Reviews
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Reviews

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.

Rowena Cole

08

Rowena Cole

The Head, St John’s School Leatherhead

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It is always a pleasure to meet boys from Parkside. We want the children who join St John’s to be excited about the journey ahead; we encourage our pupils to be academically aspirational, happy, confident young people who enjoy a rich array of activities, and who are kind, compassionate members of society. Every child brings their own personality and interests to our school - and we celebrate that individuality - but Parkside’s ethos of awakening curiosity, and helping pupils take responsibility for their learning, equips them well to embrace the wealth of opportunities in senior school life at St John’s.

Mr James Dahl

09

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

10

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

1

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

2

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

3

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

4

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

5

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

6

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

7

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.

Rowena Cole

8

Rowena Cole

The Head, St John’s School Leatherhead

Read More

It is always a pleasure to meet boys from Parkside. We want the children who join St John’s to be excited about the journey ahead; we encourage our pupils to be academically aspirational, happy, confident young people who enjoy a rich array of activities, and who are kind, compassionate members of society. Every child brings their own personality and interests to our school - and we celebrate that individuality - but Parkside’s ethos of awakening curiosity, and helping pupils take responsibility for their learning, equips them well to embrace the wealth of opportunities in senior school life at St John’s.

Mr James Dahl

9

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

10

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.

Governors

Mr Robin Southwell OBE, FRAeS - Chairman

Mr Robin SouthwellRobin was with the Airbus Group since January 2003, initially as CEO of Airtanker Ltd, during which time he secured the largest military PFI in history with the RAF. 

Robin’s career has mainly been in the aerospace industry, initially joining BAE Systems upon leaving university in 1981.

His early career at BAE Systems included marketing and negotiating contracts for commercial and military aircraft worldwide.  He established the Asset Management Organisation in the mid 1990s before moving to Australia for three years, during which time the Royal Australian Air Force selected both the BAe Hawk and missile systems from MBDA.

Robin is Chairman of a diverse range of companies including On Air Dining, Belle Vue Speedway and Linley Furniture.   Furthermore, he is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Trustee of the RAF Museum and a NED of Shearwater Group and Farnborough International Limited.  He is also the co-owner of a hotel in Portugal, Chairman of Governors of Parkside School and was appointed by the Prime Minister as a UK Business Ambassador.

Robin is the Chair of Governors and can be contacted by using the following details:


Mr James Davies - Governor

Mr daviesJames has been Headmaster of Halliford School since September 2017 where he has enjoyed getting used to a very different pace of life compared to rural Cumbria where he was previously as Headmaster of a Boarding School.

He is a serving ISI inspector. A music graduate from the Universities of Sheffield and Manchester, Mr Davies has spent his career in teaching and has taught music at and held leadership roles in many independent schools across the north of England.

Mr Davies is an accomplished musician and as an organist and choral director, he has performed in most of the Cathedrals in the UK and many overseas. He is also an active member of the RNLI where he has served as a lifeboat man on both the East and West coasts of the UK being involved in many rescues and is currently working with their education department as there are as yet no RNLI stations in the Shepperton area. In his spare time, he is very involved with outdoor activities having organised student expeditions to Europe and Africa and he is a keen Scuba Diver and currently completing his instructor examinations. He has also taken on a new Labrador puppy who is being trained as the Halliford therapy dog as well as being his loyal companion!

His love of all things water based has recently led him to take on a volunteer position as Lead Skipper with the local Sunbury Ferry on the river Thames. As well as providing a valued service to the local community Mr Davies is exploring the possibility to train young people on the Ferry during the week when she is not being used for service. He comes from a sporting family where both his father and sister are British Olympians and so is no stranger to the demands of elite sports. He has a passion for Safeguarding and has been Safeguarding Governor at St Augustine’s Priory in Ealing since 2019.

James Davies can be contacted by e-mail at the following address:


Ms Hannah Davies – Parent Liaison Governor

Hannah davies78Hannah is a qualified Chartered Accountant, having spent 14 years at RSM as an external auditor, specialising in the not for profit sector, specifically advising charities and independent schools. During that time she has built up significant experience in the sector and the risks that schools and charities face. Prior to joining RSM, she studied French and Spanish at the University of Bristol, including living and working abroad for a year. More recently, Hannah has taken on the role of Bursar at Hoe Bridge School, a co-educational prep school in Woking and has been a Governor at Parkside since January 2022.

Hannah lives near Woking and in her spare time can mostly be found running around after her 4 year old twin boys.

Hannah is the Governor responsible for Parent Liaison and can be contacted at the email address below:


Mrs Celia Gregory – Staff Liaison Governor

Mrs Celia GregoryCelia has been a Governor of Parkside since 2012.  Very much a local, Celia was born in Weybridge and, apart from five years in London, has lived in the area all her life, and in Cobham since 1987.

Both her sons, Mark and Justin, attended Parkside between 1990 and 2002, during which time she was on the FOP Committee for a number of years. Celia worked as a nursery school teacher, in London and at Rowan Preparatory School, before becoming a full-time mum in 1986. In 2007, Celia completed a BSc in Psychology at Roehampton University.

Having been a member of St George’s Hill Tennis Club since childhood, Celia served on the Club Board for six years before becoming an employee in 2012 and she remains there as Racquets Co-ordinator.  She is a keen tennis player and enjoys walking, theatre and travel.

Celia is the Governor responsible for Safeguarding/Staff Liaison and Health & Safety and can be contacted by using the following details:


Ms Karen Keane

Karen KeaneKaren grew up locally, attending both Guildford High and Godalming College.  She has lived and worked in Europe for a number of years before returning to become a teacher.  Now qualified as a Specialist Assessor and SENCo, Karen works at Charterhouse. 

When not busy with all things teaching and learning, Karen is owned by a dog, 2 horses, 4 ducks and a football-playing daughter!!

Karen is the Governor responsible for Learning Enrichment and can be contacted by e-mail at the address below:


Mrs Sharon Pask

Sharon pask resizedSharon is a retired commercial lawyer with more than 30 years’ experience, 25 of which were spent in-house at Sky Television where, in 1991, she was appointed Deputy Head of Legal and Business Affairs. Sharon advised on a wide range of legal, commercial, compliance and corporate governance-related matters, including bidding for the Premier League TV rights and Sky’s floatation. During her career, she was appointed a Director of the Federation Against Copyright Theft and spent many years involved in the fight against intellectual property piracy.

Sharon remains Company Secretary of the family software business, Connect Auto, which provides retail website platforms and Apps to car manufacturers on a global basis. Her experience provides a legal perspective to the Parkside board.
 
Sharon has lived locally for 28 years with her husband Gary and both her sons attended Parkside and her daughter, Merrileas nursery.

Sharon Pask can be contacted by e-mail at the below address:


Mr Jonty Wood

Mr Jonty WoodAfter studying Law and Accountancy at Cardiff University, Jonty qualified as a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers. He retired in Easter 2018, having spent 25 years, the bulk of his career in finance, at HSBC Bank plc.  The majority of that time was in the role of Treasurer to the UK bank, and more recently, across the EMEA region. Primary responsibilities were the management of the bank’s liquidity portfolios and structural interest rate risk.

Jonty is married with four sons, all of whom went through the full Parkside experience, covering an unbroken period of 16 years.  This ended in July 2018 when his youngest son passed Common Entrance to move to St John’s, Leatherhead.  Jonty became a Parkside Governor in March 2018.

Jonty, a proud Yorkshireman, his main sporting interests are rugby, cricket, golf and the exploits of Huddersfield Town. Jonty lives locally in Oxshott.

Jonty Wood can be contacted by e-mail at the below address:


Mrs Janet Crane

Janet crane

Early Years Governor

Janet has worked as a primary school teacher since she graduated in 1980. She has lived in Cobham since 1984 and has two grown up children. She came to work at Parkside in 2002 eventually taking on the role of Deputy Head of Pre Prep. She retired in 2021.

She is passionate about Early Years and believes that this is the time when children need to be encouraged to learn good communication, problem solving, positivity, creativity and self-belief so they can go on lead successful and fulfilling lives.

 

 

 

 

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