At Sir William Perkins’s School, academic success is always our priority, but education should be about far more than achieving top grades. We believe in educating the whole person and equipping our students with the confidence to make their mark on the world. We challenge each student to explore their potential through academic aspiration and active participation and we teach our students to expect great things of themselves, because we know every individual is capable of great things.
We are delighted to announce that SWPS will open its doors to boys from September 2026. This will be a phased introduction, with boys initially joining Years 7 and 12, with the School becoming fully coeducational by 2030.
WELL-ROUNDED AND PREPARED FOR THE REAL WORLD
We encourage students to become involved in the many co-curricular activities on offer. Taking every opportunity to develop their interests and creativity, their interpersonal, teamwork and leadership skills, to be forward-thinking and to reach into the wider community.
A SWPS student is encouraged to be:
CURIOUS ABOUT THEIR WORLD AND THEIR FUTURE.
AMBITIOUS FOR THEMSELVES AND FOR OTHERS.
GENEROUS WITH THEIR THOUGHTS, THEIR GIFTS AND THEIR TIME.
ETHOS
The school has a Christian foundation, and we promote an ethos of integrity to underpin the way it operates. We value the fact that the Sir William Perkins’s community is diverse and students of all faiths, or none, and their families are warmly welcomed.
JOINING OUR COMMUNITY
We want the experience of joining a new school to be fun and exciting for new students and parents, and that begins with sharing as much information with you as possible to ease that transition.
Students joining Sir William Perkins’s School in Year 7 arrive from a vast number of feeder schools, with approximately half from the maintained sector and half from the independent sector. Whilst the mix of students joining us in Year 7 makes for a wonderful fresh start and a dynamic community, we place a great deal of importance on ensuring our students – and their families – forge new friendships ahead of joining in the Autumn term. Our Sixth Form House Captains work directly with our Year 7 students to support, befriend and encourage them to join in.
Following acceptance of the offer of a place, families will receive an invitation to our Welcome Party. Held at the end of the Summer term, our Welcome Party is designed for students to attend the school to find out about their form groups, meet form tutors, and have any last-minute questions answered before joining in September.
By the time families join us for the new academic year, acquaintances have been made, new friendships formed, and the business of settling into a new school is a smooth transition for all.
PRACTICALITIES
THE SCHOOL DAY
The school day runs from 8.20am through nine periods to 3:30pm Monday – Thursday and eight periods to 2:55pm on a Friday, with many Co-curricular activities taking place during lunch and after school.
The timing of the school day: Monday - Thursday
Registration / Assembly / Form time 8:20am
Period 1 - 2 8:45am, 9.20am Break 9:55am
Period 3 - 6 10:15am, 10:50am, 11:25am, 12:35pm
Lunch 12:35pm – 1:40pm
Period 7 - 9 1:40pm, 2:15pm, 2:50pm
Registration 3:25pm
End of the school day 3:30pm
Prep or after school activities 3:50pm
Departure of coaches 5:00pm
The timing of the school day: Friday
Registration / Assembly / Form time 8:20am
Period 1 - 2 8:45am, 9:20am Break 9:55am
Period 3 - 6 10:15am, 10:50am, 11:25am, 12:35pm
Lunch 12:35pm – 1:40pm
Period 7 - 9 1:40pm, 2:15pm
Registration 2:50pm
End of the school day 2:55pm
Departure of coaches 3:10pm
CATERING
The school offers a cafeteria service managed by our external catering supplier. There is always a choice of menu which includes a variety of salads and fresh fruit as and when available. Special dietary needs can be catered for, and we encourage a discussion between parents and our catering manager prior to a student joining the school. We aim to create informative, inspiring and interactive food experiences to engage students, teachers and parents in what great food is about: taste, health, wellbeing and caring for our planet.
Students are also able to take advantage of the school’s tuck facilities at various points throughout the day. A café-style offering in the Atrium provides healthy snacks, smoothies and hot drinks which is paid for by students using a contactless card system.
KEEPING IN TOUCH
We know how busy family life can be, so we have put in place some systems and software to make it as easy as possible for parents to keep up-to-date with school news, and information relating to their child. It is school policy to communicate important information – such as school trip details, or parents’ evenings – via email. The weekly round-up of communication is distributed via the school’s email system – SchoolPost – on a Friday. This enables parents to receive news and information in a consolidated format, which integrates with the school’s Parent Portal –Firefly. More time-sensitive messages are sent in a daily 4pm bulletin, helping parents keep track of information. Key features of the SchoolPost / Firefly package include a message ‘inbox’ which stores all school messages in one place for easy reference, and information relating to each student including timetables, events, attendance and reports. Using the Firefly app, parents can stay up-to-date with their child’s academic and personal development, access their messages and keep track of school activities.
HOMEWORK
The weekly homework timetable correlates with the teaching timetable, and students are welcome to attend prep each day after school if desired, to allow time for homework to be completed on site. Alternatively, students may leave at the end of the school day. Homework is set primarily to consolidate the work done in class and to help students to work independently and develop good study habits, including time management. The school expects homework to be taken seriously; however, excessive time should not be spent on this.
PARENTAL CONTACT
Contact with parents is greatly valued by us and it is important you feel that you can contact us whenever the need arises. Sometimes circumstances at home change and it is helpful if we are alerted to these changes. Form Tutors and Heads of Year are likely to be closely involved with your child and should be your first point of contact.
Formal Parent Information Meetings take place at regular intervals throughout the academic year, providing an opportunity for formal feedback about your child’s progress.
TRANSPORT
Our students come from a variety of locations and there are several ways in which they travel to and from school each day.
The school is conveniently situated on the A320 between Staines and Woking, close to Junction 11 of the M25. Chertsey train station is a five-minute walk away, with many students choosing this mode of transport to school.
Local bus routes pass the school and serve Addlestone, Ashford Common and Ashford Hospital, Byfleet, Ottershaw, Shepperton, Staines, Sunbury, Woking and Woodham. Students are permitted to cycle to school.
The school operates coach services originating from Camberley, Cobham, Esher, Twickenham, Walton on Thames, Windsor and Woking. Full details can be found on the school’s website.
Mobile Phones brought into school by senior school students are handed in at morning registration and returned at afternoon registration at the end of the school day.
The positive impact on mental health and wellbeing for our younger students is immeasurable, promoting face-to-face interaction and has been well-received by students.
Sixth Form students may carry mobile phones on their person, but they must be switched off and may only be used with permission from a member of staff.
UNIFORM AND DRESS CODE
School uniform is worn by Years 7 to 11 according to the school uniform code, and Sixth Form do not wear uniform but abide by a smart casual dress code.
Our Uniform and Sports Kit supplier is AlleyCatz, and can be viewed at www.alleycatz.co.uk
MOBILE PHONES
ACADEMIC MATTERS
CURRICULUM
The curriculum is under constant review and school policies relating to the academic aspects of the school are reviewed, updated and published annually. The subjects studied in Year 7 are:
ART / BIOLOGY / CHEMISTRY / COMPUTER SCIENCE / DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY / DRAMA / ENGLISH /
FRENCH / GEOGRAPHY / GERMAN / HISTORY / LATIN / MATHEMATICS / MUSIC / PHYSICAL EDUCATION /
PHYSICS / RELIGIOUS STUDIES / SPANISH / PSHCE (Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education)
At the end of Year 7, students are asked which two Modern Foreign Languages they would like to continue with through to Year 8 and Year 9. During Year 9, students will be asked to choose the subjects they wish to study for their GCSEs (normally nine); the examinations for these will be taken in Year 11.
STEM
At SWPS we offer a comprehensive timetabled programme of STEM subjects with complementary enrichment activities, clubs and competitions in place from Year 7 onwards. Chemistry and Maths are amongst our most popular subject choices at A Level, and are enriched by our popular Medics, Dentists and Vets programme. Computer Science is the fastest growing subject in the school.
DIGITAL PEDAGOGY
The use of iPads and digital technology for learning is integral to our teaching at SWPS. A carefully balanced approach to teaching and learning through digital integration plays an important role in preparing our students for life beyond SWPS. Children are expected to bring an iPad into school and carefully balancing more traditional teaching methods alongside technology allows our students to fully immerse themselves in their learning experience. iPads are an extension of our student ‘toolkit’, supporting their education whilst teachers move seamlessly between traditional and more advanced teaching methods; whether that be using our interactive whiteboards to cleverly showcase students’ work, or using OneNote to share and collaborate on a single document.
The aim is for our students to leave with confidence to use technology, utilising these key skills in supporting their further education and career.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Throughout a student’s time at the school, they will have the opportunity to participate in an inclusive Physical Education programme which covers a broad range of sports across the curriculum. In Years 7-10 lessons the following activities are pursued: hockey, netball, gymnastics, dance, athletics, tennis, badminton, cross-country, rugby, volleyball, football, cricket, softball, fitness training, circuits, trampolining, aerobics and pilates.
PASTORAL MATTERS
PASTORAL STRUCTURE OF THE SCHOOL
Looking after our students is our top priority. We focus on them all individually, encouraging them to achieve their potential and explore their interests in an atmosphere where they feel supported, encouraged and appreciated. The Head of Year 7 is responsible for the co-ordination of the pastoral programme and leadership of the Form Tutor staff in that Year and deals with individual discipline and personal problems which they may refer to the Deputy Head Pastoral. A similar role is played by the Heads of Years 8 – 11, and Year 12 – 13 who may refer to the Director of Sixth Form or Deputy Head Pastoral.
PERSONAL, SOCIAL, CITIZENSHIP AND HEALTH EDUCATION
A programme of personal and social education is arranged for each year group of the school. This aims to cover major issues of concern at appropriate stages. These lessons include such information as substance abuse, eSafety and sex education.
PERSONALISED LEARNING
The school recognises that high quality teaching, differentiated for individual students, is the first step to responding to students who may require additional learning support.
Class teachers are the first people to offer support to the student in order for their potential to be achieved. Students’ needs are then reviewed regularly and individual support may be offered outside of lessons to augment the support given in class. This is agreed with the Head of Personalised Learning who is also responsible for examination access arrangements.
WELLBEING SUITE
Our dedicated Wellbeing suite is designed for students to feel safe, relaxed and calm and is equipped with IT facilities in order to support students who may be unable to work in a classroom environment from time to time. Our Wellbeing suite is staffed throughout the day to help any student in need, and in addition, we have four qualified and experienced counsellors who attend school to support students’ needs.
ASSEMBLIES
Assemblies are non-denominational and have a moral, cultural, social or spiritual theme. They sometimes include a hymn, reading(s), and a prayer. All students attend Assembly although parents/carers may withdraw their child by writing to the Head. Collective worship aims to offer all students something of value and an opportunity for reflection.
CHARITY
With generosity strongly encouraged amongst our students, charitable activities are at the heart of our community. At the beginning of each term every form elects two charity representatives who are responsible for organising and overseeing charity events within their form and for corresponding with the form’s chosen charity.
In order to raise money, forms organise events such as cake sales, craft fairs and competitions. Involvement with charity events offers students the chance to be creative in their choice of event, to have fun whilst learning to be independent, to organise themselves and to support causes in which they believe.
CO-CURRICULAR
CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Co-Curricular and Enrichment activities are a crucial part of life at Sir William Perkins’s School in support of the school’s mission, which strives to encourage curiosity, ambition and generosity in a caring, innovative and happy community. Much of the added value which comes from belonging to our community stems from opportunities provided to students to learn outside of the curriculum. At Sir William Perkins’s School, the school day is designed to support our students in making the most of the opportunities provided to explore and uncover talents and expand their learning. We believe the breadth of clubs and activities on offer at our school supports our students to become generous, curious and ambitious individuals, ready to take on life when they leave us.
DUKE OF EDINBURGH
The school is extremely proud of the continuity in offering all three awards for Duke of Edinburgh – Bronze, Silver and Gold, with participation rates high for the size of the school. As a mark of the high standards we maintain, SWPS is an accredited Licenced Organisation for DofE. Students start their DofE journey in Year 9 and must complete volunteering, skills, physical and expedition sections to achieve their award. For Gold there is also a residential section. Time and commitment expectations increase for each section as students progress from Bronze, to Silver and on to Gold.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC, SINGING AND LAMDA LESSONS
The Music Department provides a wide range of opportunities, from beginners to the more advanced performers. We provide an enjoyable and stimulating environment in which students can perform a wide range of both contemporary and traditional music. Belonging to a music group will help your child make friends, grow in confidence and develop their musicianship. The school is fortunate to have a number of very experienced peripatetic specialist teachers who provide instrumental music or singing lessons.
We offer many opportunities to become involved in school productions, either as a performer or as part of production crew; and we offer state-of-the-art Drama facilities.
Each year we would typically offer an interhouse competition ‘Junior Drama’ which is a series of plays written and directed by our Sixth Form students for junior members of the four houses. An event that has been running for over 50 years! There are usually either Senior or Junior school productions as well and in some years there is a whole school production directed by the Drama department.
We also offer LAMDA lessons via peripatetic drama teachers with LAMDA certification.
LIBRARY
The Library is open to all students every day for study, for borrowing books and for relaxation, for which we provide a choice of games and puzzles. All Year 7 students have Library Induction soon after their arrival at SWPS when they are informed about the educational resources available via Firefly, and introduced to Infiniti, our Library Catalogue, where they can browse our book collection and access reading recommendations.
Our hugely popular Library is well stocked with a variety of resources, including over 16,500 books.
A selection of print magazines and a wide range of electronic resources is available, both for curriculum support and for research (including Britannica, Issues, JSTOR, as well as educational resources from British Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian and selected museums).
THE SWPS COMMUNITY
FRIENDS OF
SIR WILLIAM PERKINS’S SCHOOL
The Friends of Sir William Perkins’s School is the parents’/carers’ association which promotes a lively programme of events which enables personal and social contact between parents/carers of present pupils. Members are much involved in the community life of the School and a strong fundraising element ensures good funding to assist the school with purchases of valuable resources which benefit the whole community. New members are always welcome and new parents are warmly invited to join.
HOUSES
Every SWPS student is placed into one of the four Houses, which they remain in throughout their entire time at school.
Houses are named after historically important and influential individuals:
Lonsdale. Kathleen Lonsdale, born 1903, was one of the first two women elected as a fellow of the Royal Society, the first woman to become a professor at UCL, and the first female President of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. She was known for establishing the science of crystallography and her work on X-Ray diffraction.
Montagu. Lady Mary Montagu, born 1689, was a writer and poet, and the first British woman to write about the Orient. She also pioneered inoculation against smallpox in England having had the disease herself and witnessed its effectiveness whilst in Turkey.
Pankhurst. Emmeline Pankhurst, born in 1858, named as one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century, was a political activist and leader of the suffragette movement helping women to get the right to vote.
Quant. Mary Quant is a fashion designer and business woman, an entrepreneur who encouraged people to use clothing as a means of expressing themselves. She was appointed Member of the Order of Companion of Honour (CCH) in the 2023 New Years Honours for services to fashion.
EQUALITY, DIVERISTY AND INCLUSION
At SWPS we are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, staff and community members.
For students to reach their full potential, they must feel comfortable being themselves. It is crucial, therefore, that the school experience reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of all students.
At SWPS, we strive to achieve this through a broad and balanced curriculum that recognises and incorporates the contributions and perspectives of a wide range of individuals and groups. Our dedicated Diversity and Equality Prefects act as champions for ideas raised by the student body. Events and activities are held regularly that celebrate diversity to cultivate a greater sense of community. We believe that by fostering a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, we can create a welcoming and inclusive school community for everyone.
SIXTH FORM AND BEYOND
SIXTH FORM
Sixth Form students at SWPS know that hard work, tenacity and academic curiosity are vital to success. The students take on this challenge with determination and good humour, supporting each other along the way to achieve their goals. The school is committed to providing sixth formers with inspiring teaching, extra-curricular and leadership opportunities, along with dedicated pastoral care. There’s also bespoke support on offer throughout their academic studies, through the UCAS programme as well as with any obstacles they may face.
The school encourages students to expand their horizons, push their own boundaries and take calculated risks. Cultivating ambition is one of SWPS’s core responsibilities and the alumni are proof of this: CEOs, pilots, entrepreneurs, PR and marketing executives, doctors, economists, scientists and engineers are amongst the many careers its successful students go on to pursue. SWPS Sixth Form provides an environment where students feel valued, respected and encouraged to question, participate, negotiate, instigate and lead. The school empowers students to challenge the status quo, affect change and feel part of something wider than themselves.
CAREERS
The Careers programme for Sixth Formers is designed to prepare students for life after SWPS and contains university guidance, specialised application support (such as MDV, Law, International Universities etc.) and employment or training advice for those students not planning on attending university or college. A Higher Education evening is held in the Spring term for Year 12 students and their parents/carers and an in-house UCAS workshop, run by the Director of Sixth Form and supported by Sixth Form tutors in the summer term. A comprehensive programme of activities is provided for those students interested in applying for medicine, dentistry or veterinary science at university. The Oxbridge programme, which supports those students interested in applying for Oxford and Cambridge, runs throughout the Sixth Form.
The recent Good Schools Guide review says that SWPS provides “top-notch extracurricular combined with unpressurised but robust academics, making this school a welcome antidote to some of the local hothouses. A golden ticket to a bright future, with lots of fun to be had on the way.”
We challenge our students to be the very best that they can be, however our over-arching aim is for our students to achieve excellence (and not perfection) in a supportive and nurturing environment designed with their happiness and wellbeing in mind.
