WHAT? WHERE?

The Rowans is a delightful pre-prep school for boys and girls aged 3 to 7 years (Kindergarten to Year 2) located down a quiet residential street not far from Wimbledon Village and Wimbledon Common. It’s also close to the A3, which makes it a handy option for parents who live outside the village and are looking for a small, community-focussed school. Children come mostly from the local Wimbledon area, as well as nearby towns such as Kingston and Surbiton, and Putney.

Co-educational with a mix of boys and girls and about 120 pupils in total, there’s a strong family vibe to the school – and a very homely feel. The main school building was once the home of the Hampton family, and was set up as a school in 1936 by the eldest daughter Marjorie, a teacher, after the death of her father as a way to maintain the family home. Story has it that furniture in the drawing room was moved aside for pupils during week and returned at weekends.

In the school’s 85-year history there have been only seven head teachers – all of them women – with the most recent, Elizabeth Spratt starting in 2021.

Entry is non-selective in Kindergarten, and softly selective in Reception through an observed play session with the aim of ensuring the school is the right fit for the child. The curriculum is fast-paced and varied, but the major focus here is on wellbeing and happiness. The belief is that if children feel secure, confident and valued they’ll succeed in the strong academic programme that is offered.

FACILITIES

It’s not a huge school. But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s tiny either.

The main building is a large former house with bright and modern classrooms across the ground and first floors. The former drawing room is the school hall – a multi-purpose space used for sports, assembly, theatre and as the dining hall.

The Kindergarten is in a separate building and, like the main house, faces out onto the playground.

Let’s talk about the grounds – because you can’t fail to be impressed. It’s a beautiful playground made up of areas of perfectly-kept artificial grass and a natural adventure play areas with timber swings, slides and sandpits. There are established trees are dotted throughout, some of which are labeled with the tree’s name, which is a lovely touch. Fun fact: the school is named after the Rowan tree, and the theme continues throughout the school with houses named after trees (Birch, Chestnut and Oak), and the classes named after the birds that live in trees.

There’s also a large tipi in the playground – a magical space which has a range of uses. It becomes a grotto at Christmas, is used as an additional learning space by class teachers, and after-school clubs are also held here. On the day I visited the Kindergarten children were having a music lesson in the Tipi, sitting in a semi-circle on cushions made to look like logs around the teacher who was strumming away on her guitar. Super cute!

Tucked around the corner from the main part of the playground there are more adventure play areas, and then – a little further on – there’s an all-weather sports court with Matchplay II sports carpet and rubber shock underlay. This school is small, and perfectly formed.

THE ACADEMICS

From Reception to Year 2, it’s a two-form entry and there are around 16-20 pupils in each class. All learning is classroom-based with specialist teachers for sport, music and French. There is also a specialist learning enrichment teacher who will assist children with extended learning as well as those who need additional help. There is a strong academic programme with carefully thought-through progression at each stage, and this is complemented by various themed weeks throughout the year.

MUSIC AND DRAMA

Both music and drama are part of the curriculum. Children have the opportunity to perform in school productions throughout the year – including a Christmas carol concert, and spring and summer concerts – as well as taking part in workshops and theatre outings. All children in Year 1 and 2 take part in LAMDA exams which helps to develop their confidence in public speaking.

Class music lessons are twice a week, led by a specialist teachers, and children can also learn the violin or piano which is taught by visiting peripatetic teachers. The school has a thriving choir, popular among the children, which also performs at events throughout the year.

SPORT

Each week children have a PE lesson and a games afternoon, both taught by a specialist teacher, and which include sports such as gymnastics, dance and movement, athletics, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders, tag rugby, basketball and tennis.

Children in Reception and Years 1 and 2, also take part in sporting fixtures against other schools. There’s also an annual sports day – a popular day on the school calendar, held at the nearby Wimbledon Rugby Club.

NEXT SCHOOLS

There’s a big emphasis at The Rowans on helping families find the right next school for their child. The process starts early and is very much a collaborative affair between parents and the school. The fact The Rowans is a small school means that teachers and staff know every one of the children very well, which also helps.

The Rowans is part of the Shrewsbury House School Trust family, so it’s not surprising that Shrewsbury House School is a popular next choice for boys. Other popular choices for boys are King’s College Junior School and St Paul’s Junior School. Girls frequently go on to Wimbledon High, Putney High, Lady Eleanor Holles and Rowan Prep in Claygate. Popular co-ed schools are Danes Hill, Feltonfleet and Prospect House.

PASTORAL CARE

There’s a calm and nurturing feel to The Rowans, which is no doubt partly due to its size. But traditional values are also a strong theme and this comes through when you visit. Children are polite and friendly, but also confident and happy.

The Rowans also puts forward the message that it’s important to be kind to yourself as well as to others, and a wellbeing day (Wellbeing Wednesday) held once every half term focuses on giving children the tools and strategies to recognise their own emotions and ways in which to handle them.

It’s good to see that pastoral care extends beyond just the children, to include the staff. Miss Spratt enjoys a regular story time session with each class, during which their teacher and teaching assistant are encouraged to take time to sit down with a cuppa and talk to each other.

THE HEAD

Elizabeth Spratt took on the headship in early 2021. She was no newcomer to the school though, having taught at The Rowans for 10 years previous to that. She’s warm and welcoming – and makes a point of greeting children and their parents every day as they arrive at school and saying goodbye at home time. She takes assemblies during the week and is a regular visitor in all the classrooms doing story times in each week.

LITTLIES

There’s one Kindergarten class (which rises to two-class entry from Reception to Year 2). All children in the Kindergarten attend five mornings a week, and there’s the option for afternoons as well. Children joining in Kindergarten continue into Reception and beyond, enjoying the carefully planned four-year curriculum.

QUIRKS

Global awareness is high on the agenda here – not exactly a quirk, but perhaps unusual in a pre-prep – and there’s a desire for children to be outward looking and aware of the world community and their place in it. There’s a big international community – about a third of current children speak additional languages to English – which feeds nicely into this ethos. The school has been awarded the British Council’s prestigious International School Award in recognition of the way it brings the world into the classroom. Each year the school celebrates International Week.

As well as the global awareness, there’s a strong student council which raises money for two chosen charities each year, helped along by the active parents’ association, Friends of the Rowans. This year’s charities – chosen by the children – are Make-A-Wish UK and War Child, an international charity. The children raised more than £3,700 at their most recent fundraiser – a pretty impressive figure.

WRAP-AROUND CARE

The school day starts at 8.45am and ends at 3.15pm. After-school care is available until 6pm, as part of a new programme recently introduced to help support working parents. Children are welcome at the school from 8am for early outdoor playtime or a morning club (registration is 8.45am).

There’s an exceptionally strong extra-curricular programme – part of the school’s approach to encouraging children to try out lots of different activities to help discover their strengths – which goes on until 4.15pm each day, and almost all children from Reception upwards will be involved in at least one club. Clubs range from chess, dance, yoga and football to choir, arts and crafts, digital creativity and drama club.

FEES – 2024/25

Termly fees for mornings only in Kindergarten are £3,330 rising to £5,535 for full days. Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 fees are also £5,535 per term. Additional (afternoon) Kindergarten sessions are £505 per term.

ISI REPORT

The most recent inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate was in February 2022, which found the quality of pupils’ academic and other achievements to be excellent, and the quality of pupils’ personal development to also be excellent. You can download and read the full report here.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

No mobile phones or devices are permitted at school

TRANSPORT

Most pupils are the school are dropped of and collected each day by parents – so there’s not transport network.

WORD ON THE GROUND

The Rowans School is focused on forming well-rounded boys and girls through exposure to sports, languages, arts, and by developing a global awareness – and parents are very much attracted to this. They also love that it’s a small, nurturing school that challenges children and achieves great results academically.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: The Rowans is a nurturing school which produces confident and well-rounded kids. The vibe is community minded and family-friendly, but academically strong – not an easy mix to pull off.

Not for: Those who prefer to stay in the shadow. Every child is recognised individually at The Rowans, and given their opportunity to shine.

Dare to disagree? The next open morning is on Fri 18 Oct. You can also book individual tours throughout the year. Click here for information.

The Rowans School, 19 Drax Avenue, Wimbledon, SW20 0EG. Tel: 020 8946 8220

rowans.org.uk

The Rowans School, Wimbledon

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