Barfield Prep School

FOUNDATION FOR A BRIGHT FUTURE

Integrity

Compassion

Resilience

Barfield is an independent preparatory school for girls and boys near Farnham in Surrey.

Tolerance

We take children from as early as two years until they are 11, and ready to move on to the senior school of their choice.

Enthusiasm

A warm welcome The Barfield Journey is something incredibly special and one that so many families have enjoyed over the years.

My own personal journey began here in 2019, when I came for my

In addition to making sure that your child absolutely loves their time

first tour of the school ahead of my final interview for the role of

here at Barfield Prep School, we also know the importance of

Headmaster. Within minutes of the tour, I knew that I had found a

supporting each family to ensure that the next chapter of their

school which embraced and promoted the same values as those

educational journey is a positive one. Our oldest children move on to

I believe in, and I could feel the sense of warmth, family and

a variety of Senior Schools each year, and this is a process in which

happiness as I wandered around the impressive 12 acre woodland site.

we are on hand every step of the way. As a school we carefully prepare the children for their transition and love that they leave us not only

All of our efforts here at Barfield go into creating an environment

with a strong academic profile, but also with the skills and knowledge

where children are allowed to be children and their early educational

to succeed and a lifetime of happy memories.

experience is one of excitement, exploration and intrigue. Our family ethos ensures that we are able to build strong relationships between

If you have not yet had the opportunity to visit us, please do come and

school and home, and children know exactly where to turn if they hit

see first hand how we do things here at Barfield Prep School. We think

a bump in the road. Lovely small class sizes, coupled with a wonderful

you will love it!

team of staff, provides the perfect platform for each child to flourish and individuality is not only valued but encouraged. We see our role as providing opportunities and opening doors for the children, both inside and outside of the classroom, and then giving them the confidence to try new things along the way. We celebrate the little things on a daily basis, as it is these victories which puts air in their balloons and makes them realise what they are capable of.

Andy Boyle Headmaster

01 WELCOME

Catlin Upper School Children love taking part in LAMDA, Speech and Drama and Musical Theatre.

The costume making can be equally fun! We’ve had some pretty elaborate outfits over the years!

Every child counts Barfield is a happy place. Our children rush into school with smiles on their faces and a skip in their step.

They love it here, which is why they do so well.

At Barfield, every child counts. We create the environment

This is the wonderfully happy setting for The Barfield

within which they feel safe and secure, and then we

Journey – the seamless, whole-school journey that

encourage them to step outside their comfort zone to

prepares a child for senior school. Since there’s no such

discover themselves and the world. They can do it when

thing as a typical Barfield child, the Journey is as lively and

they know they have the support of the school behind

varied as the children in our care. The one constant is the

them. Should they hit a bump in the road, they know where

depth of individual attention that goes into each of those

to turn for support. We don’t remove the bumps; we let

irrepressible real-world journeys.

them be, because bumps are powerful learning experiences.

02 EVERY CHILD

“The friendly, family environment mixed with the teacher’s passion gives pupils the best start possible.”

Parent

One happy, caring family Barfield is a wonderfully close-knit and caring community.

In fact we often refer to ourselves as The Barfield Family.

We have a strong, one-school ethos that draws

The family atmosphere works for our children

everyone – children, parents and teachers – from

because it creates an environment in which they

Nursery to Year 6 together.

can continue to be children. They love coming here because they’re swapping one happy home

Barfield feels like family because we take the time

for another.

to know each child’s background. As we grow, we retain our friendly, small-school feeling by

Our parents feel it too. Through the Barfield

spending time nurturing relationships with our

Friends, our PTA group, they organise a string of

children, with their parents, between the year

imaginative social events throughout the year. They

groups, and among the wider school community.

give their time generously for the school they love.

Arabella Lower School Our pupils are lucky to be able to use a wide range of different resources to make learning phonics fun. The light boxes are always a huge hit!

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F A M I L Y VA L U E S

A richer view of the world

Freddie Upper School Even at break times, pupils are encouraged to challenge themselves and try new things.

They can choose to play on the assault courses in our award-winning outdoor pursuits centre. No two days are the same!

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OPENING MINDS

Children have more to do, more to experience, and so much more to learn about themselves at Barfield.

On our beautiful, 12-acre site, which includes an award-winning outdoor pursuits centre, we give your child more opportunities to push their boundaries and to discover what the world is made of.

We see each child as a blank canvas, which is why we encourage them to have a go at everything. The more activities they try, the more they realise that there are no limitations on what they can achieve. There’s no pigeonholing at Barfield; our job is to open young minds to new possibilities.

Life skills and outdoor learning are recent additions to the curriculum. They help children develop their character and personality through a broader range of experiences and skills. They increase the strength and depth of our academic programme.

“ Children’s interests and passions are embraced and used to help them learn.”

Parent

Albert Upper School

The future starts here Barfield is your child’s first step on a lifelong journey through a world that’s different to the one we grew up in, and in which the pace of change is accelerating.

We embrace those changes because now anything is possible.

The Barfield Journey – the steps from Nursery to Year 6 – is

More to the point, none of us know what’s possible.

where those skills come to life.

So we take our curriculum beyond the academic subjects to

At Barfield, our doors and our minds are open to new ideas –

embed the skills – curiosity, experimentation, self-belief,

and to your input. We always have time for a chat about

collaboration – that last a lifetime. We help your child learn

any aspect of your child’s wellbeing and progress.

how to be courageous and caring, investigative and

The relationships that we develop with you and your child

independent, adaptable and resilient.

are the foundation for their future success.

All children love to get messy!

Being creative and using their imagination is what we encourage, so if that means being covered in paint, so be it!

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BRIGHT FUTURES

The Barfield Journey... growth and

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BARFIELD JOURNEY

Barfield is one school. During your child’s time here, from Nursery to Year 6, we make no distinctions; we’re always one school. That’s the defining characteristic of The Barfield Journey, the seamless transitions from one year to the next and between stages of school life.

discovery in easy, seamless steps

It helps that we are on a single 12-acre campus. Children of all ages

The Barfield Journey does two things: it adds to your child’s

can interact, play together and support each other. From the youngest

happiness and supports them throughout their time with us so

age, children get a sense of the whole school and their place in it.

that, by the time they reach Year 6, they are ready for the next

At every point thereafter we support our children and their families

chapter of their life. Along the way they gather enough memories

to make sure the next stage of their journey is as happy and as

and experiences to last a lifetime.

productive as the one that’s just ending.

Early years

Nursery/Lower School A gentle introduction to the richness of Barfield life.

Children start in the Nursery from as young as two years old. The Nursery is a homely environment with all the relaxed flexibility busy parents need. Normal Nursery hours are 8am to 6.15pm, with a choice of term-time or year-round education.

The Barfield Nursery is rich with variety. It blends play-based learning with adult-led activities and opportunities to dip into specialist subjects, such as music, French and sport with our Upper School and Lower School teachers. Nursery children grow vegetables in the school garden, and learn to swim in our heated indoor pool. But more often than not, they’re outside exploring our wonderful school grounds and splashing around in their waterproofs.

The transition to Lower School (ages 4 to 7) is seamless. Here, school starts for real with two forms to keep class sizes small, a shared outdoor space, even more specialist teachers and an innovative and wide-ranging curriculum developed for young, enquiring minds. Lower School children can stay on for after-school, extracurricular activities, and we have learning support staff for any child who needs an extra helping hand.

Upper School/Beyond Barfield

Children learn to grasp life with both hands.

Your child’s final four years at Barfield (ages 7 to 11) create

Barfield’s whole-child education ends in Year 6 with the

the foundations for future growth. This is where children

11-plus and preparation for senior school. We maintain

develop their lifelong love of learning, and begin to revel in

strong links with a wide variety of senior schools that offer

their own ability to solve problems, acquire new skills, and

the breadth of education that children enjoy at Barfield.

stretch beyond their self-imagined limits. The breadth of

This intimate senior-school knowledge enables us to work

opportunities on offer and the strength of the rapport that

with you to find the school that’s right for your child.

children develop with their teachers encourage them to push their educational boundaries.

We know that The Barfield Journey sets children up for future success and happiness. Confirmation comes a year or two later when former pupils tell us how easy it was to make the transition to senior school, and how well they’re doing in their chosen school.

Bertie Upper School As well as class music lessons, pupils have the opportunity to take part in choirs, orchestra and individual and small group music lessons. Saxophone is a popular choice but we have pupils learning the drums, guitar, piano and cello to name but a few.

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BEYOND BARFIELD

See what Prep-School happiness looks like

In this warm and inclusive school, we welcome children with a broad range of abilities and from all backgrounds.

We would love to show you and your child round. You can join us at one of our open mornings or come at almost any time to meet the Headmaster for a personal tour of the school.

If you like what you see, the next step is to complete a registration form and send it in with a registration fee.

We then invite your child for a taster session to get to know each other, to be sure that we can give them whatever support they need during their time with us, and to start building a long-term relationship with them. If all goes well, we offer them a place at Barfield School, and both you and they can look forward to many years of happiness.

Find out more at www.barfieldpst.org

Barfield Prep School, Guildford Road, Runfold, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 1PB 01252 782271

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admin@barfieldpst.org

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www.barfieldpst.org

Barfield Prep School is part of a family of flourishing prep schools bound by shared values.