Chinthurst School

Chinthurst was founded in 1908 and became part of the multi-award winning Reigate Grammar School Group in February 2017. The school is part of the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) and has approximately 290 boys and girls aged from 2½ to 11 years old. Academic outcomes are excellent and typically 60 to 70 per cent of children transfer to RGS for their senior schooling. The remaining children join other top independent and state schools, both locally and further afield.

Chinthurst provides a broad and exciting education, preparing children for happy and fulfilled lives. From the beginning, children are nurtured in a warm and caring environment and close relationships are prioritised over everything else. This ensures that each child feels happy and safe and has the resilience to learn from their mistakes – key ingredients of a successful education.

Central to the school’s ethos, is the bespoke comprehensive wellbeing programme – Wellbeing at Heart – designed to help the children understand how their bodies and minds work and give them the skills to navigate challenges. Chinthurst was shortlisted for 2022 Independent School of the Year for Wellbeing in recognition of the success of this approach.

Sport is an important part of life at Chinthurst, and school teams are extremely successful in a variety of sports. Boys and girls at Chinthurst choose the sport they want to play and are not constrained by gender norms, and the school’s competitive teams reflect this gender mix. The children love it, seeing themselves as equals on the pitch with no preconceived limitations. Chinthurst were named 2022 Independent School of the Year for Sporting Achievement recognising this ground-breaking approach to gender and sport.

A strong extra-curricular programme provides additional sporting opportunities, as well as a broad range of other popular clubs including dance, drama, martial arts and craft. Every child is a member of one of four well-established Houses, which gives them a sense of belonging and peer support as well as providing plenty of opportunities for friendly inter-House competitions.

The school has a thriving nursery which is located within the Lower School building. Imaginative activities and fun adventures are designed to help build those all-important foundations for future learning. Cookery, STEAM, drama, French and PE alongside plenty of fresh air and regular woodland learning and forest skills sessions, further develop thinking skills, problem solving and independent learning. The children learn about being good citizens and the importance of being kind to one another. The Nursery and Lower School have been shortlisted for two awards this year including Independent Pre-Prep of the Year 2024.

The school is well known for its music, drama and art provision. The children gain outstanding marks in LAMDA drama exams and there is a strong peripatetic music programme. There are many opportunities to perform throughout the year at assemblies, musical showcases and drama productions, as well as in choirs and ensembles. Standards are always extremely high, and the children also enjoy performing in the community and at local festivals. A well-equipped art studio allows the children to explore their creative potential. The school was a prize winner in an international art competition for a stunning installation that was created by over 100 of the children in the Upper School.

Children leave the school as well-rounded individuals with an enthusiasm for life, which is very much a reflection of the Chinthurst spirit.18.doc