WHAT? WHERE?

Hampton Court House School in East Molesey, Surrey

Hampton Court House School is a selective co-ed day school for children aged 2 to 18 nestled in nine-acres of walled parkland adjacent to Bushy Park in Hampton Court. It’s a forward-thinking and progressive school with a unique personalised approach to education. There’s a razor-sharp focus on the needs of each individual child and a genuinely bespoke, child-centred learning programme in place.

Individuality and respect are highly valued among pupils and staff – so everyone’s on a first-name basis and there’s no uniform.

An educational trendsetter, HCH has pioneered a unique French language immersion programme that runs from Years 1 to 4. The programme sees half of all learning in French and half in English. This means that by Year 4 children are fluent in French.

There are 300 children on the register, starting at age 2 in the Pre-Nursery. Most pupils continue through to the Sixth Form (more on the trailblazing antics of the Sixth Form later!).

The school is gently academically selective from Year 7 upwards when prospective pupils sit an entrance exam. The school will also meet with families. But the focus is not to seek out the cream of the academic crop, but rather to make sure pupils are the right fit for this unconventional school and to add value. (In the lower years children will be invited to attend a trial morning.)

The catchment is here is fairly wide covering an area of north Surrey and south-west London. The school is easily accessible via the train from London Waterloo. This means families come here from as far as Clapham and Wandsworth as well as the local Molesey area, Surbiton, Kingston, Richmond, Twickenham, Wimbledon, Weybridge, Esher and Cobham.

FACILITIES

Pupils at Hampton Court House School in East Molesey, Surrey

Hampton Court House School is relatively young, established in 2001.

But while the school is a mere babe, the house and grounds are the veritable great-granddaddy, dating back to 1757. George Montagu-Dunk, the 2nd Earl of Halifax, apparently built the house for his lover. And plenty of history is still evident today including an original grotto said to house a collection of shells he sent back from the Americas. The original lake is still here – apparently built in the shape of a heart – now surrounded by a safety fence. And there’s also a folly called the Ice House now used a practice room for budding drummers.

The main house itself is stunning. And if you love period architecture, it’s worth a nosey for this alone. It oozes character, style and grandeur, but there’s also a distinctly homely feel – large sofas and armchairs in the wide hallways, warm wood panelling and big bright windows.

The main hall is a grand entrance, used for assemblies, school photos… you name it. Most of the classrooms are in the house, set over four floors with windows looking out over Bushy Park. It’s not uncommon for deer to wander right up to the windows. Two wings – Cottage 1 and Cottage 2 – house musical recital rooms and more classrooms.

A Victorian conservatory is the dining hall – it’s like a scene out of Gatsby, only instead of flappers its kids! Doors open onto a pretty courtyard (the original greenhouse) dotted with greenery, where everyone eats on sunny days.

Next door is the school’s theatre – a multi-purpose space used for sports, drama, yoga and clubs like fencing.

The former stables have been converted into arts studios, and there are four fully-equipped science labs.

SPORT

Pupils at Hampton Court House School in East Molesey, Surrey

Sport is taking off at Hampton Court House and pupils are doing well. The ethos is firmly focused on participation, fun and finding a sport you love. The usuals are played – netball, football and hockey – but, *cool school alert*, rather than serving soggy sandwiches for the match teas, HCH orders in piles of takeaway pizza. Nice!

The estate is Grade II-listed (Capability Brown is said to have designed the gardens) – so this makes it tricky to build new sporting structures.

No matter though, there’s a multi-use games area and a large grassy sports field. Plus no end to glossy facilities at the nearby St Mary’s University in Twickenham, which thanks to a new partnership has opened up a whole new sporting world. Facilities include sports fields galore (rugby, cricket, football), a flood-lit all-weather pitch, and a massive indoor sports hall. The school’s partnership with Molesey Boat Club, means that rowing, too, is on the agenda and from Year 8 upwards children can opt into the programme.

THE ARTS

Pupils at Hampton Court House School in East Molesey, Surrey

The performing arts are big at Hampton Court House. Big. Huge! Okay, maybe we’re getting a little dramatic, but you get the picture. There’s been some big investment in the arts recently too, with the development of a new drama studio. And there’s also a charming globe theatre. Each year group is involved in three performances every year – so plenty of opportunity to tread the boards.

All students up to Year 9 have music as a timetabled subject, and music tech is also on the curriculum. Individual music lessons are available thanks to a team of 10 visiting peripatetic music teachers who offer everything from cello and violin to drums, harp and singing. Children can also join the school’s chamber choir or junior choir.

Up to Year 4, ballet is a timetabled class for all pupils.

LITTLIES

Pupils at Hampton Court House School in East Molesey, Surrey

The Pre-Prep – called the Little Courtyard – houses the Pre-Nursery, Nursery, and Reception, as well as Year 1 and 2, and is located on the western side of the estate with its own entrance through the West Gate.

The Pre-Prep kids are called The Little Courtiers (adorable, non?), and learning here is mostly child-centred and based around play with influences from Montessori and Reggio Emilia. Children in Nursery and Reception take part in Forest School (including regular trips to Bushy Park) as well as French, Ballet, Art and Music.

The school day is from 8.35am to 3.15pm, and there is wrap-around care from 8am to 5pm.

SIXTH FORM

Pupils at Hampton Court House School in East Molesey, Surrey

The Sixth Form at HCH was established in 2015 and at the time it took a revolutionary approach to teenage learning by starting the school day at 1.30pm and ending at 7pm. Teenagers need sleep, was the thinking, so the school day was designed around their sleep patterns. These days though, the A-Level pupils start at 10am – still hour and a half later than their younger counterparts.

Most of the Sixth Form classrooms are on the lower ground floor, and there’s also a Sixth Form common room. Individuality, originality and independence are highly valued, there’s a wide choice of subjects, and class sizes are small – typically around five pupils. Sixth Form pupils also have the opportunity to take on increased responsibility and leadership roles such as Head Pupil, HCH Councillors and Wellbeing Ambassador, to name a few.

The school has recently partnered with Nebula Research to set up the Future Researchers Programme which has been specially designed to provide Year 12 students with training in academic research and authoring skills.

ACADEMICS

Pupils at Hampton Court House School in East Molesey, Surrey

While Hampton Court House has been described as a quirky and socially liberal school, the approach to study is more traditional – and pupils are expected to work hard. Class sizes are small: 10-16 in Nursery and Reception; a maximum of 18 in Years 1-6; and 16-18 in Years 7-9. In GCSE class sizes drop, and they’re smaller still at A-Level.

Children are class-based until Year 4 with most learning taught by the class-based teachers (one French, one English). Streaming in Maths starts in Year 3.

From Year 5 upwards, it’s a mix of form tutor and specialist teachers for Maths, French, PE, Music, Art, English, Latin, Spanish and Mandarin. And from Year 7 onwards all teaching is by specialists.

Pupils at Hampton Court House School in East Molesey, Surrey

Linguistics form an important part of the school’s curriculum – especially in the early years through the French language immersion programme. This focus on languages continues with Mandarin, Latin, Spanish and being introduced from year 5 onwards. And pupils can, of course, continue French.

For native French speakers there’s FLAM (Français Langue Maternelle) the same French course as those taught in a French school. So it’s ideal for parents who want their children to have both English and French.

In 2023, at A-Level 40% of all grades were A*-A and 72% were A*-B. In recent years graduates – Old Courtiers – have gone on to a range of universities including Cambridge, London School of Economics, Imperial College London, King’s College London, University of Manchester, University of Bath, University of St Andrews, University of Southampton, University of East Anglia and the University of Exeter.

The GCSE results in 2023 saw 70% achieve A*-A and 87% achieve A*-B.

PASTORAL CARE

Student talks to a teacher at Hampton Court House School in East Molesey, Surrey

Wellbeing is Hampton Court House’s calling card – and it’s at the root of everything the school believes in when it comes to creating the ideal learning environment for pupils.

Kate Vintiner the Principal is the former Executive Director at the Place2B, a mental health charity for young people, so it’s safe to say this is her area of expertise. The school has a social pedagogy approach to learning. It’s holistic and strongly based around relationships.

Like most schools, there’s a formal tracking system in place. But I sense that even without access to the data most staff members would have an excellent knowledge and understanding of each child here. Every element of school is centred around pupil wellbeing – and creating an environment where children feel safe and happy.

As well as the class teacher and head of year, there are school-based counsellors, fully trained ELSAs (emotional literacy support assistants), first aid and mental health practitioners. The peer support system here is also strong, established through a thriving house system and a vertical peer structure where pupils mix with children who are both older and younger.

The school won the Wellbeing Award for Schools in 2022 from Optimus Education.

THE HEAD

Katherine Vintiner, principal at Hampton Court House School in East Molesey, Surrey

Katherine Vintiner – or Kate as she’s known to staff and pupils – started as Principal at Hampton Court House School in spring 2022, working alongside the previous head Dr Adrian Rainbow until she fully took hold of the reins in January 2023. Before Dr Rainbow, Guy Holloway had been the school’s first and only head for more than 20 years.

Kate came to HCH from a three-year stint as Head at Heathside School in Hampstead, and has previously worked in a range of senior positions in education, training and children’s services. She was Executive Director at Place2Be for five years, a Director of Education before that.

Kate is warm, friendly and unashamedly passionate about education and the benefits it can bring. She firmly believes in the school’s bespoke and personalised approach to learning and the value of a relationship-based approach.

Already she’s started to shake things up at HCH. She’s establishing relationships within the local community – including with Hampton Court Palace, across the road.

QUIRKS

Children look out the window at Hampton Court House School in East Molesey, Surrey

Where do we start? The French immersion programme, the first-name basis, the relaxed dress code? Or maybe it’s the deer that peer into the classroom windows. Or the drumming studio in the folly in the centre of the grounds. Yes, there’s a lot of quirkiness here.

WRAP AROUND CARE

Pupils at Hampton Court House School in East Molesey, Surrey

With the exception of the Sixth Form, the school day starts at 8.30am and children in Years 5 and above can arrive from 8am. The school day ends at 4.10pm and from then an extensive co-curricular programme continues with more than 50 activities to choose from. The list is as varied as it is long – everything from coding and creative writing to chess and capoeira (a Brazilian martial art).

ISI REPORT

The most recent ISI report is from September 2022 which stated the school had met all the required standards. Read the full report here.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Children at Hampton Court House School in East Molesey, Surrey

There’s a strict policy that does not allow the use of mobiles at school. However in the senior school (Years 7-11), the school recognises that teenagers don’t like to be too far away from their phones so each child has been given a Yondr pouch. It’s a small purse which phones are locked in to, so they can have their phones. They just can’t use them!

In Sixth Form, the rules relax a little and pupils are permitted to have their phones, and use them.

TRANSPORT

There’s a mini-bus network with four routes that cover Shepherd’s Bush, Hammersmith, Richmond, Twickenham, Teddington, Hampton, Wimbledon, Kingston and Surbiton. Cost is £10 per journey (minimum of three a week) or £12.50 per journey ad hoc.

FEES

The termly fees for 2023-24 are: Nursery and Pre-nursery £5,352; Reception £5,530; Year 1 £5,886; Years 2, 3 and 4 £6,266; Years 5 and 6 £6,781; Years 7 and 8 £7,231; Years 9, 10 and 11 £7,749; and Sixth Form £7,825.

WORD ON THE GROUND

A teacher talks to pupils at Hampton Court House School in East Molesey, Surrey

Everything about the school is inspiration from the buildings to the garden, said one parent. Parents also love the ‘extended family’ vibe at the school and the close sense of community that’s seemingly without pretension. The linguistics here are seen as a great addition to children’s learning. And I’m told parents like the individual approach an attention that each child receives.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Pupils at Hampton Court House School in East Molesey, Surrey

Good for: Those who want a progressive and forward-thinking school that’s not afraid to veer away from the traditional cookie cutter standard of education in the UK. Budding thesps will thrive, as will those who have a passion for languages.

Not for: Traditionalists will struggle with the lack of formality here.

Dare to disagree? Go take a look. The Little Courtyard (Pre Nursery – Year 2) has open mornings on Tues 17 and 24 Sept, and 8 and 15 Oct. The Prep, Senior and Sixth Form has open mornings on Weds 11, 18 and 25 Sept, and Weds 2, 9, 16 Oct.

Hampton Court House School, Hampton Court Road, East Molesey, KT8 9BS. Tel: 020 8016 2529

Hampton Court House School, Hampton Court

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