Vinehall

"Excellent in all areas."

Headmaster’s Welcome

As the Headmaster of Vinehall, it is my pleasure to welcome you to our website. Here, you can explore the many exceptional offerings of our prep school for boys and girls aged 2 to 13.

Located in 50 acres of picturesque East Sussex countryside, Vinehall provides a unique learning experience that allows our children to thrive in an expansive and nurturing family environment giving every child the opportunity to succeed both academically and personally while allowing them to remain children for as long as possible.

Our wonderful site means our pupils have a freedom rarely found these days, providing opportunities to explore and play outside, including climbing trees and building dens.

Vinehall always has great academic ambitions for our children. These high expectations are supported by dedicated teachers who inspire the children to work with enthusiasm and enjoyment in preparation for their senior schools and beyond.

With exceptional facilities, a broad and stimulating curriculum, and a commitment to instilling strong values, we take pride in offering an outstanding education that is tailored to the individual needs of each child.

Our size means that the teachers know all of the children well, and that every child is treated as an individual, supported and challenged as appropriate during their time at Vinehall.

At the forefront of our innovative approach are thematic programmes of study for children in Years 7 and 8. The themes reach across the curriculum, such that for the theme of Equality and Rights, for example, the children learn about Magna Carta, abolitionism and women’s suffrage (amongst much else) in Humanities lessons, whilst reading extracts from Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom in English lessons and finding out about parliament and democracy in Life Skills lessons.

Our aim is for pupils’ understanding of contemporary issues to be informed by a coherent chronological narrative that will enable them to appreciate both their place in an ongoing story and the responsibilities they have when it comes to writing the next chapters.

By instilling in our children a love for the natural world including growing fruit and vegetables in the school garden, which is irrigated through rainwater harvesting, we hope to empower them to become responsible stewards of the environment and inspire them to take action to preserve and protect our planet for future generations.

We also aim to promote responsible social action, informed by an understanding of the challenges faced by communities near to the school but also across the world. By engaging with different groups and working to support others, we hope the children will develop self-confidence and a sense of purpose that will remain with the children long after they have left Vinehall.

The School’s ethos is encapsulated in our motto, ‘to do our best for the benefit of others’.

We encourage our children to develop a sense of purpose and self-confidence, while also fostering a strong sense of community where tolerance and kindness towards others are leading values.

These values are embedded throughout our curriculum, and we encourage our children to develop creativity, critical thinking skills, and an awareness of ethical issues. This helps our children to become modern global citizens who are well-equipped to succeed in the twenty-first century world.

We look forward to welcoming you to our wonderful school and invite you to explore our website to learn more about what Vinehall has to offer.

If you have not already visited us, please do so. I feel privileged to be the headmaster of Vinehall and my wife, Liz, and I very much look forward to meeting you so that we can give you a taste of the incredible atmosphere at first hand.

Joff Powis
Headmaster

Marlborough House Vinehall

We are pleased to announce the exciting merger of two prestigious prep schools, Marlborough House School and Vinehall, effective from September 2025. The new school will be known as Marlborough House Vinehall and will operate on the existing Vinehall site, marking a significant development in independent education in the South East.

This merger comes in response to the evolving landscape of the independent school sector, allowing both schools to thrive in the face of political and economic pressures. The shared educational philosophy and pastoral care ethos of Marlborough House School and Vinehall will continue to flourish, emphasising the development of each child’s unique talents.

Marlborough House Vinehall will offer an exceptional child-centred, individualised approach to education from ages 2 to 13. The School will provide a vibrant educational environment for both day and boarding pupils, with a curriculum designed to balance academic rigour with artistic, sporting and personal development.

The merger will bring together a wealth of expertise, resources and facilities for the mutual benefit of both communities. Marlborough House Vinehall will be led by Mr Eddy Newton, current Head of Marlborough House School and a former Chair of IAPS (Independent Association of Prep Schools). Mr Joff Powis, current Head of Vinehall, will be the Senior Deputy Head.

As part of the Repton Family of Schools, Marlborough House Vinehall will benefit from enhanced resources, financial stability, and access to a global network of educational opportunities. The collaboration promises a bright future for the School, with continued investment in academic programmes, the arts and sport and a range of extra-curricular activities.

Our Learning Values are

Courageous
Inquisitive
Resilient
Collaborative
Reflective

Our Personal Values are

Kind
Respectful
Ambitious
Confident

Open Days and Weekly Tours

Visiting a school is all about the people: being able to meet the teachers who will be guiding and nurturing your child, getting a feel for the grounds and facilities, seeing our children and picturing your child amongst their new peer group.

Whole School Open Week: details below

Come and explore the wonders of Vinehall School during our Open Week. Meet the Head, tour the grounds and speak to our teachers and pupils about life at Vinehall.

All bookings for any of these events via – admissions@vinehallschool.com

Private Tours

We run private weekly tours of our Nursery, Pre-Prep and Prep School 5 days a week during term time with our Head, Joff Powis, and his wife Liz. Tours last approximately one hour; this will give you the opportunity to learn more about the Vinehall Nursery, Pre Prep and Prep School, see all our amazing facilities and meet our inspiring staff and children.

To arrange a private tour, please email us at admissions@vinehallschool.com or call us on 01580 883 090 and we will be in touch to arrange a suitable date and time for your visit.

Vinehall is “Excellent in all areas” – ISI Report January 2018