A Welcome from the Headmaster

Thank you for your interest in Egerton Rothesay school. We hope that the website gives a good picture of life at ERS but can I perhaps give you my perspective on the school and what, hopefully, we can provide for your son or daughter.

As you will see from the whole website, because of our smaller class sizes we are able to offer extra support in small classes to pupils who have additional needs and/or those who find a larger school environment overwhelming. Our curriculum is similar to that found in a mainstream school and has enabled pupils to progress to suitable college courses or to schools with a Sixth Form.

We welcome children with all abilities, from all faiths or none and from a number of cultures. We are pleased that the development of the school as a leading centre for helping pupils with special needs requiring a mainstream curriculum has meant we have waiting lists in most areas.

Our primary objective is to provide each pupil with the confidence to succeed and develop socially through support and encouragement, with the help of a dedicated staff. As well as our experienced subject teachers, ERS uniquely includes our Specialised Support and one-to-one Department, Speech and Language and Occupational Therapists and our Social and Emotional Development Team.  We all aim for the school to be pupil focused and to operate as one team – and I believe the relationship between staff and pupils is second to none.

We offer pupils a supportive environment that encourages each pupil to enjoy learning, grow in self-confidence and acquire a wide range of worthwhile interests. We believe that school should be a happy place where pupils receive a broad education and develop their personality. We also have a very positive approach to pastoral care that is informed by our Christian foundation and is an integral part of how we work as a school. The excellent pastoral care from our dedicated team of staff means your child will feel happy, secure, well cared for and part of the ERS family.

At ERS, academic expectations are complemented by the development of values and skills that give the pupils guidelines for adult life and the skills and strategies to enable on-going learning. In recent results our pupils have obtained Grade 9 (top 25% of A* grades) in Mathematics and Computer Science, along with Grades 9 – 4  (A* – C grades) in all three core subjects enabling them to continue their chosen further education pathways.    If a child can succeed then he or she will do as well at ERS, if not better, than at any other school.

In all years our curriculum is broad and balanced. In the younger years it provides a learning environment across the age range where pupils develop their skills and personal qualities so that the children can make the transition to the Senior School as confident individuals. There pupils take a variety of GCSE’s, BTEC and other nationally recognised qualifications. After Year 11 some pupils choose to stay in the supportive environment of our Sixth Form while others may feel ready to go on to college and thereafter to University.

The School has a great deal to offer pupils in art, music, drama and sport. The enthusiasm for these is evident at our Sports Day, National Sports Competitions, School Drama Performances, Creative Arts Evenings, and the excellent London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) results.

We also offer a wide range of extra-curricular activities across a full programme of interests in our tailored afternoon activities programmes. This encourages pupils to try a new interest, to widen their horizons and strengthens our emphasis on the development of personal qualities and on preparation for a purposeful and caring role in society.

All pupils are in one of four houses and this gives further opportunity for competition and co-operation in mixed-age groups across the whole school. Together with academic and pastoral achievements, points awarded contribute to the house tally that leads to the final house term totals.

If you were to ask one of our parents why they chose us I am sure they would tell you that pupils at ERS are particularly happy, feel secure and receive excellent individual support and pastoral care. Our pupils and leavers are always complimentary in their own comments – some of which you will find across the website. With such a feeling of community and outstanding pastoral care, we were very pleased that the Independent School Inspectorate rated us ‘excellent across all areas’ in March 2020.

If you feel that your son or daughter would benefit from attending ERS or if you would like to meet with me, or our Head of SEN Mrs Wyton, then please contact our Registrar for an individual visit or to make an appointment at one of our Open Days.

There is no substitute to coming and finding out for yourself why ERS can make a difference to your child’s future.

We look forward to meeting you.

Colin J. Parker
Headmaster