Prep school and pre-prep schools: essential information for parents  

With so many options available, choosing a prep school that will be the right fit for your child can be overwhelming. A Preparatory school or as it’s also known as, a prep school, is where primary school-age children are prepared for private secondary school education.

Choosing the right school is incredibly important and a decision that most, if not all, parents don’t take lightly. At King’s we want to ensure that if you are looking at us as a potential guardian of your child’s education you are fully clued up on all the essential information.

Read on to discover some key things to consider when choosing the right prep school for your child.

What is a prep school?  

In the UK, preparatory, or prep and pre-prep, schools are independent schools whose main purpose is to prepare children for entrance to an independent secondary or senior school where they will complete their GCSEs and then potentially A level studies. Prep schools are the equivalent to state education preschool, primary, junior and/or middle schools.  

What is a pre-prep school?  

Just like prep-schools, pre-prep schools are independent, but are for preschool aged children or Reception (aged 4) children. Their purpose is to prepare these youngsters to move to a preparatory (or prep) school at the end of Year 3 or Year 4, and are often linked to a prep-school. Being independent they often have smaller class sizes than their equivalent state schools, and are able to offer specialist subjects such as languages, as well as wrap around care, often a life line for busy working parents. 

What are the benefits of a prep school?  

There are several benefits of sending your child to a prep school, one of the more obvious benefits is class size. Smaller numbers of pupils in classes often allows your child’s teachers to spend more time with them and to nurture them on an individual basis.  

As well as these smaller class sizes, you’ll often find that your child will be taught by a subject specialist, rather than one person who may have to ‘know it all’. This means that your child would benefit from multiple teachers for the sciences and arts, PE and languages, this approach is similar to what they would experience in senior school, thus preparing them at a much younger age.  

How is the curriculum different in a prep-school?  

One of the biggest benefits to being an independent school, is they don’t have to follow the national curriculum, they are free to decide how and what to teach. This independence allows them to deliver a more innovative national curriculum education that is tailored to each child, rather than one that is determined by the state.  

How are private prep-schools inspected and regulated?  

Private schools must follow strict criteria for delivering a broad curriculum and are governed by the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS) to ensure your child receives the highest standard of education.  

The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), a Government approved inspectorate is responsible for inspecting all prep-schools. The ISI inspects independent schools whose head teachers belong to one of the Independent School Council (ISC) member associations in England. These include HMC, GSA, IAPS, SoH and ISA. Ofsted monitors the quality of ISI’s service on behalf of the Department for Education.  

Ofsted inspect non-associated independent schools, and both ISI and Ofsted use the DfE Education (Independent Schools Standards) Regulations to report on independent schools’ compliance. The only difference is the framework and criteria which ISI and Ofsted use to judge the quality of a school.  

ISI currently completes school compliance inspections every two or three years and a full school inspection, with a focus on educational quality, between three to six years.  

A great place to start is to take a look at the Good Schools Guide for up-to-date information.  

What is a prep school like?  

Prep schools benefit from a diverse range of on-site facilities, this coupled with reduced class sizes, means your child will have the best opportunity to learn and grow in an environment where they feel supported throughout their education both inside and outside of the classroom.  

As well as academic studies, prep schools are able to offer a wide range of opportunities for children outside of the classroom, enabling them to uncover co-curricular interests, skills and passions in art, music, drama, dance, community service and sports. 

Often pastoral care is provided for by highly trained and qualified experts who have spent years working in the field, bringing their expertise to help your child with their emotional, social and sometimes religious development.  

Does my child have to board to attend a prep-school?  

Simply put, no. Lots of prep-schools offer boarding with several boarding options available, to suit family lifestyles, however these days ‘day schools’ offer just as good, if not better in some cases, prep and pre-prep education.  

What is the average price of a prep school?  

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) 2020 report that the average termly fees for a day school pupil place is £4,980. Fees charged by schools vary by region. For example, the average fee ranges from just over £3,700 per term for day schools in the North West to just under £6,000 per term for day schools in London. It’s important to note that this figure will include the costs of both senior and prep school and fees usually increase as your child gets older.  At King’s, our prep school fees start at £2,659 per term. 

It is also important to consider extra costs such as lunches, uniforms, curriculum trips and visits, residentials and extras such as music lessons. Many independent day schools now offer wrap-around care, however you shouldn’t assume it is included in your fees and always best to check. 

Often independent schools also offer discounts for siblings, pre-agreed payment terms, such as monthly or lump sum payments, and some have bursary options.  

Should I visit a prep school before making a final choice?

Yes absolutely. We would encourage any prospective parent to talk to us and join one of our tours or arrange a private tour. There is nothing like seeing the school in action, and this will help you make your final decision.  

The King’s School, Worcester are now offering private tours and forthcoming open mornings for our prep-schools King’s Hawford and King’s St Alban’s both based here in Worcestershire. Visit our prep-school pages to register for a tour.