Eaton Square School (Prep and Nursery)

"My son has had a fantastic experience and education at Eaton Square School, we will be sad to leave this summer. The children and staff have made the school an enjoyable friendly place of learning. I have to especially mention Miss Loraine, the fantastic swimming coach. She has taken my son from barely being able to swim when he joined to an amazing competition standard swimmer. Her love and enthusiasm for the sports shines through to the child and swimming squad. She is an Eaton Square asset and has put together a swim squad hard to beat!"

"My daughter has attended ESS since nursery, having many wonderful teachers along the way. Miss Lorraine, head swim coach, deserves a special mention, she goes above and beyond her role as a coach. The children receive many additional hours of coaching each week, which Miss Lorraine provides outside her role with ESS. She has successfully advocated to keep our pool open and fought for pool time when possible during these unprecedented times. Miss Lorraine is certainly one of the greatest assets to the ESS community. Firm fair and motivating. She’ll certainly be missed when we move onto our next chapter."

"I have nothing but praise for Eaton Square School Prep and Nursery School that helped my two children upon their very different paths both in terms of academic rigour and pastoral care. My children went onto Westminster Under School and Roedean from here. Sebastian Hepher is an outstanding principal: he heads up a hard-working and thoughtful team who go out of their way to bring out the best in each child."

"My daughter had a wonderful experience at ESS, lead by the steady and caring Mr. Hepher. We value the education and experiences she had at ESS, noting the focus on a rich music and arts education, emphasis on confidence in public speaking and numerous leadership opportunities giving her a strong foundation that has served her very well at her senior school and in life in general. Additionally, we are thankful for the inspiring teachers she had over the years. We also met many wonderful families through the robust PTA and other school social events and formed several lifelong friendships that we treasure."

"This is not a good school in my opinion. I have a child at the school, and I would not recommend it to other parents. The standard of teaching is variable, but generally not good. It is not by any means an academic school, and caters mostly for those (often from abroad) who think that the idea of a posh little prep school with fancy uniforms is the best form of education. Terms are very short, food in the school canteen is lamentable (and has been the subject of much complaint from parents). Classroom facilities are (like all schools crammed into old houses in the centre of London rather than being purpose built) a bit make do and mend. Outdoor playing facilities require a bus (a common feature of London schools) The attitude of the school is like something from the 1950's but with far too much emphasis on the ephemeral and somewhat pretentious. OK if you happen to live local and the children are well-behaved - but the overall tone is self-satisfied, and the school's communications are literally larded with adjectives about how wonderful, how marvellous and how too too perfect the whole edifice is, rather as if they trying to disguise a cheap confectionery with more and more icing. The response to criticism (often well-intentioned by parents who want the school to improve) is less about listening and changing and more about defending their position against all assailants. In short, if you are a diplomat, or a yummie looking for a place which will be centrally located, and not ask too many questions or test the children, and you don't mind being persistently poached in a fairly mediocre bath of self-satisfaction, prior to your child actually being subjected to the real world of competitive 11+ exams, then Eaton Square Belgravia is the place for you. (You can even continue to pay them to take your children right the way to their senior school on Piccadilly). But if you are looking for a school which strives for academic excellence or really engages with the educational process, then avoid."