Headmistress Welcome

Dear Parents

I would like to extend a very warm welcome to Rydes Hill Preparatory School and Nursery set in beautiful grounds in the Guildford suburbs. We are a Catholic School educating girls from 3 to 11 and boys from 3 to 7. Our doors are open to families of all faiths and beliefs and we are immensely proud of the deep bonds that unite our close-knit community.

Recently selected as a finalist in the Small Independent School of the Year Awards 2022, we pride ourselves on the breadth of education offered at Rydes Hill and the astonishing array of academic, sporting, performing arts and art scholarships achieved by our leavers.

Our parents often coin a phrase that we are ‘small but mighty’ as our achievements punch far beyond our small stature. Indeed, it is our size that enables our teachers to have a genuine understanding of what makes our children tick, which in turn informs their individualised learning paths. Far from expecting our children to drum to the same beat, we empower them to embrace their unique passions and talents and stay true to themselves.

At home with our traditions and embracing the best of current educational practice, we carry the interests of each child at the heart of all that we do. This is evident in our excellent academic provision which prepares each child for the senior school of their choice. Being truly independent and not tied to any senior school, all of our children are supported and guided from the moment they start until the time comes to make the decision about what their next steps should be.

When our leavers return to see us, it is heart warming to hear about the brightness of their futures, of the friends they have carried with them and of the affection in which they hold their Rydes Hill days.

Mrs Sarah Norville

HEADMISTRESS