Type of School	Aims
Rewards	Curriculum
Pastoral Care	Transfer
Facilities	Grounds

Type of School:
York House is an independent preparatory day school for boys from 4+ to 13+ years of age. We have an increasing number of boys and staff, giving an average class size of about 15. We also have a thriving Kindergarten Department for both boys and girls starting school at age 2+ years.

Aims:
Within a caring community the School aims to encourage all the children to develop an enthusiastic, diligent, confident and self-disciplined approach, so that they may enjoy achieving their potential in every aspect of school life.

"York House is a school at which we believe our son has developed to his fullest potential, not just academically but all round. We are therefore grateful to you and your staff for giving him an excellent foundation from which we trust he will continue to flourish."

Rewards:
A high status is placed on effort regardless of ability in all day-to-day activities, and the rewards system reflects this - credits, stars, certificates, badges, colours and prizes are awarded for good effort in every aspect of school life. However, achievement is also praised by similar awards for outstanding performance in sport, drama, music or academic work.

Curriculum:
We teach up to Common Entrance and Scholarship levels (an enhanced version of the National Curriculum), with the tremendous benefits to the education and development of the children of small classes, experienced, dedicated teachers, and specialist subject teaching from 8+ years. We also offer an extensive range of extra-curricular activities in sports, music, drama and leisure, as well as a varied programme of visiting speakers, day outings and residential school trips.

Pastoral Care:
Each child belongs to a Form Group based in a room where they meet every day with their Form Teacher who cares for their general welfare, progress and development. In addition, from their first year in the Prep School (Year 3), each boy becomes a member of one of the four Houses - Drake, Marlborough, Nelson or Wellington - and he will stay with that group of boys and their Housemaster until he transfers to senior school.

Transfer:
In their final year the boys take entrance or scholarship examinations to transfer mainly to the local independent senior schools - Merchant Taylors School in Northwood, Berkhamsted Collegiate School, St.Albans School, and Aldenham School in Elstree. However, several boys have transferred to independent boarding schools in other parts of the country - e.g., Eton, Harrow, Millfield, Uppingham and Haileybury.

Facilities:
The school is well-equipped and has excellent facilities. It is partly housed in the old building - an 18th century country mansion . To this have been added classrooms for the Junior Department and Subject Rooms for the older boys - including a Technology Workshop, an Art/Design Room, and a Science Laboratory. We also have a Music Suite, an indoor Swimming Pool, a new Library(1998), a new Sports Hall and Theatre (1998), and a new Information Technology Room (2001). The Kindergarten and Pre-Prep have occupied a superb new building since the Autumn Term 2001. A new block to house the Junior Department (Years 3 & 4), and also new rooms for Art, Technology and Science, is under construction and should be completed before the end of 2005.

Grounds:
Within the school's 47 acre grounds of tree-lined meadows we have two main cricket pitches, cricket nets, two soccer and rugby fields, three tennis courts, ample parking for staff and parents, and separate extensive supervised play areas for the Kindergarten children, the Pre-Prep boys, and the older boys.

Further information:-
York House School can be found on the Independent Schools Council Information Service Web Site. Please see all our pages first then come back to this page and click on ISC .