About the school 

Pennthorpe is a co-educational day school, which has occupied its present 15 acre site in the village of Rudgwick for over 50 years.

The Headmaster and school are in membership of IAPS (www.iaps.org.uk), the Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools.

Pennthorpe has an excellent and ever strengthening reputation in the West Sussex & Surrey area.  Over the last few years, numbers at the school have risen considerably, and presently stand at just over 300, with a further 50 or so in the Kindergarten.  The school is two-form entry throughout, with an average class size of 17 and a maximum of 20.  

The school is divided into two sections, Pre-prep School (incorporating Kindergarten) up to Year 2 (ages 6&7), and Senior School, Years 3 – 8 (ages 7 - 13).  The Pre-prep School has its own head and occupies its own, purpose-built accommodation right at the heart of the main school site and with access to all school facilities.  

The majority of pupils leave at 13+ via Common Entrance (CE) or scholarship transfer exams to senior independent schools. The school routinely maintains a hundred percent record of 13+ CE success to first-choice schools.  Although Pennthorpe is largely non-selective, over 60 scholarships have been won in just the last five years, with around a third of all 13+ leavers gaining an award. In addition to academic successes, Pennthorpe’s Art & Design, Music and Sports departments all contribute greatly to the school’s strengths, as does ICT:  there are two networked computer suites as well as a mobile laptop trolley, and all classrooms are equipped with interactive SmartBoards. In recent years many outstanding dramatic productions and performing arts events have also established the Pennthorpe as a leader in these fields.  The Performing Arts are part of the curriculum for all, under the direction of a specialist Head of Department. 

Pennthorpe aims to achieve excellence in the broadest possible range of activity and to produce well-balanced, confident all-rounders. This aim is supported by an exceptionally friendly, hardworking and capable team of staff, sound financial management under the guidance of extremely supportive governors, and very good facilities including:  a brand-new Pre-prep School, a superb Senior School classroom building (completed in 2002), a Sports & Drama Hall, two ICT suites, a fine Art & Design Centre, an excellent Library, a Dance & Drama Studio, a Music Centre, three netball & tennis courts and a spacious games field. The school is also fortunate in having its own Chapel, and a strong Christian tradition underpins the life of the school community.