Lower School
Welcome from Eliana Lady Houstoun-Boswall, Head
Hampton Court House is a centre of debate, of ideas and self-questioning. The world is changing faster than ever before and we believe that those who are able to adapt and respond to it are most likely to achieve the greatest fulfilment in life. We foster an atmosphere in which mistakes are not reproached but seen rather as an essential part of a child’s development. We believe in playing to a pupil’s strengths: in drawing out what is within each person rather than seeing a child as a vessel to be filled. This means that we can and do accommodate some pupils with a weakness in one area (such as maths or spelling), at the same time seeking to offset such weaknesses by fostering talent in other areas.
We believe in laughter and in not taking ourselves too seriously. Yet we also believe in many aspects of what is often considered ‘old-fashioned’ teaching: an orderly, instructive approach in the classroom, clear methodology in phonetics, an emphasis on accuracy in spelling, punctuation and grammar (allowing, of course, for the occasional student where such emphasis is counter-productive), on scientific and mathematical precision, and on understanding culture and the broad march of history. We are committed to language teaching – the lower school (Reception to Year 3) is truly bilingual (the majority of lessons being taught in French by native speakers). The acquisition of a perfect accent and fluency in another language provides a firm base for all our pupils to then go on to master other languages. Most pupils learn Spanish and Latin; many try their hand at Greek.
In recent years, Hampton Court House has prepared a steady stream of pupils for the finest schools in the country – Westminster, Eton, Godolphin & Latymer, St Paul’s Girls’ School, Marlborough, Winchester. That said, most pupils now choose to remain at Hampton Court House to complete their GCSEs at age 16.
Hampton Court House is a lively, laughter-filled, intellectually stimulating educational establishment, with interesting and creative pupils and teachers.
Eliana Lady Houstoun-BoswallFounder & Head of Lower School
Any questions?
Interested?
To find out more about Hampton Court House, we recommend you take a Private Tour or attend one of our Open Days.
