The appeal of country prep schools is clear, but there are many factors to take into consideration. Our team has all the advice you need to help you plan your search.
We'd recommend starting off by watching our video below. We've broken it up into handy chapters so you can skip ahead to the questions you're most interested in having answered:
1:13 - Why should I make the move to a country prep?
1:52 - Is there an ideal time to move to a country prep?
3:09 - How easy is it to get a place at a country prep?
4:46 - How far in advance do I need to register for a country prep?
5:44 - How rigorous are entrance assessments to county preps?
6:39 - How far do parents tend to live from their child's school?
8:35 - What is the boarding provision like at country prep schools?
11:50 - Is the school day very long?
12:54 - Is homework done at school?
13:44 - What about sport?
15:15 - What about Saturday school?
17:53 - Do all prep schools still offer Common Entrance to senior schools?
20:55 - Is it important to know which senior schools a prep school feeds into?
23:26 - What are the parents like?
24:24 - Are there any negatives?
What’s a prep school?
‘Prep’ is short for ‘preparatory’, harking back to the fact that these schools traditionally prepared children for Common Entrance. (Nothing to do with American prep schools, incidentally.)
What’s wrong with London schools?
Glad you asked: absolutely nothing, of course. London is packed with amazing schools, both state and independent. But this year’s extraordinary events have prompted parents to look at education options beyond London, and to look at independent education in a new light. A recent poll by MTM Consulting found that 64 per cent of households with an income greater than £60,000 said they were now considering moving their children to schools in the independent sector. Estate agents outside London are seeing a significantly higher proportion of enquiries from London families.
So what are the main advantages of country prep schools?
There are two obvious ones: space and time.
Country preps give children more room to breathe; and there’s more room for playgrounds, sports pitches, theatres and music blocks.
These schools also tend to have longer school days, which means more time for sport, co-curricular activities and homework done at school (no more racing to swimming lessons after pick-up; no more nagging a tired child to finish their maths). For working parents, this long school day is a huge benefit – they can pick their children up with all activities and homework completed, and supper eaten. Time at home is quality time.
Country prep schools also tend to take children up to the age of 13, giving youngsters a longer childhood. For boys, in particular, this means more time to mature before starting senior school.
If I want to send my child to one of these schools, do I have to leave London?
Not necessarily – there are plenty of country preps close to London which offer daily minibus services to and from the capital. Think about the distance from your home to these schools – even if your child makes the daily journey by minibus, you will still find yourself visiting the school regularly. You may also want to think about boarding – can your child board for one or two nights a week or more?
Is there a ‘right time’ to make this move?
No. In general, country schools are far more flexible on admissions than London schools, and rarely have strict 4+ and 7+ entry points. Children may move for Year 7, after they’ve left primary school – it’s not unheard of for pupils to arrive in Year 8.
How easy is it to get a place?
Some country preps are oversubscribed and have waiting lists to rival the most sought-after London prep, but there is always movement. If a school doesn’t have a space for your child when you first make contact, don’t give up and do keep in touch with the registrar. You can usually join a prep in any year, even mid-term. Registrars will always do their best to accommodate whole families with children in different year groups.
How far in advance do I have to register my child? Don’t I have to put their name down at birth?
No. Increasingly families are moving at very short notice, within a matter of weeks. Obviously, the earlier you approach a school, the more chance there is of them having a place for your child; ideally, you would start looking in September for a move the following summer.
What are the entry assessments like? Do I need to get a tutor for my child?
Absolutely not. Most schools have a gentle taster day, possibly with some tests in key subjects, depending on the child’s age. Nothing too strenuous and nothing to worry about or prepare for.
How will my life change, as a parent, if I do decide to move out of London?
One guarantee: you will do a lot more driving. Check out the school’s bus routes to save yourself a fortune on petrol. Lift shares are another option.
Will my child have to board?
It depends on the school, so do check what each one offers. In general, boarding is flexible and optional: for some schools, it is compulsory in Years 7 and 8; in others, boarding is compulsory from Year 3. Even if boarding isn’t on your radar initially, you may find your child begging to be allowed to join their friends who are staying at school. Plenty of children never board and still enjoy the full ‘prep school’ experience; other children love the opportunity to hang out with their friends in the evening, enjoying all the activities and facilities these schools offer and avoiding what can sometimes be a long journey home.
What’s the route ahead if my child goes to a country prep? Do they have to go on to a ‘proper’ boarding school?
In general, it’s not a good idea to work backwards: ‘I want my child to go to X senior school therefore they must go to Y prep school’. Having said this, you should look at the leavers’ destinations on each school’s Talk 看片狂人 page to check that these are in line with your thinking. If you want to consider day-school options for your child at senior-school level, you probably wouldn’t want to send them to a full-boarding prep.If you’re looking at a full-boarding senior school, it’s a good idea for your child to do some boarding in Years 7 and 8 at prep school.
On the whole, prep school heads have excellent relationships with a wide range of senior schools – they will be best placed to advise you on the right senior school for your child.
If a prep school is linked with a senior school, try to visit that senior school before your child joins the prep. If all their friends are on the conveyor belt, it may be hard to persuade them to step off it.
What else do I need to think about?
Saturday commitments: different schools have different models, so do make sure you know what you’re signing up for – it’s not always clear on the school website. Some have Saturday school on alternate weekends; others offer enrichment activities; some still have a full day of lessons and matches every Saturday.
Sport: at most of these schools, pupils play sport every day. In ‘normal’ times, there are regular matches and IAPS tournaments in all the major sports, so there are lots of opportunities for pupils to represent their school in a team – whether they’re sporting superstars or enthusiastic amateurs. Schools also tend to offer a huge range of other sports, from riding to skiing.
What’s going on with Common Entrance?
Great question. Again, it depends on the school. Traditionally, pupils sit the CE exams in the June of Year 8. In some schools, they still sit these exams in all subjects – including humanities, French and Latin – and sometimes even ancient Greek for scholars. In other schools, pupils only sit CE in core subjects (maths, English, French and science), with their own curriculum for other subjects. And others still have replaced CE altogether with the Pre-Senior Baccalaureate or their own version of this.
Increasingly, senior schools are requiring children to sit the ISEB Pre-Test in Year 6, with interviews and assessment days in Years 6 and 7. They will then offer places which are either conditional or unconditional on the child passing CE.
For chapter and verse on CE, read our article
here.
What about me? What sort of parent community will I be joining? Will I have to wear green wellies and buy a horse?
There is usually a huge, exhilarating mixture of parents at country prep schools. Some commute daily to London, some are entrepreneurs and creatives and, yes, some do live in their jodhpurs.
In our experience, you do have to make more of an effort to meet other parents – the school run tends to be drop and go, so there’s less school-gate gossip and fewer opportunities for spontaneous coffees after drop-off. But most schools have active and enthusiastic PTAs, so there are plenty of opportunities to socialise if that’s your bag.
This is a suspiciously rosy picture – what are the negatives?
For children – genuinely, none. They will be welcomed with open arms and swept up in an array of new opportunities and excitements. They will be under less pressure, but will thrive academically and enjoy a great, wholesome, healthy childhood. They may have fewer playdates – but who needs playdates when you’re at school with your friends pretty much from breakfast until bedtime?
For the parents: settling in to the new routine can be harder. You will spend a lot longer in your car. But honestly, that’s it. We’ve yet to find a family who has regretted making the move.
* Still have questions?
Our team will be delighted to help.