Welcome from the Head of the Prep School

Welcome from the Head of the Prep School

Mrs Loren Macallister, BA (Hons), HDE (PGCE), NPQSL, FRSA - Head of Preparatory SchoolLoren Macallister

‘We grow children for Life’

From the moment I set foot inside the gates of the historic listed buildings within the leafy enclave of Ewell Castle Preparatory School, I knew and could feel tangibly that this school stood apart.

Who We Are

It is not just the family feel which characterises interactions at the school gates, within the classroom and in extra-curricular pursuits at the Prep; it is the wonderful blend of academic aspiration and challenge, pastoral care and inclusivity; it is also our beautiful outdoor space and forest school and focus on sustainability, and a real sense of warmth and community. This comes from our parents, colleagues and pupils as they interact with each other. That doesn’t happen by chance: it is part of our well-being, our strive for balance, our valuing of partnerships and our understanding of what children will need in the future world of work. As one colleague commented: ‘We are a working family’. 

We focus on preparing children for life, both at school and beyond and we listen to our parents and colleagues. We guide our pupils to build important life skills and teamwork, supporting their emerging temperaments and talents within a nurturing and intellectually curious environment. We encourage our children to risk sensibly and to innovate while honouring the traditions which make us who we are. We are a school where children thrive, engage and excel - and we love teaching here. Your child deserves the space to grow -  in every possible meaning: we create the space for just that.  

Developing Independent Learners & Critical Thinkers

Potential is key in every school. Key to unlocking it in each child comes from providing that environment of psychological safety for children to try new things, to chance success or redirection - and with teachers being genuinely happy for children to both learn from their mistakes as well as rejoice in their triumphs. Sampling life experiences, learning new things and not being afraid to try, is what teaches pupils to know themselves and become architects of their own learning, in order to benefit from that self-awareness with life’s big decisions later on. Developing critical thinkers who are compassionate and curious, is what we are all about.

 

Benefits of a Through School

As part of a Through School, we are in the enviable position of having a 3-18 (4-18 from September 2024) provision all within walking distance across sites. That dynamic is attractive to our parents and they also have choice for their children to join us at Reception, Year 3 and other occasional places at the Prep, Senior School or Sixth Form - though places do fill up very quickly in certain year groups. It is this choice from 3-18 (4-18 from September 2024), which enables our pupils to feel secure with the seamless transition from Prep School to Senior School as well as preparation for Grammar Schools or other Independent Senior Schools. With the majority moving across the road to the Senior School at the end of Year 6, we have excellent partnerships between the sites - also enjoying, as teachers, watching our pupils ‘become’.

What We Value

What is at the heart of Ewell Castle Prep? Simple: there is something for everyone. Our values are embedded within our rich and varied curriculum, designed to both stretch and support, so that we provide genuine conditions for personal integrity, life-long resilience, mutual respect and social responsibility to be lived and breathed. Our values are not just on our website: they are inherently a part of who we are and we attract those for whom this is magical and important.

Parents trust us to support their children in one of the biggest decisions they can make and we don’t take that trust lightly. We are a school of choice, in both meanings of the word and understand that who your children become is as important as what they know. It must be so if they are to relish their childhood without wishing it away, if they are to be prepared for the future - and most importantly, if they are to enjoy the journey to become the best versions of themselves in a society that is changing inexorably and exponentially, whether with AI, or not. 

Please do visit our admissions page to find out more about how to apply to our Prep School and click on the link below to see us in action in our video.

At first, your dreams seem impossible, then improbable, then inevitable’ (Christopher Reeve). Join us to see just what is possible, today, for your children’s tomorrow…

Please see the links below for our open events and application form:

Open Events Application Form