Choosing a prep school is not really a decision about facilities or league tables. It is a decision about where your child will spend their days between the ages of four and eleven; who will know them, what will make them laugh, and whether they will come home with something to tell you. You cannot read that in a prospectus. You have to walk in.
Our Boys’ Prep and Girls’ Prep both open their doors on Saturday 10 October. They are separate events running on the same day, so families looking at both can see each one.
SESSION TIMES
Each school runs its own morning on its own site.
Boys’ Prep: 9.00am – 10.30am.
Girls’ Prep: 9.00am – 10.30am, or 10.30am – 12.00 noon.
Do bring your son or daughter. The morning is built around them, and children tell you more about a school in ten minutes of being in it than any amount of reading will.
THE FORMAT OF THE MORNING
Each Prep open morning follows a similar shape to our senior events. You will hear a speech from the Head, and then have the chance to explore the School properly, meeting teachers and subject specialists as you go, and asking them whatever you would like to know.
WHAT YOU WILL SEE
Our pupils will show you the classrooms, the specialist teaching spaces, the art and music rooms and the outdoor areas. Expect activities in the classrooms, with plenty for your child to join in with rather than simply watch.
You will also see the breadth on offer at prep age: sport across the year, instrumental tuition and choirs, drama, clubs, and outdoor learning.
THE PEOPLE WHO WILL KNOW YOUR CHILD
You will meet class teachers and our senior staff, and you should ask them the questions that actually keep you awake. How will you know if my child is struggling? What happens when a friendship goes wrong? How do you stretch a child who finds the work easy, and support one who does not? Our staff would far rather answer those honestly than talk you through a list of facilities.
It is also worth asking about the journey beyond Year 6. Our Boys’ Prep prepares boys for 11+ entry to a range of senior schools, and girls at our Girls’ Prep are guaranteed a place in Year 7 at our Senior School, though they still sit the assessment and attend an interview like everyone else.
THE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Bring them with you. Wraparound care runs from 7.30am to 6.00pm, which for many families is the difference between a school working and not working. We are happy to talk through the School day, transport, lunches, uniform and fees; nothing is too small to ask about.
BOOKING, AND IF YOU CANNOT MAKE IT
Places are booked through our website, and our admissions team can help if you are not sure which session suits you: Boys’ Prep 020 8546 1325, Girls’ Prep 020 8546 1338, or admissions@surbitonhigh.com.
If Saturday 10 October does not work, please do get in touch anyway. We arrange personal visits throughout the year, and a quiet weekday morning when the School is simply getting on with itself can be just as revealing as an open day. Either way, we would rather show you round than have you decide from a brochure.
We look forward to meeting you and your child.