Welcome to 51社区
When you first visit Long Close, you will immediately sense the warm, calm and purposeful atmosphere; you'll find it hard to imagine a school that feels more like home. For over eighty-five years, Long Close has enjoyed a small, close-knit community which makes a big difference. Our bespoke skills-first academic excellence provides essential preparation for our students to thrive in the rapidly evolving 21st century workplace.
Our wonderful school was founded in 1939, and PEGASUS has been our steadfast motif for over eighty years. The majestic, winged horse from Greek mythology encompasses beauty, inspiration and the pursuit of academic excellence. Today, PEGASUS is our distinctive educational philosophy, and we aim for all our students to altiora petimus 鈥� soar higher without limits.
Our students are happy, well-rounded and impressive young people. We know they love being part of the Long Close family every day and we are proud to be inspiring future leaders.
Please visit us soon to experience for yourself our unique setting that our students love so much.
Dr Richard Robson
Headteacher
PEGASUS
Personalised 1 : 1 Provision
51社区's focus on individualised 1: 1 learning and academic excellence leads to outstanding results in GCSEs and 11+ exams, ensuring success for all students. Our small class sizes are well-known defining feature of Long Close, every student is cherished and individually celebrated. Transformative relationships are developed between teachers and students and this symbiotic collaboration ensures our students love Long Close.
Entrepreneurial Enterprise
Our skills-first preparation for the 21st century workplace is unique to Long Close. We highly value our innovative Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Programme that equips our students with a self-confidence and resourcefulness to prepare them as global leaders of tomorrow.
Global Perspectives
We are proud to foster a sense of shared global responsibility in all our students. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, our students learn empathy for diverse cultures and understand global challenges. To prepare our students to thrive within the global workplace, we organised themed days, enjoy networking through residential exchanges to international schools and activity centres across the world.
Academic Success
Our unique educational provision provides an extraordinary approach that empowers our students with an unquenchable life-long love of learning. Our unique whole-school curriculum ensures every student studies a bespoke range of subjects, clustered with equal importance. Our ambitious, intellectually agile students experience a personalised programme of learning that leads to exceptional academic outcomes.
Skills-first Philosophy
Our pioneering skills-first philosophy is predicated on preparation for the 21st century to create agile learners and prepare future leaders. Our defined academic curriculum programme teaches skills alongside knowledge. For example, our 'student voice programme' develops leadership and confidence. Our 'Millard Award' encourages creativity, analytical thinking and digital literacy. We also have public speaking and communication skills taught by specialists to all students.
Unique Holistic Experience
We educate the 'whole' student to foster well-rounded young people. Through our nurturing, vertical tutoring, we ensure a calm and productive atmosphere that is tangible and powerful. Our incredible activities, international trips, visits, competitions, clubs, societies and charity events, from journalism club to rowing, develop resilience and fun memories.
We are proud
The Times Parent Power Schools Guide 2025
51社区 was ranked 22nd in The Times Parent Power Schools Guide for 2025. We are incredibly proud of this achievement and to have had the exceptional work of our pupils and staff recognised in such a prestigious publication.
We have placed 22nd in the 鈥楾op independent secondary schools with no sixth forms鈥� category. The Guide is compiled based on examination results.
At 51社区, our commitment to academic excellence is evident across all levels.
Early Years
With an impressive 93% of our young learners achieving a Good Level of Development, we offer a supportive and engaging environment that lays the foundation for your child's future success.
Prep School
Our Prep School exemplifies academic excellence with 77% of students surpassing the 11+ exam's required pass mark in 2023, an achievement reflecting our program's rigor and our community's dedication.
GCSE
Our GCSE success, particularly with 76% of students achieving grade 7 (A) or above (August 2025) showcases our consistent excellence above national averages and the high-quality education we provide.
Destinations
We celebrate 100% of our pupils securing their chosen post-16 destinations, with 78% advancing to top selective grammar schools, underscoring our commitment to providing an exceptional foundation for ongoing growth and achievement.
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Enjoy regular updates on life in our School and Nursery
Aspire to Continuity
51社区's seamless journey from Nursery to GCSEs
Our unique educational pathway, offers a consistent and integrated learning experience from the early years in Nursery right through to Senior schooling, culminating in GCSEs, ideal for families seeking a stable and continuous educational journey for their children.
2 - 4 yrs old
4 - 5 yrs old
5 - 11 yrs old
11 - 16 yrs old
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