Parkside is not a school that stands still, and neither does society. Our decision reflects a strong demand from current and prospective parents for a Co-Ed School. Educational preferences are shifting with a growing trend of parents selecting co-education over single sex schooling. Increasingly, both prospective and current parents are choosing co-educational settings, either by declining offers of places or moving children to co-ed schools. This aligns with feedback received following our previous consultation with parents, as well as the reasons given by departing families; with the majority siting that they would have stayed, had we been a co-ed school.

• Nursery will remain co-educational, with no change.
• From September 2025, subject to DfE approval, our intention is that girls will join Pre-Prep.
• Expression of Interest applications for Year 3 will be registered for September 2025, and will only be accepted if there are enough girls to warrant this decision. The criteria for this decision will remain focussed on ensuring a healthy balance of girls, where sport and friendships are not compromised; and we will only consider this if it is in the best interest of both the boys and the girls.
• Expressions for subsequent year groups will open for entry in September 2026 with the same criteria set out above, with a view to being fully co-educational by 2030.

• Academic excellence in a school with a heart.
• Nurturing our family ethos and community.
• Our commitment to small class sizes.
• An ever-evolving, forward-thinking and innovative curriculum, future-proofing all our pupils.
• Dedication to learning, enjoyment and excellence beyond the classroom – Sport, STEM, the Performing Arts and a far-reaching extra-curricular offering underpinned by outstanding, specialist teaching. 

Your son’s education will not change and with the gradual introduction of girls, will be further developed. The skills-based learning approach, across the whole curriculum is an outstanding educational model that will benefit boys and girls. Our commitment to small class sizes, to knowing every child as an individual and adapting the curriculum to extend, support and challenge, continues to be at the heart of a Parkside education. This remains unchanged.

Parkside School has an outstanding, highly ambitious and forward-thinking teaching curriculum. We pride ourselves in providing a broad and balanced curriculum, built on academic challenge; with extensive opportunities for sport, performing arts and outdoor learning. The Core Learning Skills, that underpin all teaching and learning, will remain unchanged. Our vision for teaching and learning very much reflects our knowledge of how children learn. This approach is built on a philosophy that promotes active engagement and participation in every lesson, where a culture of challenge drives exceptional achievement and maximises outcomes.

All lessons in Pre-Prep will be taught as a mixed class of boys and girls. This will continue through the Prep School, with some aspects of the RSE Curriculum (Relationships & Sex Education) taught separately, where appropriate.

No. Our commitment to small class sizes remain unchanged.

This will be the same. We remain gently selective and all boys and girls will need to be able to access our curriculum independently.

80% of our current teachers have experience teaching both boys and girls. Our teaching and learning model is designed for ensuring every pupil in the class achieves their potential, regardless of ability or gender.

Exceptional pastoral care is central to the ethos of Parkside School. We have a whole-school approach to ensuring every pupil is happy and their well-being is at the centre of their learning. We believe that when children are happy, they thrive – unlocking potential that takes them beyond their horizons.

Parkside has a balanced staff team with male and female role models in leadership and teaching roles. Both boys and girls will benefit from this diverse and supportive environment as the school moves forward.

Sport in the Pre-Prep years will continue to be taught as year groups, with a focus on wide-ranging sports, participation, enjoyment and development of skills.

The transition to co-education with a phased approach, means from Year 3 there will be scope to field robust mixed and single sex teams across a range of sports. Sport team selection will not change. It will be based on meritocracy, attitude and commitment, as it is now. Our Director of Sport will work proactively with other schools to ensure competitive fixtures.

The School has a registered pupil cap number of 450 pupils from Nursery to Year 8; and therefore, is able to accommodate the increase in numbers with the proposed introduction of girls. Updates to the Nursery and Pre-Prep Departments were completed two years ago, to accommodate girls. In addition to this, further outdoor areas for the Nursery have been planned to support the growth in numbers. Other planned refurbishments include updating changing rooms and additional washrooms in the Sports Hall, Manor, Crescent and Music blocks, which will be completed by September 2025.

We are excited to introduce a new winter and summer uniform for girls, offering the option of trousers or a dress. A detailed uniform list for girls will be published in advance of the 2025 – 2026 academic year. The boys’ uniform will remain unchanged.

No. Our pupil cap number is 450, which will allow an increase in numbers without compromising the boys. While our aim is to be fully co-educational over a period of time, this will be a gradual process with the intention of ensuring a balance of girls and boys in each year group.

Aside from the outstanding education which will not change, our pride in nurturing young boys who are confident, not arrogant; and hold all the moral values and principles that characterise a Parkside boy will not change. The joy of knowing boys can stay younger for longer is integral to their growth and personal development. We celebrate that we do not rush childhood. This will absolutely remain unchanged. We want the same for the girls.

In today’s society, girls often feel the pressure to grow up too quickly. We acknowledge the importance of allowing them to cherish their childhood for a bit longer. Just as we take pride in giving boys the opportunity to enjoy their youth, we are committed to fostering the same self-assurance and confidence in girls.

Yes – this will remain unchanged. We witness daily the positive impact of our tailored Year 7 and 8 Academic Programme on our pupils. The combination of academic rigour, along with our Leadership Programme, Enterprise Curriculum, and diverse extra-curricular activities, equips our pupils for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

We recognise the significant differences in both physical and emotional maturity between an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old, which greatly affects their readiness to transition to senior school. As a small family-oriented school, we create a nurturing environment where each pupil is known, valued, and recognised as an individual by the entire school community. This supportive atmosphere is invaluable during the ages of 11 - 13, a critical time for developing emotional intelligence, independence, responsibility, and initiative – qualities that are fostered by the unique opportunities available to the eldest pupils in the school.

We believe that Years 7 and 8 offer the most wonderful and valuable phase of a child’s Prep School journey. This period is marked by growth, exploration, and preparation for the future. We continuously look for ways to celebrate the development of courage, confidence and character. This philosophy forms the foundation of our School and will not change.

Please visit our Visit Us page and complete the form to arrange a visit and find out more.

Please email co-ed@parkside-school.co.uk with any further questions you might have.