The school is situated in eight picturesque acres of both historical and literary interest. In the early 13th century the estate was owned by the Crown. In 1215 King John gave Coombe to Hugh de Nevill, so from the time of Edward the Confessor the land on which the school now stands belonged to many important people connected with the kings and queens of the time. 

In the grounds of the school is the ancient monument ‘The Ivy Conduit’, part of an elaborate water system built in 1516 to supply Cardinal Wolsey’s newly built Hampton Court Palace. The Conduit House fell into disrepair after being damaged by a V1 bomb in June 1944. In 2004 the school applied for a grant from English Heritage and much needed repairs and consolidation work was carried out. The Conduit can be visited by appointment, please contact richard.fishenden@holycrossprep.com to arrange a visit, or as part of the national 'Heritage Open Days' which occur annually in September - see local press for details.  

In 1870 John Galsworthy Senior bought 24 acres of land at Coombe, and built Coombe Ridge House, the building that the school now occupies. In 1875 he and his family moved in. Much of his son John’s writing beginning with ‘Man of Property’ and the ‘Forsyte Saga’ was written whilst the family lived here. Young John was known to sit in the grounds by the pond to gain inspiration for his writings.                                                                  

Our historical school building, which is listed for its architectural interest, was featured in the Sunday Times Home Magazine as the setting which inspired the ITV adaptation of ‘The Forsyte Saga’ in April and May 2002.

Holy Cross Preparatory School has grown and developed over the years into the renowned school that it is today – Surrey’s best kept secret!

The school is exceptional in being the only single sex school in Kingston providing a Christian education that enables pupils to achieve high levels of success in all areas of the curriculum and where Faith is at the heart of the community.

The main house, built in 1875 and the former home of John Galsworthy, is set in over eight beautiful acres. It is listed for architectural interest, but has been sympathetically adapted over the years. We have specialist teachers and facilities for music, P.E., IT, French, Drama, D & T, Pottery and Art. The grounds include two tennis/netball courts, hockey pitch, athletics track, playground and two ponds and extensive gardens. Classrooms are light and spacious and look out over the grounds. The school has also recently finished building a fabulous new sports hall, performing arts/dining hall and kitchen filled with up-to-date facilities.

We are over subscribed and moderately selective with preference given to siblings and Catholics. Children and staff of all Faiths are welcomed into our community; we are 45% R.C. Children are happy, relaxed and enjoy a broad curriculum with a range of experiences and opportunities. Parents are supportive and active members of the PTA. At 11+ the girls do extremely well at gaining places in local selective independent and maintained senior schools.

If you're searching for your next teaching post or support role, why not contact us now? You'll be working at a great school and be part of a friendly, helpful team. We're always interested to hear from enthusiastic, committed teachers and support staff. 

Mission Statement:

"The Holy Cross Preparatory School  Kingston is a Catholic school, under the Trusteeship of the  school's charity and the Sisters of the Holy Cross, which provides a Christian education in which the worship of God, gospel values and an awareness of other faiths and sensitivity for others are central to school life. 

In the spirit of Saint Francis, the school is a caring community, which strives to enable each person to realise their full potential  - spiritually, academically, personally and physically. To achieve this, the school welcomes all faiths and works in partnership with parents, teachers and children to develop the God-given gifts of each person."

Aims:

• To enable each person to grow to Christian maturity, through our worship of Christ, and fostering our faith journey in life.
• In the pursuit of excellence in our relationships and teaching, we aim to give each child the opportunity for self-growth - spiritually, personally, academically and physically.
• To develop each child’s confidence, maturity and life-long enjoyment and love of learning.
• To recognise the individuality of the child and encourage the development of their character and potential through an awareness and respect for themselves and others.
• To develop the self-worth and self-discipline of each child and to establish a caring school community.
• To prepare children for examinations and entry to senior schools within a broad and balanced curriculum relevant to the needs of our children in an ever-changing world.
• To develop a strong sense of responsibility, co-operation and tolerance based on an awareness of the needs of others and an understanding of the need for charitable works.
• To create and foster a partnership between parents and school with the wider community.