Tower House School

Tower House School is located between Richmond upon Thames and Putney just off Richmond Park in East Sheen. A preparatory school for 180 boys covering Reception to Year 8, we prepare pupils for the top senior schools in the UK.

Since our roll is small, the dedication of our highly qualified staff and a focused sense of community combine to enable all Tower House pupils develop to their full potential and become individuals. Individuals that will be well prepared for life beyond school and be able to contribute fully in a challenging and changing world.

We intend to continue to combine the provision of tried and tested traditional values with the incorporation of new developments in educational methods.We aspire to guide your son on his journey from his uneasy steps on the first morning of Reception to the confident teenager, glowing with pride, receiving plaudits at his final Speech Day. Tower House will aim to provide a seaworthy vessel that ensures this journey is both safe and fulfilling.

Each boy is valued for himself. You can be assured that your child will receive individual attention, from dedicated and caring professionals. Some boys may require reinforcement and reassurance; this will be given without question and with patience. Other boys will demand an accelerated curriculum; we commit to ensuring that all abilities are constantly challenged.

As Tower House is a non selective school, there is no entrance test at 4+. Thus the first twenty two to register in each year will be considered as guaranteed places, although siblings of children already in the school are given priority. On occasion, some names drop off the list, allowing those outside the top twenty two the opportunity of entry. Admission of boys at ages other than 4+ will depend very much on the availability of spaces. The preliminary registration fee of £100 is non-refundable.

A small number of places become available in different year groups from time to time – please enquire about availability by contacting the Registrar. The procedure is different depending on the age of the boys.For entry into Year 1 or 2 a boy would be invited into their future class for an hour or so to assess their suitability to cope in the year group he is entering and to ensure he would be happy and content in this educational environment. Boys wishing to enter Year 3 and above undertake assessments in English, Maths and Reading and they also have an informal interview with the Deputy Head. This is in order to ensure that they are up to good standard compared to their peer group already attending Tower House. We must also assure ourselves that they will be content in this educational environment and therefore have every chance of emerging confident, well-educated and well-rounded.

As there is no entrance test at 4+, all boys are expected to spend a short time at the school in the term before they are due to start. In this way the boy is able to meet some of the staff, see the school, and in an informal manner the school can assess the boy’s potential. The purpose of the interview is not to test what the boy has learned, but to ascertain whether he is ready for a day’s schooling, or in the case of an older boy, whether he will be able to cope. As a result of this informal interview the school reserves the right to postpone or refuse admission to a boy should it be considered necessary.

We are the youngest children at Tower House School. We follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum, which has three prime areas: physical development; personal, social and emotional development and communication and language. These three prime areas are strengthened and applied through the specific areas, they are: literacy; mathematics; understanding the world and expressive arts and design.

Reception follows the EYFS creative curriculum. Years 1- 3 follow the New National Curriculum. We pride ourselves on offering all boys a wide range of subject specialist teachers to teach ICT, French, Music, Art and Sport. The boys attend swimming lessons and Games sessions on a weekly basis at the Bank of England sports complex. Their learning is further enhanced by trips, special visitors, workshops and themed days.Enthusiastic staff offer a variety of extra-curricular clubs which the boys are encouraged to sample, including cookery, sewing, drama and football.

As well as plays, sports fixtures and concerts, we place great emphasis on the academic progress and development of our pupils. Monitoring and supporting their individual needs is at the heart of the teaching style throughout the school. Exams and assessments are routine, either on paper or electronically and the results are carefully analysed to ensure each pupil is working to his best ability.

While preparing boys for a wide variety of future schools, we offer much more than exam-passing skills at Tower House.We also provide a rich learning environment in which the boys are given time to learn about themselves as learners: – to practise the skills of thinking, debate and inquiry, to modify their views because of another’s reasoning and – not least – to listen, understand and empathise with the experiences of others.We also place a great deal of emphasis on the development of each boy’s character and confidence – encouraging responsibility, compassion for others and a sense of humour.