Garden House School

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Garden House School aims to provide a stimulating, supportive and inspiring environment in which children develop a genuine enthusiasm for learning and are encouraged to achieve their full potential. Through a broad and balanced curriculum, the school places equal importance on academic achievement and the development of the whole child, ensuring pupils grow intellectually, socially and emotionally throughout their time at the school.

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At the heart of the Garden House ethos is the belief that children thrive when they are encouraged to think independently, show kindness and develop confidence in themselves and others. Pupils are guided not by an extensive list of rules, but by the school’s Kindness Code — seven simple principles designed to help children live and work happily, respectfully and successfully with their peers and teachers. This approach helps foster a positive self-image, mutual respect and an understanding of the importance of empathy and consideration for others.

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Garden House seeks to create a framework in which children develop confidence, grace and courage, encouraging them to engage with the world around them with curiosity and enthusiasm. Pupils are taught to value custom, tradition and diversity, treating people from all walks of life with kindness and respect. Communication skills are carefully nurtured, with an emphasis placed on listening as well as speaking, helping children become thoughtful and articulate individuals.

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The school also encourages pupils to appreciate the value of teamwork and collaboration, recognising how working effectively with others can enhance individual achievement. Garden House children develop an understanding of the ideals underpinning British values and are encouraged to uphold these values with integrity and confidence. Above all, they leave the school as curious, considerate and capable young people, prepared to embrace the opportunities and challenges of the wider world.

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Garden House School provides a secure, positive environment where academic excellence and personal wellbeing are equally prioritised.

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Our high teacher-to-pupil ratio ensures individualised instruction, robust pastoral support, and optimised learning outcomes. We partner closely with parents to foster the emotional resilience, self-confidence, and critical thinking necessary for advanced scholastic achievement.

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Guided by a core Kindness Code, our structured educational framework builds a strong foundation for future learning.

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Supported by dedicated safeguarding staff and leadership opportunities like the School Council, pupils develop into articulate, motivated, and highly accomplished individuals prepared for long-term success.

Garden House School was founded in 1950 by Margery de Brissac Bernard (1896–1994), an inspiring educator whose remarkable career and strong personal values shaped the foundations of the School. Miss de Brissac taught the children of diplomats and Prime Ministers, including those of Winston Churchill and Alec Douglas-Home. During the First World War, she worked at the Admiralty and later served as a Red Cross nurse before moving into ballet teaching in post-war London. Her success as a ballet teacher, combined with her discipline, elegance and moral integrity, inspired her to establish Garden House School.

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The values established during those early years - kindness, goodness, forgiveness and purposeful energy - remain central to the ethos of Garden House today. Dance, music and singing continue to play an important role in school life, helping children develop confidence, creativity and self-expression alongside academic achievement.

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In 1973, Miss de Brissac passed ownership of the School to Mrs Jillian Oddy, a Garden House parent who became Principal and carefully guided the School through a period of gradual growth and development. In 2020, leadership passed to her children, Christian Warland and Sophie Strafford, who became joint Principals after many years serving the School community.

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Today, Garden House is regarded as one of the country’s most prestigious pre-prep and prep schools, educating boys and girls up to the age of eleven. Although boys and girls are taught separately beyond Kindergarten, they come together for meals, clubs, trips and wider school activities, encouraging a strong sense of community.

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The School moved to its purpose-designed building in Turks Row in 2004 and remains proudly family-run. While respectful of its rich history, Garden House remains firmly focused on the future, nurturing generations of confident, kind and capable children. Many former pupils maintain lifelong connections with the School, often returning as parents and grandparents of a new generation of Garden House children.

The Co-Curriculum :

We have an incredibly diverse array of clubs, activities and societies from Chess to Lego, and from Gardening to Fashion. Language clubs range from Beginners’ Mandarin to Native Speakers’ French. Sports range from Ballet, Fencing and Tae-Kwon-Do, to Rugby and Yoga.

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The vast majority of these are organised and run by our own teachers and assistants and have been created to further enrich the academic and personal development of our pupils. A comprehensive list is available from the School on request.

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Concerts and Performances :

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Special events are held throughout the year and provide children with a range of opportunities to enhance their public speaking and performance skills and their ability to communicate to a wider audience. Individual and group musical abilities are showcased in lunchtime concerts and recitals, services at Holy Trinity Church, Sloane Square and at the chapel of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, and in our wonderful Gala Night at Cadogan Hall. Shakespeare in Spring is our annual homage to the Bard featuring MSII (Y4) pupils. Usually, the Summer Shows are staged at the The Other Palace Theatre, Victoria and Chelsea Theatre, and represent the culmination of music, drama and dance skills acquired throughout a pupil’s time at school.

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Debating :

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Garden House children are well-spoken, both in terms of their manners and their ability to communicate their ideas clearly and empathetically to others. From an early age, children are taught to understand that listening is at least as important as speaking. In 2021, we opened our innovative new teaching and learning space, Parliament, which serves as a home for debating across the curriculum, and a venue for our many visiting workshops and speakers. Debating is supported by the co-curriculum through an extensive range of societies which begin in Junior School (Y2).

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On our Doorstep :

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From the Saatchi Gallery, to the Royal Court Theatre and Cadogan Hall, from the Chelsea Physic Garden to cricket at Lord’s, we are fortunate to have so many exciting opportunities and world-class facilities right on our doorstep and we always look to make the most of these. Burton Court, is a two-minute walk from school and, alongside Battersea Park, serves as our resident sports pitches and playground.

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Enrichment Days :

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We never miss an opportunity to go above and beyond the curriculum and to make learning as fun, engaging and purposeful as possible. We celebrate a wealth of events throughout the academic year including Book Week, French Day, Gardenversity Challenge, a Maths Olympiad, Poetry Day, Sports Day, STEM Week and World Art Day.

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School Council :

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We are fortunate to have a thriving School Council made up of peer-elected KS2 pupils. Responsibilities are wide-ranging and include input into the school menu, the commissioning and evaluation of ‘pupil voice’ surveys, and the shortlisting and selection of school charity partners.

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STEM :

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STEM is not just for STEM week. The inter-disciplinary skills shared by Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are as important to us as the subjects themselves. STEM activities provide crucial opportunities for problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration to flourish throughout the year, and are supplemented further by our popular STEM Society.

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The School Garden :

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The School Garden is situated in the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, a short walk from the school. It is used to enrich the teaching of the curriculum, in Science for example, and is also the base for Mrs Adlard’s extremely popular Gardening Club. Adjacent to the garden is a large grassed play area for the children known as ‘Dingly Dell’.

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Residential Trips :

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Residential trips are an integral part of the curriculum and include an outdoor adventure trip to Somerset, a Geography and Biology trip to Surrey, a survival skills trip to Kent, an immersive language and culture week in France, a Rugby tour, a Hockey tour, a Ski trip to Switzerland and a Drama and Music trip to Stratford-upon-Avon.

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Parents’ Association :

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We are immensely proud of our well-established and heavily involved Parents’ Association. Our parents bring specialist skills to the school, inspiring children and arranging events ranging from author visits and careers talks, to Quiz Night, Gala Night and the Summer Fair.

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Step behind the iconic blue door on Turks Row and discover the vibrant life of Garden House School through our collection of videos. Meet some of our children and hear their thoughts, experiences and perspectives on a wide range of topics, offering a genuine insight into the Garden House community.

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There is no better way to understand what makes Garden House school so special than through the voices of our pupils themselves. Watch as they share their experiences, friendships and memories of life at the School.