Taking the first steps in a child's educational journey.
At The Villa Pre-Prep School, we are committed to nurturing and empowering young minds to thrive. Our holistic and innovative approach to education ensures that each child receives personalised attention and support, fostering their growth academically, socially, and emotionally. With a high teacher-to-pupil ratio and a dynamic curriculum that integrates core subjects with life skills, we prepare children for future success while instilling a love of learning.
Building confidence, supporting physical wellbeing and unlocking creativity.
Specialist teaching gives children the opportunity explore French, PE and Sport and Music beyond the standard National Curriculum levels for this age.
Music
The children enjoy two music lessons each week with Mr Akers. These lessons involve exploring tuned and untuned instruments, listening to a range of live and recorded music, and experimenting with sounds.
Throughout the year, the children participate in musical events such as the Harvest Festival, Nativity Play, Year Group music assemblies, and the Year 2 leavers’ production. Additionally, Year 1 and 2 children are part of the Choir, which meets on Monday lunchtime and allows them to perform for larger audiences. Mr Akers also runs a popular recorder programme on Wednesday mornings.
Providing nurturing after school care that support our working families.
Our Breakfast Club and After School Care offer children a nurturing home from home environment where children feel safe and well cared for out of school hours.
Breakfast Club is run by our TAs who provide care from 8am to 8.30am, welcoming children in with a warm smile and some toast with condiments, high fibre cereal and fruit. Our dedicated staff provide After School Care (including tea) until 6pm. This is a relaxed environment with a wide range of activities planned on a daily basis, responding to the interests of the children.
Unlocking curiosity with our dynamic curriculum.
Not only do we teach core subjects and skills to prepare children for the next stage in their education, but we also nurture young minds by instilling a love of learning and supporting children emotionally.
We ensure learning, enquiry and challenge become intrinsic skills, embedded from the first steps in a child's formal learning years. Our highly skilled and passionate teachers create an exciting curriculum, integrating subjects across termly topics to unlock worlds that motivate children to explore. Alongside core subjects, we teach 'Life Skills' such as teamwork, collaboration, self-regulation, problem-solving and resilience, laying the groundwork for them to thrive well into adulthood.
We understand that for children to become learners, their emotional needs must first be met, as this foundation fosters achievement. With this in mind, we support our children in understanding their emotions and using 'tools' to achieve a state of calm. Alongside our wonderful teaching staff and teaching assistants, we have a brilliant SEND team that supports children in areas of challenge. Our SEND team works closely with families to build a support network around each child, ensuring they flourish.
As a school and nursery, we follow the Department for Education-approved Twinkl Phonics scheme.
Parents can register their child for the Admissions process at any point using the online application form (there is no reservation fee for internal candidates). Parents can book tours by contacting the main office – these tours are a fantastic opportunity to see the school in action and discuss 4+ options with Louise Collingwood-Ellis, the Head Teacher. Tours are available Monday – Wednesday mornings, subject to availability. Once you have registered your child, you are then part of the Admissions process.
In the Autumn Term, children will be invited for an Observation play session with The Villa Pre-Prep staff and the school staff will speak to the child’s key worker.
We hold a 4+ Information Evening for prospective parents whose children attend the Nursery. This is an opportunity for parents to hear more about the Pre-Prep school, meet teaching staff and have a tour of the school.
A timetable of key dates will be sent to all applicants/enquiries.
At the end of this period, the school will formally offer places taking into account some/all of the following factors:
-
Children who have siblings already attending The Villa Pre-Prep (present and then past)
-
Children of The Villa employees
-
The school’s ability/capacity to provide the facilities for the welfare/needs of the child
-
Gender balance
-
Extenuating circumstances affecting the child’s welfare or his/her family
Please see our Admissions policy for more details.
-
Parents can apply at any point after birth using the online application form and make a bank transfer of the £75 registration fee directly to the bank account detailed on the form. Parents are welcome to book tours by contacting the main office.
We will be in touch early in the Autumn Term the year before your child is due to start school when a timetable of key dates will be sent to all applicants/enquiries. Your child will then be invited to have a ‘play session’ as part of a small group during the Autumn Term (the year before entry). A report will be requested from your child’s current nursery/setting and a Nursery visit may be arranged.
Parents can book tours by contacting the main office. Tours are available Monday – Wednesday mornings, subject to availability.
Offers will be made depending on the number of places available, taking into account some or all of the following factors:
-
Children who have siblings already attending The Villa Pre-Prep (present and then past)
-
Children of The Villa employees
-
Gender balance
-
The school’s ability/capacity to provide the facilities for the welfare/needs of the child
-
Extenuating circumstances affecting the child’s welfare or his/her family
-
The date and time the signed declaration and reservation fee are returned
-
When an offer is made, parents are asked to return the signed terms and conditions to accept the place and pay the deposit of £1,500 (this is non-refundable). The deposit is subject to a 14-day cooling-off period.
Please note that the deposit will be retained if you decide not to accept the place after this period. If you do not inform the school in writing that you no longer require the place before the first day of the Summer Term (please see the website for term dates), you will be liable for the Autumn Term fees.
Please see our terms and conditions for more details.
Your child will be invited to take part in a ‘taster session’ in the Summer term before they start at the school. All children start on a full-time basis from the start of the Autumn term.
Please contact the School Administrator who will be able to tell you if there are any places available within other year groups or after the initial intake into Reception. Parents can apply using the online application form and make a bank transfer of the £75 registration fee directly to the bank account detailed on the form.
Your child will be invited to an informal assessment at the school and a report will be requested from your child’s current school. This is to ensure that they are at a standard which will enable them to perform competently and confidently within their chronological age group.
Following the assessment and receiving a report from your child’s current school, you will be notified in writing if there is a place available. If an offer is made parents have one week to decide if they wish to accept the offer of a place and must confirm the decision in writing with the deposit.
A holistic 4+ assessment process designed to help children shine.
Find our online Registration Form for the Pre-Prep here >
Providing all children with opportunities and experiences beyond the classroom.
We have a wide range of extra-curricular clubs on offer during the school year which run from 3:30-4:30pm, offering a wealth of opportunities and experiences for children.
Clubs change termly and availability will vary depending on the year group and type of activity. We feel it is vital for the children to explore a range of activities to develop interests and future talent.
Examples of our extra-curricular clubs:
Yoga / PE / Choir / Recorder / Sewing / Cooking / Robotics / Art / Construction / Music / Craft / Science / Capoeira / Dance.
Healthy and wholesome food for active bodies and minds.
Our menu is thoughtfully crafted to include a variety of fresh produce sourced from local suppliers, such as ‘Bora and Sons’ for fruits and vegetables, ‘Moxons’ for fish and ‘Proud Sow’ for meat and organic ingredients wherever possible. Our three-weekly menu is overseen by our proprietor, a consultant paediatrician, to ensure it offers the best possible nutrition for children of this age group. Meals are prepared in-house by our skilled kitchen team. Chef Luis and his assistant Nevji use healthy cooking methods, focusing on baking and grilling to preserve the natural goodness of ingredients and reduce unhealthy fats. We incorporate a range of whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats to support energy levels and concentration throughout the day. We accommodate diverse dietary needs and preferences, offering options for various allergies, intolerances, and religious beliefs. Our goal is to educate children about healthy eating habits, encouraging them to try new foods and appreciate the benefits of a balanced diet. Meals are served family-style to foster social skills and promote positive relationships with food.
Reaching potential for every individual.
We have strong links with our surrounding independent schools to ensure that the transition to their new school is a smooth process. We support our families in selecting schools and through the whole process, along with our academically ambitious curriculum, our children are well prepared for the assessments to some of London's top prep schools at 7+. Louise has an extensive knowledge of the local prep and state schools and assists parents with their applications and the assessment process. We provide detailed reports and feedback to help parents with decision-making and send a comprehensive 7+ report to prospective schools. Our connections with Headteachers in the local Prep schools support our pupils in their applications, providing them the best opportunity to move on to the school of their choice. Our pupils often receive multiple offers from a variety of outstanding schools.
"What a credit to you the Villa children are – they are absolutely delightful! Such confident, happy and well-mannered children – it really was a pleasure to have them here and I received plenty of similar feedback from staff."
Local Prep Headteacher
The Pre-prep operates a 12 – 15 week term structure. Full dates available for download below. The core school day is 8:45am to 3:30pm. Children can be dropped off at our playground from 8:30am to have a short play time before the start of the day. When the bell rings at 8:45am, the class teacher meets the children in the playground.
The core school day finishes at 3:30pm. Children who are not staying for an extra-curricular club or after school care are dismissed by staff at the end of the day to parents in the playground. Children who are staying for an extra-curricular club or after school care go straight to this activity from class.
