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Faraday School’s setting does a lot of the heavy lifting. Based at Trinity Buoy Wharf, it sits inside a working creative district on the Thames, and the school leans into that context in a way many London preps cannot. The feel is small, intentional, and modern, with learning spaces described by the school as spanning historic buildings and shipping container classrooms, plus a roof-top playground with wide river views.
Founded in 2009 by the New Model School Company, Faraday set out to offer an affordable independent prep model, and it still positions itself as not-for-profit, with a strong emphasis on reinvestment and value. The school is co-educational, takes pupils from Reception to Year 6, and describes itself as academically non-selective at the main entry point.
Parents considering Faraday should understand two things early. First, the destination story is a headline strength, with offers and scholarships to well-known London senior schools listed publicly for recent cohorts. Second, the most recent Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspection in November 2025 identified specific compliance areas that were not met, largely tied to attendance systems and related record-keeping, so due diligence should include asking what has changed since that inspection.
Faraday’s identity is built around three stated core values, Curiosity, Creativity and Community, and these are not treated as decorative branding. They show up in how the school talks about learning, in its emphasis on independence of thought, and in the way pupil leadership is structured.
The location also shapes day-to-day culture. Trinity Buoy Wharf is home to arts organisations and creative businesses, and Faraday’s own awards material describes regular collaborations with professional artists and projects that use London as an extension of the classroom. That matters because it turns “enrichment” into something more concrete than a timetable add-on. Pupils are more likely to see creative practice as normal adult work, not just an after-school hobby.
Small-school dynamics typically mean staff know children quickly, which can be a real advantage for families seeking a prep that combines strong academics with close attention to the individual. The most recent inspection report supports the idea that pupils are known well and that pastoral support is taken seriously, even while flagging systems that needed tightening.
Leadership is currently under Alarie Drummonds, listed by the school as Head Teacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead, and the November 2025 inspection report states she took up the headteacher role in September 2025. A new head’s first year often involves a blend of continuity and sharper operational discipline, and Faraday’s inspection timing makes that particularly relevant.
Faraday is an independent primary school, and the for this school does not include current, comparable Key Stage 2 performance metrics or a FindMySchool ranking position for primary outcomes. For families who like to benchmark, that shifts the emphasis away from league-table style comparison and towards evidence you can interrogate directly, for example curriculum intent, pupil work scrutiny at open mornings, and senior-school outcomes at 11+.
A useful way to read Faraday’s academic proposition is through its destination pattern. The school explicitly frames its approach as building confident learners and supporting entrance exam readiness through tracking, assessment, practice papers, and interview preparation. That combination, if executed well, is often what drives strong 11+ performance in non-selective preps: pupils are stretched systematically, and exam technique is taught as a skill rather than assumed.
Parents weighing Faraday against more traditionally “academic” preps should focus on how challenge is created without selection. Practical questions that reveal academic rigour include how reading and writing are sequenced through the school, how maths problem-solving is built from early years onwards, and how feedback is used to close gaps for pupils who join after Reception.
Faraday’s curriculum story is anchored in two complementary ideas. First, structured teaching and careful planning, which the latest inspection describes as enabling pupils to make good progress. Second, an experiential, creative lens that links subjects and uses the city as a resource, especially in art and design.
For families, the implication is that Faraday aims to avoid a narrow “prep bubble” where learning is disconnected from the world outside. A child who learns best through making, designing, performing, building, and presenting is likely to find plenty of oxygen here. At the same time, the school is very clear that it supports scholarship preparation and competitive senior-school entry, including mock interviews and structured 11+ preparation options for older year groups.
Provision for high-attaining pupils is described through Gifted and Talented groups that can support competition entry and scholarship readiness across academic subjects, arts, and sport. This is most meaningful when it results in visible stretch, for example extension tasks that genuinely deepen thinking rather than simply accelerate content.
For a prep, destinations are the most legible output, and Faraday is unusually transparent about them. The school lists a set of 2023 offers that includes City of London, St Dunstan’s, Colfe’s, Forest School, Blackheath, Whitgift, Eltham College, and others, which gives a clear sense of the senior-school ecosystem Faraday families typically target.
Scholarships are also listed for the same year, including academic scholarships at City of London, Colfe’s, Whitgift, Eltham College, and Forest School, plus art and drama scholarships at specific named schools. The practical implication is that Faraday is not simply “getting children through the 11+”, it is supporting the higher bar required for scholarship outcomes in at least some cases. For parents, that should translate into two follow-up checks: ask how scholarship preparation is structured (and how many pupils typically pursue it), and ask how the school keeps the experience balanced for pupils not aiming at the most competitive routes.
Faraday also references the maintained sector in its guidance, which matters in Tower Hamlets where families may consider a blend of independent and state options at 11.
The main entry point is Reception, and Faraday states it is academically non-selective at that stage, with no “daunting tests” for children joining in Reception. The school’s published process makes one priority very clear: offers are made in order of date of registration, with siblings given priority.
A distinctive feature here is the timing. Faraday says Reception offers are made around sixteen months ahead of entry, and it provides a worked example timeline for a later cohort showing offers beginning in May, followed by stay-and-play touchpoints in late winter and early summer. For parents, the implication is straightforward: if Faraday is a serious contender, early registration is strategically important because it directly affects offer order.
The school also notes that occasional vacancies can occur beyond Reception (for example Year 1 onwards), which can matter for families relocating into East London.
FindMySchool tip: if you are comparing several small independent primaries in East London, use Saved Schools to keep a clean shortlist, and track each school’s admissions approach side-by-side so you are not mixing “registration-order” systems with “assessment-first” systems.
On paper, Faraday positions itself as a small school where children are known and supported, and the most recent inspection report includes evidence of staff support for pupils’ individual needs and a pastoral approach that builds emotional wellbeing and confidence.
However, parents should read the November 2025 ISI inspection carefully for the operational detail. The report states that standards relating to leadership and management were not met, and that standards relating to safeguarding were not met, with the text pointing to issues around attendance processes and the clarity and accessibility of safeguarding records. This does not negate the pastoral intent, but it does raise a sensible set of questions for prospective families, especially given the headteacher started in September 2025.
A good open-morning question set is practical rather than philosophical: what changes were made to attendance coding and oversight, how safeguarding records are now maintained so key documents are quickly accessible, and how governors and leadership monitor these areas.
Faraday’s co-curricular offer is designed to feel like an extension of the school day rather than a bolt-on. Clubs run after school from 3:45pm to 4:45pm across the week, with both clubs and optional care operating daily into the early evening.
The club list is refreshingly specific for a small prep. Popular examples include Pottery, Animation, Robotics, Creative Writing, Sewing and Cooking, which aligns closely with the school’s stated creativity agenda. The implication for pupils is breadth without over-programming. A child can try making and building activities that are not always common in smaller London preps, and the skills transfer directly into confidence with presentations, project work, and senior-school scholarship portfolios.
Pupil leadership is also presented in concrete roles. The latest inspection report references Year 6 house captains, a junior leadership team, ICT ambassadors, and STEM ambassadors, including involvement in a “space week” build project. That matters because leadership at primary age can easily become tokenistic. Clear roles with real responsibilities tend to develop communication skills and the habit of service, both of which are useful for senior school interviews.
Faraday also highlights art and design externally through awards and case studies, including recognition from the Independent Schools Association for fine arts and design in 2024 and 2025. For creatively inclined children, that signals consistent resourcing and serious intent.
*Bursaries may be available for eligible families.
Basis: per term
The doors open at 8:15am and the school day runs from 8:45am to 3:30pm. After-school clubs typically run until 4:45pm, and the school states wraparound care is available daily until 5:30pm.
For commuting, Trinity Buoy Wharf tends to suit families combining river-adjacent neighbourhoods with Docklands connections, and the school also lists a paid bus option as an extra. Parking and pick-up logistics are worth checking at an open morning because wharf environments can have constraints that differ from typical residential streets.
For 2025/26, school fees are £6,252 per term (VAT inclusive). The registration fee is £175 (non-refundable, VAT inclusive) and the acceptance deposit is £2,700 (refunded at the end of the pupil’s final term, subject to the school’s notice terms and account settlement).
Faraday positions itself as not-for-profit, and its published VAT note states it has been able to absorb 2.5% of VAT “at this stage”. Parents should still expect annual fee review as the VAT environment for independent schools evolves.
Financial help exists in a particularly tangible form. The Fishmongers’ Faraday Award provides a fully funded or subsidised place for a child joining in Year 3 or Year 4, and the school states the award can cover up to 100% of fees for a child who would otherwise be unable to attend. For families interested in this route, it is effectively a bursary pathway with a defined entry point and a clear selection process.
Latest inspection outcome. The November 2025 ISI inspection reported that standards were not met in leadership and management, pupils’ physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing, and safeguarding, with the report pointing to attendance systems and related record-keeping as key factors. Ask for a clear, dated account of what was fixed, how it is monitored, and what evidence the school can share.
Admissions priority is driven by registration date. Reception offers are made in order of registration date, around sixteen months ahead of entry. That approach rewards early decision-making and can feel less flexible than assessment-based admissions for families who want to “wait and see”.
A creative setting is a feature, not a neutral detail. Learning spaces and the surrounding wharf environment appear central to the school’s educational style. Children who thrive on making, performing, and project work may love it, while those who prefer a more traditional prep feel might need to see whether the balance suits them.
11+ culture is real. The school’s destination list is ambitious, and it explicitly supports interview practice, past papers, and preparation clubs. That suits families aiming at competitive senior schools, but it can bring a noticeable Year 5 and Year 6 focus on next steps.
Faraday School is a small, design-led London prep with a clear point of difference, a wharf-based creative context, and a track record of senior-school offers and scholarships that is unusually well documented. It also comes with an important recent inspection narrative that families should take seriously and test carefully through questions about systems, compliance, and governance improvements since late 2025.
Best suited to families who want a co-educational prep that blends structured learning with a strong creative spine, and who value transparent 11+ preparation and senior-school outcomes, while being willing to do careful due diligence on the post-inspection improvement work.
Faraday combines a distinctive creative setting with clear 11+ preparation and published destination outcomes, including offers and scholarships to a range of well-known London senior schools. The most recent ISI inspection (November 2025) identified compliance areas that were not met, so “good” here depends on your priorities and on the school’s demonstrated improvements since that inspection.
For 2025/26, fees are £6,252 per term (VAT inclusive). There is a £175 registration fee and a £2,700 acceptance deposit, with refund conditions linked to notice and account settlement.
Reception is the main entry point, and the school states it is academically non-selective at that stage. Offers are made in order of date of registration, with siblings prioritised, and the school indicates offers are made around sixteen months ahead of entry.
Faraday publishes a list of recent offers including City of London, Colfe’s, Forest School, Blackheath, Whitgift, and Eltham College, among others. It also lists scholarship outcomes in academic, art, and drama categories at named schools.
Yes. The school describes structured support including practice papers, interview preparation, and dedicated preparation options for older pupils, alongside guidance for parents about both state and independent senior-school routes.
Get in touch with the school directly
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