The History of Eaton House Schools
Eaton House, previously known as Cliveden Place Preparatory School, was opened in 1897 by Thomas Sale Morton, encouraged in this venture by the mother of a boy that he was coaching at the time, Harold Macmillan, the 1st Earl of Stockton and eventual British Prime Minister.
First located in Cliveden Place the school grew rapidly, as a result of Mr Morton’s exceptional teaching abilities, moving a number of times in the Belgravia area before settling at 3 Eaton Gate. By 1946, 5 Eaton Gate was purchased to further accommodate the ever-expanding boys’ preparatory school.
In 1959, the school was bought by Mr and Mrs Ingham who had previously run Westminster Kindergarten. When they retired, the school was taken over by Mr and Mrs Harper. Mrs Harper, then Head of the Junior School, had 14 years service with the school and was newly-married to Mr Don Harper. The School was renamed Eaton House Belgravia in 1977 and the school went from strength to strength.
The Harper family later purchased The Manor House School, situated in a beautiful Grade II listed building at 58 Clapham Common Northside, opening Eaton House The Manor in 1993, which consisted of a nursery, pre-preparatory school and preparatory school for boys. In 2008, a Girls’ School was added, giving parents the option the benefits of single sex education under one roof for both boys and girls. By 2018, the school’s group consisted of:
- Eaton House Belgravia Nursery School
- Eaton House Belgravia Boys’ School
- Eaton House The Manor Nursery School
- Eaton House The Manor Boys’ Pre-Preparatory School
- Eaton House The Manor Boys’ Preparatory School
- Eaton House The Manor Girls’ School
Together the schools have educated generations of children, with alumni including Laurence Olivier, Ronald Knox, Anthony Asquith, Tony Benn, Philip Pullman, Eddie Redmayne and Bear Grylls.
