At Danes Hill School we pride ourselves in being a non-selective school and our admissions process is designed to identify children who are able to benefit from our balanced and well-rounded education. An offer of a place will be made if we feel Danes Hill is the right school for your child. We have a straight forward admissions process whether you are joining our Nursery, Pre-prep or Prep School. We hope this step-by-step guide will help you understand the process. Claire Walsh, our Registrar will be your first point of contact and is happy to answer any questions you may have.
Step 1: Initial Enquiry
If you are considering Danes Hill as the school for your child, or would just like some more information, please contact Claire, via phone +44 (0) 1372 849203, or by email registrar@daneshill.surrey.sch.uk. You can order a copy of our School Prospectus which gives parents a taste of the principles and values that form the basis on which Danes Hill is run.
Step 2: Tour of the School
If you like the look of what Danes Hill has to offer, the most important thing for you to do next is to visit the school to get a feel for it and decide whether it is an environment which feels right for your child. We would always encourage you, if possible, to bring your child on your visit as they are just as important in the decision making process.
Our individual tours happen daily at 10am and last between one and two hours, depending on if you are looking at the Pre-Prep and the Prep School or just the Prep School. You will meet with Mrs Ruth Samson the Head of Pre-Prep who will show you the classrooms and the wonderful resources available at our Nursery and Pre-Prep. Your tour will continue at the Prep School where you will see the additional facilities Danes Hill School has to offer.
If mornings prove inconvenient, we will do everything we can to arrange a time to suit and if you are enquiring from overseas we would be delighted to arrange a MS Teams call instead.
Book a place on our upcoming open house
Step 3: Registering Your Child
Some parents are keen to register their child straight after the school tour but we always advise them to go home and think about it – this is a big decision and it is very important that you are absolutely sure Danes Hill is the school for your child.
Once you have finalised your decision, please complete the online Registration Form and pay the £125 non-refundable registration fee. Registrations are considered by the Head in the order in which they are received so we would always urge you to register as soon as you have made your decision to avoid disappointment. Claire is always available by phone or email to answer any further questions you may have.
Step 4: Offer Letters
Places in our Nursery and Reception are allocated on a first come first served basis therefore, so long as there is a place you will receive an offer letter upon registration.
We ask for recent school reports for children joining in Year 1 and above. While we are a non-selective school in some year groups we will also arrange an Assessment Morning. This morning not only looks at their maths and English abilities but the whole child, how they work with their peers and how Danes Hill School will help them reach their full potential.
Step 5: Accept Your Child’s Place
Once your child have been formally offered a place at Danes Hill School we ask for a £1000 acceptance deposit up to 12 months in advance. Once their place had been accepted we send out our Welcome Packs and arrange an Induction Day. Our staff ensure that new pupils are made to feel really welcome from day one of their time at the school. Depending on their age, this might include another pupil being allocated as their ’buddy’ to help them find their feet. Our parent body, Friends of Danes Hill (the FODH), are equally welcoming to new parents and there are plenty of opportunities and events for new Danes Hill families to immerse themselves quickly into the school community.
