We are happy to do all we can to help you discover whether Westbourne House is right for your child. To book a tour, to register your child or for any other query, please contact Aline Pilcher on 01243 782 739 or admissions@westbournehouse.org.
Westbourne House is a non-selective school, so your child will not be required to sit any assessments tests.
Our main intake is at the start of each academic year, in September. However, we appreciate that everything doesn’t always go according to plan and are happy to accept children at other times of the year when needed. Subject to availability, our admissions process can take as little as one day!
Children join Westbourne House Pre-Nursery at 2 ½ years old. In the September following their third birthday, they move into the Nursery. Pre-Nursery children come in for a minimum of three sessions a week; Nursery children stay at least four mornings a week. They may also stay to lunch.
The Pre-Prep teaches children from Reception (age 4) to the end of Year 2. Each year has a minimum of two classes. Places may be available during the academic year, please contact us for more information.
The majority of children join us in Years 3 and 7. However, places may well be available in the other years, so please don't hesitate to ask.
Westbourne House is a top-flight prep school with an exceptional record of getting children into the very best senior schools at the end of Year 8 (over the past six years, our pupils have secured nearly 150 scholarships). If you are looking for an alternative route to senior school, without your child being subject to unnecessary pressure, come and see us with a view to your son or daughter spending Years 7 and 8 with us. They will enjoy all the benefits of excellent teaching, a broad curriculum and plenty of clean fresh air, and will arrive at senior school more mature, more prepared and more confident. You may wish to read more about boarding.
Once you have got to know the school and decided that it might be right for your children and family, we will provide you with all the information you need to make a formal application.
You can register your child for a place at Westbourne House School at any time. Most parents choose to register early to secure a place. If you would like to register, please contact Aline Pilcher on 01243 782 739 or admissions@westbournehouse.org. We will send you a form and ask you to return it with a £50 deposit and a copy of your child’s birth certificate.
Completion of the Acceptance Form is the formal agreement that signifies your child will be joining Westbourne House. On receipt of the Registration Form, we will send you an Acceptance Form. This form should be completed and returned with a deposit of £500 (when your child leaves the school, the deposit is returned).
We want children to arrive at school on their first day full of excitement and with a big smile. All new children come and spend a little time in their current year group in June, a few months short of their start date. The amount of time will vary from just a few hours if you are going to the Nursery, up to a full day at the Prep School. This gives children a chance to meet classmates and teachers and to get a feel for the school.
We want you to feel at home before your child starts, too. In August, just before your child joins us, we will give you access to the secure area of our website, which opens up a wealth of practical information. The office is also open throughout the summer holidays and our team is always ready to answer any questions you may have.
The vast majority of uniform, new and second-hand, can be bought on site and the shops are open during term-time and, on a reduced timetable, during the holidays.
Before your child starts at Westbourne House, you will also receive a year group address list, which gives contact details of all the other families in your child’s year group, so you can see who lives close-by and set up play dates and car sharing if you wish. Plus your child’s class representative (a volunteer parent) will give you a call to say hello and welcome you to our parent community.
You are also welcome to attend one of our school events; please contact us in advance to let us know.