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Our View
It isn’t always easy to hit the sweet spot between academically ambitious and passionately nurturing – but Kingswood Prep has nailed it. ‘Be kind, be kind, be kind’ is the mantra here, and learning starts with attending to the wellbeing of each and every child. Glorious architecture, spacious grounds and uplifting views over Bath are added bonuses, while the senior school offering an all-through option up to 18 makes it the complete package.
Where?
Sitting in an elevated position overlooking beautiful Bath, the school is about 30 minutes by foot from the city centre – not that you’d know it. Surrounded by parkland, the 123-acre campus, which is home to the prep and the senior schools, feels wonderfully secluded. Founded by John Wesley in 1748, it’s the world’s oldest Methodist educational institution and boasts elegant Georgian buildings, including the show-stopping Summerhill Mansion, which houses the prep-school dining rooms. More recent additions are sympathetic as well as practical, and the whole place feels very well designed. The majority of sports pitches are a five- to 10-minute walk away, and an on-site swimming pool and Astros are shared by the prep and senior schools.
There’s no denying Bath’s traffic challenges, but staggered pick-up times help parents navigate parking and, for those who come from further afield, it’s on the right side of town for the M4, which is about 20 minutes’ drive away. Bath Spa station is a 15-minute drive, and there is also a minibus service for those who travel by train, as well as four other bus routes for pupils in Years 3 and above.
Head
The engaging Mark Breary has been at the helm for 12 years, and his warm and relaxed manner makes him a popular figure. His number one passion, he tells us, is kindness, and he’s all about embracing difference and quirkiness. He has worked hard to ensure each department is on a level playing field so that pupils enjoy a truly holistic experience. To that end, he also mixes up classes each year to help pupils make new friendships and avoid cliques.
A great communicator, Mr Breary operates a head’s forum online to allow parents to voice any issues and also has an open-door policy twice a week. His wealth of experience – he was deputy head at Forres Sandle Manor for eight years, held the post of houseparent at Millfield Prep and worked in Kenya for three years – has proven invaluable for whole-school projects, in which he has become even more involved since the senior-school head Andrew Gordon-Brown arrived four years ago.
During Mr Breary’s tenure, he has also overseen £8m of infrastructure investment, creating a learning-support department, extending the nursery and building up an excellent staffroom.
Admissions
The prep is non-selective from Reception to Year 2, with little ones attending taster days where informal observations make sure they’re suitable for Kingswood. From Year 3 there are more formal assessments with prospective pupils sitting papers in maths, English and non-verbal reasoning. The school’s aim is to ‘achieve high academic standards without anxiety’. It’s a popular spot with waiting lists for every year apart from Reception. Two forms rise to three classes in Years 3 to 5 and four in Year 6.
Academics and senior school destinations
Class sizes rarely rise above 20, and pupils have access to knockout academic facilities at the nearby senior school. Children are taught by specialist teachers in science, music, drama, languages, art and computing, and there’s a strong emphasis on STEAM. We love the dedicated art and innovation area, packed with spaces for science, robotics, programming and engineering, while an impressive calendar of enrichment days and talks from visiting speakers enhances the all-round curriculum.
A handful of pupils have SEND and are offered one-to-one lessons, for which parents are charged.
At the end of Year 6, most pupils progress seamlessly to the senior school.
Co-curricular
Sport is strong but absolutely inclusive, with everyone getting involved. For girls, it’s hockey, netball and cricket, while the boys swap out netball for rugby. Saturdays see lots of fixtures and plenty of victories.
Art happens in the Tudor Brown Innovation Centre, the dedicated art and innovation area, and this is also where pupils get stuck into D&T, making lighthouses, turbine designs and even an escape room when they’re in Year 6. The department is impressive, with a planning room, a design and thinking room, and an array of snazzy facilities including 3-D and laser printers.
Music is pursued energetically with more than 200 individual singing and instrumental lessons every week; about 150 children are in an orchestra or choir. Drama is popular too, with LAMDA lessons and a dedicated drama studio. Years 5 and 6 stage an annual play, either Shakespeare or another playwright from the English literary canon, and leavers also take part in an end-of-year musical that always has two casts to give everyone a chance to shine. There are more than 70 co-curricular clubs on offer too.
School community
Staff are passionate about pastoral care. Form teachers are the first port of call, but all of the staff are approachable and there is also a school counsellor. Wellbeing mentors in Year 6 and social tracking from Years 3 to 6 also help spot anyone who might need extra support. Parents are active and supportive, with lots of charitable events and a real sense of community.
And finally....
A wonderfully child-centric school where everyone is encouraged to give everything a go and find their passion. The stunning location offers everything you could ask for from a country-prep education, with Bath’s city centre just a short walk away.