Parkside School A GSG School

Sports

Unusual sports

Polo

Shooting

What The Good Schools Guide says

Headmistress

Since 2019, Nicole Janssen, music degree and PGCE from Kingston, was previously deputy head at Longacre, Bramley and Calverton school, Newham (when it was voted most improved school in the country). She has also worked with the former Chief Inspector of Schools and Head of Ofsted, Sir Michael Wilshaw.

‘Approachable, honest, down to earth’ are some parental comments. Warm, friendly and confident, she cares about her pupils and ‘wants to invest in boys and give them a really good education’. Another parent commented, ‘She doesn’t beat around the bush, says what she thinks, it is brilliant as boys know exactly where they stand with her.’ One pupil said she tells you, ‘Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference and never, never give up.’ Teaches maths to year 5 so she has ‘a real understanding of the boys’. She is clearly liked and respected by staff ‘she is so open and honest’, the staff room had a relaxed and friendly atmosphere in her presence. The feeling is mutual, Ms Janssen told us she ‘has the best staff ever’. Certainly, no trace of complacency: ‘I won’t rest on my laurels.’ Instead, she asks herself ‘What can I do better next year?’

At a young age Ms Janssen’s piano teacher had such a profound effect on her that she was the catalyst for her to go into teaching, giving her a desire to empower and inspire others through education. She still enjoys playing the piano and loves dinner parties with her friends and especially with her adult daughter who shares her love of theatre and skiing.

Entrance

A non-selective mixed nursery from 2 years old, currently with a 3:1 ratio of boys to girls further places are available from reception with ‘gentle selection’ states the head with an informal taster day, short assessment in maths and reading. Prep has two form entry with classes split into three sets.

Exit

Very few at 11, mainly at 13. Parents are confident that the head and staff ‘know the boys so well and what school is best for them’. The process is ‘relaxed and honest’ said one, another told us ‘Communication is excellent.’ Leavers go on to an impressive list of schools including Tonbridge, Epsom, Charterhouse, Reigate Grammar, Reed’s, Royal Grammar School, St John’s and Halliford. Eleven boys, just over a third of the year group, were awarded scholarships in 2024.

Our view

Located just outside Cobham, Parkside’s 45-acre site is steeped in history that includes kings, queens and noblemen. The Manor (main school building) is on the north bank of the River Mole, also home to St Mary’s, the oldest church in Surrey dating back to the 7th century. An impressive and elegant entrance hall with stunning oak panelling and a vast staircase allows plenty of space to showcase pupils’ artwork and cars created by year 5 in DT, along with a cabinet proudly showing off an impressive array of shiny trophies.

Nursery is located on the ground floor of the barn with its own dedicated play area, music room and library. Pupils were engaged in a range of activities including phonic spaghetti and a hot cross bun numbers song. We noted the cute sleeping area, with comfy mattresses complete with fitted sheets for the little ones. Parkside holiday school means the nursery is open all year round, a real benefit for working parents.

Pre-prep classrooms are along a smart refurbished corridor, light and airy with views of the grounds, decorated with dragons in celebration of Lunar New Year. There’s an inviting library with bean bags and a relaxing breakout room used for yoga, reading, chess and other clubs. Boys were seen using their maths skills weighing flour to make bread. Pre-prep has its own dedicated outdoor playing area.

The prep school area named the Crescent consists of classrooms over two floors both facing the courtyard, with its own library of over 4,000 books. An additional reference library was near completion at the time of our visit. Prep curriculum centres around a curiosity led teaching and learning philosophy a programme designed to develop transferable skills as well as subject knowledge. In the IT suite we saw year 8 boys actively engaged in an enterprise class, creatively working on developing branding strategies for an ice cream shop, combining business and IT skills. Food tech was a hive of activity with boys preparing shortcrust pastry, using their culinary dexterity along with integrated elements of maths and English, apples are used from the school orchard to make apple crumble and sauces. Our tour guides told us about the ‘Parkside bake-off’ and a year 4 pupil who has his own YouTube cooking channel. Two well-equipped science labs, drawers teeming with a wide array of equipment where we saw pupils conducting experiments with the Bunsen burners for hands-on exploration. In design and technology year 8 boys were designing a bedroom from a concept created on an iPad and then building a scaled down version of the room with a budget of £1,500. Some were furnished with televisions, others with brightly coloured wallpaper and sofas - each year group works on a different project. The art room was filled with clay clocks and mosaics inspired by Van Gogh.

Parents say it’s a school where ‘boys can be boys’. The outdoor forest schools, yes that’s schools plural, are some of the best we have seen with wooded areas for bug hunts and den building, an undercover learning zone storing tools and copious amounts of equipment. Forest school is taught to pupils from nursery to year 8 giving an opportunity to work in teams and participate in problem solving which is a central aspect of the school’s curriculum. We saw trails made with leaves, stick towers and whittling, also an area transformed to an open air theatre where fairy lights weave through trees for a year 8 production of Lord of the Flies. Covid saw the introduction of an outdoor classroom with timber benches as desks, a whiteboard and firepit, it was such a winner that it is still very much used. Our tour guides excitedly showed us the recently opened outdoor wooden play area including a balance beam, slide and spinning log. The boys told us proudly that the head boy cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony.

Learning enrichment (SEN) supports dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and speech and language (18 per cent of pupils) offering a different approach to the norm with smaller sets in maths and English groups of three to six rather than individual support, along with booster groups and sessions for emotional literacy. A parent told us, ‘They just do it, they get on with it for the added benefit for my son.’ Pupils are given a Parkside passport so that staff can see each child’s needs and struggles. A parent told us how her son’s English comprehension had been sent home enlarged to A3 with a bigger font to make it easier for him to understand, ‘It’s the small things they do that make the difference.’ Head of enrichment mentioned that ‘there has been a significant increased focus on pupil well-being since covid’.

Large grounds comfortably accommodate impressive sporting facilities with tennis courts, cricket nets, numerous outdoor pitches, a sports centre and an indoor 22m indoor swimming pool fully equipped with diving boards. At Parkside ‘everyone swims’, starting from the tiny tots in the nursery - swimming is seen as a life skill, not just a sport. Weekly fixtures for A – D teams with some notable sporting success including back-to-back Surrey football champions in years 7 and 8 and IAPS swimming. Core sports include the usual football (strong links to Chelsea football club next door is a real bonus, likewise London Irish rugby) rugby, hockey, cricket and tennis. Parents say, ‘Everyone has an opportunity to play in a team and everyone feels as important as each other, not just the A team.’ ‘Sport is amazing, much improved and the head of sport is so passionate.’ Additional clubs include yoga, fencing, trail bike riding, shooting target and for the budding golfer an offsite club at Pachesham golf (some clubs are charged extra).

‘Knocked me off my feet’ said one parent when asked about the drama at Parkside, ‘It opened up a side to my son I didn’t know existed.’ With an average of eight productions a year across all year groups this is a thriving department. Pupils can audition for the ‘Parkside Players Production’ (gifted and talented) from pre-prep to year 8 which is highly regarded within the school along with the technical side of things where boys are responsible for managing the productions. One boy told us, ‘Drama lets you express yourself without being judged.’ All pupils are offered LAMDA lessons at no extra charge (only pay for the exams). Opportunities for budding musicians include three choirs, junior, senior and chamber (audition required), big band, rock band, orchestra, ukulele group and an acapella group - this was initiated by the pupils. More than 60 boys take individual music lessons.

Parkside has a strong emphasis on kindness, our tour guides described how they are ‘taught to be a good person and have the right ethics’. The school prides itself on its nurturing approach, parents say, ‘It's so kind and warm, the teachers go out of their way to support the boys,’ and ‘Small things such as manners and respect are what make the boys who they are.’

All the pupils we met greeted us with a firm handshake and direct eye contact, highlighting the importance Parkside puts on matters of etiquette and respect. In ‘Gentleman leavers’, a course for years 7 and 8, boys learn what it is to be a ‘gentleman’ including good manners and chivalry, culminating in a celebratory awards dinner at the end of year 7, where boys wield knives and forks with such precision, no doubt many will go on to be surgeons. These awards were introduced in 2019 by Ms Janssen to try to set her pupils apart from others and to stand out as respectful young men. An enchanting concept – at least they are learning to pass the peas instead of catapulting them across the room. Parents approve, ‘My son’s confidence grew enormously, helping him be a young man.’ The head believes, ‘Traditional values such as politeness are character building, creating confident not arrogant boys.’

Year 8 are given ‘endless opportunities to flourish’ one parent told us. The enrichment challenge programme is a blend of traditional and new activities such as wading in the school river, or their own version of Dragons’ Den where boys pitch their business ideas to a panel of staff. ‘Boys are taught more than academics’, parents say, ‘it really helps develop them for senior school.’ Leadership opportunities throughout the school include a head boy in year 8, with several school councillors and committees from year 1 – 8 encompassing e-safety, eco club and food, boys proudly wear badges of recognition on their blazers. Pupils are encouraged to voice their thoughts and follow the school mantra ‘make it happen’. They are recognized for efforts and achievements in and outside school with merits, house points, badges and prizes.

Parkside offers holiday school for nursery and reception during all school breaks from 8am – 6pm with workshops in drama, cricket, football, tennis and swimming clubs. Termly wraparound care from nursery to year 8 from 7:30am – 6pm supports the number of growing working families. Parents are a mix from the Surrey bubble, lawyers, bankers, entrepreneurs, ‘more working mums than before’. It’s a close-knit community, ‘exceptionally welcoming’. Bus services run from East Horsley and Wimbledon.

Money matters

Means tested bursaries are offered on application.

The last word

A popular and successful prep that sends boys off to the big name Surrey schools with a confident handshake and a spring in their step. Parkside parents are purring: ‘The right staff in place for boys’ overall development where the head understands boys and what makes them tick.’

Special Education Needs

We have a Learning Support Department which caters for the specific needs of our pupils. Currently we cater for pupils with Dyslexia and Dyspraxia seeing them on a one to one basis or in small groups when appropriate. The focus of the department is to give them the confidence to achieve their full potential and to develop strategies to deal with their difficulties. We also offer help with organisational skills and study skills. 10-09

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