What is a Prep school?
How and when do I apply?
How to find the right prep school for your child
Academic
Assessment
Fees
School Life
SEN Prep

What is a Prep School?

Prep or preparatory schools prepare pupils for entry to private secondary schools at the age of 11  or 13. These independent, fee-paying schools, usually take pupils aged seven or eight although many have links with pre-preps and provide ‘all-through education’ from the age of four.

How and when do I apply?

Think about the sort of Prep school that you want.

  • Do you want an all-through school where pupils can go from prep to senior under one roof?
  • Think about where you want to send your child to senior school. What schools do the current pupils to proceed to?
  • Do you want single-sex or co-ed?
  • Do you want boarding or day, and if so, flexi or full? Sending a seven or eight year old to a full boarding school is still possible, if that is your choice.
  • Think about practical issues such as class size, teacher numbers, sport and music facilities and proximity to your own home.

Visit the schools. Get a feel for them. Do the children look happy, relaxed, engaged? How do the adults interact with their pupils?

How to find the right prep school for your child

The main point of entry to prep school is at 7+ for Year 3. The vast majority of prep schools are selective, but the academic standard required will vary. Usually, children are assessed by a combination of:

  • A formal test, known as the 7+: this may be set by the school, or by an external examinations agency, and typically includes Maths and English questions. An increasing number of schools also now test verbal and non-verbal reasoning.
  • An interview, which will look at factors such as a child’s behaviour and social skills.
  • A report from their current school.

Some schools will ask children to sit the exam and then invite the top performers to interview; others expect all applicants to complete both the exam and the interview.

Academic

As prep schools are independent, they don’t have to follow the National Curriculum but they will all teach a broad curriculum with both traditional subjects such as Latin on offer, as well as more modern subjects such as Mandarin. Prep schools are likely to have specialist subject teachers, unlike state primary schools.

Assessment

A child’s prep schooling builds up to the Common Entrance, which is used in the selection process for many boarding schools at 11+ (for girls) and 13+ (for boys). The Common Entrance is the main focus for teaching in Years 7 and 8, with a content-rich syllabus and strong academic focus. Common Entrance is usually taken at the child’s own prep school.

With more private schools introducing the 11+, prep schools also prepare children to take this exam, which is particularly competitive in London.

More senior schools are now using the ISEB Common Pre-Test which is taken by prep school pupils in Year 6 or Year 7 and are an age-standardised measure of ability and attainment. The tests include Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, English and Mathematics. They are in a multiple-choice format and take about two and a half hours to complete.

Fees

The fees for prep schools range from £3,750 per term for a day school to £9,500 per term for full boarding.

School Life

Most prep schools have excellent extra-curricular activities and sporting facilities such as swimming pools and even golf courses.

SEN

If you have a child with Special Educational Needs, find out what support your chosen prep school offers. Many prep schools now have a SENCO – a specialist SEN co-ordinator. There are also more specialists SEN schools than ever before, both boarding and day.

Featured Prep Schools Tips