12-14 Castlebar Road, Ealing, London W5 2DR
10 reasons to choose Durston House
Top line
Durston House has a Schoolsmith Score® of 80. It is one of the best independent prep schools in and around Ealing and one of the 4 best primary schools for 0.5 miles.
School fundamentals
Durston House is an independent prep day school for boys and girls (90%/10%) between the ages of 3 and 13 years. The school became co-ed from Sep 2023. The school has an academically selective admissions policy from Year 1. It is a standalone prep school, not tied to any one senior school. Durston House fees range from £6,275 (Rec) to £7,655 per term (2025/26). Fees include VAT but exclude lunches.
Average class size
Durston House has three classes per year and an average class size of 14 pupils.
Leavers' destinations
Destinations for Year 8 Durston House School leavers is one of 20 day or boarding schools. The most popular exit for boys is Merchant Taylors’ School, which over the last 5 years has taken 31% of Year 8 pupils. Hampton School has taken 19%, John Lyon School 19%, and St Paul’s School 16%. 25% of pupils win awards and scholarships. Between 20% and 30% of boys leave after Year 6 for a London day school, the most significant beneficiaries being Merchant Taylors’, Hampton School, and St Benedict’s School. Pre-merger, Harvington Prep girls won places at a local independent day school after Year 6. A four-year average for attainment in Year 6 SATS puts Durston House in the top 1.5% of all prep and primary schools in England.
The Durston House curriculum
School curriculum follows the National Curriculum and the ISEB Common Entrance curriculum. Use of cross-curricular ‘topics’ and ‘humanities’ through to Year 4. Whole school themed days and STEM Week. The curriculum also includes study skills, reasoning, PSHME, French, Latin. The school broadens the curriculum further with ‘Enrichment Sessions’ four afternoons per week up to Year 4. The school offers each pupil between 5 and 10 different extra-curricular academic activities or hobby clubs.
More on the curriculum
There are regular educational trips for all year groups, visiting speakers and residential trips from Year 4.
Specialist teaching
Specialist teachers for sport, music and computing throughout, for RE from Year 1, for languages from Year 3, for art from Year 4, and for all subjects from Year 5.
Sport at Durston House
School offers between 10 and 15 different sports over the course of the year. Competitive teams in major sports from Year 3.
The Arts at Durston House
Art and music are taught as discrete curricular subjects to all pupils. Drama is part of the extra-curriculum. Verse recital is a feature of the week-long Durston House Literary Festival. All pupils learn an instrument in class and about one third take extra-curricular instrument lessons from Year 3. Two choirs, orchestra and several instrument ensembles. There are some extra-curricular creative and performing arts clubs.
Wraparound care
Wraparound care from 7.30am to 6.00pm.
Find another school near Durston House
St Benedict’s Junior School (0.5 miles); Clifton Lodge School (0.5 miles); Notting Hill and Ealing High Junior School (0.7 miles).
Christ the Saviour Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles); Montpelier Primary School (0.7 miles); North Ealing Primary School (0.8 miles).
St Benedict’s School (0.3 miles); Ealing Independent College (0.4 miles); Notting Hill and Ealing High School (0.7 miles).
Twyford Church of England High School (1.3 miles); The Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls (1.3 miles); Drayton Manor High School (1.4 miles).