WHAT? WHERE?

Walthamstow Hall (or Wally Hall as it is most often referred to) is comprised of a Junior School on a site in Bradbourne Park Road and a Senior School (on a separate site in central Sevenoaks).

Walthamstow Hall Junior School Playground

The Junior School welcomes pupils from 2 to 11 years and is on the cosy side with 150 pupils currently on roll. To maintain optimum class sizes (18 is the largest in the school) there is the flexibility to divide year groups into two classes.

Walthamstow Hall Junior School Sevenoaks Kent Outside space

A school with a well-established, successful academic reputation, it celebrates its 185th anniversary this year (2023), making it one of the oldest girls’ schools in the country and certainly the oldest in Kent.

FACILITIES

The Junior School moved from the Senior School in Holly Bush Lane (see separate review) to its own site in Bradbourne Park Road in 1992 – housed in the building of what used to be St Hilary’s school prior to that (one for the fact fans).

Walthamstow Hall Junior School Sensory Garden alternative

The site is a wonderful oasis of creativity and colour. There’s a super cute, well-designed Sensory Garden, pictured above, with a ship in the middle of it to encourage imaginative play (the ship is a theme at Wally Hall – more on this later).

Pockets of interactive, colourful spaces are found all around the school and otherwise pretty standard brick buildings or walls are brightened up with rainbows, or piano keyboards, which is very effective. All this helps make it a welcoming space that the girls clearly love.

Walthamstow Hall Junior School alternative rainbow

SPORT

This has given both Junior and Senior schools more space while keeping the strong bonds and benefits. For the girls at the Junior School it’s kind of like the advantages of being a younger sister, with the opportunities afforded by being part of a bigger, experienced family.

Not to mention the use of the Senior School facilities, like the Senior School Sports Hall, for example for Badminton, Netball matches and Friday Football Club, plus the swimming pool and the Ship Theatre. (Click here for the Muddy review of Walthamstow Hall Senior School).

In fact, all girls from Reception to Y6 use the pool on the Senior School site for weekly swimming lessons, which is no doubt why their Junior Swim Team consistently excels in the National IAPS. And pupils qualified for the national finals for National Athletics track and field.

Wally Hall Junior School is not a school blessed with a lot of outdoor space, so don’t expect expansive greenery and huge purpose-built concert halls. The school has decent netball courts – and outdoor play areas. But the school still does very well competitively, proving that it’s the skills and love of sport you teach, rather than acres of land, that are crucial for creating good sportswomen.

What’s more, through its excellent relationship with the local area, the school makes sure that the town location never means the girls miss out on anything. If the facilities aren’t available at the Senior School, they have other arrangements in place – for example, Sports Day takes place at Tonbridge School.

There has been real growth of football and cricket with dedicated clubs for both and cricket nets installed at the Senior School. The PE department run Sports Camps most holidays for pupils in Years 3 – 6.

ICT & SPECIALIST SPACES

Walthamstow Hall Junior School girls in ICT

Within the buildings themselves there is a lot of space – there’s excellent specialist facilities like a Science Lab, Art & DT Room, stage, Libraries for both younger and older pupils, Music Centre and ICT suite… (remember it’s on the site of what was once a senior school).

As well as computing lessons being taught from Reception, from Year 3 all pupils have a separate touch-typing lesson.

In fact, while on the subject of ICT, this is a school that mixes both tradition and technology well – screens are put to good use and woven into the fabric of the school as you walk around.

Walthamstow Hall Junior School Classroom interactive write board

Screens dotted about feature Special Notices for the Day, the school lunch Menu, Timetable info and more. During snack time one Y5 class were watching a News Bites round up of the week’s news stories on the large screen next to the whiteboard (pictured above).

Geography and History is taught in the World Studies Room. There’s a striking library where the entire space from floor to ceiling, including even the doors, have been encased in a really wonderful wrapping featuring pupils’ most beloved fictional characters (pictured above). It has created really magical spaces where you feel like you are inside a book.

ART

Art is given the full weight it deserves here – with posters in the classroom stating ‘Art Makes Children Powerful.’ This sets the tone for the Senior School where students can study, Art, Three Dimensional Design, Textiles and Photography as separate A Levels. A snazzy kiln is used in lessons and Art Clubs.

MUSIC & DRAMA

As well as gaining a good knowledge of instruments during Music lessons (like playing the ukulele here) there’s a good selection of private music tuition.

Walthamstow Hall Junior School Lion King

Trinity Drama lessons can be added in Year 6 and the girls have access to the Ship Theatre at the Senior School, for bigger concerts and productions. Here’s the Summer 2021 production of The Lion King and Little Mermaid, below, from 2022. Year 5 and Year 6 also take Trinity Drama lessons.

Walthamstow Hall Junior School Little Mermaid seahorses and clams

ACADEMICS

They’re good. Girls are definitely encouraged to be curious, to find things out and think for themselves. This is a school for girls with academic potential. Unlocking that potential is an exciting journey of discovery and resilience. Girls are supported in developing independence in approach, execution and improvement, both in and outside of the classroom. This is also a place where girls bring their whole self to School.

The school works with each family to find the right senior school fit for their daughter’, anywhere from half to two thirds of Year 6 continue to the Senior School but other options are pursued too, with pupils taking up places at Sevenoaks, the local grammars and boarding schools further afield.

Prospective pupils spend a ‘taster day’ at the Junior School where they undergo assessments tailored to their age group. At the Early Years stage this consists of very informal observations to ensure that the children are happy in the environment.

Walthamstow Hall Junior School Year 6 Classroom

In later years prospective pupils may sit some tests, especially if they are keen to progress into the Senior School (and, if so, this will include a Maths and English test and having a meeting with the Headmistress, Ms Chamberlain).

PASTORAL CARE

In Nursery, Pre-School and Reception each pupil is allocated a Key Worker within their first few weeks at the School. The Key Worker is usually the pupil’s Early Years teacher and their role is to help ensure that every child’s learning and care is tailored to meet their individual needs.

From Year 1 to Year 6 the pastoral care of each pupil is overseen by their Form Teacher whom they will see every day at School. Both Key Workers and Form Teachers play a vital role in communicating with parents.

The Head of Early Years, Head of Pastoral Care, Deputy Head and the Headmistress, have overall responsibility for pastoral care and are always available for consultation.

NURSERY & PRE-SCHOOL

Walthamstow Hall School Junior School Sevenoaks Kent Early Years Pre prep Nursery

Girls and boys are now able to join the Walthamstow Hall Nursery as soon as they turn two.

Class sizes are small, with a ratio of one adult per four children, a pretty good offering. Learning is through play, exploration and discovery in the bright and stimulating indoor and outdoor learning spaces.

The Nursery follows an imaginative Creative Curriculum, where activities are multi-sensory (including interactive whiteboards), fun and reflect each child’s stage of development. The various subjects littlies can access through play and exploration include French, Music, PE, Forest School, Ballet, Cycling, Library and Tae Kwon Do.

HEAD TEACHER

Walthamstow Hall School Headmistress Ms Louise Chamberlain

New Headmistress, Ms Louise Chamberlain, (pictured above) joined Walthamstow Hall in the summer term (2023) and is the over-arching Headmistress of both schools. Joining in the summer gave her the perfect opportunity to get to know the school community and plan ahead for the Autumn Term – in order to hit the ground running for the 2023/24 school year.

She’s very friendly with an infectious energy and enthusiasm. Just the kind of dynamic head that you’d hope would both inspire a new generation – and also offer an approachable, easy rapport with the students.

Chamberlain is quick to assure me that ‘Wally’ girls are not a type, but true to themselves. What she hopes to instil in them is integrity of character and wholesomeness. Her focus will be to maintain the ‘one school vision’ which is a strong selling point for the school and strengthen the bonds between school, pupil and parent – with lots of events planned to back this up and an office door that is always open.

For day-to-day guidance and parental feedback the Junior School does also have an on-site Deputy Head, Mrs Chrissie Conway (pictured above), who works closely with Chamberlain but clearly more than capable at overseeing the daily running of the Junior School.

Passionate about creating a vibrant, buzzy atmosphere where girls feel fully comfortable to take risks, in a safe, learning environment. Conway explains that the key is striking the right chord of relaxed motivation, which is certainly the resounding note as you walk around.

WHAT ELSE?

The well-equipped Forest School area is used by all pupils from Pre-School up to Year 3. Raised vegetable beds have also been added for the burgeoning Horticulture Club. Pupils grow and sell their vegetables and then use the proceeds to plan and buy their seeds for the next growing season.

The school boasts two fully trained Forest School teachers – and calculated risk taking, tools and, of course, hot chocolates are now regular fixtures.

As evidenced with the new Forest School, what is very much running through the veins of Walthamstow Junior School is an emphasis on confidence building.

Walthamstow Hall Junior School Forest School 2

This approach continues right through every element of lessons. Girls do not sit still for long. On our visit PE kit seemed to be worn everywhere, there was a wonderfully animated English lesson taking place with some very scary lost souls trying to break out of the Underworld.

Where, previously, the school had a somewhat scholarly reputation, this now seems like an environment where even the shy, or less academic, could reach their full potential and thrive. Happiness, under Deputy Head, Mrs Chrissie Conway, is at the forefront.

The new Leaps and Bounds initiative teaches everything from eurythmy dance to circus skills in order to develop the girls’ spatial awareness, fine motor skills, ranges of movement, self-awareness, rhetoric and performance skills.

There’s no gender stereotyping here – the long list of clubs rightly includes STEM, Latin, Problem Solving, Lego, football and Taekwondo.

QUIRKS & USP

WHJS Walthamstow Hall Junior School Sevenoaks Kent girls in the Ark in the playgorund

Walthamstow Hall was founded 185 years ago in East London as a school and home for the daughters of missionaries. That missionary history is why the school uses a ship as its symbol and you’ll see this theme featured a lot around both the Junior and Senior schools. Pictured above are girls in ‘The Ark’ in the playground.

Another nice touch here, and the cornerstone of the Junior School curriculum, are their theme days, such as Confidence Day, Creativity Day, Calculation Day, Courage Day and Crescendo Day. The pupils I met were as enthusiastic as the staff to tell me about these days and the initiatives and activities born from these days, like a school climbing trip, pictured above.

WRAP AROUND CARE

Nursery and Pre-School are open 7.15am – 6.15pm, Mon to Fri for 50 weeks a year in the dedicated Nursery and Pre-School.

Homework and Holiday Club at the Junior School provides the same wraparound provision for pupils from Reception to Year 6.

Nursery, Pre-School and Junior School pupils can choose the wraparound care which best suits their family, be that school day hours in term time, extended day hours into the school holidays or somewhere in between.

WORD ON THE GROUND

The vast majority of girls that go here turn into successful all-rounders. The group of girls who took me on a tour of the school certainly did their school proud (it’s always a good sign when students themselves are trusted to take me on a review tour).

They demonstrated sharp enquiring little minds, all with very different personalities, but all equally charming. Wally Hall prides itself on producing girls that are bright, sparky and confident – while still being a joiner and team player.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: This is a place for girls with academic potential, but is purposeful rather than pushy. Particularly ideal for anyone working in London and looking at independent schools in commutable settings.

Not for: Anyone wanting a rambling rural setting – it’s a small, intimate site. However the sports skill set here is strong and the use of the Senior School facilities is a real plus point.

Go see for yourself! To book a tour of the Nursery, Pre-School and/or Junior School visit their website here.

Walthamstow Hall Junior, Bradbourne Park Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 3LD, Tel: 01732 453815, walthamstow-hall.co.uk/junior-school

Walthamstow Hall Junior School

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