St Olave’s Prep School is an independent preparatory school and nursery in New Eltham, South East London for boys and girls aged 3 to 11.

Making the decision about your child’s schooling is one of the most important you will make as a family. We are very fortunate in South East London to have so many good prep schools to choose from and many of your friends and associates will have a view about the ‘best’ schools.

By the time they are ready to leave for senior school, pupils have acquired a robust ‘don’t give up’ attitude and an assured self-confidence which contains no hint of arrogance

ISI June 2019

So, Why St Olave’s?

Firstly, we think you will find us to be a very happy community. St Olave’s Prep children are full of life, spark and character. We celebrate their individuality and do not try to force them into a particular way of being. They form strong friendships here and the relationships between the staff and the children are positive and mutually respectful. We are a small prep school.  We have over 200 children on roll ensuring that the pastoral care is exceptional. The children know each other very well and so do their teachers. From the outside, you might not realise that we also have a MUGA sports pitch and a dedicated outside area for our EYFS (Nursery and Reception) children to play on. When they come to apply for senior schools (at 11+) our children are well prepared for the increasingly competitive exams and assessments they must take.

Pupils of all abilities, achieve very well, both academically and non-academically

ISI June 2019

That does not mean to say we ‘hothouse’ the children by trawling through practice papers but it does mean that we have the ‘best’ schools in our sights - whether that be a selective independent school, a local grammar school, or an excellent state school.

Our sincere hope is that, as you look through this website you will feel inclined to come and visit us. If you would like to book a tour of the school with Miss Holloway, please contact Mrs Weatherley, Admissions Secretary, on 0208 294 8930 or email [email protected].

Our School Awards

St Olave's Prep School was awarded 'All Together Now' Gold status in April 2020, and has demonstrated to the Anti Bullying Alliance our commitment to stopping bullying and improving the wellbeing of our pupils.
NACENACE offers a professional accreditation that recognises effective provision for more able learners. Being a member of NACE helps to standardise provision, and provides support and resources to ensure that our provision for more able learners is, and continues to be, effective. 
Being a Silver Rights Respecting School,  a child rights-based approach underpins our school culture, ethos and relationships as well as the more tangible changes to practice, policy and environment.
 
We were awarded Gold Travel Plan status in 2019. We are proud to be one of the schools replacing 13 million miles' worth of car journeys with walking, cycling and scooting.
The work done for this award ensures that mental health and wellbeing sit at the heart of school life.
We are committed to sharing our allotment with the local community and passing on skills to others. We are also also using the allotment to enhance the teaching of curriculum subjects.
We are committed to equip school staff, parents and pupils with the knowledge they need to understand online dangers.