Our History

St Ives has been part of the Haslemere community for more than a century, with a story stretching back to 1911. From its earliest days, the school has been shaped by a belief in giving children a rich, rounded education, one that values curiosity, creativity and the world beyond the classroom.  

The school first opened at No. 2 College Hill, in a house owned by Herbert Hutchinson, whose father, Jonathan Hutchinson, was a prominent doctor, lecturer and founder of Haslemere Museum. St Ives began very much as a family enterprise, with members of the Hutchinson family believed to have taught at the school.  

As St Ives flourished, it eventually outgrew its original home. In 1966, the school moved across Haslemere to Three Gates Lane and the beautiful property formerly known as Oakhurst. Its previous owner was Ken Wood, the entrepreneur behind the famous Kenwood kitchen appliances. The move gave St Ives the space to grow, and over the decades new classrooms, specialist facilities, sports areas, Nursery provision and outdoor learning spaces have transformed the site while retaining its distinctive character.  

That spirit of evolution continues today. Now a thriving co-educational prep school for children aged 2 to 11, St Ives combines more than 110 years of heritage with a forward-looking approach to education, all within eight acres of beautiful Haslemere parkland.  

Much has changed since those first pupils walked through the doors in 1911, but something important has remained: St Ives is a school where children are known, childhood is valued and learning is about far more than what happens at a desk.  

Our history is part of who we are, and every St Ives child becomes part of the story.