Durston House and Harvington Preparatory School in Ealing are to merge, with the aim of creating a new and exceptional co-educational offer for West London families.
As close neighbours, the schools already share deep roots within the local community. Now, Harvington Prep will join the Durston House family to strengthen these ties and cement community links. The school says it will continue to offer the highest standards of pastoral care and excellent academic preparation to support each child to achieve their best.
Led by Durston House head Giles Entwisle, the two schools will operate independently – with some sharing of facilities – until September 2023, when they will fully merge as a single, co-educational school.
Following the transfer of control of the The Harvington Educational Trust to The Durston House Educational Trust, Anna Evans will no longer be serving as headmistress of Harvington School. The governing boards of both Harvington Trust and Durston Trust would like to thank Anna for her many years of service and stewardship of Harvington School and wish her well for the future.
Giles Entwisle, head, Durston House, said: “It will be an honour to lead these two outstanding schools into the future, as we build on our successes and come together to offer pupils a rich, outward-looking, co-educational experience founded on diversity, inclusion and respect.
“We have an exciting opportunity to develop a premier, academically rigorous co-educational school, where pupils will be offered every opportunity to thrive in a caring, enriching and aspirational setting – regardless of their ethnicity, gender or faith within the Ealing and West London community.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Harvington Board for entrusting the school to us, and to express my appreciation for the continuing support of our communities, with whose backing we can look forward to a thriving future ahead.”
Mr Manjeet Mudan, Harvington Board of Governors, said: “Harvington Prep was founded in 1890 by two sisters, and has been through many changes in its 130+ year history. Now we believe the time is right for the school to evolve again, and to join with a larger, local school, with the opportunities for greater investment and development this will bring, we, look forward to it flourishing in the future, within the Durston family.”
