Frequently Asked Questions

In Nursery and Pre-Kindergarten, the school day runs from 8.30am to 3pm each day.

In Kindergarten and Grade 1, the day runs from 8.30am to 3.30pm.

The option to stay for daily after-school clubs starts in the Pre-Kindergarten and these generally run until 4.30pm.

From Grade 2 to 5, the day runs from 8.30am to 4pm.

In the Nursery, the children start on half days in September which run from 8.30am to 12pm and the children do not stay for lunch. In order to give the children a friendly, fun and gentle start to Nursery life, this lasts for the first few weeks and generally, the Rosh Hashanah Public Holiday in New York signals the move to full days from 8.30am to 3pm for the rest of the year.

The children generally manage this very well but we are a nurturing, understanding and accommodating teaching team and understand that each child is different and might need additional support and care. A Quiet Time and nap opportunity is offered each day after lunch should the children need to rest.

We have found that most children in Nursery and Pre-K do not need them and adjust quickly to their new routine, ready for their afternoon activities!

Wetherby-Pembridge can accommodate 15 children in the Nursery and Pre-Kindergarten and there will always be teaching assistant support in each class. Extra support is offered in the Kindergarten and Grade 1 classes where the class sizes reach 20 children.

Teachers often rotate to take small groups out for enrichment and booster classes which provide bespoke attention to the specific needs of each child.

Currently, most classes range from approximately 10 to 18 pupils, with a maximum of 20 pupils per class. The emphasis is on the quality teaching and bespoke care of each pupil.

The School will consider daily transportation and a School Bus but this is subject to demand. Many of our families live in the immediate area and walk to School where possible.

Our Lead Teachers mostly come from the UK and are trained and experienced in the UK educational system, the Early Years Foundation Stage and English National Curriculum. All are highly qualified with an excellent track record and all seek to nurture, challenge and bring out the very best in each child in their care.

Roughly 30% of our families are currently from the UK or from outside the US. 70% of the remaining school community are local New York families from a diverse range of international backgrounds. All are united under a common sense of purpose, centred round the academic achievement and personal success and fulfillment of their children.

Yes, the School is part of the prestigious Alpha Plus Group based in the UK. Please read more in the Governance section of the website.

Once families join Wetherby-Pembridge, they become part of the Alpha Plus Family and a member of the international alumni network this provides. There will be a number of exchange programme opportunities as the children progress to the Middle School. The School already facilitates pen pal opportunities with the schools in London.

If a family wishes to transfer between WPNY and one of our schools in London, the Head of School is able to facilitate a transfer where there are openings and suitability for the family.

Wetherby-Pembridge is the first international School for the Alpha Plus Group.

Kate Bailey has had 16 years of experience working in the independent sector across London, including Westminster Under School, where she was Head of the Junior Department and ran the 7+ and 8+ annual academic admissions process.

From 2011, Kate was Senior Deputy Head for five years at Wetherby Preparatory School, part of the prestigious Alpha Plus Group. As a member of the Leadership Team that won the Tatler Prep School of the Year Award in 2012, she then accepted the Headship of Wetherby-Pembridge in New York in July 2016. Not only has she brought with her a fundamental understanding of the British Curriculum, she actively promotes the history and educational excellence of the Alpha Plus Group that supports the School. Kate has featured in reputable publications in the lead up to opening in Manhattan, notably the Wall Street Journal in October 2016.

Kate is a graduate of Edinburgh University with an MA in English Literature and History and a PGCE from The Institute of Education of the University of London. Additionally, she gained a Distinction Award in the Enhanced Leadership Programme from the Institute of Leadership and Management.

Kate is a committed chef, coming from a strong culinary background, and she was part of the team to produce the cookery manual, ‘Cook with Us’. She enjoys fundraising events and has worked on projects for the British Heart Foundation, The Royal Parks Foundation and Cancer Research. Kate loves walking and keeping fit and any opportunity to be by the sea. Kate is proud that the School will take part in the ‘Rising New York Road Runners’ Physical Literacy Programme in 2018-2019 and continues to advocate for the benefits of Fencing, Chess and Gardening within the school day.

At Wetherby-Pembridge, the Head of School acts as the constant Director of Admissions and oversees the process with the help of the Deputy Head. All application and admissions enquiries are made through the Executive Assistant, Kris Garcia.

Normally, applications are received by 15^th December before the year of entry. However, we offer a rolling admissions programme and will consider applications for Nursery to Grade 1 throughout the year, so do contact the School Office at info@wetherbypembridge.org or 646-213-3400 if this applies to you and your family.

We do not require testing for application to Kindergarten and Grade 1.

Wetherby-Pembridge will look to provide financial Aid for September 2019 applications to the Nursery to Grade 1.

In New York, parents are faced with decisions to make and which school philosophy works best for their children and family.

At Wetherby-Pembridge, we are a British school following the English National Curriculum. We offer a traditional, yet forward-looking syllabus and we aim for a balanced and well-rounded approach. Success is achieved in aspiring to excellence in all areas of the school and we bring with us our trademark success from the schools in the UK. The teaching team expect excellent standards and nurture the children in their care to produce happy, confident and lifelong learners.

From Kindergarten, children learn in co-educational settings for all subjects apart from English and Maths when these classes will be single-sex.

Visiting the school, you will feel at home with the children – they have a natural sense of welcome and are very good company.

Wetherby-Pembridge prides itself on its high standards of teaching and learning. Each Class Teacher is empowered to reach a range of needs within their classes and they are experienced at handling issues as they arise. As a School, we will consider all applications and providing we can meet the needs of the child and the educational philosophy resonates with the family, we can offer a place. We must be a School where all children can feel happy and thrive and therefore each child is handled separately and with care. Enrichment classes are frequently offered for support in phonics, fine motor, study skills, English and Maths, amongst many others.

Boys and girls learn and receive information differently and at Wetherby-Pembridge, children learn in single-sex classes for Maths and English and a co-educational setting for all other subjects. Please see the link for further information on this topic.

Sport and PE is an integral part of the school curriculum.

From Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 1, the children swim all year round at the 92Y on Lexington Avenue and attend PE and Gymnastics sessions in their Wonder Fit and Mack Gym. From Kindergarten, Seasonal Sport sessions are additionally introduced with the School Coach and these may include, Soccer, T-Ball, Athletics, Hockey and Tennis. A weekly after-school Sports Club is additionally provided.

The School is proud to be part of the ‘Rising New York Road Runners’ Programme from September 2018, which advocates physical literacy and a love of fitness and running in all children for life. Children can also take part in Saber Fencing classes at Tim Morehouse Fencing Club on the Upper West Side.

The School enjoys meeting all children for Play Sessions and looks for potential and character, as well as ability. Many children starting do not have a basic grasp of phonics or numbers and the teaching team provides scaffolding and enrichment support in a number of ways to help children close the gaps, if necessary. The teaching team are on hand at all times to guide and advise how parents can help from home where required. Children tend to grasp new concepts quickly and are helped to gain a solid understanding at their own pace.

Enrichment classes are on offer in most areas of the curriculum, whether that be fine motor skill development, phonics and reading, number work. The groups are fluid and designed so that children can come and go when deemed necessary. Booster sessions such as these can make all the difference to a child’s attainment and overall personal learning confidence.

These learning journeys are shared with parents every step of the way.

At Wetherby-Pembridge, Parent Conferences are held twice a year in October in the Autumn Term and February in the Spring Term. This is a time to discuss pupil’s progress individually with the Class Teacher and clear targets are established.

A full written report is issued at the end of the Summer Term in June.

If further information is needed throughout the year, parents can organise personal update meetings with Class Teachers.

Nursery and Pre-Kindergarten pupil profiles are available on request from the class teacher.

At Wetherby-Pembridge, homework is set in order to allow parents to celebrate and reinforce their child’s learning at home. Homework should consolidate or finish-off work started at school. It should be able to be completed by the majority of pupils within an allotted time.

From Pre-Kindergarten upwards pupils take a reading book home each evening.

On a Friday, ‘Weekend Talk’ is sent home. This is an opportunity to promote discussion around an interesting topic that can involve the whole family.

Until the end of Kindergarten, homework should be completed with adult support and supervision. From Grade 1, all children should try to work independently at a task before seeking parental guidance.

Reading— Children are encouraged to read out loud, or enjoy a book with an adult, for 10-15 mins every day. The book will either be from the reading scheme or chosen by the child from the library. Both parents and teachers communicate daily in the Reading Journal.

Additional phonics, sight words, handwriting and mathematics may supplement this from time to time.

Reading – Children are encouraged to read out loud, or enjoy a book with an English speaking adult, for 10-15 mins every day. Both parents and teachers communicate daily in the Reading Journal.

The library books are the children’s own choice. Some guidance is given but do not worry if this book seems too hard or too easy, as it is a book for the parents and child to share together. If necessary phonic sounds need to go home daily to be practised.

Spelling – The children are given spellings that need to be learnt over a week. This is a combination of irregular spellings and phonic based words.

Maths -Tasks will be sent home weekly.

Literacy – From Term 2, a grammar based homework activity is given weekly.

Reading – Children are encouraged to read out loud, or enjoy a book with an English speaking adult, for 10-15 mins every day. Both parents and teachers communicate daily in the Reading Journal

The library books are the children’s own choice. Some guidance is given but do not worry if this book seems too hard or too easy, as it is a book for the parents and child to share together. If necessary phonic sounds need to go home daily to be practised.

Spelling – The children are given spellings that need to be learnt over a week. This is a combination of irregular spellings and phonic based words. The children are tested on the first 200 high frequency words each term.

Maths – Children complete one or two tasks per week. A homework activity based on the concept being taught in maths is also given out once a week.

Literacy – A comprehension activity is set weekly. This is differentiated to their guided reading ability groups. A second activity is also sent home weekly either based around creative writing or a grammar and punctuation task.

As the School grows, class sizes will remain at a maximum of 20 pupils. The school will aim to be two form entry in each year group and there will be a Lower School and Middle School divide across two sites. The co-educational and single-sex philosophy will remain in place throughout.

All pupils at Wetherby-Pembridge are prepared for top boarding or day High Schools in the US, UK and internationally. If families aspire to US High Schools, all preparation and relevant testing is accounted for and families meet with the Head of School from Grade 6 to decide relevant choices and next steps.

Yes, we do.

A hot and nutritious lunch is provided to all children in the school on a daily basis by JC Food. Each meal is balanced with a choice of fresh vegetables and fruit for pudding. All dietary requirements are respected and once the school is informed by a family, we will directly meet those needs. The School is a nut free environment at all times.

Daily snacks are provided ranging from fresh fruit three times a week and on other days we might provide vegetable crudites with humous or cheese and crackers. These are provided every morning and for after-school activities.

Healthy eating is valued at Wetherby-Pembridge and we are regularly visited by ‘Veggiecation’ who talk to the children about a balanced diet and healthy food choices. We enjoy family-style lunches each day with an emphasis on table manners and good conversation!

We offer an after-school clubs programme from Monday to Friday. These generally run from 3.30 to 4.30pm each day.

Outsourced activities are provided in Chess run by ‘NYChess Kids’ and Saber Fencing which takes place at Tim Morehouse Fencing Club on the Upper West Side. Children can also attend Carousel of Languages on Madison Avenue to learn French and Mandarin amongst other options. From September 2018, Tap Dancing will also be available.

Additional Clubs run in computing, cookery, arts and crafts, board games, outdoor sports and fitness, construction and Friday ice skating from September 2018.

Trips and visits play an integral part of each child’s learning at Wetherby-Pembridge.

The Nursery have visited venues such as the Daryl Roth Theater for the showing of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ and the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. They have been visited by the FDNY and visit the local Library and Post Office to support their topics.

Pre-Kindergarten have visited the American Museum of Natural History and Central Park Zoo.

Kindergarten and Grade 1 are part of the Musical Explorers Programme at Carnegie Hall and visit the Hall twice a year for musical concerts. Other venues have included the Whitney Museum and the Hall of Science in Queens all accessed by School Bus for the day with a delicious packed lunch.

The children go to Central Park every day (enjoying the playground at 96^th and East Meadow at 97^th and Fifth). When the weather is inclement, they have arranged activities in the School Hall such as Yoga, indoor soccer and soft hockey. They can also take part in construction and board game activities. Often, this is a good time to share stories or reading and research time in the Library.

Wetherby-Pembridge is a warm and approachable, yet purposeful environment and this welcome is extended to all who visit the School. There is good order and a clear structure which helps each child to thrive and know where they stand. This provides the school community with stability and a sense of purpose, with all united under clear goals and expectations. Above all, we are about a love of learning for life, a passion for education and thoroughly enjoying the process along the way. The teaching team champion the children in their care and this is simply part of what we do.

Children will make mistakes and this is only normal and it is our role to help them understand what went wrong and more importantly, how they can ‘come back better’ next time. Good humour is shared by all and we celebrate each child’s unique talents.

If you visit London, do drop into our Schools as they are rich in the same qualities of achievement, warmth and humour.

Our parent community are highly involved in the weekly life of the School. Parents can attend a monthly Friday Family Assembly and there are frequent opportunities to attend Stay and Play sessions in the Nursery and Pre-k and Stay and Learn classes from the Kindergarten. There are Termly social evening events such as ‘Carols by Candlelight’ and Summer Cocktails and the first WPNY Parent/Staff Book Club was established this term.

The School encourages mothers, fathers and family members to visit the school on the way to work to read to their child’s class. The new WPNY PA, known as ‘Friends of Wetherby-Pembridge’ acts as a bridge between the school, parents, children and the local community and are involved in fundraising and community events.

There is an open door policy at WPNY and parents are encouraged to book appointments with Class Teachers or the Head of School at all times, should they wish to discuss a matter. We work as a partnership and your child’s education is a shared journey. Frequent communication from the School keeps parents informed, whether that is weekly class reports or our fortnightly newsletter, The Wetherbridge.

7 East 96 provides excellent facilities to support the broad curriculum. From Kindergarten, pupils can use the Science Laboratory, Art and Design Suite and can access all Music, Language and multi-purpose areas for Drama, Public Speaking, Debating, Yoga and Dance. Gardening takes place on the Top Terrace and the first floor outside space is used by the Nursery and Pre-K children. The Library on the second floor is being re-developed in the summer of 2018 and the Founders’ Hall is used for functions, Open House events, dinners and indoor soft PE sessions and Clubs.

Yoga and other fitness activities are held in the basement in the air conditioned Multi-purpose space which doubles up as the Dining Area. The Founders’ Hall is often used for soft PE and fitness sessions such as soccer, hockey, gymnastics and the Nursery use it once a week for their movement and dance sessions. They often hold their obstacle course here in the winter months. In the summer, they go to Central Park for their PE sessions. Plans are being discussed to make the ‘Loft’ at WPNY on the fifth floor which will be an auditorium space for Ballet, Yoga, Tap Dance and Drama and Music.

Wetherby-Pembridge will grow to Grade 8 and another facility will be added to the school’s portfolio to house the Middle School and the older year groups with comparable facilities. Sport will evolve and move away from the 92Y for the younger students to compete with other top US schools in Manhattan.