About Us

Sevenoaks
Family of Schools

We are delighted to welcome Bickley Park to the Sevenoaks Family of Schools – Sevenoaks School, Solefield School and its newest member Bickley Park School. With this exciting development, our family now offers an exceptional independent education within the south‑east, supporting children from age 2½ to 18 with world‑class learning, outstanding pastoral care and a broad, enriching co‑curricular programme. The addition of Bickley Park strengthens our shared mission: securing a resilient future for independent education within the region and offering a breadth of choice for local families.

our vision

The Sevenoaks Family of Schools aims to create an environment where every child can flourish, both academically and personally. We foster a love of learning, academic excellence, and development of character, while embracing the future of education with innovation and flexibility.

Together, we enhance the educational choices available for children, providing them with a rich and diverse pathway to success.

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Our newest partner has enjoyed a warm and longstanding relationship with Sevenoaks School. Bickley Park has sent more pupils to Sevenoaks than any other prep school outside our local area. Its close ties and shared ethos make this a natural addition to the family.

Our aligned values and commitment to educational excellence ensure that, as the family grows, we do so with clear purpose and unity. This partnership will enable further innovation, collaboration and development across all our schools.

What does this mean for pupils?

As our partnership evolves, pupils will be able to take greater advantage of state-of-the-art facilities whether pursuing the sciences, humanities, the arts, or sports.

Our combined resources and expertise will enhance educational opportunities and ensure continuity of progress for pupils so that children are even better prepared for the move from prep school through to senior school, whether at Sevenoaks School or elsewhere, and for life beyond.

Our senior students will be able to enjoy more leadership and mentoring opportunities working with younger pupils.

Enhanced professional development will provide more enrichment for teachers to the benefit of pupils in all our schools.

What does this mean for parents?

The Sevenoaks Family of Schools gives parents the reassurance of a consistent, high-quality education for their children at every stage of their academic journey. From early years through to senior school, we are ensuring that every child’s needs are met, providing parents with choice in independent education, peace of mind and long-term stability.

What does this mean for the community?

We will continue to run our well-established Service and Partnership programme with other schools and in the local community. This includes hosting sporting events and the Schools Triathlon, running our annual Science Week and allowing schools to use our facilities for swimming and many other activities.

What does this mean for the Family?

A growing area of collaboration within the Family is the development of outdoor learning at Solefield School. Sevenoaks School played a key role in helping to create Solefield’s new Forest School, which opened last term and has quickly become a much loved space for exploration and discovery.

Solefield pupils now enjoy regular sessions in the woodland environment, where they learn through hands-on experiences such as identifying leaves, studying habitats and, of course, spending time in the ever popular mud kitchen.

This partnership extends beyond the site itself. Each Thursday, a dedicated Sevenoaks service group visits the Forest School to support activities and work alongside the younger pupils. The older students help to guide nature based learning, encourage curiosity and confidence outdoors, and model positive leadership and teamwork.

This shared approach to outdoor learning not only enriches the pupils’ experience but also strengthens the sense of community across the Sevenoaks Family of Schools.

faq

What is the Sevenoaks Family of Schools?

The Sevenoaks Family of Schools brings together three well-established and respected independent schools with closely aligned values. It has been created to share expertise and resources, while supporting the long-term strength of each school. Its aim is to enrich opportunities for pupils and create an environment where every child can flourish academically and personally.

Which schools are members of the Sevenoaks Family of Schools?

What are the benefits for Bickley Park joining the Sevenoaks Family of Schools?

Resilience, strength and opportunity.

At a time where educational choice is more important than ever, this collaboration is designed to offer Bickley families a broader, more cohesive and resilient ‘future-proofed’ approach to independent schooling. Bickley Park will continue to be the warm, friendly, family-centred school that all parents and carers know and love.

What are the benefits to pupils and families of being part of the Sevenoaks Family of Schools?

Being part of the Sevenoaks Family of Schools provides reassurance of a strong and sustainable future for independent education in our region. Pupils will benefit from shared expertise and wider opportunities to enrich their learning and personal development, whilst continuing to receive a first-class education, with each school maintaining its own approach and ethos.

Will school fees change?

Will there be automatic entry to Sevenoaks School for Bickley Park pupils?

Entry to Sevenoaks School is not automatic. Any child wishing to join Sevenoaks School will continue to be assessed by Sevenoaks School in the usual way.

Historically, many pupils from Bickley Park have successfully progressed to Sevenoaks School, and we look forward to many more doing so in future.

Will the admissions process at Sevenoaks School change?

Sevenoaks School’s admissions process will remain the same. Sevenoaks School will continue to welcome applications from a wide range of prep and primary schools, locally, nationally and internationally, recognising the value of a diverse student body.

Hear from the Heads

“In an era where educational choice is more important than ever, this merger is designed to offer a broader, more cohesive, and more resilient approach to independent schooling.”
Jesse Elzinga - Headmaster, Sevenoaks School

“By joining forces, we are uniting three leading independent schools with a shared vision of providing the highest standard of education, with the flexibility to meet the diverse needs of all our students.”
Jesse Elzinga - Headmaster, Sevenoaks School

“Collaboration between our schools means a blending of the best practices from each institution. This includes sharing expertise in areas such as teaching, pastoral care, and facilities, to create a richer, more diverse learning environment for students.”
Helen McClure - Headmistress, Solefield School

“Together, we will continue to uphold the values that have defined our schools - academic rigour, character development, and a commitment to nurturing the individual needs of every child.”
Helen McClure - Headmistress, Solefield School

“The longstanding and warm relationship Bickley Park has with Sevenoaks School is the perfect foundation for a collaboration of this sort and sets us in good stead to deepen the synergy of our shared values, academic excellence and exceptional pastoral care, foundations on which we will continue to build.”
Tom Quilter - Headmaster, Bickley Park School

“Driven by a shared vision centred on educational excellence and kindness, we are delighted to be joining the Sevenoaks Family of Schools. Together, we will continue to deliver the highest standards of education, combined with the flexibility to meet the needs of every pupil.”
Tom Quilter - Headmaster, Bickley Park School

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