St Christopher’s is small but has distinguished itself as being London’s highest achieving academic girls prep schools. The school is split into three Victorian buildings on the same site. The modernized facilities are very impressive and include a spacious garden with creative outdoor learning environments, including delete this please! a science garden, netball court, gym on site and playground. The building includes ICT suite, Science labs, a gym, Art/DT and singing rooms. There is also an all-weather surfaced court for games. The school has an excellent reputation for getting girls into the most competitive senior schools at 11+ with the majority of girls getting their first choices. Competition is fierce at Reception level entrance with 300 children applying for the 38 available places, classes further up the school have an average of 18-20 pupils. The 4+ assessments are play based and are looking for bright and ambitious girls with high levels of concentration. The recent ISI report commended the school on its excellent teaching, broad curriculum (history of art, chess and philosophy are offered) and child centered learning approach. The school has high expectations but follows a ‘child-initiated learning’ approach- pupils are taught to question and take responsibility for what they learn. Sport does not take such a central role as in some other schools but extra-curricular choices are original and wide-ranging including; public speaking, self-defence and Indian dance. Children are taught Spanish from Reception, French from Year 3 and Latin from Year 5. Although academically excellent St Christopher’s prides itself on a balanced approach seeking to avoid the pressures of exam cramming. The school has recently gone through a period of flux with a new head joining and leaving within a year due to ill health. They are currently searching for a new head but the interim head comes from equally impressive South Hampstead High and is competently filling the gap till the replacement is found. Girls go onto St Paul’s, South Hampstead High, City of London, North London Collegiate and Highgate.

Contact

Address: 35 Belsize Lane, NW3 5AE

Phone number: 020 7435 1521

Website: www.st-christophers.hampstead.sch.uk