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Park Hill School sits in the Kingston upon Thames area and has long positioned itself as a small, co-educational independent setting for ages 2 to 11, with nursery provision. In 2026, the story is more complex: the school’s own admissions information states that preparatory pupils relocate to Westbury House School in New Malden from January 2026, while the Park Hill site continues as a full-time nursery with 51 weeks of provision and a baby room opening in January 2026.
What remains consistent is a clear emphasis on wellbeing, technology-supported learning, and outdoor education, alongside a destination record that includes scholarships at 11-plus entry points. Park Hill is also listed as an Apple Distinguished School for 2024 to 2027, which signals a deliberate, structured approach to using iPad and Mac as learning tools rather than as occasional add-ons.
For families, the practical implication is straightforward: you are choosing both an educational ethos and a transition plan. The nursery offer is central on the Park Hill site in 2026; any prep pathway needs to be understood through the January 2026 relocation.
Park Hill’s strongest through-line is the way it frames pupil experience: welfare and inclusion first, then confidence and responsibility. That is not marketing fluff in this case; the latest independent inspection report explicitly describes welfare as central and links it to leaders’ modelling of compassion and inclusivity, with pupils playing harmoniously and ensuring peers are included.
Pastoral culture is also described as practical. Pupils are reported to find staff approachable and to have trusted adults to turn to, and structured buddy systems are referenced, including older pupils supporting early years children in day-to-day routines and events.
A distinctive feature for a small prep is the way Park Hill blends “traditional prep” outcomes with a modern skills narrative. Its destination information repeatedly foregrounds communication, collaboration, and confidence, then backs this up with a multi-year list of destination schools and named scholarships.
Instead, the most meaningful academic signals available publicly are:
Inspection evidence that pupils achieve well and that teaching supports pupils to acquire knowledge and develop skills, with leaders tracking progress and using interventions where needed.
A consistent pattern of secondary destinations, including selective-entry schools and scholarship offers at 11-plus.
One important nuance from the inspection is that most teaching supports pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), but the school is also advised to extend consistent SEND support across all subjects. That is a useful, specific “watch item” for parents whose child needs reliably differentiated classroom access every day, in every lesson.
Park Hill’s curriculum identity has two clear pillars: technology-enabled learning and outdoors-based education.
On the technology side, Park Hill presents itself as an Apple Distinguished School for 2024 to 2027 and describes a technology-rich environment designed to support creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking using iPad and Mac. In inspection terms, leaders’ investment in technology is linked to teaching that develops critical thinking and pupils’ ability to analyse and evaluate.
On the outdoors side, the school describes an Outdoor and Adventure School programme, including structured “micro adventures” that build practical skills through planned day trips, overnights, and progressively more ambitious experiences. It also references regular Forest School activity, with learning taking place in school grounds and wider local outdoor settings.
The implication for families is that Park Hill is likely to suit children who learn best through doing, reflecting, and making, not only through paper-based outcomes. It may be less attractive for families who want a heavily traditional, desk-based prep experience as the dominant mode.
This is a school that is explicit about “prep outcomes” and treats transition at 11 as a core purpose. The destination list includes a mix of selective and non-selective schools, and it also lists scholarship outcomes. For 2023 to 2024, Park Hill states offers including: Kingston Grammar School (Music Scholarship), Surbiton High School (Performing Arts Scholarship), Hampton School (Music Scholarship), The Hall School (Sports Scholarship), and Notre Dame School (Academic Scholarship), alongside offers to Reed’s School and Claremont Fan Court School.
Across recent years, the destination list includes Kingston Grammar School, Whitgift, King’s College Wimbledon, Portsmouth Grammar School, Sir William Perkins School, Ibstock Place School, and local state options such as Hollyfield School, Coombe Boys, Coombe Girls, and Kingston Academy.
For parents, the practical takeaway is that Park Hill appears to support both selective and local routes, and the presence of named scholarships suggests meaningful preparation for specialist assessments where relevant (music, performing arts, sport, academic).
A critical 2026 note, however: the school’s own admissions communication states that preparatory pupils relocate to Westbury House School from January 2026, so families should confirm how the 11-plus pathway is delivered for pupils enrolling from 2026 onwards, and which site and leadership team is responsible for Year 6 preparation.
Park Hill describes itself as non-selective, with no formal assessments, while still using interviews and “acquaint” (taster) days as part of the process. It encourages open mornings and tours, and it sets out a clear oversubscription approach for entry at age 4: priority first for children of staff within its parent group, then siblings of current or former pupils, then others in strict order of registration.
Open events have been marketed as nursery open mornings, and one published example is a Nursery Open Morning on Friday 21 November, 9:15am to 10:30am. Because that date is in the past relative to February 2026, the safest interpretation is that open mornings tend to run in November, with tours available year-round by arrangement.
The headline admissions factor in 2026 is structural rather than competitive: the preparatory element relocates to Westbury House from January 2026, while the Park Hill site continues as a nursery. Parents should treat “entry points” as two related decisions: (1) nursery entry to Park Hill, and (2) the prep pathway and where it is delivered after January 2026.
A final note on support: the admissions policy states bursaries are available and means-tested, with families directed to contact the school or the parent company for details.
Pastoral support is a documented strength. The latest inspection describes respectful, caring relationships, with pupils thriving and feeling able to approach staff when needed. It also highlights a PSHE programme that supports understanding of emotions, friendships, and respect for diversity in relationships.
There is also specific reference to mental health strategy work, including the use of a national programme rooted in neuroscience as part of pupils’ mental health strategies.
This is the kind of pastoral picture that typically suits children who benefit from predictable adult support and a values-led approach, especially in smaller settings where staff know pupils well.
Park Hill’s “beyond lessons” offer is unusually concrete in two areas: outdoor experiences and enrichment that links to future transition.
Outdoor learning includes regular Forest School activity and an adventurous programme that can extend to residentials, micro-adventures such as bikepacking and bivvy expeditions, and cooking outdoors using camping stoves, alongside educational visits to major London museums and civic sites such as the Houses of Parliament.
Clubs and wraparound are structured around parent needs and pupil choice. Breakfast club runs from 7:30am during term time, after-school care runs until 6:00pm, and teaching staff also lead clubs that run from 4:00pm to 5:00pm before after-school care continues. The school even names its chef, Leon, in describing provision, which suggests the after-school routine is a well-established part of daily life rather than a bolt-on.
Inspection evidence adds that pupils can access an appropriate range of subjects and extra-curricular activities, with examples including art and French clubs for Reception to Year 4, and outdoor learning opportunities including woodland activities and adventurous classes for older pupils.
For Reception to Year 6 in 2025 to 2026, Park Hill publishes termly fees with a clear breakdown. The total fee is £5,643 per term inclusive of VAT, comprising £4,394 tuition, £548 catering and subsistence, and £702 education materials. A registration fee of £950 is also published, alongside a £100 acceptance deposit.
Discounts are also stated: a 5% annual payment discount is offered (with exclusions noted by the school), and sibling discounts are described, including 10% for the eldest child when two siblings attend, and a combination of 10% and 5% for larger sibling groups, with the youngest child not eligible for discount.
Nursery fees are published separately by the school, and families should use the school’s fee schedule for the early years detail, particularly as funded hours can materially change the payable amount for eligible children.
On financial support, the admissions policy states that means-tested bursaries are available.
The May 2024 Independent Schools Inspectorate inspection confirmed that all Standards were met, including safeguarding.
The inspection also recommends that leaders extend consistent support for pupils with SEND across all subjects, which is a useful and specific improvement point for parents to discuss during a tour or transition meeting.
*Bursaries may be available for eligible families.
Basis: per term
The school publishes a clear daily rhythm. The school day begins at 8:30am, with gates open 8:15am to 8:30am; an early bird drop-off is offered at 8:00am. The school day ends at 3:30pm, with collection 3:30pm to 3:40pm.
Wraparound care is explicit: breakfast club runs 7:30am to 8:00am (term time) and is priced at £5 per day; after-school care and activities are available daily from 3:30pm to 6:00pm. Late collection after 6:00pm is charged at £16 per 30 minutes.
Term dates for 2025 to 2026 are also published, including inset days and holiday periods, and the school notes the full-time nursery operates year-round apart from inset days and a Christmas closure period.
Prep relocation from January 2026. The school states that preparatory pupils relocate to Westbury House School in New Malden from January 2026, while the Park Hill site continues as a full-time nursery. Clarify exactly how this affects new starters, year-group continuity, and who delivers Year 6 preparation for 11-plus destinations.
SEND consistency. The latest inspection is positive overall but explicitly flags a need to make SEND support consistently strong across all subjects, not only in most lessons. This is worth probing if your child relies on predictable scaffolding day to day.
Costs beyond tuition. Wraparound is well-defined and could be highly convenient, but there are specific charges such as £5 per day for breakfast club and late collection fees after 6:00pm.
Outdoor intensity. The outdoor and adventure programme, including woodland learning and micro-adventures, is a major feature. Many children will thrive on this; others may prefer a more classroom-centred day-to-day pattern.
Park Hill School’s public evidence points to a caring, values-led culture, modern technology use as a learning tool, and a distinctive outdoor education strand that goes well beyond the typical “Forest School” label. The destination list, including named scholarships and selective schools, suggests strong preparation for the 11-plus transition.
Who it suits: families seeking an independent early years and prep ethos with structured wraparound, a confident approach to technology, and a practical, adventurous curriculum. The key decision in 2026 is understanding the prep relocation from January 2026 and how that changes the experience for new entrants.
The latest independent inspection (May 2024) confirms all Standards are met, including safeguarding. The report also describes a strong welfare culture, caring relationships, and pupils who are happy and confident, with a specific improvement point around making SEND support consistently strong across all subjects.
For Reception to Year 6 in 2025 to 2026, the published total is £5,643 per term inclusive of VAT, with a registration fee of £950 and an acceptance deposit of £100. Nursery fees are published separately by the school and vary depending on sessions and any funded entitlement.
Yes. Breakfast club operates from 7:30am during term time and is priced at £5 per day. After-school care is available until 6:00pm, with late collection charges after 6:00pm.
Park Hill lists a range of destination schools over recent years, including Kingston Grammar School, Whitgift, King’s College Wimbledon, Hampton School, Surbiton High School, Reed’s School, Claremont Fan Court School, and a range of local state options. It also lists scholarship offers in music, performing arts, sport, and academic routes.
The school’s own admissions information states that preparatory pupils relocate to Westbury House School in New Malden from January 2026, while the Park Hill site continues as a full-time nursery with 51 weeks of provision and a baby room opening in January 2026. Families should confirm how admissions and progression work for children enrolling from 2026 onwards.
Get in touch with the school directly
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