Tatler UK - 10.2019

84 Tatler School Guide 2020

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84

FALKNER HOUSE 

19 Brechin Place, SW7 4QB;

20 Penywern Road, SW5 9SU

Website falknerhouse.co.uk Head

Flavia Rogers (girls), Eleanor Dixon

(boys) Pupils 273 day: 163 girls,

110 boys Ages 4–11 Term fees

£6,670 (girls), £6,920 (boys)

Common sense prevails at the

family-owned and run Falkner

House schools. Tutoring is discour-

aged, and pastoral care is enhanced

by each member of staff knowing

every child’s name – not to men-

tion the presence of four resident

dogs. The boys’ school (which

opened in 2017) currently boasts

110 pupils and is slowly filling

from Reception upwards. The

girls’ school sends childen off to a

host of senior schools including

Francis Holland SW1 and Putney

High. Boys and girls have plenty of

opportunities to mix during swim-

ming, cross country and events

such as Burns Night. A pupil tells

us that Chef Dave produces the

‘best food in London’ and every-

one is still on cloud nine following

last year’s whole-school perfor-

mance of Oliver!, which took place

at the Southbank Centre.

FULHAM PREP 

200 Greyhound Road, W14 9SD

Website fulham.school

Head Neill Lunnon Pupils 660 day:

423 boys, 237 girls Ages 4–13

Term fees £6,524

Parents rave about Head Neill

Lunnon; he not only knows each

pupil’s name, but he knows what

their favourite colour is and what

they do at the weekend. The

school has just unveiled a new

library and performing arts space,

and extracurricular clubs abound.

Children are happy; Lunnon has an

open door policy and stands

‘against the excesses and pressures of

the system’. There are football tours

to Gothenburg and netball tours to

Marbella and the children can’t get

enough of taco Tuesdays. As well as

moving on to the new senior

school, pupils go on to King’s Col-

lege Wimbledon and Marlborough

among others. Watch this space:

this school’s going places.

GARDEN HOUSE

SCHOOL

Turks Row, SW3 4TW

Website gardenhouseschool.co.uk

Heads Annie Lee (girls), Christian

Warland (boys) Pupils 471 day:

196 boys, 275 girls Ages 3–11

Term fees £7,850

Tucked behind Duke of York's

Square, a hop, skip and a jump from

the King’s Road, Garden House of-

fers the best of both mixed and sin-

gle-sex education. From Reception

owards, boys and girls are taught

separately but socialise together. It’s

a system that clearly gets results,

as they continue to send students

to the top academic schools: Francis

Holland SW1, St Mary’s Ascot,

Ludgrove and Westminster Under

to name but a few. Families are

encouraged to walk to school and

there is a sibling discount, adding to

the homely feel of the place.

Fencing, swimming and ballet

are strong here – and a number of

former pupils are now on the

English fencing team – while 84

per cent of the children learn

a musical instrument from Year

2 upwards.

NORTHCOTE

LODGE

GLENDOWER PREP

SCHOOL 

86–87 Queen’s Gate, SW7 5JX

Website glendowerprep.org

Head Nina Kingsmill Moore

Pupils 250 day girls Ages 4–11

Term fees £6,700

Head Sarah Knollys is leaving this

South Kensington powerhouse on

a high – the Glendower girls have

just achieved their best results in

25 years with a total of 23 scholar-

ships and awards won. New Head

Mrs Kingsmill Moore, joining

from Lambrook, is a passionate

educationalist who’s excited to

watch her new students flourish in

this warm and stimulating school.

Music is a real strength, and more

than 100 girls take lessons. With

trumpet, violin, classical voice and

musical theatre classes on offer, it’s

no wonder that Glendower girls

feature in both the National Youth

Orchestra and Choir. Sporting

success is equally notable here,

with an IAPS national fencing

champion and an LSSA primary

champion swimming team. Girls

are fuelled by top-notch fare such

as broccoli and courgette gnocchi

and Mondays are meat-free.

NORLAND

PLACE SCHOOL

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