York House School Sarratt Road, Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, WD3 4LW, Hertfordshire 01923 772395

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School type	Co-educational Day Preparatory & Nursery
Headmaster	Mr Jon Gray
Co-ed Age Range	3-13 years
Number of pupils	401
Day fees per annum	£3,923 - £5,773 per term
Associations	ISC

York House School is a traditional prep school for girls and boys aged between 3 and 13. Founded in 1910, we have been in our stunning location just outside the town of Rickmansworth and village of Croxley Green in Hertfordshire since 1966. The school is proud of its 50 acres, which includes the main school building, purpose built classroom blocks, two halls, a dining room, drama studio, library, music room, amphitheatre and art room alongside playing areas, sport pitches, a smallholding with rescue animals, a mountain biking track, a fruit orchard and obstacle course.

Curriculum time is devoted to developing and nurturing a solid base in their academic subjects, particularly English and Maths. As a guide York House uses the Early Years Foundation Stage, the National Curriculum from Year 1 to Year 6, and the ISEB 13+ Common Entrance Curriculum in Y7 and Y8, to inform their curriculum. However, they have taken advantage of the freedom offered to them as an Independent School to design an engaging curriculum that fits the ethos of the school and meets the needs of the pupils.

York House prides itself on the breadth of subjects offered to all pupils, regardless of age. In the Pre-Prep, pupils have weekly lessons in French, Swimming, PE, Games, Drama, Computing and Music, all taught by specialist teachers. In addition to this, as pupils progress through the school they will also have captivating curriculum lessons in Outdoor Learning, Latin, Trivium, (York House's unique subject which embraces 21st Century Skills like research, critical thinking and public speaking) and STEM. The majority of their pupils are working beyond age related expectations in English and Maths. This allows them the opportunity to enrich their curriculum with exciting lessons and engaging experiences; their expert teaching ensures that pupils not only make outstanding progress, but also develop a love of learning. York House strongly believe that learning is not confined to sitting behind a desk and often extends beyond the classroom walls altogether. York House make the most of their wonderful setting and exciting Outdoor Learning facilities, as well as an array of educational visits and trips each year.

Due to the wide variety of lessons on offer, pupil's progression in the academic subjects is always paramount. York House have a firm commitment to ensuring that children fulfil their academic potential, and this guides them at all times. Regular tracking of academic progress and strong communication with home helps to ensure that, by the time they leave York House, they are well prepared for their move to Senior Schools.

The York House Way is very much the basis and foundation of their pastoral care. They aim to create a culture and to share a common language based around the student aims. It is now embedded in what the pupil’s say, what they write, hashtag and tweet and of what the school does. It drives the curriculum and pastoral decisions and provides clear outcomes for co-curricular activities. It is a phrase that now embodies the school, its staff and its pupils; it is a phrase that defines York House. The RULER approach has been a welcomed inclusion to everyday life at York House, working in harmony with the York House Way in creating truly empathetic, caring students who understand their emotions and feelings, as well as the emotions of others.

Sport is an integral part of life at York House, with pupils timetabled to make the most of our unique sporting facilities for over five hours a week from Year 3 onwards. This does not include after-school and breaktime clubs or even morning practices! York House has a 'sport for all' mentality where they look to develop pupils' confidence, ability and understanding in a vast array of sports. York House promotes lifelong participants in sport and physical activity through nurturing their enjoyment and passion by providing links with local club communities throughout the academic year.

The Arts at York House includes Music, Art and Drama; these creative subjects are an anchor point in our rigorous and robust curriculum. Within the Arts, York House believes in creating opportunities to showcase children’s work in an encouraging and supportive fashion. York House thrives on celebrating the children's achievements through performances, exhibitions and concerts.

The outdoors is one of the best places to learn and York House pupils have designated lesson time to learning new skills on their extensive school grounds; mountain bike riding, traversing, orienteering, den building, fishing and fire lighting to name a few. York House has a small holding area with a wide range of animals that the children are allowed to take care of during the school day also.

The use of the outdoors and the unique natural environment is one of our greatest assets in the promotion of the health and well-being of their pupils. Understanding the calming and nurturing influence animals and nature can have, especially to those who have specific emotional needs, and making this as accessible to as many pupils, as often as possible, has been life changing for those students.

York House aims to give your child the best possible preparation for his or her future studies and adult life. They encourage pupils to develop a self-disciplined and hard-working approach which will help them achieve good academic results, whilst also encouraging them to follow the York House aims to be their best self:

• I aim to have a positive outlook
• I aim to be self-reliant (for only when you are truly self-reliant are you in a position to help others)
• I aim to leave people and places better than I found them

Every child has talents and York House aims to discover, nurture and develop them to their full potential. York House looks forward to welcoming you to explore #TheYorkHouseWay during a meeting and tour with our Headmaster, Mr Jon Gray.