About Us

The criteria by which you will choose the right school for your 2, 3 or 4 year old child are not the same as those you’d use for your 11 or 13 year old child. Taking into account the needs, passion and talents of a toddler, whilst also trying to imagine how these things might have developed and changed by the age of 13 is challenging, and probably impossible. At Edge Grove, as at many other stand alone prep schools, we believe a better approach is to choose a school that suits your child for the stage they are at now. Let them flourish at a prep school, find out about themselves and determine their own interests, strengths, weaknesses and motivations, and give them the best chance of choosing a senior school that will be one in which they’ll thrive. 

The fact that over the last five years our pupils have gone on to 80+ senior schools shows the variety in our children’s talents and passions, and is testament to the need to tailor the options we give our children as they become young adults.

All through schools often highlight ‘benefits’ that are questionable, such as the child remaining settled or avoiding sitting an entrance exam. However, this is failing to recognise the great learning opportunities, such as in leadership, confidence and maturity, that children get from being ‘top of the school’ at  a prep school, which they won’t get to experience until they are 16 or 18 at an all through school.

Some all- through schools may showcase their senior school opportunities, facilities and staff to entice younger pupils, however  these can be reserved for their older children and not always available to their prep aged pupils.

Just as our pupils are individuals, so are our parents!  That said, Edge Grove families all tend to live within about a 30 minute commute of the School, in towns such as Radlett, St Albans, Bushey and Watford, or their neighbouring villages, and also in areas of North London such as Stanmore, Edgware and Mill Hill.

What our families all have in common is what they are looking for in a school – somewhere where their child will be happy, encouraged and supported to work hard, challenge and apply themselves, and where their whole family will feel they belong.  We are incredibly proud of the range of nationalities, ethnicities and religions our families represent; we are a happy, diverse, inclusive school that celebrates what makes us all different,  and promotes understanding of a broad spectrum of faiths.

Prep school families are not the same as they were in the past – many are “first time buyers” of independent education, but all recognise that Edge Grove provides one of the broadest offerings of any school in the local area, balancing excellent academic provision with outstanding pastoral support and an innovative mix of opportunities beyond the classroom.

The main points at which pupils join Edge Grove are Nursery and Reception. We may have spaces in other year groups higher up the School, so do please contact us if you are relocating or looking for a school for your child.  If we do not have a place available, we may be able to add your child’s name to a waiting list.

Most children join the School in September, at the start of the academic year.  However, we understand that if you are moving to the area, this may happen at any time of the year, and, provided spaces are available, we can be flexible about your child’s admission date and ensure that they receive a warm Edge Grove welcome, whenever they join.

Admissions Process

Come and visit us, and we will show you what we believe gives us the “edge” amongst other schools locally.

In the meantime, here are some of the ways in which we believe Edge Grove stands truly out:

• True Independent Independence:  Locally, many schools are part of a “through school” to age 18, or part of a group of schools, and therefore are less independent in how they choose to operate.  At Edge Grove, we have no such restriction and can truly be our own school.  Equally, when it comes to moving on from Edge Grove, our pupils are able to apply to a wide range of senior schools that are RIGHT for them, rather than simply moving up “through the ranks” of a through school;

• Diversity:  Edge Grove is an incredibly diverse community; our pupils come from many different faiths (and none), represent many different nationalities and speak a variety of different languages.  All are celebrated and promoted through lessons, assemblies and other activities.
• Values Driven:  Our School Values underpin and drive everything at Edge Grove and we pay more than just lip-service to these.
• Partnerships with Parents:  At Edge Grove, we promise to be approachable and transparent, working in true partnership with you,  sharing information and reporting back to you and your child on their achievements, results and areas for improvement.

You will always find people who support the idea of single sex education, whatever the age of the children in question.  At Edge Grove, we are passionate about co-education for prep school aged children – you only have to visit our Nursery or school to see our boys and girls playing happily together – why deprive your child of this experience so young?

Many of our children move onto single sex senior schools at either 11+ or 13+, but they do this with up to 10 years of co-education behind them, meaning they are confident and comfortable with the opposite sex.

Why Coeducation?

Edge Grove has its roots in Church of England Christianity, however, over the years our community has become more and more diverse, and now we welcome families from all faiths and none, and all major religions are celebrated via our Theology, Philosophy and Religion curriculum, our PSHE lessons and assemblies.

We love nothing more than our children and their families sharing with us how they celebrate a wide variety of festivals, with highlights of our year being the fabulous Holi celebration alongside assemblies on Ramadan and Passover.

At Edge Grove, we maintain excellent relationships with many, many senior schools, all of whom are delighted when our pupils join them at 11+ or 13+.  Naturally, the vast majority of our pupils move on to local schools – independent, grammar and state – but some choose to move onto boarding schools that are further afield.  In the last five years alone, Edge Grove pupils have joined over 80 different senior schools – what matters is that it is the RIGHT school for them!

Destination of Leavers

The answer to both of these questions is a resounding YES!  After School Care is available up until 6.00pm in the Nursery and Junior Department, and up to 5.30pm in the Middle and Senior Departments.  Pupils from Year 3 upwards who have younger siblings in After School Care until 6.00pm can be supervised until parents collect at this later time.

Towards the end of each term, we publish the Lunchtime and After School Activities Schedule, and parents are able to select their child(ten)’s preferred options.  Spaces are usually limited for these activities, and are allocated on a first come, first served basis, so it is advisable to book as early as possible.  There are several options on each day, so even if your child does not get their first choice of activity, there will be plenty of other options at the same time. Some activities have age restrictions and are only open to certain year groups.  Many of our Co-Curricular Clubs are available at no extra cost, if they are run by Edge Grove staff who are keen to share an area of interest with the pupils.

Clubs run by outside providers, or ones that use resources, may incur an extra charge, but these are shared with you before booking.

Holiday Camps at Edge Grove are run by our partner, Kean Beans.

Wraparound Care

Wraparound Care

Keen

Prep school pupils need balance and opportunities to enjoy family time, so there is no Saturday school for Edge Grove pupils. Occasionally there may be sports fixtures on a Saturday, or rehearsals for major Performing Arts productions, but other than these occasions we think it is important that children have time to enjoy free, family time.

From Nursery to Year 4 inclusive, pupils have access to banks of Chromebooks in their classrooms which may be used to support and enhance learning across the curriculum.

From Year 5 upwards, pupils will bring a Chromebook to School each day; these may be used in any lesson, any pupils should ensure they have theirs with them throughout the day.  The School will arrange the purchase of Chromebooks and will inform families about the process at the end of Year 4.  Parents are responsible for organising the insurance for these devices.

This depends on the year group / pastoral section of the School (i.e. Nursery / Junior / Middle / Senior Departments).

Pupils from Reception upwards may take advantage of our Breakfast Club from 07:30; classrooms open at 08:00 and all children should be in School by 0825 for Registration, ahead of form time or assembly, depending on the day of the week.

For details about Nursery timings, please click here

School Uniform is provided by Stevensons and parents can either by online or at their store in St Albans

We are also incredibly fortunate to have a very active and committed Parents’ Association, the Friends of Edge Grove who run a well-stocked Second Hand Uniform Shop, selling donated, high quality uniform at very reasonable prices.  Given how quickly children grow, this is a very popular option with our families! The Second Hand Uniform Shop is open every Wednesday during term time, from 8.30am – 9.30am, and at certain times during the School holidays.

School Uniform

Given our location, other than for pupils who live in the immediate vicinity it is not possible to walk to Edge Grove.  That said, the School is readily accessible from Radlett (5-10 minutes), Bushey (10-15 minutes), Stanmore and St Albans (20 minutes).  The School offers, subject to availability, a bespoke door-to-door morning bus service.

SCHOOL TRANSPORT