From September 2025, Hall Grove is launching a new senior school for children in Years 9-11, allowing pupils to complete their GCSEs within our familiar and supportive environment. This decision has been driven by the continued success of our prep school and our commitment to meet the evolving needs of our families. The school will start with Year 9, in September 2025, with Year 10 following in 2026 and Year 11 in 2027. 

The Offering

The new school will focus on providing a strong academic education. The core GCSE subjects studied to the end of Year 11 are Maths, English Language, English Literature, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. There will also be a range of GCSE option subjects. The co-curricular programme will be designed to enrich children's skills in service and support. Physical education will still feature on the curriculum, but, in the early days, pupils may wish to play in a larger team sport enviroment privately through the many excellent local clubs available. Senior school pupils will be given supporting roles in enhancing our prep school theatrical productions. We will be delighted to draw upon their skills and passions while developing their abilities to lead and help craft public performances. They will also be given full opportunity to perform in their own small-scale events and pursue their performance and artistic interests at GCSE level.

Admissions Process

The admissions process for all applicants, both internal and external, starts with a discussion between parents and the Headmaster to discuss the Hall Grove Senior School and the opportunities it offers. If it is felt that the senior school is the right fit for the applicant, they will then move into the assessment phase.

External applicants will attend an Assessment Day at Hall Grove, designed to give every child the opportunity to demonstrate their potential.

The day will include:

• Online assessment in verbal, non-verbal, quantitative, and spatial reasoning.
• A written task, which cannot be prepared for.
• An interview with a senior member of staff.

A pastoral and academic reference will also be sought from the external applicant’s current school.

Places are offered based on performance in the assessment, school reference and the Headmaster’s overall impression of the child’s suitability for life at Hall Grove.

Internal candidates will complete the same assessments. Senior school places will be offered to Hall Grove pupils based on assessment performance, current academic record and their contribution to the wider life of the school.

To join Hall Grove at any point after the start of Year 9, please contact the Admissions team by email admissions@hallgrove.co.uk / 01276 470015. 

Scholarships and Awards

A small number of academic Scholarships and Exhibitions can be applied for using the admissions process above and these should be discussed with the school in advance. These scholarships are subsequently awarded at the Headmaster's discretion.

Leadership Team

The new senior school will be led by James Webb. An Oxford graduate (Oriel College, MA, first-class), James joined the Hall Grove staff in 2023, and we are already benefitting from his experience as a former Head of Department at Harrow School where he taught European languages to GCSE and A Level. He holds three further master's degrees: MSc International Marketing Management, MEd E-Learning and MLitt Cultural Studies. Between Harrow and Hall Grove he served ten years as Deputy Head Academic at a large boarding and day prep school in Dorset, a period that included four months as Interim Headmaster. James has considerable organisational ability and is an inspiring teacher. We are so fortunate to have him heading up our new school.

Where?

The new school will begin on our current campus in a dedicated purpose-built unit, which is due to  be completed in 2026, with an option to move to a distanced site in the future.

Fees

The fees will remain the same as those charged for Years 5–8, though there will be optional additional charges for some activities and for individual/small group support or tuition.