Reviews
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Reviews

All Parent Quotes Senior Schools
Mrs C Austin

01

Mrs C Austin

Parkside Parent

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Parkside is a very special school with a best in class leadership team, a creative and high energy teaching staff and a unique ethos that nurtures every child. As a family we enjoy a wonderful sense of community at the school and have made many life-long friends. Parkside School is distinctive in that every teacher knows every child's name and caters for their unique needs and personalities.

Mr & Mrs F

02

Mr & Mrs F

Parkside Parents

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Parkside is a wonderful, forward thinking, family orientated and traditional prep school. Nurturing with a focus on excellence in education and sporting achievement, we couldn’t have selected a better school to fit our family values.

The passion and kindness of the teaching staff and leadership team shines through in every aspect of school life and can be seen daily through the warmth, enthusiasm and joy they bring to the boys. Being part of Parkside’s community, which is built on fellowship and camaraderie, has enabled our three boys to thrive in a secure environment that they love.

Mrs Dixon

03

Mrs Dixon

Parkside Parent

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We have recently moved to Parkside and have had nothing but a positive experience. The number one priority of the school is the boys and this is apparent in all areas, academic progress and development, sporting achievements and the boys’ happiness and wellbeing. We have watched our sons flourish in all aspects of school life at Parkside and that is credit to the fabulous teaching staff but also the overriding culture of the school.

Mr & Mrs G

04

Mr & Mrs G

Parkside Parents

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We chose Parkside for our son because we felt the school truly cared for the boys. Our initial feelings couldn't have been more right, Parkside has proved to be the perfect choice for our son who has loved every minute of his time there and has made many lifelong friends.

Mr & Mrs C

05

Mr & Mrs C

Parkside Parents

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Parkside has provided an amazing environment for our sons to learn, mature and enjoy school life. The care and commitment by the teachers have seen the boys develop and perform to their best. There is a lovely relaxed, friendly and inclusive atmosphere which has certainly brought the best out of our sons.

Dr JM Cox

06

Dr JM Cox

Headmaster, Royal Grammar School, Guildford

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I am always delighted to accept young men from Parkside as members of the RGS.  I have been very impressed with the academic standards which are being achieved at the School but, more importantly, boys from Parkside are delightful additions to our community.  They are invariably engaging, polite and academically curious, skills which have been established and nurtured at Parkside and which will hold them in very good stead for the future.

James Priory

07

James Priory

Headmaster, Tonbridge School

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We were delighted to be able to make three Unconditional Offers to Parkside boys this year. Like the prep school at Parkside, Tonbridge specialises in the education of boys. We are academically selective and Parkside boys are well prepared for the academic rigour here. Similarly, boys from Parkside easily transition to the depth and breadth of co-curricular pursuits at Tonbridge, including music, sport and the creative arts. The intellectual curiosity and enjoyment of these activities is nurtured at Parkside and flourishes at Tonbridge as the boys reach their teens. 35 miles along the M25, we are not that far away either! We very much look forward to developing our relationship with Parkside in the years to come.

Mr James Dahl

08

Mr James Dahl

Master of Wellington College

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Wellington College has been lucky to have had a steady stream of excellent Parkside boys join us over the recent years and we would be more than delighted to see many more! There is an a real passion for learning evident in the boys that we have met but this passion appears to extend beyond the classroom too and hence aligns very closely for what we look for in Wellingtonians. We also note tremendous values in the Parkside boys we have met and this explains the wonderful atmosphere evident in the school whenever we visit.

Mr James Davies

09

Mr James Davies

Headmaster, Halliford School

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(Halliford and Parkside) schools share a set of core values that sees us completely committed to seeing each student as an individual and doing everything possible to enable them to flourish and make the most of the many opportunities we are able to offer them. The confidence and maturity they develop in Year 7 and 8 at Parkside greatly contributes to our warm-hearted community at Halliford. Parkside students thoroughly embrace our values of creativity, respect, warm-heartedness, resilience, intellectual curiosity and being exceptional team players. It is no wonder that a number of Parkside boys have been awarded scholarships to join Halliford School. They achieve tremendous academic success at both GCSE and A Level thanks to the tremendous academic grounding they receive at Parkside, and they always fully immerse themselves in our wide variety of co-curricular activities and trips. The boys transition extremely quickly into life at Halliford, and we believe they benefit from our comparable size and ethos. Parkside boys contribute enormously to our school community, and it is our pleasure to celebrate their successes as members of the Halliford family.

Mrs C Austin

01

Mrs C Austin

Parkside Parent

Read More

Parkside is a very special school with a best in class leadership team, a creative and high energy teaching staff and a unique ethos that nurtures every child. As a family we enjoy a wonderful sense of community at the school and have made many life-long friends. Parkside School is distinctive in that every teacher knows every child's name and caters for their unique needs and personalities.

Mr & Mrs F

02

Mr & Mrs F

Parkside Parents

Read More

Parkside is a wonderful, forward thinking, family orientated and traditional prep school. Nurturing with a focus on excellence in education and sporting achievement, we couldn’t have selected a better school to fit our family values.

The passion and kindness of the teaching staff and leadership team shines through in every aspect of school life and can be seen daily through the warmth, enthusiasm and joy they bring to the boys. Being part of Parkside’s community, which is built on fellowship and camaraderie, has enabled our three boys to thrive in a secure environment that they love.

Mrs Dixon

03

Mrs Dixon

Parkside Parent

Read More

We have recently moved to Parkside and have had nothing but a positive experience. The number one priority of the school is the boys and this is apparent in all areas, academic progress and development, sporting achievements and the boys’ happiness and wellbeing. We have watched our sons flourish in all aspects of school life at Parkside and that is credit to the fabulous teaching staff but also the overriding culture of the school.

Mr & Mrs G

04

Mr & Mrs G

Parkside Parents

Read More

We chose Parkside for our son because we felt the school truly cared for the boys. Our initial feelings couldn't have been more right, Parkside has proved to be the perfect choice for our son who has loved every minute of his time there and has made many lifelong friends.

Mr & Mrs C

05

Mr & Mrs C

Parkside Parents

Read More

Parkside has provided an amazing environment for our sons to learn, mature and enjoy school life. The care and commitment by the teachers have seen the boys develop and perform to their best. There is a lovely relaxed, friendly and inclusive atmosphere which has certainly brought the best out of our sons.

Dr JM Cox

06

Dr JM Cox

Headmaster, Royal Grammar School, Guildford

Read More

I am always delighted to accept young men from Parkside as members of the RGS.  I have been very impressed with the academic standards which are being achieved at the School but, more importantly, boys from Parkside are delightful additions to our community.  They are invariably engaging, polite and academically curious, skills which have been established and nurtured at Parkside and which will hold them in very good stead for the future.

James Priory

07

James Priory

Headmaster, Tonbridge School

Read More

We were delighted to be able to make three Unconditional Offers to Parkside boys this year. Like the prep school at Parkside, Tonbridge specialises in the education of boys. We are academically selective and Parkside boys are well prepared for the academic rigour here. Similarly, boys from Parkside easily transition to the depth and breadth of co-curricular pursuits at Tonbridge, including music, sport and the creative arts. The intellectual curiosity and enjoyment of these activities is nurtured at Parkside and flourishes at Tonbridge as the boys reach their teens. 35 miles along the M25, we are not that far away either! We very much look forward to developing our relationship with Parkside in the years to come.

Mr James Dahl

08

Mr James Dahl

Master of Wellington College

Read More

Wellington College has been lucky to have had a steady stream of excellent Parkside boys join us over the recent years and we would be more than delighted to see many more! There is an a real passion for learning evident in the boys that we have met but this passion appears to extend beyond the classroom too and hence aligns very closely for what we look for in Wellingtonians. We also note tremendous values in the Parkside boys we have met and this explains the wonderful atmosphere evident in the school whenever we visit.

Mr James Davies

09

Mr James Davies

Headmaster, Halliford School

Read More

(Halliford and Parkside) schools share a set of core values that sees us completely committed to seeing each student as an individual and doing everything possible to enable them to flourish and make the most of the many opportunities we are able to offer them. The confidence and maturity they develop in Year 7 and 8 at Parkside greatly contributes to our warm-hearted community at Halliford. Parkside students thoroughly embrace our values of creativity, respect, warm-heartedness, resilience, intellectual curiosity and being exceptional team players. It is no wonder that a number of Parkside boys have been awarded scholarships to join Halliford School. They achieve tremendous academic success at both GCSE and A Level thanks to the tremendous academic grounding they receive at Parkside, and they always fully immerse themselves in our wide variety of co-curricular activities and trips. The boys transition extremely quickly into life at Halliford, and we believe they benefit from our comparable size and ethos. Parkside boys contribute enormously to our school community, and it is our pleasure to celebrate their successes as members of the Halliford family.

The Golden Bookmark Header (2000 x 750 px) (1)

The Golden Bookmark

A Surrey-wide Reading Challenge

The Golden Bookmark is a Surrey-wide children’s reading challenge that puts young readers at the heart of the decision-making.

We have teamed up with The Cobham Bookshop to invite children from across our local community to read, vote and help choose their favourite books within their age category.

This is a joint initiative between Parkside School and The Cobham Bookshop, open to all children aged 7–14.

The Books

The 2026 shortlist has been carefully chosen by the Parkside School Librarian, supported by the Parkside School Library Committee, with the aim of encouraging reading for pleasure across a range of abilities and interests.

  • All books are fiction
  • All were published in 2025
  • Several titles have been shortlisted for national and international literary awards

Children are encouraged to read the shortlisted books between January and April 2026.

How it works

  • Get involved
    All children participating will receive a Bookmark from their school, library or The Cobham Bookshop.
  • Read three books
    Children read all three shortlisted books from their age group
  • Vote for your favourite
    ​Once all three books have been read, children vote for their favourite by ticking the bookmark and returning it to:
    1. their teacher
    2. their school librarian
    3. or The Cobham Bookshop
  • ​Receive a Golden Bookmark. 
    All children who vote will receive a Golden Bookmark to keep.
  • Voting deadline
    All votes must be returned by Thursday 30 April 2026.
  • Votes are collated
    Teachers, librarians and The Cobham Bookshop will collate votes and share totals with Parkside School.
     
  • Winners announced

During the Summer Term 2026, the winning books and authors will be revealed, and the authors will be presented with their Golden Bookmark award.

Age Categories

Children vote within their own age category:

  • Age 7+
  • Age 9+
  • Age 11+

Children can only vote once they have read all three books in their category.

The 2026 Shortlist

Age 7+

  • Wild Magic: Legend of the Black Lion – Abiola Bello
  • Nora Nightsky – Rebecca Lewis-Oakes
  • The Wood Where Magic Grows – Andy Shepherd

Age 9+

  • The Great Theatre Rescue – Judith Eagle
  • Small Wonder – Ross Montgomery
  • A Box Full of Murders – Janice Hallett

Age 11+

  • Shrapnel Boys – Jenny Pearson
  • The Beck – Anthony McGowan
  • After – Pádraig Kenny

Children of Surrey – it’s time to vote!

Read. Vote. Celebrate.
Help crown the winning books and authors of The Golden Bookmark 2026.

Schools, libraries or organisations who would like posters or voting bookmarks can get in touch by emailing
GroombridgeF@parkside-school.co.uk

The Golden Bookmark Poster

The Golden Bookmark is a joint reading initiative by Parkside School and The Cobham Bookshop, created to encourage reading for pleasure and give children a voice in the books they love.

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