Prep School

The environment

Prep sits on the main school site, a short walk from the Pre-Prep building at the Old Rectory, within the school's 100 acres of grounds and woodland. Children use a dedicated Science laboratory, a Design Studio for Art and DT, a Sports Hall and an Astro pitch, alongside the school's woodland and outdoor education areas.

Prep is organised in three stages. Years 3 and 4 (Juniors) have a class teacher for the majority of academic subjects, alongside specialist lessons such as Science and Art. Years 5 and 6 (Intermediates) are taught by specialist teachers across the curriculum and move independently from class to class. Years 7 and 8 (Seniors) follow the Common Entrance programme, split between the English system and the Section Française Bilingue.

Class sizes across the school are generally no more than 20 children, usually around 15.

The pattern of the school day includes a shorter Wednesday, with sport in the afternoon.

Children begin weekly Science lessons in the Science laboratory and an Art and DT programme in the Design Studio covering pottery, printing, sculpture and textiles. They join the Under 9 squad for team sport and take part in a summer term musical production.

Alongside French, children begin Spanish from Year 5. They join the Under 11 squad, playing football, hockey, rugby, netball and cricket in matches against other schools. Years 5 and 6 are also when parents typically begin discussing senior school options with the Head Teacher.

The last years of primary and the first years of secondary education are a distinct stage of development that is often overlooked, and Northbourne Park treats it as one: dedicated form tutors, individual mentoring and the ISEB Independent Project Qualification in Year 7 are all built around this specific age group. Pupils follow the Common Entrance programme, with a timetable that includes Games, Drama, Spanish, French, Music, Art and DT. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 share Music, Art, Games and Outdoor Education lessons with their peers in the Section Française Bilingue.

 Read the Senior Years brochure for more on Years 7 and 8

The Section Française Bilingue within Prep

From Year 7, British and SFB pupils share non-academic lessons, including Music, Art, Games and Outdoor Education, alongside events such as Language Lunches. For day pupils, this means genuine friendships with French-speaking peers and structured opportunities to build language skills outside the classroom, without joining the SFB's own French curriculum.

The SFB follows its own year groups alongside the English system: CM2/6e runs alongside Year 7, 5e alongside Year 8, and 4e alongside Year 9.

 Read more about the Section Française Bilingue

STEAM

Outdoor education

Swimming (in rotation with other year groups)

Sport and fixtures

Preparing for what's next

Northbourne Park supports every senior school pathway. Children can leave at the end of Year 6 for local grammar schools, or remain to sit Common Entrance at 13. Pupils regularly win scholarships to senior schools, including King's Canterbury, Eton, Tonbridge, Benenden, St Edmund's Canterbury, Stowe and Kent College. Pupils in the Section Française Bilingue sit Cambridge English exams alongside their CNED assessments, with the option to return to French-curriculum schools in their home country, including French-system schools in Spain, or to continue in the English system.

 Read more about scholarships and bursaries
 Read more about the admissions process

Extending to Year 9

From September 2027, Northbourne Park extends to Year 9, with plans to grow further to Year 11 in the years ahead.

Northbourne Park's extension gives families already at the school that option for two further years, with more to follow. The extension is designed primarily for pupils already at the school in Year 8, building directly on the dedicated form-tutor support, the ISEB IPQ and the personalised senior-school guidance already in place for Years 7 and 8. A limited number of places are available to external applicants.