Hilden Grange Preparatory School Tonbridge, Kent Visit
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Hilden Grange Preparatory School
Tonbridge

294 pupils, ages 2-13

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Hilden Grange Preparatory School

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This Kent prep is one of the county’s finest, with a holistic offering that not only hits the academic high notes with pupils bagging tons of scholarships (they mop up at Tonbridge), but also nurtures important life skills (confidence, perseverance, responsibility) and strong moral values. Sport, drama, music and art are all stellar, as is the pastoral care. In other words, Hilden Grange is the complete package.

Where?

Set on the northern edge of vibrant Tonbridge, the main hub of Hilden Grange is a smart Victorian building on a residential street (it has good ties with Tonbridge School, which is a stone’s throw away). From the main building, the campus stretches down to 22 acres of sports pitches, playgrounds, a nursery and the state-of-the-art, Scandi-inspired Ritblat teaching wings – complete with underfloor heating and a living roof. The majority of families drive to drop-off; some living nearby walk.

Head

Head Malcolm Gough visited the UK from his native South Africa on a gap year and never left. His 32-year career encompassed stints at Winchester House, Somerhill, Sutton Valence and schools in south-east London before he arrived at Hilden Grange in 2019. Mr Gough is wonderfully chatty and his pride in his pupils – and their academic achievement – is abundantly clear.

Admissions

Non-selective on entry, Hilden Grange has a mixed-ability intake, making its list of destination schools all the more laudable. Most pupils join in nursery (there are up to 50 places and children can start the term they turn three) – the caveat being that they need to have accepted a place in the two-form Reception. In the pre-prep, class sizes are around 18, rising to a maximum of 22 from Year 3. Years 5 and 6 are usually the most oversubscribed, with relocating Londoners adding to the numbers. A handful of newbies arrive from local primary schools and other preps at 11+, many of whom are Tonbridge-bound, with places guaranteed for them to take up at 13 (the two schools have a solid relationship). All prospective pupils (except for nursery) must provide school reports and sit a short, 15-minute assessment during a taster day – although the school is not academically selective, the assessments help ensure that any additional needs can be catered for.

Scholarships are available in exceptional cases, and in the past have been awarded to pupils in Year 3 and above. Bursaries are determined by Inspired Education and awarded by the Gold Standard Charitable Trust. Foundation scholars from Tonbridge School may choose to come here for Years 7 and 8.

Academics and senior school destinations

Life at Hilden Grange begins in the Nursery, which is housed in one of the newer wings of the school. Nursery sessions last half a day each, and children must commit to a minimum of five sessions per week when they join.

The Nursery and Pre-Prep classrooms have a wonderful Hygge feel, decked out with lots of warm, cosy wood and neutral colour schemes. Outdoor learning is a key part of the Early Years curriculum, and the wonderful outside space here is used every day come rain or shine, for everything from making potions in the mud kitchen to roasting marshmallows over the fire pit or exploring the Hobbit House. The aim here is to lay the foundations of learning by teaching children to develop fine motor skills, learn how to take risks and equip them with the confidence to try something new – creating happy, independent learners who are well prepared for the move up to the Prep School.

Academics are purposeful and focused, with all abilities catered for and additional learning support for those who need it. Children are taught by specialist teachers from Nursery, with subject specialists taking children for PE, music, drama and computing from Year 1. From Year 3, pupils are set for maths and English, all subjects are taught by specialists and children take responsibility for their own books and belongings, moving between classes so that they become efficient, independent learners from the get-go. To this end, the school also follows the Language of Learning model which focuses on six characteristics for pupils to aspire to in and out of the classroom – confidence, positivity, challenge, perseverance, responsibility and communication – with merits on offer when pupils demonstrate one of the qualities. Science is especially strong in the school and every year there’s a dedicated Science Week.

From Year 7, the school still largely follows the CE syllabus, but pupils no longer sit the actual exam as it’s not a requirement of any of the senior schools in the area. There is a scholarship stream in Year 8, and in the summer term, once scholarship and internal exams are all done and dusted, the Year 8 pupils get stuck into their International Project Qualification. Hugely popular, it sees them writing an extended essay and presenting their findings on a topic that sparks their interest.

Roughly half of leavers head off to independent seniors. Tonbridge is a top choice and the school has unrivalled entrance and scholarship success to the school, which is a short, ten-minute walk away. A third of Tonbridge’s academic scholarships were awarded to Hilden Grange pupils last year, with Hilden Grange boys receiving the top five awards among numerous others. An impressive 50 per cent of all pupils received some kind of scholarship, quite a feat considering the school’s size.

For those seeking a place at one of Kent’s highly sought-after grammar schools, results in the Kent Test are consistently strong. Almost all girls leave at 11 and half the year group of boys stays on until 13 (there are typically around 20 pupils each in Years 7 and 8), preparing for public-school entrance exams before securing spots at the likes of Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, Lingfield College, Eastbourne and Bede’s. Most will take up day places, but there are always one or two who opt for boarding.

Co-curricular

The ethos here is that sport is for everyone, with skills such as developing resilience and learning to work as a team deemed just as important as winning medals (the school plays matches against local preps). The 22 acres of grounds include a sports hall, pitches, tennis courts and cricket nets, plus an outdoor pool for swimming lessons – and pupils regularly pop over to Tonbridge to use their Astros for hockey. Every year, there is an evening when the whole school celebrates sporting success: this is deliberately not only the A team, but any team that is undefeated or individuals who have performed well in and outside of school. There is even a Hall of Fame listing achievements, many of which are in athletics; no other school in Kent has sent more children to the IAPS National Finals in athletics than Hilden Grange.

The performing arts are another jewel in Hilden Grange’s crown. Music is of a great calibre (it’s not unusual for leavers to reach Grade 8 standard): more than 180 children learn an instrument, and there’s a large and inclusive choir (a number of pupils are selected as Tonbridge Choristers each year). There are 24 different ensembles, meaning that everyone who wants to can get involved. Drama is equally impressive – the whole prep school stages a show-stopping musical every year, with teachers often writing the script themselves. This year’s Lent term production was Ali Baba and the Boy Bandits, with a cast of some 70 pupils. There is a hall on site and the school can also use the EM Forster Theatre at Tonbridge School. Art is led by an inspirational department head who has qualified as a drawing and painting with mindfulness practitioner.

There are tons of after-school clubs on offer including yoga, Spanish, Lego and ballet.

School community

The mantra here is Kindness is Key and pastoral care starts with form tutors who work with families to resolve any issues. An assistant head of pastoral oversees all wellbeing issues and staff attend weekly meetings to discuss any children of concern. Every Monday, there is an assembly on nurturing personal development and Mental Health Awareness Week is observed every year.

Parent coaching courses have been introduced and there’s been a great uptake. There’s a lovely, loyal parent community, plenty of whom jump on the fast train to London every morning to commute to the Square Mile. Hilden Grange Parents Association (HGA) organises summer picnics, fireworks and charity nights to raise funds for the school and its chosen charities (last year, they raised a massive £10,000). Wraparound care means children can arrive as early as 7.30am and stay on until activities and after-school clubs finish at 6pm. With good links to Tonbridge, many Hilden Grange pupils have siblings at the school – and lots of Tonbridge teachers send their children here too.

Mr Gough is keen to develop the diversity of the school: in 2019, six per cent of pupils were from an ethnic minority, a figure which has now grown to 27.2 per cent, an impressive increase.

And finally....

This prep’s headline figures are impressive – 100 per cent pass rate in the Kent Test, 100 scholarships gained since 2019 – but, as head Mr Gough says: ‘There’s nothing more important than producing resilient, kind, respectful young leaders of the future.’ And that’s the acorn of all the pupils’ impressive achievements.

Gallery See All

Boy in grey shorts and white shirt running

Teacher with blond hair taking a lesson with a globe in the background

Senior school destinations

Senior school destinations

Last year's leavers moved on to Bennet Memorial (1), Bethany (5) DLD College (1), The Judd School (6), Kent College (4), King's Rochester (1), Sutton Vallence (1), Radnor House Sevenoaks (1), Sevenoaks School (2), The Skinners' School (1), Tonbridge School-11, Tonbridge Grammar School-2, Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys (3), Walthamstow Hall (1), and Weald of Kent Grammar School (2)

Scholarships for senior schools

Scholarships

Academic	10	Tonbridge School (7), Sutton Valence (1), Radnor House Sevenoaks (1), Sevenoaks (1)
Music	5	Tonbridge School (5)
Drama	1	Sutton Valence
Art	1	Tonbridge School
Other	1	Dance (Kent College)

Fees and bursaries

Day fees per term

Nursery	£1,295
Reception	£3,745
Year 1	£4,320
Year 2	£4,320
Year 3	£5,325
Year 4	£5,325
Year 5	£5,925
Year 6	£5,925
Year 7	£5,925
Year 8	£5,925

Bursary contact:
Headmaster Malcolm Gough
malcolm.gough@hildengrange.co.uk

SEND

This school currently supports the following kinds of learning needs, health needs and physical disabilities:
At Hilden Grange, specialist subject teaching and setting for Maths and English from Year 3, enables the school to cater for each pupil’s individual needs.
When ‘Quality First Teaching’ is insufficient to meet the whole remit of a pupil’s needs, the school is proactive in providing early intervention. They actively encourage the involvement of staff, pupils and parents in the education of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyscalculia are assessed and provided for in a variety of ways, so that children have the opportunity to develop to their full potential with the guidance and support of all their teachers.
Provision is made when the children need it, but they are not necessarily defined for life by this provision. Support for bi-and multi-lingual learners, where necessary, is covered under the Learning Support Department umbrella.

This school currently delivers the following interventions to pupils in class and outside class to support their learning, health and/or physical needs:
Learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyscalculia are assessed and provided for in a variety of ways, so that children have the opportunity to develop to their full potential with the guidance and support of all their teachers.

This school currently provides the following support for pupils' mental health needs
Pupils are at the very core of every decision made at Hilden Grange. The school takes great pride in the excellent quality of their nurturing pastoral care. Tutor and PHSEE sessions are much valued times in the weekly timetable, and the school works hard to ensure a strong sense of solidarity throughout. It recognises that every pupil is unique.

All staff, supported by the Well-being Team, ensure pupils are safe, happy, integral to the school community and able to perform to their potential. Working collaboratively with pupils, staff and parents, they build strong partnerships and maintain high expectations, ensuring concerns and anxieties are spotted and dealt with promptly.

Hilden Grange strives to equip pupils with the skills and tools that they will require to negotiate the vicissitudes of life. They will learn these skills in all classrooms; if necessary the school can support them in personalised 1:1 Well-being Coaching session.

As children’s mental health remains in the spotlight, Hilden Grange very much encourages the children to talk positively about physical, emotional and mental well-being across all age groups and supports them as individuals whenever they need.

Co-ordinator: Rebekah Sievewright Rebekah.Sievewright@hildengrange.co.uk
Transport links

School Transport
School daily bus network

Public Transport
Nearest mainline train station: Tonbridge
Journey time to London by train: 43 minutes
Nearest international airport: Gatwick (30 miles)

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Hilden Grange Preparatory School is
linked with:

Hilden Grange Nursery Tonbridge

Essentials

Address
Dry Hill Park Road, Tonbridge, Kent TN10 3BX

Contact
office@hildengrange.co.uk
01732 352706

Website
hildengrange.co.uk

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