Weston Green School FAQ’s

Weston Green School FAQ’s

Do you have questions? We have answers!  Read our new FAQs to find everything you need to know about Weston Green School in Thames Ditton.

What is the age range at your school?

• At Weston Green School we educate boys and girls from 2 – 11 years. Children can join us at 2 years old in Pre Prep and remain until Year 6.

How many forms does your school have?

• Our school typically has two forms or classes per year group.

What curriculum does your school follow?

• The children in our school are extremely fortunate to benefit from a bespoke curriculum offer, designed and adapted to provide them with the most personalised and relevant learning.  On arrival into Pre Prep, the Early Years Framework comes to life through our book-based topics combined with the joy of following the interests of the children.  The curriculum for Lower and Upper Prep follows a thematic approach with carefully considered themes which offer inter-connection between and within subjects.
• We use a mastery approach to ensure fluency, reasoning and problem solving success in maths.  Our phonics and spelling programme is heavily influenced by the Sounds-Write programme.  The rest of our curriculum offer is bespoke to Weston Green.
• Music and drama are a key part of the Weston Green offer; children can learn individual music lessons in various instruments and singing and take part in many performances. We host annual productions and regular concerts to showcase the talents of our pupils. Weston Green also has an orchestra and choirs that participate in community and group events. Children can study acting, musical theatre or poetry for LAMDA exams. The school is a recognised LAMDA Private Exam Centre, which allows pupils to take exams in a comfortable and familiar place. This boosts their confidence and prepares them for future school interviews.

What specialist teachers do you have?

• Our specialist teaching offer begins from this moment with specialist games, French, music, yoga and Forest School.  As children progress through to Lower Prep, the specialisms widen to include art, computing and drama.  Culminating with the Upper Prep full offer including: Latin, humanities, science, English and maths. Our specialist teachers bring to their teaching a passion and excellence for their specialist area of the curriculum and their teaching compliments our inter-connected curriculum offer.  As part of this more specialised teaching, pupils will have some lessons in different areas of the school, moving around classrooms between lessons, learning to organise themselves and their belongings, growing with independence and making the necessary steps to prepare themselves for the next stage of the education.
• Both our wonderful class teachers and specialists adapt to each child’s needs and abilities in small class sizes, armed with the skills and experience to ensure that every child is making progress, engaging in their learning and being challenged to the most appropriate level for their needs and ability.
• The children receive support from our Teaching Assistants, within key lessons and through our comprehensive Learning Enrichment Programme. Each pupil’s progress is assessed and closely monitored and where a need is identified, our support team compliments and builds on the work within the classroom.  Our inter-connected curriculum is dynamic, based on high-quality texts and real-life experiences. Parents are kept informed about our curriculum, teaching and their child’s progress through a comprehensive reporting and assessment process.

How do state schools and independent schools differ?  

• State schools receive government funding and do not charge fees for pupils. Independent schools rely on private funding and have tuition fees, which vary for each school. Independent schools have more freedom to choose their own curriculum, but they still have to meet the standards set by inspection bodies. State schools have to follow the national curriculum more closely, which limits their ability to offer customised and specialised learning compared to independent schools.

What are the costs?

• Our fee structure can be found here.  Lunch will be charged at £342 per term and will continue to be served to all pupils in the school.

Are there any scholarships or financial aid available?

• Scholarships are available for entry into Year 3, to applicants with particular skills and strengths. Scholarships are awarded on merit and have a minimum value of 10% reduction, which remains for the whole of Upper Prep. 
• We offer an interest-free monthly payment scheme, which can allow for easier budgeting and help make payments more manageable for parents.  The fees for each term can be split into three equal instalments and paid during the first three months of the term. 
• Weston Green offers a 10% discount to siblings, which is awarded to the younger sibling whilst the children remain at the school together. For a third and subsequent child there is a reduction of a further 10%.

What are the school hours? 

• The school day starts with entry to the school between 8.25am and 8:40am. In Lower Prep, school finishes at 3.15pm for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, whilst Year 3 finishes at 4.00pm, having benefited from an additional lesson and a short afternoon break. In Upper Prep all children finish at 4.00pm, with breaks in the morning and at lunchtime. 
• There is a breakfast club available from 7.45am, and after school care available until 6pm (additional payment structure applies). Optional after school clubs take place from 3.15pm-4.00pm and 4:00-5:00pm. 

What is the admission process?

• Here at Weston Green School, we aim for a smooth and informative admissions process.  Interested parents are invited to contact the school to arrange a visit.  We also have a virtual tour for any families who are not able to visit in person.

Step 1: The first stage of the admissions process is to complete our registration form and pay a £100 registration fee.

Step 2: We are non-selective in Pre Prep and once your child has been in for a taster session, an offer letter will be sent to secure the place. In both Lower Prep and Upper Prep, children would need to be assessed prior to being offered a place.

Step 3: For all year groups there is a £500 deposit which is refundable in line with our Terms and Conditions.

When can pupils join your school?

• Most children join in September and January as common entry points, but pupils can join our school at any time during term time, as long as there are spaces available.

Does your school only accept academically gifted pupils?

• No, we accommodate a variety of pupils with various abilities, interests and strengths. Although we are non selective in Pre Prep, we do have an assessment test for Lower and Upper Prep entry points, and a place may be offered subject to basic academic and developmental criteria..

Does your school have any religious affiliations?

• No, we are a non-religious school and welcome students from diverse religious backgrounds or no faith.

What are the class sizes?

• Pupils benefit greatly from our small class sizes which are typically 12-17 children per class per class. In most classes Teaching Assistants work to support pupils learning

What facilities does your school have?

• Games lessons are an integral part of life at Weston Green School. For Pre Prep to Year 2, these sessions take place on site. From Year 3 the children have a skills based session on site and a second session at Old Cranleighan sports ground and the children walk to the site with our specialist sports coaches, who teach all sessions. Throughout the year children take part in a variety of sports including hockey, football, cricket, netball and athletics.  In addition, the children will take part in a term of swimming lessons at a local pool and may also participate in other sports from time to time.
• The school offers a rich and varied science curriculum covering topics like animals, forces, space and more. In our dedicated science lab, children have the opportunity to take part in hands-on experiments, investigations and workshops.
• Weston Green School is committed to using technology to enhance the learning experience of its pupils. We provide chromebooks for children in Years 3 to 6, which they can use for research, collaboration, and creativity. The school also has a range of other technical equipment, such as interactive whiteboards, digital cameras, microscopes, and robots. Under the guidance of our dedicated Head of Computing, we teach pupils how to use technology safely, responsibly, and effectively, and encourage them to develop digital skills and confidence.

What extracurricular activities are on offer?

• We enrich the experience of our pupils through a vast array of extracurricular activities and opportunities including craft, French, poetry, origami, STEM, sports, robotics, Lego club, music and more. Some of these clubs such as orchestra and Art Pod are ‘by invitation only’ and help to support and develop the unique and natural talents of every pupil. The range of clubs will change each term.

How do you support students with special needs?

• We have a dedicated SENCO lead to help pupils who may need extra learning support.  In addition we have a trained ELSA lead to help support pupils with emotional issues.  Contact our School and Admissions Manager, Mrs Ranger who will advise on the admissions process. 

How often do you hold parents’ evenings?

• Parent consultation meetings are held midway through each term during which parents receive a full picture of their child’s attainment, progress and attitude across all lessons.  In addition, we host parent workshops to share information from different curriculum areas and provide podcasts and glimpse into information so parents can better understand the learning taking place.  We invite parents into our pupil conferencing mornings where pupils share their learning and show off their work.  Furthermore, our open-door policy means parents are free to speak to the teachers whenever they need.

How often do you send progress reports?

• At the end of the autumn and spring terms, a written summary report is sent to parents, including a class or form tutor comment, English and maths comments and information from across different curriculum subjects.  A full school report, covering every area of the curriculum and a Headteacher comment, is received towards the end of the summer term.  
• Parents of children in Pre Prep and Reception have access to the online Learning Journal, Tapestry, onto which staff post photos and videos of the children across the week to provide a detailed insight into their learning in school.

Do parents have teachers direct emails?

• Parents are provided with the email address of the teachers working with their children.  

 Which future schools do pupils go to after Weston Green School?

• After completing their educational journey with us in Year 6, our children are well prepared for the next stage of their education into senior school. Through our rigorous and supportive 11+ exam preparation process, we ensure that all our children succeed in getting into the right school for them.  Typically children tend to go to prestigious local senior schools including: City of London Freemen’s, Claremont Fan Court, Guildford High, Halliford, Hampton Boys, Notre Dame, Reeds, St John’s and Surbiton High.  You can find the full list from 2023 here. 

Is boarding available?

• No, we operate as a day school and do not offer boarding options. 

How do I contact the school?

• Please contact Mrs Ranger on info@westongreenschool.org.uk or call 020 8398 2778.

Discover more 

The best way to answer any questions you may have is to visit our school. We would be delighted to welcome you into school for a tour and meeting with Mrs Evans, our Head Teacher.  Contact our School and Admissions Manager, Mrs Ranger on 020 8398 2778 or info@westongreenschool.org.uk to book now.