Top 13 preparatory schools in England UK

Preparatory schools in Great Britain teach children from 7-13 years old. About 500 preparatory schools have 130,000 students: institutions are divided into single-sex and mixed, day and boarding schools, there is a weekly boarding school, a boarding school with a flexible schedule or a combination of formats. A few more categories of preparatory schools:

• Junior schools are related to high schools and provide education from primary to secondary.
• Choral schools, where schoolchildren who serve as choristers in cathedrals, university colleges, and other major religious institutions study. Sometimes students who are not choristers are also accepted here. Such schools are usually affiliated with the Anglican churches, but can sometimes be affiliated with the Catholic Church.
• Schools for students with disabilities that offer special education services.
• Schools with a certain religious affiliation.

When choosing a preparatory school for a child, we recommend that you look not only at academic performance, but also take into account factors such as team spirit, culture and values that are transmitted in the institution. It is also important to consider practical factors: location, fees, and extracurricular activities offered. Finding the perfect prep school for your child in the UK is a daunting task, so our assistant consultants are always ready to help you make a comparative analysis of different schools and highlight their advantages.

Top Preparatory Schools in the UK:

1. Queen Ethelburga's College,
2. Westbourne School,
3. Chepstow House,
4. Abbey College Cambridge,
5. Mount Mill Hill International School,
6. Windlesham House School,
7. International Community School.

Preparatory schools create a supportive environment, provide a comfortable upbringing that encourages children, helps them develop confidence, independence and various social skills. Attending a preparatory school gives children access to specialized institutions and resources to help them get to know different cultures and prospects for future studies and careers. In addition, additional lessons are organized for students who have a non-native English language, and additional support is provided for students with special needs.

The Independent School Board (ISC) cited statistics that most often students in preparatory schools have 100 hours more classes per year compared to students in public day schools. This clearly demonstrates and explains the fact that graduates of preparatory schools usually get higher grades in state examinations.

Most prep schools have their own school network, which increases the chances of graduates getting into some of the best high schools in the UK. Some graduates may even receive scholarships for outstanding excellence in academics, music, and sports.

Despite the fact that most often children from 7 to 13 years old are taught in preparatory schools, some institutions have a preparatory department, where younger day students are also admitted. Such students are often five years old or more, but there are also two-year-old "schoolchildren".

In British preparatory schools, classes are smaller in number of students than in state schools, which allows for more individual learning and forms a warmer relationship between students and teachers. In addition, in many preparatory schools, students have the opportunity to live on campus during the school year.

Because UK preparatory schools are independent, private schools, they have a high level of tuition fees. Extracurricular courses for children who do not succeed in the academic environment of a preparatory school can sometimes be added to the basic curriculum.

The core of the curriculum is mathematics, English and science, the list of additional subjects includes geography, information technology and modern languages. Students' academic performance is assessed using National Curriculum tests at the end of key stages (7 and 11 years old) or through an alternative system.

The first step to choosing and enrolling in a British preparatory school is   to learn all the features and nuances of the institutions you are considering for admission. Be sure to read their specific admission rules, what the steps and application procedures should be. If you have the opportunity, then after consulting with our specialists and the school you are interested in, visit the campus in person to assess all the conditions and scale in real time - you can do this with a visitor visa to the UK.

After you have decided on a school, you need to start collecting the documents that you will need for admission. Most often, the package of documents includes identification and proof of official residential address, translated into English and certified.

In case of successful selection and enrollment in the course, the school is obliged to provide data (invitation) for obtaining a student visa.