Age range. 2–11. Co-educational.
Number of pupils. 154.
Fees per term (2025-2026). Day (including lunch): £2,120–£7,356, including VAT from September 2025, depending on age and full or half day.
St Edmund’s Prep School, founded in 1874, is a co-educational, independent Catholic Nursery, Pre-Prep and Prep School, for children of all faiths or none, situated in beautiful countryside near Ware, Hertfordshire.
Easily accessible from North London, as well as from the main A10, A1 and M11 corridors of Hertfordshire, the School embraces family values and is a place where education is seen as a joint venture involving staff, parents and children.
St Edmund’s Prep is a warm, ambitious and inclusive Catholic school where every child is empowered to become a high performer. Rooted in the rich heritage of England’s oldest Catholic school, our Prep combines tradition with the forward-thinking principles of High Performance Learning (HPL) to ensure that all pupils are equipped to thrive in an ever-changing world.
At the Prep, we believe high performance is attainable for every learner. Our teaching is intentionally shaped by the HPL framework, nurturing both the Advanced Cognitive Performance (ACP) characteristics and the Values, Attitudes and Attributes (VAAs) that enable children to think critically, act compassionately and approach challenges with confidence. Pupils learn to be agile thinkers, creative problem-solvers and resilient, independent learners who embrace curiosity and enjoy intellectual stretch.
Grounded in our Catholic ethos, we cultivate a strong moral foundation where empathy, respect and community matter as much as academic excellence. Children are encouraged to develop their character as well as their skills, growing into thoughtful, responsible global citizens.
From the earliest years, pupils at St Edmund’s Prep experience a supportive, engaging and high-expectation environment where they are inspired to aim high, work hard and be kind. Here, high performance is not reserved for a few – it is a journey that every child is empowered to pursue.
Students who join in or before Year 4 are not required to sit the entrance examination for the main College at 11+.
A proud holder of both the Gold Sports Mark for Sport and the England Arts Council Silver Award, St Edmund's Prep is committed to healthy living and both physical and mental wellbeing. Food is home cooked, fresh fruit is provided at break times, and both sport and physical activity are seen as a priority for all. Prep children have access to a floodlit Astroturf facility, as well as an indoor swimming pool, large gymnasium and many acres of beautiful grounds.
A fun range of co-curricular activities is run every day and both breakfast and teatime clubs are available. School bus services run for children over seven from Year 3.
Charitable status. St Edmund’s College is a Registered Charity, number 311073.