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Our View
At this prep on the edge of Esher, educating the whole child is paramount – and judging by the sense of purpose and happy faces of the pupils, it’s a recipe that works. Staff are super dedicated and there’s a well-organised feel to the whole of Claremont Fan Court School. In September 2024, the pre-prep and prep joined together to become juniors and a new head arrived; it’s an exciting time and the school feels like it’s genuinely thriving. For families in Surrey and south-west London, the all-through option from nursery to A-levels makes it a strong contender.
Where?
The 100-acre grounds (designed by Capability Brown, no less) are magnificent with manicured gardens, woods and parkland. It feels more like a country boarding school and it’s hard to believe you’re so close to the M25, never mind London. An 18th-century Palladian mansion sits splendidly at the centre, with a breathtaking Georgian interior that houses a number of senior-school classrooms and offices.
The pre-prep and nursery are located in a collection of low-slung wooden buildings nestling in a site set away from the main school with its own playground and wooded area. The prep is on the other side of the grounds in the recently renovated Stable Court, a beautiful, listed building with high ceilings, spacious classrooms and a new dedicated science lab and art room. There’s a magical walled garden for summer activities and prep pupils also share outdoor space with the senior school, with playtimes cleverly scheduled so the younger ones have exclusive use. Children come from all over south-west London and Surrey, and from Year 3, pupils can make use of the brilliantly run, comprehensive bus network. There is also a school bus to and from Claygate station which is on the Waterloo-Guildford line.
Head
Matthew Jelley took up the junior school headship in September 2024. Working across the prep and pre-prep schools, he is ably supported by Michael Williams, who is in charge of the pre-prep. Mr Williams is as dedicated a head as you’re ever likely to meet – he takes the teaching of young children very, very seriously and clearly ensures they’re properly supported every step of the way. Previously head of pre-prep at Harrow in Bangkok, Mr Williams has been at Claremont since 2017.
Admissions
All 32 nursery pupils routinely move up to Reception which leaves just eight places available, so if you have your sights on the school, it’s worth getting your child’s name down early for a Reception place. Little ones come in for a stay and play session to assess their social and language skills. The school tells us it’s looking for potential to learn. The majority of pre-prep pupils graduate to the prep in Year 3, and there are usually around 10 places available for children not already at the school. Years 4 and 5 welcome more pupils joining from local state schools, some of whom will be siblings of those joining the senior school in Year 7. The growing popularity of the school has meant it has become slightly more selective; prospective pupils are split into groups and observed doing fun activities and they also sit a maths, English and creative writing assessment.
Academics and senior school destinations
A wonderfully symbiotic relationship exists between outdoor and indoor learning in the pre-prep with, for example, children visiting the bird hide to develop their looking, listening and concentration skills. Forest school is no add-on at Claremont; it’s completely integrated into the curriculum with three fully trained staff delivering up-to-the-minute, evidence-based lessons. The three Rs are covered comprehensively, as is ICT with pupils starting computing lessons in nursery; by Year 2 they’re producing their own podcasts.
The holistic approach continues into the prep, with children working towards the school’s own Claremont Prep School Portfolio, which blends academics and co-curricular and sees pupils collecting badges in six disciplines: outdoor and active, academic, world and culture, the arts, science and tech, and citizenship. Graduation is in Year 6 and the coloured badges are proudly displayed on blazers.
From Year 3, there is streaming in maths and other subjects depending on the cohort. Each child is encouraged to aim high, and all abilities are catered for, from the gifted to those who need extra support. Languages, games, music and technology are all taught by specialist teachers. Most pupils seamlessly move from the prep to the senior school, a smooth journey which is increasingly popular with families.
Co-curricular
Timetabled games means that children play all the traditional sports, including lacrosse which is a big thing at the senior school. Gymnastics is taken seriously too and the prep and pre-prep each have their own halls. The pre-prep also has an outdoor pool which is used during the summer and early autumn, weather permitting. The prep has access to the senior-school facilities including its outdoor pool (the construction of an indoor pool is next on the future projects list).
Creativity is valued and the new art room at the prep school is fabulous, with lots of different media for children to experiment with; we were impressed by the work on display. A specialist music teacher takes pupils twice a week from nursery and there are also lots of individual lessons. Concerts and assemblies see even the youngest children performing in front of an audience, something the school is keen to encourage as a way of instilling self-confidence. Weekly drama lessons start in the prep school and all the pupils take part in English Speaking Board exams in Year 6 (45 achieved distinctions this year). From Year 3, children take part in an annual production; on our visit we saw the Year 4s rehearsing for the big end of spring term show, Sherlock and Cinders.
LAMDA is a popular club, as is Dinky Drama, football (for boys and girls), fencing, rock and pop, plus there’s Bugs, Birds, Bushcraft and eco-club.
School community
Pastoral care is assiduous and the assistant head pastoral ‘Mr V’ (Vincent) is something of a legend among the children. He knows all the pupils by name and all the children we spoke to told us they feel very supported. There’s a real sense of mutual trust at the school, where pupils feel listened to. The house system starts in the nursery, and within each of the four houses, children also have a house family of mixed year groups. Year 6 house captains are voted termly and there is also an elected school council. Parents are active with a Friends of Claremont association that encompasses the whole school, with reps for each year group. On the day of our visit, they were holding a sale for second-hand fancy dress outfits ahead of World Book Day.
And finally....
With its imminent change to a junior school, the sense of cohesion from nursery to 18 is growing ever stronger and the offering of a smooth, all-through educational journey is attracting more and more families. Claremont clearly has a bright and exciting future – and it’s well worth putting on your shortlist if you live within striking distance.