Why choose Rowan?

Yes, we offer taster days where your daughter will be invited to come in a spend the morning with the class of her current age group.

We also run a toddler group in our Preschool, every Wednesday morning during term time.

Our progressive curriculum builds the foundations needed for success in Reception. This includes developing listening, attention and phase one phonics skills needed for early reading. We provide communication and language opportunities that enable progress in early mathematics.

Our specialist physical development provision extends the gross and fine motor control, needed for early writing. The Early Years also enable us to provide individualised, early intervention, prior to the Reception year, if your daughter should need support in a particular area. We build these foundations while increasing each girl’s confidence and social skills to enable a smooth transition into her first school year.

The girls are all warmly welcome to Rowan. They will have their first experience of school life on our Move Up Day, which takes place in the summer term. Girls will have the opportunity to tour the school, meet the team and get to know each other. When school starts in September, they get to know their Year 6 paired reader, she’s a bit like a big sister and helps settle the girls into Year 3. Early in the term, parents are invited into school for a show and share, girls proudly show off their classroom and the work that they have been doing in their new lessons. There are also lots of opportunities for the girls to get to know each other through friendship activities and games. 

Girls who are in Year 2 at Rowan Brae become increasingly familiar with Rowan Hill during the year. They have weekly lessons in Art and Computing at Rowan Hill, with some of the specialist teaching team. This is a great way for them to get to know the site and also the staff. They enjoy break time in the Spinney, our outdoor playground, full of magic and wonder. We give the Year 2 girls some leadership responsibilities which supports their organisation and independence – essential skills for moving to Year 3 and beyond. There are also many opportunities for the girls to visit the Hill at exciting events such as the ‘Flower Show’ or during ‘Activity Week’.

Existing scheme holders who have childcare vouchers can use them to pay for qualifying childcare for children up to the age of 15 (or 16 if they are disabled); the vouchers can only be used towards the Before and After School Club (BASC) or any Co-curricular clubs with costs.

This scheme allows parents to claim support for children in independent schools, but like childcare vouchers, can only be used toward nursery school fees and, once a child is compulsory school age, for care that is outside school hours. So, once a child is in Reception, they would be deemed as being in school and the scheme cannot be used to help pay for school fees (see https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs).

Bursaries are means tested financial assistance with school fees. We offer some Assisted places with up to 85% discount for entry into Year 3 (7+) to enable access to a Rowan education for those who may otherwise be unable to afford it. In addition we support existing Rowan families who experience hardship through short term emergency Bursaries.

All applications for Bursary support are made by contacting the School Business Manager. A confidential financial assessment is conducted supported by Bursary Administration Ltd to ensure a fair & consistent approach to determining awards. 

Breakfast club runs from 7.45am until school starts every school day. The clubs are supervised by qualified Rowan staff. A continental breakfast is provided, it is the perfect way to start the school day in a nurturing, fun environment. 

Both the prep and after school clubs operate until 6pm on Monday to Thursday, and until 5pm on Friday. For our youngest pupils up to Year 2, the club is activity based with an opportunity to enjoy games, activities and a light supper with their friends. From Year 3, girls can join prep club straight after school or other specialist co-curricular clubs they participate in. They will also enjoy a wide range of activities after they have completed their prep and supper.

Our sport provision is extensive and offers participation through an inclusive curriculum that includes gymnastics; dance; tennis; cricket; athletics; netball; hockey; lacrosse; swimming (at the Hurst pool for Brae girls, and at Reeds School for Hill girls); cross country; football – the list goes on! The value of teamwork, how effort can bring reward and dealing gracefully with both success and failure is learnt through friendly fixtures with other local schools. Rowan also competes in all major sports at regional and national levels.

Sport, exercise and physical development feature throughout the school timetable, from Early Years through to Year 6. The extensive programme is run by qualified sports teachers supported by a team of coaches.

Both the Brae & Hill sites have gym equipment to transform the halls for physical education, along with playground space for regular outside exercise & skill development. 

We have extensive sports grounds at Oaken Lane and Hinchley Wood Sports Grounds, where girls from Year 2 upwards enjoy weekly games afternoons and school sports days are held for all the school. 

This site is also where we run our Forest School for our younger pupils where exercise is also integral to exploring the outdoors.

The performing arts include weekly class drama lessons and weekly class music lessons. Each term, the focus for public performance is on a particular year group. For example, in the winter term Year 5 would prepare 'The Victorians' or 'Henry VIII', a play for parents and school linking history, drama and music. Each girl has lines to learn and songs / dance to perform.

Year 4 link with an eco-project, such as 'The Emerald Forest', a musical about saving the rainforest. Plays include costumes as well as props and scenery. Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes provide the dramatic and performing focus for Year 3 in the summer term.

Year 6 always put on a stunning final production in the summer term. Previous plays have included The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Robin Hood, Alice in Wonderland. We use professional lighting and sound and creative
staging to ensure parents and girls enjoy their final production. 

We hold a Christmas Carol Service in the local church, and each girl has a role to play, increasing her performance confidence in school and in a different environment. The Spring Concert and Summer Awards Ceremonies provide a platform for the Orchestra, Junior Choir, Senior Choir and all our music ensembles to perform. 

Frequent open days and celebrations encourage soloists to perform to an appreciative audience.
LAMDA lessons are a popular extra-curricular club and exam results are always excellent.

We have 12 visiting instrumental teachers and pupils can take lessons in school time on violin, viola, cello, guitar, piano, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, flute, trumpet, trombone, drums, and voice. We have 90% of the girls at Rowan Hill learning a musical instrument, and many learn 2. 

Success rate for ABRSM exams is extremely high with many achieving Distinction.

Rowan girls move onto some of the most prestigious day and boarding schools in the country. The girls are very successful in being awarded top scholarships from these schools in all areas of school life – academics, music, sports, art and drama. A comprehensive list of destination schools can be found here: Destination Schools. Girls regularly move onto Guildford High School, Lady Eleanor Holles, Wimbledon High School, Surbiton High School, St John’s Leatherhead, Epsom College, Tormead School, St Catherines’, Bramley, Wycombe Abbey, Downe House, Roedean, Woldingham, Heathfield and Benenden.

Girls begin to move into sets from Year 3 during the Autumn term. Initially girls are set in maths.

Knowing, understanding and valuing each and every girl as a unique individual is at the heart of our ethos at Rowan. From this viewpoint, our provision for Special Educational Needs begins with building a clear picture of the girls’ strengths and areas of difficulty, collaboratively with the staff team and parents. We begin with a strong focus on inclusive in-class strategies and increase support through carefully planned and evaluated intervention groups.

Our graduated response to need escalates to one to one support and statutory assessment where appropriate, carefully incorporating any further advice from outside agencies. Rowan girls move on to their senior schools with a strong sense of self and ability to articulate areas of the curriculum where they feel they have excelled and areas of personal difficulty.

Crucially, they have an awareness of personal strategies that enable them to achieve their potential, academically, socially and emotionally.

Friends of Rowan (FOR) is the parent's association for the school. It is a fun and active association who organise events for the girls and their families, helping them to meet and socialise. They raise funds to provide special enhancements & activities at the school and also to support other local charities.

We also have an active group of class reps throughout the school who facilitate more informal gatherings and help channel regular feedback.

A morning minibus service is run and operated by the Rowan Facilities Team. Routes are determined based on parental demand. The girls enjoy their journey to school which currently operates from a number of destinations e.g. Cobham, Surbiton, Thames Ditton, Wimbledon and New Malden. Please view the Morning Minibus Service section of our website or speak to our Head of Admissions for more details.