Pownall Hall Prep School

Where Everything is Possible

At Pownall Hall, Wilmslow we are a family. The happiness and welfare of our children is the most important aspect of their time with us. When children feel safe, and are happy, then they will thrive and achieve, leading to outstanding successes at 11.

Pownall Hall strikes a balance between traditional and innovative practice. We educate within a progressive and liberating education model. The education that we provide ensures that each child will leave school as a well-rounded individual, and our wellbeing and growth mindset teachings mean that the children grow into confident, happy, articulate individuals, and with a sense of achievement. They will have the opportunity to choose what is right for them once the time comes, and they know who they are.

We have experienced leaders and colleagues who are immersed within a Prep School ethos. We guide the children through a seamless, calm, bespoke 11+ process, and provide the opportunity for our children to develop the skills required to be adaptable, resilient and unique.

The children enjoy a stretch and challenge curriculum from Reception onwards, that enables them to get to the end of Form 5 having completed the Form 6 curriculum, and to then have the opportunity to complete past papers, mock examinations and a series of mock interviews that ensure they are ready for every eventuality. They do all of this with a cohort of friends who are all striving for similar goals.

Pupils go on to a variety of independent and grammar schools when they leave us at the end of Year 6. Over the last 10 years we have sent children to over 30 different day and boarding schools. We mean it when we say that we will prepare your child to go to your school of choice. A huge strength of the school is our responsiveness to the needs of both the children and parents.

Not surprisingly, Pownall Hall pupils win places at more than one school; on average each pupil wins a place at 3 schools. What’s more, 30+% of pupils win scholarships at schools that offer them. We are proud that senior schools rate our pupils so highly.

The list of schools where offers have been awarded demonstrates the hard work both children and teachers have put into the 11+ process.

The approaches we use, such as bringing in more reasoning and problem-solving into Mathematics, VR and NVR lessons from Form 3, a curriculum that develops critical thinking skills, revision clubs and a more open approach to assessment information so that all parents and children understand the next steps in their development, has really helped Form 6 achieve these great results, year on years; it is now within the culture of Pownall and constitutes some of the very fabric of the school.

Our insistence on ensuring each child heads to a school where we know they will flourish and where their strengths will be extended still further is far more important than shoehorning them into schools that do not suit them. This is not at the expense of academic results, but it does ensure that the ‘person’ is not lost in the process either.

The Pownall Hall Preparatory School approach is a true reflection of being prepared for not only 11+ but for life. We provide and encourage a social awareness of the society and community in which they live. Pownall Hall Preparatory School ensures that children feel safe and secure. A wealth of happy memories are often a legacy, with lifetime friendships frequently being forged. And at Pownall this is ensured through strong pastoral care, in small class sizes of no more than 18, and with staff who are specialised in the Early Years to Prep School age ranges. Our family environment is perfect for nurturing all abilities, and treating children as individuals, through a close knit, small school ethos set within over 8 acres of beautifully maintained and historic grounds and buildings.

The children at Pownall Hall have bespoke facilities that are tailored to their age. The resources, equipment, teaching and investment are geared toward ensuring that the children from 6 months to 11 have the very best, suitable to their age and development and create a pathway to outstanding success at 11+.

At Pownall Hall the children are prepared for a changing and evolving world but, equally importantly, are ready for the next stage of their education, and for the place of their choice. An individualised, exciting, engaging, broad and diverse curriculum is delivered through various methods of teaching, developing auditory, visual and kinaesthetic learners. We have a curriculum that is academically rigorous, gets the children exam ready, but remains relevant. Contextualised learning that leads to critical thinking, exploration and inquiring minds.

The Pownall Pathway considers the children as individuals, and as changing people, and provides choice at the end of their 11+ journey. Our pupils have confirmation that their voice is heard, and yet it remains grounded in academic rigour.

CRAFTSPLUSAND ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THEDAY!