Packwood Haugh Boarding Prep School
Headmaster: Robert Fox
Co-educational: Day & Boarding
Ages: 4-13 years old
Closest airport: Manchester 70 miles, 1.15 hour drive
Train to Euston London – From Shrewsbury: 2.30 hours
Packwood Haugh is a co-educational, day and boarding Prep school for children from Nursery to Year 8, located in the beautiful Shropshire countryside and benefitting from 65 acres of private grounds. Established in 1892, the school has established a reputation for academic excellence combined with a focus on all-round education which supports individual need and strength and well prepares children for the next step in their learning journey.
The school merged with Shrewsbury School in September 2019 and, whilst the majority of children will move onto Shrewsbury School for Year 9 onwards, the Head is keen to ensure children move on to the best school suited to their interests and needs and is mindful to discuss alternative options.
At Packwood Haugh Boarding prep, there is a real buzz in the boarding house on all days of the week.
Support and facilities
The school is mildly selective and learning support available to help every child to achieve their full potential. Fundamentally, the admissions process aims to ensure children will be able to confidently access the curriculum and thrive. Learning is supported by excellent facilities, including a large theatre, sports hall and swimming pool (although weekly swimming lessons are held at the larger Shrewsbury School facility), Design & Technology workshops, and impressive modern science labs which were recently refurbished to a very high standard as part of the merger with Shrewsbury. The school is proud of its record of supporting many of the Year 8 leavers to gain scholarships at their chosen senior school and the list of senior schools is impressive, including Harrow, Eton, and Cheltenham Ladies College.
Balancing academics with creative arts
Alongside traditional academic subjects, The Arts holds its own in being very strong across art, music, and drama – indeed all pupils actively take participate in drama in some form or other (LAMDA lessons being available from Year 4) – and around 75% of all pupils take individual music lessons.
Packwood's rural location
It is worth noting the extensive grounds which children have access to. This certainly feels like a place where children can be just that – children – somewhere where the adventure of childhood can be enjoyed for longer. There are dens and a forest school, and children can ride scooters or enjoy off-road cycling on the purpose-built track. Sports fields are aplenty, all with incredible views to enjoy across the Shropshire landscape. Sports plays an important part of school life with a sports session held every afternoon. Core sports include football, rugby, hockey, netball, lacrosse and cricket, along with cross-country, tennis and athletics, and all children encouraged to find a sport that they enjoy participating in regardless of ability and skill.
"Packwood Haugh is somewhere where the adventure of childhood can be enjoyed for longer."
Boarding prep school opportunities
Boarding is central to Prep school life and offers separate boys and girls houses, in the main historic school building (boys) and a separate modern purpose-built house (girls). Boarding is supported by a very healthy number of full-time boarders together with regular flexi and weekly boarders, to help ensure that there is a real buzz in the boarding house on all days of the week. The houses feel very cosy and homely and each offer similarly styled accommodation with modern furniture and family-style common rooms. Weekends include Saturday school mornings followed by sports afternoons and Sunday activities – arranged both on and off campus.
Balancing academics and enrichment in a holistic approach
One word which sums up Packwood Haugh is opportunity. Here children have the potential to try new things, delve deeper into current interests, and explore what really makes them ‘tick’ all whilst being able to enjoy what it is to be a child.
Leading boarding school advice from our education consultants
Here at The Independent Education Consultants, we know that making the decision to go to boarding school can sometimes be a difficult one. It can be hard to know which school is the right fit for your child. However, our education consultants will work alongside you and your family to discover which school will help your child achieve their true potential. If you require advice about Packwood Haugh or have any other boarding school questions, please contact our friendly team of education experts today.
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