020 8969 0313
Bassett House - Mrs Cawthorne reading with pupils

Headmistress's Welcome

Welcome to Bassett House

Welcome to Bassett House School, we are a leading co-ed prep school for boys and girls aged 3-11 in Notting Hill, West London, known for its nurturing and inclusive ethos. I hope this website gives a flavour of what our school is all about.

I’ve yet to meet a child who isn’t naturally curious. Sometimes this instinct lies dormant, but it’s always there. Our job is to develop this curiosity so it becomes a lifelong love of learning. We achieve this through a regime of creativity, encouragement and reward; but firstly we need to make sure every child feels safe, secure and welcome. I would say Bassett House School’s outstanding characteristic is its warm and nurturing atmosphere.

I believe a teacher’s enthusiasm is infectious, and can safely say we’re not lacking in that department at Bassett. Through an enticing mix of lessons and activities we inspire all our pupils to be inquisitive about the world and to recognise its endless possibilities.

I would like to invite you to visit Bassett House, where you can meet me and some of the teachers but, most importantly, see the children in action: their confidence and enthusiasm is something you need to experience for yourself.

To obtain a prospectus, have a chat or arrange a visit, please do telephone the school office 020 8969 0313 or contact the school by email at info@bassetths.org.uk.

Philippa Cawthorne

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Our Ethos

Every child can learn to fly

 
Bassett House happy girl

Our outstanding results repeatedly show that all children can learn to fly, regardless of early learning ability.

Great minds think for themselves; nurturing individuality is at the heart of our teaching. We believe tailor-made teaching opens up young minds to endless possibilities, and that a growth mindset approach encourages children to think creatively and form their own ideas.

Our pupils mostly call it having fun.
We call it being the best they can be.

A full statement of the school’s ethos and aims is available here.

OUR EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
Bassett House teacher and pupils art lesson

The school day

A day in the life at Bassett House

Some children arrive at 7.45am for before-school wraparound care, where they have breakfast, and play games and read, supervised by a teacher.

School proper begins at 8.30am, when we take the register and usually have assembly, where we learn and sing together as a school, and reward achievement.

In the mornings we tend to do the core subjects of English and maths, alongside others such as music, PE, science, computing and French.

We have a break time around 11am, which varies depending on age, and lunch at 12.30 or 1.30pm.

The afternoons generally have a lighter feel, with art and reading to the fore.

The school day ends at 3.30 or 4.05pm (dependent on age – and nursery children may build up to this slowly). After-school clubs run Monday to Thursday for children in Reception to Year 6 which extends the day for children attending those clubs to 5pm, and wraparound care continues every afternoon to 5.45pm.

Bassett House School two children with ipads

“And every day, everywhere, our children spread their dreams beneath our feet. And we should tread softly”

Sir Ken Robinson

Reviews

What they say about our school

 

Tatler 2020 (article)
“This non-selective favourite nes­tled in Ladbroke Grove has just unveiled a new 3,500 sq ft build­ing and outdoor area without increasing pupil numbers – quite something for a central London school. Deputy Head David Wingfield (who apparently made a fabulous dame in the staff panto­mime) recently introduced the Singapore maths method to the school, and one impressed re­searcher described him as ‘one of the most assiduous and motivated teachers’ she had ever met. The pastoral care is excellent too – there are off-timetable enrichment sessions, an in-house life coach and peace lilies ( which, according to NASA, purify the air) placed in every classroom. Recent leavers have won scholarships to Latymer Upper and City of London School for Girls, and, reportedly, the only complaint pupils have is that the school day ends too early”.

ISI (read full report)
Pupils of all abilities, including children in the EYFS, show excellent achievement overall. The quality of pupils’ personal development is outstanding. It is strongly supported by the school’s excellent pastoral care. The governors, management and leadership are outstanding, ensuring that the school is highly successful in achieving its aims.

School publications
We publish a yearly Review, packed with news about everything going on at Bassett House. You could also sample the latest school news on our Parents page. Or watch our Video.

The most important voices, the children

“Bassett House’s teachers are wonderful because they give everybody a chance to shine.”

“There are wonderful opportunities for all pupils and there are fantastic trips.”

“At Bassett House, no matter what you are good at, the teachers will support you throughout your time here”

“I love the school because there are always exciting challenges in all areas of the curriculum.”

“I love Bassett House because we have the opportunity to be creative in every subject.”

Latest News

This week at Bassett House School

This is an extract from our latest online newsletter which you can read here.

We also publish on social media. See the footer of this website for links.

 

News from the PE department - Fantastic netball result!

 

 

Ms Carota writes:
Yesterday afternoon, the girls in Form 6 and selected girls in Form 5 played in netball fixtures against St Nicholas Preparatory School at Imperial College.
In both matches, the Bassett teams dominated from start to finish and produced two fantastic results by winning 8-1 and 8-0 respectively.
The girls demonstrated excellent defending, passing and shooting skills to earn comprehensive, and not to mention thoroughly deserved, victories.
Well done to all the girls for their superb effort on what was another very enjoyable afternoon of netball.

 

Form 4 - The digestive system

 

 

Miss Probert writes:

Pupils in Form 4 have been transformed into expert scientists this week. They have been using all of their prior knowledge on the digestive system to create a real life version. They helped to design a plan, carry out the experiment and evaluated it afterwards. The activities made them realise the importance of each organ in the system, from the sandwich bag stomach churning the food, to the tights representing small intestines. Super work Form 4!

 

Bassett House School - IAPS Excellence in EducationICT Mark