Brambletye School

Brambletye offers a truly broad and stimulating education with a reputation nationally and in many cases internationally as one of the finest preparatory boarding and day schools in England. With excellent accommodation and teaching facilities set in 140 acres of Sussex parkland, the school offers pupils and their families time and space in which to make the educational journey from the age of two and a half to thirteen years old. We aim to combine the best traditions of a prep school within a true community of learners -pupils who are prepared to strive to fulfil their potential and who are equipped for life in a “global village”.

We aim for excellence in the classroom in order to sustain the school’s strong academic reputation. Every year scholarships and academic awards to senior schools demonstrate the achievement of our pupils. The school encourages and expects high standards of teaching and eduational practice. The three main qualities demanded of teaching staff are exceptional subject knowledge, strong classroom management and the ability to inspire children in the classroom and beyond.

Staff and pupils of the school recognise and aspire to three core values which extend into all areas of school life: Work Hard, Play Hard and Be Kind. These values are life skills that we wish pupils to carry with them into adulthood.

The school facilities are centred on a large country house overlooking Ashdown Forest, in its own woodlands and extensive playing fields. The school has outstanding sporting, music, drama and arts facilities. These include an art room, design technology workshop, the library, an ICT suite and a large theatre with music rooms. There is also a sports hall, tennis and netball courts, squash courts, a golf course, an indoor swimming pool, several playing fields, an assault course and a 220m zip wire.

Brambletye teaches a broad curriculum leading ultimately to the Common Entrance or Academic Scholarship examinations at 13+. In the Pre-Prep and Lower school National Curriculum guidelines are followed, although the aim is always to extend the pupils as far as possible academically. French is taught from Nursery onwards and all Pre-Prep children are taught Games and Music by specialist subject staff. Children begin Latin in Year 5.

Pupils are mostly class taught by a single teacher up to the end of Year 4, and taught by specialist subject teachers thereafter. From Year 5 onwards pupils are streamed according to ability. The top set in each year group is then ‘accelerated’ with the intention of completing the Common Entrance syllabus by the end of Year 7. The most able of these pupils will be sitting practice scholarship papers by the end of Year 7. For most pupils there are examinations twice a year, normally in November and June. All top set pupils sit a special General Paper which aims to examine thinking and inferential skills. Academic Scholarships have recently been won at Tonbridge, Sevenoaks and Winchester.

Pupils who would benefit from additional help in their studies may get specialist one-to-one tuition, following a recommendation from an educational psychologist. This is provided by our Learning Development Department. Language and curriculum support are also offered to a small number of pupils for whom English is a second language. All pupils are assessed annually in English, Maths and Cognitive Ability by means of objective assessment tests.

Our broad curriculum and our versatile staff aim to deliver a wide variety of activities that contribute to the flourishing academic life at the school.