Muddy Stilettos


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-where">WHAT? WHERE?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1D8A8783.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-86028" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1D8A8783.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1D8A8783-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1D8A8783-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>In between the grand embassies located at Kensington Gardens and Notting Hill&#8217;s iconic Portobello Road, you&#8217;ll find <a href="https://www.pembridgehall.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pembridge Hall School</a>. A 460-strong girls&#8217; Pre-Prep and Prep (ages 4-11) spread across two elegant stuccoed buildings in chi chi Pembridge Square. From September, No.18 is home to Reception to Y2 and at No.10 you&#8217;ll find Y3-Y6. </p>



<p>The girls here are unmistakable, with their cherry red ribbon boater hat, matching blazer and grey princess coats. The uniform alone may seal the deal, but there&#8217;s style and substance at this London prep and the non-selective entry is catnip to local parents. Names go down within hours of leaving the maternity ward for one of the 66 highly coveted Reception places – awarded by ballot.</p>



<p>Last year, Pembridge Hall was bought by Inspired, a global schools groups that includes Reddam House in Berkshire, online school King&#8217;s High and over 111 other establishments around the world. What will it mean for Pembridge Hall? Day to day, there will be no change. But behind the scenes, it provides financial security and investment, plus a global connection and worldwide resource. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FACILITIES</h2>



<p>The classrooms are light, bright and packed to rafters with tech, while elegant high ceilings and period features create a serene vibe. London&#8217;s theatres, museum, parks, sports centres and historical sites are the school&#8217;s extended classroom. On the doorstep, there&#8217;s room to roam in the private Pembridge Square Gardens and a treehouse has been creatively squeezed into a lightwell for Pre-Prep to let off steam and there&#8217;s good sized play ground in Prep. </p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">SPORT</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="888" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-gym.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-85837" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-gym.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-gym-600x533.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-gym-591x525.jpg 591w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Sport is a big deal at Pembridge Hall and the girls mean business on the pitch. Don&#8217;t worry about the lack of playing fields, the girls are bussed to nearby Paddington Recreation Ground for netball, football, tag rugby, athletics and cricket. In Y2, girls have swimming lessons and there is a competitive swim squad in the older year groups too. There are a number of fixtures against other schools, both local and further afield, and as many teams as possible are fielded. Gymnastics is taught as part of the PE curriculum. Outside of lesson time, there are tons of extra clubs to keep youngsters fit, such as cross country, lacrosse, fencing and yoga. </p>



<p>The girls efforts are paying off, bringing home silverware from a netball tour in Dubai and a football tournament. Last year saw the girls take to the slopes on an inaugural Ski Trip to Italy, which was a huge success.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">MUSIC, DRAMA AND ART</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="888" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-music-room.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-85843" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-music-room.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-music-room-600x533.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-music-room-591x525.jpg 591w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Music is popular, so much so they&#8217;re a bit tight for practice space. All girls from Reception to Y6 will have at least one music lesson a week. There are also three choirs (the chamber choir is by audition only), an orchestra and ensembles. It&#8217;s not stuffy, there&#8217;s room for rock <em>and</em> more traditional pieces to be played here. Love it!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="888" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-art-studio.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-85841" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-art-studio.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-art-studio-600x533.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-art-studio-591x525.jpg 591w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>The art room is well-equipped and rammed with pupils’ artistic creations – clearly a well-used creative space, with a passionate specialist art teacher and regular visiting artists. We loved the incredible metal chandeliers created by the pupils hanging from the ceiling.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="888" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-drama-studio.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-85838" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-drama-studio.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-drama-studio-600x533.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-drama-studio-591x525.jpg 591w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Drama is taught as a subject to every class throughout the school, and all girls also have the opportunity to perform in a fully staged and costumed production each year. The nativity, and the Y6 show performed at Notting Hill&#8217;s Tabernacle Theatre, are the hottest tickets in town. All girls in Y5 and Y6 have the opportunity to take LAMDA exams. It&#8217;s worth noting they have a dedicated dance teacher on staff, so the disciplines taught stretch beyond ballet to Bollywood, rock &#8216;n&#8217; roll and Charleston – with a group of girls going on to reach the finals in a national competition.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">SCHOOL</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="888" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-science-lab.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-85840" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-science-lab.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-science-lab-600x533.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10-science-lab-591x525.jpg 591w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>School aims to ensure girls get a rounded education with plenty of fun alongside academic rigour. STEAM has been a major focus and there has been a significant investment in tablets and coding Lego, including some very cool robots and a well-equipped science lab. </p>



<p>PH has it&#8217;s own entrepreneurial project. It&#8217;s a TEDx meets Dragons Den mash up. For one week, the Y3-Y6 curriculum is collapsed and the girls are given a problem to solve. They must create a product, a business plan and a marketing strategy before pitching to the dragons (a group of parents) who have piles of fake money to invest. Wowzers, how cool is that? The aim to embed self belief from the age of seven. By the time they are 18, if they have an idea they&#8217;ll fly with it having banked 11 years of knowledge.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ACADEMICS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1200" height="910" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/pembridgehall.png.jpeg" alt="Pembridge Hall Prep School girls looking at globe" class="wp-image-86034" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/pembridgehall.png.jpeg 1200w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/pembridgehall.png-600x455.jpeg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/pembridgehall.png-1000x758.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/pembridgehall.png-692x525.jpeg 692w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></figure>



<p>Specialist teaching begins in Reception, with girls grouped or set in English and maths from Y3 and girls have one-to-one devices to use across the curriculum. The quality of the STEAM offering is impressive, alongside a diverse curriculum and broad co-curricular programme.</p>



<p>Aware of the stress in Y6 during 11+ and Common Entrance exams, there&#8217;s a lot time spent learning the value of perseverance and determination. Once exams are done and dusted, the girls enjoy a busy timetable of enterprise projects, science fairs and outdoor learning to help prepare girls for senior school. The majority move onto London Day schools like Godolphin, Latymer and Francis Hollands, with around 20% heading to boarding schools like St Mary&#8217;s Ascot, St George&#8217;s Ascot and Wycombe Abbey.   </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pastoral-care">PASTORAL CARE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1D8A9085.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-86030" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1D8A9085.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1D8A9085-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1D8A9085-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Pastoral care is strong! This is a school that takes wellbeing seriously for both the children and staff – and were recently shortlisted for a School House Award for Mental Health, with many of the staff now trained mental health first aiders. </p>



<p>Girls are assigned a house (obviously named after inspirational women – Rosalind Franklin, Florence Nightingale, Jane Austen and Barbara Hepworth), the class teacher keeps a close eye and Pembridge Pulse is a drop in for the girls to talk about friendship issues, any concerns or that they are just having a bad day. It&#8217;s also an opportunity for girls to raise concerns about friends that are a bit out of sorts. The pupils are often the eyes and ears of a school, the key is to ensure no one is left stewing on a problem. The girls are also given help and advice on managing emotions through PSHEE lessons. </p>



<p>There is also lots of support for the senior girls as they prepare for senior school. There can be a lot of anxiety around the 11+ exam, and the London day school scene is pretty fierce. The support kicks in from Y3, with more focus on verbal and non verbal reasoning. They don&#8217;t tutor the girls for the exam but the curriculum covers everything they need to know and the pastoral system scoops up anyone who is struggling with the pressure. </p>



<p>On Friday assembly at the nearby St Matthew’s Church, Awards are handed out to celebrate pupils’ academic successes as well as character traits such as kindness, resilience and responsibility. Pembridge Hall was founded by nuns, but today it has a light touch Anglican vibe, that leans into the moral code and moments of reflection than &#8216;hell hath no fury&#8217;. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SEND</h2>



<p>Top notch all-rounder schools usually have superb SEND provision – and Pembridge Hall is no different. The SEND room is light, bright and tucked away on the top floor of the school. Three dedicated SEND teachers, who also provide support to international girls who need extra help with English. Additional academic support is an intrinsic part of the curriculum, but specialist support is available when needed – including a speech and language and occupational therapist.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE HEAD</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="800" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Mrs-Banks-picture-scaled-e1704246889592-800x1000.jpg" alt="Pembridge Hall School Notting Hill London Head Sophie Banks" class="wp-image-86035"/></figure>



<p>Sophie Banks has been in the Pembridge Hall Head&#8217;s hot seat since September 2022. She comes with a wealth of experience – previously head of co-ed Eton End School in Datchet and head of the junior school at Beachborough School, Northamptonshire. She also has three daughters of her own and her husband Jeremy is also a head (at Caldicott boys&#8217; prep in Buckinghamshire). </p>



<p>Banks describes herself as a Girl Power girl and that &#8216;can do anything&#8217; ethos is very evident at Pembridge Hall. She is charming, kind and professional, with a twinkle in her eye. In another life she could have been opera singer having studied at the Royal College of Music junior section, and you can still see that sparkly star quality.</p>



<p>But the entertainment world&#8217;s loss is education&#8217;s gain. Banks is an advocate for a gender neutral education (particularly in sport and science) as well as developing the essential softer life skills – alongside rock solid academics. Yes, even in 2023 girls and women still have to fight against sexism and old tropes. Bonkers but true.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">QUIRKS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1D8A1784.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-86029" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1D8A1784.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1D8A1784-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1D8A1784-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Community spirit and giving back through enterprising endeavours is part of Pembridge Hall&#8217;s DNA. They support the local Food Bank, Kensington and Chelsea Foundation and the Rugby Portobello Trust to name a few. It&#8217;s not just the kids hosting bake sales and readathons, the very active parents&#8217; association managed to raise a staggering £80,000 last year. Incredible. </p>



<p>We particularly love the fundraising for loos in Africa and, if you need to have a tinkle during your visit, you might spot the school loos are twinned with the ones they have bought – the image proudly framed and displayed in the Loovre gallery. We&#8217;re not even joking, Genius and fun.</p>



<p>PH has its very own squad of eco warriors, the Green Girls are responsible for banging the eco drum be it recycling, planting or water use as well as raising funds for charities like the World Wildlife Fund.</p>



<p>Look out for the Pembridge Post Boxes – the girls are encouraged to write notes to anyone in school with suggestions, worries or thoughts. The girls, particularly the older ones, love to write notes, and Head Sophie Banks gets her fair share, which she absolutely loves.</p>



<p>A rather sweet tradition sees the Y6 clapped down the steps on their last day. You&#8217;ll be made of stronger stuff than us if you manage to hold back tears.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WRAP AROUND CARE</h2>



<p>It&#8217;s pretty good. Early Club allows drop off is as early as 8am. After school sessions run until 4.30pm (Reception – Y3) and 4.45pm for Y4 – Y6. There&#8217;s about 75 clubs over the week that run before school, during lunch or after school. You&#8217;ll find all the usual sport, music, drama and art activities, alongside chess, Kitchen Sink Science, Lego, computing and film making, Mathletics, fencing, needlecraft, yoga, author illustrator and many more. If you&#8217;re juggling multiple school pick ups and value family time, the late afternoon end of day is a godsend, but it won&#8217;t suit everyone. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-isi-report">ISI REPORT</h2>



<p>A Routine Inspection in Autumn 2023, ISI inspectors stated that Pembridge Hall ‘met’ every standard.  A short visit in 2023, ISI inspectors rate Pembridge Hall ‘Excellent’ – impressed by the girls’ academic achievement and communication skills as well as their confidence and resilience. Read the reports <a href="https://www.isi.net/school/pembridge-hall-school-6774" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">MOBILE PHONE POLICY</h2>



<p>No mobile phones or other personal devices are permitted in school. The only exception is if a Y6 girl has parental permission to walk home from school alone, but the phone must be handed to her class teacher for safe keeping during the school day. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TRANSPORT</h2>



<p>Most of the girls live locally so walk to school or arrive by scooter (we love the scooter park at the front of the building). Others are dropped off by car and Bayswater and Notting Hill tube stations are nearby.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FEES</h2>



<p>Fees are £9,175 per term. Blissfully straightforward although on the higher end of London prep schools. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WORD ON THE GROUND</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="800" height="841" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1D8A9020-1560x742-1.jpg" alt="Three girls pupils at Pembridge Hall School Notting Hill London" class="wp-image-85845" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1D8A9020-1560x742-1.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1D8A9020-1560x742-1-571x600.jpg 571w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1D8A9020-1560x742-1-499x525.jpg 499w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></figure>



<p>Although some prospective parents were wobbly about the fees, many mums we spoke to said it was worth the extra spend. High praise for the quality of the teaching, they raved about its academic ambitions while remaining nurturing and kind. Not an easy balance to get right. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE MUDDY VERDICT</h2>



<p><strong>Good for:</strong> Parents looking for school where academics and wellbeing are given equal weight. Pembridge Hall sets girls up for life with a first class all-round education. </p>



<p><strong>Not for:</strong>  If you don&#8217;t subscribe to a single sex education, walk on by. The lack of outdoor space also might not suit <em>very</em> active girls. </p>



<p><strong>Dare to disagree?&nbsp;</strong>Have a nose at the school&#8217;s Virtual Open Day <a href="https://www.pembridgehall.co.uk/admissions/virtual-open-day/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. </p>



<p><em><a href="https://www.pembridgehall.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pembridge Hall School</a>, 18 Pembridge Square, London W2 4EH. Tel: 020 7229 0121</em></p>


Pembridge Hall School, Notting Hill

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