Educating children since 1880
Welcome from the Headteacher
Dear parents, carers and visitors
On behalf of the children, staff and governors, it is my privilege as Headteacher to welcome you to Belmont Grosvenor School, an independent school and nursery for children from three months to 11 years located in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales on the outskirts of Harrogate. Set in 20-acres of stunning grounds overlooking the Nidd Valley, Belmont Grosvenor is a magical place where children make outstanding progress in all that they try, giving them the foundations to thrive in our ever-changing world.
The happiness and well-being of our children is at the heart of all we do. By utilising our unrivalled setting, we aim to provide a breadth of learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom. Whether it’s building fires in our Forest School area, practising front crawl in our indoor swimming pool or enjoying guided reading in our very own Magic Tree, we ensure learning is not confined to four walls. Our smaller class sizes allow high-quality personalised learning to take place; teachers at BGS know exactly how to motivate our children and help them progress in all that they try. After a decade of education at Belmont Grosvenor, our pupils continue their successes at a wide range of senior and secondary schools, but they always remain part of the BGS family.
Belmont Grosvenor School is a loving family and community that welcomes new children and families into our school with open arms. Every day is an open day and I would be honoured to show you around our school at your earliest convenience.
Mrs Sian de Gracia BA (Hons)
Hands-on learning
Belmont Grosvenor School is a place where learning habits are formed for life: independence, flexibility, perseverance, co-operation, reflectiveness and creativity are instilled in our children from an early age and develop throughout their time with us.
We want our children to have more than just knowledge. We encourage them to think around problems and opportunities, to devise original solutions, come up with new ideas, and take carefully evaluated risks.
In the classroom, we link these fundamental learning habits to familiar childhood characters who we believe embody these ideas. For example, Wallace and Gromit represent creativity and curiosity, Jessie from Toy Story is a great example of independence, while Batman’s adventures reflect risk-taking!
Whether it is assuming the role of a detective, developing a forensic scientist’s skills, or re-enacting the events leading up to the Great Fire of London, this is a highly-effective way of engaging, encouraging and ensuring these learning habits become part of our children’s everyday life.
Children move on from BGS as independent learners, with a strong sense of social responsibility, equipped with all the skills required for life-long learning but, best of all, they leave with lots of very happy memories.
The great outdoors
The idyllic rural setting of Belmont Grosvenor, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, builds magic into the education and experience of every child at the school.
From their very first day, children play and learn in our 20-acres of stunning grounds, gaining both knowledge and respect for their environment.
The manicured Head’s Lawn, magnificent Magic Tree, rolling fields and picturesque meadow provide a beautiful, yet safe, place for all our children.
We are certain that our surroundings, with acres of space to roam and run free, help create memories and enrich the educational experience of all our children.
All our teachers are encouraged to take their learning outside the classroom as often as possible. Pupils are regularly away from their desks, having fun and making the most of our outdoor classroom and open-air amphitheatre.
Their art lessons could be spent sketching the beautiful Nidd Valley, maths could take on a whole new dimension through hunting for real-world 3D shapes around the grounds and science lessons become far more interesting when building habitats for local wildlife in our woodland area.
Our facilities
Housed in a Grade II Listed Gothic mansion, Belmont Grosvenor School really does offer the best of both worlds. Our striking, historic building is brimming with original features, from the service bells on the wall of the main school corridor and an old stone staircase worn with age to a blacksmith’s anvil in the store behind our Reception classroom, and a cellar with a well!
Contrast that with the cutting-edge technology found in our ICT suite, the networked whiteboards in all our classrooms and our fully equipped state-of-the-art science lab and you get a flavour of what learning at BGS is really like.
From our community
"We arrived at Belmont Grosvenor after years of moving around with my job in the Army. We were looking for a caring, inclusive school for our daughters who have very different learning profiles. Belmont has cherished them both and allowed them to feel highly successful. Our youngest daughter is dyslexic and has thrived within Belmont’s nurturing environment. Both girls learned musical instruments, played sports competitively and joined every club on offer. Belmont is a very special place and one that has given our girls the confidence to move onto boarding schools knowing that they have the ability to take on any challenge."
"Since our children started at Belmont Grosvenor they have been surrounded by kindness and a warm welcome from everyone, parents and pupils alike. The setting of the school is outstanding, a beautiful Hogwarts-style building with acres of grounds to run around and play in. There is a huge range of extra-curricular activities, so sometimes it feels hard to decide which fun, new thing to try next. Academically, the school also delivers, with both our children visibly growing before our eyes since joining. They come home every day eager to share new skills and interesting facts. Forest School and weekly swimming in the pool are favourites. Altogether it is a truly outstanding place to go to school."
"I wish every school were like BGS. The learning experiences my son has had since attending are beyond my expectations. He’s happy and excited to go to school. The children are encouraged to be imaginative, curious and creative not just in the classroom but in the school's outstanding outdoor space. The teachers are extremely supportive and flexible in their approach to teaching and are so invested in all of the children. I challenge anyone to find another school that pays so much attention to creating the right environment for children to fall in love with learning. "
"Our children have loved every minute of their time at BGS, from nursery through to Year 6 and they have thrived in the nurturing care of the wonderful staff and explored every inch of the beautiful grounds. As a family, we have always felt warmly welcomed into the school community and look forward to many more happy days to come. Childhood is precious, and it feels protected here at BGS. It is a school where friendships are forged and children can be children."
"Our son, Finn, is the youngest of eight cousins to have been to Belmont Grosvenor. We knew from the older cousins' experience what a fabulous school BGS was, but it has surpassed all expectations. Both of our boys have been afforded the most wonderful opportunities and experiences in and out of the classroom and have grown into confident, well-mannered and well-rounded people. We know that BGS will continue to have a special place in all our hearts long after the last Wright leaves!"
"Everything about BGS is exceptional and I mean everything; from the fun, interactive lessons to the extra-curricular activities, community engagement and even the menu on offer,it all works. Every aspect of life at BGS comes together to produce well-rounded, respectful little humans who have the tools to succeed and make a difference in a very complex ever-changing world. When we moved to the UK four years ago we didn’t know what to expect. We had so many questions and the BGS team took such great care of us. They patiently offered advice and answered every question we had. Covid was rough for everyone but the BGS team came together and developed a holistic approach to learning. They not only focused on academics but recognised the need for mental health support and catered for that as well. William in Year 5 is our second child to attend BGS. Our daughter left at the end of Year 6 and is now thriving in a local secondary school because of her experience at BGS. We are very proud to be part of the BGS family and cannot recommend this school and the wonderful team more. "
"We often get asked what we like most about living in England and I can honestly say that our favourite part is the education and the experience that our two children are getting at Belmont Grosvenor School. There are no doubt many differences between the British and American education system, however, from the very first day teachers, staff and students went above and beyond to help our children feel comfortable, well-adjusted and part of the BGS family. We have been in England almost two years now and our children are thriving both educationally, physically, mentally and socially. Our family in America are always amazed at the different activities our children get to experience during the school day. Things like swimming, Forest School, drama, private music lessons, and sports to name a few make every day fun and exciting. If you have a chance to come see BGS in person you must, as it is one of the most beautiful school settings we have ever seen and pictures do not do it justice. We often remind our children how lucky they are to attend school at BGS because there really is nowhere else like it. "
"BGS for our son has exceeded expectations beyond our wildest dreams. From a boy whose daily refrain was 'I don't want to go to school' we are now always early to school because he can’t wait to get there. The car has barely stopped before he dives out in excitement to meet his friends. The boy who never joined in now does guitar, rugby, football, choir and board games club. His excitement about BGS is contagious, he can’t wait to tell us about what he has done. I do not have enough words to thank BGS for everything you do every day, the opportunities you are giving him and the understanding and kindness that has allowed him to feel safe being exactly who he is."
