Parkgate House School

Parkgate House School is a successful co-educational day preparatory school providing boys and girls aged 2-11 with a rich and diverse curriculum and preparing them for success at many of the country's leading senior schools. Established in 1987 in a large Georgian house overlooking the lush green space of Clapham Common, Parkgate House has just 200 children across the Nursery, Pre-Prep and Preparatory years, allowing us the opportunity to get to know each child that little bit better and to realise their full potential academically, personally and socially in a friendly, caring and nurturing environment.

We pride ourselves on our academic, musical, creative and sporting achievements made possible through our highly qualified and conscientious teachers and our superb facilities. We continue to maintain high standards in all that we do and to inspire learning, build confidence and achieve the very best results.

Our aim at Parkgate House is to enrich the childhood years of our pupils through a wealth of opportunities and experiences, awaking natural talent in an environment filled with warmth, nurture and encouragement.

Our rich curriculum presents each and every child with new opportunities to excel on a daily basis, and our pupils are fully encouraged to think for themselves, to explore an abundance of different interests and activities and to develop their potential as fully and as comprehensively as possible – as scholars, musicians, artists, actors, athletes and friends. It's this educational ethos delivered in such a way that empowers and encourages the children that has led to outstanding results.

A child’s school days should represent a fun and exciting time in their life, and this is reflected in our teaching methods at the school. By ensuring that learning is as enthralling and exciting as possible, our pupils look forward to joining us each day with a happiness that inspires us all.

The environment we have created allows our pupils to build confidence, to gain resilience and above all to develop their potential in ways that will remain with them for many, many years to come – preparing them not only for further education, but for a full and exciting life beyond the school gate.

Our Mission Statement is to develop confidence, provide opportunity and realise the potential of each and every child in a nurturing and happy environment.

• Inspiration - at Parkgate we provide a dynamic and diverse curriculum to challenge and spark curiosity and learning among our children.
• Collaboration - we encourage co-operation and where appropriate working together to ensure the sharing of ideas and opinions.
• Resilience - at Parkgate we encourage a positive 'can do' attitude to learning in a caring supportive environment.
• Respect - we expect everyone at Parkgate to show respect, consideration and empathy for others.
• Excellence - at Parkgate we encourage a mindset of doing the very best to reach a child's full potential.

Many children's and parents' first experience of our school is through our Nursery. We know that a child's experience in the Early Years has an impact on their educational and social development and therefore we want to provide the best possible introduction to learning and school life. Throughout the year, nursery pupils will enjoy an education that embraces the principles of the Montessori Method of teaching and which also follows the Early Years’ Foundation Stage Curriculum.

Our Reception continues with the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS) and the seven areas of learning and development. The pupils work towards the Early Learning Goals (ELG).

An engaging and diverse curriculum encourages our children to recognise their talents through lessons that build confidence and promote growth mindset. Core skills in English and maths are developed through our mastery approach, which encourages depth of understanding. Alongside this, a broad range of subjects are taught, including: history, geography, science, RE, PSHE, art, drama, French and music. These allow children to explore their passions and provide plenty of opportunity to work both independently and collaboratively in order to share ideas and learn to appreciate the opinions of others. ICT is woven into each of these lessons and children are introduced to coding as they enhance their computing skills.

The ethos of creating self-confidence and independence in a happy, stimulating environment never waivers, as mathematics, English, science, humanities, French, Latin, various sporting activities, ballet, karate, horse riding and swimming become part of daily life for the children. The co-curricular life in the Prep school is equally effervescent, offering a range of clubs. Whether a keen sportsperson, avid scientist or musical mastermind there are an array of extra-curricular activities to suit every interest.

To help each child secure a place at the senior school most suited to his or her skills, we provide a full programme of support activities in preparation for entrance examinations, which is delivered in a manner designed to bring out the best in each child naturally – without unnecessary pressure. It is testament to our experience, expertise and commitment that our children typically go on to succeed at some of the country’s most respected, premier independent schools.