Wetherby is a highly sought-after UK Prep school for boys aged seven to 13 years (Years 3-8) with a reputation for sending students to some of the UK’s leading senior schools.

Wetherby is a highly sought-after Prep school for boys aged seven to 13 years (Years 3-8) with a reputation for sending students to some of the UK’s leading senior schools. Located in Bryanston Square, this day school offers a traditionally UK independent education; expectations are high – but it’s not an academic hothouse.

This small prep school of around 385 boys is part of the Wetherby family of schools, which takes boys from Pre-prep to Senior, Reception to Year 13. Wetherby has four schools: Wetherby School, Wetherby Prep, Wetherby Kensington, and Wetherby-Pembridge.

Wetherby Senior School opened in 2015 for boys aged 11 to 18 in response to the growing demand from parents for a senior school in central London. Building on the ethos and quality of the two existing Wetherby schools, it has quickly become a popular and high achieving senior school within the competitive inner London circle of independent schools.

Wetherby is owned by Alpha Plus, which also has a nearby all-girls school, Pembridge Hall, in its portfolio of fee-paying schools. The two schools do not come together for any shared activities – it’s strictly single sex education here – but several families have siblings at each school.

Well-known for being the Pre-prep school attended by William and Harry, Wetherby is popular with well-heeled, professional families from south or west London. Other former Wetherby Pre-prep pupils include Downing Abbey creator Lord Fellowes, composer Lord Lloyd Webber and actor Hugh Grant. Today, boys in the red-and-grey blazers and grey peaked cap are instantly recognisable as they walk to school within this leafy West London neighbourhood.

While there is no academic test for entry, Wetherby has a reputation for being a high-achieving school academically and is a feeder school for the likes of Eton, Harrow and Winchester, Latymer, Wellington and Charterhouse. Many boys head off to boarding and day schools in London and beyond, and several move up to Wetherby Senior (where they get priority entry). While some boys leave at 11-plus, most stay on until 13-plus. 

Headmaster Mark White joined the school in September 2022 from Hazelgrove Prep School in Somerset.

Curriculum

The Wetherby model of education is traditional yet forward-thinking. Describing its curriculum as “a creative curriculum that balances academic rigour with the development of the whole child”, Wetherby focuses on preparing boys for the 13+ Common Entrance Exams in Year 8.

Wetherby is a non-selective school, so it caters for boys of many different abilities and talents. There are several ways that the school helps boys to reach their full potential and meet the demands of the academically rigorous Common Entrance. It has class sizes small enough to focus on your child's individual needs. There is subject-specialist teaching from Year 4 onwards so students are offered a strong introdction to the full curriculum from a young age.

Preparation for the Common Entrance (CE) starts in Year 6 and continues through to Year 8, and there is regular assessment using Common Entrance past papers. There are additional classes offered to Year 8 students applying for scholarships, many of whom are successful. There’s an Advanced Artists Programme for students applying for an Art Scholarship, for example.

Sport and the arts

Wetherby is not held back by a lack of sporting facilities on-site. The school is fortunate to have its own sporting facility, the Wetherby Sports Ground, a 15-minute coach journey away in Acton. With three full-size Astroturf football pitches and five cricket nets, the site offers the room and facilities needed for a thriving PE programme. There are plenty of competitive fixtures against other schools too, and the school gives every boy the opportunity to experience winning and losing.

It’s very traditional, with football in the autumn, rugby in the spring term and cricket in the summer. However, rowing and swimming are also part of the curriculum (there are weekly morning sessions at Putney Rowing Club and the Seymour Leisure Centre). Extra-curricular sports include table tennis, fencing and fitness.

Wetherby strikes an excellent balance between the academic and creative parts of the curriculum. As you’d expect from such a prestigious school, the arts programme is well-resourced. Students study painting, 3D design, woodwork, clay modelling, wire modelling, screen printing, pastel work, ink studies, lino reduction printing and 3D printing – and have been lucky enough to be taught by high profile artists such as Tracey Emin.

Music plays a big part in Wetherby school life, particularly choral singing. There is a variety of performance related projects, optional LAMDA exams, poetry recitals for all the boys in the school and a weekly drama club ¬– boys can learn about stage lighting for productions if they prefer the backstage side.

Beyond the classroom

There’s a weekly programme of extra-curricular clubs before and after school, ranging from cricket nets at Lord’s to horse riding in Hyde Park. Lessons finish early on Friday to make time for clubs and activities, and the ‘have a go’ attitude at this school is certainly one of its strengths.

Admission and fees

Boys can register at any time up to the end of the Autumn Term of the preceding year before entry. However, there are very few places available if you’re joining the school from Year 3; you stand the best chance of securing a place if you enrol your child into one of the two pre-preps. Both Wetherby Pre-prep and Wetherby Kensington boys automatically feed into the school at Year 4

Alternatively, the school has a small intake of 12-16 boys (one class) for Year 3 and a further intake of 70 (four classes) for Year 4.

Annual fees are £25,380.

Our view

Good for: Although expectations are high, and the curriculum is academically rigorous, parents praise the school for its nurturing and relaxed learning environment. The school has an outstanding record for value add, and seeing boys achieve places at top schools such as Harrow.

Not for: The lack of real outdoor space may be discouraging for some, although it is a city school. Also, with places in such high demand, you may struggle to even get through that famous red door at all.

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