Skip to main content

What says..

With a school that states boldly in its prospectus, ‘There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing’, you had better be sure your little darlings have a healthy interest in outdoor pursuits. But, as our last visit testified, there is a lot more to the school than that. ‘There was a lot of spoon feeding in the last curriculum. I wanted to throw it out and start again,' says the head. This has been a collaborative venture with parents working as a team – ‘lots of coffee mornings’ – to establish a programme which was...

Read review »

What the school says...

Grimsdell, Mill Hill Pre-Prep is situated in the Green Belt on the boarders of Hertfordshire and Middlesex and just ten miles from Central London. A part of the Mill Hill School Foundation which is set in 160 acres of beautiful grounds, we make extensive use of the outdoors in all subject areas and ‘Forest School’ has a firm place within our curriculum. We provide a happy, secure and rich learning environment for boys and girls aged 3 to 7. Belmont, Mill Hill Preparatory School, is less than a quarter of a mile away and educates pupils from age 7 to 13, the majority of whom move on to the senior school, Mill Hill, which educates boys and girls from age 13 to 18.

We pride ourselves on the exciting and creative curriculum we offer. The children who come here are inspired to learn whilst being encouraged to explore and enjoy their childhood. The boys and girls at Grimsdell learn through hands-on experience. With the support and guidance of professional, caring staff and excellent resources and equipment, each child is encouraged to reach their full potential. Our approach combines traditional skills of reading, writing and mathematics with the breadth and balance offered by an enhanced Early Years Foundation Stage and KS1 Curriculum. Every pupil can enjoy many opportunities offered by learning through Science, Technology and Computing, Art, Drama, Music, PE and French lessons.

The school is housed in a large Victorian building with its own secure play areas and adventure playgrounds, taking advantage of further facilities on the Mill Hill site including a Forest School area, sports fields, swimming pool and theatre.

The usual age of entry is at 3 and 4 years old, but 5 and 6 year olds are considered as vacancies occur. It is expected that most children will pass to Belmont at the end of Year 2.
...Read more

Do you know this school?

The schools we choose, and what we say about them, are founded on parents’ views. If you know this school, please share your views with us.

Please login to post a comment.

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 2014, Kate Simon. Degree in English lit and drama from Sheffield; did her PGCE in Liverpool and cut her teeth working in ‘very tough’ inner city schools. Has known she wanted to teach since she was 14.

‘You have to live and breathe the job, you can’t fake it – it can be emotional and draining, but I love it.’ And she should know, having worked on both sides of the educational spectrum. This is a head who has taught in Stockbridge Village – ‘one of the most deprived areas of Liverpool’ – followed by a stint abroad at an international school in the Cayman Islands (‘beautiful but I missed my busy London life’). A headship of the junior school of the Royal School Hampstead followed between 2002 and 2008,...

Subscribe now for instant access to read The Good Schools Guide review.

Already subscribed? Login here.

Special Education Needs

Grimsdell has a Special Needs Co-ordinator who works with children individually and in small groups. The needs of the pupil may be identified by either the parent or the class teacher and it is the teacher's professional judgement, in consultation with colleagues and his/her understanding and awareness of the individual needs, which is central to the special educational needs provision at Grimsdell.

Condition Provision for in school
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder Y
HI - Hearing Impairment Y
MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty Y
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
PD - Physical Disability
PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health Y
SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication Y
SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty Y
VI - Visual Impairment

Leavers' destinations


Subscribe for instant access to in-depth reviews:

☑ 30,000 Independent, state and special schools in our parent-friendly interactive directory
☑ Instant access to in-depth UK school reviews
☑ Honest, opinionated and fearless independent reviews of over 1,000 schools
☑ Independent tutor company reviews

Try before you buy - The Charter School Southwark

Buy Now

GSG Blog >

The Good Schools Guide newsletter

Educational insight in your inbox. Sign up for our popular newsletters.