Destination Schools

Alongside personal, social and spiritual growth, academic development is key at Holy Cross Prep, and occurs from the moment the girls begin in our reception classes. By the time they reach the heady heights of year 6, they are ready to ‘fly the nest and spread their wings’. Our staff take great pleasure in nurturing and guiding the girls on their individual learning journeys and are justifiably proud of the great success they have with senior school entrance exams.

Our girls leave us to attend a wide range of senior schools, including selective, independent day schools, boarding and grammar schools, and local faith and secondary schools. Wimbledon, Surbiton, Putney, Sutton and Guildford High schools, along with Lady Eleanor Holles, Notre Dame and St Catherine’s Twickenham are always popular choices for those wishing to retain a single-sex learning environment, whilst Epsom College, St John’s, Radnor House, Ibstock Place and Kingston Grammar are acknowledged for their co-educational excellence. Further afield, we find St Paul’s and Godolphin & Latymer, as well as more boarding choices in Woldingham, Benenden, St Mary’s Ascot, Wycombe Abbey and Cheltenham Ladies College, which all excel in providing our girls with the next step in their education. Tiffin and Nonsuch remain popular grammar school propositions, as well as the senior schools of Holy Cross Senior in New Malden, Coombe Girls and Ursuline High School.

The girls’ individual gifts and talents are promoted and developed over the years at Holy Cross, so staff are adept at suggesting appropriate senior schools for consideration; teacher-parent meetings take place during the summer term of year 5, with a specific focus on individual academic progress and choice of senior school.

Our girls are incredibly well prepared for various selection tests and interviews; they work hard with resilience in the face of new challenges, they know their learning targets, and are determined to succeed. Our year 6 class teachers guide the girls towards their goals through a planned programme of practice papers and questions. Our academic success not only enables access to highly selective senior schools, it also offers opportunities for academic scholarships, as reflected in the large number awarded to Holy Cross girls each year. Pupils are awarded scholarships based on their academic achievement, as well as their talents in sport, music, drama and art.