The History of Our School
Highwood House is a beautiful red brick building constructed in 1850 by Captain Suckling (related to Lord Nelson). It sits within 22 acres which include playing fields, a heated swimming pool, tennis courts, an all weather riding arena, stables, woodland, a narrow river, a natural pond and gardens. Our children hail from both southern Wiltshire and Hampshire, with many travelling from Romsey, Southampton, Winchester, Salisbury, and the New Forest.
Stroud School, as it was known until 2024, was founded at Stroud House, Grayswood, Surrey in 1926.
Under the Headship of Mr Woodall the School had grown to the respectable size of around 28 boys by 1936, when School was taken over by Mr and Mrs Molony. Despite the advent of the Second World War, the number of boys on roll grew and the School was successfully steered through this challenging period.
In 1946, the School relocated to Zeals House near Mere in Wiltshire, which was owned by the Chafyn family, who later became the Chafyn-Groves.
In 1953, the School relocated again to Highwood House in Romsey – our current site – and in 1958 was formed into a Limited Company and has since been under the control of a Board of Governors.
The Sanger-Davies family took over the school in 1960, and in 1975 the decision was taken to admit girls. In fact, we were visited recently by an Old Girl, Mandy Keegan, who became Stroud’s first Head Girl in 1982!
Under the leadership of the Sanger-Davies and Dodds family, the School went from strength to strength and in 2012, with an incredible legacy in place, the Sanger-Davies family made the decision to sell the School to King Edward VI, Southampton. This move has no doubt secured a strong future for our School in what has become an increasingly challenging landscape for smaller independent schools.
The School became officially called King Edward VI Preparatory School in September 2024.
Back in 1977 Mr Sanger-Davies wrote,
“...we thank God for having brought us safely through our first fifty years, and we stand on the threshold of a future high with hope, and full of exciting achievements.”
Our School has seen plenty of change in its 98 years and once again stands on the threshold of a new chapter, as King Edward VI Preparatory School. The legacy of all those who came before is that we retain a strong family feel and a passion for delivering outstanding opportunities, exceptional pastoral care and academic excellence for all. These will remain the foundations upon which we build. We stand committed to innovation and progress, nurturing a diverse learning community, and fostering creativity and inquiring minds.
And we will always carry, proudly, the spirit of Stroud.
