WELCOME TO PREP

Wholeheartedly empowered

 

Our Prep community wholeheartedly empowers our youngest Westholmians to exceed their potential.

 

We place an equal importance on all activities, subjects and experiences, creating a forward-thinking and innovative environment where Prep pupils thrive and develop into confident, well-rounded, and happy individuals. We would be delighted to have you visit our state-of-the-art new Prep building, nestled in the picturesque rural Wilmar Lodge setting.

 

Please do get in touch with our admissions team who will schedule a tour and answer any queries you may have.

 

Mrs Carla Hornby

Head of Prep

 

 

 

 

WARM FAMILY ETHOS

Extraordinary Beginnings

 

Our distinctive educational experience empowers our pupils to discover who they are and their unique talents are encouraged and celebrated.

 

Prep pupils are nurtured in a warm family environment where every child is cherished and valued. The relationship children develop with their teachers is transformative and they thrive and blossom into happy, articulate, confident and impressive young people.

 

BESPOKE EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

Maximising Individual
Academic Potential

 

Our ambitious, holistic approach fosters intellectually agile, imaginative, and independent thinkers.

 

A bespoke curriculum unique to Westholme inspires and cultivates pupils' aspirations and dreams. A culture of teaching to the very top is imbued and pupils receive a breadth and depth of activities both in and outside the classroom together with specialist teachers in Sport, Drama, Languages, Music and Technology.

21ST CENTURY ESSENTIAL SKILLS

Pioneering Educational Philosophy

 

Developing essential leadership, confidence, adaptability and communication skills are woven into the fabric of every day experiences inside and outside the classroom.

 

From the very beginning, seeds for aspirational ambitions are sown. We believe taking the initiative, working in a team, developing a strong work ethic and emotional intelligence form an essential part of the holistic curriculum alongside traditional subjects and activities. Prep empowers pupils with a pioneering holistic education that equips them with the skills needed to sustain a successful, professional career in the rapidly evolving 21st century workplace.

DEVELOPING FRUITFUL RELATIONSHIPS

Our Communication Promise

 

From the moment parents arrive at Westholme, we welcome them to become part of our family community. We will promise highly effective communication throughout to develop and nurture this relationship.

 

Two-way communication is important to us and we are just as receptive to hearing parents' thoughts and feedback as we are proactively sending daily, weekly, monthly information home. Regular parental involvement opportunities are provided, from family events in class and enjoying lunch together to assemblies and interactive sessions.

EDUCATING THE WHOLE CHILD

Wholeheartedly Empowered

 

We passionately believe in educating the whole child and we wholeheartedly provide every Prep pupil the opportunity to discover their element!

 

Our unparalleled focus on co-curricular enables children to experience incredible activities that they may not otherwise encounters. From the very beginning, Prep pupils adopt a 'both feet in' approach, they support and push each other in equal measure. Pupils have the freedom and confidence to explore their personal interests and discover new passions and talents.

DEVELOPING POSITIVITY, RESOURCEFULNESS AND CREATIVITY

Entrepreneurial Enterprise

 

Our innovative Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Programme equips pupils with self-confidence and resourcefulness to develop character and prepare them to take their place as global leaders today, tomorrow and into the future.

 

We maximise our links with local professionals to provide talks, workshops and hands-on experiences and 21st century essential skills are developed through entrepreurial activities within the classroom.

MAXIMISING OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES

Rural Experiences

 

Prep pupils have space to breathe, learn and play in our beautiful surroundings.

 

Forest school provision is provided in William's Wood and every pupil's holistic experience is maximised through a raft of outdoor pursuits such as our adventure trail, den building, orienteering, biking and cross country.

ENJOYING ALL CAMPUS FACILITIES

Exceptional Resources And Facilities

 

Our swimming pool, tennis courts and full-sized astro turf are literally on the doorstep of the Prep building.

 

Drama, public speaking and performing in our professional theatre become second nature. Our recording studio, photography infinity wall, Science laboratories, 3D Computed Aided Design Technology, art including pottery and use of a kiln, recording studio, sports facilities and Food Preparation and Nutrition Rooms provide experiences like no other. Lessons are provided in classrooms with an innovative ventilation system which reduces CO2 levels and provide better air quality for optimum learning.

 

You can view our amazing facilities further down below. 

EMPOWERED EDUCATIONAL VISION

Difference Is Westholme

 

Our pupils thrive in an environment that is warm and happy and our extraordinary beginnings provide a foundational approach that maximises individual academic potential.

 

We wholeheartedly empower our pupils through our pioneering educational philosophy; our entrepreneurial enterprise initiatives develop passionate, creative, innovative pupils ready to lead and succeed in our beautiful rural setting; our communication promise focuses on developing close-knit relationships so parents and pupils become fully part of our Westholme family. Simply put, the difference is Westholme and we look forward to welcoming your family very soon!

Our Facilities

 

Our swimming pool, tennis courts and full-sized astro turf are literally on the doorstep of the PREP building. We have a professional theatre - perfect for drama, public speaking and performing. Our recording studio, photography infinity wall, science laboratories, 3D Computer Aided Design technology and Food Preparation and Nutrition Rooms provides facilities and experiences like no other!

 

Our new PREP School is fitted with a mono-draught, carbon-neutral ventilation system which reduces CO2 levels all day and provides better air quality for all pupils. This innovation was installed following a study by Harvard University, which found significant declines in cognitive function when CO2 concentrations were increased - which is common in traditional indoor spaces.

 

View the gallery below to see our range facilities. If you are interested in hiring our facilities then please find more information here. 

 

The Croston Theatre

Swimming Pool

3D Computer Aided Design Technology

Aerial Photo of Wilmar Lodge

Astroturf and Hardcourts

Dining Hall

Food Prep

Library

Recording Studio

Science Labs

Sports Field

Find Out More

Fees

Fees and charges are reviewed annually by the Board of Governors. Any annual surplus is returned to the School to finance both improvements and bursaries so that a Westholme education remains outstanding and is as widely accessible as possible.

Fees and Charges

Bursaries and Scholarships

Payment Options for New Starters

 

For further information please contact the Westholme Finance Department on finance@westholmeschool.com or call 01254 506070.

 

 

School Policies

Inspection Reports

Westholme School complies with all the relevant statutory and regulatory requirements regarding school inspections.

The school is regulated by the Independent Schools' Inspectorate - a body approved by the Department for Education for the purpose of inspecting independent schools in the Independent Schools Council (ISC) under Section 162 of the Education Act 2002.

Westholme School was inspected by ISI on 23rd January 2024. Download Inspection Report

Westholme School was inspected by ISI on 13th, 14th and 15th October 2021. Download Inspection Report

Westholme School was inspected by ISI on 8th, 9th and 10th May 2019. Download Inspection Report

Old Westholmians

We are proud to have a strong alumni community and regularly invite our wider Westholme family back to school to join us for events, for talks or to contribute to our careers events.

We are delighted to have a dedicated alumni website where Old Westholmians (OWs) can connect with fellow alumni and other members of the Westholme Family community; keep up-to-date with exclusive OW news and events and business networking opportunities.

 

We also have a dedicated Westholme Family alumni Facebook group:

Join us on Facebook

 

Once a Westholmian, always a Westholmian!

News & Events

High 5 Netball Tournament!

10/06/2024

General News,Prep,Sports News

We were delighted to hold the second edition of our Primary Schools' High 5 Netball Tournament, after the success of the event last year. It was great to welcome back some familiar faces to the courts, as well as new ones who were visiting Westholme for the first time.

Miss Lloyd and Miss Smith had organised the event, and it was great to see teams turning up to play competitive levels of netball. All teams took to the courts and played out their games to the best of their ability. There were high levels of skills on show and there were some great games throughout. After some really tight matches, St Leonard's ended up as the eventual winners! Congratulations on a fantastic team effort!

After the tournament had finished, tea and refreshments were served in the Dining Hall. The winner's presentation then commenced, with the prize presenter being our very own Pippa, INSPIRED Sixth Form student and Sports Captain. Pippa currently represents Manchester Thunder and is an extremely talented netball player with experience at local, regional, and national level.

Well done to all those who took part, congratulations to St Leonard's as the eventual winners and thank you to the catering staff for putting on a meal at the end for everyone in the Dining Hall.

 
 
 
 

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Author Phil Earle visits Upper Prep

10/06/2024

General News,Prep

Last Thursday, we were delighted to be visited by the multi-award-winning author Phil Earle; he has won the British Book Award for ‘When the Sky Falls’ and has been writer in residence for the leading reading charity, Book Trust.

He spoke to Prep 4, 5 and 6 about his extraordinary journey from being a non-reader to becoming an author. In his words, he had no idea how it happened! At secondary school, there were two things he did not want to be – a reader and a writer! He loved the idea of it, but used to think he could not do it. He remembers when the 'Roy of the Rovers' comic was delivered, and he realised this was a book he could get on with. It was short, and a marriage of words and pictures. This was when reading excited him! For a long time, he did not think he was a proper reader because he only read comics, graphic novels, and newspapers. But, when in London, aged 26, working in a bookshop, he started to read children’s books. He read, and loved, the book 'Holes' and this is when his view of books changed!

He taught us important messages: you can still be a reader even if you don’t read novels, you can read with your ears as well as your eyes, and watching films teaches us how stories work, how characters interact, and about how plots are formed.

There is a story out there for everyone - it is just about being brave enough to explore which options bring you the most joy!

Phil had such a fantastic sense of humour and had both teachers and children laughing. We thank him very much for his visit! 

 
 
 
 

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