Age range. 2 to 13.
Number of children. 370 pupils.
Fees per annum (2025-2026). Reception: £15,288; Years 1–2: £17,580; Years 3–8: £21,336. Nursery & Kindergarten: £506 one session/week per term or £992 for a full day/week per term.
An independent co-educational prep school for boys and girls aged 2 to 13, where academic excellence is combined with award-winning pastoral care.
Founded in 1919, Sevenoaks Prep School stands on a spacious 25-acre site of playing fields and woodland bordering the 1,000-acre Knole Estate. Our small class sizes and family atmosphere enable us to build special relationships with the children and their parents.
The curriculum is tailored to the needs of the pupils and their future aspirations. While due regard is paid to the National Curriculum, our children are taught to the highest standard achievable by the individual. Adaptive Teaching is a key focus, allowing us to meet each child’s needs more precisely within our ambitious curriculum. By flexibly tailoring support and challenge, our teachers enhance their Programmes of Study to ensure that every pupil is motivated, stretched and prepared for 11+ or 13+ entry tests to local grammar schools or via ISEB Common Entrance examinations and scholarships to independent schools. Our academic achievements are consistently high and our pupils compete successfully for academic, sport, music and other scholarships.
Education at Sevenoaks Prep is for life, not just the classroom – it is the balance of academic study and co-curricular activities that prepare the children for their future. All classes regularly take part in visits, workshops and field trips to bring learning to life. Sport is for all, and from the earliest years, pupils enjoy a broad and engaging physical education programme, with opportunities to represent the school and excel in a range of sports. Alongside our main games, our extensive co-curricular programme encourages every child to try new activities, expand their horizons, develop new skills and discover fresh passions.
The school had their latest ISI Inspection in March 2025 which is available to view on their website. They were thrilled with the many positive observations made by the inspection team and feel that ISI summed their school up wonderfully by stating that their pupils are ‘well prepared for the next stages of their education and future lives’.
The school comprises the Pre-Prep (Nursery–Year 2), and the Prep School (Years 3–8).
Nursery and Kindergarten are staffed by teachers who are specially qualified in Early Years education, with a high teacher to pupil ratio. The education provided is specifically designed to match each child’s needs, so that child-initiated play and teacher-directed activities are thoughtfully planned and carefully balanced.
Full-time education starts in the Reception class in Pre-Prep and from this point, through Years 1 and 2, class teachers and their assistants provide a rich and stimulating environment where curiosity and enthusiasm to learn are fostered. Pupils benefit from specialist teaching in Art, Music, Outdoor Learning, PE and Swimming. They also enjoy making full use of the Prep facilities for their Computer and Art lessons, taught by prep school teachers, and regularly coming up to the Prep side which enhances their learning experience.
On entering the Prep school in Year 3, class teaching is continued for core subjects (with specialist teaching for Drama, Languages, Music, ICT, PE and Games). By the age of 10, our pupils are taught by specialist teachers in all subjects while each class continues to have a form teacher who monitors their progress. Years 7 and 8 are the secondary school years and this is reflected in the teaching and levels of responsibility offered to the children. At Sevenoaks Prep they are at the top of the school and are provided with leadership opportunities and responsibilities. Heads of our destination schools say that children from Sevenoaks Prep enter Year 9 as rounded individuals, confident both academically and socially.
Facilities include a large multipurpose sports hall, a state-of-the-art Drama and Music suite, ‘Forest School’ outdoor education areas and modern Early Years classrooms and hall. A Centenary Centre housing Science, Art, Humanities, ICT and a library opened in 2020. Their location provides a useful and natural extension to the teaching facilities and a vast playground, where children are trusted and encouraged to explore safely.
The school provides year-round wraparound care, with breakfast club from 7.15 am and after-school care until 6.00 pm each evening and the extracurricular activities are extensive. They run full-day holiday camps for families of their students throughout the year. The school is supported by an active Social Events Committee who regularly arrange social events for parents to meet each other and to raise money for the school.