Frequently Asked Questions
Select a question from those below. Click << back to return to the main FAQ page.
Most Frequent FAQs
"What makes
PGS distinctive?"
"What is distinctive
about the PGS Junior School?"
"At what age can
pupils join PGS?"
"Is the school co-educational
throughout?"
"So, in a sentence
why choose PGS?"
"How do we find
out more?"
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"What makes PGS distinctive?"
We seek to develop the whole child within the context of a family
school. We offer a one-step education from Nursery to Sixth Form
in order to facilitate this. This involves the creation of a secure
and structured environment, inside which a broad range of children
can access pastoral, academic and extra curricular opportunities
of the highest order.
We enjoy a unique location at the centre of historic Portsmouth,
the UK’s only island city. We are fortunate to own outstanding
sports facilities at Hilsea, as well as having access, through the
school’s unique standing within the community, to an exceptional
range of local facilities. All this makes us one of the top co-educational
schools in the country.
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"What is distinctive about the PGS Junior School?"
The Junior School is an integral part of the whole school and
shares the overall philosophy explained above. It concentrates on
getting the basics right, on making children at ease with themselves
and others within a safe and secure environment. It then offers
them a remarkably diverse academic and extra curricular programme,
much broader than that to be found even in many independent schools,
which gives them the best possible preparation for Senior School
life.
As far as academic matters are concerned, every pupil who enters
the Junior School intends going on to the Senior School. There is
no automatic right of entry, and external candidates, from other
schools, are not at any disadvantage in the assessment test. But
on the other hand the Junior School has long experience of establishing
secure foundations for a successful future education and this involves
a comparably strong record of success in entry to the Senior School.
In the last three years, for example, every Junior School pupil
has been successful, and over 18 have won scholarships and other
awards.
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"At what age can pupils join PGS?"
You can join the Nursery at any stage after 2½. The chief
ages for school entry are 4, 7, 11, 13 and 16. We are sometimes
asked “What is the ideal age for joining?” Given that
we believe the school has the right educational philosophy and provides
the best possible grounding for happiness and success in life the
obvious answer is the earlier the better! But every child is unique
and the right package should always be considered for the particular
personality and circumstances.
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"Is the school co-educational throughout?"
Yes. PGS is acknowledged as one of the country’s leading co-educational
schools. Way back in Victorian Times Frances Mary Buss, one of the
pioneers of women’s education, asked ‘Why are women
so little thought of? I want girls educated to match their brothers.”
The whole march of 20th
century education, not just in this country but globally has been
towards co-education, because it alone can give equal opportunities
and a proper grounding for life. The occasional idiosyncratic survey
may occasionally argue otherwise, but the whole sweep of the 20th
century progress, quite apart from the UK educational marketplace,
is unlikely to be wrong. Co-education is the way forward in the
21st century.
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"So, in a sentence why choose PGS?"
We offer extraordinary opportunities to a broad range of families
within an ordinary and everyday context – with lasting results
and exceptional benefits. Come and see for yourselves.
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"How do we find out more?"
• By requesting a Prospectus pack.
• By visiting on Open Morning.
• By arranging a tour.
• Phone or e-mail our Admissions Office (023 9236 4269);
admissions@pgs.org.uk
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Nursery & Junior
School (023) 9236 4219