Good Schools Guide
Friday 23rd January 2026
Welcome to the Barrow Hills Bulletin, your weekly newsletter with a snapshot of life at School.
Message From the Head
Dear Parents,
After a few decades’ absence, we are delighted to announce that a boarding option is returning for Barrow Hills Upper Prep children. From this September, our Year 7 and Year 8 pupils will be able to access flexi-boarding in the lovely Queen Mary House at King Edward’s School, just up the road. Full details will follow, including information about the shuttle bus, evening activities, and dates for upcoming free taster sessions.
Our visit from 100 (!) teachers from the Korean Department of Education was a great success. Year 7, who acted as tour guides, along with all Barrow Hills children, had the chance to shine as we opened our classrooms to our overseas colleagues. Meanwhile, our Year 8’s led demonstration workshops for the Korean teachers, showcasing how they use our safe Bridewell AI to develop critical thinking and deepen knowledge. I was incredibly proud – not just of the knowledge these pupils have acquired, but also of their quietly confident social and presentation skills.
Year 8 will be bringing their AI “world tour” to you, the parents, at an event on Tuesday 24th February. Please join us for an AI and digital workshop, with coffee after drop-off, where our pupils and staff will share live technology in action and demonstrate the arc of learning development at Barrow Hills for parents with an interest in digital learning.
At the lower end of the school, it was lovely to see the Reception class applying their curriculum learning and practical skills through a charity penguin craft sale for parents today. Funds raised will sponsor an actual penguin. We also welcomed a visiting historian this week, who provided an engaging WWII workshop for Year 4. In addition, we are pleased to share news of a number of our dancers passing recent ballet exams – congratulations, all of you! Barely stopping for breath, we have with more results to come across the spring term.
What a week – the mid week deluge has not stopped us moving forwards!
Warm regards,
Mr Towers, Head
