WHAT? WHERE?

Pupils at Danes Hill School in Oxshott, Surrey.

Danes Hill School is a non-selective co-ed prep school for children aged 3-13 in Oxshott. It is a big school set across two sites. The main school sits on a 55-acre campus, the pre-prep, is on a smaller site about half a mile away.

It is an exciting and buzzy school with plenty on offer both on through the curriculum and the extra-curricular programme.

With about 700 pupils across both sites, it is the largest prep school in the area, but it handles the numbers well and still feels very much like a village school with a close-knit community vibe. The school has been cleverly sub-divided into three mini-schools: pre-prep (nursery to year 1), the junior school (years 2 to 5) and the upper school (years 6 to 8). Each school is self-contained, but also still very much part of the wider whole-school community.

About a third of children live in the local vicinity, rippling out to a wide catchment that extends mostly north of the M25 to Weybridge, Surbiton, Esher, Putney and Wimbledon. Children can join at any time, but the main entry points are nursery, reception, year 3 and year 7. The school is proudly non-selective at reception and entry is pretty much on a first-come, first served basis, although from year 1 upwards it is best described as gently selective and children are invited to attend a taster day which includes a simple assessment in maths and English.

The school was founded as a boys’ day and boarding school in 1947 with just 16 pupils. Boarding was dropped in 1975, and the following year the school acquired Wren’s Hill and the Ridgeway, now the playing fields. In 1982, Bevendean was purchased and became the new junior school. At this time Danes Hill also went fully co-ed.

FACILITIES

Pupils at Danes Hill School, Oxshott, Surrey

In a word? Outstanding! The main school is undeniably impressive, set on 55 acres with an attractive Victorian mansion at its heart that blends well with an extensive mix of add-ons.

The junior school is in the main building which opens out onto its own dedicated playground, and the upper school is in the Wrens and Robins Buildings.

There is everything you would expect from a top prep school – and more. A new sports hall was opened in 2020, complete with a full-size climbing wall and space for three sports courts. It is an impressive addition.

There is a 25-metre heated swimming pool which is open-air in the summer and covered in the winter. There are 14 sports pitches (seven rugby, seven football), netball and tennis courts, and a full-size astro, plus an adventure playground and zip-wire. The Paddock is a 24-acre site of pasture and woodlands (with a pond) used for outdoor learning, Forest School and classes like science. It is a starting point for the school’s annual triathlon.

Inside there is a library with a huge selection of books – no less than 14,000 – three art studios, five science labs, a design technology department that includes 3D printers and a laser cutter, a food tech kitchen, two performance studios plus a separate music department and a large dining hall. Phew! It’s a lot!

A new common room has just opened for year 8 pupils with sofas, pool table and table football.

At the pre-prep, facilities are also spiffy. There is a 10-metre heated swimming pool, sports fields, a well-stocked library (with a gorgeous mural covering an entire curved wall), dining hall, and an ICT suite. The children regularly use the facilities at the prep school site, as well as the Paddock.

SPORT

Children playing netball at Danes Hill School in Oxshott, Surrey.

Danes Hill is a sporty school and has a rich history that includes success at county, divisional and national levels. The ethos is “sports for all” with inclusion, participation and enjoyment at the heart of it. The usual suspects are played – football, rugby, hockey, cricket, and netball. There is also athletics, tennis and swimming. Fixtures are played against other local schools on a weekly basis.

While the facilities are undeniably Wow, there is also a dedicated team of specialist games teachers who offer expert coaching in team and individual sports.

In addition to timetabled PE and games, there is a huge co-curricular programme which gives the children access to dozens of sports, including scuba diving, fencing and skiing. There is also a Talented Athlete Performance programme, aka TAP, which offers additional training to those with a sporting talent.

THE ARTS

Music is taught from transition to year 8, and children also have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument taught by visiting music teachers. There are more choirs, ensembles and bands than you can shake a conductor’s baton at, including an orchestra, jazz band, string quartet, flute, clarinet, saxophone, double reed, guitar and brass ensembles, a junior and senior choir.

Drama, too, is taken seriously here and children have lessons in all year groups. There are two fabulous performance spaces – The Ark and the Studio Theatre, where productions are staged throughout the year. Every child can participate or perform in school productions such as Oliver, Grease and Annie. The Danes Hill School Talent Show and various concerts are also held throughout the year.

LITTLIES

Pupils at Danes Hill School in Oxshott, Surrey.

Bevendean, the pre-prep, is on a separate site five minutes’ drive from the main campus. It goes from nursery (mini-transition) to year 1. In year 2, children move to the prep school. Most learning at the pre-prep is topic based, and there are specialist teachers for music, sport and languages. Outdoor learning is big, and children have bi-weekly Forest School.

A wellbeing hub opened in 2024, a cosy space for pupils and teachers, plus a dedicated ELSA.

The Danes Hill community is super-strong, particularly at the pre-prep where there’s a genuine family-feel. A former parent told me her sons loved coming to Bevendean. (“It’s magical and fun.”) She is now on the staff team, joking that she missed being part of the community when they left. Only, I’m not sure she really is joking.

A warm feeling of positivity and enthusiasm (to quote another staff member), permeates throughout the school. And that’s in no small measure due to the head of pre-prep, Ruth Samson who is warm, vibrant and outgoing with bundles of energy. She’s ably assisted by two beagles, Bertie and Bella, who join her most days.

Ruth Samson, head of pre-prep at Danes Hill School in Oxshott, Surrey with a pupil

Ruth has been at the pre-prep for nine years, and has a genuine love for teaching and inspiring young minds – and for Bevendean itself. The motto is ‘We care, we share, we love to learn‘ – and Ruth epitomises this. She hosts regular tea parties with pupils and staff to celebrate kindness. Ruth comes from a long line of teachers (parents and grandparents), and her husband is also a headteacher.

You will find her at the gate greeting families every morning. On my most recent visit – a chilly day – a parent had wrapped her own scarf around Ruth because she looked cold. And that sums up Bevendean. Warm, caring and kind.

ACADEMICS

A pupil at Danes Hill School in Oxshott, Surrey.

The school aims to provide a broad-based education and prides itself on offering support and resources for stronger learners as well as the weaker ones.

It is a three or four-form entry throughout the school from year 2 upwards and specialist teaching happens across all of the school in subjects like DT, music, PE, games and art. Children are taught in sets for maths and English from year 2.

Whilst Danes Hill still has a focus on the Common Entrance exams in the core subjects, it has recently moved to a more topic-based approach in the humanities. It allows for a more flexible and tailored curriculum and means the content reflects areas the children are genuinely interested in.

In year 4, children have more lessons in specialist areas such as the science labs, dedicated language class rooms, art, design and drama studios. Children continue to learn in sets for English and maths, and by year 5 this also extends to science. By year 6, and into years 7 and 8, all classes are specialist taught.

NEXT SCHOOLS

Teacher and pupil at Danes Hill School in Oxshott, Surrey.

Children at Danes Hill do well academically. A large majority go on to Reed’s School, St John’s Leatherhead and Epsom College. Pupils in 2023 also accepted places at ACS Egham, Ardingly, Box Hill School, Brighton College, Charterhouse, Cheltenham Ladies’ College, City of London Freemen’s School, Cranleigh School, Eton, Guildford High, Hampton School, Hurstpierpoint College, King Edward’s Witley, Notre Dame, RGS Guildford, Reigate Grammar, St George’s Weybridge, St Teresa’s Effingham, Tonbridge School, Wellington College, and Wycombe Abbey. In 2023, 56 senior school scholarships were offered.

PASTORAL CARE

A girl on a swing at Danes Hill School in Oxshott, Surrey.

Pastoral care is at the forefront of everything at Danes Hill – and it’s tackled strategically with a whole-school approach, but support starts with the form teacher. The fact the school is broken down into smaller sections helps establish a focus on individual pupils and their needs. There are 12 ELSAs at Danes Hill and there is also a full-time school counsellor should the children need this support. The house system is strong and adds another layer of support.

As well as a formal tracking system, there is a weekly meeting involving all heads of schools, pastoral leads, the SENCo, and the school counsellor to discuss the wellbeing of pupils individually and as a whole.

Pupil voice is also important. There’s a Senior Pupil Team (house captains and the head boy and girl) who meet regularly to discuss a range of school issues – from uniforms to the menus.

THE HEAD

Richard Brown stepped in as interim head in April 2024, replacing Maxine Shaw. He has more than 25 years’ experience working in independent education at both junior and senior school levels.

Richard was headmaster at Handcross Park School in Haywards Heath for seven years, and for eight years before that he was headmaster at Dorset House School in Pulborough, both in West Sussex. He was housemaster and English teacher at Pangbourne College in Berkshire before Dorset House School.

QUIRKS

A little girl at Danes Hill Pre-Prep School in Oxshott, with Bertie the beagle.

It’s got to be the pooches. There are the two resident beagles, Bella and Bertie, at the pre-prep.

WRAP AROUND CARE

A child at Danes Hill School in Oxshott, Surrey.

Danes Hill offers Breakfast Club at the pre-prep from 7.40am and at the prep School from 7.15am. An Extended Day Club runs until 5.25pm at the pre-prep and until 5.45pm at the prep school

A huge range of extra-curricular activities are offered at Danes Hill. If you can think of it, it’s probably on the programme. There’s everything from judo and jazz band to strictly dancing, skiing, gardening club, Mandarin, scuba diving, and Archaeology club.

ISI REPORT

The most recent Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspection was in January 2020. The school was rated as ‘excellent’ across the board. You can read the full report here.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

There’s a strict no-phone policy at school. Children who need to bring phones, hand them to the school office on arrival, and collect them at the end of the day.

Pupils at Danes Hill School in Oxshott, Surrey.

TRANSPORT

Danes Hill has an extensive network of buses bringing children from year 2 up into school and home again. The routes go out as far as Wimbledon, Putney, Surbiton, Claygate, Cobham and Weybridge.

FEES

2023/24: fees start at £530 per term for children in mini-transition doing morning sessions, and for afternoon sessions it’s £420, with a minimum of 3 sessions.

It is £5,300 per term for children in reception and year 1. And for children in years 2-8 it’s £7,500 per term.

WORD ON THE GROUND

This is a great all-round school with plenty on offer, which is a big attraction for parents. The facilities here are impressive too. There is also an incredibly strong sense of community which is appealing. The parent group, Friends of Danes Hill (FODH), is strong. The school benefits from their fundraising efforts gaining lovely additions such as the adventure playground, and a putting green.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Pupils at Danes Hill School in Oxshott, Surrey.

Good for: Go-getters. There’s a lot on offer, and those who are get stuck in and have a go will really benefit. The grounds are stunning, facilities are strong and there’s an all-rounder focus that will appeal to many.

Not for: It’s at the higher end of the fees spectrum, which is something to consider.

Dare to disagree? Be my guest. There’s an open house event on Fri 3 May 2024. Book here.

Danes Hill School, Leatherhead Road, Oxshott, Surrey, KT22 0JG. Tel: 01372 842509

Bevendean, Steels Lane, Oxshott, Surrey, KT22 0QQ. Tel: 01372 842546

daneshillschool.co.uk

Danes Hill School, Oxshott

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