A Year 3 boy concentrating on his work during a lesson

Joining in Year 3

Year 3 is the most common point for boys to join Lockers Park after Reception, and most years we welcome a handful of new faces into the year group.

Moving school is a bigger decision for the family than it usually turns out to be for the boy. Parents worry about friendships, about whether he will keep up, and about whether he will be happy. In our experience boys settle faster than anyone expects, partly because the year group is small enough that a new boy is noticed rather than absorbed.

Boys join us from local state primaries, from other prep schools and from overseas. There is no typical route in.

Lockers Park is also a partner school of Harrow School.

16

or fewer in a class, so a new boy is known within days

7.30am–7.30pm

wraparound care and over 60 clubs, included in the fees

23

acres, with sport every day

Settling in

New boys are paired with someone in the year group for the first few weeks, and their tutor keeps a close eye on how the first term is going. Small classes mean teachers notice quickly if something is not right.

Most boys tell us the friendships came first and the work followed. Sport every day helps, as does an extended day where boys are together well beyond lessons.

Catching up, and keeping up

Boys arriving from a state primary sometimes have ground to make up, most often in French, which they may not have met before. This is normal and we plan for it. Where a boy needs extra support, he gets it, either in small groups or one to one.

Every boy has one-to-one time with his teacher, and progress is monitored termly so parents know how the first year is going rather than waiting to find out.

What happens when you apply

Come and see us first, either at an Open Morning or on a personal tour with the Headmaster. Most families know fairly quickly whether the school feels right.

Your son then spends a taster day with his year group, joining lessons, playing at break and eating lunch with the boys he would be taught alongside. From Year 3 upwards he also sits four short papers, in maths, English, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, each around fifteen to twenty minutes. Boys applying from overseas sit these online.

The papers help us understand where he is and what support he might need. They are not a hurdle, and nearly every boy who spends a taster day with us is offered a place.

What our parents are saying

"My son joined Lockers Park after having been at a larger school. Thank you to Lockers for giving me my son back. Lockers Park is a slice of magic."
LOCKERS PARK PARENT

Fees and what is included

Fees cover the extended day, over sixty clubs, supervised prep and supper, so there is no separate bill for wraparound care. Sibling and Forces discounts are available, along with scholarships and bursaries.

Full details are on our fees page, and our admissions team is happy to talk through anything before you decide.