Age range. 3–11.
Number of pupils. 130 boys and girls (day only).
Fees per term (2024-2025). Inclusive of lunch, with no compulsory extras: Nursery: £1,968–£3,180; Reception to Year 2: £4,462; Years 3 to 6: £4,916.
The School, situated in a residential area of Harrow, was founded in 1895, and in 1950 was reorganised as a non-profit-making Educational Charity, with a Board of Governors elected by members of the Company; parents of pupils in the School are eligible for membership.
Alphabets Nursery is on site at Alpha and children aged from 2 years, 9 months are eligible to join. Children enter Reception at the age of 4 by an informal, ‘light-touch’ assessment in November the year before entry. Should a space be available in Year 1 to Year 6, your child will be invited to spend time with their potential class group and will also meet a range of staff and sit an English and maths assessment.
The Alpha Community consists of a team of experienced and qualified staff members, happy children and supportive parents. We offer specialist teaching in music, languages, computing, PE and games (from Nursery), and English and maths in preparation for 11+. Alpha also offer peripatetic music lessons in guitar, bass guitar, violin, clarinet, flute, piano and drums, not to mention our choirs and a select Ensemble Band. Our Games Department have been successful in football, cricket, netball, swimming galas and rounders. Other sporting events consist of a wonderful cross-country meet, athletics, tennis and basketball House Competitions.
Our enhanced curriculum, alongside our wide variety of before- and after-school clubs, prepares our children to be active, engaged and enthusiastic towards their learning, their progression and their development, placing each and every one of them in good stead to be independent and forward-thinking individuals of the future. In fact, the children have described our approach to the curriculum in the following way: ‘Whether it is the explosions of volcanoes in science or the calming music in art, the staff provide a variety of opportunities to discover, making it a fun, positive and enjoyable learning environment. Ideas are shared in lessons and everyone is included...’ Innovative ideas are created by the staff to suit each particular age group. Our curriculum ignites a hunger for learning and the potential to achieve. Kindness pervades the school, giving the pupils both the reason and power to show compassion, with the only school rule being ‘Be kind’.
Over the past two years or so, Alpha’s extracurricular offerings have increased and the children now have quite an eclectic mix of activities from which to choose. For example, judo, cookery club, street dance, musical theatre, scrabble, ballet, yoga, board games club, Lego club, science documentary club and problem-solving club, to name but a few. All of our before- and after-school activities enhance our broad, independent and forward-thinking curriculum.
Religious Education is non-sectarian in nature, and follows upon the School’s Christian foundation and tradition by also using the nationally recognised 'Jigsaw' PSHE resources. Children of all faiths and none are accepted and celebrated at Alpha.
Outside visits to theatres and museums form an integral part of the curriculum and, during the Lent Term, pupils in Year 6 visit the Isle of Wight for a week’s residential. In March 2022, Alpha completed a highly successful music tour to France where 41 children performed for dignitaries and for French school children, and they were the first primary school children ever to perform in Notre Dame, Laon, a tremendous achievement. In March 2024, 37 children ventured to Malta for a week-long Music Tour, an adventurous destination for children of primary-school age.
Excellent successes are obtained in entrance and scholarship examinations, with 11 scholarships being awarded to the Class of 2024 (15 children in the class). Alpha is a small school, but it is certainly mighty in achievement and success!
Further details can be obtained from our friendly Office Team by contacting us on 0208 427 1471 or emailing us on sec@alpha.harrow.sch.uk. Charitable status. Alpha Preparatory School is a Registered Charity, number 312640, existing to carry on the undertaking of a co-educational preparatory school in Harrow in the County of Middlesex.