Marlborough House School

Marlborough House School is a co-educational preparatory school situated in 34acre of countryside in Hawkhurst, Kent. The school currently has just over 320 pupils between the ages of 3 and 13 with a teaching staff of 40. Marlborough House is predominantly a day school, but operates a flexi-boarding policy for pupils over the age of 9. The school is a member of the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS). The current headmaster is Martyn Ward.HistoryMarlborough House was founded in 1874 in Hove and is one of the oldest preparatory schools in the country. It was later moved to Hawkhurst, Kent by then headmaster Arthur Harrison, who bought the New Lodge estate and converted the 18th-century building into an educational facility for the 25 boys who moved with the school.During the Second World War the school relocated to Great Bidlake, an Elizabethan country house near to Bridestowe in Devon.Arrangement of the SchoolThe school is arranged in year groups with years from Nursery to Year Eight. Those 10 years are managed in three sections: Nursery, Pre-Prep and Prep school. The Nursery caters for the ages of 3-4 in a purpose built building within the heart of the school site. The Pre-Prep consists of years 2, 1 and reception in a separate recently expanded building adjacent to the main school building. The Prep school, years 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 and 3, occupies the 18th century main building as well as various surrounding buildings with years 5, 4 and 3 having moved into a new building in September 2006.