Oliver House is a school that values academics and qualifications and also believes that education should be so much more. Our mission is to nurture and develop the individual child in a caring, happy environment. Our ultimate aim is that our children achieve their full potential and grow up to live happily and fulfilled lives. We are a school founded on a belief in a partnership with parents, helping them to raise their children to become young men and women of excellent character.
We are a non-selective school that offers a rigorous academic curriculum where pupils of all abilities reach their full potential. Underpinning this, our outstanding character development program develops in our children good habits such as cheerfulness, sound judgment, resilience, generosity, and responsibility. Our personalized tutorial system is tailored to each child with each tutor taking a direct interest in each child’s personal character development, regularly sharing this with parents.
Music and the arts play a central role in our curriculum. We offer a comprehensive sporting program with weekly coaching sessions and fixtures against other local prep schools. All pupils from Reception to Year 6 enjoy a wide range of trips including our residential PGL trip in Year 5 and our cultural visit to Rome in Year 6. Children are encouraged to take an active role in our rich and varied co-curricular program. We are a school that celebrates each child’s unique gifts and talents and that promotes in them a desire to be the very best that they can be in all aspects of their school life. On any visit to Oliver House, you will see for yourself that this is a happy school where children are respected and nurtured.
Our philosophy of education at Oliver House is based on a ‘character first’ approach. A ‘character first’ approach means we strive to develop in children those qualities of greatness that will enable the achievement of academic potential and also help them develop in all aspects of their lives at school and into adulthood.
At Oliver House, we recognize the importance of helping students to flourish not only academically but also spiritually, morally, socially, and culturally, so they are fully prepared for life in British society and for their role as citizens, able to make the strongest possible contribution to society and the common good of all. We teach the importance of British Values by going much deeper into the meaning of what it means to live a good life, within a framework of Catholic Christian Values. This provides the context and meaning for understanding why British values are important. Our framework for understanding British values draws on the example of Jesus’s life and teaching, his respect for and inclusion of all individuals.
Oliver House provides an education that focuses on the formation of the whole person and our vocation and purpose in life. We are guided by our school motto In Gaudio Serviamus – may we serve joyfully, and by the Christian values of respect, compassion, cooperation, and stewardship as we reflect on our place and purpose in the world. We place a significant emphasis on our calling to work in the service of others, celebrating individuality and difference within our communities. Our Catholic ethos, which includes explicit reference to Christian and British values, makes a tangible difference to the way we work together and in our wider communities. Within this framework, it would be impossible to overlook the government’s view of British values expressed as ‘democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs.’ The examples that follow are an indication of some of the many ways we seek to embed British values at Oliver House School.
Oliver House is an independent day school offering an all-around education to girls and boys aged 3-11. The Catholic ethos influences all aspects of school life and is underpinned by the PACT Charter of Educational Principles which emphasizes the important role that parents have to play as the first educators of their children.
Children enjoy a varied curriculum that covers all Art forms. Visits to galleries and workshops develop their artistic appreciation and skills. Our specialist music teachers play a central part in the curriculum and individual tuition is available for a variety of instruments. Drama is also an integral and much-valued part of life at Oliver House. Sports Many character strengths are built on the sports field. The facilities on neighboring Clapham Common enable Oliver House to offer a comprehensive sporting program including Football, Netball, Tennis, Rounders, Cricket, and Athletics. Fixtures with local Prep Schools are designed to give as many children as possible the opportunity to represent their school.
