While it’s not possible for you to visit Edge Grove in person, we have created this virtual experience to give you a feel for the school.
Have a look through our videos to hear from our Head, Miss Lisa McDonald, and other key members of staff. We hope that they will help you to learn more about our ethos and philosophy and the wonderful opportunities available every day at Edge Grove.
You can explore our interactive map and read about our vast and impressive facilities set in 48 acres of beautiful Hertfordshire countryside.
We hope our photo galleries and videos will help you to visualise your child’s happy existence as a pupil at Edge Grove. Our pupils are motivated, articulate and intellectually curious with the confidence and enthusiasm to make the most of every opportunity presented to them each day.
The Frequently Asked Questions section will hopefully answer some of your queries but if you still have some questions after visiting Virtual Edge Grove please do not hesitate to contact our Marketing and Admissions Manager, Mrs Joanna Morrison, on admissions@edgegrove.com or 01923 855724.
Click here to watch our recent Q+A webinar for prospective parents with Miss McDonald, Head of Edge Grove:
The Main House is situated at the centre of the school and is where you will find the main reception, staff offices and the Boarding House. As you enter the main drive you can see the house standing proudly at the heart of the vast 48 acre site. It is a bustling hub of activity and meeting point for staff and pupils alike.
Our facilities for sport include a 20-meter heated swimming pool; vast playing fields with ten junior football fields; a newly laid mini hockey Astro Turf pitch; a 3-court badminton Sports Hall; four tennis/netball courts and six outdoor/four indoor cricket nets.
Our sporting programme includes the five major sports: football, hockey, rugby, netball and cricket. We also enter a number of competitions and tournaments in a variety of sports including swimming, athletics, basketball, football, squash, badminton and archery.
Our pupils regularly play fixtures against other schools and every child has the opportunity to participate in a fixture.
In our purpose-built Pre Prep department, we give children aged 3-7 years the confidence to achieve in all areas of school life and to have fun with their learning whilst placing a strong emphasis on the early development of basic skills for reading, writing and maths. In Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 we are three form entry and each class has its own class teacher and learning assistant. Alongside literacy, numeracy, science and humanities lessons are taught by subject specialists in languages, Art, PE and Music.
The Edge Grove Pre-School is our Nursery for children aged 3-4 years, housed in a purpose-built building close to the main school site. It’s an exciting, bright and modern environment designed to engage and inspire our youngest pupils. Inside, there are vibrant and stimulating learning zones, all inter-connected, allowing free flow around the building. Our outdoor area provide spaces for messy play in the mud pie kitchen, has attractive shelters that provide inspiration for imaginative role play and our lovely garden offers opportunities for learning about nature or just enjoying space to run and play freely in all weathers.
Children start at our Pre-School in the September after their 3rd birthday.
The Theatre is the central hub for Creative Arts at Edge Grove. The Creative Arts faculty is a vibrant and exciting place, providing cross curricular activities and lessons through drama, music and art. Believing that the creative and performing arts build confidence and promote collaboration, we are committed to helping children discover, develop and showcase their talents.
Drama and Dance have a high profile at Edge Grove and all pupils participate in lessons designed to encourage vocal and physical self-confidence, expression and teamwork. Each year group presents a dramatic production during the course of the year, with every child fully involved in the process and final performance.
The Music department is a great strength of the school, offering specialist teaching from the Pre-School to Year 8. Pupils enjoy practical and stimulating lessons, with the chance to listen, compose, perform and appraise. Our Music technology software extends their learning, while workshops and outings develop their appreciation of a variety of genres.
Our choirs, orchestra, soloists and range of ensembles and bands have many opportunities to perform at school concerts, assemblies and musical productions, as well as outside events. Many children also enjoy individual tuition from peripatetic instrument specialists, leading to ABRSM exams.
Our Art & Design department is a hive of activity in which children are inspired both to learn about their artistic heritage and to explore new techniques and media with which to express themselves. Through a variety of themed projects and extra-curricular activities, pupils’ understanding and appreciation of art and design grows alongside their skills in drawing, painting and 3D modelling. From Year 1 onwards our pupils have the opportunity to enjoy their art lessons in the wonderful and inspiring Art department at Edge Grove.
With a strong sporting tradition, Edge Grove boasts an enviable record of success in a wide variety of sports at both individual and team level. Led by our Director of Sport and Head of Girls’ Games, our sporting programme features over 25 different sports. With specialist coaching, we offer every child the opportunity to learn new skills and to train sufficiently in order to excel in their favourite sports as well as to learn the wonderful health benefits of leading an active lifestyle.
At the walled garden courts we play tennis, hockey and netball.
Our beautiful lake is a peaceful setting for children to enjoy and enrich their learning. From taking a mindful moment to pond-dipping, the Lake is a unique and cherished part of the school.
At Edge Grove we make full use of our country setting to provide a superb outdoor learning environment, where, throughout the year children can participate in Forest School and enjoy a range of experiences unique to nature – they connect with the environment, come rain or shine, and as any observer will see, enjoy every minute.
Our vision is to nourish and foster children’s natural curiosity for languages through a world languages experience for all pupils.
We enhance language learning and promote cross-curricular links by delivering a carousel of languages for pupils from Pre-School through to Year 8. This develops children’s linguistic skills with particular attention to their auditory skills and their vocal system. Pupils also learn to value and respect other cultures as well as develop a greater appreciation of their own traditions. Languages include Mandarin, Arabic, Portuguese, Welsh, German, Italian, Spanish and Japanese.
In the Middle and Upper School we narrow our focus to French and Latin to ensure pupils are well prepared for Common Entrance and other senior school entrance exams. Pupils will take French from Year 5 to Year 8 and Latin from Year 6 to Year 8.
We are located in Aldenham Village in 48 acres of beautiful Hertfordshire countryside. Our wonderful setting and facilities ensure our children are exposed to a wide range of experiences and develop confidence in a challenging, fun and inspirational environment.
Situated in its own purpose-built and spacious state of the art building, the Lower School at Edge Grove extends the Pre Prep foundation by challenging pupils in the classroom, on the sports field or through the Creative Arts.
We continue to develop children as independent learners, giving individuals a balance of support, challenge and extension, beyond the National Curriculum.
Building on the solid foundation of earlier years, Middle School develops an eagerness to learn and encourages a spirit of independence. Our aim is to produce confident well rounded individuals, whilst affording them the best possible education.
All subjects from Years 5-8 are taught by individual subject teachers. Teaching groups of between 18 and 20 children are divided into two smaller tutor groups of between 8 and 10, ensuring that each child gets the highest level of attention. Smaller classes enable us to concentrate fully on the individual child, nurturing confidence and developing self-esteem. During these years at Edge Grove, pupils are encouraged to undertake a broad spectrum of activities, and are given many opportunities for personal and social growth.
Our Year 7 and 8 pupils feel a sense of achievement and privilege in reaching the Upper School. The curriculum remains diverse, challenging and entertaining but simultaneously prepares pupils appropriately for the relevant 13+ examinations.
We build on the excellent practices of the Pre Prep, Lower School and Middle School, maintaining a vibrant and diverse approach to learning, but focusing specifically on the needs of 13+ including preparation for Common Entrance and Scholarship examinations in the final year. Behaviour guidelines and expectations are clear with good relationships between the staff and pupils.
All pupils follow the Edge Grove Baccalaureate, a two year programme designed to develop the school’s Guiding Principles. The Baccalaureate incorporates four distinct areas of study: Leadership, Enrichment & Life Skills, Outdoor Learning, and Charity & Service.
The Rose Garden Block houses our new, state of the art engineering facility as well as our Wellbeing Centre.
Our engineering facility broadens our STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and maths) offering and enhances the overall educational experience for our pupils from Year 3. The fully repurposed classroom space has been transformed into an innovative technology workshop allowing budding young engineers to design, build and evaluate products.
Our dedicated Wellbeing Centre is used for specific teaching around Wellbeing but also provides pupils with a place of calm and quiet throughout the school day should they need it. At Edge Grove we recognise the link between wellbeing and performance, personally or academically, and that when enjoying a state of wellbeing, individuals are more likely to achieve their potential.
The main school library is an inspiring place to be with it’s well-stocked shelves and dedicated Librarian on hand to help pupils with their book choices.
Lower School and Pre Prep have their own libraries offering pupils a wide range of books for all interests. In Pre-School the children can relax in ‘reading nooks’ and discover a joy of reading books from the earliest age.
Our catering is provided by Holroyd Howe, one of the UK’s leading contract caterers who work solely with Independent Schools.
We are committed to maintaining a healthy eating policy and we work in partnership with Holroyd Howe to achieve this; the chefs produce quality meals using the finest locally sourced produce available.
We offer a range of hot and cold menu choices and are experienced at managing pupils’ dietary requirements from allergies to foods for religious faiths.
Science is studied pupils in all year groups at Edge Grove. For our youngest pupils we ignite an interest in science through topics such as Guy Fawkes and Bonfire Night. From Years 1 to 4 science is taught by class teachers but specialist teachers join them for workshops such as the Year 1 Fireworks Workshop and Year 4 Electricity Workshop. In the Middle and Upper School, pupils are taught through experience and a lot of practical based learning, ensuring the curriculum is fun, informative and challenging. In Year 6, pupils obtain their ‘Bunsen Burner License’ which enables them to carry out more lab-based experiments. In the Upper School, pupils follow the senior school curriculum including lots of practical work to ensure they are prepared with the key knowledge and practical skills required for GCSE.
At Edge Grove we are fortunate to have fantastic facilities for food technology including a fully functioning dedicated kitchen, set up in association with Gino de Campo. We also have a vegetable garden and poly tunnels in which to grow our own food.
The teaching and learning is skills based and places emphasis on food awareness and acquisition of transferable skills. The children are provided with the opportunities to sow, grow, harvest, cook and eat food which they have followed from seed to plate. It is important that children are given the knowledge to be able to make informed decisions about where their food comes from and its impact on the wider world as well as its effect on them. As pupils progress from Year 3 and up to Year 6, they build on skills and opportunities learned in previous years. The basis of good hygiene, knife and tool skills, combined with the ability to follow a recipe, equip them with skills that they will continue to develop through life.
Please register your interest to be kept informed from the Admissions department about future events and assessments at Edge Grove.
FAQs
What are your entry points?
Our main entry points are at 3+ (Pre-School), 4+ (Reception), 7+ (Year 3) and 11+ (Year 7). However, spaces can often come up in other year groups and we welcome new children to Edge Grove where there is availability. Please contact Admissions for more information on admissions@edgegrove.com or 01923 855 724.
What is the admissions process?
Parents should contact Admissions to find out about availability of places and to add their child’s details to lists for future entry. All children are assessed for places at Edge Grove. In order to attend an assessment, a registration form must be completed and payment of the £100 registration fee. Your child will then be invited to an assessment. Please contact Admissions for more information on admissions@edgegrove.com or 01923 855 724.
We understand that all our pupils are individuals with different aspirations so pupils move on to a variety of schools after Edge Grove. Most go on to local independent day schools, others go on to boarding schools, local grammar and other selective state schools.
Click here to view a list of the schools to which our pupils have most recently transferred, as well as a list of Scholarships and Awards achieved by our recent leavers.
Do you have a learning support programme?
At Edge Grove we offer additional support to pupils in a number of ways. We have a forward-thinking, caring Learning Success department which combines the knowledge and experience of our own SENCo and English as an Additional Language specialist teachers with outside expertise accessed on a fee-paying basis (for example, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Clinical or Educational Psychologists and counsellors). We also have a dynamic group of Learning Assistants who can primarily be found in the Lower School and Pre Prep classrooms, often providing small group support in Literacy and Numeracy.
In the Middle and Upper Schools it is possible, at the recommendation of subject teachers and in consultation with parents, for pupils to receive additional small group lessons in English and Maths instead of taking Latin.
Read more about our Learning Success provision here.
What is your extra-curricular programme like?
At Edge Grove we provide a rich, creative and innovative experience based on supporting and challenging pupils to achieve their best through the elements of discovery, application and communication. We aim to provide as many opportunities as possible to assist children in finding their passion through extra-curricular activities, trips and outings and the wider curriculum. Read more about our wider curriculum including performances and concerts, educational visits and trips and Expedition Week here.
What pastoral care do you offer?
At Edge Grove you will find motivated children, enjoying their learning in wonderful facilities. We believe that it is through effective pastoral care that pupils feel at ease, grow in confidence and give their best. Effective pastoral care also nurtures an enjoyment of learning in an atmosphere of mutual respect and this, along with the celebration of achievement, enables the development of independent, confident and responsible pupils.
We aim to provide the highest possible level of pastoral care so that each child flourishes. Our pupils’ happiness and wellbeing is of paramount importance at Edge Grove. A happy, secure, confident child makes excellent all-round progress at school.
Find out more about our pastoral care here and more about our Wellbeing centre and Flourish Programme here.
What food do you provide?
We provide breakfast, lunch, supper and snacks.
Our catering is provided by Holroyd Howe, one of the UK’s leading contract caterers who work solely with Independent Schools.
We are committed to maintaining a healthy eating policy and we work in partnership with Holroyd Howe to achieve this; the chefs produce quality meals using the finest locally sourced produce available – they do this because fresh, seasonal food tastes better, is more nutritious and offers better value thus promoting the wellbeing of our pupils and staff.
As pupils develop, our role is to ensure they get sufficient carbohydrates, protein and all the necessary nutrients to support them in their academic and sporting activities. Holroyd Howe recognises that a good diet enhances the power of concentration and performance.
All meals are served in the dining room. From breakfast through to supper, we aim to ensure everyone has an enjoyable eating experience – we offer a range of hot and cold menu choices at every meal from hot bacon and egg muffins or homemade smoothies and cut fruit for breakfast to a full salad bar and a range of hot choices at lunch and for supper.
What before and after school care do you provide?
We offer an extensive after-school activities programme every day to all our pupils, from Pre-School to Year 8. Activities are all optional but most pupils participate in at least one activity after school each week. Examples of activities on offer each term include Speech & Drama (LAMDA), Chamber Choir, Chess Club, Football, Trampolining, Jazz Band and Cookery Club. We also offer a late club every day until 6pm.
Do you provide school buses?
The minibus service is offered to pupils in Years 3-8, and to siblings in the Pre Prep provided that they always travel with their older sibling. We are able to take some passengers on specific, single days; however, preference will be given to those passengers travelling for the full week.
For more information about bus routes please click here.
When you arrive at this idyllic country prep, it’s hard to believe that it’s just a stone’s throw from north London and less than five minutes from the M25. Set in grassy parkland (even more of it since the school acquired extra land) with the requisite cows grazing next to the drive, Edge Grove – formerly the home of JP Morgan – is a world apart from many of its concrete-clad urban rivals.
Good Schools Guide, 2020
Demand for places at this vibrant, future-led prep school is skyrocketing.
Tatler Schools Guide, 2020
A school for confident, smiley types who are given space to roam and to ‘flounder intelligently’ (an Edge Grove term for ‘lateral thinking’).
