Ask any pupil, teacher or Old Westbournian (ex-pupil) what makes Westbourne House a special place to spend your childhood and these are the answers you are likely to hear.
Freedom and independence
We don’t want children to grow up too fast. Thanks to our idyllic setting, children here spend their lunch and break times being active, running down to the woods to build dens or organising their own games, such as Family It. Boarders also love having adventures in our grounds and having the freedom to use the facilities 'out of hours'.
Colin Sharman, Headmaster from 1961- 89, who still lives on site, called Westbourne House ‘a little oasis of learning’ and it continues to have this special atmosphere today.
Vibrant and caring family
We place great importance on the way pupils treat and encourage one other and this creates a deeply-felt sense of family. Pastorally, this is a small and friendly school where all staff get to know the children well. The school itself and its extensive grounds also seem to play their part in creating a relaxed and friendly culture.
Amazing teachers
Our priority is to attract and motivate first-rate teachers. Thanks to a combination of excellent on-site staff accommodation and a wide variety of opportunities, our classes are led by highly qualified and passionate staff. From Year 5, children are taught by specialist teachers, who are trained to secondary school level and are experts in their field.
We have a holistic view of what makes an amazing, all-round education and the teachers inspire a love of learning, freeing children's imaginations and building intellectual confidence, as well as devoting time to creating dynamic programmes and activities to encourage children to be kind, respectful, empathetic, resilient, active and ambitious.
I can be me
We want children to feel understood and appreciated for who they are. We look to teach them in a way that sparks their interest and feeds their hunger for knowledge. We want them to feel confident to share their ideas and to take the initiative. We achieve this by nurturing each child's uniqueness and recognising and celebrating their individual progress and contributions, whether they be mathematical reasoning, kindness, humility, musical talent or determination.
Brilliant Boarding
You couldn’t find a more welcoming introduction to boarding: modern, family-style houses, supportive houseparents and a vibrant boarding community. Our boarding traditions are thriving and our boarders benefit from forging close relationships with peers and staff, learning to be more independent and having fun with friends.