About Us | Wetherby Prep School

A Word From the Headmaster

At the end of his life, Isaac Newton compared himself to a boy on the beach playing in the sand, unaware of the vast ocean of truth that lay everywhere around him.

Education is about discovering truth. In the early years the truth about yourself and those immediately around you, and as time goes by the truth about the world and about the things that other people hold true.

We aim to help and guide the boys at Wetherby. Help them find the truth about themselves; guide them to discover the values and qualities in others.

Every boy, every single boy, has the capacity to excel. But at what? At what stage? And in what way?

Our skill comes from knowing how to identify your son's passions. How to motivate and inspire, when to be firm and when to let things coast along. Many schools push hard for academic achievement, but cramming is not a solution, just a way of storing up disappointment. We believe education must be fostered from within - it stems from connecting not directing.

We work hard to ensure that Wetherby boys receive a balanced, all-round education. They will leave us at the peak of their abilities and will have attained their potential in their own right, at the right pace and in their own time. They will be well-balanced, well-attuned, well in mind and body.

They will succeed because they have learned how to succeed. Happy in themselves, happy in each other's company, confident in their abilities, sure about the future, ready to build on the qualities they have developed in their time with us, ready to use those qualities to make things better for themselves and better for the world around them.

In London, where parents are spoiled for choice when choosing a Prep School, Wetherby offers that little bit extra, backed by the Inspired Group who believe passionately in education and offer support and excellence to us as a school.

Boys leave us ready to move onto their Senior Schools in London and beyond, and we are proud to send our boys to the top day and boarding schools across the country.

Come and see for yourself what a truly exciting and dynamic school this is. I shall be delighted to meet you and to introduce you to our wonderful Wetherby boys.

With warmest wishes,

Paul David

Headmaster

A Heritage of Educational Excellence

As a Wetherby school, we are part of a long and established tradition of excellence in private education. By developing and nurturing our students to unlock their full potential, both in class and out, we prepare them for unlimited success in the next stage of their educational journey.

Our well-known record for outstanding education is due to a meticulously planned, holistic approach that combines academic rigour with an enriching co-curricular programme to maximise children’s development across areas. The curriculum is ambitious and carefully designed, with best-in-class preparation for the Common Entrance Examinations, led by passionate teachers with impeccable credentials and with regular school trips to enhance the subject matter. An extensive sports programme allows students to develop their physical skills and become locally, nationally and globally accomplished in rugby, football, golf and other sports, while an exciting and broad club offering helps them nurture their unique talents and abilities.

A Pathway to Success

Students at Wetherby benefit from a holistic, child-centred approach, which aims to develop their intellectual, physical, social and moral selves. Our success can be seen in the broad selection of prestigious senior schools that they enter and the successful, balanced, accomplished lives they lead as adults. The following statements are a summary of our aims and underscore our commitment to all-round excellence:

Effective Pastoral Care

Effective and consistent pastoral care contributes to a happy environment in which students flourish. To achieve this at Wetherby, we offer:

Approachable Form Tutors and staff who know each boy individually.
Regular communication with parents, informing them of their son’s progress.
Regular assemblies, providing a forum for whole-school recognition of our boys’ wide-ranging achievements, guest speakers and communal reflection.

An Ambitious, Tailored Curriculum

An appropriate academic curriculum helps to raise Wetherby boys’ aspirations. The following are key to achieving this:

Subject teachers with outstanding commitment, subject knowledge and experience.
Carefully planned setting for all students, with scholarship classes for the more academic, enabling our boys to excel and aim high when applying for future senior schools.
Offering sensitive, specialist support for those who require it and advice on SEN matters.
Guidance on appropriate choices of senior schools.

Generous Extracurricular Offering

An extensive range of clubs, sporting activities and school trips motivate students to develop their sporting, social and leisure interests, together with attitudes that will hold them in good stead for adult life. The following attributes are promoted at Wetherby:

The ability to work individually and as part of a team, relating both cooperatively and competitively to others.
Striving to win at sports or other competitions, yet applauding the victor with sincerity when we do not.
The confidence to offer and accept constructive criticism.
Valuing one’s own abilities, interests and ideas, as well as others’.

Our Values

Our School Values were chosen by the School Council Representatives, staff and the pupils themselves, ensuring they truly reflect what is important to us. Each value is deeply connected with the others and, as such, they are recognised collectively as an ‘outlook’ (as described by a boy during one School Council meeting) rather than individual traits.

Our History

2004

The success of Wetherby Pre-Prep School (established in 1951) and parents’ desire for a prep school option with Wetherby's unique ethos led to the opening of Wetherby Prep in 2004, with 24 boys in Year 4. Since then, we have grown organically, and we currently have 350+ students across Years 3 to 8.

2009

Upon relocating to our new and larger premises in Bryanston Square, we continued to grow, develop and provide first-class education to our students.

2015

Wetherby Prep acquired a new sports facility in East Acton, affording additional room for much-needed outdoor activities.

2015

Wetherby Senior School opened in Marylebone, broadening our list of exceptional school destinations.

2017

The Wetherby family expanded with the opening of Wetherby School Kensington.

2023

Our school became part of Inspired Education, the leading global group of independent schools, opening pupils to exceptional opportunities to succeed both in class and beyond.

Learn how your child can benefit from an outstanding holistic education at our school, where we will challenge and support them on their path to unlimited accomplishments.

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