Parkgate House School

Parkgate House is one of the few remaining independently owned, family-run schools in southwest London. Unapologetically aspirational for our pupils, parents frequently describe a ‘Parkgate magic’ that delivers year-after-year academic success, a well-rounded education and amazing extracurricular opportunities that stay with pupils for the rest of their lives.

The Parkgate magic is exceptional teaching from our nursery right up to prep 6 in a warm, happy and welcoming environment. It originates from our vision to create a nursery and prep school where every child has the very best teacher from the moment their education begins.

We know that the key to success is to recruit the right people, and research shows that the impact of teacher quality outweighs the impact of any educational programme or policy. Every member of staff is chosen because they meet our bespoke criteria, which enables us to provide the best possible education for your child. Our teachers are highly qualified, dedicated and passionate about what they do, and our programme of continuing professional development ensures that teaching and learning practices are innovative and research-led, whilst building on the traditional aspects of our original vision for an outstanding education.

With specialist teachers, pupils develop a passion for learning and a curiosity about the ever-changing world they live in. Small class sizes allow our teachers to really get to know every pupil. This results in every pupil receiving the best education and pastoral care, making them feel empowered, able to unlock their potential and to excel, whilst having lots of fun along the way. Put simply, our aim is to develop confidence, provide opportunity and realise potential in every single child.

We offer an incredibly rich curriculum. In a typical day, pupils can go from designing a new invention to horse riding at Stag Lodge to perfecting a karate move or a swimming stroke. Every year, we have an impressive number of winners in external competitions, from the Leaders Award engineering competition to the Primary Maths Challenge to the global Jigsaw choir competition. Our Parkgate virtues promote personal development and encourage every pupil to develop confidence, resilience and kindness. Pupils are inspired and inspire others through their actions, including support of charities. Parkgate pupils were named as the top fundraisers at the Knight Frank Schools Triathlon at Cranleigh School, raising money for Restless Development and the Royal Trinity Hospice.

We are so proud of our pupils who always do incredibly well in their 11-plus exams, with many being awarded academic, art, sport and drama scholarships. Former Parkgate pupils are to be found in the country’s top senior schools, such as Alleyn’s, JAGS, Dulwich College, Emanuel, King’s College Wimbledon and Putney High School.

We strongly believe that a happy community which is both highly ambitious and unfailingly supportive enables every child to thrive – not only academically, but also in terms of developing their self-confidence, their teamwork skills and their sense of individuality – whilst also being part of ‘something special’ at Parkgate.