Published: 25 June 2026
Clapham’s independent schools form a small but well-established part of the area’s education provision, with a clear focus on preparatory education and progression into London’s leading senior schools at 11+ and 13+.
Set against one of south-west London’s most in-demand residential areas and where family demand remains consistently high, these schools play a significant role in attracting and retaining families looking for early education and reliable onward routes into London's best senior schools.
Eaton House The Manor
Type: Co-educational Nursery and Pre-preparatory and Preparatory
Fees: £745 to £8,213 (Per term) (2025-26)
Eaton House The Manor operates as part of an established group of six schools across two sites in Belgravia and Clapham, with its base set on a 1.5 acre site on Clapham Common North Side. The school provides a non-selective entry point at nursery and pre-preparatory level, with a clear focus on early development and progression through its structured academic pathway.
Founded in 1897 as Cliveden Place Preparatory School, Eaton House has developed steadily from a single-site boys’ prep into a wider group of schools found across central and south-west London. Its move into Clapham came with the opening of Eaton House The Manor in 1993 and expanded provision to include nursery, pre-prep and preparatory education.
The school operates on a non-selective basis in its early years, with an emphasis on giving pupils a strong academic and pastoral foundation, regardless of starting point. Its approach focuses on structured teaching, clear expectations and close staff support, alongside a broader curriculum that has been designed to develop confidence, independence and social awareness. Outcomes are measured through progression to leading senior schools, with pupils regularly moving on at 11+ and 13+, often with scholarships. In 2025, Eaton House The Manor recorded an exceptional year, with prep boys securing 11 scholarships including the highest accolade at Westminster School, while the girls’ school achieved 29 top scholarships and awards.
Thomas's Clapham
Type: Co-educational Preparatory
Fees: £7,205 to £8,140 (Per term)(2025-26)
Thomas’s Clapham is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 4–13 and forms a part of the wider Thomas’s group, which educates more than 2,000 children across London. Entry is non-selective at 4+, with progression structured towards 11+ and 13+ transitions into leading senior schools.
The school sits within a family-run group established over 50 years ago, beginning as a small playgroup before developing into a network of prep and senior schools. The founding vision emerged in response to a more traditional London prep model, with a deliberate shift towards a wider curriculum that integrates arts, sport and intellectual development from the very earliest stages.
Outcomes at 11+ and 13+ reflect consistent placement into leading London day schools and UK boarding schools, with a high volume of offers and scholarships across academic, creative and sporting disciplines. At 11+, 77 pupils secured offers across a wide range of schools including Alleyn’s, JAGS, Emanuel and King’s College Wimbledon, with multiple scholarships awarded in academics, sport, drama and art. At 13+, pupils continue to move on to schools such as Charterhouse, Marlborough, Wellington, Brighton College and Eton.
London Park School Clapham
Type: Co-educational Secondary
Fees: £7,770 (Per term)(2025-26)
London Park School Clapham is an independent co-educational secondary school for pupils aged 11–16, positioned on Clapham Common and operating as part of the wider Dukes Education group. Opened in September 2023 to allow for a more individualised approach to teaching and pastoral care, it sits alongside sites in Mayfair and a sixth form provision to provide an alternative to more traditional independent senior schools.
The school’s approach centres on small-class teaching, close staff-pupil relationships and a clear focus on individual development. Teaching is designed to be flexible and responsive, with pupils encouraged to explore interests beyond the standard curriculum and develop confidence in academic and creative areas.
Although recently established, the school celebrated its first GCSE results day in 2025 with 32% of grades at 9–7 and 96% at 9–4, alongside the founding cohort achieving 100% passes in English, Maths and Science.
Parkgate House School
Type: Co-educational Preparatory and Nursery
Fees: £8,300 to £8,800 (Per term) (2025-26)
Parkgate House School is a co-educational independent prep and nursery for children aged 2½ to 11 and is set on Clapham Common North Side. With around 160 pupils, the school operates on a deliberately small scale to allow for close staff-pupil relationships and a more individualised approach to teaching.
Founded in 1987 by Principal Catherine Shanley, Parkgate House remains independently owned and family-run which positions it slightly apart from the larger London prep school groups. The school is housed in a Grade II listed Georgian building dating back to 1819, originally known as Springwell House, which has since served a number of educational and civic functions, including as an open-air school in the early 20th century.
Teaching is structured but not overly rigid, with a balance between traditional classroom discipline and a more child-focused approach that is influenced in part by Montessori principles. There is a clear focus on building confidence, independence and social development alongside attainment which is supported by small class sizes and a curriculum that integrates outdoor learning, particularly through regular use of Clapham Common.
At 11+, pupils move on to a wide range of leading senior schools across London and the South East, with regular offers from schools including Alleyn’s, Dulwich College, JAGS, King’s College School, Westminster Under School and Wimbledon High School whilst scholarships are awarded across various academic, music and drama disciplines.
Emanuel School
Type: Co-educational Secondary and Sixth Form
Fees: £8,263 (Per term) (2025-26)
Emanuel School is an independent co-educational day school for pupils aged 10–18, based in Battersea on the edge of Clapham Common, The school spans from lower school through to a full A-level programme, with a clear emphasis on academia alongside participation in sport.
The school can trace its origins back to 1594, when Lady Anne Dacre’s bequest funded the establishment of Emanuel Hospital in Westminster, initially created to educate and support a small number of children. Over time, the institution evolved into a school and relocated to its current Battersea site in the 19th century.
Emanuel operates within a framework of Christian values, with a strong emphasis on inclusion, pastoral care and community responsibility. The school places equal weight on academic achievement and personal development which is bolstered by a wide co-curricular programme of more than 50 clubs and societies.
Recent outcomes point to a sustained improvement in academic performance. At GCSE, around 75% of grades were awarded at 9–8, with strong results across sciences, humanities and creative subjects. Over 60% of pupils achieved an average equivalent to straight A* grades, with evidence of positive value-added across cohorts. At A-level, approximately 70% of entries were graded A*–A, with over 30% at A* and places the school competitively within the independent sector.
Private schooling continues to hold its appeal for families seeking smaller class sizes, greater individual attention and more structured progression through key academic stages. While the right choice will always depend on the child, the sector’s strength lies in its ability to offer consistency and clear long-term pathways, particularly in areas where demand for high-performing schools remains strong.
