Notting Hill Preparatory School

At Notting Hill Prep, the magic lies in our vibrant, thinking-centred culture where curiosity, kindness and challenge are woven into every aspect of school life. We are proudly forward-thinking without losing sight of timeless prep values - academic excellence, breadth of opportunity and character development.

From reception to year 8, our pupils are empowered to think critically, collaborate meaningfully and communicate with confidence and clarity - hallmarks of a genuinely outstanding education.

Our school stands out in its whole-child approach: children flourish academically, artistically and emotionally. Recently, our year 6 cohort received 135 offers from top senior schools in London and beyond (82 per cent conversion).

Our pupils are happy, confident in their own skin and not only willing to embrace a challenge, but not afraid of making mistakes on the way to success. Beyond results, pupils routinely reflect on their learning using metacognitive strategies; our adoption of Thinking School tools is not tokenistic but embedded in everyday practice across subjects and age groups.

We pride ourselves not just on high standards, but on our relentless pursuit of excellence through innovation and heart. This year we have expanded pupil voice initiatives, deepened curriculum richness and invested heavily in staff development.

We have performed more highly than ever before across all disciplines (Bebras challenge, pieces in art exhibitions, sports tournaments, UKMT maths challenge etc) Our success is shared - among staff, pupils and families who all take pride in the joyful, purposeful learning that defines us.

A recent standout initiative was our year 8 SDG game design project, where pupils created Scratch games to raise awareness of global issues they care about, from clean water to gender equality. Blending programming, design and research, they built interactive educational games and documented their process in digital workbooks. The project showcased technical skill, creativity and a strong sense of purpose, with pupils producing work that was thoughtful, polished and peer-reviewed. It was a brilliant example of how computing can empower young people to be both digitally capable and socially conscious.

Our core values – wonder, self- knowledge, community and challenge - are not abstract principles but lived daily across our school. We cultivate independent thinkers who care about the world around them, who take risks in their learning and who speak with confidence and empathy. From their earliest years, pupils are encouraged to reflect on their own thinking, to ask 'why' and to challenge respectfully. We explicitly teach metacognitive strategies and use visible thinking routines, Thinking hats and habits of mind as tools for deeper engagement. By the time pupils reach the transition to senior school, they are equipped not just with academic readiness but with self-awareness and a strong moral compass.

Senior schools regularly comment on our pupils’ maturity, self-direction and breadth of interests. Our leavers’ destinations consistently reflect the full range of individual talent, with children thriving at academically selective, arts-oriented and holistic schools alike.