St Philip’s is a small Roman Catholic preparatory school for 110 boys aged 7-13. It was established in 1934 and is still located on its foundation site in the heart of Kensington in central London.
Facilities
The school offers a broad and balanced curriculum that combines a strong academic, moral and religious education with a range of creative and sporting opportunities.
Boys leave St Philip’s and go onto the senior school that is best-suited to their individual needs. The school enjoys strong links with all the senior schools it feeds, and counts among those the greatest schools in England.
Features
Things to note
Each boy is taught class music once per week. In addition to this boys can have tuition in up to two musical instruments per week. The School has a rich singing tradition. All boys have the opportunity to sing in the School Choir and those with particular potential are chosen to sing in the Schola Cantorum. The Schola sings at School services at the Little Oratory, and each Tuesday several boys also sing for the internationally-renowned Oratory Junior Choir. Recent singing highlights have included performing The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House and boys attending tours to Europe with the Oratory Junior Choir. A school concert takes place annually where the emphasis is on participation. From a Year 3 boy tapping out a simple ditty to an older boy tackling a sophisticated concerto there is room for any boy to stretch the bounds of his ability and confidence.
Competitive sport has always been a strong feature of life at St. Philip’s, and all boys take part at their own level of ability. The main sports are:
Michaelmas Term – association football
Lent Term – rugby and hockey
Summer Term - cricket
In addition to this all boys regularly swim throughout the term at Fulham Pools with specialist coaches, and take part in cross-country and athletics in due season. They may also take part in judo and fencing. During a usual term school clubs take place at lunchtimes and after School, Monday to Friday during term times. They vary termly according to enthusiasm.
St Philip’s is a small school with a limited number of places available each year. Although the School is oversubscribed, its small nature makes open days impractical. Prospective parents are encouraged to contact the School Office to arrange a meeting with the Head Master and a tour of the School. All candidates attend an assessment afternoon in the January before entry. Each boy sits a series of short exercises to assess their potential in mathematics and English. Selection of candidates is not made solely on the results of an academic exercise, rather it is a combination of the impressions of the teachers on the day and a supportive character reference from the candidate’s present school. It is important to note that the School seeks to identify potential as well as obtained knowledge. Up to 10 boys are admitted into both Year 3 and Year 4 each year. The deadline for registrations is 1st December in the year preceding entry. Parents who wish their son to be considered for entry in September 2023 must register their son by 1st December 2022. Occasional places and adhoc enquiries which fall outside of the usual January assessments, are normal and welcome.
Fees
Registration fee: £150
Fees are payable termly and in advance. For the academic year 2021-2022 they are £6,050 per term. Elder siblings are entitled to a discount of 10%
Scholarships
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
External candidates: The school offers a number of entrance bursaries at 7+, 8+ and in-year placements of up to 100% of tuition fees. All bursary applications are subject to annual means testing and may be varied upwards or downwards depending on parental circumstances and financial information provided on review. The school uses Bursary Administration Ltd to review and assess entrance bursary applications. This may include a home visit which, by necessity, will be at short notice. If a bursary assessment includes a home visit, Bursary Administration Ltd will contact the applicants directly. Bursary application assessments are conducted independently of the academic selection process. No action regarding a bursary application should be considered as indicative as to whether an offer of a place in the school will be made.
Internal candidates: St Philip’s School has limited bursarial funds to provide short term assistance to current parents where there has been an unforeseen change in financial circumstances. Such awards are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed.
0.19 miles
