Wellesley Road, Colchester, Essex CO3 3HD
10 reasons to choose Colchester Prep & High School, Prep
Top line
Colchester Prep & High School, Prep has a Schoolsmith Score® of 76. It is one of the best independent prep schools in and around Colchester and one of the 3 best primary schools for 1 mile.
School fundamentals
Colchester Prep & High School, Prep is an independent prep day school for boys and girls (70%/30%) between the ages of 2 and 11 years. The school has a non-selective admissions policy. It is the junior division of Colchester High School, an all-through school to age 16, and is a member of the Cognita Schools group. Colchester Prep & High School, Prep fees range from £4,354 (Rec) to £5,494 per term (2025/26). Fees include VAT but exclude lunches.
Average class size
Colchester Prep & High School, Prep has one class per year and an average class size of 13 pupils.
Leavers' destinations
Most Colchester High Lower School pupils move up to the senior school at the end of Year 6.
The Colchester Prep & High School, Prep curriculum
School curriculum is based on the National Curriculum with some additions and variations. It also includes PSHCE, reasoning, French. School encourages higher order thinking skills through Mastery lessons and the ‘year ahead’ curriculum. The ‘Aspire Higher’ programme is an academic Gifted and Talented programme. It is a Microsost Showcase School to reflect the high degree of integration of digital learning in the curriculum. The school offers each child a handful of extra-curricular academic activities or hobby clubs.
More on the curriculum
There are regular educational trips for all year groups, visiting speakers and residential trips from Year 5.
Specialist teaching
Specialist teachers for sport, music, languages, and computing throughout.
Sport at Colchester Prep & High School, Prep
School offers between 10 and 15 different sports over the course of the year. Competitive teams in major sports from Year 3.
The Arts at Colchester Prep & High School, Prep
Art and music are taught as discrete curricular subjects to all pupils. Drama is part of the co-curriculum. All pupils learn an instrument in class and some take extra-curricular instrument lessons. Choir and one or two instrument ensembles. There are some extra-curricular creative and performing arts clubs.
Wraparound care
Wraparound care from 7.15am to 6.00pm.
Find another school near Colchester Prep & High School, Prep
Holmwood House School (2.9 miles); St Mary’s School for Girls, Lower School (4 miles).
Hamilton Primary School (0.4 miles); St Thomas More’s Catholic Primary School, Colchester (1.1 miles); Home Farm Primary School (2.1 miles).
Colchester Prep & High School, Senior (0 miles); St Mary’s School for Girls, Colchester (1.1 miles); Gosfield School (15.8 miles).
Colchester Royal Grammar School (0.3 miles); St Benedict’s Catholic College (1 mile); Colchester County High School for Girls (1 mile).