College Lane, Thornton, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK17 0HJ
10 reasons to choose Thornton College, Preparatory
Top line
Thornton College, Preparatory has a Schoolsmith Score® of 84. It is one of the best independent prep schools in and around Milton Keynes and one of the 4 best primary schools for 5 miles.
School fundamentals
Thornton College, Preparatory is an independent prep day and boarding school for girls between the ages of 3 and 11 years. Boarding from Year 3 for the 10% of pupils who board. All are weekly or flexi boarders. It is a Roman Catholic school, open to all faiths and none. The school has a non-selective admissions policy. It is the junior division of Thornton College, an all-through school to age 18. Thornton College, Preparatory fees range from £4,776 (Rec) to £6,030 per term (2025/26). Full boarding fees range from £11,346 to £12,198 per term. Fees include VAT but exclude lunches.
Average class size
Thornton College, Preparatory has one class per year, sometimes two, and an average class size of 12 pupils.
Leavers' destinations
Most Prep School pupils move up to Thornton College at the end of Year 6.
The Thornton College, Preparatory curriculum
School curriculum is based on the National Curriculum, and is a ‘creative curriculum’ for all year groups. Up to Year 4 humanities and arts subjects are combined into a series of half-termly topics. In Years 5 and 6 ‘Content and Language Integrated Learning’ means that geography and history are taught in French. Curriculum also includes PSHEE, reasoning, French. 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 and visiting speakers. Forest School sessions for all year groups. Annual ‘Activities Week’ expands the curriculum with day trips, residentials for Years 5 and 6, outdoor adventure and the arts.
Specialist teaching
Specialist teachers for sport, music and languages throughout, for maths and science from Year 4, and for all subjects from Year 5.
Sport at Thornton College, Preparatory
School offers between 10 and 15 different sports over the course of the year. Representative teams in major sports from Year 3.
The Arts at Thornton College, Preparatory
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 several music ensembles. The school offers each pupil over 5 different extra-curricular creative and performing arts clubs.
Wraparound care
Wraparound care from 7.45am to 7.00pm. Facility for occasional boarding.
Find another school near Thornton College, Preparatory
Akeley Wood Junior School (1.4 miles); Milton Keynes Preparatory School (8.1 miles); Beachborough School (9.5 miles); Winchester House School (11.6 miles); Swanbourne House School (12.8 miles).
Bourton Meadow Academy (3.9 miles); St Mary and St Giles Church of England School, Stony Stratford (4.9 miles); Priory Rise School (6.2 miles).
Thornton College (0 miles); Akeley Wood Senior School (6.8 miles); Stowe School (8.3 miles); Bosworth Independent School (17.7 miles).
Royal Latin School (4.7 miles); Denbigh School (8 miles); Sponne School (11 miles).