West Hill Park School

History

West Hill Park School was established in 1920 by Charles Ransome. The school remained family owned until 1959 when it became a Charitable Trust. The school is set in 28 acres in rural Hampshire overlooking the village of Titchfield. This historic village is mentioned in the Domesday Book. The main school building dates back to the 18th Century and was originally the private residence of the influential Delmé family. It was established as a preparatory school in 1920 by Charles Ransome and has continued to this day.

The School Today

West Hill Park is a non-selective School and does not have formal entrance exam. An informal baseline assessment is carried out during a taster visit.

West Hill Park School is a member of The Boarding Schools' Association, The Independent Association of Prep Schools and The Independent Schools Council.

Inspection Report

West Hill Park School was inspected by The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) in March 2016. The Inspection Team considered West Hill Park to be ‘excellent’ in all of their judgements on each of the aspects of the school’s work, as can be seen in the full report. West Hill Park ISI Integrated Inspection Report

Early Years

Children may enter the Early Years Centre during the term in which they become three years old. They move into the Reception Class in the September following their fourth birthday. Children may attend full-time or part-time.

The Prep School

West Hill Park endeavours to balance academic rigour with preparation for a life of adventure, challenge, responsibility and fun. As a traditional boarding school it builds on the Early Years Foundation Stage and National Curriculum to prepare children for Common Entrance and a wide range of scholarships.

Boarding

Boarding at West Hill Park is about providing a home from home whether it is for one night, a week or for a term. West Hill Park provides a supportive and caring environment for pupils to spend time with their friends, enjoy a range of activities and trips and increase their independence in preparation for boarding life at Senior School.

Ofsted inspected Boarding, health and welfare provision in June 2010. The report gives Boarding at West Hill Park an overall quality rating of ‘outstanding' which is defined as ‘of exceptionally high quality'. Health care, catering and the strong leadership of the school were specifically mentioned. The Boarding ethos of the school is described as professional but also relaxed, open and homely with an emphasis placed on respecting each other and showing courtesy and manners to everyone. The full report is available here Ofstead Social Care Report 2010.

The Boarding Welfare Intermediate Inspection took place in November 2013, the full report is available here Boarding Welfare Intermediate Inspection 2013.

Boarding has to be appealing to children and at West Hill Park boarding is very much based on feeling happy and safe, and having a lot of fun. There is firm but fair routine, time set aside for study, music practice and quiet relaxation as well as regular fun nights and special weekend activities.

Saturday Mornings

The 'activity based' Saturday encourages pupils from Years 3 - 8 to attend Saturday school. The format of Saturday mornings is much less formal, uniform is not necessary on most Saturdays. (Saturday mornings count towards the mandatory statutory number of hours that a child must spend in school.)

Two activity slots of ninety minutes give the opportunity to offer activities off-site, (e.g. sailing or fishing) as well as a varied programme of pre-seasonal sports training, play rehearsals, art and design projects, bushcraft and other outdoor pursuits. In the appropriate terms, there will be time for subject extension work, specialist revision sessions, scholarship and exam preparation. Parents are also encouraged with the usual safeguarding procedures in place to share their passions and skills with the children by becoming involved in activities.

Selection of Saturday Activities