About Us
Headmistress' Welcome
Welcome to Dorset House School
Welcome to Dorset House School, a community I am proud to lead as Headmistress, a school where children are truly at the heart of everything we do. At Dorset House, we aim to provide every pupil with the opportunity to thrive in a warm, nurturing environment and to learn through a rich and varied curriculum.
Forward thinking yet steeped in tradition, Dorset House is one of the oldest prep schools in the country catering for both day and boarding pupils. Founded in 1784 in Hertfordshire, before moving to Littlehampton, we now educate pupils aged 4–13 on a stunning 16-acre site within the South Downs National Park, in the quiet village of Bury overlooking the River Arun.
Our small, nurturing classes enable children to benefit from individualised teaching, with subject specialists from year 5 to year 8. Quoted as “positively championing childhood”, we celebrate what it means to be a child, whether exploring the woodlands and zen garden or taking part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities and enrichment opportunities.
Academic rigour and excellence are part of the school’s DNA, with pupils progressing to a wide range of senior schools such as Brighton College and Seaford College, as well as further afield to Bryanston or Stowe. Our merger with the Lancing College family of schools has created further collaborative opportunities across the curriculum, alongside a clear pathway to Lancing College for those for whom it is the right choice.
Our pupils are proud of their school. I love nothing more than visiting them in their classrooms, where they are eager to share their learning with anyone who comes in, and where the excellent relationships they enjoy with their teachers are evident. It was the pupils who sold me the school and I have no doubt they will do the same for you!
While the written word can give you a flavour of our ethos and values, I wholeheartedly recommend that you come and visit us to see for yourself what a special place Dorset House is. I look forward to meeting you and your children very soon.
With very best wishes,
Sarah Sutherland-Booth
Headmistress
Personal tours and open mornings can be booked by contacting the School Registrar, Sarah O’Brien (sobrien@dorsethouseschool.com).
The school is highly successful in meeting its aim to inspire children through a challenging approach to academic learning. Pupils consistently gain their first choice place in competitive entry to senior independent schools and each year a considerable number are awarded academic, music and sporting scholarships.
ISI report