St Michael's Preparatory School A GSG School
- St Michael's Preparatory School
Otford Court
Row Dow
Otford
Sevenoaks
Kent
TN14 5RY - Head: Nik Pears
- T 01959 522137
- E [email protected]
- W www.stmichaels.kent.sch.uk
- An independent school for boys and girls aged from 2 to 13.
- Read about the best schools in West Kent and East Kent
- Boarding: No
- Local authority: Kent
- Pupils: 483
- Religion: Anglican/Church of England
- Fees: £14,520 - £17,655 pa
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
- ISI report: View the ISI report
What The Good Schools Guide says..
Broadly non-selective and mixed ability, it is a caring family school with a strong sense of community where safeguarding and wellbeing are part of the ethos. Most families are professional with a large international contingent and range from the very wealthy to those who make huge sacrifices to send their children here. Great trouble is taken to help parents choose a senior school which is right for their child - significant numbers leave at 11+ for the grammars and about 40 per cent stay on until 13+. The school motto is ‘The Joy and Wonder of Learning’ and there is an emphasis on learning through fun…
What the school says...
Joy is at the heart of life at St Michael’s: the joy of our children, the joy of our community and the Joy and Wonder of Learning. St Michael’s is driven by a passionate belief in the value and power of learning: for children, for teachers, for parents and everyone who comes into contact with us.
St Michael’s is an inclusive school where each individual is known, valued and celebrated. We want our children to embrace each day and be inspired by their lessons and co-curricular activities.
We believe in providing a rounded education where children can pursue their passions, challenge themselves and enjoy a creative and innovative curriculum. We are continually looking for ways to improve our curriculum and facilities, making them more vibrant, inspiring and in step with our ever-changing world. Access to our 100 acre site plays an important role in the pupils’ learning and growth, developing them into mindful and knowledgeable citizens who will care for their environments throughout their lives.
Our growth mindset approach to teaching and learning ensures that every child understands the value of failure in their path to success. St Michael’s children are not afraid to get things wrong, or judgemental of others’ mistakes, and this is something they carry with them.
Our school motto: perseverantia, sapientia, gratia (perseverance, wisdom and gratitude) encapsulates our ethos of striving for success and using our skills to make a difference. These values are instilled daily throughout the St Michael’s journey.
We strongly believe that in order to teach our children about the importance of life-long learning, we must first model this ourselves. Our staff undergo regular professional development and parents are also invited to a range of workshops on relevant topics.
We are confident that when our pupils move on from St Michael’s, they will use the wisdom, skills and values that we taught them to make a positive change in the world. ...Read more
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Other features
All-through school (for example 3-18 years). - An all-through school covers junior and senior education. It may start at 3 or 4, or later, and continue through to 16 or 18. Some all-through schools set exams at 11 or 13 that pupils must pass to move on.
What The Good Schools Guide says
Head
Since 2021, Nik Pears. He was educated at St Dunstan’s College in south-east London and is a Cambridge music graduate. He started his career at Sevenoaks Prep where he was head of music and rugby and after a brief foray running a music business in London, he returned as head of the pre-prep. Thence to Kent College, Pembury as head of the prep school. He is married to Emma, a musician, management consultant and recently published author; they have two teenage children.
He arrived at St Michael’s in January 2021 and the first thing he had to do was lock down the school. He is well liked and highly regarded and is a visible presence around the school. He is also keen to engage with parents and has a genuine open-door policy: his office is beside the front door with wonderful views over the Kent countryside. ‘He knows the children well,’ says a parent, and is ‘easy to talk to and has given the school a new lease of life’. ‘He is open to new ideas but has firm boundaries and parents know where they stand.’ His weekly videos are popular with parents and children alike. He was a keen sportsman and represented Kent U18s at rugby but nowadays he says it is more about watching than playing. He is also an accomplished musician and has performed at the O2 and Wembley Arena. He is an ISI inspector and a former governor of Dulwich Prep at Cranbrook. When not working, he loves skiing, music and travel. He is also involved with several charities and is an ambassador for We See Hope, a charity working with orphans and vulnerable young people in Sub-Saharan Africa. For the latter, he set up the Social Entrepreneur project which encourages children to get involved with fundraising and to consider the world beyond their immediate environment.
Entrance
Broadly non-selective and mixed ability - a child would only be turned away if the school felt they would not make adequate progress. Most children join in the nursery and come for settling-in sessions. Fourteen places kept for those joining in reception and a handful join in year 7, mainly from prep schools that end at 11+ and primary schools. As part of the admissions process, the school considers reports and references for those joining in year 1 and above. Spaces do sometimes become available at other times. International parents who can’t visit can have virtual meeting with the head.
Exit
The most popular destinations at 13+ are Sevenoaks, Radnor House and Caterham, followed by Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, Walthamstow Hall, Tonbridge, Sutton Valence, Kent College Pembury and Benenden. A good clutch of scholarships each year including academic, music, art and sport (11 in 2023). Significant numbers leave at 11+ for the grammars as well as Sevenoaks and Caterham. Great trouble is taken to help parents choose a school which is right for their child with realistic and honest conversations starting in year 5. The head has good relationships with the major secondary schools in the area and the school hosts a senior schools fair every three years. About half of pupils take the Kent test to the grammars but some of those who pass choose to stay on at St Michael’s for the last two years. About 40 per cent stay until 13+.
Our view
The school was founded in 1872 in New Cross and moved to its present site, a former hunting lodge set in 100 acres, in 1925. The main building, which houses the prep school, is red-brick Victorian Gothic complete with panelling and stained glass, as well as a turret. It is only 25 miles from London and not far from the M25 but is in an oasis of countryside with magnificent views over the Weald of Kent with hardly a house in sight. It has a warm family feel with portraits of former heads all the way up the stairs. Children’s artwork is displayed around the school with each leaver painting a moment in their time at St Michael’s - we were particularly impressed with the glass fusion pieces.
Year 2 have their own space in the recently converted stable block known as Stable Court, which eases their transition from the pre-prep to the prep school.
The pre-prep was opened in the 1980s and now has its own purpose-built block. It is a building ahead of its time, arranged round an ancient copper beech tree, with a living green roof and a ground source heat pump. Plate glass doors and glass-fronted balconies bring the outdoors into the classrooms. It has its own assembly hall and dining room with teachers sitting at each table to encourage good table manners. Specialist French, music and PE teachers come down from the prep school and children can use the prep school facilities. Children can play in the original walled garden, climb the apple trees and make mud pies in the mud kitchen. Just beyond the playground is the ever-popular forest school where children go in all weathers and can learn how to take risks and make camps and toast marshmallows over the campfire.
It is a kind, caring, family school with a strong sense of community. ‘Children feel valued and know that their voices matter,’ says a parent. The school subscribes to growth mindset - children must be able to make mistakes and learn from them. ‘It has heart and warmth,’ says a parent and both staff and parents really care about the school.
The school motto is ‘The Joy and Wonder of Learning’ and there is an emphasis on learning through fun which we saw in action in a year 3 science lesson where children were investigating magnets – it looked terrific fun and there was much laughter. We called in at a year 3 French lesson where everyone was singing and repeating words – again it looked great fun and the children hardly knew they were learning. There was a more serious atmosphere on the senior landing where children were composing letters to their French pen pals. In the ICT department, known as the Turing Suite, children learn how to build websites and were working on how to make spreadsheets easier to read by using different coloured backgrounds. Year 6 children can become Digital Leaders and teach their peers about online safety and some attend a training day at Bluewater Apple Centre so they can run the genius bar at school.
Class sizes are a maximum of 18 in both the prep and pre-prep and children are setted for maths from year 3 with all other lessons being mixed ability until year 5. Most learn Latin from year 6 and there is a popular and growing Mandarin club.
Like many schools, St Michael’s has moved away from preparing children for Common Entrance at 13+ and have instead put together the St Michael’s Diploma with input from Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Caterham. It is awarded at the end of year 8 and as well as academic excellence it assesses critical thinking, collaboration, perseverance and commitment. Children work on presentations, cross-curricular study and group work and there is less emphasis on learning by heart. Pupils still follow the maths and English Common Entrance curriculum and a mix of CE and national curriculum in science. It also takes away the stress of Common Entrance and is well regarded by senior schools as it teaches children how to think. There is lots of practice in verbal and non-verbal reasoning for ISEB pre-tests.
Children are stretched and challenged – the school offers internal scholarships and often these scholars go on to win scholarships to their senior schools; there are even special clubs for scholars.
A loyal band of staff; most stay about five or six years but a number have been with the school for over 20 years. There is a good range of age and experience and there is always room for new blood and fresh ideas. ‘They really get to know the children and bring out their talents,’ says a parent.
The school takes its environmental responsibilities seriously. It has recently appointed an environmental and sustainability lead and environmental awareness is incorporated into lessons like geography and science.
The learning development department is central to the school. Ten to 15 per cent of children are on the register but many have very minor needs. The department works closely with teachers and can support a range of needs. Children are usually supported within the classroom but are sometimes taken out of lessons and work either one-to-one or in small groups. ‘Inclusivity is important to us and we will do everything possible to support a child,’ says the school. EAL is available if needed.
Safeguarding and wellbeing are part of the ethos of the school. They are the responsibility of all staff with issues being discussed in PSHE and in assemblies. Lots of conversations about mental health and there are two part-time counsellors who support children as needed. There are worry boxes around the school and confide buttons on the computers, and children know who to turn to. There is an e-safety talk for children at the beginning of every year for each year group. The school sees itself as working in partnership with parents who are kept up to date via emails and newsletters and can attend workshops including online safety and the perils of social media, as well as mental health first aid for children.
Food is prepared on site by Accent Catering and meets with universal praise, especially fish and chip Fridays; match teas are apparently the best in the area.
Vertical house system with a strong house identity ensures children mix with other year groups and there is keen rivalry on sports days as well as house music and drama competitions.
St Michael’s is a sporty school but ‘very inclusive for everyone regardless of ability,’ says a parent. Everyone has the chance to play in a match and they even field a G team. Children learn to win and lose with grace and enjoy themselves on the sports field and all have swimming lessons. U11 boys recently reached the finals of the IAPS and ISFA tournaments and U11 girls are recent national IAPS hockey champions, having beaten Millfield in the final.
There is a wide range of extracurricular activities and children are encouraged to have a go at everything to discover their talents. Most clubs take place at lunchtime and after school - sports, drama and music are very popular, as are judo, dance, chess, coding and website design. Children are able to set up their own clubs if there is something they are particularly interested in.
Over half of pupils learn a musical instrument or sing in one of the eight choirs, some of which are auditioned and some open to everyone for the joy of singing together. There are regular concerts, both small year group events and termly whole-school concerts. The European music tours are a highlight of the musical year including a recent trip to Italy; one to Vienna is in the planning stage.
Busy drama department with one big play every three years and smaller performances in between – The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and Aladdin the musical, with full orchestral support, being two recent shows. Drama scholarships offered to talented thespians in years 7 and 8. There are many other opportunities for confidence building: public speaking including speeches to prospective parents at open days, poetry readings and the LAMDA drama duologue.
Vibrant art department filled with brightly painted umbrellas and an impressive set of tiles celebrating the schools 150th anniversary, in which everyone had a hand.
Wraparound care a boon for working parents. The breakfast club opens at 7.30am and the Hive after-school club is open until 7pm. The Hive is open for children from reception to year 8 and has its own kitchen where children can have high tea. There are two rules: no television and no homework. There is usually a waiting list and parents are advised to book early.
Our guides couldn’t think of anyone who wouldn’t fit in. They said it is good for music, actors, sporty types, arty types, academic types and also good for coding and tech. ‘All four of my children come home smiling at the end of the day,’ says a parent.
Most come from the Sevenoaks area and surrounding villages although some come from as far as Dartford. There is as yet no school minibus service. Most families are professional and range from the very wealthy to those who make huge sacrifices to send their children here. Many are London commuters from the world of finance, media, sport and the arts. Parents know what they want and are generally very supportive – academic achievement is important to them. There is an increasingly diverse parent body including many international families who have settled in the area and the school is welcoming to all. The International Club for returning ex-pats and international families celebrates diverse heritage and individual expertise. ‘It is almost impossible not to make friends,’ says a parent, ‘although it is not cliquey and socialising is not obligatory.’ Loyal parent body – very few leave the school – hence few spaces become available outside standard entry points at St Michael’s.
Winter Olympics gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold is probably the best known former pupil.
Money matters
Range of scholarships including academic, drama, sport and music for entry into year 7. Bursaries are also available for those in need subject to the school’s ability to fund them. St Michael’s has recently offered two free places to Ukranian refugees.
The last word
The school holds its own in the very competitive Sevenoaks market where parents are discerning and will vote with their feet if not happy. Not only do children do well here but it seems a genuinely nurturing and happy place to grow up.
Special Education Needs
Leavers' destinations
School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sevenoaks School | 2023 | 9 | 1 | Art Scholarship |
Caterham School | 2023 | 6 | 2 | Sports Scholarship; Drama Scholarship |
Radnor House School | 2023 | 6 | 1 | Music Scholarship |
Kent College, Pembury | 2023 | 4 | 2 | Sports Scholarships (2) |
Tonbridge School | 2023 | 4 | ||
Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys | 2023 | 4 | ||
Sutton Valence School | 2023 | 3 | 1 | Sports Exhibition |
The Judd School | 2023 | 3 | ||
Walthamstow Hall Senior | 2023 | 3 | 1 | Art Scholarship |
Benenden School | 2023 | 2 | 1 | Sports Scholarship |
Bede's Senior School | 2023 | 1 | 1 | Sports Scholarship |
Cheltenham Ladies' College | 2023 | 1 | ||
Cobham Hall | 2023 | 1 | ||
Dartford Grammar School | 2023 | 1 | ||
Eastbourne College | 2023 | 1 | 1 | Sports Scholarship |
Epsom College | 2023 | 1 | ||
Hurstpierpoint College | 2023 | 1 | 1 | Sports Scholarship |
Invicta Grammar School | 2023 | 1 | ||
St Olave's Grammar School | 2023 | 1 | ||
St Peter's School, York | 2023 | 1 | ||
The Ryde School | 2023 | 1 |
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