Head’s Welcome

There’s something quietly – yet confidently – wonderful about Bassett House. You sense it the moment you walk through our door: it is not in grand statements or a polished prospectus, but in the everyday, genuine warmth of our school family.

We are a school with a big heart. You hear this in the laughter of children who feel at home, and you see this in the genuine relationships that underpin everything we do. And, thankfully, academic-excellence and kindness are not mutually exclusive in 2025.

Founded in 1947 – and one of Notting Hill’s oldest preps – our school has successfully grown and evolved over the last eight decades. We have an excellent reputation locally, with many Bassett pupils being the second generation in their family to learn here. This is because we are a school for children beginning their learning 2025. I lead a school that is forward-thinking, unstuffy and totally child-focussed. Our teachers know their pupils well, and not just their strengths, but their quirks, dreams, and – crucially – their potential.

All that said, I love the fact that one thing has remained from our founding motto and aim: children are reminded daily to ‘Be the best you can be’. We encourage the children to give their ‘Bassett Best’ in all that they do.

Pastorally, this is a smaller school and there is much that comes with this that makes the children’s experiences so special. Academically, high quality, creative teaching is the norm. The teaching team here are all committed to providing a curriculum that is both challenging and ever-engaging. We are thrilled with our pupils’ outcomes in Year 6. Bassett pupils head happily off to some of London’s most academically-selective senior schools, and also to those schools that are perhaps less academically-selective, but where both parents and child are delighted with the outcome.

Our greatest success will always be measured by the character of our pupils.

There is much more I could say about Bassett. Our Mission Statement goes further in sharing what we stand for, but there is no better way to get a clear impression of Bassett House than by visiting us and speaking to the pupils, the staff, or to me.

Please come see for yourself what makes Bassett House in this corner of Notting Hill so very special.

I look forward to meeting you.

Christopher Woodward
Head