraged and motivated throughout their time at the school. The teachers are passionate and the ethos at Oakwood is to teach through kindness. I have two very different children who attend Oakwood School in Chichester. My daughter is quite shy, yet the fabulous teaching at Oakwood has given her the confidence to step out of her comfort zone and try new things; imagine my pride when she stood up in front of the whole school and sang a solo. My son is confident and loves reading and the teachers ability to treat every child as an individual as meant that he has been extended in this area and is now reading well above his chronological age. The beauty about Oakwood is that they truly believe that every child is an individual and they are treated is that way. Confidence is at the heart of everything they do and every child is allowed their moment in the sunshine. It is a magical school with a wonderful and dedicated team of staff, led by an inspirational Headmaster, Johnnie Kittermaster. Once you have visited Oakwood, I can guarantee you would want your children to become part of the family and you will never want them to leave.

Both my children attend Oakwood and I could not be happier with the school. The facilities are wonderful (walks in the woodland, use of the numerous playing fields, weekly swimming in the pool, assembly in the theatre, use of the gorgeous library etc etc!) and the attitude is caring, supportive and encouraging. My children have individual attention in small classes to make sure that they get the support and/or challenges they need and they are just soaking up the teaching like little sponges! They are happy, confident and love going to school, and I feel very much part of the friendly Oakwood family.
I particularly love the Main House - a proper prep school building, with creaky floorboards, a cosy open fire in the winter and a gorgeous wood panelled library.
I can't imagine sending my children anywhere else.

My 2 children have been attending Oakwood School in Chichester for the past 3 years. The school has many strengths - it provides a caring nurturing atmosphere for the children to learn in. The quality of the teaching is excellent. The teachers have encouraged and worked hard with the children to achieve some really great academic successes, whilst at the same time making them feel they are actually having fun! The school itself and the grounds are wonderful and the children are encouraged to explore and find their own adventures and fun at play time.

We got a new headmaster (Johnnie Kittermaster) 2 years ago who has proved to be a great success, and whilst raising the general academic standards of the school, has also put in place some great new initiatives such as the redevelopment of the assembly/drama hall, and the introduction of swimming for all at least once a week. He has done this with a huge amount of enthusiasm and friendliness. He (and all the teaching staff) are all entirely approachable about any matter. Mr Kittermaster also throws himself into the actual teaching - coaching football, teaching geography and other subjects and even offering one to one support for children who are struggling.

We are very sad our daughter will have to move on at the end of the year (she is in Year 6).

On a final note when we first visited the school we were moving back to the UK from abroad and were being driven around all the schools in the area. The driver of our car had sat outside each school and waited for us at each appointment. When we asked him what he thought, he said we should choose Oakwood because the children there all looked the happiest!! (We did of course use other factors when choosing!! However, what we all want for our children is for them to be happy)

I have 3 children at Oakwood Prep School in Chichester 2 in Nursery and 1 in reception, and would highly recommend this school

Through a recent change of headmaster, the school has vastly increased it's level of academic teaching whilst maintaining a unique, warm and caring atomosphere. The teachers have a genuine care for their work and always seem to go to great lengths to provide individual attention where required.

The head of Foundation level and head of pre prep are always coming up with new initiatives to keep the even the youngest of pupils interested in learning with a fun approach.

The grounds and facilities at Oakwood are quite stunning and provide a fantastic, safe environment in which the children can explore their growing years. The children have a wide choice of sports facilities including a swimming pool, tennis courts and various pitches.

I have certainly recommended Oakwood to many friends, as I believe Mr Kittermaster to be an outstanding Headmaster, and I trust my children are having the best possible education through his leadership.

Oakwood School is an exceptional school set in beautiful grounds. We relocated to West Sussex fifteen months ago and we feel very fortunate to have found Oakwood. Both of our children have flourished and excelled there. They are thriving in a happy school which has high educational expectations.

The curriculam at Oakwood School inspires and motivates. It is challenging yet balanced, meeting the requirements for each child through dedicated teaching, small classes, fabulous resources and good leadership. Each child has individual targets; progress and assessment is measured and well reported back to each individual and their parents. Pastoral support is superb; Oakwood staff and pupils are friendly, caring and thoughtful. Staff are experienced, helpful and very approachable. Pupil and parent networks are supportive and welcoming.

Oakwood also offers very good extra curricular activities, the choice and range is superb. The school offers a unique flexi boarding, where children in the upper school can board on a nightly or weekly basis as appropriate or necessary. My child loved her night at school in the capable hands of the resident house parents. Both my children will be going on educational residential holidays with Oakwood this year and they are planning to book on next years ski trip together!

It is quite difficult to sum up what Oakwood School is or does in a few paragraphs because what it achieves can not be fully described in such a way. I see and experience what Oakwood School achieves each morning when I watch my children chattering away as they go into school and every afternoon when I collect them. I have two very happy settled children who are learning in a fabulous creative learning environment.

THis is a really lovely school with a very happy, family atmosphere. The teachers are extremely nurturing and always really encouraging. The headmaster, Mr Kittermaster has a lovely vision for the school, enpowering the children to learn but also to respect and care for others.
One of the other things I especially like about Oakwood is that the children do a lot of outside activities from walking in the woods to swimming once a week throughout the year. This is mostly scheduled in the afternoons just when their attention span for learning is wearing off! I think this gives a great balance of work and 'play' and the children at Oakwood are very fit, healthy and happy as a result..there's also great clubs from bike to science club. I'd thoroughly recommend the school to anyone thinking of moving school!

It takes a lot of write a glowing reference but very little to complain so I am amazed by how many Oakwood 'fans' have written in to you at The Good Schools Guide.
I am an active Grandparent at Oakwood and wanted to let you know what a fantastic school it is. The whole family feel welcome at Oakwood where edcuation is truely seen as a partnership.
My two grandchildren are happy, well educated and are growing in confidence. At too many 'smart' prep schools, you only see 'polished performances' and only the top children are picked for teams and other events, but the Headmaster at Oakwood actively encourages everyone to take part, every child to play in a team and every individual to enjoy 'their moment in the sunshine'.
Oakwood children are wonderful. The Headmaster is truely inspirational and leads a tight ship which is forging forward. The results are fantastic and every child reaches their potential. As paying clients, what more could we ask???
I hope you get to see the school in action one day.

Both of our children have been at Oakwood since the start of their schooling. The oldest one left last year after 7 happy years and the youngest has just over a year to go. When choosing between the local Prep Schools we were immediately struck by the warm and friendly atmosphere around the school. At the time the school was known for this but perhaps other schools in the area were seen as more academic in the later years. Since Johnny Kittermaster took over as Head a few years ago he has worked to keep the 'Oakwood spirit' but has combined this with upgrading the teaching staff to ensure that every child reaches their full potential. The other important factor when we were choosing a school was that were were adamant we did not want to send our children to a boarding school after Prep school. Since we were therefore looking at the local independent day schools starting at 11 (Portsmouth Grammar, Churcher;s College etc) we did not want to send our children to a Prep School where an increasing percentage of their peers would be boarding in later years to prepare them for full boarding at 13. Given that our children would be sitting 11+ exams, we also wanted a school that was set up to prepare children for that test rather than Common Entrance at 13. Recent results show that Oakwood is the pre-eminent Prep School in the area for entry into Independent Day schools at 11. As well as the increasingly impressive results, Oakwood still brings out the best in its pupils. Everyone is expected to take part in assemblies, sports, drama and music evenings and the kids are a very well-rounded, happy and confident bunch. Our son is thriving in his senior school and has settled in very quickly. This shows us that Oakwood has done a fantastic job preparing children for whatever they face in the future. Oakwood has exceeded our expectations. If you want a great prep school near Chichester to prepare your children for independent day school, Oakwood is the best.

I think Oakwood is a fantastic school. My son has only had 1 year here so far and I think it is a lovely school, in beautiful settings with great teachers. The children are all so happy and polite. It is a great joy to drive down the long driveway to school. I also think the ethos of the children is lovely, they all seem to grow up to be really lovely bigger children. My only wish is that they would build a secondary school!!!