Culford, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP28 6TX
10 reasons to choose Culford Preparatory School
Top line
Culford Preparatory School has a Schoolsmith Score® of 85. It is one of the best independent prep schools in and around Bury St Edmunds and one of the 4 best primary schools for 7 miles.
School fundamentals
Culford Preparatory School is an independent prep day and boarding school for boys and girls (50%/50%) between the ages of 1 and 13 years. Boarding from Year 3 for the 10% of pupils who board. All are full boarders. It is a Methodist school, open to all faiths and none. The school has an academically selective admissions policy from Year 3. It is the prep school to Culford School, an all-through school to age 18, and is a member of the Methodist Independent Schools Trust. Culford Preparatory School fees range from £4,700 (Rec) to £8,040 per term (2025/26). Full boarding fees range from £12,080 to £12,975 per term. Fees include VAT and lunches.
Average class size
Culford Preparatory School has two classes per year, rising to three from Year 5, and an average class size of 17 pupils.
Leavers' destinations
At the end of Year 8 most Prep pupils move up to Culford School.
The Culford Preparatory School curriculum
School curriculum is based on the National Curriculum and also includes PSHE, French, Spanish. The enrichment programme for Scholars and Gifted & Talented pupils is a curriculum broadening opportunity for ‘reflective independent learning’. It includes a visiting speaker programme and topics such as art history, science and industry, Macbeth, and a mock trial. The school offers each pupil between 5 and 10 different extra-curricular academic activities or hobby clubs.
More on the curriculum
There are regular educational trips for all year groups, visiting speakers and a residential trip in Year 8.
Specialist teaching
Specialist teachers for sport, music, and languages throughout, for science, art and DT from Year 3, and for most subjects from Year 6.
Sport at Culford Preparatory School
School offers between 10 and 15 different sports over the course of the year. Competitive teams in major sports from Year 3. In recent years the school has enjoyed national success in golf, swimming, tennis.
The Arts at Culford Preparatory School
Art, music and drama are taught as discrete curricular subjects to all pupils. All pupils learn an instrument in class and three-quarters take extra-curricular instrument lessons from Year 3. Two choirs, 2 string orchestras and five instrument ensembles. The school offers each pupil over 5 different extra-curricular creative and performing arts clubs.
Wraparound care
Wraparound care from 7.30am to 8.30pm. Occasional boarding facility. School operates a fleet of buses to local towns.
Find another school near Culford Preparatory School
South Lee School (6.2 miles); Brookes School, Lower School (6.3 miles); Thetford Grammar School, Prep & Pre-Prep (9.5 miles); Old Buckenham Hall School (17.2 miles).
Culford School (0 miles); Brookes Cambridge (4.7 miles); Thetford Grammar School (9.5 miles); Finborough School (20.4 miles).
St Benedict’s Catholic School (3.3 miles); Bury St Edmunds County High School (3.4 miles); King Edward VI Church of England Voluntary Controlled Upper School (4.3 miles).