West House School

The day and boarding preparatory school West House School was established in 1895 for boys. The school is now Birmingham's only preparatory day school that is only for males. Termly boarding and weekly boarding came to an end in the middle of the 1960s and the early 1990s, respectively. At the end of the 1990s, parental demand for selective secondary schooling from the age of 11, rather than 13, led to the phasing out of Years 7 and 8 and the emergence of the school as a leading private primary school. West House Co-educational Day Nursery was formed in 1999 as a result of an opportunity to merge with an existing neighbourhood private nursery school. Since then, it has developed into the school's Early Years Department and offers a wonderful setting for both boys and girls beginning at the age of one. Although West House School still occupies its historic location, the facilities have undergone substantial renovations. A well-equipped sports hall was added to the property in 1982, and in 2013 it underwent additional development to add cutting-edge theatrical features. Renamed Duce Hall after Headmaster Kim Duce (1974 2004), it now hosts a number of productions throughout the year, in addition to everyday sports activities. The West House Old Boys' Association helped to finish the Centenary Building in 1996 in honour of the school's 100th anniversary. It now has an ICT suite, a large school library, and an art and design studio staffed by a full-time librarian.