Snaresbrook Preparatory School
75 Woodford Road, South Woodford, London, E18 2EA
Pupils
140
Ages
4 - 11
Gender
Co-educational
Type
Primary
Head Teacher
Mr Ralph Dalton
Boarding / Day
Day
Fees
£3,617 to £4,839
ISC Associations
ISA, AGBIS, ISBA
Religion
Church of England/Interdenominational
Bursaries
Available
About Snaresbrook Preparatory School
Snaresbrook Preparatory School, located in a charming Victorian villa, offers a nurturing and academically enriching environment for children aged three to eleven. The school is co-educational and has a strong emphasis on community and shared values, which is evident in its admissions process. While the school is oversubscribed, it is not academically selective; instead, it seeks families who align with its ethos. This approach fosters a cohesive community where children thrive both academically and socially.
The school begins its educational journey with a nursery intake of twenty-four children, who join at the age of three, rising to four. Class sizes are largest in the early years but naturally reduce as some pupils leave at ages seven and eight. By the higher years, class sizes are typically between sixteen and eighteen, allowing for more personalised attention. The school is committed to maintaining a balanced class chemistry, with prospective pupils spending a morning at the school to ensure a good fit.
Academically, the school is robust, offering an accelerated and enriched curriculum. It employs part-time specialists in languages and IT, with French introduced from nursery and Latin from year three. The aim is to complete the primary school curriculum by the end of year five, allowing year six to focus on a broader education. This approach ensures that pupils leave with a solid foundation in core subjects, ready to excel in their future educational endeavours.
The school places a strong emphasis on pastoral care, creating a family-like atmosphere where pupils feel supported and valued. This nurturing environment is complemented by a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including music, art, drama, and sports. Music is particularly strong, with opportunities for pupils to learn various instruments and participate in ensembles and choirs. The school also offers a variety of clubs, from weaving to mindfulness, ensuring that there is something for every interest.
Sports are an integral part of the school’s offering, with a decent-sized playground and gym for younger pupils and access to a nearby sports centre for older students. The school fields football and netball teams, and a professional football coach from Chelsea visits weekly. Swimming is taught from year three, and the annual sports day is a highlight for many pupils.
The school’s commitment to inclusivity is evident in its welcoming of all faiths, despite its Christian foundation. Daily hymns and prayers are part of the routine, but non-Christians and non-believers are fully included. The school values a moral compass and encourages a strong sense of community through its active PTA and house system, which fosters healthy competition and camaraderie.
The dining experience at the school is communal, with pupils eating in relays in the basement dining hall. While the food may not be gourmet, it is healthy and well-balanced, with a vegetarian option and salad bar available.
Families at the school come from diverse ethnic backgrounds, with many being first-time buyers and dual-income households. They seek an academic education in a structured, caring environment, and the school delivers on these expectations. The school’s focus on developing happy, confident children who achieve their best is evident in the positive feedback from parents and the success of its pupils in gaining places at their first-choice secondary schools, often with scholarships.
In conclusion, Snaresbrook Preparatory School provides a well-rounded education that prepares pupils for future success. Its strong academic foundation, coupled with excellent pastoral care and a wide range of extra-curricular activities, ensures that children leave as articulate, confident individuals ready to take on the challenges of secondary education. To receive updates about this school, including exam results, senior staff changes, and open days, please bookmark it using the button at the end of this review.
ISI Review
Snaresbrook Preparatory School is a co-educational day school located in South Woodford, London, catering for pupils aged 3 to 11 years. Founded in the early 1930s, the school operates from a Victorian house in an urban area and has been managed by a family board of directors for over 50 years. The current headmaster, Mr. Ralph Dalton, was appointed in September 2018. Since the last inspection, the school has undergone significant changes, including the introduction of a new leadership team and the implementation of formal tracking of pupil progress and subject specialist teaching.
The school aims to develop the whole child through a relevant and contemporary education, fostering research, inquiry, sensitivity, and self-discipline within a Christian environment. Pupils come from diverse professional backgrounds, with their abilities generally above average according to national standardized test data. The school supports 12 pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and 14 pupils who speak English as an additional language (EAL), providing tailored support to meet their needs. Additionally, the curriculum is designed to challenge 22 more able pupils and accommodate those with special talents in sports and music.
The regulatory compliance inspection conducted by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) confirmed that Snaresbrook Preparatory School meets the standards set by the Department for Education (DfE) and the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework. The inspection assessed various aspects, including safeguarding, health and safety, staff suitability, premises, information provision, complaints handling, and leadership quality. The findings indicated that the school effectively safeguards pupils, promotes good behavior, prevents bullying, and meets health and safety requirements. The school maintains appropriate records and has a strategic approach to risk assessment, with a disability access plan in place.
In terms of educational quality, the school provides a well-documented curriculum that covers the required breadth of material and enables pupils to make good progress. The teaching is characterized by effective behavior management and suitable resources, with a framework for assessing pupil performance in place. The school promotes spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development, encouraging pupils to become responsible and tolerant citizens. The welfare, health, and safety of pupils are prioritized, with arrangements in place to promote their well-being.
The educational quality inspection highlighted that the quality of pupils' academic achievements is good, with pupils demonstrating exceptional positivity and commitment to their learning. They develop strong study skills and are articulate communicators. Pupils show high competency levels in mathematics and numeracy, although some progress is hindered by inconsistent feedback and marking practices. The personal development of pupils is rated as excellent, with strong social skills and moral awareness evident in their behavior and attitudes towards others. However, opportunities for developing leadership skills are somewhat limited.
The school is advised to enhance the attainment and progress of specific groups, such as the most able pupils, by improving tracking systems and matching teaching to individual needs. Additionally, the consistency and quality of written feedback should be improved to further support pupil attainment. The school is also encouraged to create positions of responsibility for older pupils to foster leadership skills.
Pupils exhibit excellent attitudes towards learning, actively participating in lessons and collaborating effectively with peers. They engage enthusiastically in problem-solving activities and demonstrate resilience in their learning. The school offers a range of extracurricular activities that enrich pupils' education and personal development, with opportunities for success in sports and the arts. Pupils display high levels of self-confidence and independence, understanding the importance of engagement and involvement in their learning experiences.
Overall, Snaresbrook Preparatory School provides a nurturing environment that promotes academic achievement, personal development, and social responsibility. The school successfully fosters a sense of community and respect among pupils, encouraging them to appreciate diversity and engage in charitable efforts. The leadership and management demonstrate good skills and knowledge, ensuring that the school's standards are consistently met and that pupils' well-being is actively promoted. The positive feedback from parents and pupils reflects the school's commitment to providing a high-quality education that prepares pupils for their future endeavors.
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Last Updated: 8 October 2024